Times of Change
RedCloakedMaiden: Yay! I half worried I was turning predictable xD Yeah, I thought of James as more bark than bite... he wouldn't go that far. But it was kinda irrational of him to bring guys like Flint along to the "talk" xD
MalfoyMaiden: I'll take that as a compliment :P
heartshaped-sunglasses: yeah... here's the end to your wait :D
0-MrDragon-0 and river rafting: Thanks for the Author Alert add ^_^
ryuugitsune: thankies for fave-ing :)
Chapter Ten Draco Malfoy
McGonagall was furious, Albus could see it in the way she walked so tensely. Well, she wasn't walking. She was pacing. Then she stopped, closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. Then she exhaled slowly.
Calmed somewhat, she sat back down at her desk. "Now." Her voice was composed, yet cold. "What do you know?" She looked at him, then at Rose. If it weren't for what they did, Albus would have almost felt sorry for the boys standing outside of the Headmistress's office, awaiting their fate. Professor McGonagall's gaze was piercing.
Rose looked at him, obviously wanting him to go first.
"Well… I don't really know, Professor…" he admitted. "I mean… well, I know the Flints don't really like us…" he refused to add that James also hadn't exactly been friendly with them. As far as he knew, James wouldn't go so far as physically attacking someone. "Then when we were coming back from Hagrid's, Areson Flint came over, to show me something, then he changed his mind and told me to get to the Great Hall…"
"He was getting you out of the way, Al…" Rose's voice was such a soft whisper, Al almost didn't hear it.
"What was that, Miss Weasley?"
Rose burst into tears, surprising Albus. She was never much of a crier… this… wasn't usual. "I-I t-t-thought something was wrong, but I d-didn't do anything… I…" Rose inhaled, then exhaled. "James was telling me…" Albus's hands clenched into fists when he heard her say his brother's name. "…to get Hagrid to the Great Hall, then Flint would come and get Albus… James told me he wanted to talk to Scorpius in private in some classroom…"
His cousin looked so wracked by guilt. A glance at McGonagall showed that her expression softened, but only slightly. "I'm so sorry, Professor! I-I didn't know there… there would be other people involved… I thought it was just going to be James and Scorpius… I… oh I'm such an idiot!"
"Rose…" Albus put an arm around his cousin's shoulder. Now, he felt angry and disappointed in his brother. "I don't blame you." he whispered.
But at this, Rose started crying even harder. "I let it happen! I… urgh! What they were doing-how they were-then when he fell--" Her hands covered her face and she said no more.
Albus ran a hand through his hair. How could James do that? He just… found it hard to believe.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley." Professor McGonagall nodded to them. "I wanted your sides of the story before I begin questioning the boys we saw running from the scene." She stood up and put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "You may go and visit Mr. Malfoy in the Hospital Wing now. I'll go there after I've spoken to the boys."
"Thank you, Professor." Albus spoke for them while Rose nodded, then he led his cousin out of the office.
Sitting next to Scorpius's bed, with his face in his hands was a man with hair that was the same shade of blond as Scorpius's. Albus suddenly felt like he was intruding… but Scorpius was his friend… Rose's too. They had as much right to be by their friend's bed as that stranger did.
The man looked up at the sound of their footsteps.
Albus froze. Those eyes were the color of Scorpius's… but they were… cold… hard. He heard Rose let out a little squeak next to him. The man looked him up and down. "Potter." The gaze fell on Rose. "Weasley."
What should he say? Shifting uncomfortably, Albus spoke the only word he could think of. "Hi."
Slowly, the man nodded his head.
Realization hit Albus like a bucket of icy water. The hair and eyes that were identical to Scorpius. The pointed face that Scorpius's features, though still young and rounded, hinted it would grow into in time. The nod of the head. This was the man they saw at the station. Scorpius's father- Draco Malfoy.
Mr. Malfoy stood up, hands clenching into fists. Albus involuntarily flinched at the penetrating glare of those grey eyes. "Where is your father?"
"I-I… I… I don't know, sir…" honestly, he didn't…
Albus watched the older Malfoy gaze at his son. He saw the just barely suppressed fury that a father would feel at the sight of an injured son burning within the tall man. It made him uneasy. He definitely wouldn't want to mess with an angry dad.
A glance at Rose showed her terror.
The door opened and Albus saw his dad walk in with a frown on his face. Opening a mouth to greet his dad, he didn't get the chance to, since Mr. Malfoy spoke first. "POTTER!" the rage wasn't hidden anymore. "McGonagall told me what your son and a few other boys did to my son."
Harry Potter's hands were also fists, and he exhaled wearily. Albus could tell his dad was stressed, but also furious. "I know, Malfoy."
"WELL?" Draco Malfoy roared, "What do you plan to do about it?"
Green eyes met grey eyes. "I assure you, James will be punished for the stupid, reckless, thoughtless, insensitive thing he did."
Just then, Professor McGonagall walked in followed by five people: two men and two women were four who he didn't know, one was his mother, standing out with her red hair.
"Is he going to be alright?" Albus's mom, Ginny, looked with concern at Scorpius, still unconscious on the bed.
Scorpius's dad stared at Ginny in an almost suspicious way, before he answered, "Pomfrey says she took care of his bruises and the bones that broke, but he-"
"Too many people in my Hospital Wing!" Madam Pomfrey came over, waving her arms. "OUT! My patient should rest, should sleep to recover. With all this noise, you'll wake him up!"
"But I'm his father!"
"Then shut up if you want to stay in my Hospital Wing!"
