Love and Glory

by GinnyWeasleyRocks

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Hogwarts, where we lay our scene. Weasley and Malfoy are destined to come together. But for Rose and Scorpius, it isn't exactly love at first sight - or second, or third, or... you get the picture. It's going to take a lot longer for these crazy kids to get together. But trust me, it's worth the wait. Rated M for violence & dark themes

19. Recruits

A/N: Happy New Year, all! Here's a refresher on what's happened recently.

Rose blurts out that Scorpius's family is in debt. Scorpius was unaware of this, and is a bit (understandably) miffed at Rose. James, Rose and now Cassie know that Penny's brother, Geoffrey, is a traitor Auror who helped poison Hermione at the wedding. James enlists Cassie to keep an eye on Penny. Meanwhile, Albus has a huge crush on Summer Birchgrove and James has started going out with her, causing much brotherly tension. Scorpius's cousin, Tobias, has had some bad influences in his first year at school. Lily Potter is going out with Carlos Santini, unaware that he is just trying to win a sordid bet. A Slytherin Muggleborn, Nina Meyer, is being terrorised for her blood status by an anonymous classmate.

Disclaimer: Copyright J.K. Rowling. Also, R.I.P. Alan Rickman. Such a great actor.

---

Chapter 19: Recruits

It was nearing the end of January when the snow covering Hogwarts finally began to melt, but everyone was much too distracted to notice. Students tramped through the grainy grey slush that covered the grounds, held their books over their heads to shield against the squalls of rain that came whistling from the mountains, yet it did not occur to any of them to speak of the change that had been wrought over Hogwarts, seemingly overnight.

But there was another change, an unnatural change, that had occurred within the walls of the castle, and was impossible to miss. The first to report it had been the ancient caretaker, Mr. Argus Filch, hobbling out of his office early on Monday morning. He had come to a dead halt, staring up at the vast, curling symbol that had been drawn on the wall of the Entrance Hall.

Soon, students, professors and Aurors all over the castle would observe that same symbol, inked on ceilings, by stairwells, on tower walls, in common rooms, in classrooms, even in the greenhouses. Every conversation regarding it would follow the same outline. What was it? What did it mean? Who had put it there?

Was Hogwarts safe?

But for the moment, no one was awake to witness it except Argus Filch. The old man stood, his mouth hanging slightly open and his bloodshot grey eyes wide as he regarded the symbol. Instinctively, he reached behind him for an old cat that was not there, his hand closing on emptiness.

"Well, Mrs. Norris," he said into the silence, shaking his head. "Just like old times, eh?"

---

"They shouldn't have called away those Aurors after Christmas," Albus Potter remarked at breakfast. "If more of them had been on guard, this wouldn't have happened."

"That's assuming these symbols are new." Rose did not look up from her cereal. "They might have been there for months. If so, then whoever's responsible for them must have had a way to get around the Aurors' guard."

"How could they be there for that long without anyone noticing?" Cassie demanded, but it was not Rose who answered. Slipping into the free seat beside the redhead and snatching a corner of toast off her plate, Nina Meyer lost no time in volunteering her own opinion.

"Easily. If they were put there with invisible ink. Or a concealment spell."

There was a brief silence as the Gryffindors regarded the new addition to their table. Then James, who was on Albus's other side, leaned into the conversation without looking at Nina. "Who would bother doing that, though? Covering them up? If they were just going to be shown to us all, why hide them in the first place?"

"Maybe the spell wasn't powerful enough to last," Albus said, at the same time that Nina said, "Maybe it's all theatre."

Calmly, she met the surprised gazes of each member of the small group as they raised their heads to look at her – all but Rose. "Maybe the person who's responsible for these symbols also loves their dramatics. And you have to admit - " with a gesture towards the front of the Great Hall, where one of the symbols sprawled threateningly on the wall behind the staff table, " – it is pretty dramatic, all of this."

James tilted his head slightly at this, but did not contradict her. Albus simply stared at her, Cassie raised her eyebrows and looked down, and Penny Alderton was the only one to speak. "Maybe – maybe it's all just a prank," she said hopefully. "Some student's idea of a joke. Or… Peeves, or something."

"Peeves is a poltergeist," Nina said flatly, when it became clear that no one else was going to justify Penny's tentative suggestion with a response. "How do you suggest he went about drawing those symbols on the walls of the castle?"

"Well – if he had help…" Penny flushed, and did not venture another remark.

Rose set down her cereal spoon with a clatter. "Penny has a point," she said wearily. "This is probably just some harmless prank. It'll be dealt with soon enough, once they find the counter-spell to remove them all. Talking about it isn't going to solve anything."

"It might make some sense of it, though," Nina countered.

Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the others burst forth in speculations once more. Her gaze travelled across the Great Hall, to where Scorpius sat at the Slytherin table with his friends. This was so frustrating. The only other person who knew what these symbols actually were (not counting his cousin or whoever else had put them there), and she wasn't exactly on speaking terms with him.

Just typical.

She tuned back into the conversation to find that the topic had abruptly changed.

"Did you see him?" James was seething, looking at the door of the Great Hall. "Did you see him? Smiling at me like that?"

"We saw him, James," Albus said, "But he's just trying to provoke you. You have to ignore - "

James shoved back his chair with unnecessary force as he rose to his feet, pocketing his wand. "Prick. I'll wipe that smile off his face."

"What have I missed?" Rose was so bewildered as she watched James storm out of the Great Hall that she did not even object to Nina's sneaking another corner of toast off her plate.

"Your cousin has some grudge against Carlos Santini," the latter answered thickly. "Not surprising, really. A lot of people do. But most of them don't act on it." She swallowed. "Except for Gryffindors."

"It isn't some grudge," Cassie broke in, looking more than a little annoyed at Nina's presumption. "Santini's been sniffing around Lily lately."

Something in Nina's face changed; she looked down hastily, while Rose almost spat out her cereal. "What?"

"Lisa Harvey told me he follows her to all of her classes," Jackie Saunders supplied, leaning across the table confidentially. "And he's always waiting there after, to carry her books."

"How sweet," Penny exclaimed.

"When did this start?" Rose demanded. "And why haven't I heard about it?"

"Maybe because you've been buried in your books," Cassie said, a little snidely.

"Better than listening to petty school gossip," Nina challenged.

The two witches stared each other down for a moment, while Albus and Penny watched with interest. "I wouldn't call it petty," Cassie said at last, slowly, "Since it involves someone we all care about. And since you seem to know something about it."

"I don't know anything about it," the Slytherin girl retorted, a little too quickly. Rose, however, was not paying any attention; having just caught sight of Scorpius Malfoy leaving the hall, she resolved in an instant to follow him.

"She didn't even bother to make up an explanation this time," Albus observed, watching as his cousin hurried away from the table.

"What else do you expect? She's obviously got more important things to do than talk to us." Cassie could not conceal her resentment.

"Finally," Nina Meyer said dryly, seizing Rose's plate of unfinished toast. "Something we can all agree on."

---

James Potter cornered Carlos Santini at the top of the staircase to the dungeons. "What was that?" he demanded.

With a lazy smile, Santini swivelled around, one foot planted on the first step. "Whatever do you mean, Potter?"

"Oh don't go all Slytherin on me," James said through gritted teeth. "Do you think you've won, or something? Do you think I'm ever going to let my sister near you?"

Santini moved to let a gaggle of first years past him, then brushed imaginary dust from his robes. "Here's the thing, Potter. You can't watch Lily every hour of every day."

James drew his wand, causing a couple of passing students to stare. "Don't you even - "

"She's her own person," Santini went on, talking over him. "And she likes me, Potter. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about that, either."

"Keep away from her, Santini. I'm warning you."

Carlos Santini flicked his eyes up and down, over James's tall, lean form. "Ooh, a warning from James Potter. Is that supposed to scare me?"

"You do not want me as an enemy, Santini," James hissed.

"Why, because you know your way around the castle? Well, guess what, Potter? You're not the only one." Casually, Santini jerked a thumb at the wall that stretched behind the stairwell, on which was drawn yet another of the spidery symbols that had been appearing all over the castle that morning.

James's eyes widened, and suddenly a lot of things made sense. He raised his wand at Santini, feeling strangely calm. "Got something you want to confess, Santini? Looks like we have an audience."

Sure enough, a number of students were gathering around them now, crowding the narrow space at the top of the stairs. Some were whispering, others silent, their eyes flickering between James, Santini and the symbol on the wall.

The Slytherin captain did not seem surprised – on the contrary, his handsome face broadened into a complacent smile, as though this had been precisely what he was hoping for. He leaned in towards James. "I've got a few things to confess, actually, Potter."

