Chapter 11-A Change of Heart
Scorpius rolled the galleon coin along his bony fingers. He watched the shiny surface reflect the sunlight which was pouring though the closed window in the Slytherin common room. It was a Saturday afternoon and Scorpius had wasted the whole day on study notes, text books and assignments that weren't due for weeks.
The truth was, Scorpius wasn't the kind of boy to have random outbreaks of educational motivation. He generally left homework and assignments until as late as possible. The only reason the Slytherin wasn't wandering around the school grounds with his friends was because of a certain someone. Scorpius hated to admit it, but Rose Weasley was preventing him from going absolutely anywhere. It wasn't as if she was exerting a physical force upon him that kept him cooped up like a chicken, but unintentionally and without awareness, she was mentally twisting his thought processes.
It seemed that every time Rose and Scorpius crossed paths, some kind of battle would take place. Scorpius was sick and tired of clashing with the Gryffindor. In fact, it had never been his plan to start world war three with Rose Weasley. He had simply set out to ignore her, but of course, being the know-it-all she was, things just had to become sticky.
"Oh don't try
this one on me again," snapped Rose. "You already tried to
get me to feel mushy last night! It's not working!" "I'm
not trying to get you to feel anything for me!"
It was true; Scorpius had no intention of becoming involved with Rose. However, each time the pair fought, or even looked at each other, he couldn't help but set out to make these situations more frequent. Scorpius didn't understand why Rose had to be so persistent, and it frustrated him.
"Missing something?"
Scorpius looked up, still completely lost in his thoughts. Estella Harrington stood in front of him, closer than necessary, flipping a galleon coin in her hand. Her other hand was curled around her hip which was jutted out intentionally to create more of a curvaceous appearance. Her long, black hair was pulled back into its usual bun, and a devilish smile was plastered firmly on her face.
Scorpius looked at his hand quickly and saw that he no longer had the galleon in his grasp. He reluctantly looked up at his seventh year friend and gave a half hearted smile.
"Estella," he muttered, edging away ever so slightly.
The seventh year's smile grew wider as she flipped the coin even higher. "I thought you might need this."
"Thanks," Scorpius mumbled. He reached up to take the coin which was in mid-air. Obviously though, Estella was enjoying this little game she had developed. She snatched it away quickly and enclosed it in her hand. She giggled unnecessarily before breathing in deeply.
"You look rather distracted," she said too happily. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
Not with you, Scorpius thought in an irritated manner. "No, not really."
"Oh." The disappointment was clear on her face. She frowned deeply and unenthusiastically flipped the galleon back to Scorpius. He yanked the coin out of the air and gratefully placed it in his jean pocket.
If Scorpius didn't leave the common room quickly, he would be stuck listening to Estella ramble on about everything. He would risk running into Rose Weasley in order to get away from the Slytherin.
Scorpius stood quickly, forcing Estella to take a small step backwards. "I'm going for a walk."
"Oh," she said loudly. "Ok then, I'll come with you!"
Must you? Scorpius thought unhappily. "Listen Estella," he muttered. "I'd rather walk alone. I have to clear my head."
Estella sighed and placed both hands on her hips. "It's about that Weasley girl, isn't it?"
Scorpius stiffened, clenching his fists together. "No," he snapped. "I'm going for a walk now."
The annoying seventh year scowled before grabbing his arm. "Let's go for a walk then."
Scorpius glowered at the back of Estella's head. She was the most irritating person in the world and she was the only one who didn't realize it.
Once they were outside the common room, Scorpius pulled his arm free of Estella's strong grip. He moved around the seventh year and took the lead, completely unsure as to where they were actually going. At the moment, the only thing on Scorpius' mind was to get away from Estella. Perhaps if he strayed far enough from the school, Estella would turn around and go back. She always disliked walking for prolonged periods of time.
"So," Estella said a little too merrily. "Where are we off to?"
Scorpius didn't reply. He kept walking, increasing his pace every minute. The day was quite pleasant, though chilly. It was conceivable that Estella would turn around and go back if they went outside. He rolled his eyes as she began rambling on about homework and other irrelevant topics. Quickly, Scorpius made a sharp turn and began to ascend a conveniently placed staircase. Before he could finish his climb, something caught his eye in a window that mirrored the lake.
……………………………………………………………….
Rose held the pendant protectively in her grasp as she and Holly made their way towards the lake. The day that Rose had somehow been dreading was finally here. Her gut twisted sickeningly as she watched the Ravenclaw first year waiting expectantly, for them.
Rose glared at the back of Holly's head, it was all her fault. Holly had been on her way back from the library when she came across a worried looking first year who was asking about a pendant. Of course, Rose should have been delighted that she was able to get rid of the pendant, but she wasn't. She had become so attached to it over the past couple of weeks that giving it away was almost like giving away a part of her.
