FULL SUMMARY:

Starting off in his first year at Hogwarts, Scorpius Granger-Malfoy juggles his responsibilities, his personal life, and the duty of being a gifted Healer (with the help of an amulet that was given to him at birth) as he ages throughout his life.

A companion/sequel to "Let There Be No More Curse".

**This is a stand-alone fanfiction.**

*WARNINGS: Original Characters, occasional gruesome descriptions

*PAIRINGS: Enjoy the surprises ahead.

Side pairing is obviously Dramione, though hardly mentioned.

*Genres: Drama, Teen/Adult

"Did you ever think we would be housemates?"

Scorpius Granger-Malfoy gave Edgar Weasley's question a thought over. Edgar was an only child and because of that, he practically got everything he wanted. He loved attention, but wasn't annoying about it like some kids would be who craved the same thing; he didn't force it upon people. Then again, Edgar didn't have to, he was funny, easy going, and an incredible Quidditch player.

Not that playing Quidditch was a quality that Scorpius sought in people. He thought it was okay to watch, though he would never actually play it himself, but a lot of magical children (and adults too) thought Quidditch was the best thing on Earth, so if someone was a good player, there's a good chance of them becoming very popular.

Edgar had a large family, and he wasn't the only one in it who was talented at Quidditch. He had plenty of cousins to compete and practice with; both James and Albus Potter were good players, and James had already joined a team in his second year! Louis Weasley was also a fantastic player, nearly able to play every position! Then there was Molly, who had just been promoted to captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team last year.

The Weasleys (and Potters) were all taking after their parents who also had played Quidditch when they were in school years before— a couple of them had even played in the professional leagues after they graduated Hogwarts!

Besides being an excellent Keeper, Edgar was a true optimist, and he loved food— something his father often teased him for as it was an interest they both shared.

"If I had thought about it before today," Scorpius started as he lay down and pulled a quilt over his body, "I would have guessed you would have been sorted into Hufflepuff."

"Really? I thought the same of you!"

Scorpius smiled at his friend. He had known Edgar since he was real little, and he was happy to have a familiar face around. The other three boys he was dormed up with, Scorpius had never met before that night, and he was missing his family. Especially his sister, whom he was very close to.

"Do you miss your parents?" Scorpius asked.

Edgar scoffed in amusement. "It's been only ten hours since I waved good-bye to them! I've barely had time to miss them!"

"You miss yours already?" one of the other boys asked Scorpius. His name was Dallas Copperton, and he had a funny accent. One Scorpius couldn't exactly place.

"Yes," Scorpius admitted. He expected the other boys to tease him for saying that, but they didn't.

"I miss my dog," Warren Daniels said, shrugging.

"But not your family?"

Warren grinned. "Not yet," he answered Edgar.

The last boy occupying the dormitory was Simon Sirota. He did not add anything to the conversation, so Scorpius made an attempt to include him, but the boy didn't respond and ignored them all, staring up at the canopy of his bed.

Edgar sent Scorpius a look, but Scorpius assumed Simon was shy and apprehensive. Teddy Lupin (Scorpius's second cousin) said that a lot of first years were that way until they made friends.

Scorpius decided that he was going to be Simon's friend— if he would allow it.

*/*

"You'll help me, right?" Edgar asked, taking out his Potions book from his bag. "My parents are absolutely lousy with this subject. Dad has forgotten practically everything! And Mum was never really a fan of Potions."

"I help you any other time, why wouldn't I now?"

"Great, thanks!"

"We should do alright. I've been watching my father do this for years, plus I studied a lot of books."

"Yes, Dad says you're a walking encyclopedia just like your mum."

Scorpius grinned. "If I wasn't, you can be certain that you would have a clueless Potions partner. Most aren't as lucky as I am to have a massive sized library of books."

"Thank Merlin you love sniffing words then!" Edgar's statement made them both laugh, and a few surrounding housemates joined in.

A short woman, barely taller than Scorpius, walked in, clapping her hands for their attention. The headmistress, Professor McGonagall, had introduced her to everyone right before the opening feast a couple nights back.

Professor Lockberry.

She was the shortest adult human Scorpius had ever seen. She didn't wear a dress nor a set of robes like most Professors did. Instead, she was dressed very Muggle-like: a pair of black jeans and a matching shirt with a frilly, white zip-up vest. Her dark blond hair was tied into a bun with two white pencils.