"I'm listening," James said, with a quirk of his eyebrow that was meant to appear nonchalant – even though right now, he was anything but that.

"The first thing," Carlos Santini stage-whispered, "is that your sister's going to be the easiest shag I've ever ha - "

His words were cut off as he keeled over backwards from the hex James had just fired at his face. Blood was suddenly gushing through Santini's hands, which were covering his nose as he howled, and James grinned savagely. All around them, students were shrieking in excitement, some scrambling for cover as James raised his wand a second time…

And found himself face to face with Theodore Nott.

The Potions master had just entered from the entrance hall, and a mixture of surprise and satisfaction could now be seen in his dull eyes as he regarded the scene before him. "Mr. Potter, to Hobspawn's office now," he said calmly, after disarming him. "I'll lead the way." The other students scattered as he passed them, and James clenched his fists, looking back once before following Nott.

Santini was sitting up, grinning despite the blood covering his features. "The second thing I was going to confess, Potter," he said smoothly, "was that I tipped off Nott before I left the hall. ToId him I was afraid you'd try something. How right I was."

"Go to hell, Santini," James snarled.

"I'll give Lily your regards," the captain called after him, and Nott's hand closed on his arm before he could fire another hex at the Slytherin captain.

---

"I know you're still angry at me. But we need to talk about what's happening in the school." Rose came to a halt behind Scorpius as he entered the deserted Alchemy classroom. She pushed aside the thick, faded curtain that served as a door, suppressing a cough at the wave of dust that rose before her. "These symbols…"

"Change nothing," Scorpius finished, taking off his book bag and placing it on one of the old-fashioned desks near the window, then pulling out his Alchemy textbook, all without looking at her. "I know what they are, you know what they are, and there's nothing further to discuss."

"Well, let's see… what about who's responsible for them?" Rose said, exasperated. "What about how long they've been there? What about the one that we saw in the North Tower months ago, which was put there by your cousin - "

"Do not involve Tobias in this," Scorpius snapped.

"He's already involved! He got involved by drawing that symbol!" She ran a hand through her hair. "You've got to get him to own up, Scorpius, because people are getting scared again and that is not what Hogwarts needs right now!"

"I'll take care of it," he muttered, taking a seat and bending his head over his textbook as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Rose groaned aloud with frustration. "This is none of your concern, Weasley."

"Stop saying that, and stop calling me that!" She marched right up to him, yanking the textbook from his hands. He raised his head slowly to scowl at her, grey eyes unyielding. "My name is Rose. Rose. And we're supposed to be friends, Scorpius. Why do you keep fighting me?"

"Because, Rose - " He said her name sourly, as though it pained him to pronounce it, " – every time I think I can trust you, you do something so selfish and destructive that it reminds me just what you are - "

"Which is what, exactly?" Rose demanded, her grip tightening on the textbook as he reached for it. "Say it, Scorpius. Say it."

"Spoiled," he spat. "You're spoiled, Rose. You blunder around the place, not even realising how much damage you're causing because it all comes so naturally to you…"

"Well at least I'm not a mopey git with a massive chip on my shoulder," Rose shot back. "At least I don't go sulking around, acting like the world hates me, because life is so hard and people are so unfair - "

"What would you know about it?"

"You know, it's no wonder Diana Turpin couldn't put up with you for more than a couple of weeks - "

"For your information, I broke up with her," Scorpius said hotly, before realising that he had risen to the bait and cursing himself. "And anyway, Weasley, you have no idea what you're talking about so you'd better just give it a rest…"

"Actually, I do." Rose raised her eyebrows. "Because guess what, Scorpius? I have problems, too. Everyone has problems. And maybe if you took some time to realise that, you'd stop going around acting like life owes you something and you've had it so bad - "

"This is exactly what I'm talking about." Scorpius stood as though to illustrate his point, the desk still between them. "You're so self-absorbed that you can't even look past your own problems to anyone else's – you can't imagine that anyone has reason to complain except yourself. This is why I can't - " He checked himself, and sighed. "There's no point arguing with you. You won't see any reason except your own – so just give me my book back."

"No," Rose said stubbornly, taking a step backwards as he put a hand out for the book she was still clutching. "Not until you admit that you're wrong, and I'm right."

Scorpius snorted. "That's never going to happen. Give me my book." He stepped around the desk and grabbed her arms; she twisted out of his grip and ducked away, weaving her way around the desks.

"Come and get it!"

Scorpius stared as she climbed onto a chair, holding the book high above her head. "You're not seriously doing this."

"You've got a problem with it, have you? A problem with me?"

"Yes, I think I already made that rather clear."

"Well, too bad."

"Rose…"

"Oh, so we're on first name terms again, are we?"

"Just give me my book!"

"No!"

"What age are you?" Scorpius surged forward towards the chair, she stepped off it and made to move away again, but then he had caught hold of her. The textbook was in his grasp before he realised that she had stopped moving.

She stood still, in his arms, flushed and breathless, and Scorpius stiffened. They had never been this close. Her very breath mingled with his; he could feel her heart thumping against his chest. When the textbook, that had previously held such stellar importance, slipped from his hands and thumped onto the floor beside them, he scarcely noticed.

She did not look straight up at him at first. But when she did, Scorpius felt himself moving closer to her on instinct. Her blue eyes were wide and inquiring, and there was something like excitement in them… as though some part of her mind, like his, was saying finally –

"Not interrupting anything, am I?" Nina Meyer said dryly, shutting the door of the classroom behind her, and Scorpius could have killed her.

---

"It was nothing!" Rose insisted. "Really! He was just trying to get his book."

Nina raised her eyebrows. They were descending the stairs from the Alchemy tower, following one of the most uncomfortable classes of Rose's life. "Right. And I'm sure it was absolutely necessary to put his arms around you in the process – it's not like there was any other way he could have gotten hold of his book."

"There wasn't!" Clutching her books tighter to her chest, Rose did not meet Nina's gaze. "I can move quite quickly when I want to, you know. I'm very agile."

"Is that what you told him?" Nina lowered her voice an octave, into a suggestive drawl, as they reached the fourth floor. "Come get your book off me, Scorpius. I'm very agile."

Rose was staring at her, half-amused, half-horrified. "Never do that again."

"What? Isn't that how girls like you flirt?"

"Oh, please," Rose scoffed as they squeezed around a crowd of students who were staring at yet another symbol that had been etched beside a tapestry. "I don't flirt."

"So you're telling me that whole stealing-his-book routine wasn't an excuse?"

"No! What kind of… he doesn't even… it's not like I'd want him to… anyway, you've clearly got the wrong idea of flirting because…"

"Eloquently spoken, Weasley."

Rose scowled. "Shut up."

"Whatever you and Scorpius were doing in that classroom - "

"We weren't doing anything! You make it sound like…"

" – I don't particularly want to know," Nina finished firmly. They came to a halt outside Professor Broadmoor's classroom, as Rose had Transfiguration next, and the Slytherin girl suddenly looked serious. "I actually wanted to ask you something."

"What?" Rose said, eager to discuss anything that did not involve her earlier encounter with Scorpius.

"The thing is…" Nina paused as a group of laughing sixth-years moved past them into the classroom. She brushed a hand over her long, dark braids and flicked one over her shoulder.

"Yes?" Rose prompted. Now Nina looked uncomfortable – sheepish, even.

"The thing is, I need your help."

---

"Heard you got detention," Albus said as his brother entered the common room. It was almost empty, most of the students having gone down to lunch. James shrugged, coming over to lean against Albus's armchair, hands in his pockets.

"And a warning. Hobspawn probably would have suspended me if not for dear old Dad."

"You shouldn't say stuff like that," Albus said sharply. "If anyone heard you, Dad could get into real trouble."

"I was just joking." James, however, did not look very mirthful. Passing a hand over his face, he sighed heavily. "Santini set it all up."

"Of course he did." Albus returned to the letter he had been writing to his cousin, Fred. "He knew all you needed was a little provocation. I tried to warn you - "

"And what would you have done?" James demanded, pushing himself away from the armchair and taking a few restless paces towards the fireplace before swinging around again. "He's still going after Lily, you know. He has to be stopped. At least I'm actually trying."

Albus bit back the snide response that was forming on his lips and said instead, simply, "If she's smart, she'll stay away from him."

James threw up his hands in exasperation. "That's just the thing! She's not smart. She's not smart at all, if she thinks he actually cares about her – that he isn't just doing this to get at me - "

"He isn't," came a furious voice, and both brothers turned to see that Lily had just emerged from the staircase to the girls' dormitories. The colour had drained from her face, and her lips were pressed tightly together. Without looking either James or Albus in the eye, she flounced past them and out the portrait hole.