"Holly, I'm perfectly capable of walking." Rose argued, trying to pull her arm free of her friends grip.
Holly scoffed. "I know you are," she said quickly. "I'm more concerned about how capable you are of running."
"What?"
"It feels like you're about to make a run for it."
Rose rolled her eyes. The butterflies were so evident in her stomach she could have flown away at any moment.
"Hello Patrick," Holly said once they had reached the first year. "We have something for you."
Holly looked at Rose. Rose cleared her throat and straightened up. She tried to smile warmly but failed miserably. Luckily, Patrick was too focused on the pendant in Rose's hand to worry about her emotions.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get it to you sooner," Rose apologized with little sincerity. Holly kicked her and narrowed her eyes at the pendant.
Rose took a deep breath and let the pendant fall into Patrick's hand. He enclosed it in his own and smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks." He said.
Rose and Holly were just about to turn back towards the castle when the pendant flew out of Patrick's hand and over Rose's head. She turned around in alarm to find Scorpius picking the pendant up from the grass. He held it firmly in his grip, tucking his wand away in his pocket.
"Scorpius!" Rose yelled. "What are you doing?"
Scorpius glared at the three standing before him. He held the pendant out towards them, but his grip was strong. "This is my family's pendant!" he snapped. "I've already told you that."
"You can't take that," Patrick shouted. "That's mine!"
"You selfish bastard," Rose bellowed, marching towards the Slytherin. "Give that back. You have no right! No right!"
She grabbed the other end of the pendant and tugged on it roughly. Scorpius made something of a growling noise and pulled even harder at the other end, causing Rose to stumble towards him. Their faces were inches apart now, but all they could do was stare into each others eyes hatefully.
Holly took her place beside Rose and grabbed at her end also. The small triangle that the three had formed was becoming dangerous but none of them seemed to notice, or care. Rose dragged the pendant towards herself, with the help of Holly. However Scorpius resisted. He looked to Estella for support with a look of reluctance, but she was too shocked by the situation to notice.
"Stop it!" Patrick cried. "You're going to break it!"
That thought seemed to have occurred to the three at the same time. They all let go instantly and watched with panic-stricken faces as the pendant flew into the lake. It sunk immediately into the black, unchartered depths, leaving no trace.
Rose looked at Scorpius, and Scorpius looked at Rose. For a moment, it looked as if he were going to say something, but instead, began taking off his shoes.
"Scorpius," Rose asked warily. "What are you doing?" Though the answer was obvious to her.
Rose moved forwards and grabbed his arm. He turned to face her briefly before ripping it free of her grip. With his shoes, jumper and shirt now off, Scorpius bolted into the lake. Rose was momentarily stunned by her shirtless enemy and almost forgot to breathe. His chest was pale and lean, his shoulders broad and toned.
A high pitched shriek brought Rose back into reality. "Scorpius!" Estella yelped. Rose followed her eyes to an unsettled part of the water where he had clearly gone in. The next thing that caught her attention was Scorpius' wand, which had fallen out of his pocket. A sense of dread coated Rose. The pace of the event had caused him to act irrationally.
Estella looked at Rose and Holly with pleading eyes. "What do we do?"
Rose looked at Holly, who shrugged unhelpfully. She moved towards the unsettled first year and tried to comfort him.
Estella started hyperventilating. It didn't concern Rose; the sound was just annoying and made it hard for her to think. She moved over the disconcerted Slytherin and shook her shoulders forcefully.
"Calm down," she urged. "We'll wait another minute or two, and if he doesn't surface, well…" Then what? Rose had no idea. The logical thing to do was to run and get help, but then, did she really want to serve another detention? She had been to Professor McGonagall's office on too many occasions.
Rose began to pace, glancing frequently at the still water. Please, she thought, please be alright.
………………………………………………………
Diving into the lake was something like suicide. The water was almost black and it was difficult for Scorpius to see. The little sunlight he found glinted off other objects which gave him a false sense of hope. He had immediately regretted the decision the moment he made contact with the water. Wouldn't the logical thing have been to use 'accio'? Scorpius considered turning around and using the accio spell, however, he didn't want to look like a coward in front of them.
Who was "them" though? He had no opinion of Holly and that first year, their thoughts didn't bother Scorpius in the least. And it didn't bother him if Estella thought less of him, that more of a benefit. So, was it Rose he was trying so hard to prove something to? That thought only made Scorpius swim deeper.
Something glittered powerfully in the water. Scorpius swam towards it, trying to get a better focus. As he came closer, he realized he had found the pendant. Desperately, he grabbed at the piece of jewelry until he had a strong enough grip on it. Scorpius turned in the water and prepared to kick off, but found he couldn't.
