Leave Out All the Rest

Chapter 7: The Pride and Shame of a Greengrass

POV: Liam

The day was going by really peacefully—which was a complete shock at this point. Yep. I managed to make it to the last break of the day, before the last lesson without injuring a professor, myself, or another classmate. Things were looking up. I was able to sit on the grass, underneath the shade of a giant oak tree and look out towards the blue sky with the best person in the world.

"It's such a serene view, isn't it?" Nia spoke from her place next to me. Her blue eyes glittered like the color of sapphires or the hue of the sky; staring off towards the direction of the Black Lake as birds fluttered in that direction too.

"You're so calm," I commented casually. "Must be because of my accident-free day, right?" She turned to me, our eyes looking deep into each other's—I grinned hugely and she rolled her eyes.

"Though I am happy about that," she said with a huff, "I'm just glad that I get to spend some time with you, Liam. You seem to be forgetting about me as the days progress."

I raised an eyebrow. "I see you every day."

"Is it because I'm not fun anymore?" She continued, not listening as her voice began to take a dramatic tone. "Is it because I ate your chocolate frog? Is it because I accidently blew up that potion yesterday during lesson? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me because of that?"

Laughing and rolling my eyes in an ease annoyance at her, I gave her shoulder a shove. "If you allow the entire school to see you with me after all my blow-ups, then I'm not shamed to be seen with you." I smiled at her again. "And I guess I'm sorry. I have been spending more time than usual with the boys."

Nia snorted, picking up her blonde hair and rolling it into a bun quickly. "You've been spending too much time with him—Scorpius." Her brows furrowed in some irritation, her bright eyes darkening. "I won't be surprised if one day he convinces you to ditch me. That bloody, good-for-nothing prat."

Not finding amusement in that, I said, "Nia." My voice coming out firm, a tone that I never use with her. She was always the strict one in our friendship, mind you. It had always been that way, ever since our fathers put us together and expected us to become friends when they talked business. Nia's word was law and no one was allowed to question it. And, honestly, that never bothered me at all because once in a blue moon my word was law.

"…I know what you are going to say, Liam," she mumbled grouchily.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Then if you know why do you still keep up with it? It's mental. So much hatred for the mistakes his and your father did is not healthy." Before she could protest, I continued. "It's both their faults, Nia. Not only my Uncle Draco's."

She groaned. "I know that, Liam!" She gripped the grass from its roots underneath her, yanking hard. "But how am I suppose to not hate him? That's all I've ever been taught. It's nature, like breathing."

"Look, Nia, I don't intend to justify what Uncle Draco did in his youth, just like you can't defend what your father did during his. It was their mistakes, and neither you or Scorpius have anything to do with it. It was two decades ago, Nia. You can't let the things your father says about the past get to you. It's their business, and making you bitter towards my cousin isn't going to help you."

The blonde girl sighed. "…I hate that I'm suppose to hate him," she whispered. "I don't have anything against your cousin, Liam. But you know the way my family feels for the Malfoys. We lost it all because of them. My father lost his parents and his self-will because of Lucius Malfoy." She kept her gaze on the grass. "And Scorpius' dad didn't make my father's life any better. "

"Slytherins aren't meant to look after one another," I told her, knowing that she would bring up my Uncle Draco and her father's once-upon-a-time friendship. "At least not back in those times. And because they were friends, that didn't make them loyal to one another. Especially during war."

Grumbling something underneath her breath, Nia crossed her arms after she stopped torturing the poor grass at her sides. "…I'll never know why your Uncle Draco even told you about this. It isn't any of your business."

I shrugged, not taking any insult on her comment. "It isn't hard to see the grudge your family has on him, and I suppose that's why he told me. Because you're my best friend and he didn't want to impose Scorpius on you and your family. He didn't want you to treat my cousin badly because of something he did wrong."

Nia groaned louder. "I guess I have to admit your cousin is a decent boy." She turned to me, her face and hair highlighted like glitter by the sun. "The only comfort I have is knowing that I stole a Malfoy's cousin from him. Makes me loyal to my family, don't you reckon?"

"You know that's not true, Nia."

She shrugged, standing up and dusting her skirt. "Obviously. But if any Harper asks, you don't even talk to the Malfoys because of me."