"Lily - " James began, making to follow her, but Albus rose from his armchair instead, setting his parchment down.

"I think you've done enough," he said coolly, and savoured the look of bewilderment on his brother's face before he turned and left the common room in pursuit of Lily.

He caught up with her a floor down from the Fat Lady. She had been walking fast, fuming, and did not appear to be paying much mind to where she was going. A symbol loomed up before them, scratched across the wall of Professor Harris's office in black ink, and Albus cast an uneasy glance at it before catching his sister's arm. "Lily. Lily. Wait."

She stopped reluctantly and turned to face him, her hazel eyes angry. "Why does James always think that everything's about him?"

"You know James. Anyway, he's worried about you." Albus paused. "And so am I."

Lily glared at him. "Why? Because you can't believe Carlos Santini would really take an interest in me? Because I'm too young for him? Because I'm a Gryffindor?"

"No." Albus adjusted his glasses, and tried again. "Lily, I'm just not sure he's good for you. I've heard stories about him, and - "

"So have I," Lily interjected. "I've heard every rumour and story there is, but none of the people who spread them really know Carlos. James doesn't really know him. You don't, either. But I do. And he's kind, and thoughtful, and… he likes me."

Albus was silent. Gazing at him, still breathing hard from her walk, his sister continued, "And I like him. Isn't that the most important thing?"

"Lily…"

"You, of all people should understand. You've liked Summer for so long - "

"Lily." Suddenly Albus wasn't so worried about sparing his sister's feelings anymore. A new firmness to his tone, he went on, "That's different."

"Why? Why is it different?"

"Well, for one thing, Summer and I are the same age. For another, we're not going out. For another, she never showed any sign of liking me and - "

"I mean," Lily broke in, putting her hands on her hips, "Why is the way you feel about Summer any different to the way I feel about Carlos? The way Carlos feels about me?"

Albus blew out his breath. "I can't answer for his feelings. But as for yours, and mine… Well, would I be wrong to guess that you first started noticing Carlos when he started showing an interest in you?"

"Yeah, but that's because before that, he was…" Lily trailed off, then resumed, "I didn't know him properly until he started talking to me. Properly."

"With Summer," Albus said, shaking his head, "It wasn't because she started showing any interest in me. I don't even know when I started falling for her. It just happened, at some point. I don't remember a time when I didn't see her for what she is."

He had not intended on saying so much. Lily was gazing at him, her anger gone, expression all sympathy and wonder. "You love her."

Albus did not meet his sister's gaze, but nodded. After a moment's silence, she said quietly,

"I think I love Carlos."

Mentally kicking himself, Albus said in as gentle a tone as he could manage, "Lily, you can't know that yet. You and Carlos have only just started going out. These things take time."

"I know." Lily's brow was furrowed, and she seemed lost in thought now, her eyes distant. "I know, you're right, it doesn't make sense, but… I think I love him."

Albus bit his lip. Maybe James's approach would have done less damage after all.

---

"I didn't wash it off. Just a concealment Charm."

Nodding, Rose regarded the bloody message scrawled on the window of the Slytherin girls' dormitory, which was currently unoccupied excepting herself and Nina, it being lunchtime. "Good thing you didn't."

"I figured I might need to re-examine it at some point."

"And you didn't show anyone else? You didn't even consider going to the Aurors, or a professor?" Rose was doing her best to disguise the chill she felt at the sight of the word Mudblood, scrawled so violently on glass. She wondered how Nina could sleep here at night, and said as much.

"I don't," Nina said shortly, indicating her neatly-made bed beside them. "I've been sleeping in a disused dormitory since the morning I saw it. I keep my stuff here, just in case any professor comes checking, but so far, none have. Just the house-elves. I haven't shown it to anyone else, no, and as for going to the Aurors…" She broke off, shaking her head, and her shoulders sagged, almost imperceptibly. "I have a fairly good idea who's responsible for this - " waving a hand towards the bloody message, " – and if they were found out, they would likely be expelled. I don't want that."

"Ottelby's the one you suspect, isn't she? I don't know why you want to cover for her."

"Because she was my friend, Rose."

"Friend or no friend, she's clearly dangerous if she did this. And if she was responsible for that attack on you in Gobstones, too, it's your duty to the school to report her, Nina."

"I know." Nina dropped her eyes to the carpeted floor. "That's why I plan on finding out – for sure – if she's responsible, before I take any further steps."

"And that's where I come in." Rose began pacing up and down the dormitory, casting a glance up at the window each time she turned. "Do we know what kind of blood that is?"

Nina nodded. "It's Salamander blood. I ran some tests on it in Alchemy."

"So whoever did this had access to Nott's cupboard. Or pocketed some ingredients during class." Rose made a thoughtful noise. "Ottelby's in our Potions class, so there's the first clue."

Nina nodded, a touch of impatience to the movement, and Rose smiled to herself. "That's not all I've got, don't worry." She came to a halt directly opposite the message on the window. "I'm guessing the girls' dormitories here have the same security measures in place as ours?"

Nina nodded again, briskly. "Which means that whoever did this has to have been a Slytherin girl." She frowned. "Though Orchid did tell me that the boys have a way of getting in. She was probably just talking rubbish."

"Quite likely." Rose paused again, very deliberately, and examined the bloody scrawl for a few more seconds before concluding, "A Slytherin girl, and left-handed, I think."

"Left - " Nina looked at her incredulously. "How do you reckon that?"

"The way the blood's smeared under the writing. My brother, Hugo, is left-handed, and he smears the ink in the same way when he's doing his homework."

"That's just conjecture," the Slytherin girl said, with a sniff.

"What else were you expecting? Hard evidence?" Rose swung around to face her friend. "You didn't tell anyone about this for weeks, Nina. I'm doing my best here, working with what I've been given."

"I know, I know." Nina sighed.

"Is there anyone else we can talk to?" Rose held the other witch's gaze. "Your other roommates?"

"Laura and Hilda and Melanie?" Nina shook her head. "They're all in Orchid's gang. If it got back to her that I've been asking questions…"

"What if I approached one of them alone?"

"You think they're any more likely to tell you anything?"

Rose shrugged. "With proper incentive, maybe. If not, there's still a chance they might reveal something by accident." Then something sparked in her eyes, and she twisted to Nina, grabbing her arm.

"Weasley, you know how I feel about physical contact…"

"The house-elves," she said excitedly.

"The…" Slowly, Nina began to smile. "They might have seen something."

Rose picked her cloak up from the chair she had slung it over and threw it around her shoulders. "Only one way to find out."

---

Scorpius was waiting for his cousin near the gamekeeper's hut when Tobias emerged from Care of Magical Creatures. The older wizard was wrapped up against the cold, his green and silver scarf tied around his neck and his training gloves fixed on. The first-year started when he saw him, and said something to his friends before making his way over through the slush. "Scorpius, what…"

"That symbol you drew in the North Tower, a few months ago," Scorpius said, without preamble. "Who put you up to it?"

Tobias stared. "How did you - "

Scorpius folded his arms. "Doesn't matter how I know. But Tobias, if you're responsible for all of these symbols appearing around the school - "

"I'm not." His cousin shook his head, without dropping his eyes from Scorpius's. Behind him, a pale half-moon had appeared in the greying sky. Daylight would not last much longer. "I swear I'm not, Scorpius. I don't know anything about them."

Scorpius sighed. "You can't really blame me for finding that hard to believe, Tobias. After what you did - "

"I'm not lying!" his cousin protested. "I swear, Scorpius – fine, I did draw that symbol in the tower and I knew you'd be angry if you found out, but I haven't done anything else like that in months. Torrance hasn't..."

"Torrance?" Scorpius took a step backwards, eyes wide as he stared at his cousin, who had paled. "He was the one who made you do it?"

"I didn't mean – I – it was some kind of prank…"

"Has he made you do anything else since? Don't lie, Tobias, I need to know if - "

"He hasn't. I swear, Scorpius. I haven't heard anything from him since the story got out about who my dad is."

"That made you too conspicuous to be of any further use to Torrance, I'm guessing."

His cousin hung his head, scuffing the toe of his boot in the slush. "Er… yeah. Probably. I… I didn't do it for Torrance, though."

Scorpius swallowed, and asked, though he could already guess the answer, "Then why did you do it?"

"Torrance told me if I helped him, I'd get to see Dad."

