Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.
Note - Well, here is the chapter. Sorry for any mistakes, but I haven't had as much time as I'd like to go over this one. Anyways, I hope you like it. So read, enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Nine: Heavy Questions
Days began to blur for Scorpius and mesh together. He had lessons, did homework, spent time with his friends, fought, mainly with Gryffindors, and had Quidditch practice. Finally the day came for the first Quidditch match of the season, which just happened to be between Slytherin and Gryffindor.
"Ok, I know we lost to Gryffindor last year, but there's a big bright side this year," Aaron said in the locker room before the game. "This year, their Seeker is baby Potter. Tyson, you should be able to beat him, and our Beaters should be able to knock him from the air easily."
"But they still have Wood and Potter," Adrian pointed out.
"Yeah, but Wood brought on Prissy Weasley as their other Chaser. Their offense is surrounded by Chaser teamwork, including all three of them. If we take her out, then their offense suffers," Raven replied.
"So we need to take out baby Potter and Prissy Weasley?" Lars guessed.
Aaron nodded. "Exactly. So let's get out there and do it!"
Scorpius felt a bit nervous as he hovered in the air, waiting for the Quaffle to be released into the air. This was his first match on the team. Not to mention Potter was across from him, glaring right at him.
Scorpius didn't hear the whistle or the commentator announce that the Snitch was released. All he saw was the Quaffle fly into the air between them all. He felt instinct take him over as he flew straight up and snagged it from the air, barely dodging Corbin Wood, who had also gone for it. Scorpius flew down the pitch, dodging a Bludger that flew at him, and scanned his right. He found Aaron right by his side, so he passed it to him, and moved to guard his right, while Adrian came to guard his left.
The three of them flew down the pitch together in a tight formation. But then Potter was next to Scorpius, and slammed into his side. Scorpius coughed, the air leaving his lungs. He glared at Potter, and slammed into him in return. The two pushed against each other, and Scorpius was no longer just trying to keep Potter away from Aaron, but also to prove that he was just as strong as Potter was. Neither of them noticed how far down the pitch they'd flown until it was too late.
Potter suddenly slammed into the pole of the goal post, and flew off the side of his broom, falling. And Scorpius, who had been leaning on him, fell as well, unable to catch himself. He too fell, and smacked against the post on his way to the ground. He landed with a thud, and groaned at the ache that immediately ran through his back and side. Not to mention his shoulder, which had also hit the post along with his side.
"And Potter and Malfoy both take a fall, but Goyle makes the goal! Ten points for Slytherin!" Macmillan announced a bit glumly.
Scorpius clenched his eyes shut as he held his side, the pain stinging and running up his spin. He opened his eyes to see Potter getting up, holding his left arm, and limping toward his broom, putting no weight on his left leg. So gritting his teeth, Scorpius got to his knees, and slowly got to his feet too.
"And Potter is back in the air, and it looks Malfoy is getting to his feet!"
Scorpius ignored the boos and cheers from the stands, and slowly picked up his broom. His body was sore from the hit and the fall, but he still mounted his broom and rose back into the air. He was hurting, but he now had a bit of luck on his side, and that was Potter's left. It was obviously hurt, giving him an easy weakness. He would just have to be careful with his own injuries.
"Now the Quaffle is in Weasley's hands, and she makes a quick pass to Potter, who makes a bit of a shaky catch and throws it off to Wood," Macmillan followed the game. "Oh! And Wood takes a Bludger to the arm, but Goyle takes a bat to the face as it looks like there was too much swing in that hit!"
Scorpius ignored the laughter from the crowd as he looked for Lars. He found him in the air, holding his nose.
A whistle blew, and Madam Hooch flew in-between them all. "Timeout called for Slytherin!"
The team quickly made it to the ground, with Adrian holding onto Lars as he descended. As soon as they touched the ground, Aaron took quick steps to his brother, and pulled his hand away from his face.
Scorpius almost felt a bit queasy at how much blood was on Lars's face and gushing from his nose and mouth.
"Damn, dude," Raven mumbled from his left.
"That looks bad!" Dante stated. "We should probably have him go to the Hospital Wing."
"Yes, that is disgusting," Tyson agreed.
"It's not about being disgusting, you wuss!" Raven barked immediately. "It's about the state of the injury!"
Aaron wiped some of the blood away with his sleeve, trying to get a better look at what they were dealing with. But more blood appeared as soon as he did, leaving him with a bloody stain on his sleeve, and Lars looking ready to pass out.
