Ch 6. Finishing Business
Seven greenhouses, Malfoy counted as he scrambled down the hill as fast as his feet could take him, skidding across the steep grass rather than take the winding pathwalk. Six to search, if James really was skipping his final in Greenhouse Five. Scorpius was mapping the quickest route between them when a blue light flashed through the glass walls of Greenhouse Two.
Magic, and Scorpius just knew it was Potter's. Swerving to the right, he changed course for the greenhouse that would have been his third stop. He looked through the glass and saw Potter talking to someone, and his anger simmered as he realized that of course the Legacy prat would brag about his latest success to everyone he could.
As he got closer he was forced to start taking the pathways. Professor Longbottom had a lot of protection spells set against anyone who dared walk on his garden. Sneaking glances through the thick glass, he'd just reached the hallway the two people stood in when Potter cried "Silencio!"
Instinct swerved him back around the corner, and the Slytherin had to remind himself that he didn't have a real wand to fight with at the moment. He dropped the toy in disgust. Peeking around the corner, he expected James and his friend to shoot him immediately but found their attention entirely on each other.
The short, brown-haired girl had her hands raised as she demanded "Well? Why does a student have the right to take me anywhere?"
Malfoy's eyebrows drew together as he wondered why one of Potter's fangirls would turn down the chance to go somewhere... 'secluded' together.
"I'm James Serius Potter, Harry Potter's son, and you-"
"Does it matter who your dad is? We were talking about you, right?"
Ho-ho, Scorpius grinned as he saw the flash of anger in Potter's eye. Not a fangirl at all, he mused as he waited for a chance to get closer while their banter continued. It only got more entertaining as the prat started listing his dad's accomplishments and was met with oozing indifference.
There was a moment of ominous silence before the girl said in a manner that only a female could "What a surprise, your dad lived through being a boy."
Potter threatened her and she cowered in a way that reminded him of what he had happened in the Transfiguration classroom. But while Rose's submission had placated his raging beast, the sight of this girl being cowed made his blood boil all the more. He had known his threat was empty with the trick wand he'd been holding, but this small girl was in serious danger.
Forgoing his hiding place Scorpius dashed around the corner when James lifted his wand to cast a spell, shouting "Hey Potter!" down the glass corridor even as he was defenseless.
James's attention turned to him and his face paled at the anger that was overflowing from Malfoy's presence. His fear let Scorpius get a bit closer, but not close enough before James gathered his wits and started to cast Petrificus Totalus.
The girl rammed into James just as the spell was released and it bounced off the glass hallway. Scorpius's heart stuttered when Potter looked down in anger. He shouted again in a poor attempt to keep him distracted. "You've got something that belongs to me, Potter."
He was within arm's reach of James when the girl grabbed the wand and stepped away with it in a motion that was obviously smooth and practiced but still escaped Malfoy's understanding. James looked at his empty hand and started after her but the Slytherin seized the opportunity to step in front of his rival, smirking down at him.
Funny. At the start of this year James had been taller than him.
"I don't hit people wearing glasses," He plucked the spectacles off Potter's nose, tucked them into the Gryffindor's pocket with a pat and softly added "but everyone know's yours are a costume piece." before his left hand shot out and hit James with an echoing smack.
One punch, and the source of all his frustrations was splayed helplessly on the ground. Malfoy reveled in the swell of empowerment that came with his satisfaction, and was about to seize the opportunity to give the prone boy a few good kicks when a small sound from behind reminded him that he wasn't alone.
Malfoy turned to the girl and was instantly struck with how petite she was. Her chocolate warm hair was pulled back from her face to reveal long eyelashes, and trembling hands that were dwarfed by the wand she still grasped. He opened his mouth to question how she'd gotten into this situation when her eyes flicked up to meet his and he was frozen by familiar green eyes meeting his.
She smiled, tight lipped, and moved around him to kneel next to James. Her striped stockings reached mid-thigh as she poked Potter mercilessly for a few moments and Scorpius smirked as he realized he wasn't the only one who had wanted to take advantage of the situation.
When she reached into the Gryffindor robe to return Potter's wand and sat back with Scorpius's in her hand instead, a funny little smile crossed her face.
He finally recognized Malam in the instant before she asked him, with a tone of satisfied curiosity, "So Malfoy... are you a magic-less twit now?"