The wind rustled, shaking traces of leftover snow off the branches of the nearby trees and sending the white flakes spinning through the air around them. Once he had allowed the meaning of those words to sink in, Scorpius asked quietly, "Did you?"

Tobias nodded, his eyes fearful. "In Hogsmeade, on Hallowe'en. He took a big risk, meeting me there, because of the Aurors... Torrance told me that. He said they had to create some kind of diversion."

"The Snarling Sons," Scorpius breathed, more to himself than to Tobias. "The Obliviate curse… the werewolf scare – it was all a distraction, to help Zabini get past the Aurors on guard in Hogsmeade after he met with you. And Torrance knew – when we were in that carriage, afraid for our lives, he knew it was all to help Zabini…"

"Zabini. You talk about him like he's a stranger." Tobias was staring at him. "He's your uncle. He's my dad. He's family."

"That doesn't make as much of a difference as it used to," Scorpius muttered, then, before his cousin could make another retort, "Why did he meet you, Tobias? What did he want?"

"To see me. To know I was safe." Tobias looked down. "But it wasn't just that. He wanted…"

"Yes?" Scorpius wasn't sure if he wanted to hear any more; his head was already spinning with what he had just learnt, yet still he watched his cousin and waited.

"He wanted me to send a note. Just one line. To… Rose Weasley."

"What?"

"Just for fun, he said." Tobias was looking extremely uncomfortable now. "To keep the Weasleys on their toes, he said."

"What did the note say?" The older wizard's voice was barely louder than a whisper.

His cousin cleared his throat. "That – we were watching her. I didn't get a chance to send it till a few days later."

Scorpius drew back from Tobias once more, feeling a cold fury course through him. He remembered standing near this very spot with Rose, as she gazed out over the lake with that horrible calm, and showed him the note she'd received – the note that had prevented her from telling her family about the truth of Andromeda's death. The emptiness he had seen in her eyes that day - he would never forget it.

But Zabini had told Tobias to send that note before Rose had witnessed him murder Andromeda. Had he known, somehow, that she would pose a threat? Or had it been another of his sick games, intended only to confuse or taunt – or torture?

"You should have told me all of this," he said at last to Tobias, who had been watching him warily. "When it happened. I'm supposed to be looking out for you."

"I thought you'd be angry."

"I am angry." Scorpius fixed his cousin with a glare. "You can't let Torrance rope you into any more of his schemes, Tobias. I'll find out if he does. That goes for Santini, too. And you've got to tell me if Zabini – if your father contacts you again."

"Yeah, fine," the first-year muttered, but Scorpius did not move. "What, do you want me to make an Unbreakable Vow or something?"

"Well, that'd be a good start. But a promise will have to do for now." Scorpius held out his hand. "Promise me, Tobias?"

His cousin's dark eyes met his, then his chubby little hand reached out and grasped his gruffly. "Promise."

---

"It's been a funny sort of day, hasn't it?"

"I – I suppose so, yes." Penny Alderton looked up as Cassie Miller entered the sixth-year dormitory. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, wearing a bulky nightgown and cuddling Florian so tightly to her chest that Cassie wondered the cat didn't scratch her eyes out. He must be quite attached, she concluded. She would never understand cats.

"Don't you have homework?" Penny asked – rather pointedly, Cassie thought – as Florian leapt out of her arms and streaked across the room, nearly tripping Cassie up. That was as close as Penny Alderton came to being rude, she supposed.

"Lots." Cassie undid her ponytail, letting her long, coal-black hair ripple over her back, and blithely began to strip off her various layers.

"But you're not going to do it?" Penny's voice sounded more hesitant now, and embarrassed. Cassie sensed that if she turned around, she would find the other girl's eyes to be averted so as not to witness her state of undress. Penny had never been comfortable with that kind of thing; a prudish tendency which Cassie, accustomed to changing in front of her fellow female Quidditch players, found difficult to fathom.

"No." Cassie pulled on a pair of flannel trousers. She hovered in front of her mirror for a few more minutes, removing her makeup and brushing out her hair, while her roommate attempted to call back Florian.

"So what does your brother make of it?"

Penny's reflection in the corner of the mirror stiffened, and there was a moment's delay before she ventured, "Make of – of what?"

"What do you think, silly?" She set her brush down and turned around. Penny's eyes widened perceptibly, then dropped; unconcerned, Cassie took a step towards her roommate's bed. "The symbols that have been appearing around the school."

"Oh – of course." Without meeting Cassie's gaze, Penny moved to her hands and knees to fetch Florian, who had retreated under her bed. "I don't think he's heard about them yet, actually."

"But isn't he around?" Cassie inquired casually, leaning a hand against Penny's bedpost. Her roommate straightened up once more, wriggling cat in her arms, and returned to her bed, glancing only momentarily at Cassie.

"No, actually. He had to go away on some important business at Christmas. Umfraville relieved him of his post here."

"Oh? I didn't know that."

"I mentioned it a couple of times," Penny mumbled.

"Did you?" Cassie frowned. "I'm sorry, I should really start listening better."

"It's all right." Penny was letting her cat wander over her bedspread now as she petted him. She suddenly seemed somewhat calmer, and met Cassie's gaze with a little more ease. "I miss him being around, but I'm glad, too, in a way. I feel like it's dangerous here."

"He's an Auror, though. I'm sure he can take care of himself." Cassie moved back towards her own bed, springing onto the mattress and positioning herself so that she still faced Penny.

"I suppose so - aren't you cold?" the other witch asked hesitantly, but Cassie simply smiled. In her mind, she could hear a voice – remarkably like James's – telling her stop now, you've found out enough. Penny doesn't seem to know anything. She doesn't realise her brother's on the run.

Or does she?

Cassie couldn't resist. Folding her long legs underneath her, she said, "What kind of business was it that called your brother away? Must have been urgent."

There was a silence. It could only have been brief, though to Cassie, it seemed to stretch on forever. Florian mewled petulantly, and Penny freed him from her grasp; he dropped to the floor and trotted briskly away. His owner slowly looked back at Cassie, blinked, and then said, "I don't know what kind of business it was. Geoffrey's very careful about what he tells me. Auror confidentiality, you know."

"But you've heard from him recently?" Cassie pressed, even though the voice inside her was saying stop now – she didn't know whether it was guilt or caution or plain old common sense. "You know he's safe?"

Penny stared at her. Through the dim light provided by their respective wands, Cassie could only just make out the expression on her face. Was it of fear or anger? Did she think Cassie was prying, or getting too close to the truth?

"Yes," the other witch said at last. "I know he's safe."

---

Orchid Ottelby was sitting at a table with two other girls when Rose came upon her in the library. They had their heads together and did not see her straight away. Smiling complacently, the Gryffindor girl slipped into the free seat and rested her chin on her hands.

Ottelby was the first to notice her. Lifting her head so that her dyed blonde hair fell around her face, she raised her pencilled eyebrows and returned Rose's smile, just a little. "Weasley. What do you want?"

"To enjoy the pleasure of your company, and - " Rose paused midway through her sarcastic jibe. Was she channelling Scorpius? Merlin, she was. Hastily, she resumed with a more direct, "To ask you who painted Mudblood on Nina's window."

Ottelby's smile grew as she exchanged glances with her two companions. "I thought it was only a matter of time. So you and Nina have teamed up, then, have you? I'm glad she's found someone new. A word to the wise, though, Weasley." She leaned forward, across the table, as though they were intimate friends. Rose did not budge. "Don't get too close to her. She might misinterpret your feelings."

"Stop avoiding the issue, Ottelby," Rose said flatly. "It just makes you look more guilty."

"What do I care?" Ottelby snorted. "It's not like you have proof or anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Rose smiled. "House-elves can be quite talkative, you know. Given a little persuading."

Ottelby's expression did not change, but one of her companions – Rose recognised her as Laura Runcorn, the one Nina had mentioned earlier – looked quite alarmed at this, exchanging a glance with the other girl before fixing her wary gaze on Rose.

"I'm sure they are quite talkative," Ottelby drawled, looking as though she were bored to death by the conversation. "On the subjects of cleaning dormitories and cooking meals. Were they able to tell you how Laura goes sleep-walking? How Melanie sneaks off to the Ravenclaw boys' dormitories every night? How Nina isn't even staying in the same dormitory as us anymore?"

"No, actually, though that is fascinating," Rose responded, with a wry smile at the sudden discomfiture of Ottelby's friends at the mention of their transgressions."None of the house-elves who clean your dormitory were able to tell me anything, but there was one whose job it is to tidy the Gobstones room for each session. On the night Nina was attacked, he saw someone go into the room a few minutes before the game started."

