Chapter 30. Gladiator
Scorpius could not believe his eyes Monday morning in Transfiguration class. There was one Rose Weasley sitting at the back in her usual spot. The classroom was very quiet – unrealistically quiet – quite unlike how loud the Great Hall had been the morning of the news. He was sure every single one of his classmates in this room had been talking about her the past few days. Now that they were in a confined space with the actual person of interest, it was intimidating. Scorpius grinned at his classmates' backs and went straight to her.
"Glad you made it," Scorpius said. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned back in the chair. Her hair was in in its helmet form again, very unlike her hair the past two weekends. She seemed relaxed, though her eyes were alert and constantly searching.
She gazed out at everyone. "It's rather interesting seeing classmates react to a werewolf ... nobody can make eye contact," she said quietly. "Go to school with people for six years and suddenly they can't look at you."
"They'll get over it. You're not a different person than before."
She shrugged and looked to the side. "Maybe, maybe not. My whole life was constructed around a secret, so much so that it became my identify. How will it manifest now? Who knows."
"Fair point. But your core values will probably not take a big hit."
She sighed and gestured next to her. "Are you going to sit down or what?"
He shrugged and sat beside her. This was the first time she had ever invited him to sit with her.
They spent the next ten minutes in silence watching the rest of the class enter. Everyone looked over at her and most veered away immediately. The class was just as interesting. People would take fervent looks over their shoulder, but nobody said anything. It was dead quiet. Their professor ignored Rose and the whole situation – though it seemed like he looked back more often than not, curious as well.
The pattern continued throughout the day, with Potter joining them during classes with Slytherin. Rose took back passageways and secret shortcuts between all classes, leaving Scorpius to trek alone in the hallway. Maybe he could have joined her, but the invite didn't seem to extend that far.
No professors acknowledged the werewolf in the room or said anything to the class.
However, she refused to enter the Great Hall at lunch: "I am not ready to be thrown to the dogs. Huge room. All ages of students ... I would be bombarded at all angles."
Scorpius went and had no less than 47 questions, mostly by his classmates who didn't dare talk or look at her in class. He ignored them all.
Rennings thrived in this new environment with all the attention as being Rose's 'friend.' She welcomed every question, always answering as loudly as she could while blatantly ignoring Rose when she was in the vicinity.
Scorpius shot a silencing spell at her under the table during supper, when she was talking about Rose for the whole Hall to hear.
"She becomes a different person near the full moon. Positively vile, and dangerous. She has been since she was 12, didn't you know? She's attacked me so many times, even when not fully formed –"
She did not talk for two hours after that because her friends couldn't figure out or care to figure out what happened.
The whole Wealsey and Potter clan was following similar tactics to Rose. Going to classes but avoiding the Great Hall.
Rose came to Quidditch practices, did her perfunctory duty.
She was quiet and calm when a seventh-year managed to catch her at the beginning of a class and asked her intrusive questions.
All was well.
Until she was missing Tuesday afternoon.
Scorpius was left in the dark. His mind immediately jumped to all possible conclusions. Was she okay? What had happened?
He hated that he was so worried about her. Hated, hated, hated. He couldn't help it. He was left in that state of wonder ... they had been so friendly all week. He really thought things were changing.
The full moon was this weekend, but that was still days away! There was a semi-final game between Slytherin and Gryffindor coming up quick, then their big semi-final game against Hufflepuff after that.
Why was she missing?
She showed up at practice that night, no comment. Asked him if he was going to the library afterward.
Scorpius was a little bitter, but he couldn't say no or dismiss her.
The next day was worse. The students of their grade slowly became a little braver. Rennings howled like a wolf before class while they were sitting there in silence and half the class laughed (the other half seemed horrified). Beyries their dormmate joined in with her after lunch when she decided it was worth it to howl again. Their voices pierced the hallways, causing some younger students to peer in.
Scorpius put his head in his hands, wanting so badly to curse them.
"Grow up," he said out loud to the class, finally unable to stand more.
Rose kicked him under the table but he glared at everyone.
Beyries' eyes met his, full of glee. "Just trying to rile up the dog." Rennings gave a snort of laughter. Melody sat rigid, staring straight ahead with wide eyes.
Rose sat there, looking down and doodling on the paper.
"It's actually very rude and inappropriate," he said coolly and then shut up per Rose's request and hard kicking.
They played a game of catch with the Quaffle up to the castle instead of showering after a particularly muddy and sweaty practice. Rose trailed behind the group and Scorpius heard someone in the common room asking her to shower since the werewolf musk was sickingly strong. He punched the wall somewhere near the second-year dorms and split a knuckle. The whole team was half covered in mud. That was Quidditch practice!
Over and over some students continuously made comments to her face, under their breath, and to their friends. There was a mix of derogatory comments and comments that may or may not have been insulting. Gossip contined to circle like wildlife in a fire suppressed forest.
She stayed blank-faced and emotionless throughout it all. Didn't stand up for herself. Scorpius had a bloody scratch on his hand that he kept scratching at without realizing every time he wanted to say something in defence of her. Westlock had taken to throwing things at people: bits of food, scraps of paper. Melody and Emmanuelle both looked decidedly uncomfortable every time. Potter frowned and then would always look back at Rose, maybe hoping for a response from her.
Gradually, she reduced the amount she was coming to class again. By Friday, she showed up for only the last class. She looked thin, she looked tired. Scorpius wasn't sure if it was in relation to the full moon coming up, or if everything was getting to her.
It was getting to him. His hand was bleeding because he was so stressed about it. He was on edge. Everything was making him jump and he couldn't focus for the life of him.
Scorpius caught Brawns throwing liver at her face in the last 10 minutes of Potions.
"Good doggy, eat," he said.
That was his absolute limit – damn whatever Rose thought about him intervening. She could yell and rage and curse at him later.
He didn't even think twice about it, he turned around in his seat and shot a stunning spell – did he even say the spell? He couldn't even remember. The look of shock stayed on Brawn's face stayed there as he fell backwards on the floor with a thunk.
Scorpius was breathing heavily, distressed and mad. He walked to the center of the class and stood at Brawn's feet. "Don't disrespect your classmate," he said to the dead silence of the class. Brawn's was knocked out, cold, on the floor with his legs splayed wide. "Don't act like assholes. This is absolute bollocks, I can't believe I go to school with people like you all."
He heard a feminine scoff. "Says the person who is only friends with Rose now that she's a werewolf. You defend her now when she's a werewolf but didn't care two shits about her before? Can't bear to be alone in this harsh world?" said Rennings as she twiddled her left hand at him, the same as his missing fingers.
There was a cry of exclamation from across the room. "Scorpius what's the meaning of this?" exploded Perdsmith, picking the convenient time of coming into the classroom from the storage room. His periwinkle robes swirled around him as he stormed over to Brawns laying on the floor.
"The meaning is that he threw liver at Rose and said very demeaning things to her!" Scorpius said back, equally as angry. "That is completely unacceptable!"
"You are not the authority figure in this room." Perdsmith's voice was low as he bent over Brawns.
"Well he chose the convenient moment when you were away, so someone had to step up!"
"Detention next Saturday."
"What? And Brawn's gets nothing?"
"He is knocked out on the floor. Dakota and Georgie please levitate him to the Hospital Wing. I will deal with him later. Class dismissed. Everyone GET OUT."
Everyone moved at once. Rose was nowhere to be seen.
Scorpius threw his things in his bag and sat down for a hot moment. Emmanuelle gave him a light pat on the back as she passed by.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Why didn't she say anything? Why would she not curse Brawn's to an ounce of his being. He was offended as hell on her behalf.
His nose felt tingly and there was a lump in his throat.
He was about to have a break down.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
They had Quidditch practice in thirty minutes or less and he was about to start bawling. His hands were shaky and he couldn't swallow. He couldn't even tell if he was more mad or sad right now.
He needed to get outside.
He had only left the classroom when he was violently pushed up against the wall, his head smacking it with an angry face before him.
"How dare you fight on my behalf. Fuck off. Leave me alone."
Rose was strong, but damn it, so was he. He grabbed her wrists and pulled them off and away and held them at her sides. He could feel her struggling upwards to regain control. "No you fuck off Rose Weasley. Stop letting everyone fuck around with you. You're a human being and you goddamn deserve to be treated like one." He felt his tears threaten to spill over his eyes. His voice was raised, almost in a yell.
She somehow got a wrist out of his hand and punched him in the stomach. He was so tense already it didn't hurt like she probably meant it to.
Her blank face lost some composure and he saw her lips tighten. "No I don't. Leave me alone. We're not friends!" Her voice took on a high edge and her eyes went wide. She turned around and bolted.
She ran through the dimly lit corridor and up the stairs to the main level. Her body was leaving while her shadow was distorting and stretching towards him. How ironic. He was stunned.
"What are you doing? Where are you going?" he demanded. Why did she constantly turn her back on him? He took off after her; he couldn't think straight. He didn't understand her. He didn't want to hurt her, betray her, or use her like Rennings did. But how did he make her understand that when she was so dismissive of him?
"I'm not going to accept no response as an answer! Not this time! You can't run and avoid things your whole life!" Scorpius shouted. His pace quickened as she turned around the corner. A small herd of origami horses ran in front of him and he leaped over them without a second thought. "We're adults. And going to have a civilized conversation!" His voice broke on civilized; he wasn't going to be able to hold it together, but he couldn't let her run away again.
He turned the corner after her, skidding into the wall a bit, and she was already at the doors leading outside. Her hand rested on the door, fingers spread out, as she glanced back at him. Her face was indiscernibly blank but he could see her eyebrows slightly frowning and she was blinking more than normal. Then she dashed outside.
"Dammit Rose," he muttered.
It was lightly raining outside in the dusk. It was grey, overcast, and there was next to no wind. It was chilly though and Scorpius felt it on his bare face. She reached the top of the hill to overlook the grounds – and what? Was she going to run into the forest? What a wanker!
He sprinted to catch her before she got to the bottom of the hill. He grabbed her arm, skidding to a stop in the mud, almost knocking himself over. She was forced to stop herself or risk falling down.
"Stop. What are you doing? Why are you running?"
She yanked his hand off of her. "I don't need any friends. I'm better off on my own."
"How do you think that? Everyone needs friends!"
"Not me."
"Rose, I don't get a flying hoot that you're a werewolf. I like you as a person and a friend – even though I get such mixed signals from you! I've liked you for much longer than stupid Rennings made it out to seem."
She took a step towards him. Her fake straight hair was going fuzzy in the rain, betraying her. She jabbed him in the chest with her finger. "You're selfish. Mean. A coward. Even if I did want a friend it wouldn't be you. I don't need anyone."
His fists clenched. "You're also selfish, did you know? Don't let anyone in, only ask for company when it's convenient for you. Insult those that try to get too close into your personal bubble because you're afraid they're going to betray you. Then you run and don't fight for your rights when someone is tearing you down!"
She reacted by her right hand whipping out and clipping the side of his cheek. He barely had time to dodge and still felt the pain flare up in his cheek. "I have no rights. I'm a werewolf. Fucking leave me alone."
"I will not leave you alone Rose Weasley. Not this time. We're allowed to have hard conversations. I'm allowed to tell you you're being an idiot right now because you have the same amount of rights as every other human being on this planet! You're not going to scare me off by hitting me." Her flying fist came towards him and he stumbled backwards in the mud as it connected with his chest.
"You should be fucking scared, Scorpius. I'm an evil wild creature. Not to be trusted," she hissed as she stepped forwards. Her eyes matched the navy clouds above. "I'll betray you in a second. I'm not the type of person you want around."
"Actually, you are," he said. "And you're not an evil, wild creature. Not even close."
She turned her back as if to run again and he leaned forwards to catch her arm, forcing her to swing around and face him. He grabbed her shirt and punched her in the stomach. She bent over with surprise and then straightened and gave a surprised laugh.
Scorpius glared at her, ignoring the lump in his throat that was not going away. He pushed her backwards and advanced. "The world's going to punch you Rose, over and over. Both the werewolf and you. It's not right at all and you know it. What are you going to do? Just sit back and take it?"
"Yes I am. I don't fucking deserve any respect from anyone."
He pushed her hand out of the way and reached for her shirt, dragging her towards him so they where face to face. She was further downhill than him so he bent to reach her eyes, noses almost touching.
"You know what, Rose, you're the most selfish person I know. You claim I'm selfish – only notice myself and my problems? Well you only see your problems. Don't see that people care about you and only want the best for you, regardless of your furry problem or not! Not everyone is against you. But the ones that are will be vocal. You just going to let them run over you? Let them piss and mark their spot on you?"
Her fist ricocheted out and hit him in the stomach again. "You asshole." Then she hit him again on the chest. He felt each blow like a pound to his ribcage, reverberating to his core, making the lump on his throat more volatile.
And then they were fighting.
He pushed her back, his fist jutting out to hit her but she spun away. He fell forward with his momentum and her elbow connected to his nose. He grabbed the back of her shirt, forcing her to fall backwards into the mud. She kicked out to hit him in the shin and stood up again.
"Damn." That was going to bruise. His nose was throbbing and he felt breathless. "Being a werewolf doesn't define you. Don't let it."
"You don't get to judge me and my choices. You may have a family history that's been involved in Dark magic, but I'm a literal Dark creature. Even muggles know I exist and know I don't deserve a happy life."
Their hands grabbed each other and she kicked at him again, he dodged backwards out of the way. She wrenched his arm down and he felt his middle finger go the wrong way. He jutted out an elbow as he fell forwards and it hit her face. Blood slowly started trickling from her nose, mingling with the rain and then dripping off her chin. She didn't notice.
"I have my reasons. I don't need friends or people that could be hurt by me or who'll betray me like Dakota! I don't want to see the disgust in people's faces when they learn what I am." She attacked him full on this time, one punch to the face before throwing herself at him – arms encircling his body as she stuck her leg behind him, pushing him with her arms.
He was off balance almost instantly, arms cartwheeling, as he finally realised forcing her to confront him on a hillside in the rain wasn't quite the smartest choice of the day. He grabbed her as he went over and she shrieked but fell after him through the wet grass and mud. His elbow hit something soft as she pulled his ear. He pinched the skin between her thumb and pointer finger. She pushed his face in the mud and he felt his cheek dig into a rock. She kneed him in the thigh once, then twice as he had her arms trapped.
He gasped and then rolled to the side a few times to get away and stand up. She stood up as well, as strong as him. Hair a livid mess, mud smeared down her face, and mixing with blood.
And they were probably going to be late to Quidditch practice. And for the first time in his life, Scorpius didn't care.
"I know almost nothing about what you like to do even though we've spent a lot of time together this year. The tasks were supposed to help me to get to know you better ... And they did." He was breathing heavy, trying to ignore the shooting pain all over. Rose's face twisted. He ignored it and continued.
"They showed me you're kind and considerate. You pay attention to people around you and know small ways to make everyone happy. You care about the people who tend to get less attention. You see the good sides of everyone. You are willing to give everyone a chance. But I still don't know what you like to do. I don't know your hobbies, don't know your likes and dislikes." His voice broke and he could feel a few tears begin to fall down his face. "And it's something I want to learn … I really like you, Rose Weasley. But you focus on everyone else so you don't have to face yourself."
Her breathing had slowed down, though they were still circling each other like they were wild animals, or gladiators in an area, fighting to the death. Her troubled face was silent. She remained tense.
"You can judge my choices," Scorpius said. "Tell me when I'm being a shithead. Laugh at my awful jokes. Help me get over the shitty girlfriends I pick. Because that's what friends do. You can tell me whatever the fuck you want. Tell me opinions. Thoughts. Dreams. Goals. I want you to. I want to know them all. And I want to tell you mine."
A few more tears were coming down his face uncontrollably. Just a bit more, he thought, or hoped, as his body was protesting. He could feel blood drip down his face from when one of her punches split his eyebrow, or maybe it was from his nose that felt a few sizes too large. The scratch on his cheek burned since it was mixed with mud. Some fingers felt sprained. He was covered in bruises.
He lunged at her this time, arms wrapping around her waist and tackled her to the ground. They slid a little ways in the mud. Her legs were kicking and arms punching whatever surface they could find, she almost wrenched his shoulder out of his socket and then twisted in his loosened grasp, going to her stomach and trying to scamper away. He lunged one more time at her with his last bit of energy and then used his weight and laid on her, pining her to the ground.