There was a vortex in the Library today. At least, that was the rumor spreading through the halls as Kingsley turned down a corridor on his way to the area in question. He should've guessed that the young, soon-to-be Professor's Assistant would go there first; Jonovan's mind was always seeking answers for infinite questions- even if those queries had yet to be shared.
It turned out that Orion was in aisle 12, the shelves in this section lined with old tomes depicting the rise of magic and it's unending volumes of history. There was no vortex in sight, although at present most of the books were indeed swirling lazily around a seemingly empty chair. Looking closer, the Minister could make out the ghostly form of Jonovan as he mused through a book entitled Wandlore: History and Theories.
Without looking up from the text, Jonovan made himself visible again and mused, "Listen to this: 'It is believed that the first wand was created over two thousand years ago, with their magical properties having been experimented upon and explored throughout recorded history until modern day'. Interesting that a book quoting 'a complete and detailed history' glazed so smoothly over the origin of its topic."
"Orion, you can't conjure up a tempered storm inside the school's library- It's causing a fright amongst the students."
"Supposedly wands choose their witch or wizard 'in a way that is neither random nor serendipitous'." Jon continued, fingering through a few more pages as if he hadn't heard Kingsley, "There's a large accumulation of wandlore and botanical knowledge about the cores and exteriors of wands, listed correlations between similar wands owned by similar people- but there's next to nothing that explains how a wand 'chooses' their owner... or why certain people are not chosen at all. Semi-sentient is hardly an acceptable explanation."
The Minister shifted uncomfortable. "I wouldn't say 'not at all', Jonovan."
"Wouldn't you?" His eyes pinned the man into place. "It's been three years of failed efforts, Kingsley. And you still haven't found a wand to take Zoey."
It was notable he didn't mention that they'd also yet to find a wand that would accept him, but the lad had always been more concerned about his younger friend. Kingsley sighed, "That may be so, but the answers won't be in a mere school book. We've approached all the master wandmakers we've found, consulted every record including Ollivander's and Gregorovitch's-"
"And yet no positive results." Jon summarized with a wry smile, "Hence I thought starting with the basics couldn't hurt. After all, the master wandmakers started from the same place; there may be some factor they missed."
"Well one point you missed is that the library does not allow the use of magic within it's walls." Kinsley reminded, glancing meaningfully at the swarm of books meandering around them. Orion blinked, eyebrows raising in surprise and he waved his hand, sending the books flying back to their respective places on the dusty racks.
As for the one Jonovan had personally removed, he closed it with a snap, brushing off some of the remaining dust from the cover. Putting it back between two thick, leatherbound books where he'd found it, he commented with faux casualness "You know, Minister, it would be rather hard for a student to attend this school without a wand. At the very least it would raise unending questions."
Kingsley nodded, understanding the underlying implication. "We'll find her a wand before summers end, Jonovan. I can't make any assured promises, but I give you my word we'll try our best."
Satisfied with his statement, Jonovan turned with a smile, his attitude shifting nearly as fast as his metamorphmagus skill, "Sounds like a plan, Minister. What do you we take a walk outside? It would be a shame to waste such a nice day indoors."
Malfoy's wand was lighter than it looked, and it tingled quite pleasantly in Zoey's hand, unlike the other one that had prickled at her. She sat back on her ankles to get a better look at the dark wood in her hand.
"Malam?"
"Yes Malfoy?" She answered as she was hit with another wave of dizziness, setting a hand on the floor to steady herself. What was wrong with her?
The blond Slytherin looked her over. "Your hair is brown."
Zoey looked up, as if she could see it, "So it is."
"... It was blue on Saturday."
"You can't expect it to say blue all day, now can you?" She lifted his stick toward him, bouncing it at him with every word of her next sentences and not noticing the way he jumped away from the tip. "You're evading the question. Are you, a magic-less twit?"
He took his wand from her willing hands gingerly but grasped it firmly once it was back in his grip, the subtle relaxing of his jaw giving Zoey the answer he refused to say. He rubbed it clean on his robes and looked down the hallways, saying "We should get going before Longbottom releases his class."
After a noncommittal hum she said "You go, I'm gonna stay here for a little bit."