"—Oi, look who we found!" Turning at the exact moment, Nia and I squinted our eyes from the sun to see Scorpius, Lucas Zabini, Al and Emily dragging a girl towards out direction.

With an arm linked and twined with the redhead girl who looked like she was imprisoned, Emily smiled gently at us. "We looked in all the wrong places, but we found her."

"What exactly is all the 'wrong places'?" I asked.

And as they finally got to us, Nia marched over to the two girls and the group and started smacking the redhead repeatedly. "We were worried about you, Rose!" She smacked again. "You weren't in the dormitory when we woke up, you were at breakfast, or during lessons!" Another smack. "I was scared you got kidnapped by the Giant Squid!"

"OW—Nia!" Rose dodged another smack, pulling away from Emily and heading to hide behind Al and Scorpius. "I had a meeting with the Headmistress!"

Nia huffed, crossing her arms as Rose had crossed a barrier of person space she would never cross. And that was a line called Scorpius Malfoy. "You could've left a note," she said sternly.

I smiled at her, at Nia. I had been friends with Nia for so long now that I knew her like the back of my hand; knew her more than myself, which was sad. She was the type of person that no one wanted to mess with. Her ferociousness was not meant to be underestimated. She wasn't the type of girl who cried, pouted, or was overemotional. No. She was unlike any girl I'd ever known—which was hardly any, mind you. She was strong, courageous, and determined. But with all of those strong and scary traits, Nia had a giant heart and passion for caring when she called you a friend.

"Little Rosie Posy is getting bumped up, mates," Al spoke, looking at Nia and I. "She was redoing her schedule with the Headmistress to add a few more advanced classes."

Rose frowned, stepping away from her cousin and mine's back once she sensed it was safe. "Honestly, it's just two more classes. They're fairly easy, anyway. Just Third Year Ancient Runes and Fourth Year Arithmancy."

Al rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Oh, I'm sorry, Aunt Hermione," Rose glared instantly, "but I didn't know every First Year starts off with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy in their schedules."

"Well, you could have too," she snapped at him. "Mum told you to take those tutor lessons with me, but you preferred to make mud-castles with the rest."

Potter looked at Scorpius, nudging him. "That's how I got Dragon Pox, mate. Bloody torture that was."

And right when I could tell the redhead girl was not about to stop her complaining, someone with equally intense hair came from behind her. Hands smacked onto her eyes, concealing her vision. "—Guess who?"

Rose started to squirm, pulling on the boy's hand. "Hey, let go!"

"You have to guess, Rose. What's the fun in it if you don't go along?" He complained, holding on tighter to her face.

Rose huffed. "I'm not three anymore, for starters, Freddie." She stopped moving, standing still. "And you should really stop pretending you are."

Freddie Weasley pulled his palms away from his cousin's eyes, exposing the brown in them once again for everyone to see. "Yeah, right," he huffed back at her. "What do I gain by shoving my nose into a book?"

"That hopefully you'll learn something and get smarter," Rose spat.

"Sure, sure," Freddie waved her away. "Let's all keep pretending Fred's smart and encourage him to read. You're hurting my feelings, Rose. You know how sensitive I am about not being able to read in my year."

Rose frowned more, and Al laughed in the background. Whisper an 'it's true' to everyone else around him.

Noticing for the first time that Freddie Weasley did not come on his own, I saw a blonde one—a Weasley—putting a hand on the redheaded boy's. "Don't be so hard on yourself, mate," Louis Weasley said dramatically supportive. "It's Uncle George you've to blame for that. Grandmum Molly warned him not to be running in the snow with you. And what was the lesson he learned?" He grinned, his blue eyes gleaming with mock. "That running in the snow with a baby ends up in Freddie Weasley."

Freddie blinked a couple of times, looking at his cousin strangely with a blank expression on his face. "…Wait. What?" He said in a lost voice. "I'm sorry, Louis, I didn't quite hear what you said. Your veela eyes bewitched me."

Louis glared. "I'm not a veela."

The redhead boy shook his head. "Don't be ashamed of your heritage, cousin. You're a veela, and that's that."

Exchanging looks with one another, Nia and Emily asked in unison, "you're a veela?" Louis kept his frown, glaring at the two girls. "Like, you're actually part of those little things that captivate and bewitch people?" Nia added.