"I'm fine," Lars muttered, his words a bit slurred. And he was swaying a little on his feet.
"What should we do, Captain?" Dante asked.
Aaron sighed as he did a quick glance at the rest of his team, then back to his brother. "Lars, I want you to go to the Hospital Wing. Can you make it yourself?"
Lars nodded, but then almost fell, forcing Aaron to catch him. "He's lost a lot of blood," Adrian mentioned. "He could faint on the way."
"What's the damage?" Madam Hooch asked as she landed next to them.
"We need someone to take him to the Hospital Wing," Raven told her.
"I figured so. We could see the blood from the staffs' seats. Hagrid is on his way down now to help," Madam Hooch assured.
It was only about a minute before Hagrid appeared, and lifted Lars into his arms as if he was a doll. Aaron wiped a bit more blood from his brother's face. "Good job today, Lars. We'll work on your swing next practice." As Hagrid walked toward the exit, and Madam Hooch took to the air, he looked at his team. "Raven, you'll have to step up and play as hard as two Beaters."
Raven nodded. "You got it, Captain."
"And if they want to laugh at my brother's pain, then let's see how funny it is when one of their players leaves the pitch a bloody mess," Aaron muttered, his jaw tight.
"See, I like how he thinks," Adrian said with a grin. They all mounted their brooms and took to the air, ready to continue the game, and more determined than before.
"As the game continues, Slytherins with one less Beater, the Gryffindor Chasers make their way up the middle of the pitch. Oh! But Goyle slams hard into Weasley, and Flint snags the Quaffle from Woods's hands! He passes it off to Malfoy!"
Scorpius caught the Quaffle and leaned down against his broom, wanting to go faster. Because he knew that while Weasley may be reeling from the collision with Aaron, and Woods maybe a bit flustered as well, Potter was most likely right after him. And he was right.
"Potter is catching up to Malfoy, getting ready for the steal!"
But Scorpius was ready, and he knew what to do. He even slowed, and let Potter come to match him in speed. And after quickly making sure he had a firm hold on the Quaffle, he harshly slammed into Potter's side. The left side.
Potter hissed, and immediately slowed as pain took over his body, but Scorpius kept going, ignoring the slight sting in his shoulder. But he was positive his pain was less than Potters. He was coming up to the goals, and the keeper, Bullard, looked determined and ready to catch whatever Scorpius threw.
"Scorpius!" Adrian called from a bit higher in the air. Scorpius quickly tossed it to him, catching the play they'd done before at practice. Adrian quickly caught it and moved near the left goal, looking ready to throw it. But just as Bullard moved to block it, he made a swift toss to Scorpius, who threw it in the middle goal for a score.
"And Malfoy makes the goal, giving Slytherin another ten points!"
Scorpius felt good about making his first goal, but he knew that he couldn't let it go to his head. He flew back to meet Adrian, who gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good job."
"Nice pass," Scorpius said back. But then they were separating, ready to go on the defense as Bullard got ready to throw the Quaffle back into the game. Scorpius had been instructed to keep on Weasley, but he personally glared at her as he came near her. She on the other hand appeared to be trying to ignore his presence, further infuriating him.
"Too good for me, Priss?" Scorpius hissed, his anger taking him over. "Can't stand to be around me?"
He saw red flare up on her cheeks, but she still didn't look at him. Scorpius was about to open his mouth for another scathing statement when the gasp of the crowd caught his attention.
"And Flint gets ready to make the steal, but Potters swerves around him for the catch, and incidentally sending an elbow into Flint's face!" Macmillan said with obvious amusement.
Scorpius glared. "Incidentally my foot," he hissed, and after slamming into Weasley, he made his way toward where Potter was now speeding down the pitch, Woods at his side. Aaron was right behind them, and Adrian was not far back. He didn't look to be bleeding, but you could see the swelling of his jaw and cheek.
"And Potter and Woods are both making their way toward the goals. Potter makes a quick pass to Woods, who takes the shot . . . but it's kicked by Montague! Oh!" Another gasp of the crowd. "And the kicked Quaffle slams into Woods, who seems to be having trouble getting air now. But this doesn't bother Goyle, who snags the Quaffle and now makes a long pass to Malfoy!"
