Thank you all so much for the reviews!


"Scorpius! What the hell!?"

"It was just a joke!" said Scorpius eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't mean to. . ."

but Albus wasn't listening he ran for the staircase his older brother instincts kicking in and was flung off the staircase like a rag doll. He groaned as his back hit the floor.

"Forget the protection charms?" Rose asked standing up rolling her eyes. "I think we need a feminine touch to handle Scorpius's mess this time," Rose stated eager to be away from Scorpius. "I'll go talk to Lily."

"Thought you said this required a feminine touch?"Scorpius said with a sly look on his pointed face. Rose made a rude gesture involving one's middle finger to Scorpius before walking up to the fourth year girl's dormitories. She rapped on the door softly.

"Go away!" Wailed Lily. Rose let out a frustrated sigh. Lily was always so sensitive. Than again she was just a thirteen year old girl. Rose pushed the door open and a wave of nausea hit her. The room was so pink it made her eyes sting and stomach flip. She walked over and kicked Lily non to gently in the side. Lily had her head under her pillow and she grunted. Rose took a seat at the edge of Lily's bed.

"Don't be upset Lil, Scorpius is a git. He teases me all the time. That's just the way he is," Rose said looking at the blue butterflies that flittered across Lily's bed in disgust.

"But he likes you, you're pretty." Lily's muffle reply hit Rose like a whip.

"You're just as pretty as me Lily. We both have the Weasley genes, that blonde prat can't handle all that red fire!"

Lily removed the pillow and smiled tearfully at her.

"I know you like him, but merlin I don't know why. If he's teasing you, for you, that's probably a good thing," Rose said evenly. Lily's brow furrowed and she looked puzzled.

"But he sounded so cold."

"Of course he did, you were about to find out the only reason I'm going to the ball with him is because he black mailed me into it," Rose scoffed. Lily blinked in surprise.

"He what?"

"He landed himself a detention with Kirkwood, same time I had. We had to clean out her bookcase and re-arrange it. It wouldn't have been too bad except he kept trying to make conversation. It was awful took bloody well all night. He said he'd get in trouble everyday so he'd spend his detentions with me if I didn't go to the ball with him. I couldn't take that. Besides I figure I'll go to the ball with him, and then ditch him," Rose said with triumphant look. Lily sat up looking thoughtful.

"Why wouldn't he want me to know that?" Lily wondered out loud.

"Because he didn't want you to know he's too ugly to land a date," Rose cracked. Lily smiled some.

"But really, Scorpius only teases people he considers his friends, whether they consider him their friend or not doesn't matter," Rose grumbled. Lily wiped her eyes on the back of her hands.

"Your too sensitive Lil," Rose sighed taking her cousin in her arms in an affectionate hug.

"He hit a nerve," Lily argued starting to feel foolish. Scorpius did tease Albus and Rose all the time. Had she truly taken a harmless joke the wrong way? If Scorpius teased people he liked- and Lily had made such an event out of it-what if he never teased her again? What if he stopped considering her someone good enough to be on his tease list!?

Perhaps she was thinking about it too hard.

"Do you want me to beat him up?" Rose asked a grin sliding over her face.

"No, no, that's quite alright," Lily said with a smile. "Just make sure you beat Slytherin in the quidditch match tomorrow."

Rose smirked at her cousin.

"Oh don't worry about that. Gryffindor's going to dance on Slytherin's sad little grave once the quidditch match is over." Lily grinned at her and the two girls made their way down the spiral staircase into Gryffindor common room. Scorpius was sitting across from Albus and Hugo the three seemed deep in conversation.

"You did not!" Hugo hissed.

"Of course he didn't he's a liar!" Albus grumbled.

"I certainly did!" Scorpius said looking offended.

"You're a liar,"Albus scoffed. He looked up and caught sight of Rose and Lily and stood up.

"Are you alright Lil?" He asked taking her by the shoulders.

"Of course I am Albus, don't be silly. I'm fine, really." Albus cast a dark glare at Scorpius. Scorpius looked up innocently his silver eyes flickering from Albus to Lily. Scorpius cleared his throat.

"I-I'm sorry that you got offended," Scorpius drawled scratching his head.

"What Scorpius means is he's sorry for being a prat," Albus chimed in. Scorpius rolled his eyes towards Albus.

"It's alright, I over reacted," Lily mumbled.

Scorpius smiled at her the room seeming to grow brighter.

"Well that's exactly what I said too,"Scorpius scoffed and he grunted in pain from a sharp kick delivered by Rose. He made a face at her.

"Come now snuggle-muffins, save that for the bedroom," he purred. Rose howled in fury and threw her Guide to Advanced Transfiguration book at Scorpius's head. Scorpius ducked, a grin planted on his soft features. Hugo bit the end of his quill watching them all intently wincing slightly as the transfiguration book crashed into the floor.

"Rose when I said you should use books more often that's not what I meant," Hugo teased but his face became serious as Borr, Hugo's long eared owl fluttered in. He landed with a hoot on Hugo's shoulder shaking his brown spotted feathers. Hugo took the letter tied to Borr's foot reluctantly as if it were laced with poison.

"Who's written to you?" Rose demanded eyebrow's disappearing beneath her red hair. "Since when do you have friends!?"

"I have plenty of friends!" Hugo hissed opening the letter with a flick of his wand. The letter slithered out like a snake. It unraveled itself slowly in the air for Hugo to read. A frown danced over Hugo's angled features. Borr nipped at Hugo's ear hopping from one shoulder to the other.

"Ow Borr, quit it- oh bloody hell," Hugo cursed. Rose gasped putting her hand over her heart.

"My little Hugo's growing up!" She crowed dramatically putting the back of her hand to Hugo's forehead. "Are you sick!?" Hugo rolled his eyes his ears turning red in embarrassment. "I've never heard you curse before, oh dad will be so proud!"

Lily suppressed a giggle and walked behind Hugo and started to read the letter out loud.

Hugo, I was the brightest witch of my age and did fairly well with potions, this will surely help Prudence's brew. You will need:

Boomslang skin, erumpent horn, dittany, boom berries, and werewolf hair added to the concoction of wolfsbane, asphodel, graphorn horn, and rose thorns.

This will increase the length the potion lasts, get rid of any swelling and will add a layer of protection around the wound. It also makes the potion stronger. Unfortunately Scorpius will still grow immune to it over time. This adds little over a month to the original deadline.

I know you mentioned chimera's blood and you are right. Chimera's blood would heal Scorpius completely without the nasty side effect Unicorn blood leaves. He would have to drink it under the full moon at precisely midnight. However Chimera's went extinct over a thousand years ago and this is not plausible.

Don't fret, Draco Malfoy is still searching for a phoenix and I believe he will have success. Scorpius will live to bother Rose for many, many years I imagine. Give Rose, Albus, James, Lily, Fred, Roxanne, Dominique, Louis, Molly, and Lucy my love.

And tell Rose that we are disowning her for going to the ball with that git-

Your father sends his love as well, as stated above. Hugs and kisses, mom.

Lily read the letter twice over mentally and looked at Hugo in shock. Hugo averted his eyes away from the group looking interested in the roaring fire.

"What was that about?" Albus asked a nervous feeling washing over him, as it always did, any time he was reminded of Scorpius's condition.

"I was worried," Hugo muttered underneath his breath. "I got the ingredients from Pomfrey and saw she was missing some crucial ingredients. I was just trying to help," Hugo said softly looking at Scorpius as if expecting the blonde to throttle him. Scorpius had a serene peaceful look on his face.

"Excellent," Scorpius drawled reading the letter over. "Give this to Pomfrey. With an extra month to live gives me just enough time to see Christmas, maybe. Do you know how many presents I'll get?"

Albus rolled his eyes at Scorpius.

It wasn't that nothing bothered Scorpius. It was merely he wouldn't let anyone see that things bothered him by turning everything into a joke. But Albus saw the small wince trying to make it's way on Scorpius's witty expression. He couldn't make the smile quite reach his eyes.

"Go and show that to Pomfrey," Albus stated with a sigh, "but we really have nothing to worry about someone will come forward with a phoenix, either people out hunting or people who own one. People aren't going to pass up the amount of gold Scorpius's dad is offering."


Astoria Malfoy gritted her teeth in annoyance and willed her voice to stay calm.

"That's an owl."

"It is not!" Mundungus Fletcher yelled looking insulted. Astoria sat with her hands crossed at Draco's desk. If people thought Scorpius looked bad from his illness they would have been sure Astoria's life was in far greater danger. Her silk black hair was tied back sticking in odds and ends and had a certain greasy demeanor.

She had dark shadows under her hazel eyes that looked dull and sunken in. She no longer held herself with an air of authority but of a woman with a heavy weight to bear. Her son was dying and while Draco was working at the ministry it was her job to meet anyone who owled claiming to have a phoenix. Most wizards merely demanded payment before showing proof of actually having a phoenix, which she swiftly denied, but Mundungus Fletcher took the case.

Sitting on Mundungus Fletcher's shoulder was not a phoenix but a barn owl, colored red and gold. Either by a charm or by paint Astoria did not know. Its wide gold eyes stared at her with hidden intelligence and it hooted softly.

"Cinder here has been me pet for years!"

"I don't doubt that," Astoria drawled coldly tapping her long manicured nails against Draco's desk. "But Cinder is not a Phoenix."

"She most certainly is! She just looks a bit rough because she's due for a burning day!"

"Fletcher were you not old and decrepit I'd throw you out my third story window and send the hounds after you. As such, I have a soft spot for the elderly. Get out." Fletcher blanched at her looking insulted.

"Nasty bint you are!" He grumbled and disapparated from the manor with a loud crack his owl hooting in annoyance. Astoria's defenses crumbled and she held her head in her hands tears welling in her hazel gray eyes. She took in a sharp breath and made her way to the library. She stopped and admired it for a moment with a childlike wonder wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. The library always took her breath away.

It was a daunting sight if you were looking for a particular book, but an incredible sight if you just wanted to browse. The room was circular with long tables in the center. A chandelier hung above and at every bit of the wall save the door itself stood golden bookcases from the floor to the ceiling ten feet above. A ladder rustled magically by her side waiting eagerly to be used to find a book.

Astoria climbed the ladder hesitantly. It shuddered under her weight like an excited puppy. Astoria cleared her throat.

"The Dark Arts," she said softly. The ladder spun half way around the room with Astoria holding firmly on as it raised itself to the celling for Astoria to observe and admire the Malfoy dark arts section. Three book cases full of them from top to bottom. Draco did mention his father Lucius loved the dark arts so and he had left most of his collection in the manor before moving to the Wiltshire manor.

She was positioned at the beginning, with authors starting with A. Astoria let out a soft sigh. The ladder would not help her more than this. She searched through the titles and her finger landed on a black leather bound book. She pulled it out.

Twelve ways to defy death: and the six prices to pay; an intriguing climbed down the ladder, the book in hand and sat on a green armchair. She took a deep breath willing herself to open the book.

"It has to be done," she said to the empty room. Not looking convinced at her own words she opened it.


Lily always thought the stupidest people in Hogwarts were the quidditch players. They would practice and play their games in the rain, in the snow, in storms of any kind. The game would go on no matter what. Yes, they had to be the stupidest students of Hogwarts. That is until she spent all day sitting in the pouring rain watching the game.

