The Kids Aren't Alright
So, I don't own Harry Potter...Damn.
Thanks to those who have followed, and/or favored.
Previously...
"How does it look?"
"It...It looks...Merlin Lily, you're only 15."
"It could be worse though."
"I don't see how things could be any worse than what you've got on your back," Ginny argued, frowning disapprovingly at her only daughter.
As Harry started to take a drink of his tea, Lily spoke. "I could be pregnant. Would you prefer that instead of the tattoo?" Lily had to bite her tongue as her father started to choke on his drink.
She wanted to laugh, but her father's reaction stopped her from doing so. That and the fact that she was biting down on her tongue. Merlin, Albus needed to hurry up with that bloody potion. Before her parents found out, they no doubt would force her to own up to her mistake, in their way, but she didn't want that. It was her mistake, so it was her decision on what should be done about it. She wasn't ready for any of this, and that was her own fault. That and Ian Thomas not having one fucking condom on him.
31 July, 2023
Unlike the two-story, ridiculously large hellhole that Albus Potter was forced to call home, the Malfoy family's little cobblestone cottage was a welcoming sight. It was located in a small village that kept to itself, within walking distance of the nearby cemetery where Scorpius' mother was buried. Merlin, even the bloody cemetery was more of a welcoming sight for Albus, the residents there actually listened to what he had to say.
There was hardly any sun in the village, and Albus would have to say that the brightest thing there fell between Scorpius' blond hair and his rainbow-colored shoelaces. Another welcoming sight for Albus as they walked through the dirt road that led to the Malfoy home.
Scorpius' hands were nervously twitching, and that annoyed Albus.
"You need to relax," Albus said to his only friend.
"Easier said than done," Scorpius responded as he rubbed the knuckles on his right hand with his left.
Albus groaned and grabbed the Malfoy boy's right hand with his left and held onto it.
"What-
"Oh, shut up and enjoy it, Malfoy."
Albus kept his eyes forward, ignoring the small smile that had graced his friends face. Scorpius too kept his eyes straight ahead, not noticing the faint upward twitch on Albus' face. Neither would let go until they were at the front door of the blond-haired teenager's wooden door.
Albus watched as Scorpius fumbled with his keys before unlocking the door. He dragged his shoes into the welcoming mat before entering the cottage.
The sitting room was homey with its dark oak flooring and stone fireplace that held a television on top. The settee was across from the fireplace, with two armchairs off to both sides. Scorpius turned the light on and took his shoes off, revealing two different colored socks. Albus snorted as he took his shoes off, setting them next to the coat hanger.
"How did your mum convince your dad to get that again?" Albus questioned as he stared at the television on the fireplace.
Scorpius grinned. "Mum forced him to read The Lord of the Rings, and when he discovered that there were films about them," he chuckled. "Well, he just had to see if there was any difference between the two."
"And were there?"
"Very much," Scorpius answered as he sat down on the settee. "Books are always better than their movie counterparts."
Albus rolled his eyes in amusement. He walked over and sat down next to his fellow Slytherin.
"My brother and I were joking about films this morning," Albus revealed as he smirked. "Said if the wizarding world caught up with muggles on technology, they'd make a movie about my Dad."
Scorpius snorted as he grinned. "Merlin, imagine how much they'd get wrong!"
Albus laughed at this. "Rita Skeeter would write the story!"
"What, with Gilderoy Lockhart?"
Both teenagers broke out into fits of laughter at this. Albus let a smile escape as Scorpius rested his head on his shoulder. It felt comforting to Albus, though he would never admit it.
Albus took the blond's hand and gently rubbed his thumb into Scorpius' palm. For a moment, he would forget everything else, and that was okay for him. He would forget what his sister told him, and what his brother would periodically do to himself. He would forget his father's words and his mother's actions. He would forget everything, but this moment between him and Scorpius.
Harry was almost relieved to see Ron. After Hermione's...brass choice of words, seeing Ron was more welcoming than the looks that his best friend and brother-in-law's estranged wife was giving him and Ginny.
A dark look appeared on Ron's face as he noticed Hermione, but he put on a grin as he saw Harry, who he walked towards. "Hey, Harry."
"Ron," Harry said, a quick smile appearing on his face before it disappeared completely. "Did you hear about Al?"
Ron nodded and spoke, "yeah, he needs to get his bloody act together before he ruins his life." He then scowled as he momentarily paused. "Is he still friends with Malfoy's kid?"
Equally displeased, Harry nodded. "I don't know what to do with him anymore."
Ginny frowned as she looked at her husband. "If you were around more, maybe you would."
"Not now, Ginny, please," Harry said as he looked at his wife, who glared at him. Sighing, he looked at Ron and Hermione and spoke, "has he said anything to either of you?"
"Not to me."
"No."
"Do you think the Malfoy boy has anything to do with it?" Ron asked, causing Ginny to look upset at him. "What? You know how Malfoy was when we were younger, maybe his son's just like him."
"Like Albus is as much his father's son?"
"...Yeah."