Scorpius could see the Quaffle coming, but also knew that Weasley was somewhere behind him. He rose in the air and sped up to get closer, thankfully making the catch. He quickly spun around, and promptly crashed into Weasley. They both staggered, but Scorpius kept moving, trying to regain his balance as he moved. He was soon at the goals again, and made a quick shot to the right.
"Another ten points for Slytherin after another collision. This has been one of the most brutal games I've seen here at Hogwarts," Macmillan commented. "The rivalry between these two Houses is as heated as ever."
And it was. The game continued being brutal, and painful. It was a fairly even match in points, with Scorpius making a few more goals of his own. Raven really had stepped up, and was picking up the slack from losing Lars. But the Gryffindor Beaters were just as focused, and there were two of them.
"Malfoy's got the Quaffle, but he makes a pass to Flint as he dodges Potter!"
Scorpius kept his eye on Adrian, waiting to see if he would pass it back. When he did, Scorpius immediately turned his attention on the goals, but then felt as if he were watching a disaster happen to him in slow motion, but fast enough that he couldn't stop it.
A Bludger. It sped right at him, and slammed into his gut. Scorpius hardly noticed that the Quaffle flew from his hands, and noticed only the pain he felt as he fell once again. But hitting the ground was hardly his worry either, and the pain in his back was numb compared to the new pain in his stomach. He quickly rolled over onto his side and threw up.
It was acrid, and it burned his throat. But he couldn't stop everything coming up at once. His head began to spin, and his body felt weightless and limp. Like he couldn't move, or had no control over his limbs.
"Mr. Malfoy, are you all right?" a voice asked. Scorpius opened his eyes, his eyesight blurry. But he was able to make out that it was Professor Longbottom hovering over him. But Scorpius couldn't muster up the strength to answer him. He could only turn his head and puke again.
"I'm not sure this game can go on much longer," someone nearby mentioned. "These kids are killing each other."
"I'll go check on Miss Weasley. She's just taken a hit as well," another person said.
Scorpius's mind was so muddled, he couldn't even feel a bit happy that Weasley might be out of the game.
"Hagrid, we've got another one for you to take to the Hospital Wing. I'm not sure he can get up on his own," Professor Longbottom said.
Scorpius wanted to protest, but again, all he could do was vomit.
"That must have been a hard hit to the stomach," someone mentioned.
"He took a Bludger full force to the stomach. Trust me, he might be puking for a while," a female voice mentioned. But Scorpius didn't hear much more before his muddled mind fell to black.
"Hey, he's moving!"
Scorpius groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His whole body was sore, especially his stomach and right side. As he blinked, trying to recognize where he was, memories of the Quidditch match came back to him. That brutal and painful match. His hand twitched, wanting to see how bad the damage was, but at the same time he knew touching it would only hurt.
"Are you ok, Scor?" Raven's face appeared above him.
Scorpius groaned again, only quieter. "Yeah. How bad am I?"
"Pomfrey said that she was able to settle your stomach, but that your bruises might take a bit longer to heal, even with the potions," Adrian said next to him.
"Help me sit up?" Scorpius requested.
"Yeah, no problem," Raven assured.
"Gentle now," he heard Dante say.
Scorpius hissed as they helped him sit up, his body aching with every move and light tough. But he felt better sitting up. His stomach didn't feel like a heavy weight. Now he could see the Hospital Wing better, and could see that Dante, Adrian, and Raven were around his bed. "Where's Aaron?"
Raven motion to the far side of the room. "With Lars."
Scorpius looked to where he was talking about, and saw Aaron sitting next to Lars's bed. But what was scary was the large amount of bandages not just on Lars's nose, but around his head and on his cheeks. Even from far, Scorpius could see blood stains on the bandages, and still on his skin.
"How bad did he turn out?" Scorpius whispered, his throat raw and scratchy.
"Broke his nose pretty bad. Busted his lip, broke quite a few teeth, and cut and bruised other parts of his face," Dante explained. "Like you, it'll take more time to fix it all, especially with how sever it was."
"Apparently he passed out on the way here, and he hasn't been up since," Adrian told him.
"How long has it been?" Scorpius questioned.
Dante handed him a glass of water. "Five hours since you were taken out. Almost seven for him."
Scorpius took long drinks from the glass before asking, "How did the game turn out?" And by their annoyed faces, he knew it couldn't be good.
"Thanks to Tyson, we lost," Raven stated. "Aaron was so angry he wouldn't even let him come in here. Said he was a shame and didn't deserve to be around two teammates who gave it their all, when he didn't."
