Raindrops on Roses Chapter 39: Seventh Year Part 7: Suddenly Time Flies, a harry potter fanfic

Preview: "You wish," his brother laughed, nudging him none-too-gently in the back with an elbow. Albus grit his teeth, privately thinking his mother was right. Certain people really needed to grow up. Then he wondered where that thought had come from. Since when was he such a stuffy adult?

Raindrops on Roses

Seventh Year Part 7

2025

~*-S-*~

He was going to be able to walk by his birthday.

That single thought was his strongest motivation. It got him out of bed in the morning, got him through all the exercises Albus made him do, and even caused him on occasion to insist on doing some extra work. It reminded him to do the sitting exercises even while he was in class or at dinner, and, as the weeks passed and he began to improve, to try and do more things without the help of the chair, and more often. He had less than two months before he turned eighteen, but he was determined. Rose had been right in the end, he thought, all that time ago, when she'd said that in order to get better, he had to really and truly believe that he could. Up until now he'd been labouring under a sort of resigned half-hopelessness. Now he was sure he could make it happen, so it was just a case of doing the work.

Also, things with his friends, and Rose in particular, were a lot easier now that they were being open with each other. If he was having a good day, Albus and Rose were there to enjoy it with him, and to help him forget about the pain by doing homework together, or just sitting with him while he scribbled in his notebook. If it was a bad day, and there were plenty of those, he would go to Albus if the problem were medical, and Rose if it were psychological. Not that the two were mutually exclusive. He didn't know how he would manage without either one of them.

With Rose's continued - and frankly nagging - encouragement, he got back in touch with Cleo, and officially rejoined the band. He still wasn't sure he was ready, but Rose's surprise performance at Christmas had lit the fire in him again, and now that he was determined to get back on his feet either way, there didn't seem to be any point in avoiding music anymore. They started up rehearsals in Hogsmeade again, on Saturday afternoons. After dusting off the cobwebs, he found that he could in fact play just as well as before, although not for as long; no matter how he sat, his back and chest started to ache unbearably after an hour or so of holding the guitar.

"Baby steps," Cleo said, unconcerned. "It's better than nothing."

He still felt as though he were highly inadequate, but they all wanted him to stay. He supposed he should have expected this, after they'd all agreed to help Rose with her surprise. They were eager to show him the new songs they'd been working on; many of them were worked out from the notes and scribbles Cleo had copied out of his notebook. In these, Scorpius recognised the feelings he'd had while stuck at Durmstrang, when writing had been his only escape from the endless monotony, but he felt oddly removed from them now, as though the words had been written by someone else entirely. In this frame of mind, he made suggestions, and changes, and even started working on a new song or two. There had been plenty to write about, these last few months. He couldn't wait for it to be over. For things to go back to normal. At least he wasn't having the weird prophecy dreams nearly so often, though now that they were almost gone, he couldn't help wishing they would come back just long enough to give him some kind of hint about when he'd be on his feet again.

He tried to make things as easy on Albus as he could, but it was difficult. Grateful as he was for his friend's help, he wasn't blind; he knew Albus went to bed late and woke up dead tired, didn't sleep well when he did sleep, and was struggling to keep up with all his homework on top of the piles of research that Knox had apparently assigned him. Even the study sessions with Lizzie now seemed to be spent actually studying, not that that, Scorpius told himself, was really any of his business.

"I can do it myself," he said one night when they began the exercises they usually did before bed. "You need more sleep."

Albus raised an eyebrow at him. "And let you hurt yourself, pushing too hard?" he said stubbornly. "No fear."

Scorpius sighed and submitted. He hadn't really expected his friend to pack it in and go to bed, but he'd felt like he needed to say something. "You're starting to get very Knox-like, you know," he pointed out as he hauled himself out of the chair and onto the edge of his bed. This in itself was huge progress. The first time he'd managed it he'd almost thrown up from the pain, but now he could get himself in and out without using magic, unless he was really tired.

"Sorry," Albus smiled, not sorry at all. "What do you expect? He is my…" he paused, frowning as he searched for an appropriate word.

"Master?" Scorpius suggested, dryly. "Liege? Dark overlord?"

"Mentor," Albus corrected, rolling his eyes as he knelt beside Scorpius' right leg and helped him bend it in and out, using his wand to measure the extension.

"I think I was closer," Scorpius replied, wincing. Talking helped distract him from the pain, though he thought that was getting less, the more he practiced. "Does he not realise you have NEWTs this year? What's with all the extra reading?"

For a second, Albus looked guilty. "The Healing books? Um… well. He didn't assign them, exactly. I bought them myself. I figure I can't learn that much from just watching, one day a week."

Scorpius stared at him. He'd just assumed all the extra work was required; why else would anyone do it? "But… you have exams," he pointed out. "Can't you wait until they're over before you start reading every wizarding medical book in existence?"