Ginny rolled her eyes, but quickly changed the subject. "What prisoners escaped?"
"What?" Ron asked, looking at his sister before his eyes fell on his estranged wife. "Is she talking about Azkaban?"
Frowning, Hermione nodded. "Last night, six prisoners from Azkaban escaped. I'm surprised you didn't read it in The Daily Prophet."
"Can the paper be considered reliable at the moment?"
"Point taken," Hermione admitted with a cross look on her face.
"Were their names released to the public?" Harry asked, not having read the paper either.
Hermione shook her head. "No, we don't want them to worry at the moment." Looking towards the stairs, where Lily had escaped up to earlier, then back at her husband and two friends, Hermione continued, "three are Death Eaters, two Death Eater sympathizers, and-"
There was a knock at the door, promptly interrupting Hermione's reveal.
Getting his wand out, Harry walked towards the door. "Who's there?"
"Open the door, Harry," everyone heard. "I'm not a Death Eater."
"Prove it then."
"I once impersonated you when McGonagall wrote to you about when Albus was found smoking spliffs in the Shrieking Shack."
"What?"
Harry opened the door and found 25-year-old Teddy Lupin standing at the door, snickering. In Teddy's arms was a blonde-haired little girl with freckles splattered on her face. With sandy hair that had streaks of turquoise in it and amber eyes, the young man was as much as a good influence on his god-siblings as he was himself. Like Harry's two sons, he had a series of piercings on both ears, and even a few tattoos running up and down his arms.
Shaking his head, Harry let his godson and grand-goddaughter in.
"You're your mother's son, Teddy Lupin," Harry said as he closed the door.
Smirking, Teddy let his daughter down before taking a seat by Ginny. The young man leaned back in his seat as he spoke, "I know, isn't it great?"
"Where did Albus get the spliffs?" Ginny questioned, looking at the young man she helped partially raise.
"Oh, I mailed it to him as an early birthday present."
Loud footsteps were heard as Lily came running down. She glared at Teddy as she spoke, "are you bloody kidding me, Teddy? Why didn't you give me any?"
"Because I gave you money for the bloody tattoo," Teddy said as he placed his hands behind his head.
"You did what?"
"Fuck," Teddy said as he realized what he just said.
"Fuck."
Everyone's heads turned towards Teddy's daughter, who was grinning widely as she hung onto the coffee table. He hair color was now a bright shade of pink.
"Was that her first word?" Ron asked, looking at Teddy, who paled.
"Vic's gonna kill me," was all the young man said as he stared at his daughter. Lily broke out into laughter at this.
Walking up the stairs with a still laughing Lily, Teddy made his way towards James' room.
Wrinkling his nose at the smell of the dark bedroom, the Metamorphmagus stared the still form of his 19-year-old godbrother.
"Did something die in here?" Teddy asked as he looked for the light switch.
"Probably."
Shaking his head, Teddy turned the light on, causing James to flinch and cover his head with his comforter.
"Are you bloody serious right now?"
"No, but you are," Teddy quipped as he tore the covers off of the eldest Potter child. "Get up, Potter. Your goddaughter said her first word today and even you'd crack up over it."
"Let me guess, it was cu-
"Luckily not," Teddy said as he scowled. "Your cousin's still going to kill me though, so get up and come stay with me in my final hours."
"I'd rather not."
Without any warning, Teddy stormed towards his godbrother and effortlessly pulled him out of bed.
"Oi! What do you-
"You need a shower, so you're going to take one, little brother," Teddy said as he half-dragged the Potter boy out of his room and towards the bathroom. Teddy looked at Lily after putting James in the room and shutting the door. "Grab me some clothes for him, and once you hear the shower running, find his stash."
Lily only nodded and quickly grabbed her brother some clean clothes.
Once Lily heard the shower running, she quickly got to work tearing James room apart. She ripped opened his closet door and fished through all the drawers in his wardrobe. She looked under his bed, and even in his mattress, where there was a hole. There was nothing in there, so Lily figured it must have been a past hiding spot for her brother.
She walked towards the bedroom window after she looked through James' desk and frowned when she heard a creaking sound when her foot stepped on the scratchy rug.
Without much to think about, Lily tore the rug off of the ground and saw the loose floorboard. She lifted it up and saw a rusty lunchbox under the board. Lily took it out and opened it. There were bloodstained notes and a photo of a girl with dark hair on top. She took the papers out, and saw what they were hiding; a bunch of blades, some as rusted as the box, some new as though they were unpackaged yesterday.
Lily grimaced as she took the blades out, hissing when one nicked her finger. She sucked on her bleeding finger as she carefully wrapped the sharp objects up into a dirty sock she found under James' bed. She placed the papers back into the box, closed it and put it back under the floorboard.
After putting the rug back in its place, she took the sock and left her brother's room, feeling sick to her stomach, though she doubted that it was because of what was growing inside of her this time.
So, what do you think?
I know there might be some mistakes, so I apologize.
Please, review, like, and/or follow. That would be great.
Until next time...