Scorpius looked at them, and knew that they had given it their all too. Adrian's cheek and jaw were now badly bruised from the elbow he took in the match, and Scorpius could see that he had a fat lip as well. Dante had bruises of his own, peeking out from under his collar. And Raven had four or five bandaged fingers, along with his wrist, which had probably been broken during the game. That wasn't unusual for a Beater.
"But on a good note, we beat the other team up pretty good," Adrian said with a grin. He pointed to the other side of the room this time. "Prissy Rose Weasley is over there. We took her out not long after you were knocked out. We bruised up Potter and Woods pretty good, along with Bullard."
"It was a bloody match," Dante said with a sigh. "Lana and Mitch have been trying to come and see you two, but Aaron wouldn't let them."
Scorpius scowled a little. "Why not?"
"I don't think he wanted Lana to see how bad Lars looked up close," Raven told her. "He probably doesn't want her to worry."
Scorpius looked at himself now. He could feel bandages on his upper arms, but his shirt sleeves hid them. He could see small, yellowish bruises on his hands. And he couldn't see it, but he could feel a large bruise going from his side to his stomach.
"Why am I bandaged?" Scorpius asked.
"I guess you got a few cuts from when you fell. These were put on to stop the bleeding until the potions healed them properly," Dante assured. "They could probably come off by now."
"Not until I say so, Mr. Montague," Madam Pomfrey retorted as she came to the bed. Immediately she was looking him over, checking his bandages. But she did take them off, and Scorpius could see some fading bruises that had turned a sick yellowish color. But then she had him pull his shirt up, and Scorpius flinched at the sight. There was a sick and massive bruise on his stomach that connected to his side.
"That might take all night to heal. Until then it will be very sore, very painful, and very tender," Madam Pomfrey warned him. "So, you have the option, Mr. Malfoy. I would prefer you stay here for the night, but you are well enough to leave."
Scorpius pushed off the blanket and pulled his shirt down. "I'll be fine. I promise."
"Then don't exert much stress on your body. Relax and rest. If your bruises still look anything but fading tomorrow morning then come and see me," Madam Pomfrey commanded.
"What about Lars?" Scorpius questioned.
"Mr. Goyle will be staying here for the night at the very least," Madam Pomfrey said seriously. "Possibly longer."
Lars did stay in there longer than just the night. Aaron had told Scorpius, Lana, and Mitch at breakfast the next morning that Lars was going to be in the Hospital Wing until tomorrow at the least. And by how tired Aaron looked, Scorpius got the idea that he'd been sitting next to his brother for most of the night.
Scorpius noticed that Lana was missing from their Charms class, and he and Mitch assumed that she was with Lars as well. She confirmed at lunch that they were right, and updated them on how Lars was, although there wasn't much good news.
"He was asleep when Aaron and I went in there. Madam Pomfrey said that he'd woken up this morning, but wasn't up long. His face is taking a really long time to heal, which she said would happen, since there were so many extensive injuries. But she's stopped the heavy bleeding, although some of the injuries bleed a little every now and then," Lana explained. Then she sighed. "I don't think he'll be out tomorrow."
"That was a pretty wicked hit he took," Mitch mumbled, obviously a little worried himself.
The next day did bring about better news on Lars. He was awake more, and able to talk. Scorpius went to see him during part of lunch, and found that his teeth had been fixed, and the cuts on his cheeks and brow had healed. All that was left was his nose, and the bruises on his face.
"I can't wait until she lets me out of here," Lars said with a large huff as he sat up in the bed. His nose was still heavily bandaged and broken, making his words slur a little. And his face being so heavily bruised almost made him look a bit grotesque. But no one mentioned that to him.
"It won't be long," Scorpius assured. "It's been days now."
"Tell me about it. Merlin knows how far behind I am in lessons, and that means Lana will be on my case to catch up," Lars muttered as he opened a box of Bertie Bott Beans. He took one and then held it out to Scorpius. "How are things going on the outside?"
Scorpius smirked at his attitude. "Eh. Potter hasn't shut up since they won the game. You did miss a fight we had with baby Potter yesterday morning."
"Man, I miss everything!" Lars complained.
"Nah, it was only words. Longbottom came before we could use fists or wands," Scorpius told him. "But we did make his face turn bright red."
"I can't believe Tyson let him catch the Snitch," Lars said with a shake of his head.