Albus's jaw dropped. Madam Pomfrey looked serious. Not that it was an appropriate time to crack jokes, but he couldn't exactly believe what his ears were hearing. Draco Malfoy glared at the Madam Pomfrey, who met his glare with her own.
"Mr. Malfoy… Draco." Professor McGonagall spoke. "We should talk. I know there may be things you wish to say. You can come back here after you've said them."
"Fine."
"What about us?" Rose finally spoke.
"Either you stay here and obey Madam Pomfrey or go to your dormitories and sleep."
Albus looked at Rose. Though her eyes were pink from her tears, by her expression, she looked like the last thing she wanted to do was sleep. "We'll stay here." Albus said.
"And we'll obey Madam Pomfrey." Rose added
"Very well." Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey exchanged nods before the Headmistress lead the parents outside.
"Do not disturb him." The school nurse glared at them before leaving.
"We won't." Al promised. He took a seat to the left of Scorpius's bed while Rose claimed the chair on the right.
They sat there in silence, Albus's thoughts wandered from the motives of the boys to what punishments they would be getting.
"It was horrible…" Rose's voice was a whisper, and her eyes looked moist again. "They… they looked like they were making some sick game out of it!" She shuddered. "James… he was trying to stop them though… and then he tried to tell me that he only wanted to talk, he didn't think it'd turn into… that…"
Albus listened quietly. Maybe… James didn't mean to cause this much harm… But still! What was he thinking? Or was he even thinking at all?
"I don't want to be here when he wakes up…"
"What? But why?" That one surprised him. "Rose, you're the one that saw him and called for help."
Rose was looking away from him when she said, "You were the one who went to get Professor McGonagall…"
"Yeah, but still. You're the one that… got there." Albus insisted. "Don't you think he'd want to thank you?"
"No." His cousin was biting her lip when she shook her head. "He won't." Scorpius grunted, his hand twitched, then he lay still again. Shakily, Rose got to her feet. "Al, I can't stay here if he wakes up soon…"
"Rose!" without meaning to, he spoke loudly. It wasn't a yell, but it wasn't the soft whispers Madam Pomfrey would have preferred… and allowed. "I think you should stay…"
"I shouldn't!" Rose persisted with her argument. "Scorpius-"
"What do you want, Weasley?"
Shocked, Albus looked at the source of the voice. Scorpius's eyes had opened, and they were focused on Rose. Rose shuddered, Al realized Scorpius was glaring. It was eerie how much Scorpius Malfoy resembled Draco Malfoy in the way they could… glare so frostily. Looking from Scorpius to Rose, Al felt left out and confused. Something had gone on, and he missed it. But what?
"N-nothing…" Rose mumbled, "Scorpius… I'm sorry…"
Saying nothing, Scorpius changed position, lying on his side, facing Albus, his back to Rose.
Rose threw Albus a hopeless look. Albus threw Rose a clueless look.
Then Rose left before he could ask.
Albus looked at Scorpius, but he still couldn't get his answers, for Scorpius had pulled the blankets over his head, making it clear that he was not in the mood to talk.
More confused than ever, Albus spoke, just to see if Scorpius would react. "Erm… I'll go ahead to the dormitory…"
Scorpius grunted in reply.
"Bye…" Albus stood up and walked to the door. "Night…"
"Night."
Frustrated by how unsatisfied his curiosity was, Albus headed for the Slytherin Common Room. What in the name of Merlin's beard was going on? What did he miss? Did Rose and Scorpius have some fight that he didn't see the importance of? Or… what?
"You." Al looked up. "What is your name?"
For two seconds, Albus stared stupidly, wondering how Scorpius could have beaten him to get outside the Hospital Wing. Then another two seconds were spent wondering how he grew so tall. Then he blinked. STUPID! 'It's Scorpius's dad! Okay… erm… what did he say? Oh yeah! He asked for my name. Darn it, I'm too distracted tonight'. "A-Albus Potter… I'm usually called Al."
"Draco Malfoy." He offered his hand, Al shook it tentatively. "Scorpius's father."
"He woke up for a bit," Albus told him, "But I think he went back to sleep…"
Mr. Malfoy nodded. "Yes, he needs his rest…" The man looked like he was trying to choose his words. "Are… you and… the other girl his friends?"
Albus nodded. It wasn't a secret that in their school years, his father, Harry and Uncle Ron hated Draco Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy hated them. Did he also have a problem with their friendship?
But what Mr. Malfoy said surprised Albus. "After this… when he's recovered… keep him close. He deserves real friends. Good, true, loyal friends…" Mr. Malfoy sighed. "Your father must have taught you that, right? About friendship?"
"Er… yeah…" then Albus added, "We are his friends, and yeah, we'll be there for him, as friends should be."
A smile appeared on his tired face. "Good. Thank you." Then he spoke in a softer voice, almost like Draco Malfoy was speaking more to himself than to Al. "I don't want my son to suffer the same things I did."
Mr. Malfoy glanced at his watch. "It's almost dawn. Astoria, my wife must be here now, or will be soon. I told her not to rush here, and to rest a bit after work before coming."
"Okay…"
"Wait… another thing…" he paused. "Your… cousin came by and told us that your brother tried to stop the others…" Mr. Malfoy's smile had gone. "I could forgive him, but not immediately. He should at least have foreseen that it may have escalated into violence. He could have simply talked to Scorpius by himself."
As much as it was an instinct to defend his brother James, his family, Albus had to agree with what Mr. Malfoy was saying. "You're right."
The reply seemed to please him. "Good night then." After nodding, Draco Malfoy walked away.
"Good night…"