There was a pause, then Ottelby prompted, dragging out the words, "Are you going to tell us who that someone was, Weasley?"

"He couldn't say. But I have a pretty good idea." Rose gazed at Orchid Ottelby levelly.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Weasley, but that's hardly damning evidence. A house-elf thought he saw someone, but couldn't tell who…"

"I'll get more. You can be sure of that." A cold ball of anger was suddenly working its way up Rose's throat. How could Ottelby sit there so calmly, after she had almost been the cause of her friend's death, and been found out? Did she have any human emotions at all? Was there even any use in appealing to them now?

She had never liked Orchid Ottelby. Since first year, she had been sly and cutting and downright nasty, to Rose herself in particular, and yet the sheer extent of her badness still shocked her now, as she sat across from her at the desk in the library.

Lowering her slightly trembling hands below the desk so that her weakness could not be detected, Rose glanced at Runcorn and Hooper, then back at Ottelby. "You can't expect to get away with this. You won't."

"Well, I - " Ottelby began, but she was interrupted by a cool, quiet voice a few paces behind them.

"She didn't do it."

Rose twisted in her seat to see that Nina had approached from the bookcases, unnoticed. She gave her a what-in-Merlin-do-you-think-you're-doing look, but Nina ignored her, coming to a halt beside her chair.

"You've come to clear my name, have you, Nina?" Orchid Ottelby was grinning broadly now, a kind of cruel hunger dancing in her muddy green eyes.

"Orchid wasn't the one who was trying to scare me," Nina continued flatly, though it was unclear to whom she was addressing her words now; her gaze was fixed somewhere between the floor and the table.

"How do you - " Rose spluttered, but Nina bulled over her.

"I've just been to talk to Professor Nott. He said that some Salamander blood went missing from his stores a little after Hallowe'en. Around the time that Mudblood was written on the window of our dormitory. Fitting, right?"

"Do continue," Ottelby said, studying her nails. "I love this little detective act you and Weasley have going on, it really does liven things up around here, doesn't it, girls?"

"Orchid, shut up," Nina said. The other two girls said nothing, and Rose was still staring at her friend.

"But who - "

"Nott had his suspicions as to who it was." Nina looked weary now, resting a hand on the back of Rose's chair. "And those suspicions were confirmed a couple of days ago when he found that same someone raiding his stores again. Looking for Moonseed Poison."

Rose's eyes were wide. "But that stuff kills instantly."

"They didn't get it, of course. Nott made sure of that. Instead some cheap stuff from Hogsmeade was used on me. The apothecary probably didn't mix it right – and chances are that's why I'm alive."

"Merlin, Nina…" Rose felt a sharp chill shiver down her spine. She had almost forgotten that Ottelby and the other two girls were watching them, listening. "But – who was it?"

Nina was silent for a few moments. Then, a chair scraped back, jarringly, and Laura Runcorn rushed to her feet. Her face had turned a very ugly shade of puce, and she swung her bag over her shoulder, hurrying away from her friends without so much as a glance backwards. Orchid Ottelby surveyed the depature with equanimity, and Nina did not try to stop her.

"Nott's already told Hobspawn," she said, in response to Rose's stare. "He'll get in touch with Laura's parents. It's out of our hands now."

"How can you be so… " Rose trailed off, turning back to see the other witches' reactions. There was a certain gleam in Ottelby's eyes that had been ignited on Laura Runcorn's departure, but the other girl – Melanie - looked quite upset. "Did you know about this?"

Orchid Ottelby shrugged her shoulders. "I figured something like it. Didn't know why you were making such a fuss over it, Nina – it's just Laura, after all."

"She tried to kill her," Rose choked out.

"With that cheap stuff?" Ottelby waved a hand. "You said so yourself, Nina, it wasn't even mixed right."

"You – " Rose stopped herself. Why was she even bothering to argue with Ottelby? Turning back to Nina, she said, "Why would she do that to you? Laura?"

"She's a Runcorn," was all Nina said.

"So? What difference does that make?"

"Are you thick, Weasley?" It was Ottelby who answered this time, slightly impatiently. "The Runcorns have always hated Muggleborns. Her uncle informed on them during the war. It's in her blood, I suppose." She shrugged, her hair shifting on her shoulders. "I, on the other hand, am much more tolerant."

"They're going to expell her," Melanie Hooper said, speaking for the first time. She was pale-faced, her eyes were fixed on the door through which Laura had departed a few minutes ago.

"Well, she should have been more careful." Ottelby sighed. "If those two - " with a disparaging glance towards Rose and Nina, " - could find out so easily that it was her, then she clearly didn't cover her tracks well enough."

"Don't you care at all?" Melanie cried, then surged to her feet, rushing away from the table.

"Uh-oh," Ottelby said, watching her leave. "I suppose I'd better go do some damage control. Oh, the drama I'm going to have to deal with in the next few days…" Rising to her feet and smoothing her hair, "I have you two to thank for that."

"You made me believe it was the boys at first," Nina said softly. "That they'd had something to do with what happened. Scorpius and Jem. You wanted to drive me away from them."

Ottelby looked back at her, but did not say anything. Neither did she move from the desk.

"It didn't work," Nina went on. "We're friends again, and we've put it behind us. Nothing's changed."

A bright, blinding smile, just as terrifying as it was sudden, crossed Orchid Ottelby's features, and she turned it on Rose. "Well, I wouldn't say that, exactly."

---

"She knows." Penny Alderton marched into the dingy room in the upstairs of the Hog's Head without so much as a greeting and slammed the door behind her. "She knows, Geoffrey."

Her brother looked up from the chair by the curtained window where he had been sitting, with his face turned towards the light. "Who knows? What are you talking about, Penny?"

"Cassie Miller knows about you. Or she suspects. Rose must have told her what you did, or maybe it was James… of course it must have been James." Penny ran her hands through her short blonde hair feverishly. "Did I tell you how he was snooping around our house at Christmas?"

"More than once." Geoffrey Alderton sighed, leaning back in his chair. A layer of pale stubble had grown over his cheeks and chin, and his straw-coloured hair had grown a little long. He looked drained, and there was a faint tang of Firewhiskey in the air. Penny didn't like it; she didn't like any of it. "It doesn't change anything, though. So Potter's told one more person. What can this Cassie person do about it, anyway?"

"What can she do?" Penny repeated, crossing the rotting wooden floor and stopped before her brother's chair. "Geoff, she's been watching me, too. She was asking me if you were around. What if she knows you're staying here?"

"Then you shouldn't have come," her brother muttered, looking away from her.

"I wasn't followed. At least, I don't think I was." Penny frowned, then knelt, the floorboards creaking beneath her, so her face was level with his. "Geoff, you need to get out of here. You need to get far away from the castle."

"I told you before, I can't just do that, Penny. This place is safe for me. "

"Safe for now. But what if James Potter comes snooping around the village, with that cloak of his? What if Rose starts asking questions, what if - "

"Penny." Geoffrey reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I have business here. I have responsibilities, and if I don't follow through…"

"I can take care of them."

Her brother stared for a moment, then shook his head, dropping his hand from her shoulder. "Penny, are you crazy? I couldn't involve you in this. "

"I'm already involved." Her voice sounded so calm, so strong. Not her voice at all. "And as long as you're staying here, aren't you putting everyone else at risk? Everyone and everything you work for? If you're in danger of being found out, it's your responsibility to get yourself to a safer location."

"But - "

"This place isn't good for you, either. You're sitting here in the damp, just waiting for something to happen, waiting for orders – Geoff, it'll get you killed, one way or another."

Her brother pinched the bridge of his nose, screwing up his face in weariness. "Penny, this isn't…"

"Just tell me what needs to be done. What unfinished business you have. Tell me, and I'll take care of it." Penny rose to her feet, and Geoffrey Alderton looked at her as though someone he didn't quite recognise was standing before him.

"All right, Penny. But this isn't going to be easy."

---

"So I wasn't much help to you in the end."

Nina shrugged, without looking up from the deck of cards she was shuffling on the floor of Rose's dormitory. "You provided moral support. That's… something."

Rose nodded. She was sitting up on her bed, knees gathered to her chest. "You figured it all out for yourself."

"It's a relief to finally know." Nina boxed the deck one more time, then beckoned Rose as she began to deal. "But I never would have suspected Laura. I didn't think she ever did anything independently of Orchid. Suppose I was wrong there."

"Orchid did know about it, though." Rose pulled herself down onto the carpeted floor beside Nina.