Scorpius looked at the bottom of his jeans where a large chunk of the denim was caught on something resembling wire. No matter how hard he pulled, the wire wouldn't release his jeans. The oxygen was leaving his body quickly and he was wasting energy trying to free himself. Scorpius began to convulse, looking around frantically for anything that might help him. He saw nothing.
Slowly and painfully, Scorpius' eyes fluttered closed. Black was clouding his vision and he could do nothing to prevent it. The last thing Scorpius remembered was his pendant sinking further into the depths of the lake.
…………………………………………………
"He's been down there too long," Rose snapped. "Far too long."
"What do we do?" Estella pushed. "What do we do?"
Rose looked at Holly and sighed, taking off her shoes. Holly's eyes grew wide in fright and marched over to her friend.
"Rose," she warned. "Don't you dare go down there!"
"I have to, Holly!"
"But-"
"But what Holly?" Rose snapped aggressively. "I can't let him die."
Without another word, Rose plunged into the black depths of the lake. She kicked as fast as she could, her eyes shooting in all directions for Scorpius. It took her another moment to make sight of the seventh year. He was floating unconsciously, his face sickeningly pale. Rose saw that his jeans were caught on a wire of some sort.
She kicked furiously towards the bottom of his jeans and with all the strength she could muster, pulled. It took her a few tries to release Scorpius, but once she had managed to, the oxygen supply in her lungs was running extremely low. Rose grabbed Scorpius' shoulders firmly and began to kick upwards. Her lungs were screaming for air, and Rose was just about to give up when the pair hit the surface.
She breathed heavily as she paddled herself and an unconscious Scorpius to the shore. Holly, Estella and Patrick stumbled to the edge of the lake and helped pull Scorpius to safety. Holly then dragged Rose out, giving her a massive hug.
"Are you alright?"
Rose was too tired to answer. She breathed in the cool afternoon air heavily, collapsing onto the grass. Her voice was raspy as she said "Summon the pendant."
Holly yanked her wand out of her pocket and turned her attention to the lake. Rose stood and stumbled towards Scorpius' corpse like figure. Without thinking, she fell at his side and shooed Patrick and Estella away. Rose had never personally performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on anyone before, but she had read about it.
"Does anyone else know mouth-to-mouth?" Rose asked hopefully, looking at Patrick and Estella. They both shook their heads. Rose sighed and settled herself on her knees. She leaned over Scorpius and with one hand, pinched his nose and with the other, pulled his chin so that his mouth opened.
Rose took a deep breath and closed her eyes. For gods sake, she thought, why me? Rose placed her lips on Scorpius' mouth and breathed into him deeply. She pulled herself about and took another deep breathe, and then bent in again. Rose repeated this again and again, but still nothing happened.
"Come on!" she shouted. "Wake up!"
Rose bent in again, but stopped just in time. Scorpius' eyes flew open and turned to his side, coughing up water. He gagged for a moment and then fell onto his back again, completely conscious. The group exchanged looks of relief.
Rose looked back to Scorpius who was watching her intensely. Rose couldn't look away from his stare, no matter how much she wanted to. Cautiously, she watched from the corner of her eye as Scorpius reached towards her hand that was resting on his chest, of which she was completely unaware. Rose made to pull her hand away but Scorpius grabbed it and held it there. Her breathe caught in her throat.
Suddenly, a mild jolt went through Rose's body, which was followed by goosebumps and shivering. Rose now noticed that Scorpius was shaking violently. She pulled her hand away and stood up, offering him her hand. Scorpius took it without emotion and stood. Estella popped up a moment later with Scorpius' jumper and shirt. She gave them to him gently, though he didn't remove his eyes from Rose's.
"You saved me," he choked out. Rose was startled by his comment. She took a step back and shook her head as if to clear it.
"Um," was the best she could come up with. "That's ok…" She said awkwardly.
Rose looked at Holly who was cradling her clothes. "Come on," she said quietly. "Let's go. I gave Patrick the pendant."
She stared at the first year who was placing the beautiful jewelry piece in his pocket. He smiled appreciatively at Rose before retreating. Rose looked at Scorpius who was glaring half-heartedly at the first year.
Rose turned away with Holly; she had had enough of this. Quickly, the pair moved towards the castle, avoiding the curious eyes of students.
"We'll get you warmed up," Holly said, with a small chuckle. "I bet that's the first thing on your mind."
But it wasn't. The only thing on Rose's mind was seeing Scorpius grab her hand and keep it on his chest. Something had changed between the pair that afternoon, but somehow, it wasn't for the worst.
