Chapter Twelve: Unhealable
"Al! Scor! It's time to go home! Mummy and daddy said you have ten minutes or they're sending a patronus in!" Lily called from outside the dressing rooms.
"Dad must have sent a search charm," Albus said as Scorpius got up and looked at Albus' chest in horror. Where his head had been was a huge wet spot. "It's fine, Scor." Albus reassured with a nod, not caring that he had to buy two shirts. Both boys got re-dressed and brought the shirts to the cashier.
"I found this top like this," Albus lied showing the man the tear stained shirt, "How much do you want for it?"
"Free sir!" The man squeaked, intimated obviously believing Albus' lie. The man looked much like a mouse; small ears with a very pointing nose and beady eyes, which made Scorpius have to hold in a giggle.
Albus smirked and took Scorpius' shirt and put his and Scorpius' on the counter, "Okay great; I'll have these three tops than." Scorpius was about to disapprove of Albus buying his shirt (which was just like his parents buying it.) But Albus would not hear of it. Once the shirts were paid for both of them left the shop and met up with the others who were waiting outside the store.
***HS***
The following night at dinner, while everyone was eating chicken and potatoes, Scorpius made a surprising proposal, "My grandmother would like me to pass along an invitation to our annual Christmas party tomorrow to your whole family, Mr. Potter."
"What?" Ginny asked in horror, "Narcissa Malfoy wants us to go to Malfoy Manor?"
"Black," Scorpius corrected. "Her last name is Black."
"I'll go!" Lily beamed beside him, earning a glare from her mother which didn't faze her much.
"You will do no such thing!" Ginny snapped, glaring at Scorpius.
Lily frowned, "Daddy, I wanna go!"
"I don't see any reason that you can't go. As long as you're back by supper on the twenty third." Harry said with a smile, "tell your grandmother that Lily and Albus will be accompanying you, I'm afraid that I have other plans."
***HS***
"What happens on the twenty third?" Scorpius asked Albus after dinner, both boys were sitting on Albus' bed.
"The government people come over," Albus said with a roll of his eyes, "That's why we needed formal shirts. We have to sit through a dinner with my family and Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alicia Spinnet, Susan Bones, and my grandfather. They talk about boring stuff that we just pretend to listen to then when we are excused we can go do whatever we want as long as we don't disturb them."
"Who came up with those rules?" Scorpius asked with a shake of his head, obviously not liking the fact that he'd have to sit through a boring dinner.
"It was my father's idea," Albus said with a shake of his head, "That heads of the important positions in the Ministry come together once a year, why they chose the day before Christmas Eve is beyond me."
Scorpius giggled and pulled out his level three potions book, causing Albus to roll his eyes at his best friend, "You know you're crazy, right?"
"Yup!" Scorpius relied with a smile and both boys fell into a comfortable silence.
***HS***
"Hey Scor," Lily said coming into Albus' room that night, "Where's Al?"
"In the shower," Scorpius said, looking at the young girl over his book, "Did you have fun shopping today?"
"It was okay," Lily said, making a face, "I had to stay with mum and dad, and they stop and talk to everybody."
Scorpius laughed, "That sucks."
Lily nodded, "Uh huh. Anyway, I just came in to say goodnight. So, night."
"Night Lily," Scorpius said with a smile. Once she left the room he got up and started getting ready for bed. He thought about the day's events and sighed, Albus knew everything. He felt tears building up in his eyes and silently started to cry.
'Stop your crying Scorpius Malfoy! You are useless in everything you do aren't you? I'm ashamed to call you my son! You disgrace the Malfoy name!'He heard his mother saying in his head, which just made the tears flow faster. He dropped his bag to the floor causing his things to fall out everywhere, including his father's razor that he had taken a few months prior.
Scorpius sniffled and picked the sharp object up, taking it out of its case and pressing it to his skin. Blood came rushing out of the wound and Scorpius couldn't help but feel relieved. With his tears still streaming down his face, blurring his vision he put the blade back on his wrist and continued pressing it against his skin. It wasn't until his whole arm was red that he stopped and finally snapped out if his trance. Shit! He inwardly cursed, what the hell did I just do?