"Don't be daft," Malfoy gripped her arm to pull her to her feet and nodded to the boy they'd knocked out through joint effort. "How are you gonna explain him when everyone else arrives?"
Her mind churned through this unusually slowly before she nodded. "Right" and took a step forward, only her foot missed the ground. Malfoy's firm grip barely caught her as she pitched down like a toppled shelf. Her face was a few inches from the floor- or was it the ceiling?- as she felt a bit of bile rise in her throat. Then she said in a voice that was surprisingly calm even to her, "I don't think walking's a good idea right now."
Apparently the boy agreed as he helped her into a sitting position, a perplexed- and was that concern?- frown crossing his features. "Are you okay? Did you get hexed?" His voice was slightly delayed and echoey as she shook her head. She was certain she'd avoided all three of those spells, and none of them would have done this. She firmly decided that she hated whatever this was.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with shaking hands and his eyes targeted it immediately. "What's that?"
"Hm?" Zoey glanced at the appendage hazily, "That's my hand. Four fingers and a thumb. I have another one. You have two of them too, by the way."
He gripped it and Zoey vaguely noticed how much bigger and more calloused his hands were than hers. "I meant this," he said and tilted her hand, to reveal iridescent powder on her palm that caught and reflected the light.
She was unconcerned- they were in a greenhouse after all, "Tha's just dirt." she assured him as he grabbed both of her wrists in a single hand. The slur in her words made her wince- great, now she couldn't even speak properly.
"No it's not." He announced, pulling out his stick and muttering a long word that her mind couldn't follow at the moment. A stream of water poured out of the tip and hosed her hands off.
"Coo'." She commented, barely noticing the slur this time.
He didn't glance up as he made sure to wipe off every speck. "That was Rainbata powder."
"Wainbata," She blinked up at him, her mind trying to assemble pieces of information together. "Colorfu' weaves?"
He nodded and looked between her and the greenhouse down the hall. "Did you handle some?"
She thought of the huge stacks of leaves she'd gathered and nodded, "On'y a few."
"Why?" His gaze was bobbing back and forth between her eyes, and Zoey wondered if they were bloodshot.
"...They were pretty."
Well, at least the slur was gone.
Malfoy looked at her incredulously for a few moments, then sighed and rolled his eyes to the heavens. "You need to get out of here." He decided and reached for her.
"Wait, what're you- hold on-" her protests fell on deaf ears as Malfoy tucked one arm under her knees and the other around her back, hefting her from the ground easily.
She was surprisingly light, he thought as he adjusted his grip on her. "I'd use a spell to levitate you, but you're dizzy enough already."
"That's fine," she quickly assured and stopped wriggling immediately, though found it awkward to stare up at his chin so she looked up the path they were following instead. She noticed his left knuckles quickly swelling and surmised that Malfoy would have some serious bruising for a couple of days. "Was that the first time you punched somebody?"
His arms tensed, holding her closer to him as he declared "He deserved it."
"Did he?" She asked softly, then asked curiously "Did he take your stick?"
She whimpered quietly when his grip tensed again and he forced himself to relax it, his jaw clenched with anger as he said "Yes."
"Stole it?"
"Yes."
"So you decided to punch him?"
"Yes."
"Good." He started and looked down at her, and she smiled at his expression. "What? Just because I don't understand why you need a stick, Malfoy, doesn't mean I feel it's okay to steal something important. Besides," she declared with a pout, "he was being a jerk."
"He was." Malfoy agreed, and seemed content with leaving their conversation there.
Zoey's curiosity was coming back with her higher brain functions, though. "Hey Malfoy? What does that powder do?"
He sighed and Zoey got the feeling he didn't really want to talk, until he answered with precision "Rainbata leaves are used in the advanced formulas for the Forgetfulness Potion. They're used in creating Remembralls too."
She felt a spark of hope and wriggled a bit so his arm stopped digging into her back. "So I'm gonna forget this?"
"I wish," he grumbled. "But no, you're just going to feel disassociated for a while. Maybe longer than a while, judging by the amount of powder that was on your hands."
"You wish? You're not the one that tripped over air and reminded somebody what hands are."
It sounded like he tried to hold back his chuckle but wasn't quite able to. "You shouldn't try walking for at least an hour."