"For those of you who weren't paying attention Saturday night, I'm Professor Lockberry—" she turned and pointed her wand to the blackboard, casting a spell, which began writing her name on it with fancy lettering. "—your Potions professor. This is my first year teaching, just as it is your first year learning, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming year. Do you have any questions before I take attendance?"

A girl from the other side of the room raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss…?"

"Holly Dolly—"

Someone snickered. Professor Lockberry disapprovingly looked to where the noise had come from and narrowed her eyes.

"Miss Dolly, what is your question, dear?"

"Am I going to have to touch certain… body… parts of...of… things?" The girl looked green just from the thought.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid so, but any student who feels a little queasy over slimey, smelly, severed body parts of innocent or not-so-innocent creatures, can request an anti-nausea potion from the informatory. Though, I do warn you, if you have just been introduced to potion drinking, the flavour of it is not at all appetizing!" She gave the room a sympathetic smile. "Anymore questions?"

Dallas raised his hand this time. "I grew up believing that the head off a shroomock is poisonous, yet I see it listed here in this book as an ingredient that we digest…?"

"Oh, the controversial subject of shroomock…" Professor Lockberry displayed a grin. Scorpius sensed that it was fake. "And your name is?"

"Dallas Copperton, ma'am."

"Handled accordingly, shroomock heads are as harmless as fiddle fairies."

Scorpius squirmed in his seat. A sick feeling hit the pit of his stomach.

Fiddle fairies were far from harmless.

"I shall take attendance now," Professor Lockberry cut off a boy who intended to address that matter. "No more questions, please. Lower your hand, young man."

"She's a little nutty, isn't she?" Warren voiced after their lesson was over.

"We've barely even met her, give her a chance," Edgar defended their professor. "Not everyone is the same."

"Fiddle fairies are extremely dangerous," Scorpius stressed. "They are not harmless."

"Aren't they the ones that eat your face off?" Dallas asked.

"No, you're thinking of the nose-eating sprites," Warren supplied.

"Fiddle fairies have been known to carry you off at sunset and then remove your toes one by one, bathing their new hatchlings with the blood that's been spilled from the wounds."

Edgar looked like he was about to throw up. "Okay, Scorpius, that's just disgusting!"

"They really do that?" Dallas was baffled.

Scorpius nodded. "There's a myth saying that they do it as a form of vengeance for us using their eggs in our potions, but I've found documentation which deems that as fiction. Fiddle fairies have been torturing humans for centuries, since before using their eggs in our brews."

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Edgar said, shuddering. "That's quite frightening to think about!"

"Which potions contain shroomock heads?" Warren asked warily. "I'd like to take precautions."

"None that we have to worry about consuming for a few years. They are unsafe for underdeveloped children to drink." Scorpius informed. "It stunts our growth."

"Would a potion like that stop a giant from growing?" Dallas wondered.

The boys didn't know the answer to that. "I'll look it up later and see if I can find out for you."

Warren cupped a hand to Scorpius's shoulder. "Now I like him," he said to the others. "He's going to pretty useful to have around."

"Definitely," Edgar agreed.

Later that day, Scorpius saw Simon in the library and sat next to him after he had selected a few books that he would need for his Charms assignment.

"Hello there, Simon."

Simon turned a page to the book he was reading without giving Scorpius so much as a glance.

"I got a book that should help us understand the Wingardium Leviosa charm better."

"Do I look incompetent to you?" the other boy finally spoke, his voice full of venom.

Scorpius felt like he had been just been slapped in the face. "No, you look very intelligent actually, but I—"

"Assumed that I would need, much less want your help?" Simon cut him off sharply. "Well, I don't, so go take your bloody book and find someone else who cares about your happy-go-lucky, sickly-sweet attitude."

"Alright." Scorpius slowly arose from the chair he had sat in. "Should you ever need help though—"

"Shove off, Mister Sunshine."

Scorpius reluctantly backed away as Simon glared at him until he was a few feet away. Simon then went back to reading.

"He's not a chatty chap," Warren said at dinner when Scorpius had asked the others if they had been able to talk with him.

"He ignores any of my efforts to get him to talk," Edgar added. "I'm surprised to hear that he has spoken at all."

