Chapter 5:
Songs I was listening to while writing: A Moment by We Came as Romans, Breakaway by Drowning Simone, Something's Gotta Give by All Time Low, This is the House that Doubt Built by A Day to Remember
Rose's POV:
Al's room reminded me so much of the Gryffindor common room that I felt a tug at the part of me that still lived in my Hogwarts days. Surrounded by Gryffindor flags and banners and Al's old Quidditch uniform hung on the wall— which was probably lending to the slight odor in the room— the past felt so close I could touch it. Even sitting with Dominique and working through each other's problems was something that reminded me of being sixteen again.
I hadn't said anything since Dom had finally gotten out that she had cheated on Fletcher. Somehow, the information wasn't processing in my mind correctly. It had seemed like things were smoothly sailing for Dom and Fletcher. She was absolutely head over heels for him. I almost expected her to burst out laughing and tell me she was just having a laugh.
"How bad was it?" I asked. Dom had returned her gaze to her hands which were currently twisting uncomfortably in her lap. She wouldn't look at me but hiccupped again.
"We kissed. It didn't get any farther than that, I swear." She said.
"Kissed, or snogged?" Dom sent me a look.
"Rose, please."
I sighed. I believed Dom was telling the truth. She may be slightly mad and definitely boy-crazy, but she wasn't stupid enough to let something completely out of hand happen.
"What am I going to do, Rose?" She whispered. I took one of her hands in mine.
"Well, maybe this means you have some thinking to do." I said slowly. I knew this probably wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she would have to listen. "You can't keep this from Fletcher even if you think you could pull it off. You have to decide if you're going to tell him and ask for another chance, or if you're going to tell him, break it off, and then talk to Colin."
At the mentioning of Colin, Dom's head snapped up to me. The look in her eyes told me she thought I was the one that was mad.
"I'm never talking to Colin again. I know this was my fault Rosie, but it's his fault too. He knows that I don't think straight after a few drinks and he still followed me in here and—" She took a deep breath. "I'm not talking to Colin. I'm supposed to be with Fletcher."
"But Dom—"
"No, Rose! I love Fletcher, even if it doesn't seem like it after I did that. But I do love him."
I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from pushing Dom any more than I already had.
"Then you're going to have to tell him." I said finally. Dom's shoulders slumped and she seemed to let herself go, putting her head on my shoulder and starting to cry again.
We left twenty minutes later with hurried goodbyes to Al and his girlfriend Giselle. Luke noticed Dom's red rimmed eyes and tear-track stained face but didn't say anything, which made me appreciate him even more than I already did. He wasn't nosy.
Standing in the doorway of their flat, I looked back at the crowded party. Scorpius had left his room and was standing guard in the hallway where the bedrooms were. For a fleeting second, I debated on leaving Dom with Luke whom I knew would get her home safely. After all, the whole reason I had talked myself into stopping by the flat was to see Scorpius.
But as he scanned the room with nervous eyes and tapped his wand against his leg, I knew he was too busy. I convinced myself this wasn't me making an excuse to keep the comfortable distance I had built up between us. Tearing my eyes away from the party, I grasped Dom's hand firmly and turned on the spot allowing myself to be swallowed by the darkness of Apparition.
Scorpius's POV:
A month after Binny had scared the shit out of me by appearing in the Ministry lift and badgering me about my parents, I still couldn't get the message from my mum out of my head. She wanted me home even though we both knew it wasn't a possibility. I was living with Al and I couldn't abandon his sorry arse to pay for the rent on his own.
Still, I might as well have been living alone for the last few weeks. Giselle had officially moved in. This meant if I wanted to be outside of my room for more than a few minutes at a time, I would have to suffer through their slightly sickening couple-talk or have my eyes subjected to what some might call soft-core porn. That's why this morning I left an hour earlier than usual knowing Al and Giselle wouldn't be awake so I could brew myself a cup of tea and Apparate right outside the door to a place I didn't think I'd ever return to.
I stood in front of the tall, iron gates feeling two feet high. It was becoming a chilly November and I drew my Auror training robes closer to my body, took out my wand, and tapped the code against the bars of the gate. Some part of me was scared that my father would have changed the code in order to keep me out. I told that part of me to shut up when the gates swung inward as they had always done without a creak and I continued easily on the path up to the front doors of Malfoy Manor. The breeze remained chilly and rippled the leaves on the perfectly manicured hedges.
