The Brainwashing of Albus Severus
Thank you omnipresentdmat, for going over the fic :)
As any good brother should, James had taken immediate dislike of the pointy Malfoy. He had heard numerous stories of the Malfoy Senior from his Uncle Ron, so obviously evil ran through his spindly pale arms. But Albus, poor sweet misguided Albus, had befriended the obviously unlikeable Malfoy.
They soon became as thick as thieves and James grew steadily more worried. How could he keep his promise to his father when his brother sat with Slytherin?
After all, their father had approached James, a few days before school was starting and Albus was turning into a jittery mess, and made James promise to look after his brother. James had nodded and then had another slice of buttered bread. Albus was having a nervous breakdown and Lily was screaming for some reason only girls would know. It made breakfast noisy, if gave James ample time to have seconds and thirds.
Then the Quidditch season started and James got chosen as Seeker. Albus had came up to him and congratulated him. Malfoy, hovering a couple feet away like a treacherous dark shadow, looked constipated. But James had invented a number of painful and humiliating aliments that Malfoy could catch. He was just waiting when he had the chance to be near Malfoy so he could pluck a hair and create a voodoo doll.
Albus was now staring at him with a worried expression on his face. "James? Are you feeling alright?
"What! Never better?" James grinned and posed, winking at a gaggle of third years. They giggled, James was not sure why.
"Ah, well," Albus shifted from foot to foot. His mouth was twisting oddly. James wondered if Scorpius was cursing him. Maybe an Unforgivable!
"You're drooling, bravo Potter," Malfoy drawled in that snide, very very stupid voice of his. Malfoy smirked and shook his head. Albus looked like he was attempting to hold a smile. The whole team was snickering as if Malfoy had said something amusing and not utterly stupid!
At that moment James knew that Malfoy was a pretentious twerp.
"You do realise that you are crazy?" Abe Abbott said. "You're obsessed with the idea that Malfoy is pure evil. He's twelve!"
James glared at Slytherin table where that suck up Malfoy was entertaining a group of Slytherins. It was obvious that he was forming a foundation to launch his evil attack on the world. It hurt that Albus so enraptured with Malfoy.
"It is not!" James defended. "Malfoy is the scion of darkness!"
His friends turned their attention to Malfoy. Then back to James.
"I think you're delusional," Abe added.
"And jealous," Raphael Zabini murmured coolly, giving James a look of disdain. "Your pathetic attempts at proving otherwise are just that, pathetic."
"You guys, you're like the best friends in the world, not!" James huffed.
That damn Malfoy was still smirking!
When Albus invited the sly Malfoy over for the summer holidays, James expected to find a firm ally in his father. James had heard all about his father's famous fighting with Draco Malfoy. So surely he would see that the latest Malfoy was attempting to strike closer to home and corrupt poor Albus?
His father had smiled uncertainly. "If that's what you want, Al." Dread iced James's veins. This is why adults shouldn't make decisions, they always chose the wrong one!
The Malfoys had arrived as a family, Draco Malfoy looking cautiously at the Potter home. Ginny had stared at him blandly, before inviting them in, smiling at Mrs Malfoy. James recognised her voice at once, as the popular host of the Wireless. Scorpius Malfoy looked mutinous and James hated him more.
Albus had bounded down the stairs, embracing Scorpius enthusiastically. Scorpius looked unsteady, but James knew that was because his knees were weak with victory. Draco Malfoy looked rather horrified, so did his father, before they both started laughing. James felt deflated.
"Tea?" Ginny murmured to Mrs Malfoy.
"I'd love some," Mrs Malfoy replied. They then started a fervent conversation abouts the pros and cons of advertisement on professional Quidditch robes.
Lily decided that the idiotic Malfoy was funny.
James wanted to die. And could Albus let go of Scorpius's hand some time soon?!
During the week that the insidious Malfoy stayed at his home, he was always polite. James knew then, that Malfoy was plotting something sinister. Perhaps he planned to murder his father!
That night, James watched Malfoy like a hawk, waiting for a sign of a poison to be slipped into a dish and passed to Harry Potter. James was rather disappointed in his mother when she commented how charming Malfoy was.
While his sister was staring at Malfoy liked he was the person who invented the wheel. She laughed at all of his silly and not funny jokes. Then she started copying how he spoke. It was nauseating. The hero worship - even though Malfoy was not a hero! - had gone too far she decided that she wanted to wear his clothes.
"What are you wearing?" James asked, astonished when Lily came down one morning in one of Malfoy's shirts.
"Isn't it great?" Lily beamed, "Scorpius said I could have it!"
James sighed as she pranced off, so innocent and unknowing about the true evils that lurked beneath the girly exterior of Malfoy.
"You're not going to let her wear that, are you?" He asked his mother when she didn't even comment about Lily wearing the shirt of the dastardly Malfoy.
