Summary: Scorpius goes on a hayride for the first time, and it wasn't what he expected, but he made a new friend out of it.

Rated: K

Genre: General, Friendship

Warning Tag: Minor Scary Details

Competition/Challenge Block
Written for/Stacked with: The Houses Competition (Year 8); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4)
THC: Slytherin - Astronomy; Drabble ([Action] Going on a Hayride)

MC4A: Fireworks [A Haunting New Friendship; All About Family; Bang Bang]; Garden [Mixed Bag Redux (New Moon)]; Hunt [Fa Setting (New Moon)]

Word Count: 993

Beta: Dhrish; Ash; DeepShadows2, Hope

A Haunting New Friendship

It was that time of year where everything screamed autumn: trees changed colors, the cold bite in the air, fog blanketing the ground in the mornings, and of course, the warm smell of spices wafting through the streets.

Scorpius was with his grandmother Cissa for the day. She'd arrived bright and early to take him out for breakfast before they went shopping. The pumpkin patch that hosted a harvest festival every year wasn't terribly far from the Manor, but the trip to Diagon Alley was what made it an all-day outing. They made sure to have lunch before making their way to the farm to gather the pumpkins.

Scorpius was excited to go this year because he was old enough to go on the Haunted Hayride alone. It was always so fascinating to observe the large tractor pulling the trailer of hay bales filled with children giddy and restless from sweets, their faces were painted with various animals, butterflies, skeletons, and other cool designs from one of the festival booths.

His grandmother, however, seemed to want to get in and out quickly instead of staying to participate in one of the countless activities they offered.

"Are these the ones you liked, Scorpius?" she asked, gesturing to the five oversized pumpkins Scorpius kept circling but barely looked at.

They were in a cluster and shared the same vine, which was what Scorpius always liked to look for because if one of the crops was perfect, chances were its siblings were the same.

Scorpius bit his lip, looking at the tractor currently being filled with waiting kids. He swore the passenger trailer was even longer this year.

"Grandmother Cissa? Do you think I could go on that?" he asked, gently tugging her sleeve and pointing at the tractor, pumpkin-searching quickly forgotten.

Narcissa scrutinized the contraption, letting out a breath. "I don't think it is suitable for you, sweetheart. It looks dirty and quite uncomfortable. Not to mention you'll be riding along with strangers."

"But my mother promised I could go this year. I am old enough now," Scorpius pleaded. "Eight is the minimum age to ride it alone without an adult. Mum couldn't sit on the hay because it bothered her back and dad doesn't like scary things. Please, Grandma? I'm brave enough, I promise."

She looked around the area, seeing a herd of red-haired children boarding the trailer. The driver announced through an amplifying charm that it was the final loading call and they were to embark in five minutes. Scorpius looked up at her with the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster, and she sighed in defeat.

"Well, I suppose I could try the candlemaking station we passed earlier. I do like the idea of giving handmade gifts for Christmas," Narcissa said.

Scorpius squeaked excitingly, grabbing her hand and all but dragging her over to the ticket booth to purchase a ticket for the ride. He gave her a warm hug and all but bounded up onto the trailer, plopping down on the end.

"I'll be right here when you get back, Scorpius," Narcissa said, giving him a wave.

The tractor's engine started up, drowning out the sounds of the small fair as it shifted into gear. With a slight lurch forward, they were off, the driver's voice amplified so everyone could hear the running commentary as they passed the threshold of the hayride entrance, being swallowed by the darkness of a new moon.

"Hello, young folks! Welcome to our Haunted Hayride! For your safety, please keep your hands, arms, and feet inside the trailer at all times. I hope you are ready for a spooooky time!"

Scorpius was too busy squinting out into the dimly lit evening as they entered the "graveyard." Eyes blinked and grins appeared around the gravestones, but what had him shiver unexpectedly were the moans that seemed to be a little too close for comfort. One of the girls on the ride let out a little yelp when the driver announced the zombies were awakening. The arms rising from the ground unnerved him, but they soon moved past it and into a section of farm where a heap of ghosts roamed ominously around. The song they sang was creepy, and Scorpius soon realized that the end spot was the worst because he could still see the creatures tailing behind them, reaching for the trailer.

What really had everyone scream were the spiders that dangled from the trees of the woods they went through as they circled back around toward the exit. The misty fog blanketed the trail, and Scorpius swore ghosts and faces were appearing in it. He thought he saw something slithering toward them from behind, so he leaned forward to peek over the closed hatch to double-check. A cold chill settled, and suddenly the ghosts started darting all around them, moaning and singing that scary song.

One went right for Scorpius, his eyes widened as it went through him and he shouted, closing his eyes and clinging to the closest person next to him while the screams turned into laughter. He wished for his mother. Maybe he wasn't so brave after all, this was scarier than he thought.

"You alright, mate?" the kid he'd clung to asked, patting his shoulder. "We're back at the drop-off zone now. It's safe to open your eyes."

Scorpius hesitantly opened an eye, seeing the lit-up festival around them instead of the creepy pumpkin patch. He quickly let go, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, embarrassed.

"S-sorry. It-uh, was my first time."

The kid smiled, holding out a hand. "I got scared the first time, too, then I learned the spiders are made of rubber. Name's Albus."

Scorpius smiled, accepting the handshake. "Scorpius."

"Want to go play Dementor-B-Gone?" Albus asked. "Shooting Dementors with glow sticks always helps calm my nerves."

"Sounds fun."

He knew his grandmother would never deny him anything, especially when it came to making a new friend.