Even though the weather was less than desirable and I knew inside the Manor it was warm, I felt mingled apprehension and something in my stomach that felt like guilt when the doors finally rose up in front of me. Would I even be able to walk inside? Had my father placed charms against my return planning for a moment just like this one? Again, I told myself that was stupid because the gate hadn't tried to keep me out. I figured it would be better to be allowed in by a servant instead of forcing entry and I took the snake shaped knocker in my hand, letting it thud against the door three times. The emerald eyes on the snake glittered at me as if they were pissed off I had dared to come back.
It took only about half a minute before the door opened and I was met with the gaze of a house elf. The elf had big green eyes, not so unlike Albus's, and gawked at me openly. I opened my mouth to say something— though I didn't know what brilliant thing I would have said— but the door slammed shut. I stuffed my hands in my pockets now, embarrassed and regretting having made the trip to have my own door slammed in my face. I considered knocking again but the door creaked open a few inches and a brown eye stared at me from the few inches of space the door had left.
"Master Scorpius!" Binny squeaked from inside. He pulled the door the rest of the way open and flapped his arms encouragingly, ushering me inside.
I took a deep breath and crossed over the threshold. The black marble looked the same as it always had beneath my feet; glossy and shiny enough to see my own reflection. The front entryway blazed with candlelight in the still slightly dim morning and house elves bustled through the many doorways with blankets, towels, baskets of food and raspberry pies that were surely being made on my mother's request.
"Binny didn't know Master Scorpius would be coming to the Manor, or Binny would have doubled the cleaning services!" My favorite house elf squeaked as he pushed the doors closed again and trotted over to me.
"It doesn't even look like that would be necessary, Binny." I said, again glancing at a line of three house elves, each supporting one long loaf of bread, as they scurried by. "Did my mum hire more elves?"
"Yes, Master Scorpius! Mistress Astoria says she's 'getting on a bit' and would like to have a little more help around the house." Binny said, his voice wavering a bit at the end. Knowing my mum, she had probably hired the extra elves for some company. With my father at work and her only son banished from her home, it was no wonder she was getting lonely. My heart seemed to contract more sharply than usual as if to scold me for being a shitty son.
"It doesn't feel mad with so many people in the house, does it?" I asked, turning back to Binny. Surprisingly, he puffed out his chest and placed his hands on either side of his waist. In my mild shock at seeing the manor again, I hadn't noticed the addition to his usual pillowcase. A gold badge was pinned to the upper left corner of the pillowcase and I narrowed my eyes to read it.
"Head House Elf of Malfoy Manor." I read out loud. Binny beamed with pride. "Binny, that's great!"
"It is an honor to be such a help to Mistress Astoria!" He said proudly. I swore I could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes. But his expression changed to one of realization and he jumped on his little feet.
"Did Master Scorpius come to see Mistress Astoria and Master Draco?"
"Uh…" I trailed off, running my fingers through my hair. I really needed to get it cut. "Sort of. Is my mum home?"
"Yes!" Binny nodded enthusiastically, causing his ears to flap around in his excitement. "Mistress Astoria is just finishing her breakfast in the family dining room! But Master Draco has already left for the Ministry. Would Master Scorpius like to send an owl to Master Draco?"
I thought longingly of my mum only a few hallways away from where I stood now. It had been months since I'd seen her. I realized Binny was waiting for an answer.
"I've actually seen my father recently. I don't want to bother him." I lied. The tears in Binny's eyes finally leaked out onto his wrinkly little face and I felt that guilty contraction of my heart again. What Binny didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"I will take Master Scorpius to Mistress Astoria at once!" He said happily, and he wrapped his hand around two of my fingers to whisk me out of the room.
Binny rattled on about what it was like to be in charge of all the house elves in the Manor. I expected it was a big job because every corner we turned, we passed at least two house elves readying fireplaces and tying back curtains on the tall windows. They eyed me curiously and looked away once I returned their gaze. After being out of Hogwarts and the Manor for so long, I had forgotten what it was like to have the eyes of the little elves following me. Still, the surroundings quickly felt familiar again and I was noticing cracks in the walls I had made accidentally when my magic was still unpredictable and I was little or a stain on the floor from a painting job gone wrong when I was ten.
