The rest of the night was pretty much a blur. I remembered Albus and Rose's father dragging me out of the hideaway and sparks flying out from wands of Aurors and Death Eaters. They fought their way out of the building with me limply running between them. Everywhere I looked it felt like there was nothingness. It was just... empty. I felt empty. It was hard to describe just how lifeless and vacant my mind felt. It's funny really – I'm not the one who died, but I felt like a ghost amongst the fighting.

When we were a safe distance from the hide-away, Rose's father instructed Albus to fly away, back to his home, which I'd visited a few times, and was only about an hour and a half away from where we were. Albus climbed on his broom and Rose's father helped me on behind him. He patted me on the back, kissed Albus on the top of his head and apparated away, presumably back into the hideaway for Rose and his wife. Albus kicked off the ground and then we were in the air, the cold icy wind hitting me sharply in the face as we flew high above the fields and towns we passed. We didn't say a word to each other the entire ride back and I couldn't stop thinking about everyone and everything that had happened these last few months. My mother, my father, the stone, the vow... Rose. It was all too much. Six months ago I was sitting in my Potions class, laughing with my friends and the biggest worry I had was finishing my homework late while I scowled at know-it-all Rose across the room and now... everything is different and always will be. We were sat in silence yet my thoughts were deafening.

Before I knew it, Albus was flying down to the ground in the garden behind his house. I climbed off the broom at the same time that he did and he dropped it to the ground before pulling me into a long and tight hug. "I don't know what to say." He said to me and I didn't say anything back. I couldn't even cry. I felt sad but at the same time I didn't feel anything. "What you did back there, I don't think anyone, even you, expected it..." He went on, pulling me toward his home and opening the sliding glass back door that lead to the kitchen. The kitchen was lit up and there was a broom sweeping on its own, dishes washing themselves and an iron moving back and forth by itself ironing some white shirts. Albus walked through the kitchen and into the lounge where his mother was sat reading the Daily Prophet – which she writes for.

She looked up and rushed across the room, grabbing Albus and pulling him into a tight hug. "Albus!" She said, squeezing him tightly. "Where's your dad? Or Ron or Hermione?" She asked frantically. They must have sent her a letter to explain what was going on tonight. I looked at them both, as I stood awkwardly in the empty arch that separated their kitchen and lounge. "Scorpius..." She said, walking over to me and hugging me too. "You both look so pale, what happened?" Ginny asked and I stayed silent, looking down at the ground. I felt Albus walk toward me and he pulled my wand and the resurrection stone out of his pockets and handed them to me.

"I grabbed them before we escaped." He said and I took them. He led me to the sofa and I sat down, staring at the blazing fire that was lit in their fireplace in the centre of the wall. "I'm... gonna go get you some water." He said and walked with his mother into the kitchen. I could hear them whispering – I assumed Albus was filling her in on what had happened. I heard snippets of their hushed conversation.

"Rose broke our cover-"

"Is she alright?"

"She was hit by a cruciatus curse. Aunt Hermione stayed-"

"Where's your dad?"

"He stayed. Dad would never leave a battle."

"What about Draco? Your dad told me he-"

"He's dead."

I heard her gasp.

"Scorpius killed him."

Another gasp.

I stormed out of the lounge, up the stairs and into Albus' bedroom. I looked around and sighed. His Quidditch posters were plastered over every wall, his first year Slytherin scarf was pinned up too. It hadn't changed since the first time I had visited over the Christmas of third year. I wish I could go back. I made my way to the corner of the room, sat down on the floor and pulled my knees into my chest. I stayed there for what felt like hours. Albus didn't come in and try to talk to me, neither did Ginny. I saw the morning sunlight start easing its way into the room through the small crack between the curtain and the window and I just sat. I still didn't cry. I was in shock. My mother was dead, I'd come to terms with that months ago (even if seeing her again was a bit overwhelming), now my father was dead... and I'm the one who killed him.

I felt like vomiting all over again. Every time I closed my eyes I could just see the green flash from my wand and his body lifelessly falling to the ground. I looked down at my wand which I held in my hand – it held so much power that I clearly wasn't capable of controlling. Why didn't I just use a shield charm? A counter spell? Even the cruciatus curse would have been better. Maybe... maybe I wanted him to die. I shook the thoughts from my head and violently threw my wand at the wall. It hit it hard and I watched as it snapped in half. The wand my father had bought me when I was eleven, the wand that chose me, the wand that killed the man I looked up to for my whole life was destroyed in an instant – just like my family.