Al snorted. "You sound like Rose. Honestly? I'd drop the subjects I didn't need, now, if I could. What does it matter if I fail Care of Magical Creatures? Other than upsetting Hagrid, which is frankly the only reason I bother showing up anymore. I'd quit Defence Against the Dark Arts if my dad wouldn't have an apoplexy, and I'd switch Transfiguration for Herbology, if it wasn't far too late, but Lizzie's been helping me there. Potions is the most important subject I'm doing, and I'm keeping on top of that, and Charms obviously. Otherwise… I dunno, I feel like reading those books is more important."

Scorpius shook his head. "So you're failing deliberately? You're the worst Ravenclaw ever. Better not tell Flitwick, at his age he wouldn't survivetheheart attack."

"I'm not failing," Albus countered. "I'm just not worried about coming top of the year - if there were ever any chance of that with Rose in the running. I still want to pass, obviously. You need good marks to train in Healing." He grabbed a quill and scribbled the results down. "Two degrees more than last night," he said triumphantly. "You're doing great."

Scorpius still felt uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure how to express it without upsetting his friend. Albus wasn't typically an angry person, but Scorpius hadn't forgotten the time, last year, when he'd pretended Scorpius didn't exist for several weeks. He didn't want to repeat the experience. "Look, this…" he murmured, "the healing stuff, it's not just because of me, is it? I mean, I know it all started because of me… but…" he trailed off, helplessly.

Albus hesitated, thinking about it. "It's not just you," he said finally. "I mean, maybe it is a bit. It's still partly my fault you got hurt - and don't argue, you know it's true - and I do still want to make up for it. But since I started helping at the hospital… I dunno. I like it. I like helping people. I think - no, I know it's what I want to do, eventually. Blood and vomit and all," he added, with a slightly pained expression.

"What about Quidditch?" Scorpius asked, a last-ditch effort. His voice came out rather smaller than he'd intended. He could just imagine Albus resenting him for it, later on. If it wasn't for you I could have been a star Quidditch player…

Albus only shrugged. "I grew up," he said. "I love Quidditch, but let's face it, most players only have short careers as players before they end up coaching, or having to find something else. Look at my mum, and Victor Krum, and Liam Ryan's dad. I mean that's fine for some people, but not for me. And anyway, there's James in the league now. Having to compete against my brother for the next ten years? No thanks. I'll settle for weekend games at my grandparents' house. I want to be a Healer. In spell damage." He shot Scorpius a warning look. "And before you start moaning about how I'm giving up my dreams because of you, you can shut up. I just have a new dream now, and if you think about it, I should really be thanking you for helping me figure it all out."

Scorpius sighed. "Fine," he said. "You're welcome. Whenever I get horribly cursed in future, you'll be my first point of call."

Al glowered at him, but Scorpius could tell he was secretly pleased. "Don't even joke," he scolded. "Now. Other leg."

~*-R-*~

To Rose, it seemed as though time was passing incredibly slowly. Every day seemed to last an age. Contrarily, there also were never enough hours in the day for all the work she had to do. Unlike some people she could name, she was determined on living up to both her status as a Ravenclaw and her mother's perfect school record. She had already gotten one 'E' on one of her OWLs. She was going to have to do better this year.

Like Albus she was doing five NEWTs, one more than Scorpius or Lizzie, and most of the other students in their year. It was hard work. With the threat of exams looming over them as the days passed, the seventh year girls' dormitory took on an uncharacteristically somber atmosphere, as all the girls spent their evenings revising, or working on their course projects. Rose at least, made sure she spent a couple of evenings a week in the common room or the library with the boys. She would have liked more alone time with Scorpius, but he also had a lot to do, and he always came and found her if there was something really bothering him, so she could hardly complain.

Scorpius was still, despite all her best efforts, the best in their year at non-verbal spells. Sometimes he seemed to do it without even thinking. Rose, who was instinctively uncomfortable with unlearning everything she had studied when it came to incantations, still had to work at it.

Scorpius did his best to help. "Remember how you told me that working the chair should be like riding a broom?" he tried to explain, as they studied together one day in the first week of February. The snow had finally melted off the grounds, but there was still a hard chill in the air, and the fire was piled so high that the heat left visible spots of red on his pale cheeks. "It's the same as with any spell you want to do. You just have to will it. It's not about how you say the incantation in your head."

He lifted one hand theatrically and brought it down, like a conductor, and she flinched with surprise as the music started, coming out of thin air to the beat of his hand. It seemed effortless. It sounded like a piano, with a guitar strumming along in the background and a cello, or something, providing a deep resonant undertone.

"Show off," she muttered, though she couldn't help being a little impressed.

He grinned, and the music faded. "You think I have to think an incantation for every note?" he tapped his head with two fingers. "It's all up here."

She gave him a doubtful look, and turned back to the practice items; a pile of rubbish she was trying to vanish, with as much determination as she could manage. She waved her wand at it, and one of the empty bottles toppled over, apologetically. She blew out a frustrated breath, causing locks of red hair to fly over her face. "Oh stop smiling," she muttered, slapping at her boyfriend.