"Mistress Astoria is just through here, Master Scorpius!" Binny announced once we had turned the final corner past the kitchens. The family dining room was smaller than the dining room off the sitting room and was decorated with paintings of the Malfoy family line dating back to the Black family. I turned to see if Binny would walk in with me, but he had disappeared.
Feeling like I was being watched, I flattened my hair as best as I could and stepped into the room. Immediately, I found my mother at the head of the table with a large mug of tea and speaking to a tiny house elf holding up two different rolls of fabric. I cleared my throat awkwardly and resisted looking away when my mother turned her attention to me, her jaw dropping slightly.
She brought a hand to her chest, her Malfoy rings glittering in the morning light against the emerald green of her robes. Her dark hair hadn't been twisted up like it normally was just yet and it flowed freely over her shoulders. I took in the sight of her, my mum, and was brought back to when I was little once again. I could have been five years old and teetering unsteadily across the room to tug on the hem of her robes and demand her attention.
"Scorpius," She breathed, a smile quirking at the corners of her mouth. She glanced back at the house elf, which was gawking at me. Evidently, it seemed I was talked about in the Manor. "Rootie, if you could just allow me and my son some time alone."
Rootie the house elf nodded vigorously as Binny had done only moments before and all but ran out of the room, the rolls of fabric trailing behind her like oversized capes. I wanted to move forward— hell, I wanted to run to my mum more than anything. But my feet felt like they had been cemented to the floor and I opened my mouth stupidly.
"Please, sit." She said after prolonged seconds of silence. It seemed like there would never be enough time to drink in each other's presence after so many months apart. I felt myself walk forward, but I didn't think my brain was controlling my legs. Somehow I ended up in the seat to the right of my mother as she continued to beam at me, staring.
"It's been so long." She said softly. The smile didn't leave her face even as a sadness took over her eyes.
"I know." I blurted out. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to—"
"The last things your father and I said to you were unforgivable. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them." She cut me off.
"I shouldn't have walked out like I did." I mumbled, looking down at my lap. My mum laid her hand over mine and I focused on the engraved M of her Malfoy ring. My own Malfoy ring was somewhere tucked in a trunk of things at the flat, untouched since I'd gotten it on my seventeenth birthday. I'd been so angry at my father, I hadn't wanted anything to do with a gift from him.
"Scorpius," My mum said, her voice bringing me out of my thoughts. "I won't pretend you didn't break my heart when you left. But I'm so proud of you for doing it."
I looked up at her, my expression probably mirroring my shock. My mum chuckled and moved to take both of my hands in hers.
"You know I love your father very much, and we both love you even more. But I don't think Draco could see what I was starting to see in you. It scared me when you became distant. And just thinking of my son training to get himself killed was frightening." She paused, allowing me to take in her words. "Your father has been getting reports on your training. Did you know?"
If I had been shocked before, I was even more so now. I guessed that was how my father had known right away when I'd been cursed and hurt. I shook my head quickly.
"He says he hears all good things about you. You're an excellent dueler, your potion making skills have improved; you know how to think for another side. I couldn't imagine my brave son in any position more fitting for him."
I felt a blush on my face and thought of Rose. My mum smiled at me even wider, if that was possible.
"I'm so proud of you, Scorpius. And your father will come around. You've spoken to him?"
I bit my cheek. I wondered how much my father had really told my mum.
"I've seen him at the ministry. And we've talked. I'm busy a lot." My mum smiled a little sadly but patted my shoulder.
"He knows you know how to take care of yourself. And he knew you would come back."
"He's the one who banned me." I said, laughing darkly.
"He's all talk." My mum said, waving a hand lazily. "The Manor is always open to you, my love."
She stood up from her chair and smoothed down her skirts. I got to my feet to follow her as she headed for the doorway. She immediately began to rattle on about her gardens and the raspberry pies, but I could hardly listen. Just the sound of her voice made me feel calmer than I had been in weeks. Still, guilt remained in a corner of my mind that told me my mum didn't know about everything. It was obvious she was oblivious to my current vow of silence towards my father or my injuries. I wondered if I would ever be able to walk through the doors of the manor without that guilt, knowing that I would never really be home.