"She suspected. I think she was being honest back there. She wouldn't have gone to all that trouble. And if she had really wanted to scare me, she would done it in a much cleverer way. But I just don't think she cared enough to try in the first place."

Rose could not hide her smile – for she understood that a lot better than Nina could realise. "Indifference can be hard to bear."

"There are worse things in the world."

"So, do you think you'll move back in to the dormitory now?"

Nina shook her head, black braids bobbing as she did so. "I still don't trust Orchid. Or the others."

"Don't blame you." Rose gazed down at the cards she had just picked up, then looked back at her friend.

"What is it?"

"I just… never mind."

"OK." Unconcerned, Nina put down the first card between them, and Rose sighed heavily.

"You're maddening, Meyer, you know that?"

Nina raised her eyebrows. "What have I done now?"

"As my friend, you're meant to say, 'No, really, Rose, what's bothering you?' Thus prompting me to reluctantly venture an answer."

"Fine. 'No, really, Rose, what's bothering you?'"

"Once more, with feeling."

"Rose."

"All right, all right." Rose traced a finger along the carpet beneath them. "What Ottelby said earlier, about how hating Muggleborns was in Laura's blood. Do you think that's true?"

"I don't know," Nina said uncomfortably. "I think her family's prejudices definitely had some influence over her in what she did." Catching Rose's frown, "Am I going to get a lecture now?"

"No, but I can't agree with you." Rose put her cards down and met Nina's eye. "Her family name, the fact that she's a Runcorn as opposed to a Prewett or a Bones… it shouldn't explain why she did what she did."

"And it doesn't. But it does give some insight into what she believes about Muggleborns, and how she came to believe it."

"I don't agree with that, either." Rose shook her head, blue eyes solemn. "I wish everyone would stop thinking like that. Who your family is shouldn't have any effect on the kind of person you become."

"But it does, Rose. You know that it does." Nina glanced down at her own cards for a moment, as though considering something, then back at Rose again. "Why do I have a feeling this has something to do with a certain Scorpius Malfoy?"

"It doesn't," Rose said vehemently. "I was thinking about myself. My own family."

"If you say so."

"Oh, just play on."

---

Penny Alderton felt something in her stomach sink as she waited outside the Slytherin common room. The dungeons had been all but empty as she made her way down from the Great Hall, and the lit torches set against the stone walls now cast a weird glow over the corridor. Tell me, and I'll take care of it, she had told Geoffrey back in Hogsmeade, yet somehow it had been easier to be brave then.

But now… standing where she most definitely didn't belong, wondering if he would even come out, enduring the hostile stares of Slytherins going in and out of the common room –

"It's Penny, isn't it?"

Torrance Bole had emerged soundlessly from the door in the stone wall and was now watching her thoughtfully, just a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"That's right," she said tremulously. "Penny Alderton."

"Carlos told me you were looking for me."

"Yes. Is there somewhere private where we can talk?"

"That depends."

"On what?" she dared to ask.

"On why you're here."

"I – I can't say. Not now." Penny looked down. This had been a mistake. She would just go back and tell Geoffrey… but what would she tell him? That he had been right, that she shouldn't have gotten involved?

When she met Torrance Bole's gaze again, he was still watching her closely. "You can't say anything because you're protecting someone. Isn't that right?" Without waiting for her response, he drew a pipe from his pocket and tapped it against his palm, once. Twice. Then, "I'm going up to the courtyard for a smoke. Join me there in ten minutes."

Precisely ten minutes later, Penny Alderton forced herself to step out of a side door into the courtyard, after ensuring that none of the few Aurors on guard had followed her. She shut the old door behind her with some effort, for it was heavy, and unaccustomed to being closed. The cold set into her instantly, and she stuffed her hands in her pockets, wishing she had brought gloves.

It was difficult to make out Torrance's figure in the gloom of the courtyard. Chinks of light spilled out from the windows of the castle, surrounding her on all sides, but they did not reach far. Her feet crunched over the grey slush beneath her, then over grass stiff with frost. The sound was disconcertingly loud over the low moan of the wind, which was shaking the bare boughs of the trees that bordered the courtyard. They seemed almost to have grown out of the stone itself, so close they did they cluster to the wall of the castle.

Penny did not realise that she had been holding her breath until she saw a spark of light in the far corner of the courtyard, and released it in a whoosh. There he was, beneath the arch, his shoulder propped against the stone, the ivy rustling around him. He was lighting his pipe, and did not look up as she approached.

"Cold?" Torrance Bole's voice carried over the quiet, and Penny could not help casting an anxious glance backwards. "Oh, I've taken precautions, don't worry. No one can hear us."

"Oh, that's - good. Thank you." Penny tried to appear more at ease, stuffing her hands further down into her pockets. The scent of smoke soon filled her nostrils as Torrance took a pull from the pipe, and she had the strangest sensation of being a child again, poking around her father's study. It was the very same scent that had lingered on all of his things there... She shook herself. "I'm here on behalf of my brother."

Torrance nodded, bringing the pipe down to his side. The smoke rippled from it in soft spirals that Penny could not help noticing. "I figured as much. What's the message?"

She took a deep breath. "There's no message."

Slowly, Torrance lifted his head to regard her. His eyes were twin pools of black, swimming in the gloom.

"That is - " Penny continued quickly, because she wanted him to stop looking at her like that, " – Geoffrey had to go away. He wasn't safe here. So I'll finish what he started."

Torrance stared at her for another moment, and then he started to laugh: a low, mirthless sound, harsh and deep, that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "You?" he said at last. "You'll 'finish what he started'? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

"Geoffrey told me what was involved," Penny said, in as steady a voice as she could manage. "He trusted me with the information. He wouldn't have trusted anyone else to do the job for him – but I'm family."

"You're a Gryffindor," Torrance said, smiling blandly as he brought the pipe up to his mouth once more. "You're a mousy little nobody."

The words cut into Penny just as the cold had done. But there was truth in them. "All the better," she said, lifting her head. "No one would ever suspect me of being involved."

"I don't know about that. You're just weak enough to be drawn into someone else's schemes - " Torrance paused deliberately to exhale smoke before continuing, " – and just spineless enough to give the game away when it gets too much for you."

"I would never betray my brother," Penny said sharply. "That's something you have to understand."

"I don't have to understand anything." Torrance flicked some ash from his sleeve. "Do you really think I'm going to let you take charge of something of this scale? That being Geoffrey Alderton's sister gives you some kind of pass?"

"If you don't let me do this, you'll have my brother to answer to."

"And if I do let you do this, I'll have Carlotta Pinkstone to answer to." Seeing her expression, Torrance smiled again. "Alderton told you about her, I'm guessing? We're not supposed to say her name. Her being back in England is a big secret. But I don't particularly care about that right now. If Alderton was reckless enough to put you in charge of his affairs, we all might as well throw caution to the wind."

"If you meant that," Penny said measuredly, "You wouldn't have had me meet you here."

"That was when I thought you had some message to give me." Producing his wand, Torrance lit his pipe again, and took another pull.

"So let me prove myself," Penny heard herself saying. She had come to the courtyard not wanting to dig herself any deeper, but Torrance's laugh had ignited something within her. Something that was tired of being smothered, time and time again.

For a moment, it looked as though Torrance Bole was going to laugh at her again. But then, as he blew out skeins of smoke, his expression grew more contemplative, and finally he smiled.

"I like that idea."

---

The very next morning, the Hogwarts students woke up to a castle that been restored to its normal order. Overnight, the professors had worked together with the Aurors to banish the symbols from the walls, or, in some particularly difficult cases, just cover them over. The topic seemed to fascinate everyone at the breakfast table. That is, everyone except Scorpius, who had other things on his mind.

"Where's Torrance?" he said in an undertone to Jem. "I haven't seen him since yesterday, and he didn't come back to the dormitory last night."

"Probably stayed with Orchid." Jem shrugged, and returned his attention to what Nina was telling him – something about Laura Runcorn. Scorpius tuned it all out with a sigh, staring glumly down at his cereal. He had no idea what he would say to Torrance when he did see him. Where would he even begin? Torrance was mixed up in something with Zabini, and maybe even Pinkstone. And he had involved Tobias in it, too.

Where to begin, indeed?

His train of thought was interrupted when he caught sight of someone making their way out of the Great Hall, and suddenly Scorpius was thinking about another matter that had been lingering in the back of his mind for the past few days.

"I'll just be a minute," he told Jem and Nina, who seemed unconcerned, as he rose from the table.

"Professor Harris!"