Gradually throughout the morning, I heard people arrive to the house. They would apparate outside or fly over together. I didn't move though. I couldn't. Going down and talking to people, it would mean having to talk about what I did. I could hear the muffled talking downstairs but couldn't hear anything of what they were saying. I assumed Albus had slept either downstairs or in his sister's or brother's bedroom. His brother James had sent Albus a few letters to see what was going on with the attacks and everything – he was in New Zealand or somewhere training with his Quidditch Team. I honestly hadn't taken that much notice when Albus had talked to me about it because I had so much on my mind. His sister would still be at Hogwarts.

I looked up at the clock on Albus' bedroom wall. It was about 20 past 8 in the morning and I was so tired but couldn't close my eyes without seeing my father, so I'd stayed awake the entire time I had been upstairs. I heard a sudden knock on the door, which made me jump, but I didn't say anything.

"Scorpius..." A female voice said. It wasn't Rose, which was disappointing. She was the only person I wanted to see right now. Talking was so easy with Rose all the time, she'd probably find a way to help me cope with what I did. The door creaked open and Ginny popped her head into the room. She walked in cautiously and looked at me sat in the corner on the floor. I must have looked like an insane patient at St. Mungos.

She noticed the two pieces of my broken wand on the floor and bent down to pick them up. "You know... Ronald broke his wand when we were children. I think he was about twelve." She said, walking over and sitting on Albus' bed, carefully keeping her distance from me. "All I can say is don't tape it back together, it won't work." She said, smiling at me but I didn't move. I looked at her, but my expression must have been as blank as a new page of parchment.

"Harry is downstairs. He... explained everything that's happened with you since your mother died. With your father and the vow and the stone... and last night." She said, her voice calm and motherly. "I've known you since you were a kid. We all had reservations about you, but Albus was your friend from the beginning, and we saw that you were a good boy, really cheerful and happy, and you've grown into an amazing young man who I'm proud to say is my son's best friend. I can see that you two are like brothers, probably more than Albus and James even, he trusts you and we all do." She told me and I looked down, avoiding eye contact.

With reservation, she carried on. "We all make mistakes, Scorpius. We have to live with them and it's hard, but it's what makes us human. I just want you to know that you're welcome to stay here whenever and for however long you want when the summer comes. I know that Ron and Hermione have offered you their home, but I know that Albus would like you here." Ginny explained, standing up and walking over to me. She squatted down in front of me and put her hand on my shoulder. "You need a friend, and a family, and we're here." She kissed the top of my head. "It's going to be really hard for you to move past this, but... that stone in your hand-" She said, and I looked down at the resurrection stone which I'd forgotten I had. "-maybe you need to use it, just one more time." She said, stood up and left the room with my broken wand. I looked at the resurrection stone in my hand, holding it between my thumb and middle finger. If I used it again I was bound to see my father – but how could I face him? Knowing that the only reason I was seeing him like that was because I killed him. I murdered him.

A few hours after this encounter, I woke up curled up lying on the floor. I sat up tiredly, rubbed my eyes and yawned, pushing my slightly overgrown bleach blonde hair out of my face and to the side. The stone had fallen out of my hand and onto the floor in my sleep so I grabbed it and put it in my pocket, instantly reminding me of the conversation with Ginny. I looked up at the clock – 11:05am.

The door was open and Albus, Rose, Hugo and Albus' sister Lily were sat at the top of the stairs just outside the bedroom. I assumed Harry, Ron or Hermione had gone to Hogwarts to bring them home or sent for them to be brought back. I understand why, they must have just wanted to be with all their family and make sure everyone was alive and safe.

They were all gathered together on the floor, Lily with her legs hanging over the banister, Rose and Hugo next to each other, Hugo holding his sister and Albus with his legs crossed – all of them with their heads close together looking down the stairs. I stood up and slowly made my way over to them and noticed they were gathered around an extendable ear which hung down the stairs.

Hugo noticed me first and he tapped Rose on the shoulder, who turned around and saw me standing above her. She didn't say anything – honestly, I was expecting her to pull me into the bedroom and force me to talk to her about what happened – instead she took my hand, looked me in the eye, smiled weakly, and pulled me down to sit beside her on the floor beside the extendable ear. Neither of us said a word, nor did Hugo, Lily or Albus. She rested her head against my shoulder and I held my hands together in my lap – she placed her hand over mine. I listened to what was coming out of the ear.

"You told him to use the stone again?"

"You used it again!"