"We can't have Tyson on our team another year," Scorpius agreed. "We've got to get a better Seeker next year. Stop someone from letting baby Potter's ego inflate anymore."
"I would try out if it would stop him from being Seeker," Lars retorted with a grin of his own.
As two more days passed, Lars was finally released from the Hospital Wing. The bruises had faded, and his nose was no longer broken. All that remained were some fading bruises on his nose and under his eyes. Kids from other Houses, especially the Gryffindor Quidditch team, commented snidely about them all the time. But no one from Slytherin paid any attention to them.
"It's still really tender and sore," Lars admitted at his first Quidditch practice since the match. "But I don't tell Aaron or Lana because then they'd just flip out and worried."
As December arrived, so did a heavy snowfall, adding a chill to the air, and making students practically run to the greenhouses for class, wanting to get out of the cold. It made them appreciate their classes inside the castle that much more. Sadly, Aaron had no intention of limiting the amount of time they practiced out in the freezing weather.
"My brother is crazy for making you guys practice out in that weather," Lana commented as a group of them walked back from the library. With their holiday break coming, professors seemed to be piling on the work.
"I call it dedication," Lars argued. Although his bruises had disappeared, his nose was still very sore to the touch, which Madam Pomfrey said might continue for another week or so.
"It's amazing you all don't have colds by now," Lana said with a roll of her eyes.
"Guys! Guys!" Rex exclaimed as he came running toward them through the halls.
"What's wrong, dude?" Mitch asked. They were all curious as to what had Rex in such a panic.
Rex panted lightly, and looked uncertain about something. "We've got a problem, and it's coming next year."
"What are you talking about?" Lana demanded.
"Potter! He's got a sister coming here next year!" Rex explained.
They all froze, and Scorpius felt his body tense. A sister? Another Potter? He was going to have more to deal with?
"Are you kidding me?" Lars exclaimed.
"No! I overhead Potter talking to his friends, and bragging about how his little sister would be coming next year!" Rex insisted.
Scorpius ran a hand through his hair. "How many kids did they need? Did they learn nothing from the first disaster that their oldest son is?" he hissed. Then he began to storm past Rex.
"Where are you going, Scor?" Lana called to him.
"To find Potter!" Scorpius yelled back. Soon, footsteps seemed to be hurrying after him.
"He was in the Entrance Hall when I overheard this," Rex said helpfully. "He was bragging to a group of kids, so he might still be entertaining."
Scorpius felt as if he was on a warpath, but in part he was. This war between Houses, it would not be in their favor if there was another Potter on their side! It was hard enough dealing with two! And now there would be a snarky sister? One that he couldn't personally hit when she crossed the line like he did with her brothers?
Sure enough, James Potter was still in the Entrance Hall, standing with a group of six or seven, looking cocky and bragging about something that became easier to hear as they descended down the staircase.
"Yeah, she's awesome. She'll most likely join the Quidditch team in her second year too. Chaser like me. We're a lot alike," Potter bragged.
"So she's just as hideous?" Scorpius sneered, his usual anger at seeing one of the Potters rising quickly. And his . . . well his true panic at having to deal with another one was rising, making his anger grow irrationally.
Potter and his group turned to look that them, and Potter's look was surprisingly dark and furious. "What did you say about my sister?"
"You're not deaf, I think you heard me!" Scorpius exclaimed.
Potter marched to him quickly, and grabbed his collar. "Say one more word about my sister and you'll be swallowing your teeth!" he yelled.
Scorpius pulled away from him. "Aw, isn't that cute?" he snarled. "Doesn't change the fact that she'll probably be as worthless as you are!"
"I'm warning you, Malfoy!" Potter said through a tight jaw and gritted teeth.
Lars and Lana had their wands out, while Mitch came to stand next to Scorpius. "Think before you act, Potter," Lana warned.
But Scorpius wasn't going to hide. Because he had found the key. The chink in Potter's defenses. The soft spot! His little sister! "Why so defensive, Potter? Did I touch the truth? Am I right?" He couldn't stop the smirk coming to his lips.
Potter moved forward, but another boy came forward to keep him back. "Relax, Jay!"
"Coward? I'm right! Maybe next year we'll have to get a look at the Potter princess ourselves, guys!" Scorpius mocked with a smirk. "See if she's worth all the big talk Potter has about her."
Potter broke away from his friend, and tackled Scorpius to the ground. And honestly, it hurt! But Scorpius fought back the best he could, and was happy that he was getting a few of his own hits in. But then hands were pulling him and Potter away from each other.