"I asked him where he was from, but he gave me this look like I had just marked his mum for death or something," Dallas informed.

"He'll come around," Edgar told them, trying to remain positive. His lips tucked into his mouth when they looked over at Simon who was sitting a few seats down.

"He knows we're talking about him," Warren whispered, looking away from his cold eyes.

Scorpius felt a little guilty for gossiping about Simon, especially when Simon uprooted from the table and left the Great Hall in a hurry.

Scorpius concentrated on eating for the rest of the meal, not saying another word, having difficulties enough with swallowing down food while there was a big lump in his throat. He regretted not going after Simon, but he knew that would have been a pointless thing to do; it seemed like Simon didn't want any friends.

Scorpius was going to have to try a different approach, but he was lost on how to address the issue. He didn't want to push Simon into a friendship, but he had to do something.

He walked back to the common room in silence, skipping out on dessert. The corridors were nearly quiet as almost everyone was back at the Great Hall. He frowned, twirling an amulet that he had inherited from his family in his hands, intently thinking on how he could help Simon.

He was so absorbed in his thought process that he didn't notice the amulet was pulsing with a faint, green light.

*/*

It had been a week since Scorpius last seen any of his family. He had sent them letters and gotten quick replies full of questions. Talli (his sister) had the most though.

Talli was a Squib, so she could never come to Hogwarts. Ever. A couple years ago, she had accepted her magic status alright, but lately, because Scorpius wouldn't be around, she was moody.

Her letters were friendly enough, though messily written (he and Talli were nearly opposites, with her being the more rambunctious child, but Talli usually had decent handwriting. Her Muggle school wouldn't accept unreadable work). She stressed how much she missed him and how lonely she was without her big brother.

Talli wanted to know what Hogwarts was like, and Scorpius was honest with her. It was noisy, one had very little privacy, and he confessed that he was homesick.

Most siblings wouldn't miss one another until days or months have passed, but Talli and Scorpius were close. They had been born only ten months apart, with Talli's birth being premature. They were friends, and the separation was hard for them.

Scorpius at least had things to distract him, but all Talli had was her Muggle school and dance club. They didn't seem like enough.

Scorpius took out a mirror from his trunk, semi-excited to use it for the first time since he had started Hogwarts. He was only allowed to use it on weekends unless there was an emergency.

It was a device that his father had designed, acting sort of like the Muggle Skyping program: one looked into the mirror, said who they wanted to speak with and waited for a response, if they got one, a face would appear— the face of the person they had requested to talk with.

Scorpius and his family were testing it for the year, and if the mirror worked well, Father was going to have it mass produced so other people could talk to those they cared about while they were away.

"Hi, everyone," he greeted happily, seeing his mother, father, Talli and even Toogy (Father's house-elf) crammed together in order for him to see their faces.

"Hello, sweetheart," Mother said. "How is everything there? Are the classes too hard?"

"How are you getting along with your housemates?" Father asked.

"Has anyone played Quidditch yet?!"

Scorpius answered all their questions and talked to them for a while before he said he had to go to bed.

"Oh, must you?" Talli pouted after the others said their goodbyes. "We've barely gotten to talk!"

"I'm sorry, but I have a lot of things to do here. Mother wasn't lying when she said that they give you plenty of things to work on."

He also told her about Simon. "I think he could be Muggleborn. He might feel like he doesn't belong here."

Talli sighed. "I know that feeling."

"I hope I can get him to loosen up."

"Your amulet is glowing," Talli noted suddenly, looking down at it. "Why does it do that if the curse is broken?"

She was speaking about the curse that a woman named Anne Marie Green had set on the Malfoy family when she was humiliated by one of Scorpius's ancestors. It was broken after his father spent a night with his mother (a Muggleborn, specifically Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of their generation) and conceived Scorpius. Upon his conception, a love bond was made between them, and they fell in love shortly after, eventually marrying almost two years later.

Scorpius absentmindedly cupped the amulet into his hand. Only he and Grandfather knew why it lit up like it would, and he only just realized that this would be the second Saturday in eight years that he hadn't gone to St. Mungo's to see if he could help a patient there.

The amulet had healing powers (though his grandfather thought that it was Scorpius who was the one that wielded the power), and Scorpius had been using the amulet to help people since he was still in his nappies. He didn't want people to know— something Grandfather had advised him to keep secret until he was fully grown. The elder man feared that Scorpius would be treated more like an object than a person if the world was aware of his ability.

