Past, Present & Future

The Future

'Hagrid? Hagrid! Who? Who else is there? Come back…' Scorpius sunk to the floor. 'Please.'

So many memories and moments going through his head, Scorpius didn't know whether to believe it or not, this could just be some crazy fabrication caused by too much food. Wasn't eating cheese before bed meant to give you nightmares?

But what Harry had said, and Rosie! So she did love Michael…although she didn't sound so sure. Probably trying to convince herself-

'Ahem'

Scorpius shot in the air, thrusting a hand into his pocket for a wand. He couldn't handle this night anymore, and now a ghost!

'Who are you?'

Nothing. No answer, the hooded figure just turned and disappeared through a wall.

'Oi! Come back!' Scorpius would happily admit that right now he looked pathetic, but he didn't have any reason not to follow after tonight's events and to be quite honest he needed to know how it ends, so he scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible and practically tripped out of the door.

He was back in the dimly lit hallway and he could see an ethereal glow emitting from the end of the corridor…

The figure turned, the corridor lurched, and Scorpius stumbled again falling forwards into nothingness.

A garden materialised around him, the bright sun burned the back of his neck, and the gentle plucking of a stringed instrument could be heard. Scorpius' ghostly companion turned practically invisible in the bright sun light, it didn't matter. He didn't need to follow anyone, he just walked through the trees towards the source of the music.

Scorpius had never seen so many bows and flowers in his life, there were rows and rows of chairs, each tied at the back with gold gossamer bows and each filled with a guest many in large hats and many, many ginger people.

'Cripes, someone's gone a bit far with the bows.' Scorpius thought to himself, he was standing behind the final rows of chairs, a heavily pregnant woman came running towards himself at an unusual speed considering her size, her face was fuller, boobs definitely bigger but it was Deen!

'Deen?' forgetting he was invisible he went to grab her but she ran right through him towards Albus.

'We've found her!' Deen panted, 'She's going ahead with it…getting ready now…tell Michael she'll be 10 mins.'

'Is she ok? Where did she go?' Al whispered; his face was twisted in confusion.

'Port Issac, James found her sat on the beach in her wedding dress, soaking wet, looked like she'd been swimming…managed to get her here, fixed her dress, took me a while to get her back into it though. Hermione is with her now.'

'So, Rosie is getting married today?'

'Yesss!' Deen hissed exasperated, 'She's on her way, get to Michael then get to your seat and I'll go see if your aunt has managed to coax her into a veil. I knew this would happen, so scared of commitment and we have Scorpius to thank for that…I'm just be thankful he didn't show his face today.'

'He wouldn't do that, he knows not to try anything anymore…' Stress didn't suit Al's face, he was far too mild mannered to deal with situations like these.

The couple both set their faces into relaxed smiles and departed in opposite directions and a couple of minutes later the music morphed into the wedding march. Scopius watched as Rosie walked past him towards Michael, her face didn't betray the inner turmoil she had clearly been through that morning. She met Michael at the front, said her vows clearly and surely and then sealed it all with a kiss.

Bonded for life.

'I can't believe she married him…' Scorpius said turning to his hooded friend, who gave no reply. He felt angry and jealously burned in him seeing Rosie giving herself to Michael.

'Is this actually going to happen?' He felt his teeth grind together on the last word. Why was he so angry? He didn't want the commitment Rosie desired, he'd told her that. So why did he care? He didn't have time to continue that thought because with a whir they were transported to office, a fancy office paneled in a deep rose-coloured wood. Behind the desk sat Michael, a few years older but still annoyingly good looking, he was bent over a piece of parchment, he signed his name then put it on top of the growing pile next to a photo of two smiling children, boys, one older than the other grinning and waving from the heavy silver frame. The fireplace flickered to life and the familiar face of Rosie appeared, his wife.

'Michael?'

'Good evening darling.'

'Are you home tonight? Or is there another late meeting?' Scorpius could hear the bite in her voice.

'No, no I'll be back for dinner, see you later darling.' Michael didn't look up from his parchment and without a goodbye Rosie disappeared from the flames. There was a light knock on the door and then without waiting for a reply a woman entered. Dark features, hair artfully pinned back into a tight chignon, she was gorgeous. The kind of women Scorpius regularly went for, she dropped the pile of papers onto his desk and smiled.

'Mr. Mullholland.' She purred.

'Anita.' He responded reaching out to caress her cheek.

'Have you got plans tonight? I feel like I don't get to see you as much.'

'Things have been difficult since the new baby but I think I have things settled now, how about tonight, right now, here.' Michael planted tiny kisses down her neck.

'And your wife? What about her?'

'I'll just tell her something came up. An important meeting I couldn't delay.' He paused lips millimeters from her collarbone then pulled out his stationary and scribbled his excuse on to a piece of parchment hastely tying it to his owls foot and releasing it out the window. He made his way back to Anita and the pair sunk to the floor. Scorpius watched slightly sickened, he was no angel by any means but something about this betrayal on Rosie made him want to cause Michael some serious pain. And he was sure, certain in fact for the briefest of seconds, before the room had changed around him, that he saw Rosies head reappear in the fireplace.