She stuck her tongue out at his amusement, but a moment later tucked her chin down and mumbled. "Thank you."
"For what?"
His flat tone, she decided, was something he used when he wanted to hide his surprise or interest. "Not making fun of me."
Scorpius looked down at the head of brown hair, seeing the pink cheeks below it grow a bit darker. His frown returned, "Why would I do that?" Although he enjoyed mocking the Legacies, he usually didn't laugh at others- unless they laughed at him first. However, there was a soft teasing note in in his voice even as he said it.
The thin shoulders just shrugged, the action made clumsy by the girls position against his chest, "Dunno," she said, "But I really don't know you that well, Malfoy."
"Ditto, Malam." Scorpius replied, "You still haven't told me your first name."
She grinned a challenge at him with her green eyes. "I know."
"Alright, then," He sighed, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I guess I'll just have to call you Wainbata. Wainbata Malam."
"Hey!" She pushed back from him and was glad that she succeeding to put some strength behind the her actions now.
Scorpius shrugged, still finding no trouble holding her shifting frame to him even as he started up the many stairs, "Well I can't keep calling you Malam, and if you don't tell me your first name, then I'll just have to make one up for you... Wainbata."
Now Malam was really flushed pink as she kept squirming. "We have a deal, Malfoy. Yours first."
Scorpius raised an eyebrow, "But I don't think I want to know your 'real' first name now, Wainbata. So if you want me to change my mind you should give me a reason to."
Her glare only made him want to laugh, but he held it back as he focused on his feet. He didn't want them to fall down the steep hill.
"...ia Malam."
Scorpius only heard the end of her muttered words, and he finally let his grin escape as he asked, oh-so-innocently, "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"
"I said," Malam huffed and threw her ponytail over her shoulder with a practiced flick of her head. "My name is Zoethia Malam."
"Zoethia." He repeated, rolling it off his tongue as he made sure to pronounce all three syllables. "Zo-e-thia Malam."
"And? It's your turn, Malfoy. Live up to your end of the bargain."
"It's funny," he said slowly as his grin grew even wider. "But I don't remember actually agreeing to that deal of yours."
Zoethia scowled, "What, did you get some Rainbata powder on you too? You promised-"
"Nothing." Scorpius finished, "I made no promises regarding any telling of my namesake. You assumed."
"But you- you just- that's-" She gaped like a fish for a few more steps before she finally huffed and looked away from him again. "Now you're being the jerk, Malfoy."
"Oh? You going to punch me too?"
Her mouth twitched. "Eventually, yes."
Scorpius left it at that as he finally reached the courtyard fountain that he'd been aiming for. He sat them down on the ledge and looked her in the eyes, relieved her pupils were back to being the same size. "You should know better than to mess around with unknown magical plants." he scolded.
"I do now," she mumbled and dipped a small hand into the fountain. Scorpius followed it and winced when he saw the grate.
He could have sworn he heard a dry chuckle, and the Slytherin snapped his head up to see the gargoyle lazily flick its tongue at him. Distracted, Malfoy tried to get back into their conversation. "You'll be fine, Malam. You just need to wait it out."
Her eyes narrowed but she didn't frown as he'd expected. "Going somewhere?"
"Yeah," Scorpius felt a bit of trepidation settle in his gut. "I'm late."
Malam grabbed his sleeve as he stood to leave and for a second he thought she was going to ask him to stay, but instead she demanded "Leave your robe."
He blinked once and said in monotone "What?"
Smiling at something he didn't get, Malam repeated herself "Let me borrow your robe. I'll need to blend in when people come around."
He looked between the two of them and spoke slowly, wondering whether the powder was still affecting her thinking. "You're a bit smaller than I am, Wainbata."
Now she frowned, and her hand shot forward to flick him on the forehead. "Ow," he rubbed the spot and looked at her incredulously.
"I know that, genius. But it'll still be better than this." She gestured to her attire, which once again included short shorts and those striped leggings.
Without another protest Malfoy slipped off the school robe, comfortable in his green and black Slytherin shirt. He helped her balance while she put it on and sat down heavily again, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You'll be fine, right?" he asked before he could stop himself. If she said 'no' then he'd be caught between helping and passing his final.
But she waved his concern off with small hand, her bracelet shimmering in the setting sunlight. "Get going, Malfoy. You've done plenty."
