Hallo all. Thanks for the interest in this story! I will be uploading 1-3 chapters a week. This story is completed and ready for some reading and critiquing. I've been writing this for a few years at this point – I have learned that I cannot upload chapter by chapter, my writing style is much more chaotic (non-linear) than that. Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 1. Where black fingernails scare the bajeebers out of Scorpius

The origami animals flew round and round the ceiling.

Scorpius was more annoyed than usual in his History of Magic sixth-year class. He was usually bored out of his mind by Professor Binns talking, but for the entire first week of school so far the annoyance factor had been building steadily.

It didn't matter where he sat in the class – front, middle, left side behind Sadie-the-Slytherin-who-will-throw-gum-in-your-hair-if-you-even-glance-at-her, or back corner behind Henderson the hair shedder – he had two feminine shadows that perpetually followed him around and sat in the vicinity of him. In every damn class they shared! And now his two best mates, Connor Nott and Bryan Westlock (the elder), were fed up with having to switch seats all the time at his insistence so left him to fend the two girls off by himself as they went further up in the classroom to their usual spots.

Outright bastards.

He didn't know why he decided gum in his hair was worth it. Because the two girls sure as hell didn't even bat their eyelashes at his choice and ignored Sadie as they always did.

And why did it have to be bright green gum today? Scorpius could feel the heavy glump sitting over his right ear. He didn't dare touch it for fear of squishing it in further. He knew Westlock always said Sadie was actually a nice soul, but Scorpius didn't spend evenings with her singing.

Instead he folded his seven long fingers under his chin, feeling the few rough whiskers he missed this morning, and glared at the heads of Dakota Rennings and Rose Weasley. The former had her sleek black hair impeccably drawn up into a bun at the top of her hair. Her fingernails – ew her fingernails – were long and painted black and noticeable with one of her hands resting against the pale skin of her cheek. The black colour was whatever – but the length was terrifying. He feared getting too close to her lest she touch him with those horrifying appendages. They were dagger nails. Could easily disembowel someone with one sharp thrust. Scorpius shuddered and tried not to notice her other hand rhythmically clicking the nails upon the desk like beetle legs.

Weasley was the opposite of Rennings utter confidence. She was blander – the nutmeg to Rennings cinnamon.

Scorpius didn't like either holiday spice.

It was a surprise she was even in class, Weasley skipped school all the time. She was a terrible student, she had no mind of her own, and followed Rennings every whim, fancy, and notion.

Weasley's hair was short and pin straight. It looked as if she was wearing a dull black-red-browny helmet ending just below her ears. She sat slouched over the desk, bent over her paper, and all tucked together like she was holding herself together by sheer willpower.

She mostly doodled on the side of her parchment through Binn's history lesson instead of taking actual notes. Scorpius noted, as apparently he couldn't stop looking at fingernails, her nails were bitten down to the skin on each hand.

And regardless of the fact that they were all in class, Rennings blabbered on about Quidditch with Weasley – a sport which neither of them were intimate with. It was like listening to two sparrows talk about a giraffe's diet. It was the most ridiculous thing and he couldn't focus beyond that to Binn's lecture.

At least he had his teammate Jazz, the history whiz, to help him with homework later since he had only written one sentence down in the past half hour with all the distractions happening around him.

Even the origami that was floating around the ceiling in perpetuity in a charm-gone-wrong type of situation didn't ease him as it normally did.

"Well what else are you going to be doing this Saturday?" Rennings said, loud enough for him to hear. "Seriously Rose you don't have a life without me. Just come."

She seemed to slouch further at the comment and dropped her quill on the parchment, looking straight ahead. At least she was trying to keep quiet for the students around her. "I don't play Quidditch."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and grimaced at their heads. He didn't want either of them showing up at Quidditch tryouts this weekend. Quidditch was his sport and neither of them would mesh well with his team. It was two completely separate worlds between his competitive and serious sport and their non-competitive and non-caring selves. They had different interests, focusing on popularity or whatever. Rennings was usually at the centre of most drama in the school. There could be no crossover without his team being ripped apart by them. They didn't care about the sport, never had!

"Pleassseeeee," Rennings begged. She tapped one of her dagger nails on Weasley's arm, as if threatening her with a fingernail through the skin. Scorpius could see Weasley's fist close, veins becoming more prominent against her dark skin. "I need moral support. I can't show up by myself."

So, it wasn't actually his team, considering the captain was Abdul Nadir in seventh-year. Regardless, he felt possessive of it. He was a proud Chaser and had been since his second-year. He loved his team, his teammates, and the game. He didn't need any annoying, self-centered, ridiculous, drama-filled, immature people who couldn't leave him alone to be on it as well. Quidditch was his.