'I don't believe it. I just don't believe Rosie would knowingly stay with a guy that's cheating on her. Married or not!' Scorpius said out loud speeding his pace up trying to keep up speed with himself and Albus, they looked pretty much the same as they did now, except for Al's dark circles.

'So, I'm thinking we hit a bar after work grab a few drinks, it's about time I got my wing man back.'

'Scor, I'd love to, you know I would but I want to get home, I hate being here and not with Deen and the baby, I don't care how much he cries and throws up…I love that little shit monster!' Al pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled sincerely at his best mate.

'Alright then, I'll invite myself over for dinner, Deen won't mind-' Scorpius stopped mid-sentence, Al looked guilty. 'Deen would mind?'

'Well, it's just we've Rosie and Michael coming over tonight…it might be awkward…You know, You, Rosie…Michael all in the same room, and Deen is an emotional wreck since giving birth and what with the lack of sleep I don't think she could handle it just now. Sorry mate.' Al was speeding through his speech clearly thinking the faster he said it the less painful it would be, like ripping off a plaster. It wasn't. 'I was going to say something earlier but it slipped my mind. Sorry.' He added again.

'Al seriously it fine,' Scorpius reassured as they entered the office, 'I wouldn't want to be stuck at a table full of loved up couples anyway… I think I'd rather have a wand stuck up my-'

'Boys!' Harry called across the office, 'It'd be great if you could try and do some work today, I don't think Deen would be too pleased if we all showed up late for dinner tonight.'

'I didn't know you were going as well.' Scorpius raised an eyebrow at Al for forgetting that little nugget of information.

'Of course I'm going, everyone's going. Now do some bloody work!'

Scorpius couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry of his older self, he had always considered himself to be part of the family no matter what his surname was. But it seemed there would be a point in the near future when he would no longer be permitted to sit at their table, to socialize with them because of the way he had treated, however inadvertently, a most loved member of the Weasley family.

Scorpius hung on this thought as the Office and everyone in it disappeared, and an open patio reformed around him.

Rosie was sitting at a table with Deen, they were both older, Deen had aged rounder, kinder, she had a baby on her knee that she was jiggling around, Motherhood suited her. Rosie however looked harsh. She'd lost weight, her cheekbones more pronounced, her hair was scraped back and she wore a lot of make up to hide the bad skin underneath as she hunched over an ashtray fag in hand.

'Wheres Michael today?' Deen was clearly making a brave stab at conversation, in the distance children could be seen running about and doing dive bombs into a pool.

'No idea, I never know where he is, especially not in this place.' She gestured around the huge manor house behind her, Michael had obviously done well. 'He comes home after dinner, kisses the children goodnight then goes to his den… But mostly he doesn't come home at all.'

'Oh.' Deen sighed, desperately trying to think of a way out of this subject and glancing at her watch. 'look at the time, I should probably head off soon. Boys. Kitty.' She called across at the pool, 'Time to go!'

A girl in a pink swimming costume came dancing towards them, Scorpius noticed she was quite clearly Al's daughter, dark hair cut into a bob and green eyes bright from excitement, she came to a halt at her mothers side panting and smiling.

'Are you ready to go Kitty darling? Get your brothers please.'

'Muuuuum,' she whined, ' but we don't have a pool and I like it here and I want to stay a bit longer please.'

'Not today darling but we'll come back another time and see auntie Rosie.' Deen smoothed down the her wet hair. 'We have to get the baby home for a sleep otherwise he'll be up all night and daddy and I don't particularly want that.'

'Pleeeeease.' The child pleaded, ' 20 mins more, please mummy.'

'No Kitty.'

'10 more minutes?'

'Nope.'

'Ok. 5 more minutes then we can go.' Kitty sang sweetly.

' Kitty that voice only works on daddy, not on me,' Deen started seriously, 'but I'll tell you what, you've got until I finish my coffee, ok?'

'Ok!' She squealed, kissing her mother then the baby and running back off to join the others screaming 'Mum says we can stay longer!'

Rosie watched the mother and daughter with an odd look on her face, envy?

'How do you do that?' Rosie asked putting out a cigarette and lighting up another instantly. 'How do you have that kind of relationship with Kitty? I mean, I'm not going to lie, sometimes I look at MJ, Walter and Lydia and I'm not even sure they're mine. I mean I know they're mine, I brought them into this world but I think they've always been their fathers children. We've never bonded. I'm always the bad guy, Michaels only around for the good stuff presents and games, bedtime stories and kisses. When it comes to the everyday stuff I have to deal with it. They don't like me…'

'Don't be ridiculous, of course they like you, they love you.' Deen interrupted, 'We all have days when we question are parenting skills but your children are fine, a little pampered but you've had the privilege of ensuring your children have wanted for nothing, if you can give them the best things then why shouldn't you. If I was in your position I would but with five children they've always had to share.' Deen had trailed off, a boy walked over now, no guesses for who this was, with his sandy hair he was the image of Michael, no interference from Rosie's genes.