"Scorpius, relax!" he heard Raven's voice saying. "You get caught and detentions could be the least of your worries!"
"James, you can't get that worked up!" Potter's Weasley cousin exclaimed.
Stacy West's face soon appeared in front of Scorpius, and she was pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing at his nose with it. "Don't move, you're bleeding bad," she murmured.
Scorpius winced at the pain in his face and body, mainly his nose. "Damn, I think Potter broke it," Raven mentioned lowly.
"This isn't over, Malfoy!" Potter exclaimed suddenly, and they looked to see his friends pulling him up the stairs. "And you stay away from my sister or I'll break every piece of your face!"
Scorpius couldn't help but smirk. "Well, well, well, looks like big bad Potter has a weak spot, boys. And if used correctly, this could be used against both Potter brothers."
"Let's just worry about getting your nose fixed," Stacy replied as she held the handkerchief to his nose, letting him hold it now.
"I'll think of an excuse on the way," Raven said with a sigh.
"Why don't we just take him to Kim? She knows how to fix minor breaks," Mitch suggested.
"Perfect. Less questions," Lars agreed.
"Maybe," Mitch said with a shrug and a grin.
It was obvious to Scorpius and the others that Potter was extremely touchy about his sister. And while his brother wasn't as touchy about her, it was still something that could get him going with enough prodding. So the topic went around Slytherin House, and it was something they all used against him. Scorpius probably used it the most.
"I wish I could see this girl," Justin admitted as the boys were packing their bags for break.
"What for? She probably is as ugly as her brothers," Lars laughed.
Justin shrugged. "I feel like it'd be better to associate a face to what I'm mocking. And seeing her could give us more things to use against Potter."
"True," Rex said mildly. "But the last thing I'm going to do is go out of my way to see this girl."
"I wonder if the papers have ever had a picture of her," Mitch wondered, now that the topic was up.
"I don't know. I haven't seen many pictures of Harry Potter's kids in the media. I get the feeling he does his best to keep that from happening," Scorpius replied.
"I wonder what Hogwarts will be like with this new threat in our school next year," Rex commented now as he continued to throw things into his trunk.
"Terrible," Scorpius muttered. "She's probably just as bratty and stuck up as her brothers."
"Just as hateful," Justin added.
"An absolute headache," Mitch agreed.
"We'll have to have the girls take care of her," Lars said. "And sooner rather than later."
"You've got that right," Rex agreed. "Maybe we can all catch her on the train?"
Scorpius smirked and looked at him. "That's not a bad idea. We'll have to remember that next year."
Bundled in their coats, Scorpius and his friends waited to board the train to go home. But when he saw Potter ahead of them, he couldn't help it. "Hey, guys," he said loudly, "maybe we'll get a chance to see this sister of Potter's at the station!"
"Ew! I don't want to see that!" Miley Flint exclaimed, pretending to gag.
"I think I'd like to get a peek," Ted West laughed.
Potter was obviously tensed, but he didn't turn. And it was obvious that it was because it was Professor Longbottom ahead of them, making sure they all got on smoothly with no fights. But now, they were too far back to catch his attention with words.
"Careful, Potter, you look like you're about to explode!" Aaron said with a laugh.
"Yeah, these are my nice shoes, I'd hate for you to dirty them with your disgusting being," Wade Macnair sneered.
They had only stopped goading him when they reached earshot of Longbottom, but all of them were still grinning and laughing about it. "I don't think I've ever had so much fun," Mitch said as his laughter died down, and they stepped onto the train.
"Certainly helped forget about the cold," Lana agreed with her own smile.
But when the long ride was over, and the train had stopped at King's Cross, Scorpius couldn't stop his curiosity. Because ever since Justin had mentioned it, he did want to see this mystery sister. So he quickly got his things, and got off the train, hoping to catch sight of Potter. He didn't find either Potter brothers, but he did catch sight of Victoire Weasley's little brother, and tailed after him, hoping that maybe, his family would be by Potter's. So he stayed a little behind, and was pleased to see that they had stuck together, and a large group of them stood to the side, hugging their returning children.
Scorpius could easily pick out Harry Potter, who was ruffling his oldest son's hair. He could see baby Potter being hugged by a woman with red hair. Next to her, a tall man with red hair was hugging prissy Rose Weasley. Next to her stood two young kids, a boy and a girl, both with red hair. Scorpius rolled his eyes. Great, Rose Weasley had two siblings of her own as well.