He bit his lip, but it didn't really help. He was obviously highly amused by her continual failure, and unaffected by her glaring at him. "Okay," he said, after a second's thought. "I've got a plan."

He pushed the chair over to the big sofa next to her, and gingerly lifted himself onto it, while she watched anxiously. While it was great that he could do those things now, it didn't stop her fretting that he would hurt himself.

"Should you be doing that without Al here?" she asked nervously.

"Get in the chair," he ordered, ignoring her and settling into the cushions, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?" she blinked in confusion.

"In the chair, go on. Trust me."

She frowned at him dubiously for a moment, but finally got up and sat down in the chair. She knew quite a lot about the chair by now, from her research for her Study of Ancient Runes NEWT. But she had never sat in it before. It was surprisingly comfortable for such a cumbersome wooden frame. She'd have to look into how that was done. "Okay," he said, "now move it with your mind."

She made a face. "Scorp -"

"Don't argue. Just try it, go on. And no cheating."

She sighed deeply, but straightened her back and put her arms on the armrests. She'd seen him do this a thousand times, although since he'd stopped using the verbal commands it was easy to forget that he had any control over the thing at all; as though it moved of its own accord. Portadus, she thought, without much hope. Nothing happened. She let out a harrumph of annoyance.

"Calm down," he said, and she had to resist the urge to glare at him again. "Deep breaths. Focus. You have to want it."

She clenched her fists for a second, but forced herself to take him seriously. She breathed in deeply through her nose and let it out in a slow stream from her mouth. Her eyes closed, and she willed her body to relax. Portadus, she thought, with all the determination and will she could muster. She gasped and let out an embarassingly high-pitched noise as the chair lurched forward, her eyes snapping open to see herself hurtling towards the window.

"Whoa," Scorpius said, putting out a hand to stop it. It halted immediately at his touch, like an obedient dog. "Nice one. Just er… a little gentler, maybe."

She rolled her eyes, pretending she wasn't rattled. "That's what I tried the first time and it didn't do anything. How can I want something gently?"

He smiled, not unkindly. "Just… practice a bit," he said. "You'll get the hang of it. Maybe don't close your eyes though. It helps if you can see where you're going."

She hesitated. "You sure?" she asked.

He shrugged, and winced, settling back into the sofa. "Yeah, go on. I'm fine here. Um… just hand me 21st Century Technology for the Modern Wizard, will you?"

After an hour or so of jolting and skidding around the common room - during which several other Ravenclaws gave up on studying in the vicinity and retreated to the relative safety of the library - and under Scorpius' patient and careful tutelage, Rose thought she was getting the hang of it. She had a headache from all the thinking, but she was finally able to make the chair move in a straight line or a circle, without any awkward stops or nearly tipping the thing over.

She really should have tried it earlier, she thought as she successfully rolled the chair to a stop. She already had a lot more ideas for her Ancient Runes project. Understanding how it was driven by doing it herself made a lot more sense than just watching and doing a lot of reading. It was much harder than she'd imagined; she felt as though she'd been riding a broom in a high wind all afternoon.

"Ugh, how do you do that all the time?" she asked, standing up and stretching before she realised how unsympathetic that sounded. When she looked at him guiltily, however, he didn't seem to notice.

"Lots of practice," he said simply, looking up from his book at her with a challenge in his expression. "Now, try the vanishing spell again."

She sighed and pouted. "But I'm tired," she complained, flopping down onto the sofa beside him, careful not to jostle him too much.

"Good," he said, with no sympathy whatsoever. "It'll stop you thinking so hard. Go on."

She grit her teeth and glared at the pile of the rubbish on the table. Evanesco, she thought.

The pile vanished. She blinked in surprise. Had she done that? It had been so easy.

"Nice," Scorpius said, completely unfazed and nodding with satisfaction. "Wandless, too, good job."

Apparently unaware of how much he had stunned her, he went back to reading his book. He was then thoroughly distracted when she grabbed it from him and, brimming over with excitement and triumph, kissed him hard on the mouth.

~*-S-*~

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Albus was looking at him so doubtfully that Scorpius was rather annoyed.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said, in a tone that he hoped would brook no further argument. "I turn eighteen next week, I have to do this today." His words rather belied his own nerves. He had one hand clenched in a fist, the other closed over it.

"If you rush it and end up hurting yourself I will never forgive you," Al muttered, tapping his fingers on his notes. They were in St. Mungo's again. It was the last weekend in February. Scorpius thought he was as strong as he could be. He could move both his legs independently, and all but one of the paralysing charms on his back had been removed, so that he could turn his torso and bend some of the way forward without restriction. Today he was going to walk, and then Rose could have the damn chair, since she loved playing with it so much.

To his annoyance, Knox, who was usually as unrestrained as a runaway steam engine, also expressed doubts. Apparently unwilling to have all the long months of his hard work reversed by Scorpius' impatience, he suggested they wait another few weeks before attempting the manoeuvre.

"I can do this," Scorpius told him, firmly. "I don't care how much it hurts. I have to do it."

Albus groaned. "It's only a few more weeks, mate. Why's this so important to you, to do it now?"