…
The Saturday after I visited the manor found the Burrow completely packed in front of Molly and Arthur Weasley's small fireplace. After being "accidentally" nudged none too gently in the ribs twice by Ron's elbow, I decided to watch the organized chaos from the doorway of the kitchen, Al by my side. Even without those of the Potter-Weasley clan at Hogwarts, the family dominated the small space. It was impressive watching Molly Weasley herd her oversized family into a single file line and one-by-one they stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in leaping green flames.
"We could have just Apparated to Dorset, you know." Al whined as his grandmother quickly scanned the room and beckoned us over to the fireplace. We were the only two left apart from Victoire and Teddy with Angeline.
"I hate long distance trips." I reminded him. Al begrudgingly allowed Molly to attempt to flatten his hair before taking a fistful of floo powder and in seconds, disappearing like the rest of his family with the soot and flames.
"Scorpius, in you go." Molly beamed at me, patting my shoulder before turning to the Lupins and taking Angeline in her arms. I threw my handful of powder into the fireplace, stepped into the fire, and spoke as clearly as I could.
"The River Piddle, Dorset!"
I was used to seeing other sitting rooms whiz before my eyes as I was whipped around in the green flames of Floo-Powder travel. However, we were traveling to the middle of the country to get to the hidden stadium where Puddlemere United played professional Quidditch, far away from where Muggles would be able to find it. James had secured his spot as Keeper only months ago and practically the whole British wizarding community was keen to see him play. Marshes and forests zoomed past in a green and grey blur before I was met with the sight of a small room and was chucked out onto a dusty floor.
"Took you long enough," Al said, grabbing my arm and helping me steady myself as soon as I was upright again. We were in a small cottage with only a few windows and scattered tables and chairs. The fireplace behind me was tiny and sooty, but the windows offered a view of rolling green forests and the sound of a river meant we had gotten to our destination.
"Didn't even know this was here." Al exclaimed, walking backwards to take another look at the cottage as we exited outside and made our way down a rocky path, following the sound of the river and voices just up ahead. "I s'pose it makes sense though. You can't just put a fireplace in the middle of a meadow."
Al continued to babble about our surroundings, then a date with Giselle from two days ago he had already told me about, and then Quidditch. I listened without paying much attention, nodding when it seemed appropriate and shoving him when he flicked my shoulder to see if I was really listening. I couldn't help thinking about my visit to the Manor. Ever since I had left that eventful morning for training, the memory of my mother and the familiarity of my old home had stuck to me.
I glanced down at the Malfoy ring on my left hand, the black and green jewels glinting in the sunlight. The serpent-like dragons curled around the M in the middle seemed to wink at me, as if pleased I had finally fished the ring out of a pile of dirty socks. Wearing it made me feel closer to my mother and I fingered it affectionately.
Ten minutes later, the trees began to thin and the sounds of a packed stadium became louder as we got closer. I felt like I was back at Hogwarts, just before a Quidditch game. Al's thoughts seemed to echo mine as he became more excited, grinning stupidly and drumming his wand against his leg rhythmically.
"Oi Al, Scorp!" Teddy's voice carried over the din surrounding us as we finally stepped through an invisible barrier and the stadium and the kiosks set up around it came into view. Teddy's blue hair could be seen standing near a kiosk with a red banner for programs. We elbowed our way through the witches and wizards buying merchandise and omnioculars before the match.
"You two took your time." Teddy said, but the easy smile on his face betrayed his otherwise scolding tone.
"Where's everyone else?" Al asked.
"Already in seats reserved for the family. James made sure we had enough rows. But Victoire wanted a scarf because it's chilly and she's worried Angeline will catch a cold if we're not careful."
Al nodded his understanding. We waved goodbye to Teddy as he set off for an open tent with the navy and gold merchandise, all embroidered with the golden bulrushes of the team. We presented our tickets to the wizards at the front gate to the stadium and climbed up six stories, panting, until we found the seats where the Potter-Weasley clan was gathered.
"Nice view!" Al breathed, leaning over the balcony to see the pitch below. Ginny barked at him to get off the edge if he wanted to see tomorrow and he rolled his eyes, slumping into an open seat. I sat next to him, still fingering the ring that was starting to feel comfortable on my hand as if it was supposed to be there.