'Mum, I want to stay with aunty Deen tonight.' His voice was haughty and solid, this wasn't a question, Scorpius took an instant dislike to the boy.

'No.' Rosie looked at him blankly, 'I told you, you are to stay in the grounds this summer, and if I get another letter from school about your attitude I'll-'

'You'll what mum? Ground me again, you can't keep me here all summer, dad said I didn't have to.'

'Well your father is never here, so I won't be agreeing with that MJ.'

MJ swept a hand through his hair and regarded his mother lazily, 'There's a reason he's never here mother.' There was a real venom in his voice now, 'If you'd leave he'd probably come back, it's you he can't stand to be around not us. I wish you'd disappear and let us all be happy instead of filling this house with your misery' MJ turned on his heels and dramatically stalked up to the house.

Deens face was a mask of shock, Rosie's was too, but she quickly changed it to nonchalance, 'Do you see what I mean? That was not the child I gave birth to. That is a monster and the sooner he's back at school the better.'

Who was this stranger? Scorpius couldn't believe this was the same girl he'd known, she'd been down trodden, emotionally beaten and reduced to this cold, awful women, she was behaving more like a Malfoy should rather than a Weasley, what had happened to make her so miserable, and why was her son such a little shit? Didn't he realize what an amazing woman he had as a mother? Rose was intelligent, strong, witty and fun…

The scene changed around him again, a darkened room, a monotonous thump beat over and over again. There were girls, women dancing in practically nothing at all, and it didn't take long for Scorpius to spot himself, slumped in an armchair, he was considerably older and had inherited his fathers receding hairline and paunch much to his disgust. A woman walked past in barely more than a thong, Scorpius' older self pulled her onto his lap blindly tucking a worn five pound note into the side of her thong.

'It's going to cost you more than that honey.' Scorpius watched the scene from a distance, but interest made him move closer.

'How much?' he saw himself slur back.

'A lot more than you've got.' She replied in distaste making a move but catching the bouncers eye at the same time, two burly men moved forwards.

'Look. I've had a rough day, I lost my job and the love of my life… she… she married someone else…'

'I can't imagine why.' The dancer responded sarcastically. 'Love, I've got a job to do and you are scaring off the punters with your smell.'

At this point Scorpius noticed that his older self had what looked like dried vomit on his sleeve, he grimaced inwardly if ever there was a reason to never drink again it was sitting a few yards from him.

Scorpius watched as he was briskly picked up beneath each armpit and escorted out the back door, he landed face down in the pavement. Scorpius watched him struggle to his feet. There was stain on his crotch.

'Someone needs to help him home. Help me home.' He corrected watching the pathetic fool stumble and fall into the alley wall, tripping over his feet and into pool of vomit probably left by the last person thrown out of that hideous place.

'Did nobody help me?' but he already knew the answer.

Rosie was sat alone at a table, she was older than Scorpius had ever seen her and so thin, her collarbone looked like it might snap off, she was sat in semi-darkness with an untouched plate of food in front of her drink in one hand, fag in the other. There was a knock on the door, and a small grey house elf entered.

'Madam, this has just been delivered for you.' The elf offered a large beige envelope up on his palm.

'Thank you Wiggins.' Rosie's voice was dead, she took the envelope from the elf that scurried off out of sight and began opening it with her wand.

A newspaper clipping and small card fell into her hand.

MAN LEFT FOR DEAD IN ALLEYWAY.

A MAN, STILL CURENTLY UNIDENTIFIED ASSUMED HOMELESS, WAS FOUND DEAD IN AN ALLEYWAY IN THE CITY OF COLCHESTER. CORONERS STATE THAT THE MAN WHO DIED FROM ASPHYXIATION FROM HIS OWN VOMIT HAD BEEN DEAD FOR SEVERAL DAY BEFORE HE WAS FOUND. NO FOUL PLAY IS SUSPECTED AT THE MOMENT…

Rosie then turned the card over;

You are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of

Scorpius H. Malfoy

On the 17th September at 3.00pm

With Love

Albus S. Potter and Family

Rosie took long drag from her cigarette regarding both items for a moment then she picked up her wand and with a tap reduced them to ash, only the scorch mark on the table to prove it was ever there.

'I died?' Scorpius was in shock, 'I died. I. Died! Alone, I drowned in my own vomit.' He sunk to the floor sucking in huge gulps of air, trying and failing to calm himself, 'And this is it? My future?' the ghostly figure nodded once in return. 'And there is absolutely nothing I can do about? Speak to me.' And before Scorpius knew it he was screaming, 'Tell me. Please, just use some words. Any words, I need to hear it. How can you show me this then do absolutely nothing to explain it.' There was no reply, the figure simple turned and walked away, shrinking quickly into the distance.

'Come back!' Scorpius called, his voice caught and cracked 'Please. Come Back.'

Scorpius knew he looked pathetic but he was alone so why should he care if he sobbed unashamedly. He curled up on the floor and cried, and cried until he fell asleep…