Scorpius couldn't explain why it was important. He'd set himself a goal and he wanted to reach it, that was all. He had already come of age, by most standards, but this birthday was arguably more important than the last one. He would be of age in the Muggle world, and in France, and by any possible measure. He would, at last, be his own man, with no need for a parent or guardian.

And his father would have no control over him anymore. Not that he would have, seeing that he was in prison, but it was still important, somehow. He wanted to be able to stand, when that day came. He wanted to stand up and shake Neville by the hand and thank him for taking him in when no one else would, not even his own family. He wanted to be the sort of man Rose deserved, whole and healthy. He would not be held back from that, not now, when he had already come so far. "Let's do it," was all he said.

~*-R-*~

She could tell something was wrong when her boys came back to school that night. They came into the Great Hall with expressions very odd, and difficult to read. She had already been worrying about them for the last half an hour, as it was very late, and they were usually back before the dinner appeared on the tables. Most people were by now halfway through their meals.

She got up and hurried over to them as they made their way to their usual spot at the head of the table, the only place where Scorpius' chair would fit. "What's the matter?" she asked, when neither of them offered an explanation.

They exchanged glances, and her heart sank. She had a horrible feeling that something bad had happened. But then Scorpius screwed up his face in concentration, shifted forward until his feet were firmly on the floor, and taking her hand, stood up in front of her and took one, slow step.

Her mouth fell open as she stared at him. Silence radiated out from around them, first the Ravenclaws, then the other House tables, then finally even the staff table went quiet, voices and the clattering of knives and forks petering out as though silenced by a spell. "Oh," she said, very softly, and he grinned shakily, but widely.

"All right Scorp!" Gaius shouted, standing up also, and then all the Ravenclaws started cheering and applauding, and then everyone, even Warren and the Gryffindors, were on their feet, and the whole Hall was roaring. Scorpius' pale skin went red, and he hid her face in her hair as she threw her arms - carefully - around his neck. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as they stood together, holding each other properly for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. "You did it," she gasped, hardly able to breathe for the way her heart was suddenly pounding. "You did it!"

Over his shoulder, she saw Jian and the other Slytherins, not standing up but clapping politely along with everyone else. She smiled widely through her tears and buried her face in Scorpius' shoulder, as a rush of some other, unnamable emotion went through her. She was sure now, that everything would be okay.

~*-S-*~

Walking a few steps was one thing. Getting around the way he used to was quite another. At the beginning he was only able to walk very short distances - the bathroom to his bed, the Entrance Hall to a seat in the Great Hall - and climbing stairs was entirely out of the question. But he knew he would get there eventually, just as soon as he had enough strength. It was amazing how quickly the simple act of walking tired him. But at band practice, he was able to sit on a stool and play instead of cramped in the chair. After classes, he could go down to the lake and take his daily steps by its edge, his arm on Albus' or Rose's shoulder for support. And every day he got a little stronger.

His birthday came and went, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that he'd reached his goal ahead of time, even if there was still a long way to go. He almost lost the nerve in the end to make a gesture to Neville, nervous about making a fool of himself, but the man tracked him down just after dinner that day and hugged him, anyway. It was odd - Scorpius couldn't recall ever being hugged by an adult man, not even as a child - but not unpleasant, so that when Neville went a bit red and apologised, he only smiled and shook his head. "It's okay," he said. "I - look - thank you. For everything." It wasn't the big speech he had planned, but it was something.

"Don't even mention it," Neville said, and Scorpius, shocked, saw tears in the older man's eyes. "You don't get rid of us now that you're eighteen, kiddo. You're one of the family now, all right? Christmas, birthdays… we better hear from you or Han will track you down and force feed you."

Scorpius grinned. His face hurt from all the smiling he'd been doing lately.

"And you'll come home with us when your exams are over," Neville insisted, raising his eyebrows in expectation.

Scorpius sighed. He had expected this offer, and wanted badly to accept it. He had nowhere else to go once school was over, after all, and no money to pursue alternative options. As much as he knew the Longbottoms wanted him to stay, however, it did seem a bit much like taking charity, to be the resident squatter, when he was perfectly capable of looking after himself, and not otherwise seeking asylum. Perhaps that sort of pride was a part of his father's influence he would never really be able to shake off. "Okay," he said, after a moment's hesitation. "I mean, yes - I'd love to - but I'm going to earn my keep, though. I'll work in the pub like before."

Neville hesitated as well, but finally nodded his head, apparently realising it was fruitless to protest. "If you must," he said, with resignation. "But you get board and a wage above it - no arguments, lad. Merlin knows you've earned it."

Scorpius wasn't sure how this was so, but he knew Hannah would back Neville up, and there would be fighting the both of them. Anyway, he couldn't help his heart lift a little when he thought of it. He would have a real home to go to when school was over, and a new family, even if a rather strange, mismatched one, and he could earn money until he had enough to do things for himself. "Thanks," he said, getting a little choked up himself as Neville patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you."

