Chapter 54

"You did what?"

"I hid it somewhere safe," Albus spoke into his Muggle mobile phone. "I don't want to lose it. You know it could fall out of my pocket or something."

"Knowing your luck, you might just end up losing it in your own apartment anyway," Scorpius said.

"No, I won't," Al argued.

"Or worse she could find it."

"That won't happen; I have hidden it very well."

"Ha, yeah right. You do realise that she lives in that apartment too."

"I swear it will be fine," Al replied confidently.

"Whatever you say, my friend," Scorpius chuckled.

"So anyway, what did you call to tell me again?" Albus asked. "Oh wait, is it about you mother? Didn't you have brunch with her earlier?"

"Ah, yeah," Scorpius replied with a slight nervous quiver in his voice, "at Rose's."

"Oh…"

"Yep."

"So…did you talk to Rose?"

"Ah…yeah," Scorpius replied. Albus could tell that he was holding back something, even if it was only a little something.

"And how was it?"

"Good…I…ah…I am just leaving now."

"You're leaving Rose's now?"

"Yeah."

"How long did you talk? Brunch would have been ages ago."

"Umm, yeah," Albus could tell that Scorpius was hiding something that had happened. He suspected that Alison was right about his best mate's feelings for his cousin. Something had happened today that was bringing feelings up and messing with the blonde's head.

"Wel,l then Dom came after and asked the two of us to help plan her wedding, so we talked about that for a while-"

"Woah, back up. Dom is getting married?"

"Shit," Scorpius cursed, realising his slip up. "Ah yes, she is."

"Wow."

"Yeah, but Al you can't tell anybody at least not until Dom explains everything later tonight."

"What's happening tonight?"

"You'll probably get an invite for tonight, Dom's going to tell everyone and explain. I won't be there, but apparently it's at Hugo's."

"Okay, but why won't you be there?"

"I got to sort out some things." There was a pause. They both knew what Scorpius had to do, and Scorpius knew that Albus was worried about it. "I have to talk to him, Albus. I can't avoid him anymore."

"I know."

"It will be for the better, in the long run."

"Yes, it will."

"And I can do this," Scorpius said strongly.

"I know you can," Albus said confidently, believing whole heartedly in his friend. Just then, Albus heard the sound of Alison returning home. "Listen Scorp, I have to go, but even though I know you can do it, good luck mate," he said quickly.

"Thanks mate. See ya."


"Al?" Alison called out as she entered the apartment. Making her way towards the bedroom, she noticed how Albus had tried to clean up but was distracted by the sound of his quiet mumbling. As she entered, she saw him hanging up his mobile phone, which he used for work in Muggle Relations. "Please don't say something has come up and you have to go back to work," she said, dropping her bag and going to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Not a chance, baby," he replied with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around her waist. They shared a kiss that Albus wouldn't allow to deepen because he knew they had to talk. "Alison, I think we really need to talk," Albus started a little apprehensively. "I think lately…on occasion…there has been…something hanging over us," he struggled to find the right words, not sure how he wanted this to play out. The Slytherin in him would have planned something to say to achieve the best result but for the life of him, he didn't know how this conversation would go. "It has…sort of made conversation…difficult, at times." Alison removed her arms from around his neck and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Now, I know that I have been working a lot lately," Albus continued as he knelt down in front of her, covering her clasped hands with his own, looking up at her slightly. "I have been so busy with work and myself, I didn't realise that something has been bothering you." Alison would not look at him; instead she was focused on their entwined hands which rested in her lap. "Love, please," he pleaded, lifting her chin slightly with a single finger, so that she would meet his gaze. "What's worrying that beautiful mind of yours?" he questioned with a sweet, reassuring smile. Alison looked back at him, trying to gather the right words. She decided she didn't want to bring up her marriage envy, but just deal with including Albus in everything that has happened to her father.

Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "Albus, I have been keeping something from you, for reasons that I don't even know or understand exactly; but nonetheless, I have." She watched the concern and fear grow in his eyes. Albus didn't really know what he was expecting, but he knew that he didn't like the sound of where this was going.

"Ah, okay," he said, moving to sit beside her on the bed, breaking their eye contact. "What is it?" he asked hesitantly, after a moment of silence.

"My father is very ill," she admitted.

"Ray?" he said in shock. Over the years, Albus and Raymond Spencer had gotten to know each other really well. "But…but…" he stammered, trying to remember when they last spoke. Albus quickly felt ashamed as he soon realised that they hadn't see or spoken to each other in long time. This year had been a crazy busy one for Albus and he had never felt guiltier about working so hard and having less free time. Even knowing that he wasn't spending much time with Alison hadn't made him feel this bad because, at least in that case, he had known that it was all so he could set himself up to marry her. "How long?"