"S-Scor?" Albus stuttered, looking at his best friend in shock, he quickly closed and locked the door and went over to his friend. "What? Why? How?"
Scorpius just shook his head, how could he explain to Albus what he didn't even understand himself? "I-I was u-upset... And I-I saw my father's razor in my trunk... I took it because I wanted it in case I needed to start shaving, you know? And..."
By this time Albus had one of his old t-shirts wrapped around Scorpius' arm, applying pressure to the wounds. It's a good thing my aunts a healer, he thought to himself, otherwise I'd have no clue what to do. "And what?"
"I pressed it against my arm," Scorpius said, holding back tears of shame.
"But why?" Albus asked, pulling the other boy into a tight embrace, "Why did you hurt yourself, Scor?"
"I-it felt g-good," Scorpius said with a frown, "I don't understand."
Albus just nodded and looked at his arm, "The bleedings stopped, do you want me to get someone to heal it?"
Scorpius shook his head, "I'm unhealable..."
"What?"
"M-my mum... She put a curse on me... So my wounds heal the muggle way." Scorpius said quietly, not looking Albus in the eye.
"That bitch!" Albus said disgusted, which earned him a look from Scorpius, "What? Just because I don't swear doesn't mean I don't know swear words, I do have two older brothers."
Scorpius giggled, causing Albus to smile, "Come on, let's get ready for bed... I think we have some gauze in the medicine cabinet, don't look at me like that, my dad was raised by Muggles, he believes we shouldn't use magic all the time. Sit tight, I'll be right back."
Scorpius just nodded, curling himself into a ball on the floor. What was going on? He thought to himself; I'm eleven years old for Pete's sake!
Albus managed to get to the bathroom without anyone noticing, he grabbed gauze and peroxide and quietly made his way back to his room. What he found when he got there broke his heart, Scorpius was curled up in a ball shaking and sobbing. Albus sighed as he went over to the other boy and quietly cleaned and dressed his wounds, frowning when Scorpius' sobs got harder when he put the peroxide on his arm. When he was done both boys got in bed, Albus' arms wrapped tightly around Scorpius. He had always been a loving and affectionate person, so the fact that he was cuddling with his best friend when he was upset didn't faze him at all.
***HS***
"What do you think I should do, Gin?" Harry asked for the umpteenth time, holding a piece of parchment in his hands.
"I don't know, Harry." Ginny said with a sigh, fed up of Harry asking her. "If you want to go, go."
"He's alive Gin!" Harry exclaimed, "And he waited for me to hear about it from my eleven year old son, nineteen years later!"
"Harry, he's your father," Ginny said with a frown, "There has got to be some reason he didn't tell you."
"You're right," Harry said quietly looking at the parchment that he had read a million times that day.
Harry,
I cannot begin to explain why I kept myself being alive from you. I'm sorry, Son. I'd like to explain in person, so I'm inviting you, and your family, to New Year's day brunch so we can talk. I look forward to meeting your two children I have not yet met.
I hope you will consider
Your stupid git of a father,
Severus
***HS***
The next morning just before Albus, Scorpius, and Lily were to go to Malfoy Manor, Albus knocked on his father's study door, determined to persuade his father to go to Prince Manor for New Year's day dinner.
"Come in," Harry said from the other side of the door, Albus went in and sat across from his father, who was sitting at his desk doing paperwork.
"Hey dad, can I talk to you?" Albus asked, trying to remain confident.
Harry nodded and put the papers he was working on to the side, "What is it, son?"
"I want to know why you haven't written back to Professor Snape," Albus said in his best confident voice, "And I wanted to tell you that we're going to Prince Manor for New Year's dinner."
Harry looked at his youngest son in shock, since when was his son so confident? He just stared at him for a minute before replying; "Very well."
Albus looked at his father with confusion in his eyes, was it really that easy? He thought. "Seriously?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Albus. Severus sent me the invitation a while ago and I was thinking about it… If you really want to go, we can."
Albus grinned. "So you're going to make up with Professor Snape?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Albus, now run along to Malfoy Manor."
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