She was never one who particularly liked quidditch despite both her mother and father's knack for it. She stared moodily up at the sky as Rose tossed the quaffle to Timothy Belby; a Gryffindor chaser who shot the quaffle past Slytherin's keeper Atella Goyle scoring a point. Cheers erupted all around Lily. So loud she covered her ears.

"An excellent shot by Belby, that is," roared Leah Jordan, the commentator for all Hogwarts quidditch games. Leah's father was best friends with her uncle George if Lily remembered correctly but she didn't really know the girl all that well. She was good friends with Fred and James however. Her black hair waved around her head as her eyes followed the movement of the quidditch players.

It had been two days since Scorpius had teased Lily. He hadn't really spoken to her since, which rather depressed her. She just wasn't someone Scorpius was interested in. She wished a bludger would fly down and hit her.

Albus was circling above in search for the snitch. His favorite matches were always against Slytherin. Not because he enjoyed beating Slytherin, to be sure, he did, but because Scorpius was Slytherin's seeker. It was a competition both boys enjoyed. Early on in Albus's quidditch career Albus noticed Scorpius would watch his every movement rather than search for the snitch himself. Ever since that moment of realization Albus would take off with sudden speed pretending to see the snitch and Scorpius would follow after him fast as a lightning bolt. Albus often got Scorpius to crash into other players, which was really quite satisfying.

"Looking mighty fine there, Kevin Bell is, you get that quaffle, me-ow- OW Professor it was just a joke! Oh! There goes Dustin Dolohov; the dirty rat bastard just stole the quaffle- OW! Slytherin scores!" Albus shook his head amused by Leah's commentary. The poor girl was seated next to Kirkwood yet she still was the most rude and vulgar commentator Hogwarts had seen these past twenty four years save her father Lee Jordan. At least that's what his father told him.

"Ouch! Oh my both Jillian Baxter and Pauline Patil have shot bludgers at Slytherin seeker Scorpius Malfoy! Oh Merlin he's fallen off his broom. . . YOU GO GIRLS!" Albus turned sharply eyes wide. Scorpius, indeed had fallen off his broom. His arm was outstretched gripping air and then Scorpius was hurling towards the ground with alarming speed his broom flying after him slowly as if non to concerned. Albus turned his broomstick downwards and flew as fast as he could to catch the falling blonde. With ten feet to spare, Albus caught him by the front of his shirt his broom lurching forward. Scorpius opened his eyes which has been shut tight and gave Albus a lazy look.

"What took you so long?" and he grabbed ahold of Albus's broom climbing on. Albus let go of his shirt breathing a sigh of relief. Scorpius snorted and whistled for his broom.

"Albus Potter regrettably caught Scorpius Malfoy, Slytherin's seeker is safe! Oh! Weasley's got the quaffle and she scores!"

"Don't think we can both catch the snitch on my broom Scorpius," Albus said turning towards the blonde who was staring after his broom which was drifting slowly towards them, many feet away.

"You sodding useless piece of wood get over here!" Scorpius yelled. Scorpius's Sienna Storm drifted serenely towards him at an even slower pace. Scorpius let out a slew of curses that made even Albus blush. The vocabulary the young Malfoy had was nothing short of stunning, never mind the imagery. Albus had never wanted to know you could do THAT with a broomstick.

Albus turned his eyes back to Scorpius and his heart stopped. As Scorpius yelled at his broom behind his head was the golden snitch. Albus reached his arm around Scorpius's head and grasped it firmly.

"ALBUS POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH! WE WIN! GRYFFINDOR WINS! SOD YOU SLYTHERINS! GRYFFINDOR IS AT 170 POINTS AGAINST 10!"Leah Jordan screamed. Scorpius turned silver eyes wide in surprise. Albus gave him a cheeky grin snitch in hand. Scorpius leaned back and with both hands shoved Albus right off his own broomstick. Albus landed quite hard falling the remaining ten feet landing on his arse. Still clutching the snitch he grinned up at Scorpius.