"Like a nymph, right?" Lucas Zabini spoke. "Or a fairy?"

Louis' jaw dropped, more anger and outrage passing him. "I'm not a nymph!"

"Of course not," Freddie chortled along mockingly. "My cousin is not a fairy, alright. He's just one-eighth veela."

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Just as I was enjoying the spectacle—because, really, all these Weasley are hysterical—all the laughter died down in less than a second when James Potter appeared to our little spot by the oak tree. Clapping his hands with such phoniness, with a deep scowl on his face. "Well, this is just brilliant," he said. "Now everyone's friends with the Slytherins."

Louis and Freddie looked at one another, something secret passing to one another as they rolled their eyes and looked back to their fellow Second Year Gryffindor. "Relax, James. We were just talking."

"Yeah, mate. Don't get your wand in a knot," Louis interjected. "Our relationship isn't exclusively with you."

James crossed his arms, looking irritated. "We were supposed to meet by the greenhouses. You left me hanging for these little idiots?"

"Don't insult my friends, James," Al called in a threatening voice, something in his face, some sort of emotion snapping. "Why don't you just leave?"

The oldest Potter boy scoffed. "Are you going to make me, little Al?" He took a step towards his brother, glaring him down. "Are you going to summon all your little Death Eater friends and take me out? Not that it wouldn't surprise me."

Being able to tell he had enough, Al shoved his brother back. "Is that why you're mad at me?" He hissed, smacking Freddie's hold from his shoulder as the latter reached in to interfere. "Because I won't be second best to you anymore? Because I rather be with them than to be stuck where I don't belong?"

And quickly as he could in a theme of rage, James pulled out his wand and pointed it at his brother. "Shut up!"

Clearly shocked, Louis headed towards James' side and took a hold of his arm. "What the hell are you doing, Potter? Don't be a git. Put your wand down."

"You're so tough, aren't you?" And before I could blink at the very hostile seen, I saw Emily approach the two Potter brothers. Walking her way towards them with something unclear in her green eyes.

Instinctively, I reached out for her. Taking her hand before she could get to where she wanted. "Don't, Emily. Don't get involved."

She gripped my hand in return, but didn't allow me to move her. "You're willingly to go against all your family because Albus turned out to be different?" Her voice trembled a bit. "Why can't you at least be glad that he's happy where he is? He's your brother, not your enemy."

James dropped his wand as soon as he saw the girl's eyes water. "…I'm going to Neville's. Do whatever you want," he mumbled, turning around and stalking away.

Breathing heavily, looking extremely terrified, Rose reached out for her cousin. "He'll come around, Al," she tried to say comfortingly. "You know how stubborn James can be when he doesn't get his way."

I nodded. "Let's just forget—"

But before today's dramatic scene could be done before my break was over, I heard a voice that I wish I could live a life without. "—That was a bloody beautiful spectacle." And there they were, two tall and identical students. Both with the same black eyes, same brown hair, same evil smirk, and their wands out as their Slytherin-crest glimmered in the sunlight. "I'm assuming Potter isn't the only one who's found something extremely wrong with this year's sorting." Both of them bore their eyes directly into mine, freezing me on my spot. "Seems like disappointment certainly is running through families this year."

I felt a pang of fear race through my spine. (I was so close…so, so close to an accident-free day.)

"Darren and Abel Greengrass." Nia walked towards my side instantly, my savior as always. "Fancy seeing you two here. I assumed there was a murky corridor to torture victims in with your names on it."

Abel—the twin that had a more hooked nose—snorted; looking amused. "Nia Harper. Still playing my cousin's protector, I see."

"More like our cousin's still playing her lap dog, Abel," Darren said, looking down on me. "Aren't you, Liam? Always hiding behind her skirts, gripping her leg like she's mummy while she fights your battles." He pushed Nia a couple of steps back as he got closer. "Disgrace to the family name, you are," he said to me as he patted my cheek roughly. "Couldn't be like Scorpius, could you? Always coming in after him."

Not being able to contain the twitch in my neck, I looked behind my shoulder; noticing a set of blonde hair and silver eyes heading my way. "Picking on First Years, Darren? Really?" Scorpius stood by my left side. "I thought you had a little more compassion than that."