There was still no word on the trial. Through March and April, Scorpius got a few letters, signed personally by Mr Potter, with small updates on the very slow progress of the department. There were problems it seemed, with gathering enough evidence to go to trial. After the preliminary hearing where Scorpius' father had pleaded 'not guilty' to the charges of grand conspiracy, smuggling, the attempted murders of both Kingsley Shacklebolt and Harry Potter himself, and various other small crimes, there had been evidently very little progress. The only good news, which arrived in late April, was that the hearing had finally been held on the charges of kidnapping, and the attempted murder of Rose. Draco plead guilty to the attempted murder, which surprised Scorpius immensely, though he denied the kidnapping charge.

'I think on this point the Wizengamot is in some indecision', Mr Potter wrote, 'as the kidnapping of one's own son is a difficult charge to stick, though in this case you were of course under our charge and not his, and frankly he is lucky we decided it wasn't worth our time to hit him with charges of impeding our case regarding you; not to mention conduct endangering life; although on the other hand we have quite enough to be going on with for the time being. But the good news is, he will be sentenced for what he did to you - in a roundabout way - and neither you or Rose will have to testify about it in court.'

"Well, that's a relief," Albus said, rolling his eyes, when Scorpius reluctantly read this aloud to the two of them. Rose only tucked her head into his neck and squeezed his hand for comfort. "It's not like he could get away with it anyway."

"Yeah, but why not just deny everything?" Scorpius muttered. "He didn't admit to anything else."

It wasn't until later, when he was sitting with Rose in the common room, so late that everyone else had gone to bed, that she offered her opinion. "You didn't see his face when he thought he'd killed you," she said, very low. Scorpius opened his mouth to say he didn't want to talk about it, but for some reason the words just wouldn't come. "He didn't even fight the Aurors when they came to arrest him."

"You were the one he tried to kill," Scorpius protested, forcing the words through gritted teeth.

'Yes, but you were the one he actually hurt," she said calmly, not arguing, just stating the facts. "I think he agreed to that charge because he feels guilty. He thinks he deserves to be punished for what happened to you."

Scorpius shrugged. "But he did all that other stuff too," he said. "He should go to prison for all of it. And if he really cared about me he wouldn't bother going through with a trial."

"Maybe he thinks it's the only way he'll get to see you," she said, with remarkable perception that made him pause. After Christmas, the letters had finally stopped coming. He hadn't read or returned any of them, and hadn't missed their absence, either.

"That's ridiculous," he said finally. She only shrugged, and kissed him, and then made him go to bed.

The second of May seemed to come around very fast. It was, much to the annoyance of those who knew no better than to complain about it, on a Monday, which meant most people were cranky and irritable when they all trudged down to the wet, windy grounds before sunrise. Scorpius took the chair most of the way, but insisted on walking from the bottom of the castle steps down to the memorial. He was very tired by the time he got there, and limping badly. Hannah, waiting with a very sleepy-looking Alice, looked as though she was torn between admonishment and delight at seeing him on his feet, but since no one was allowed to speak, simply put one arm around him and squeezed very gently.

Professor McGonagall stood up to make her speech, seeming even older than ever as Neville helped her up and down the dais. As they all echoed her words, "We will remember them," the rain started to fall harder, so that everyone hurried back to the castle much quicker than they usually would. The Longbottoms, Potters and Weasleys were left at the far rear, much to Scorpius' embarrassment, as he stumbled back through the grounds with Albus supporting him.

"You all don't have to wait for me," he mumbled, flushing, rain dripping off his hair and into his eyes. Rose's mother, who was wearing official Ministry robes and a very official-looking hat, pulled out her wand and cast a charm that encircled them all in a protective bubble, the rain streaming away from them in a dome as they walked.

"Nice, Mum," Hugo said, appreciatively.

"Don't worry old man," Teddy said cheerfully, slipping his shoulder under Scorpius' other arm. "We're not going to leave you to battle on alone. Not really in the spirit of the day, y'know."

Scorpius shivered. He had been half expecting something awful to happen, and he wasn't completely convinced yet that it wouldn't. It had after all been a year ago today that his father had come and whisked him off to Durmstrang against his will. He had seen the extra security; two HitWizards on the main gates, and Hagrid had arranged for a line of centaurs on the Forest's edge. McGonagall hadn't shown any signs of discomfort, but she had obviously been prepared for the unexpected, as well, this time.

"You're doing so well, love," Hannah said, loud enough only for him and his helpers to hear. He smiled at her; from anyone else it might have sounded patronising, from her, it boosted his determination, and somehow he managed to get back to the steps without falling over. He collapsed into the chair with great relief, and no one one said anything. He guided the chair without much conscious thought. His chest burned, and he worried that he might for once have actually done himself some damage, but once they got into the Great Hall his breathing was a little easier.

"No, I'm okay," he said, when Albus would have made them all sit at the head of the table again so that the chair could fit. "I'll get up." So they sat on the benches in the middle, and for a moment it almost seemed as though nothing at all had changed in a year, though of course everything was entirely different. He hadn't even made it to the feast last year.

