Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is by the brilliant J.K. Rowling. If there are characters and such things you don't recognize they are of my creation.


Chapter 9 – A Scorpion Never Hides From His Prey

Scorpius' POV

It was Halloween and Thor Praisley was rummaging through my trunk when I came into the dormitory. Clothes and possessions of mine were scattered across the floor. He threw something out and that was heading straight toward my face. I caught it with the Chaser reflex I had.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him suspiciously. He jumped at the sound of my voice.

"I was looking to see if you had any dung bombs to use on someone."

"Who?"

"Lily Potter!" He said hoarsely.

"What's she do, now?" I asked him wondering what she had done.

"She caught me stuffing ingredients from the Potions closet and told Slughorn on me. I got landed in detention for a whole week with Filtch every day at eight. You know how bad that will be? So, where are your dung bombs? I'm going to get back at her as much as possible."

"Not a chance." I replied.

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"Why do you care all of a sudden?"

"I don't, but seriously she's a Slytherin and if you're going to use dung bombs I rather you use it on filthy Gryffindors than people in our own house."

"But she ratted me out."

"Then she is a true Slytherin. I would have ratted you out too."

"Fine, you win. Fancy a ride out on the pitch?" He asked. I looked at my watch.

"I thought you had detention?" He grumbled and threw everything back in my trunk. I smirked at him.

I followed him out and strolled across the Common Room and out the dungeon doors. We parted ways and I walked up a few flights of stairs to the second floor. I walked into the library and sat my book sack down in a chair and started pulling books off the shelf. I sat down and started to read this book. I really don't read many books I just know my stuff, but I was interested in knowing more about vampires.

The library was crowded, but from where I sat it was very secluded. There was only two other people sitting at the table. They were at the far end. One boy had a mushroom cut mustard colored hair and was looking through many books that were stacked high next to him. The other boy had brown hair that gracefully fell to one side and he was hard at work on an essay.

For a few hours I looked through this one interesting book, "Everything You Want to Know About a Vampire and How to Avoid One," and took notes on a spare parchment.

"Well, this is different. Scorpius Malfoy studying in the library." I looked up to see Rose Weasley standing opposite me with a suspicious look on her face. I hated being caught in the library with a book in my hand.

"Shut up Weasley. Just because I don't come here that often doesn't mean I'm stupid." What a lame comeback. "I don't need to suck up to get better grades." There, that's better.

"Well, I'm sure reading about [looks sideways at the book I'm reading vampires is sure to help you with your school work. Honestly, you would think that people would want to be left alone." What did she know? Did Albus or James tell her? Figures, if they did. I should have known they would tell anyone that might get them involved too. But to go to Rose Weasley, of all people?

I then felt two sets of eyes on me. Both boys down the table were looking up at me and Rose. They both looked like they had haunted looks on them, but once they saw me staring back they went back to their work. Great, now she is trying to make a scene in the library. Why can't people just leave me alone?

"What's it to you? I just thought I would read this for fun." For fun? Are you kidding me?

"Well it so happens I want to check out that book for a project. But if you're reading it for fun I might as well wait for you to finish it then. No worries though the project is not due for ages" She just won't leave me alone. I threw my notes in my book sack. I heard giggling. I hated it when girls giggle.

"Sorry, I was just thinking what James would say if he heard you were in the library reading a book for fun." I looked away as my cheeks began to heat up. That does it. I shoved the book in her arms and walked away.

Why did I just do that? I can't believe me, a Malfoy, walked out on being made fun of. What is wrong with me today?

I had no idea what to do, now. I started to just wander around the school hoping that maybe something might catch my attention. I looked behind me and I saw Albus looking at the awards in the trophy case. I walked over and stood next to him. He looked over to see who it was.

"Oh hey, Scorp."

"Hey…er…what are you looking at?"