It had taken the boy a few years to understand what Grandfather had meant by that, but after witnessing how they treated Grandfather (who pretended to be the Healer instead, hiding "Scorpius's" talent through him), it was good that his grandfather helped him keep it all a secret; people expected a lot from Grandfather. Miracles that couldn't be made.

"I'm still learning about how it works," Scorpius answered his sister vaguely, not exactly lying.

"Maybe it's like a mood ring or something."

"Could be. I have to go now, Talli," he said as Simon entered the dormitory. "Love you, Tallistar."

"Love you too, Chomper!" she giggled, always finding their father's nickname for him hilarious.

"Off," Scorpius silenced his sister's giggles with the command that canceled the connection between the mirrors. He felt his cheeks grow a little warm. Father was decent enough not to call him that outside of their home, knowing a nickname like that was embarrassing. Talli usually only said it in private too, but she didn't realize that he hadn't been alone, and if she had, she would have never said it.

Simon ignored him like usual though. He didn't react at all to the nickname that Scorpius had been called, though he did stare at the mirror with interest before he got into his bed and pulled down the curtains for privacy.

Scorpius looked down at his mirror, thinking that maybe Simon had someone he would like to talk to. Perhaps he was missing someone from home, and he didn't want to admit it.

"This mirror is a special item my father made," Scorpius explained. "It allows us to talk to each other, like a voice chat."

The curtain to Simon's bed was pushed back a little, just enough for his head to be seen. "Voice chat…?" he spoke quietly, momentarily confused. "You… know what a voice chat is…?"

"I do! My father's friend's wife is a Muggle, and she's into all sorts of electronics. So is my great aunt, she's a Squib."

Simon reclosed the curtain after that, he said nothing in reply.

"I can show you how it works— if you want…?"

"What's a Squib?" Simon asked after a few minutes of being silent. "Is it someone who is part squid?"

"Squib just means that a person has no magic."

"So another word for Muggle?"

"Sort of. Except that Squibs are born into magical families and can't do magic. Similar to a Muggleborn who is born into a non-magical family and has magic. My mother is a Muggleborn—"

"Aye, I heard. And your Dad's some ex-criminal," Simon said in a bored tone. The other students often gossiped about Scorpius's parents. Love bonds were rare, especially in the way that theirs had been formed. Not to mention Scorpius's parents had an ugly history.

"He's not bad anymore."

"I heard that too…"

"What about your father? What is he like?"

"What are you trying to do?!" Simon demanded. He remained hidden behind his curtains. "Are you writing a book about me?! Have you classified me as some specimen in your studies?!"

"No, I—"

"Just don't talk to me! Leave me alone! I'm not here to make bloody friends! And I'm certainly not here to be used as some science experiment!"

"Simon, I wasn't trying to upset you. Honest!" But Scorpius wasn't able to get the boy to talk anymore after that.

It was at that moment that Scorpius saw his amulet flashing. Simon was the next person he was supposed to help.

Scorpius then wondered what Simon could be sick with and what he needed to be cured from.

*/*

"I really like that my brothers are gone at Hogwarts," Lily Potter said to Talli during a sleepover. Talli had been sent over to the Potters as a way to distract her from the absence of her brother.

So naturally, she had to tell Lily how much she missed him.

"Well, it's different for you," Talli argued. "James does nothing but torment you, and Albus bosses you around. Scorpius isn't like that at all. He doesn't tease me, nor does he tell me what to do. He never tattles on me—"

Here, Lily shifted her legs, guilty of tattling on her brothers (namely James) plenty of times.

"We just… respect each other. He's my best friend, and I can talk to him about anything."

Lily poked out her lip. "I thought I was your best friend…?"

"You're my best girlfriend."

Lily tilted her head from one side to the other. "Fair enough, I guess." She picked up a bottle of nail varnish from the stand next to her bed. "Have you spoken with Vanity recently?"

"No," Talli answered, curious why Lily would bring her up. Vanity was her godsister (Talli's dad was Vanity's godfather, and Vanity's dad was Talli's godfather). The two girls also shared a birthday. "I haven't seen her since the summer."

Lily snickered, carefully applying a bit of the green varnish to the nail of a thumb. "She confessed to me that she has a crush on your brother!"

