Title: Catalyst
Summary: Even though he chose to move to England when he chose Hogwarts, what will Scorpius do when he is accepted into the prestigious Noroikaijo Academy, one of the top curse breaking schools that is set in his old home of Japan? What will he tell those damn Potters, one his best friend and the other a frustrating prat whose only skill is sending weird mixed signals?
Disclaimer:Obviously if I owned any works written by the literary genius J.K. Rowling, I wouldn't be unleashing my fantasies through fanfiction. But for the record, no I do not own Harry Potter. I do own the cuddly character Eerin the Ferret though.
"You know it's your bloody fault I had to elect to take the Knight Bus, you bloody rascal," Scorpius grumbled as he looked accusingly at his ferret who only tilted her head back curiously.
Scorpius gave an annoyed half as he turned away, slightly irritated at how those azure eyes affected him so. Eerin had been in his possession forever it seemed. As a child living abroad, Scorpius didn't make friends easily. Even when living in the muggle districts of Shinjuku, the children were often in awe of his light features that they tended to scatter whenever he approached. It had only been weeks into the new arrangements that Scorpius stopped in the windows of the shopping district and spotted a purely silver-furred ferret, just a baby at the time. Scorpius could easily say he felt a spark between the two of them. Both pale with cool-toned eyes.
Though Scorpius himself knew his fascination with ferrets grew from reading the His Dark Materials series from his academy's library and the thought of having a similar daemon as Lyra appealed greatly to him.
He was shaken from his thoughts as tiny claws dug into his shoulder. Bewildered, Scorpius looked to Eerin and the branch just above his head, obviously having been the ferret's launching pad. A playful frown settled onto his lips in mock disapproval before quirking into a baleful smile as Eerin weaved her agile body around his neck before jumping into his hood, nestling there with no doubt her tail curled around her slim frame.
"You're more Slytherin than me," he tutted her, reaching back behind his head where she began to lick away at his finger in agreement.
Eerin's timing launch only served the reminder that he was closer to home, as it was within walking distance of the gardens that Eerin always chose to hide away in the hoods of whatever he wore at the time. He didn't very well blame her either. The peacocks that littered the Malfoy grounds were bloodthirsty on better days and even as a child terrorized him at the slightest notion. Scorpius used to swear up and down they lurked behind windows just waiting to assault the young blond.
His father called him paranoid but he knew ambush when he saw it.
Hopping up the front steps of the manor, Scorpius heard the door click quietly from behind him.
He smiled slightly at the sight of her head looking out from his hood, warily. "Yeah, yeah. It's the safe zone," he remarked playfully as he reached back to stroke her head. He let out a laugh outright as she curved out from the hood to wrap itself around her owner's neck.
"That thing would make a lovely scarf, I think," a familiar voice drawled out, causing Eerin stiffened in response. Scorpius turned a baleful glare at the part in question, namely his father.
Peering into his father's study, Scorpius caught the eyes of his father who sat at his desk looking over the various documents, no doubt over the new orders that had just came in. His father gestured to the chair at his side, encouraging him to take seat. His eyebrows were pinched in the middle, no doubt attempting a stern authoritative demeanor that served him well as acting founder of Draconous Bookery Inc.
Scorpius had to give his father credit when his facial stoicism did not falter even when Eerin made a dive for the desk and skidded across it, nosing her little head in the pens compartment.
Draco gave an annoyed huff. "How you ever managed to convince me to allow you to keep that bloody rat of yours, I'll never know."
Scorpius looked up to meet his father's eyes in amusement, allowing a wicked smile to quirk at is lips. "Slytherin charm?", he shrugged lightly, hiding a grin. He always suspected his father nursed hurt pride from his non-green clad son.
Draco reverted his eyes back to the documents at hand. "Yes, perhaps if you showcased that underhanded quality of yours more you'd been properly sorted."
Scorpius waved his hand dismissively. "Please. Everyone expects that from Slytherins. But a Ravenclaw? Now, that's an art form."
Scorpius bit back a laugh at the dry look his father was giving him. He missed this when he had been away at school, their bonding banter. Though Hogwarts held a bit more stability than he had been used to, given his constantly shifting living arrangements when growing up, Draco was still more home to Scorpius than anything had ever been. Even more so when the divorce came about.
Draco looked up from his documents to peer at him curiously. "So how did the meeting with Teddy go?" he questioned curiously, having not seen his young Lupin cousin for some time since his birthday.
Scoprius grimaced at the memory. Draco had to raise a brow at that. "No good? Teddy had mentioned sushi before. Surely you must have enjoyed that," he reasoned, knowing well enough the homesickness his son often felt for the country they left behind for his Hogwarts education.
His son rolled his eyes at that."Please. London sushi is always subpar at best. The rice balls always have that rubbery quality to them, even the states have better imitations of it."
Draco chuckled at his son's plight. He perhaps more than anyone understood Scorpius' connection to the eastern nation he had called home for more than seven years. He admitted to himself, however quietly, just how beautiful the island nation differed from his own home in rural England. A part of him had been saddened to depart from it but even more so he knew within himself it did no good to hide away from their society. It was no good for Draco and especially not for Scorpius. Japan had been a safe haven for the Malfoys in a time where no one would hire an ex-Deatheater, or any affiliated with such. It allowed a safe child-rearing environment where no one would attack his son for his name or anything relating to the wizarding community. It offered a place to start over anew, build up from the ground as the Malfoy became not affiliated with dark traditions and bigotry but a growing book store chain, particularly referred for it's potions and brewery concentrations.
Still, Draco often wondered how his son's life might have panned out had he decided to attend Mahoutokoro School of Magic instead.
Scorpius pouted slightly at his father's laughter. "You know nothing beats authentic sushi, Dad. Right in downtown Shinjuku if you can help it. Bloody well miss it."
"Well perhaps you reunification will come sooner rather than latter," Draco remarked as he held up a letter parchment.
Scorpius eyed it warily. "When-" he began when his father cut in. "It arrived shortly after your departure," he explained, handing the letter over to his son who took it cautiously.
Warily, Scorpius fingered the smooth letter beneath his touch, before turning it over. Eyes flitting over the silvery lettering adressed on the parchment, gray eyes widened marginally at the name printed dead center.
His head lurched up at the sound of his father's chair scooting backwards. Identical gray irises met as Draco stood, tea cup in hand as he strolled past, pausing briefly to run a hand through his son's honey blond tresses fondly.
"Homeward bound, son," he murmured lightly as he strode out of the study.
Scorpius could only gawk at his father's retreating form before cutting straight back to the letter in his hands that trembled slightly from adreline rushing through his nerves.
Noroikaijou Academy of Curse-Breaking and Demonology.
Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan