Summary: Scorpius makes a new friend while playing in the garden.

Rated: K

Genre: Family

Warning Tag: References Miscarriage

Competition/Challenge Block:
Written For: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 3); Hogwarts (Term 14); Houses Competition (Year 7)

Houses: Slytherin; Muggle Studies - Drabble ([Animal] Snake)

Hogwarts: Ravenclaw; A.9 - Childcare #1: Write about a character trying to cheer someone up. Whether it works or not is up to you.

MC4A: In a Flash (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon (Y); Greatest Gift (Y); Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; Tiny Terror (Y); Zed Era (Y); Ravenclaw MC; Old Shoes (Y); Culturally Inclined; Human Companion; Shower (Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade); ToS (Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice); FPC (Not a Lamp; White Dress); BAON (Sneeze Weasel); T3 (Terse; Terrarium); Fence (Peddling Pots); Star (Wabi Sabi; Pocky Pockets); Hunt (Pegan; Vegetables; Box);

Word Count: 888

Beta: Aurora, CupCakeyyy, VanillaAshes, Hope

Garden Dweller

Scorpius was eager to spend the early afternoon out in the garden with his mother again. He always had more fun spending time with her outside, tending the orchard and flower beds scattered all around the property. Of course, Scorpius had no idea how prosperous the Malfoy Estate was, and hopefully it wouldn't go to his head when he was old enough to realize it.

It was cooler outside before noon during the summer, so they often did their routine after breakfast. Sometimes they would visit the pond out in the fields to feed the swans during the afternoons, as the trees and vegetation kept the area relatively comfortable back there.

Today wasn't really a normal day out in the garden, however. Scorpius could tell his mother was not her normal happy, bubbly self today. She was sad because his sister didn't want to be born anymore. She brought a sapling with her to plant, which he would gladly help with once it was in the ground. He didn't like touching dirt very much. She had once told him that trees were a symbol for life, and that even during the coldest of winters that came and went, the trees would always come back in the spring. It was a big reason why she liked to plant trees, especially fruit trees.

So, his mother worked on getting the perfect spot dug out, she always did it by hand with the box of garden tools she brought with, while Scorpius played by the herb garden nearby.

That was when he saw the little grass snake slither its way under the lettuce plants. Captivated by the little creature, Scorpius got down on his hands and knees and slowly lifted the leaves up to get a better look at the snake that now coiled around itself in the shade and damp soil. It's sleek, shiny scales were brownish-green, with a pale yellow belly and black beady eyes.

He reached out to touch the snake that flicked its tongue at him every so often and shifted its head to watch what he was doing. When Scorpius' little hand touched its scales, the snake moved suddenly, having him pull his hand back in alarm.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you," he said softly, slowly reaching for it again.

This time, the snake moved over his fingers, stopping only for a second to flit its tongue in the air. Scorpius curled his hand closed, lifting the small critter up so he could see it better and moved over to the shade of an oak tree where his mother's altar was. The snake didn't try to escape, instead it coiled up on itself again on his palm. He must have been cool enough for the snake to not want to escape. Scorpius blinked as the snake's tongue darted out for a split second, and he focused on its mouth for a moment to see it happen again.

Scorpius sat down in the grass and held his other hand out beside the other for the little snake to have more room.

"You are cute. I think I'll call you Ellie," he said, holding his hands up closer to his face again to look at the snake.

It moved its head to look back at him, tickling Scorpius' nose with its tongue. He smiled and giggled then, carefully getting up to show his mother his new friend.

"Look, Mama! I made a friend. It's name is Ellie!"

Scorpius all but shoved the little snake at his mother. Astoria appeared mildly startled with the sudden intrusion into her space, but she smiled softly at her son and the little reptile that was now very close to her face.

"Oh, how cute," she said, but Scorpius could see the smile didn't touch her eyes.

She gave the little snake a pat on its head, seeming surprised it hadn't tried to get away. "It likes you, Starlight."

He smiled at that. "I like Ellie, too. Could I keep it?"

Her smile fell some, looking over the garden behind him before cupping his face in her hands. "Ellie lives here already, here in the garden. You can visit whenever we are out, and Ellie can keep the pests away in the meantime. How does that sound?"

Scorpius frowned a little, looking back down at his hands where the snake still was coiled contently up in his palm. "But what if I don't find Ellie?"

"Well, you'll know it'll be around even if you don't see it. I don't always see the swans, but I know they will come back eventually because they live by the pond," Astoria explained, reaching for the watering can. "Now, does Ellie want to help water the hole before I place the sapling? Then you can let it go by the altar after our blessing?"

He wasn't sure how the little snake would be able to help with those, but Scorpius grabbed the heavy water can in one hand, and with his mother's help, started watering the new area for the tree with his new scaly friend resting in his other hand, watching.

Scorpius liked having someone to spend time with besides his parents, so when his mother busied herself with placing the tree into the ground, he carefully opened a pocket and slid Ellie inside it.