"What?!" Talli giggled at the news, but then she quickly scrunched up her face in disgust. "Eww! That's nauseating!"

"Well, not really…" Lily said as her eyes went out of focus. "He is pretty cute, and really nice—"

Talli threw a pillow at Lily to stop her from saying anything more. "I don't talk like that about your brothers!" she shrieked.

"Well… who would?" Lily cackled at her joke. "So which boy would you talk like that about?" she asked in all seriousness.

"I don't know…" Talli shrugged. "I never thought about a boy like that."

"Not even the ones at your school?"

Talli shook her head. "All they do is spit at you with wads of paper and tease you. You know, like James."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Boys are so immature."

"Yes, they are!"

"Except for Scorpius," Lily said with a dreamy sigh.

"Don't start that again!" Talli warned. "I'll use something more solid to smack you with!"

"Kidding!" Lily held up her hands in defense. "I was only kidding!"

"Good." Talli relaxed some.

"It's Vanity who you should worry about, she's already thinking about marrying him."

Talli gasped. "Marry?!"

"Aye, marry, and have his babies and everything."

"Oh, Merlin!" Talli smacked her forehead. "I'll have to have a talk with her!"

"What are you going to say, 'Keep your hands off my brother!'?" Lily rolled her eyes. "I doubt Scorpius is even interested."

Talli nodded. "If he was, he'd tell me so. He tells me everything."

*/*

For another three weeks, Scorpius struggled with getting Simon to talk again. The boy just refused to. If it wasn't for the amulet, Scorpius would have given up, but it was his duty to help Simon now.

He just needed a break from the task. The professors were piling him up with a bunch of work, and he was having difficulties keeping up with it. He wanted to help Simon, but he also needed to study. He'd never hear the end of it if he didn't score high. Both of his parents had been top students when they were in school (practically competing with each other for the top position), so they would not expect any less from him.

He couldn't let them down.

"Mr. Granger-Malfoy!"

Scorpius snapped his head up, rapidly blinking. He's eyes were blurry with tiredness. He instantly remembered that he had been in Potions class.

"Yes, Professor Lockberry," he asked somewhat sheepishly.

"I asked you a question, would you mind answering it, please."

"I missed the question…" Scorpius mumbled in embarrassment.

"If you hadn't been drooling on your desk, you wouldn't have! I suggest an earlier bedtime tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," Scorpius acknowledged above the quiet snickers echoing around the room.

"After detention though. 7:35. Right here in this very room."

"Yes, Professor Lockberry. I'll be here."

"You best be. Else I'll be forced to take 50 points from your house!" she warned him stiffly before turning back to the lesson.

Scorpius avoided the dirty looks from his housemates. Professor Lockberry wasn't one to mess with points. She neither awarded or deducted them, so being the first to get points deducted from her would definitely be a bad thing.

Saturday came again. Scorpius went to use the mirror once more, but after three searches, and taking everything out of his trunk, he was saddened to learn that the mirror was missing.

He sat on his bed, dumbfounded and slightly devastated that he couldn't talk with his family.

After thoroughly thinking about it, he took a guess on who may have taken his mirror. Scorpius wasn't one to point fingers though, so he didn't want to go around accusing anyone of stealing anything until he knew for sure.

He asked Edgar, but Edgar would never steal, so of course his friend said he didn't know where it was.

Dallas and Warren also denied having it, with Dallas saying that the object was useless to him since it didn't channel his own family.

Warren still only missed his dog. "It would seem silly to mirror-talk with a dog, wouldn't you think?"

And that left Simon.

How was Scorpius going to bring the subject up to him? Simon was awfully sensitive, and Scorpius didn't want to upset him, but he really needed his mirror back.

Scorpius got out some stationary supplies and began writing a false excuse on why he couldn't talk to his family at this time. He didn't want his father to know that he had lost the mirror, so he lied and said he had to study.

Talli was going to be the most upset with this news, even more when the mirror wasn't going to 'ring' that night, and it would take two days for Weetoo (his bird) to deliver the letter.

But there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped he could get his mirror back soon.

AN: Anne Marie Green has her own story. You can read the one shot posted on this same profile.

*INFO DUMP* Edgar Weasley is Ron and Susan Bones's son.

I reply to all reviews at the end of every chapter (unless they are uber trolls).