As hard as he tried, Scorpius couldn't see a girl that looked like Potter, or even a little girl standing around Harry Potter. Had she not come? Had she been left to a sitter? But why, when Rose Weasley's siblings were obviously deemed old enough to join them? It made no sense!
"Scorpius? What are you doing, son?"
Scorpius jumped at the sound of his father's voice. He turned his head to find his father was right beside him, and obviously knew what Scorpius had been doing. "Oh, um . . . nothing, Father."
Draco looked ahead as well at the large family. "Something about them fascinates you?"
Scorpius shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
Draco gave a small nod, and didn't question him anymore. "Let's go to your mother. She's been waiting to see you."
"So, we've decided our summer trip will be to Spain this year," Astoria mentioned to Scorpius, who was sitting, flipping through one of his mother's book. He was bored, yes, but it was obvious that his mother had wanted to spend time with him, so he'd agreed to hang out with her while she worked in her home office. Right now, she was working with the stitching of an elegant dress.
"Why not the one in Ireland?" Scorpius asked curiously. It was his favorite place to go on these summer trips. He always ended up incredibly bored, and at least there was a lot to do at the vacation home in Ireland to keep him occupied.
"Because one of the families living in one of the houses in Spain might be moving, so your father is looking into having it rented out again as soon as possible," Astoria answered. "Why don't you spend time with him, learn how he does his business? You know he'd love for you to join him."
Scorpius nodded. His father always loved having his son with him during business dealing. He wanted to teach Scorpius how he managed things, so Scorpius was always joining him at fancy business dinners in Malfoy-owned restaurants, or going to oversee the possible houses they'd buy just to rent out or use as a vacation home. Scorpius was sometimes blown away when he thought of how much wealth his family had amassed over the generations.
"So, how is school going, dear?" Astoria asked.
Scorpius thought about his year so far, and immediately knew he'd have to leave out the fights and Quidditch injuries. Anything that would make her worry and fuss. "Good, I guess. I've been trying to decide what electives I want to take next year," he told her.
"Really? What interests you so far?" she inquired.
"Well, I've been told that Care of Magical Creatures is really fun. And . . . I've been thinking about Muggle Studies," Scorpius answered. For two reasons. One, to annoy Lucius. And two, because he really was interested in learning more about the people that his family and others had looked down on as disgusting.
"What about your aunt Daphne's class?" Astoria teased.
Scorpius smirked. "Nice try. But from what I hear, it's not easy, and I personally feel as if it'd be weird having my aunt as the professor of one of my classes. She gives me enough teasing when she catches me in the hallways."
"Excuse me?" Pitch spoke hesitantly from the door. "Young master, your father would like for you to join him in a short trip to Diagon Alley this afternoon."
Scorpius looked at his mother, but became suspicious when he saw the smile on her face. This time with her had been a trap, to keep him at home. He sighed. "Ok, ok. Sounds fun."
It wasn't a fun trip to Diagon Alley. Lucius had joined them as well. And he found himself being dragged to Twillfit&Tattlings to be dressed for dress robes.
"Your grandfather and I want you to join me at a business dinner later this evening," Draco had explained to his son. "And you are in dire need of new robes."
But once Scorpius had been measured a million times, he found himself stuck in a chair, waiting as Lucius argued over every minute detail of the robes, from the color to the sleeves, to things Scorpius didn't even know mattered.
Scorpius turned in the seat and looked out the window at the rest of Diagon Alley. He was tired of being bored today. So he watched people passing by, bundled up in the chilly weather, obviously buying gifts for Christmas, and window shopping, looking into shops with glee.
But it was as he was looking out the window that he saw someone that he hadn't expected. Harry Potter. He was seeing a lot of this great hero as of late . . . but perhaps it wasn't a rarity for the hero to be out and about. After all, he seemed like a normal man to Scorpius. But then another thought struck Scorpius. His daughter. Had he come with his family? Would he be able to get a glance at the elusive Potter princess? Would he have a chance to mock James Potter?
Glancing at his father and Lucius, making sure they were occupied, Scorpius quietly got up and left the shop in a hurry. He quickly caught up behind the Chosen One, and then kept his distance, walking behind him. He curiously went to the Leaky Cauldron, so Scorpius followed after him. Was he having lunch with his family perhaps?