Despite her choice of words nothing about her seemed upset, so he nodded and started running back to the castle, leaving her to fend for herself. Taking stairs two or three at a time, sliding through all his shortcuts and almost- but not quite- wishing Peeves would show him another perfectly placed one, Scorpius flew through the halls as though the Dark Lord himself were at his heels.
Rose Weasley and everybody else looked over after the door to the Transfiguration room slammed open to admit a panting Scorpius. All eyes immediately traveled to his hand, in which he clutched a wand- his own, by the shape of it- and Rose's eyebrows drew together as she realized he'd lost his school robe somewhere.
Scorpius wiped a layer of sweat from his brow, looking around the room and noticing Galleons trading hands as wagers were lost and won, a third of the classroom departing.
His trademark scowl appeared on his face and he walked up to his Slytherin friend to demand breathlessly between pants "People... put... bets... on me?"
"Hey, I said you'd make it back in time. Odds of three to one." said his friend, who was next in line to take the test. At present he was counting his winnings rather than worrying about his exam.
Scorpius nodded sagely and reached out to take half of the money from his friend, his humor apparently returning with his energy. "And you only risked four galleons? I'm insulted."
"It was all I had on me."
Malfoy visibly halted, then Rose felt her jaw drop as he handed the gold back to his friend. She'd been certain he was going to demand a share of it. As though sensing her attention his stormy eyes snapped to her, the only person who had finished the test to stay in the room. "So Rose," he drawled lazily, "Who did you bet on?"
Rose swallowed and forced her spine to straighten, folding her hands in her lap as she declared "I don't gamble."
Malfoy scoffed, "Right. Much too improper for a young lady, isn't it?"
Her face was bright red and she opened her mouth to respond and say that, regardless of proper, she'd still waited to see if he'd make it back, when the door to the chamber opened and a sullen-looking Albus trudged out.
Professor Patil looked around the much-emptied room in surprise for a moment, and Scorpius's friend took the chance to lean over and whisper something in his ear. Malfoy shot him a surprised glance but stayed quiet until the Professor took him away for the final, then turned to Albus.
"Hey Potter." He easily gained the boy's attention, and the entire room's, when he spoke. Scorpius hesitated visibly, then said "I hear you were helpful while I was gone. Good work." and the words didn't choke him.
"Least I could do." He mumbled and looked up tentatively, and Rose felt a swell of pride in her cousin. "Rose helped too. Everyone thought you deserved a chance." Shifting eyes in the group revealed that wasn't entirely true, but it didn't seem to surprise nor bother Scorpius. He looked down his nose at Rose, and she felt her knees go weak.
"I owe you both." he finally said, and Albus toppled into a desk in surprise.
Ignoring her bumbling cousin, Rose finally found her voice and said "You don't owe anyone anything. We were just- making up for our deplorable cousin."
He narrowed his gaze at her, then Scorpius smiled, actually smiled at Rose Weasley. "Seems we can agree on something, then."
"Of course. Besides" She looked to the side and let her thick red hair fall forward to hide the blush she felt spreading, and scrambled to find something that would finish her ill-considered sentence. She said the first thing that sprung to mind "I felt I owed you something for beating you at all the Finals we've taken so far."
His smile vanished which had Rose immediately regretting her choice of words, and she vainly tried to think of something to bring it back. Nothing sprung to mind and they stared at each other until Professor Patil called Scorpius in for his long-awaited final.
Albus pulled her out of the room and sat her on a bench in the hallway, where he looked at his cousin in pity for the second time that day. "What did you go and say that for?"
"I panicked," She whispered fiercely as she buried her face in her hands. "I wasn't planning to say anything and I didn't want to stop midway through a sentence because then I'd sound so stupid and I didn't know what to say and just- I panicked," she sniffled a bit, "I'm so stupid."
"I've noticed." He mumbled, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "How long has this been happening?"
"Second year." She mourned, relieved to finally tell someone about it. Her cousin didn't judge her, just sitting with her in silence until she calmed down.
Then the door opened and Scorpius waltzed out of the classroom, looking at them with entertainment lighting his eye. "Interesting thing happened during the test, Weasley. Patil checked the paws of my Lapifors rabbit and complimented me on changing his claws. Any ideas why?"