His Charms professor turned beside the phoenix monument in the Entrance Hall. "Is it about your essays, Mr. Malfoy? I'm afraid I haven't corrected them all yet. "

"No, professor, this isn't about that," Scorpius said, rather breathlessly. "It's about Charms club. I'd like to join, if it isn't too late."

The plump, frizzy-haired witch looked at him with some surprise. "Well, you'd have a bit to catch up on, Malfoy, but – well - " She smiled a little, then, and he saw how pleased she was. "I don't see why not. The next session is on Monday. Make sure you're on time, because we won't wait for you to start."

"I will be, professor. Thank you." Scorpius turned away, swinging his book bag onto his shoulder and trying not to grin too broadly. He had gone a few paces when the professor called after him,

"What changed your mind, Malfoy? If I may ask?"

Scorpius turned again to face her, suddenly unsure. Why had he changed his mind? Had it been because of Diana Turpin's words, on their first patrol together? Or had it been seeing his parents in their reduced states over the past few months, realising that they knew no better than he did what to do with their lives, that they had no grand plan?

"Does your father still disapprove?" his professor prompted, and then Scorpius knew why.

"Yes," he answered carefully, "I imagine so. But I didn't consult him in this decision, professor."

"I wonder if that was wise," Professor Harris said quietly, but she did not stop him again when he turned to leave.

---

James Potter glanced around the bend in the first-floor corridor and felt a surge of impatience. Sniffing, he could discern the delectable smell of roasted meat in the Great Hall, and his stomach rumbled in response.

Perhaps deciding to forego dinner in favour of trailing Carlos Santini hadn't been the wisest thing to do, especially since he had Quidditch training in less than half an hour. But when he had seen the Slytherin captain striding out of the hall with such purpose just as the main course had appeared on their plates… how could he be expected to resist such an opportunity?

Especially since Santini had so heavily hinted at knowing something about the symbols just before James had hexed him yesterday. So naturally, James had risen from the table without eating so much as a morsel, thrown on his cloak as soon as he reached the Entrance Hall, and hurried up the marble staircase after Carlos Santini.

But now, of course… James sighed. Now, he was waiting outside the boys' bathrooms on the first floor, where the Slytherin captain was taking an extraordinarily long time grooming himself in the mirror. (James knew this because he had risked a peek inside after the ten-minute mark had passed.)

It was just a detour, though, James told himself every few seconds. The bathrooms hadn't been Santini's ultimate destination as he rose to leave the Great Hall; they couldn't have been. He had looked so determined.

Santini could not be suspected of having left the hall for the purposes of a romantic tryst, either (the very idea was sickening), because James knew for a fact that his sister was still eating a hearty dinner there, and would be departing for training directly afterwards. He had that consolation at least.

So, James reasoned, it had to have something to do with the symbols. Most had been removed that morning by the professors. So in all likelihood, Santini intended to redraw them. With a little bit of luck, James could catch him in the act and have him reported to the Aurors. Santini would be suspended, if not expelled on the spot, the mystery of the symbols would be solved, the school would be safe, and Lily would never see 'Carlos' again. Two birds, one stone; the rest spoke for itself.

And missing one meal, however delicious, was a small price to pay for such a satisfactory conclusion - was it not?

"James?" a familiar voice echoed down the corridor, and James was jolted out of his reflections. There were footsteps on the marble staircase, then his name was called again.

Before Cassie Miller could open her mouth a third time, James had whisked off his Invisibility Cloak, raced to the top of the stairs and cast a Muffling charm around them. Cassie had just reached the last step when she saw him, and almost toppled off the staircase in shock. "James? What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

James, who had reached out an arm to steady her, now pulled her with him, into the corridor. "Following Santini," he muttered. "He just went into the bathroom."

Cassie glanced in the direction of said bathroom, then back at James, sceptically. "Ah. The act of a truly guilty wizard."

"Hilarious. Look, I know he has something to do with these symbols. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. You might be onto something with Penny."

"Well, I know I'm – get under!" The last two words were spoken in a hiss as James threw the cloak over the two of them, an action which occurred in conjunction with Carlos Santini emerging from the bathroom, his hair newly-gelled. James had some satifaction in noticing the purple bruising around Santini's handsome nose from the blow he had dealt him yesterday.

"I was right," he said under his breath as Santini turned, not back towards the marble staircase, but in the direction of the passage that led to the upper floors. "This was just a detour."

Cassie said nothing. Indeed, she was silent the entire way up to the seventh floor, as they tracked Santini, always keeping just out of his hearing range. It was a bit of a squeeze under the cloak, and James's arm often knocked into hers as they walked. More than once, he found himself glancing over at her profile: her smooth, straight nose, her sallow skin, her thick, downturned lashes which framed her downturned eyes, her black fringe…

"It looks like he's heading for the Owlery," she said at last, and James quickly regained his focus. Locating Santini's figure, which was retreating through the door of the West Tower, he nodded.

They followed him up to the very top of the spiral staircase, where they came to a halt. The sound of rushing wind and hooting owls grew fainter as the door of the Owlery swung shut behind Santini, and James and Cassie were left in near darkness.

James swung the cloak off them, and moved as close to the door as he dared, glancing through the keyhole while Cassie lit her wand. "He's talking to someone," he whispered, with some excitement. "Looks like another sixth-year. I don't recognise him."

"Let me see." Cassie moved to look through the keyhole herself. "Oh, that's the Ravenclaw bloke who patrols with Rose, Jason Kloves."

"Kloves?" James could not contain his disappointment. "He's too thick to be involved in anything underhand. And besides, he's a prefect, too." After a moment's consideration, he drew out a pair of Extendable Ears. "You never know, though. Let's see what they're talking about."

Cassie stared as James tossed her one of the Ears, inserting the other into his own ear. She followed suit, and they both moved closer to the door as Santini's voice sounded as clearly as though he were standing right next to them.

"Yeah, I hate the Hogwarts postal service," he was saying. "It's so inefficient. Sometimes I think I'd be faster delivering the letters myself, by broom. I've done that before, you know."

"By broom? You're joking!" Jason Kloves sounded suitably impressed.

James could almost see Santini bestowing a smug little smile on the Ravenclaw. "I'm serious. Set off for Somerset after breakfast on my Thunderbolt, was back in time for dinner. Faster than my poor brown owl could ever have managed."

"My Christmas package didn't arrive at Hogwarts until Boxing Day this year," Kloves supplied. "Mum said our owl must have got lost in the blizzard on Christmas Eve…"

James yanked his Extendable Ear out in disgust, but Cassie, who was looking highly amused, went on listening. "They're talking about the weather now," she informed him in an undertone. "Santini's of the opinion that we'll have snow well into February."

"Some kind of code?" James said hopefully, then sagged against the door in disappointment. "This is hopeless. I mean, the postal service? How could anyone see that as a worthwhile topic of conversation? I'm not surprised at Kloves, but I had no idea Santini could be so - dull."

"Looks like he's feeding his owl now." Cassie was squinting through the keyhole. "Kloves is sealing a letter."

"This is really riveting stuff."

"I know. They've stopped talking now."

"Well, the weather is a pretty limited topic. It can only carry you so far."

"Maybe you ought to give it a rest," Cassie suggested, taking the Ear out and handing it back to him. "Admit that it might have been someone else?"

"It was Santini," James said, glaring at her. "And I'm staying here till I have some solid proof of that."

Cassie simply shrugged at that, bending towards the keyhole again.

"What, no rebuttal? I can tell you're not convinced that it's Santini."

She turned her face towards him, and he saw, with surprise, that she was grinning a little. "I know better than to argue with you when you get that look in your eyes, James. It's the same look you had last year, when you said that we were going to take the Cup from Slytherin, at all costs. And we did."

James raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you have faith in me?"

Cassie looked away from him again. "I'm saying that when you set your mind to do something, nothing and no one can sway you from it. And that's… admirable."

He watched her thoughtfully for another moment, until she straightened up again and moved away from the door, seating herself on the first step of the staircase of the tower. "Doesn't look like they're leaving any time soon."

"So we'll wait." James joined her on the step, arms bent and resting on his knees. Darkness yawned before him on the staircase, and the surrounding walls of the tower crowded near as though wishing to hear all of his secrets. They had been sitting in thoughtful silence for a few minutes before he said, "It doesn't come easily, you know."

"What doesn't come easily?"

"Any of it." James stared fixedly into the darkness. "The grades, Quidditch, being the best at everything…"

"Yeah, it must be hard, having it all," Cassie said dryly.

"I mean it." His voice was low and unusually earnest, and she turned to look at him in surprise. "Sometimes I feel like I'm suffocating."

A long pause, then, "I know how that feels."