His mother smiled at him, "Well, I'm sure if you asked kindly, Scorpius would give you one of his shirts."
There was a terrible silence and then James choked on his toast. Spluttering, James harshly denied it, "No, I don't, I never wanted, no!"
It was that moment Albus entered with Malfoy. To James's consternation, Malfoy raised an eyebrow and looked terribly amused.
"Here," said Malfoy, passing him a handkerchief, "You have something on your chin, again."
Later, James regretted that the earth hadn't swallowed him up, then and there.
During fifth year, Albus had a fight with Malfoy. James wasn't sure why, but Albus didn't want to sit at the Slytherin tables and now James had more opportunity to watch Albus at every single meal. It was fabulous.
On the top of that, Malfoy wandered about, miserable just as he deserved. He also started to lack personal hygiene and was avoided by his classmates. Which was as added bonus to James.
Albus sighed. James grinned, Albus must be so happy now to be able from the nefarious influence of the twisted Malfoy!
James spooned some more mashed potatoes of Albus's plate as Albus was looking a little peaky. Albus poked at his meal, before exhaling again.
"I don't feel very hungry," Albus said quietly and left the table. James watched him leave worriedly. He frowned when he noticed the greasy haired Malfoy glancing after Albus.
The next day, Albus was happy and smiling and ate three full plates at breakfast. James could tell, even from when he was at Gryffindor table while Albus was at Slytherin table. A small tic twitched at the corner of James's eye.
Malfoy was sitting next to Albus, nodding proudly when Albus took three spoonfuls of scrambled eggs. It was sickening.
It was then that James realised that Malfoy must have hexed Albus. Perhaps that was why Albus was wearing a turtleneck.
James was certain he wasn't seeing things. It was that bloody Malfoy with his sticky, pampered fingers all over his baby brother! It was sick, when he told people, until they cast silencing spells on him at 3 a.m. James was rather concerned about the lack of mutual feeling of loathing for the scummy Malfoy.
The stupid Malfoy, with his stupid face was whispering to Albus. His tongue practically sliding down the edge of Albus's ear. Albus, sweet and innocent soul he was - despite the freak sorting into Slytherin - didn't notice a thing. Only laughed, like he didn't have a deranged stalker practically molesting him as he ate breakfast.
While James would rather swallow a thousand slugs rather than admit, he did care for his brother. People who had given Albus a hard time when he had been placed - wrongly! - in Slytherin had quickly met with the might of James's fists.
His brother and that dirty rotten Malfoy were going off to class but Malfoy was staring snidely over at the Gryffindor table. Then the Malfoy shook his head and walked away with Albus.
James felt a cold chill down his spine. Malfoy, James realised, was watching him!
At once, James decided on his plan of action. He would follow the evil Malfoy around until he had the evidence to support his claims. Much to James's past dismay, people hadn't believed him, when he had pointed out Malfoy's numerous shortcomings. James was aghast and wondered why they never realised that Malfoy was obviously plotting the doom of Albus!
There were many occasions where James was sure that he had almost got caught. But James prided himself on his awesome ninja like stealth skills. He wasn't sure what a ninja was, only that they were sneaky.
It was also much to his regret that Scorpius didn't actually spend much time openly plotting evilly. Perhaps he schemed in the safety of the Slytherin House.
Scorpius did spend a lot of time with Albus. Talking to Albus, studying with Albus, eating with Albus, sitting with Albus, kissing Albus.
James had not expected that Malfoy would seduce Albus. It made him sick, thinking that his innocent brother was swooning, unaware of the treachery that Scorpius was sure to commit once Albus turned his back.
His brother moaned, pressing Malfoy against the wall. James shifted, utterly and totally horrified, as Malfoy bared his neck and swallowed and panted and oh Merlin, James had never wanted to see that!
"Seen enough, James?" Albus said, turning around and glaring at James.
"What?" James shook himself. He had his vow to remember. "Get away from him Albus, he is endangering your purity!"
There was an awkward pause. Albus coughed and Malfoy grinned smugly.
"Well, it's a little late for that," Albus said, rubbing the back of his neck which was turning red. Malfoy swung a snake like arm around Albus's waist and smirked at James.
James felt the urgent urge to throttle Malfoy. He did not know if he could quench it.
"I've had enough of you bad mouthing Scorpius," Albus said, still blushing, "He's my, er, boyfriend."
"No! He's brainwashed you!" James declared. "He is an evil Malfoy! What will our parents think?"
"They already know," Albus murmured, "Dad said it was okay and Mum hugged me." Albus took Malfoy's hand and glared. "So you can stop all this nonsense about Scorpius being the next Voldemort."
Malfoy then swooped in and kissed Albus on the cheek.
He felt faint.