The rain looked rather dramatic in the enchanted ceiling, and Scorpius was so drawn into the sight that for a moment he didn't realise that someone was talking to him. "Huh?" he said, blinking, and Teddy grinned at him from across the table.

"I said, you'll be playing Pro Quidditch next if you keep this up."

Scorpius smiled. "I doubt it, but thanks." He looked around, realising for the first time that Andromeda hadn't come to the ceremony. When he asked, Teddy shook his head.

"Sorry. She might have come if it hadn't started chucking down rain. But maybe not. She really just came before to meet you, y'know." Scorpius shifted awkwardly. "Anyway, you'll see her at the wedding."

"Oh, right," Scorpius immediately felt guilty for forgetting. "How's the planning going?"

Teddy rolled his eyes, and lowered his voice slightly to avoid being overheard by his fiancee, who was sitting nearby and chatting amiably to her cousins. "Two weeks out? You should see the pile of charts that Fleur and Victoire have been slaving over. I'm in charge of nothing. Which is best, really. I'm sure I'd make a cock up of it if they let me organise anything." They chuckled together conspiratorially for a moment.

"I've been meaning to talk to you actually," Teddy went on. "I know it's short notice, but our band backed out - some kind of pregnancy scandal, I think… anyway. Would you and your group be up for the gig? Paid, obviously."

Scorpius gaped. "You… seriously?" he asked, not sure whether to be excited or terrified.

Teddy laughed. "Yeah, seriously. You'll have to liase with Vic about the set list, but she's pretty flexible. Tone deaf," he added in an undertone. "I swear to Merlin, you'd think she'd have an ear for music, but no."

"That'd be brilliant," Scorpius said, once he'd found his voice. "I mean - I'll have to check with the others… but, yeah. I'm sure they'll be into it. Thanks!"

"Thank you," Teddy countered. "This'll win me some major points. What's your band called again?"

Scorpius hesitated. "Er…. well. We still don't really have a name." Which was embarrassing really, considered how long they'd been looking for one.

"Well, better figure one out quick," Teddy said, leaving Scorpius both tense with anticipation, and yet one more thing to keep him awake at night.

~*-A-*~

It was nice to get the weekend off from studying for NEWTs, anyway, Al thought as he watched Ginny fuss over James' dress robes. James was actually in the wedding party, as one of the groomsmen, but Al did his best not to be jealous. Teddy couldn't choose all of his adopted cousins, he'd always been closest with James, and anyway Al didn't much fancy the idea of standing up there in front of everyone. Knowing him, he'd do something to make a fool of himself.

It was a big wedding. Quite apart from the extended Potter and Weasley families, and the Delacours, and Teddy's gran, both Teddy and Victoire had a lot of friends, from school and from work. And with nearly everyone bringing a plus-one, there were easily two hundred people gathered together in the giant marquee set up on the cliff up from Shell Cottage.

Albus' robes were a rich black with silver trimming. They made him look a bit severe, but he liked them. Rose was lovely in a deep forest green. Scorpius didn't have dress robes, and there hadn't been a chance for him to buy any, but Hannah had given him a set of Tony's which had only been worn once to a dance. They were light blue, and had to be altered to fit as they were much too big for him at first. They looked okay now, although in the wrong light they tended to leach what little colour was to be found in his skin, making him look even paler than usual. Albus kept having to look at him to make sure he wasn't going to fall over. He had gotten much stronger even over the intervening weeks since the memorial, but stairs and steep inclines still tired him, and he walked with a visible limp that Knox, with uncharacteristic pessimism, had doubted would ever heal entirely. Rose had promised to look after him today, though, and Al didn't think his friend would appreciate his coming up to grab him every time he had a little wobble, when there were so many strangers around.

The main problem he was having was that Cleo, along with Dave and Trevor, were going to be there in a couple of hours and he hadn't so much as spoken three words to Cleo since their very awkward break up. Lizzie, who was an evil mind-reader, told him to get over it before he could even explain what was bothering him. "It's not like she'll be here to socialise," she pointed out, sweetly. "She'll be on stage. You won't need to talk to her. Though it would probably be polite to at least say hello, and not pretend like you didn't have your tongue in her mouth all summer."

"Lizzie!" he protested, looking around to make sure his mother hadn't overheard.

"Well, didn't you?"

He glared at her, but she only stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on," she said. "Just try to enjoy the wedding, will you?"

The ceremony wasn't too long, and Albus amused himself by noting how many of his relatives started crying when Teddy and Victoire recited their vows. The number of handkerchiefs pulled out when Teddy spoke solemnly about how much it meant to him to be officially part of the Weasley family, and then when Victoire in her turn told him that he always had been, was really quite astonishing. At one point, Al found his eyes drawn to Scorpius, sitting with Andromeda, and the look on his face was almost one of longing. He also noticed that none of Andromeda's family had been invited. He wondered if they'd sat Scorpius with her for that reason. Rose pinched him at that point, and he turned his attention back to the exchange of rings, and joined in the applause when they sealed the new marriage with a kiss. Teddy's hair flared briefly blond to match his new wife as he pulled her close, and then fireworks were suddenly going off inside the marquee. While most people laughed and clapped, he saw his mother giving James a suspicious, if somewhat teary, look. James grinned innocently back from where he stood behind the happy couple.