But Scorpius stayed in the doorway, and watched the hero move around tables, seeming oblivious to the stares and whispers thrown his way. But there was no sign of his family, or even a Weasley. Instead he joined a group of men at a table near the bar, so Scorpius hurried to hop onto a nearby stool, and tried to seem casual and not suspicious. These people may not recognize him as a Malfoy with his black hair, but why risk being noticed and having rumors spread?
"Harry! Didn't think you'd make it. Where's Ron?" one man asked.
"With the trainees of course. I found time for a short break," Harry Potter said simply.
"I'm proud of my boy," the oldest man at the table said, "joining the department. When do they get out training for their break?"
"A few days," Harry Potter said. "They'll have a week or two before returning."
"Thinking of Dave being proud of his boy, you must be pretty proud too, Harry. After all, won't your daughter be going to school next year?" a younger man mentioned.
"No kids in the house makes it awfully quiet, believe me," the oldest man spoke again.
"She must be excited," the first man commented.
"Oh, she's ecstatic, her and her cousin. She's been wanting to get her wand, get her books, and she hasn't even gotten her letter," Harry Potter said with a soft chuckle.
Scorpius scowled as he sat at the bar. Was this what Aurors did during the day? They sat around and talked about training and their kids?
"Can I get you something, sweetie?" Scorpius jumped at the sight of a woman behind the bar, smiling at him.
Scorpius, not expecting it, just got up from his seat. "Oh, . . . no thank you. I was just getting out of the cold," he said quickly. "But I should really find my father. Excuse me."
Scorpius hadn't been missed at the shop, and he didn't mention anything to his father all day about what he'd overheard. He sat through the business dinner, which was just as boring as any other business dinner he'd attended with his father. But he did find himself wondering more and more about the great hero.
"Father," Scorpius addressed as they walked out of the restaurant and toward the Apparation point.
"Yes?" Draco looked down to his son.
"What do Aurors do?" Scorpius asked. "I mean, I know they go after dark wizards, but . . ."
"Aurors have probably the most dangerous line of work," Draco told him. "They constantly put themselves in the line of danger, all in the sake of others. They are sent out to protect important people from madmen and killers. They are sent out to catch those who mean to harm others. They protect the people, for the sake of the people."
"They're heroes then?" Scorpius replied.
"Anyone who helps and saves others, for the sake of others, is a hero, I think," Draco said softly.
Scorpius looked at his father. It was so hard to see his father as some evil death eater out to kill people. But the whispers . . . his own story . . . "You didn't always used to believe that, did you?" Scorpius guessed.
They both stopped walking, and Scorpius realized that they had reached their destination. But despite the cold, they didn't move to leave. Draco gave his son an honest and serious look. "No. I didn't. I'm not sure I ever really believed in heroes. They were fairytales. They were weak to me, always helping others and never helping themselves," Draco answered.
"Dad, . . ." Scorpius hesitated, but he really wanted to know. "Why? Why do what you did? Why believe what you did?"
"I was raised that way, son," Draco replied.
"That shouldn't matter!" Scorpius burst. "Lucius has tried to raise me that way! And I'm different!"
"Scorpius," Draco sighed, "when things got serious with the war, more serious than I'd imagined, and I saw the reality of what I had thought I'd wanted . . . I got scared." He kneeled to look Scorpius in the eye. "I realized that everything I had thought I'd wanted was fake. It was a tragic horror, my fake dream. I knew that I couldn't go on the way I'd been. I wasn't the same, and I couldn't go back. All I could do was move forward with life and change. But . . . your grandfather is . . ."
"He's evil!" Scorpius hissed.
"Not evil," Draco countered. "Misguided, just as I was. But . . . he's, what you would say, too far gone. He'd been raised, and grew up like that all his life. He'd lived that life. I was still young, and I had time. If things had been different, I might not have changed. But you can't dwell on those things."
"He dwells on them!" Scorpius retorted angrily.
Draco placed his hands on Scorpius's shoulders, and Scorpius felt himself relax under the touch. His father was being so calm, yet he was throwing a fit. It was a disgrace. "Scorpius, there is one thing that you, I, and your grandfather all have in common. And that's pride in our family."
"Pride?" Scorpius mumbled.
"Pride," Draco said with a nod. "Now, we may show it in different ways, but we all have it. Your grandfather shows it the only way he knows how. I show it by not paying mind to what is said about us, and doing all that I can to make my wife happy, and bring up my son. Now, what you have to ask yourself is how do you show it?"