"Why can't youuuu?" Rennings still had a nail on Weasley's arm, stroking it lightly. It was really making Scorpius uncomfortable. "Because think how that would look? Cassidy would hear about it from Albus, because he's helping the Captain with setup. Then the Slytherin girls would all get wind that I was by my lonesome down at the pitch and would tease me. And through the network, the Gryffindor girls would hear and then I wouldn't be able to face any of them, especially as Laila Park made the team last year. And that would be the absolute worst."

Oh yes, Park from fifth-year in Gryffindor made it to the hellish team andyou absolutely can't have a popular girl who's younger have a higher status than you. Even though nobody in Ravenclaw even cared about Quidditch judging by the amount of students that came out to the games in the past. Scorpius rolled his eyes as Weasley sighed, resigned. "How would me being there help?"

"Because you don't play Quidditch. So obviously you aren't going to make the team. Then if I don't make the team at least I'll have someone to get drunk with and bitch about with while ignoring Laila because we all know I throw better and bigger parties. Except, –" and she shifted in her chair to briefly glance at Scorpius with her fingernail still dug into Weasley's arm (why Merlin why is she still doing that!), " – I will make the team. I've been practicing all summer and it's not like Ravenclaw has any promising options for Seeker … And it's not like you have anything better to do that day. Not even your time of month so you might as well come with me."

Weasley tensed and shot Rennings a sharp and searing look before shifting her gaze to the front again. Rennings got a sneaky smile on her face that she masked quickly. "Melody?" Weasley said rather desperately and Scorpius couldn't believe she was giving in to Rennings. What a pushover.

Rennings could tell with the way the smirk started again in the corners of her mouth and by pressing down a little harder with her fingernail in excitement on Weasley's arm (the horror). Did Weasley not have a backbone at all? It was plain as day written all over her face – or rather her back – that she didn't want to go to the tryouts. Why in Merlin's name would she give in?

"Or Emmanuelle? Either of them would be much better to take."

"Rose you know how to fly. Don't play dumb. Remember second-year when you really wanted to try out but then didn't? Emmy wouldn't come near a Quidditch pitch with a two hundred metre pole and Melody can't even remember to brush her teeth in the morning. She would probably forget she was on a broom halfway through and crash into a tree."

A sigh. "That's not very nice Dakota."

"Yet you know it's true."

Finally – finally – Rennings moved her horrific fingernail away from Weasley's arm and Scorpius felt like he could breathe again. It might have been a bit louder than he intended as Rennings glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow and their eyes happened to connect. Scorpius jerked back in his chair and glanced out the window, daring to face another piece of gum in his hair so he couldn't see if Rennings was looking at him still. Bloody hell! He couldn't catch a break.

He could still hear Rennings talking about Quidditch with Weasley like they were top shit. And to round it off, way off in the background there was Binns with his monotone voice talking about the Arctic merpeople in some lake in Finland. But History class didn't even matter right now – this was insane. Rennings and Weasley were going to try out for his team! This was so much more important!

Why couldn't they sit by themselves! Why did they continue to follow him? He didn't want to hear this conversation – it was going to throw off his whole could see Sadie viciously chewing on a piece of gum again. Warming it up as if she were getting it ready to chuck at him. But that was preferable to looking at Rennings.

"Dakota, I don't play Quidditch. I haven't in years. I don't even have a broom." Weasley's voice was defeated. Scorpius didn't know why she kept trying to talk her way out of it. She was the biggest pushover he'd ever seen.

"Well, they make everyone try out on the school brooms. So it doesn't really matter. And the point is you used to play – but no. That's not the point. You're not even trying to make the team so it doesn't matter."

"So it'll be a humiliation for me."

"No, we're going to have fun with it. You'll make me look good. Chill out Weasley. It's not like I'm asking for your firstborn child."

"Alright," she said, voice bland with maybe a hint of sharpness. "End of discussion, I'll do it."

Rennings reached an arm around Weasley's shoulders. "And you're the bestest friend ever."

Scorpius gagged a little in his mouth. Fuckin' hellll. And then finally, fortunately, class was ended. Scorpius jumped up from his seat so fast he felt a little lightheaded but he motored on out of the classroom, managing to dodge the flying bright green gum Sadie sent his way again. Luckily, he only had the one piece stuck in his hair to contend with at the moment.

He didn't leave quick enough for he did hear Rennings say, "Rose, carry my books. I have to go the dorm before lunch."

As soon as Connor Nott and Bryan Westlock joined him outside the classroom door he kicked them both in the shins. "Thanks for leaving me shitheads."

Westlock barked in laughter, which wasn't a surprise as he laughed at everything. He was the most easy-going guy there was. His hair was filled with hundreds of thin black dreads that had been the same since as long as Scorpius knew him. He and Scorpius first became friends in first-year because Westlock tripped on the carpet, wiped Scorpius out as he fell, and then immediately started laughing like a coyote on acid. It was super bizarre, but six years later here they were. "You deal with your girl problems yourself shithead."

"What sort of mates are you?"

