Chapter 12 - Smile
Kevin stood, leaning against the door to his charge's room. His partner, Williamson, sat in a chair next to the door quietly and disturbingly still. Williamson had been an Auror for at least twenty years but Kevin knew nothing about him other than that. His hair was long and in a ponytail like Kevin's only his was mostly grey with strands of less grey which clashed with his dark skin. There was another long night ahead of wizard's chess and recasting anti-sleep charms on each other. Kevin felt sorry for Alex; kid was only twelve and was already dangerous enough to warrant two Auror guards. Mr. Potter just did it to keep the parent's of other student's off of the Headmistress' back. Kevin couldn't believe that anyone could really blame the kid. Not like most people knew what he looked like since the Daily Prophet had yet to get a photo of him. The paper did have a good description of the kid but it was the fire breathing most people cared about. Which really isn't the kid's fault but of course the paper neglected to mention that he was abducted and forcefully transformed into his current form. People didn't seem to care about the whole story though.
There was a knock from behind the door so Kevin unlocked it to swing it open.
"What can I do ya for Alex?" Kevin had tried his best to be nice and keep the kid happy but that was hard seeing as his orders were to stop him from talking to students; some of which were friends.
"I need to go to the washroom" Kevin also enjoyed that Alex spoke with an American accent. He still wasn't used to people calling it 'the loo'. Williamson got up from his seat and followed Kevin and Alex to the seventh floor lavatories. Alex, like usual, walked with his head down; his hair covering his eyes. Luckily no one else was in the washroom. Last time a student saw Alex walking in he ran and Kevin could see that affected Alex. Alex chose the stall closest to the entrance, Williamson was washing his hands, and Kevin was leaning against the wall opposite of Alex's stall. Alex usually took a while in there, but Kevin wasn't judging. Must be annoying having to go when you know someone is just outside listening. Kevin never thought this would be an assignment for an Auror when he first joined. Kevin heard the door to the washroom open and close. Kevin smirked as he thought how odd two older men waiting in the washroom must look to a student. But no one came in. Kevin shrugged and thought they must have seen him and left. Then he realized that students shouldn't be out and about at this time of night. Williamson seemed to take notice too; he walked over to the door to see if anyone was in the hallway.
"Nothing" he muttered but in this washroom it sounded louder.
"Alright. Come on Alex let's head back" Kevin said but he didn't heard any movement from inside the stall. Kevin walked over and knocked on the stall door, calling out Alex's name again. When there was nothing to be heard again, Kevin peaked up the stall door and saw no feet. Lowering his head even further he saw that no one was in the stall, or any stall it seemed.
"How in the hell!" Kevin yelled. Williamson had already checked the rest of the washroom. Alex had slipped past them and out the door without Kevin seeing anything.
Alex's heart was pounding in his chest harder then he ever imagined it could beat. Between crawling out from under the stall underneath a piece of cloth, thinking Kevin could see him the whole time, and running for dear life once he made it out the door, Alex thought his heart might just give out. But he didn't stop running. Underneath the invisibility cloak no one could see him anyway and he figured if someone heard him running they would think it was one of the ghosts. Alex saw Peeves with the Baron somewhere on the second floor, looking around as he ran passed. Not even ghosts could see through this thing; Alex thought it was amazing. The thought to just run away from Hogwarts entirely had crossed his mind when he was thinking of a plan in his room. But Alex didn't think he had a good chance of blending in well anywhere. At this time of night Alex was sure Scorpius would be asleep in the Slytherin common room. Not that Alex had a chance of getting inside but he would wait until Scorpius came out; all night if he had to.
Luckily Alex knew where it was, having seen some Slytherin enter it when he got lost on the way to Potions once. Torches lined the dungeon walls, lighting it up nicely even at night. Alex sat against a wall in the area he knew the Slytherin common room entrance to be. Wrapped up in the invisibility cloak just in case anyone came by, Alex sat and began to wait patiently. He wondered how long it took Kevin to realise he was gone. Must have been shortly after he got through the door, Alex thought. Alex wasn't waiting long when he heard a noise. It scared him after listening to nothing but silence. It sounded like a suit of armor had moved. There was only one that Alex could see and it hadn't budged. Then Alex saw someone walk out from behind the armor. Obviously a Slytherin student, Alex thought, wearing the uniform white shirt and pants with a green tie and blonde hair. Alex stood and walked up to the unsuspecting student. First thing Alex did was grab his arm and put his other hand over the student's mouth so he didn't scream. Then he pushed the student into the wall where the torches showed his face in better light. Scorpius screamed anyway even though it sounded like a muffled mess under Alex's hand. Alex shushed him until he stopped making noise. Scorpius' eyes were wide with fear and Alex felt him shaking.
"Calm down. Please, I just want to talk to you"
"Whmm urr ooo" Alex removed his hand from Scorpius' mouth, "Who are you?" Scorpius asked again in an angry whisper. Alex had almost forgotten he was invisible and that to Scorpius it must just look like two hands came out of no where and grabbed him.
"Don't scream" Alex moved the cloak off his head. Scorpius gasped and Alex was afraid he was about to let out another scream so he slapped his hand over Scorpius' mouth again. Sure enough there was another muffled scream.
"I said don't scream! I just want to talk Scorpius. You have nothing to be afraid of" Scorpius seemed to calm down and relax so Alex took his hand off his mouth again.
"Nothing to be afraid of? You just pounced me from out of nowhere!" Scorpius spoke harshly but quietly.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. Listen I think I was being controlled"
"Convenient excuse" Scorpius snapped at Alex. Alex sighed angrily but thought he probably deserved that.
"Just tell me what you remember. Did you see anything? Like someone with their wand out?"
"I don't remember! Just let me go"
"You must remember something. So talk!"
"I really don't remember much! Honestly, one moment I see you in the hall the next I'm in the hospital wing"
"Anything else? Come on Scorpius think." Alex pleaded. Scorpius closed his eyes and scrunched his face.
When he opened them again he said, "You smiled"
"I what?"
"You smiled at me. That's all I remember seeing before I woke up. You smiled, then the flames, then flying through the air, then waking up in the infirmary. I swear that's all I remember"
Alex let him go and shrouded himself back under the invisibility cloak.
"Thank you" Scorpius didn't move but frantically looked around, confused as to how Alex just disappear, "Again, I'm sorry"
Alex ran out of the dungeons and kept running until he got up to the third floor. Walking slowly now he thought over what Scorpius had said. Wasn't much but the smile was enough to convince himself he was being controlled. No matter how much Alex hated Scorpius for being a petty little jerk, he never took joy out of hurting anyone. When Alex had finally got to his room on the seventh floor, his two Auror guards were no where to be seen. Luckily the door was unlocked so Alex let himself in, hide the invisibility cloak and thought of what to tell them when they got back.
A/N: Edited and cleaned 26/10/2011. Details on my profile.