"Why is it that you're the only one who's ever proud of the slimy flobberworm?" Abel asked. "He's always been the odd one of the family; the disappointment to the Greengrass name."

"…Shut up," I mumbled, looking down to the grass.

I heard him chuckle darkly, Abel. "Your mother must be rolling in her grave, Liam. There's no way in hell that Pansy Parkinson, one of the most proud Pureblood witches could've given birth to you."

My heart dropped from my chest. No members of the family had ever mentioned my mother's name since her death two years ago. It was forbidden to speak about her—particularly because of the scandal that would happen if the real reason of her death was revealed. To the Greengrass family, it was like my father was never married and Pansy Parkinson had never been implicated with them.

It was a shame to my father, they said. And although their marriage was never on friendly terms, dad did suffer from her death along with me. Losing my mother was hard, especially the way she went or the hole she left in my life. There was no one else that defended me from my cousins and their taunts of me being different. (Though the way I was didn't make her happy.) She wanted me to grow up and practice her believes, to be as proud as she was and join the circle of the same proud people. But my father always interrupted her lessons of superiority with me. He was, after all, the only Greengrass—aside my Aunt Astoria—who didn't think purity of the blood was important. He taught me that being a pureblood didn't make me better than anyone else, and that I should be ashamed of my mother and her thoughts. He didn't want her infecting my mind with her vile traditions.

But no one else, no one else in the Greengrass family truly believed that. None of them wanted me not to not believe, not to know my rightful place—but there was no place in the world now. So they hid, they hid with their believes and waited until the day came. Expecting me to wait along with them.

And with that feeling, with that feeling of betrayal, I looked back up at the twins. "Don't you dare talk about my mother."

Darren smirked instantly. "Come on now, cousin. You know it's true. You know Aunt Pansy was never really proud of you. Of how soft you are."

"You and your father," Abel cut in, adding to my fuel of anger. "The weak duo, you and Uncle Alec."

I pulled out my wand. " My father," I breathed heavily through gritted teeth, "is a great man. And I'm proud that I didn't end up like either of you." I gripped my wand tighter, watching their eyes gaze at my pointed wand as it began to light. "Or the rest of the family, for that matter. My expectation for life isn't to end up as worm-food, ten feet underground. I rather be a notable Gryffindor than a pitiable Slytherin, fighting for a losing battle and hiding all my life."

"—Oh!" I heard Freddie Weasley gasp. "That was a great one. Someone applaud the boy!"

"…Shut it, Freddie," Rose whispered, I could hear her worry.

"Put down your wand, Liam," Darren eyed me. "You don't want to regret it later."

I glared back, something that I've never been able to do to the twins because of the fear they put in me. "I won't regret it, cousin." I moved my wand slightly back. "—Furnunculus!"

"Ugh!" Darren screamed, giant red boils started appearing around his face and the rest of his visible skin. "Abel! Abel, do something!" He shouted as he stared at his hands in fear.

"What did you do, Liam?" Rose gasped, pulling on my arm, trying to get me to lower my wand.

I chuckled, obeying her silent please and pocketing my wand as I watched the twins storm off. "I told him I wasn't going to regret it."

"Well, there you have it, mates," Louis said, joining the view of the two older Slytherins. "First Years are getting more dangerous."

Grabbing a hold of my shoulders roughly, an excited smile on her face and her blue eyes shining with happiness, Nia embraced me tightly. "You're so badass, Liam! I knew you had it in you!"

"You're going to get in trouble, Liam," Rose groaned, always worrying. "It was an idiotic thing to do."

"It was brilliant!" Scorpius cheered, contrasting with the redhead girl as they both stood next to one another. "Darren and Abel had that coming for years!"

I shook my head, trying hard to suppress memories of my mother back into the deep subconscious part of my mind. "We better be going to our Defense Against the Dark Arts class," I said to them, reaching for my schoolbag. "I don't want a detention from Professor Alan."

Emily linked her arm with mine, walking along with me as the others were still cheering and reliving the moment. "Want to know what's ironic?" I said to her, hearing Nia shouting after us. "I've spent all my life hiding from them, but I'm actually more courageous than they'll ever be."

And that was certainly something to be extremely proud of than everything I had not to be.