"Smart ones," Nott said with an easy grin. He had shoulder length brown hair and dreamy blue eyes, as Scorpius told him multiple times to piss him off. "Though what she sees in you we have no clue."

"Oh Scorpius, you're so beautiful with your bird-nest like hair that badly needs a trim," Westlock said in a high pitched voice, eerily close to Rennings'. "And those beautiful poop coloured eyes. They are so captivating."

Nott's voice kept breaking as he went to a higher pitch. "You're so tall and bony, I fear I'd lose you in a forest because you look like a tree." Westlock and Nott both cracked up and Scorpius whaled on Nott's arm.

"Arseholes."

Rennings walked out of the classroom with Weasley trailing. Weasley had no emotions, no look of anything as she walked by carrying all of Renning's books. She had no life; it belonged to Rennings and she didn't seem to care at all.

The three boys left together, all heading to the Great Hall for lunch. Scorpius continued his tales of woe. "I think the worst part of today was that they were talking about trying out for Quidditch. Both of them. On my team!"

Westlock's younger brother was a player on the team so Scorpius was sure he'd heard his own litany of troubles concerning Quidditch from his younger brother. As it was, he just grinned and shook his head. "At least Weasley has a Quidditch background considering how much of her family has played or is playing. I don't think Renning's has ever worked out before in her life."

Nott seemed to think it wasn't a big deal as well. "So they try out. They won't make it and you'll never hear from them again about it."

"But what if they do make it?" Scorpius said, rather exasperated about the lack of support from his friends. He loaded his plate up with some potato salad, two hard boiled eggs, and meatloaf.

"Then we have a good team and will maybe beat Hufflepuff. For once. You know Cap will pick only the best players," pointed out Westlock with a clap on Scorpius' shoulder. And the three boys descended into silence for a moment.

Fucking Hufflepuff.

Nine years. It had been nine straight years now that they'd continuously won the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. Scorpius was bitter about last year. They were knocked out in the semi-finals by 10 points from Slytherin. And then Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff by 200 points in the finals. It was a piss off. He was sick of Hufflepuff and the whole school was sick of Hufflepuff (except perhaps Nott since he was dating one of those dunces.) Though that was being a bit mean, as Scorpius could tolerate Aubrey Gold half of the time. But still. Fucking Hufflepuff.

"Will this be our year?" Scorpius asked rhetorically.

"I mean. I'd be happy if anybody but Hufflepuff won at this point."

"Traitor," Scorpius told Nott.

"Yet it's true," Westlock chimed in.

"And you're brother is on the team as well West!" Scorpius exclaimed, scandalised. "Where the hell is the support today my fellow Ravenclaws? My loyal cheerleaders?"

Nott scowled at him for the memory. Last year Nott and Westlock lost a bet and they had to dress up as cheerleaders and hold pompom's and signs for Scorpius during a game.

"It flew away when we decided you needed to pull up your big boy pants this year drama queen."

"Oh fuck off."

"Ok. But seriously," Nott said as he stood up from the bench. "If anybody but Hufflepuff won this year, you know you'd be ecstatic. We'd all go to the party in celebration … the whole bloody school would be there. Frig, I even know some Hufflepuff's that are sick of Hufflepuff winning and the arrogancy of their Quidditch team. Anyway, I'm off to Ancient Runes so I'll catch you both later." He threw together one last sandwich to eat on the go and took off.

Scorpius picked up an olive and threw it at Nott's receding back. "No. Because that would mean we lost again. And I don't lose."

"Except every game you've played against Hufflepuff. And the odd match against Gryffindor and Slytherin for the past three or four years you've been on the team," said Westlock, "And at chess every single time you try and challenge Nott. And – "

"Gaaaahhhhh. I give up. Let's head to class and hopefully Weasley will leave us alone for the next hour."

"Rennings isn't in Care of Magical Creatures so Weasley won't follow you around. You know Rennings runs the show with them."

Scorpius could spot Weasley ahead of them leaving the Great Hall, walking alone near the wall. She turned early and then was gone, as if she never was there in the first place.

If Rennings, Emmanuelle and Melody weren't there she was always alone. He didn't quite understand the dynamic between the friends. He was sure half the school didn't know Weasley existed, and the other half couldn't describe her. Beyond the fact that she skipped classes all the time, never talked about herself, and was utterly emotionless – Scorpius literally knew nothing about her. He had never been in a group project with her as she was only ever paired with Rennings (and he definitely didn't understand how that was possible). Didn't make small talk with anyone. Didn't have any friends outside their house. Didn't do any social activities. She was basically an empty shell of a human.

"Regardless, we'll sit as far away as possible."

"Why are you assuming I'd want to sit with you? I much prefer the company of Al to you."

"Westlock. You're giving me too many grey hairs. I'm too young and innocent for this sort of abuse."

"Suck it up princess," Westlock replied.