"Really," Ginny sighed, wiping her eyes one more time. "Some boys never grow up."

"What?" Harry said, jolted out of his own thoughts. He'd been rather quiet all day, Al thought.

Ginny smiled at him. "Nothing, dear. That's it then, isn't it? The first one sorted. One down, three to go."

"Mum," Albus groaned.

"Only joking, dear."

Scorpius seemed to disappear then, and Albus did his best not to worry about it. He was supposed to be spending time with his family after all. He said a quick hello to Ben Washington, the best man, who had helped them with books for Scorpius' mobility spells, before he followed the others to the next marquee that had been set up for the reception area. Everyone wanted to talk to him and Rose about NEWTs, and he answered questions with rather less enthusiasm than when someone asked about his work at the hospital. By now it seemed to have gotten out that he was taking it seriously and intended to pursue it after Hogwarts.

"I'd never have picked you as a healer," his aunt Angelina said, smiling. "I was sure you'd be up against Fred and James in the new season. Oh - and Roxie got her reserve position with the Harpies, did you hear?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding while trying not to let a sudden flash of jealousy cross his face. "I thought about it, but you know… I can always beat James in home games, no need to humiliate him in front of the world, right?"

"You wish," his brother laughed, nudging him none-too-gently in the back with an elbow as he passed. Albus grit his teeth, privately thinking his mother was right. Certain people really needed to grow up. Then he wondered where that thought had come from. Since when was he such a stuffy adult?

"Oh, there he is," Rose sighed with audible relief. Albus couldn't resist looking. Scorpius was helping Dave set up his drums on the stage that had been set up on the flattest bit of ground near the house. He'd changed out of his blue dress robes and was wearing his jeans and old black T-shirt. His guitar, with its Ravenclaw-motif strap, was already there on its stand. "Should he be doing that?" Rose asked, looking at Albus.

"Lifting things?" Al cocked his head to one side as though considering deeply. "No, probably not," he said finally. "You can tell him." Rose glared at him. "Let him have some fun, Rosie," he said. "He'll be fine."

Privately he would have liked to tell his friend off as well, but he was determined not to be that guy, at least for today. It was good to see him smiling and moving without many visible signs of pain. Also Cleo had just come onto the stage as well, so maybe it was better if he stayed out of it. He busied himself by dragging Lizzie to the buffet table instead while people bustled around them and the sun started to set over the ocean. "You know, you look really good in those robes," Lizzie whispered to him as she bit grapes off their stems.

"Thanks," he said, flushing. "You look… really nice too." She did. She'd done something with her usually-so-practical hair so that it sat in a bundle on the top of her head with little wisps coming down behind her ears. For some reason those little wisps made his heart flutter.

"Good," she said, and kissed him. "We can work on your compliments later. Oh look, they're starting."

The band was warming up. After a minute or two, it was Cleo who came forward, her voice magically amplified by some unseen spell, and announced. "Ladies and Gentleman, we're so honoured to get to play for you on this happy occasion. We are… Eagle's Cry!"

There was a smattering of interested applause, although a select few people in the crowd were a little more enthusiastic with whoops and cheers. Albus saw Neville nearby making sparks fly out of the tip of his wand. Alice was jumping up and down and waving. Then Scorpius picked up his guitar and stepped forward, and a sort of hush fell over everything. Albus heard Rose take in a short, sharp breath. Scorpius was looking out over the huge crowd, surely the biggest he'd ever played for, and he looked very, very pale. Al swallowed. He remembered suddenly that this crowd contained a lot of people who had never met Scorpius, who didn't know him, but nonetheless knew his father or had heard of his most recent crimes, had seen the pictures and read the stories in the Prophet. But that all seemed so long ago now, for the three of them. So much had happened since then.

"Come on," he heard Rose mutter under her breath. "Come on, come on… you can do it…"

Then finally, Scorpius hand moved, and the sound, his sound, the unique sound that couldn't have come from a regular instrument, echoed out into the amplified space above the heads of the crowd. Albus could almost see his friend shift into automatic. Scorpius looked out over the people gathered on the cliff, and sang.

"It's a beautiful night… we're looking for something dumb to do…

Oh yeah baby, I think I wanna marry you…"

The beat came in, and Albus clapped his hands together as hard as he possibly could. People around him joined in, and then some people were dancing, and he looked at Rose and they breathed a joint sigh of relief.

~*-S-*~

"That was great!"

To Scorpius' surprise, it was thirteen-year-old Lucy Weasley who first greeted him when the band finally got off the stage for a break. Someone led the other band members to a table where they could eat, but of course Scorpius had his own seat nearer the family. He was, in addition to being Teddy's second cousin (or whatever) also Rose's date, which meant he got to sit with her and therefore had to endure the rest of the Weasleys' eyes on him - though he supposed it could have been worse. Lucy was certainly enthusiastic as she walked with him to the main table, peppering him with questions about the music.