"A few months," she replied emotionlessly. "It happened very suddenly, out of nowhere."

"And is he receiving treatment now?"

"He is a permanent at St Mungo's as of the start of this week, but they have yet to identify the illness. So treatment that will work is still unknown, but they have been trying everything." Albus was processing everything; he just could not believe it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, finally looking at her. He watched as she slowly started to show some of the emotion she was hiding.

"Because you had enough on your plate," she sniffled, desperately trying to hold back tears. If possible, Albus felt himself fall more in love with her in that moment. She was so strong in trying to protect him and deal with this by herself. However, he didn't want her to feel like she had to protect him from things like this. He wanted to be able to tackle this together. "And it would have made it even more real. We didn't need more people worried about this when there is nothing they can do."

"But that's the problem. It shouldn't matter whether I can actually do anything to help him because I could have helped you." Albus spoke without anger, just pure love and concern. "I understand he doesn't necessarily need anyone else to comfort and worry about him, but you do," he went on as Alison turned to look at him. "You need someone to hold you, comfort you and talk to. I want to always be that someone," he admitted, laying back down on the bed and opening his arms to her. Tears streamed down her face as Alison crawled into his arms and buried her face into his chest.


Rose tried, of course with little success, to just get through the rest of the day without thinking too much about what had happened with Scorpius. When she finally got home, she was exhausted and just wanted to enjoy a lovely bubble bath and read a good book with a glass of wine. However, it seemed the universe had other plans. Not long after she had stumbled through the door to her apartment, her mother had stumbled out of her fireplace.

"Mum?" she said as watched Hermione dust down her clothes. "What are you doing here?"

"A mother can't visit her daughter?" Hermione joked.

"Just a bit unexpected is all," Rose replied making her way into the kitchen. "Tea?"

"Please," the other woman answered, sitting herself down on one of the barstools at the kitchen island. A calm natural silence fell between them as Rose prepared the tea. "Truthfully Rose," Hermione said after a while, her voice adopting a more serious and business like tone, "this isn't really a social visit."

"Oh?" Rose raised a questioning brow as she handed her mother a cup of tea, made just the way she likes it.

"Yes, to be honest I am not even sure whether you would actually be able to help, but I thought there would be no harm in asking," Hermione said, before taking a sip of her tea.

"What is this about, Mum?" Rose asked, not wanting to dilly dally around the question, problem or whatever it was that her mother was leading up to.

"I need to speak to Scorpius about something, but I can't seem to find him," Hermione replied. "I have already tried Hugo but he wasn't helpful, Albus wasn't at work or at home and it is rather urgent."

"What's going on? Why do you need to speak to him?" Rose asked, suddenly feeling worried for Scorpius and doing a bad job of hiding it.

"Rose, just calm down," Hermione said, reading the obvious concern written all over her daughter's face and seeing how she tensed up. "It's nothing for you to be worried about, it is just-"

"Mum," Rose cut in, her voice raised slightly. "Please, just tell me what this is about." After a moment of just staring at each other, Hermione sighed and nodded.

"Okay, but it isn't confirmed or anything, just a hunch that I have." Rose nodded and moved around to sit next to her mother on the other stool. "I received the paper work today for three house-elves that turned up at one of our centres on the weekend distraught because they had been let go, but felt like their services were still desperately needed in their household." Rose listened carefully and didn't interrupt, but she was completely confused as to what this had to do with Scorpius. "Now, it seems out of respect they won't tell anyone who they worked for or even where, but from what little they have said I have my suspicions that they could have been employed at Malfoy Manor…it could be Scorpius' Father," Hermione watched the realisation of what she feared wash over her daughter's expression. "Now, you see it worried me because why would he fire all of his servants that maintain the Manor, especially now that Astoria…isn't there…at the moment." Rose was smart enough to gather what Hermione was hinting at and was thinking the exact same thing. "I just worry that-" but Rose didn't wait to hear what else her mother had to say. She was already up off the stool and on her way to her handbag in the living room. Hermione followed her and watched as she dialled Albus' mobile number into her own.


After Scorpius left Le Coin Rose he went back to working on Albus' house. However, soon he felt he couldn't delay things any longer. Finally when it had started to get dark, he packed everything securely in his Ute. Thinking of his desired destination, a place he hadn't been in years, he closed his eyes and Disapparated. As he arrived, he immediately felt the swirling cool wind against his skin. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A chill ran down his spine as he took in the sight before him. He stood on top of a hill, surrounded by tall trees that swayed in the wind, looking down onto the eminent Malfoy Manor.


I know you kind of hate me right now. And I am sorry about the waiting but I am doing my best and I definitely aim to make it worth your while. We are getting a faster pace now, things will be a bit dramatic for a bit and then we should all what we have been waiting for :)

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