Yet she was still active. Mouth swearing at him, hands trying to reach up with her strong fingers. Her left hand found his hair and gave it a good yank before he managed to detangle it with a grimace, hoping he didn't moan in pain. She tried pinching him, scratching him – anything to get him to move.
He was a rock.
A granite boulder: unmoveable by humans. A granite boulder: desperately holding back the floodgate of tears that had been building and building.
She eventually slowed down her movements, and stopped. Then she started crying.
He could feel his throat tighten further and snot start to run down his nose.
Scorpius got off her and sat on the ground, legs laying in front of him like they were wet noodles. He was done. Utterly done. Rose pushed herself off the ground and pulled her legs under her, hands on her knees and tears streaming down her face.
He threw his arms around her and held her tight. He could hear her crying pick up as she cried into his shoulder and she put her arms around him as well.
"I hate this," she said through sobs. "I hate myself and don't deserve any friends."
Snot and tears were dripping from him onto her back but he couldn't care less about that right now. "It's not a question about deserve," he said roughly, trying to keep a steady voice through his unhinged emotions. "We all have demons to face and it's about having support. And working together to face them so they don't overwhelm us."
He held her so tightly and they sat in the mud and the rain. He wasn't going to let go. She needed to know that. Rain fell about them steadily, indecision in every inch of her body. Finally after a millennia it seemed, she became less tense. Both their tears slowed down and she pulled back, rubbing at her eyes. Her nose was still bleeding and one eye was swelling.
He was waiting. He would wait forever.
Her eyes reached his. "I'm scared," she started quietly. "Of trusting. Of getting hurt. Of having hope. Of everything. And of people finding out – which already happened."
"You don't have to do it alone."
"It's easier."
"No. No it's not. You're worrying too much and stressing about it. You don't need to. Life isn't meant to be easy. It's meant to be a fight in the rain and mud. But with friends at your side instead of against you so they can support you and you can get through it. Merlin forbid, we should never fight again. I don't know if I'll make it out alive. I swear I'll stand by your side, Rose. Through the good and the shitastic moments to come."
"Promise?" It was quiet and hesitant, but it was what he had been waiting to hear.
He raised his hands to the sky. "Sweet Merlin. Finally! Yes, Rose. I promise. I'll be the best goddamn friend you've ever had."
She shook her head and smeared in some mud that was on her trousers. Eventually she stuck out her muddy hand. "I think you're being genuine." Scorpius almost dropped back down in the mud. What the hell had all his speeches and the whole fight been if not genuine? "And – I do accept your offer of friendship. As much as I said otherwise, you're not that bad. I like you as a human most of the time. And I wanted to talk to you before but … I always chickened out and decided that I was better off alone."
"Well, it's better to not be alone in this psychotic world. Mind helping me up? You really whipped the shit out of me," he said as he shook her hand. "I'll have you know my charm will continue to grow on you."
She scoffed. She didn't let go after they shook and pulled him up after her, struggling only a little to upright him. "Excuse me? P.S. if you're going to fight a werewolf you need to pack a bit more oomph in. Some of your punches were rather weak. We'll work on it."
Says the woman with blood dripping down her face and a black eye. But Scorpius didn't say that out loud and enjoyed her right-sided smile.
He slung an arm around his shoulder. "Well, punching lessons. What a great place to start." He rolled his eyes. "Let me remind you who the stubborn one was who tried to avoid being friends for weeks and months. Mind you, took a while for me to stop being a shithead. We should head to the pitch though. What do you think Nadir is going to say?"
Walking hurt. He kept tasting blood in his mouth and his shoulder felt insanely sore every time it moved. His two front teeth also felt loose for whatever reason. He missed her reply as he grinned to himself.
They were friends.
The teams shock as they both strolled up was admirable. It was concern and then anger and then denial and then relief, at the end. They were late to the pitch, but Jazz was concerned about their bruises and blood and Nadir couldn't take much fault in the effort they took to beat themselves up to finally become friends. No laps for them and they were to go straight to the Hospital Wing.
They were friends now, and that was all that mattered.