It didn't take long for the match to start and I was sure my hearing would be all but lost by the end of the day as the family was screaming so much for James. He was sitting comfortably on his broom in front of the golden hoops like he was born to be there. It was odd to see him in the navy and gold robes of Puddlemere United rather than the familiar Gryffindor robes of the past. Still, his playing hadn't changed. If anything, it had improved. James saved goals that would have sent other Keepers crying to their mothers and did it all with an easy relaxed smile that sent the younger women in the stadiums into fits of giggles and shrieks. Lacey Jordan, a row behind us, crossed her arms at the screaming girls and made sure to cheer extra loudly for her boyfriend.
I was so focused on the players in front of me— the Wimbourne Wasps were in possession of the Quaffle and the scores had become dangerously close— that I didn't notice the presence of someone taking a seat next to me.
"Sorry I'm late!" Rose half-yelled over the sounds of the stadium. I turned in surprise toward her, sort of amazed she was willingly watching a Quidditch game and even more willingly sitting next to me. She was turned toward her parents a row and a few seats down behind us. Her long hair was twisted into a braid and she smelled flowery. A loud gasp echoed around the stadium and I whipped my focus back to the game to see James had just narrowly caught the Quaffle before it could sail through the hoop on the left and give the Wasps a lead.
"Did I miss much?" Rose asked. It took me a few seconds to realize she was asking me. I couldn't believe that even though we had initiated comfortable small talk, I still acted like a blithering idiot around her.
"Only about a half an hour." I said, trying to speak to her and keep my eyes on the game at the same time. "James is doing great. He's only missed a few goals."
"I missed seeing him play." She said. She sounded so happy that I broke my concentration and turned to look at her face. She was watching James intently, her smile wide and her eyes glittering in the sun. If I had known this was what she looked like watching her family play Quidditch, I would have gladly quit the Slytherin team at Hogwarts and joined the lions just to see her like this.
"I didn't mean to be late. Dom was having a crisis." She explained to me, her gaze switching from the game to mine. I cleared my mind of all the lovesick thoughts that were currently swarming it and reminded myself how to put two words together.
"What sort of crisis?"
Rose bit her lip. "I can't really tell anyone about it."
"Is she okay?"
"She's on a date with Fletcher, meeting his parents." We applauded along with the stadium as the Puddlemere chasers arranged themselves into an impressive formation and scored another goal on the Wasps' keeper.
"Since when is meeting your boyfriend's parents a crisis?" I asked, slightly amused. When it came to Dominique, I knew to expect the unexpected.
"It's really complicated, actually. I'm worried about her." Rose answered, her eyebrows scrunched together in concern.
"Well, I'll keep an eye out for her at training if it makes the situation any better." I said slowly, making sure I didn't slip up the words. Rose smiled again.
"Thank you. I would tell you what's wrong but it's not my information to tell."
"It's none of my business anyway. Just know she has someone for her when you can't be there." Rose's smile grew bigger and before I knew it, she was squeezing my hand in hers. It didn't last long, only a few seconds. Still, even after she returned her attention to the game and her hand to her lap, I couldn't look away from her or ignore the tingling in my palm where she had touched it.
"Scorp, you dolt. You're missing the game!" Al whined on my left. I turned to him, jumping slightly. His eyes flitted between me and Rose, a knowing smirk on his face that made me want to smack him. Still, the tingling in my hand didn't stop and a dumb smile wouldn't wipe off my face even ten minutes after my exchange with Rose. Luckily, it blended in with everyone else's as the Puddlemere Seeker finally caught the snitch and James looped around the goal posts, pumping his fists excitedly and the Potter-Weasleys around me went wild.
If only they knew that the outcome of the game wasn't even close to the reason I was feeling so elated.
A/N: Wow! I'm basically ashamed at how long it took me to write this chapter and post it for you all. I want to apologize for the mini hiatus I had to take from this story due to my schoolwork, dance, volunteering and a really bad case of writer's block (probably the worst I've had yet)! I know there's no good excuse for posting chapters months apart but I do want to express my guilt and make sure you know I love writing this story even if it takes me a long time to do it! This chapter was an important one, but there are lots of even more important things coming up soon and I know when I get to those chapters, I won't be able to write them fast enough! Please have faith in me and my characters as we make this long journey, and please stick with us! I love each and every one of you and I hope the holidays and Spring weather have been treating you well! Please leave me a review (even if you want to yell at me)!
~yours in eternity, Amy xx