"I didn't know you were interested in this," he said, in between attempts to answer as best he could.

"Oh," she said, suddenly reverting to the shy young girl he recognised. "No - I mean, I am - I love music, I just didn't know you could do those…. those sorts of things."

"I'll show you if you like," he said without really thinking. "When we get back to school."

"Really?" She gasped and hugged him around the arm. He bit back a wince. He was sore and tired after standing for so long; he thought it wouldn't take much more than a strong gust of wind to blow him over. "I'd love that! I play the violin," she added, flushing red as her hair. "But I'm going to ask for a guitar for my birthday now! That was really brilliant!"

"Lucy, stop haranguing the poor boy," said a woman he recognised vaguely as Lucy's mother as they approached.

"Oh, it's really okay -" Scorpius started, but then Rose was dragging him to his seat and shoving a huge plate of food in front of him.

"Eat," she commanded. "You look white as anything, Al, doesn't he? Were you this thin yesterday? I swear you weren't. It must be the clothes, I hadn't noticed in your school robes, you look starved."

"Thank you," he said flatly. He might not have minded her berating him, but it was a bit much when it was in front of her entire family. "I love you too."

"Oh, for - I'm sorry, I just meant… when you're suddenly too small for clothes you bought when you were fifteen, it's not good, Scorp. Al, tell him."

"You were great up there, mate," Al said, resolutely ignoring his cousin. Scorpius grinned at him. The other Potters and Weasleys joined in with their congratulations. James even offered him a high five, which he returned with some trepidation and came back with his hand stinging.

"Thanks," Scorpius said, smiling and picking up his fork. "It was really nice of Teddy and Victoire to ask us." He gave Rose a questioning look.

"Oh all right," she sighed, blowing hair out of her eyes in the way she did when she was defeated. "You were very good." She kissed his cheek. "Please eat something?"

"Yes mother."

"Stop that right now."

"Yes m-"

She stuffed a bread roll in his mouth before he could finish, to general amusement. He obediently set into his meal. He was hungry, he found, though an hour ago he would have said he'd never be able to eat again. He'd had a rush of nerves on that stage that he hadn't experienced since his first time performing. There were just so many people, and some of them had been looking at him with confusion, or anger, it was hard to tell. But once they'd started, people had been dancing and even singing along to some of the covers, and he'd settled into the rhythm. He hadn't even noticed how tired he was. Now he could have happily eaten a whole thestral, or slept for three days, it was a toss up between the two. It was nice to focus on his food for a while, listening to conversation and bickering of the family around him. No one said anything rude to him, not even George Weasley. Even Professor McGonagall smiled at him as she went past to offer the newly-married couple her congratulations.

It was a great day, he thought. He was just finishing his cake and getting ready to go back on stage for the second set when Teddy came up and asked for a word.

"You're doing brilliantly," he said, patting Scorpius - carefully - on the back.

"Cheers," Scorpius said, grinning. "Thanks for asking us. Everyone's totally excited to be here, really. And congratulations," he added, realising that he hadn't had the chance to say it himself.

"Thanks," Teddy said, smiling back. "We got there in the end."

Scorpius' eyebrows twitched a little in confusion. He wasn't sure what that meant, or if he was supposed to. He remembered that Rose had been very annoyed when they'd found out by accident about the engagement months before receiving their invitations. There had been some kind of delay, he was aware. "Everything okay?" he asked not sure what else to say.

"What? Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry, I… it's just been a long time coming, is all. I'm glad you could be here. Gran is too, y'know, even if she doesn't say it. She's a bit upset no one else in her family could be here." Scorpius felt his stomach twist a little. He was beyond glad that neither of his grandparents had shown up, but he could hardly say so in front of his great aunt. "And I think the whole thing makes her think of mum," Teddy went on. "She's happy for us obviously, but… well. It's good you're here anyway."

Privately Scorpius doubted his presence would do anything to make up for the absence of Andromeda's daughter, but he didn't dare say so. He nodded. "Wouldn't miss it," he said.

Teddy nodded back at him. "Cheers cuz," he said. "Good to see you on your feet. Proud of you."

Scorpius felt a smile come to his face without warning. For some reason that meant a lot coming from Teddy. He looked up to the older man, he realised. Not just as his cousin, but as someone who had a plan, who knew what they were doing and where they were going.

"Better get back up there," Teddy said, inclining his head towards the stage where Cleo and the others were already getting ready to start again. People were clapping in anticipation this time, ready for more. "Don't keep 'em waiting."

Scorpius grinned, forgetting for a moment how tired and sore he was. "I got this," he said. "Ready for your first dance?"

I'm the worst. Thanks to everyone who stuck it out and encouraged me to keep going during all this time! The good news is I have another chapter done and ready to be edited which should be up soon. From there we will see, but I'm determined to finish as soon as I can. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!