"Just my Uncle Fred's Order of Merlin, Second Class. My dad has the First Class one at home, but I was curious if Uncle Fred's looked similar. My Uncle Fred died in the Hogwarts battle twenty-one years ago. Of course, I never met him, but I heard so many stories of him at Hogwarts. Uncle George reckons his son, Fred, and my brother, James is sort of similar to how they were in school." Albus explained. I nodded at his words.

"So, uh, how's your family been?" I was surprised at his words, but I had no strain to get mad at him for mentioning them.

"They're ok. Mum and dad send me things now and then. My dad actually sent me a howler the other day, because I told him that me and you are friends. Thank Merlin, nobody was around to hear that. But I had to laugh when the letter howled; you will be a disgrace to the family. I mean did he honestly think that talking to a Potter was going to kill me?" I snorted, while Albus smiled.

"You know, I just remembered my dad telling me about his godfather well everything he knew about him as a fifteen year old. He said that his godfather told him that when he was young he was disowned after he ran away from home to live with my grandfather. His family hated the fact that he became a Gryffindor and that he didn't share the same bitter taste as his family felt for muggle-borns. So, it could have been worst, right?"

"Yeah, but it is just that what I don't understand is how someone like my father cannot just let his old grudge against you Potters go. It seems like he made an Unbreakable Vow to feel all hatred toward Potters."

"Do you ever wonder if we're like our fathers?" Albus asked me. I snorted.

"Of course not. We're getting along aren't we?"

"Yeah that did sound like a stupid question." Albus grinned. "I was wondering, do you…do you believe in the purity of blood in a human?" he asked me. I was taken aback by his question.

"No, I think it's stupid. There are obviously some muggle-borns smarter than some pure-bloods." I said solemnly.

"How come you're never like this? You treat some people like dirt." I flinched at his words. I didn't want to answer. It wasn't really to keep my reputation at school I was already feared as the person not to cross, but I think the only reason is because of what my father might say. I don't want to disappoint him all the time. He is my father and sons are supposed to support their fathers no matter how much they hate to.

"Probably, to keep them in line." I stated. Albus gave me a dark look, but didn't respond. After a long moment of silence, Albus said good-bye and walked away. I turned to the trophy case and saw my own reflection. I looked like someone had died in my family. I looked down and looked at my dirty shoes and then I turned back to look at my reflection when some person was standing behind me with his hands clinched at the side and powerful red eyes glaring at me. I jumped and turned around. Nobody was there. I swear it was the vampire and I swear he knew that I was on to him.

The Halloween feast was the same as usual. Good food and a good display. I couldn't help, but feel jumpy whenever someone talked to me. It was like waking up to a nightmare with a guy hovering over your bed ready to stab you to death.

Thor had came over and jumped into the seat next to me. I jumped of course too, but I don't think he saw that.

"Hey man, I just had to say you were right!" He grinned.

"What?" Of course I'm right. I'm always right. Wait, what was he talking about?

"I was going to get Potter back, you know, even though you told me not to, but she is the devil in person, I swear. You're right not to mess with her and that she may after all be a Slytherin, with a cunning brain like hers." I slowly shook my head.

"Merlin, what did Potter do to you, Praisley?" He went all red, but didn't say anything.

"Let's just drop it." I laughed. If it's anyone who made my day it would be Lily Potter at the moment. I looked down our table and she was entertaining a bunch of Slytherin girls in her year with spells she must have learned in class. Then I looked over to Rose Weasley to see her reading the book I had shoved into her. I looked over to James and his cousin Fred who had just made a Gryffindor blow up like a red balloon. I looked over to see Albus talking to our Herbology Professor's son, Jack Longbottom. I looked up to see that the Professors have just released the fake bats to zoom around the Great Hall. That's when I heard a scratchy voice at my ear.

"Let it go, or I'll kill you." I felt the cold air sweep by me as I knew that one of the bats was indeed the vampire who had come to threaten me. I shivered as I thought of being murdered in my sleep tonight.

How do you simply just let something go?


A/N: I'm getting more chapters done as I speak so hope this keeps you on your toes. The next one is James POV.