"Yeah?" James turned towards her on the step, and Cassie looked down.

"My mum at Christmas," she said, shaking her head. "All she wanted to talk about were my grades, and how much study I do, and how much more I need to be doing."

"That sounds like a bit of an over-reaction. I'm sure your results can't have been that bad."

"Oh, they were." Cassie smiled ruefully. "I'm failing almost everything. It's been worse since I gave up Quidditch. If only I could get Mum to see that."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's all right. I'll live." She shrugged, then said a little awkwardly, "But you were talking about yourself before I - interrupted."

"Nah, don't worry about it." James copied her movement, lifting his shoulders. "I was just thinking out loud."

Cassie was prevented from questioning him further by the door of the Owlery scraping open. They had barely enough time to jump up and get the Cloak over themselves before Santini came swaggering down the steps, Kloves at his heels, and if either of the wizards had looked down, they would have noticed two detached pairs of feet to their right on the staircase. It was by the grace of Merlin that neither of the wizards did.

Exchanging glances, James and Cassie adjusted the cloak around them and fell into step at what they judged a safe distance behind Kloves. They had nearly reached the bottom of the staircase when Santini screamed.

No doubt he would have preferred it to be later described as a manly yell of alarm, but it was, in fact, a scream, and no other word could sum it up as accurately. Cassie and James froze on the steps, and a moment later, the light of Kloves's wand was magnified to reveal another symbol, drawn above the door that led out of the door. Ominous and sinister and curling, it looked like three half-moons beside each other, almost like letters.

Carlos Santini was pointing at it, his eyes wild and the colour entirely drained from his face. "What is that?" he demanded of Kloves, as though the Ravenclaw held all of the answers. "What the hell is that doing there? It wasn't there earlier! I thought all the professors got rid of those things!"

"I thought so, too," Kloves mumbled, seemingly unable to drag his eyes away from the symbol. "Someone must have drawn it on again while we were up in the Owlery."

"Someone – who?" Santini ran his hands through his hair, ruining the effect that twenty minutes of careful gelling had previously produced, which was proof of his being utterly overcome. "Oh, Merlin, this is too much. This is too much…"

The sound of his fevered voice faded away as the two wizards made an exit through the tower door, and there was a brief pause. Then,

"I think what we've just seen is some pretty positive evidence that Santini knows nothing about these symbols," Cassie remarked.

"Or some very accomplished acting on his part," the Quidditch captain countered feebly, but something in his expression conceded defeat – a rare thing indeed for James Potter.

---

"I suppose you've come to lecture me, too."

"Why does everyone think that?" Shaking her head, Rose closed the door of the Gryffindor changing rooms, and sat on the bench. The smell of stale sweat lingered in the air. Training having been finished for the evening, all of the players had packed up and left - all but her cousin. "Do I really lecture people? Is that something I do?"

Lily gave her a look, then sighed. "All I know is, there was no stopping James and Albus yesterday. They wouldn't listen a word I said. They think I'm being stupid. James said - " She stopped, in the process of pulling her boots off. " – he said that Carlos is just going out with me to get at him."

"And do you think that's true?"

"No, of course not," Lily said hotly. "I mean, I know Carlos doesn't like James, and that might be part of the thrill, but – but…" Her eyes lifted to meet Rose's in appeal. "Oh, the way he looks at me sometimes, Rose. No one's ever looked at me like that before. I know he cares about me. I know he can't just be using me. I know I'm not wrong."

Rose gazed at her cousin for a long moment – sitting hunched over the bench in her Quidditch gear, her long red hair spread over her shoulders, her cheeks flushed and her eyes unnervingly bright. It should have made her look more vulnerable, but instead, she looked older – much older than she had ever appeared to Rose before.

"Well, then," she said at last, putting her hands on her knees. "I believe you."

"You do?" Lily blinked, then sat up straighter. "I mean, of course you do, because I'm right."

"Yes," Rose said, smiling, and added silently, I hope you are. Aloud, "Will we go up to dinner?"

"Just give me a minute to get ready." Lily smiled at Rose, and Rose smiled back, a tad more uncertainly, before moving out of the changing rooms and shutting the door behind her.

Dusk was beginning to fall outside, and what little light they had enjoyed that day had been leached from the sky so that only dull purples, greys and blacks remained. Rose stood with her hands clasped for a moment, looking out across the expanses of the Quidditch pitch and the grounds beyond… the distant mountains still capped with white, the shuddering treetops of the forest...

And a dot dropping from the sky above her, growing larger and larger. She squinted to make it out: a figure on broomstick, coming into a deep dive over the pitch. It took her another few seconds to realise that it was Scorpius Malfoy. He flew with such grace, such purpose. She watched as he pulled his broom out of the dive a few inches off the ground – Merlin, that was close– and came to land near the edge of the pitch, where she stood.

He saw her a few seconds later, blinked slowly as though he were still emerging from some exquisite, unknown world into another, more disagreeable reality, then pushed his pale blond hair off his brow with one hand, keeping hold of his broom with the other. "Weasley."

"Hello, Scorpius," Rose responded, with pointed emphasis on his first name.

"Were you waiting for me here?" Still breathing hard, he looked more than a little perplexed.

She curbed her indignation at that, and smiled pleasantly. "This might come as a shock to you, Scorpius, but I don't actually follow you around everywhere you go. I'm waiting for Lily."

"Oh." He looked down, slightly abashed, and ran a hand through his hair again.

"Though while I have you…" Rose was suddenly struck by a thought. "I need to ask you something."

He looked wary. "Is this about the symbols again?"

"No, not the symbols." She blew out a breath. "It's about Carlos Santini."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. Before he could say anything, she continued, "You told me before that he was a friend of yours."

"He's not."

"But you still spend a lot of time with him, don't you?"

"Not by choice, but yes, I suppose I do."

"Then - " Rose hesitated, and looked down. This was hard. And not just because of the memory of their last encounter that still hung in the air between them, but because she wasn't used to talking to Scorpius about this kind of thing. Finally, she resumed with, "Then you'd know if he's to be trusted with my cousin. With Lily."

Instantly, Scorpius's expression became more guarded. He shifted his broomstick from one hand to the other with great deliberation before replying, "I'm not privy to Carlos Santini's innermost thoughts."

"But?"

"But…" Now his eyes were directed upwards, towards the sky, as though he were seeking some divine guidance. In the same moment, one of the last, weak rays of sunlight penetrated the pearly masses of cloud to the west and fell over him, illuminating his grey eyes. He brought up a hand to shield against it, but in another instant, it had faded. Only the warm imprint remained on Rose's vision, and she could not look away from Scorpius until that, too, had gone.

"You won't like it," he said quietly.

"Tell me," she urged. "I need to know if Lily's going to get hurt."

"Fine." Scorpius bit his lip, then said reluctantly, "Santini made a bet about Lily. He did it to get even with her brother for that trick he played at the last match, with the gold watch. The others didn't think he'd pull it off at first, but now it's looking a bit more likely…"

"Pull what off?" Rose asked, and then her face flushed an ugly red. "That?"

Scorpius nodded grimly. "By Valentine's Day. That's as long as he thinks it'll take."

"Lily's barely fifteen! What kind of - " Rose broke off. She felt sick. This was sick.

A minute ago, she had found it hard to look away from Scorpius, but now there was something dreadful in meeting his gaze. "You didn't…"

"I had no part in the bet, Rose." His voice was cold, clipped, and there was something else beneath it, almost like hurt.

"But your friends did."

"That's unfair." Now he sounded angry. "You're being unfair, Rose."

She knew she was. But it didn't make her feel any less shocked, or repulsed by Scorpius's words. She brought a hand up to her mouth, shaking her head and turning away.

"Rose, look," Scorpius began, but at that moment, they heard the door of the changing rooms closing behind them.

Hastily, she made an attempt to compose her features. "I have to go."

"Rose - "

She ignored him, hurrying over to where Lily had just emerged, fully changed and looking a good deal fresher than she had before.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," her cousin said cheerfully. "Is everything OK?" She frowned, in the middle of tying up her hair. "What did Scorpius Malfoy want? James said you've been hanging around with him a bit lately."

Looking around, Rose saw that Scorpius was making his way back across the pitch. He didn't turn around once, but it wasn't like she'd been hoping he would or anything. That would be silly. She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, just something about homework."

If Lily suspected Rose's somewhat lame explanation of concealing some deeper design, she gave no indication of it. Chattering eagerly about Carlos all the way back to the castle and expecting little response, Lily Potter could not have imagined the pain she was giving her cousin… that pain which would soon be all her own.