"That's completely different, Ginny."

"He needs closure."

"It needs to be destroyed, now that we know what it can really do."

"Just give him a couple of days or something."

"Ginny's right, if he can see and talk to Draco one last time maybe he'll be able to get past this."

"You can't get past murdering someone, Hermione, and he's just a child."

"We were his age during the war, Harry. He's a strong young man, you know what he's been through the last few months."

"I'm the only person here who knows what it's like to lose both parents, seeing them again just makes the pain worse."

"But you didn't kill your parents Harry! Draco is dead because of Scorpius. He needs to talk to his father. He needs to see how Draco feels about it, he needs to see his mum and dad again."

The conversation went on like this for the next half an hour, mostly about me and my father and the Death Eaters. We found out that most of the Death Eaters were now on their way to Azkaban, other than the two or three that escaped. Only one Auror died during the attack though, so it could have ended a lot worse than it did. I tried to take everything they were saying in – talking to my father by using the stone... it could be worth doing, but at the same time I'm not sure I could face him. I killed him, there's no taking that back.

"Kids, come downstairs please!" Ron cried into the other side of the ear, which made it extremely loud to us. We all stood up, and I helped Rose up as she still was looking and seeming pretty weak after her encounter with the cruciatus curse. She held my hand delicately. Lily and Hugo walked down the stairs, followed by Albus and Rose. I walked down a few but decided against it, and took a seat in the middle of the staircase. I could see everyone in the lounge through the wooden banister spindles. The rest of them walked down and joined their family. Hermione noticed me and nodded to acknowledge me.

"Hugo, I told you, no eavesdropping." Hermione told her son, taking the extendable ear from him abruptly.

"I'm sure you've all already heard now but we're going to keep you here with us for a few days. You'll be back at Hogwarts by Monday." Harry explained. "We just want to keep an eye on you all. Albus and Rose... and Scorpius-" He said, glancing at me as I sat away from them all. "-you need to all rest after what happened last night. All three of you were very brave, and we just want to thank you for helping us. Lil' and Hugo, you're here because we need to make sure Hogwarts is definitely safe now and while the Aurors aren't there to protect the school we can't be certain that nothing will happen. A few other students have been sent home for the week as well." He told us. Everyone nodded. I sat and stared.

Everyone dispersed then, Hugo and Lily running up the stairs and into Lily's bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Ginny, Albus and Hermione walked out into the garden while Rose and Harry stayed in the kitchen to chat. Ron walked over to me and made his way up the stairs, taking a seat on the step above me.

"I was sceptical about you..." He said, linking his hands together in his lap. "I've always been sceptical. I never liked your father at school and I never particularly liked your mother when we occasionally worked together at the Ministry – no reason for that really, other than the fact that she was a Malfoy." Ron told me honestly. I didn't move or say anything still. "And I'm aware of how you treated my daughter and my son a few years ago... but then who am I to blame you? I hated Malfoys and you hated Weasleys." He said. At this point it was like he was rambling and thinking out loud rather than having a point to talking to me. "I've seen the way you've coped these last couple of days and Rose has gone into extensive detail about what went on between you two over Christmas and how well you've dealt with everything that's been thrown at you. I've never seen her light up as much as when she's talking about you – except when she's talking about her grades or some book or something. You make her really happy... and the way you went after her when she was captured just showed me how much you care about her. She took the cruciatus curse for you and you were tortured because you tried to find her. If that's not love I don't know what is." He explained. For the first time this morning, my expression actually changed to a very small and very weak smile. He didn't see though, I was staring forward.

"Give her the world, Scorpius. She deserves it." He said, standing up and walking away, down the stairs. I stood up, took a deep breath and opened the front door to the house which was just in front of the stairs. I walked out and closed the door behind me then perched down on the side of the pavement, sitting on the ground. I reached into my pocket and felt the resurrection stone – I definitely wasn't ready to face my father, not yet, maybe not ever. Hearing the door creak open behind me, I turned and saw Rose. She closed the door and walked over, sitting down on the ground next to me.

We sat there in silence for a while, watching people walk past us as they hurried to work, parents with pushchairs and crying babies and different types of people, wizards and muggles, living their lives – all of them completely oblivious to what happened last night. Rose reached down and took my hand, intertwining our fingers. I turned to look at her – her eyes were red and tired, her hair was still in a messy ponytail from the night before and she'd probably only slept for a couple of hours like me. I turned back to watch the world, and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"It's over." She said quietly. I nodded.

"I know."