I, ahem, did not edit my work, so many grammatical mistakes, I'm sure, and probably some confusing parts that could be better explained… I'll probably edit & replace this chapter at some point, haha.
After this, one more chapter!
Please take my shoddy magic-science with a grain of salt. =D
-o-o-o-o-
"Did you know that our son thinks he can see magic?"
Magic can, essentially, be attributed to one factor: speed. Not the caster's dexterity for this factor, but magic itself is speed. Very few wizards truly understand magic in the sense of its origination. The accepted idea is that magic, called upon by the various spells, "just appears." This belief, naturally, has no bearing and, when truly considered, is absolutely ludicrous. Ironically, those without magic have the ability to comprehend the origin of magic better than the very kind that uses the magic, for muggles already understand a most basic concept:
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed.
"Every wizard can see magic, Astoria. Why shouldn't he be able to?"
Muggles, however, remain oblivious to existence of magic and thus the wizarding kind remains ignorant of the energy it wields.
"I'm not insulting his eyes, Draco. He thinks he can… see magic."
"You're not making any sense."
Energy exists in all living things. When a spell is cast, energy is drawn from the caster's surroundings and that energy is channeled through the caster's body which acts as the matrix, the conductor, to chemically change the energy into the desired spell. The stronger the spell, the more energy needed.
In the beginning, all magic was "wandless."
"He told me that he can see the… 'flow' of magic, that when I cast a spell he can see where the magic came from before I used it and where it ends up after I finish."
However, "wandless" magic requires that the final stop for the energy to combine be the caster's body. If the caster is not skilled enough to control the energy, the leaving energy has the potential to be damaging to its conductor, even to the point of killing the caster. Therefore, in the beginning, only the exceptionally talented had the right to study magic, to learn the spells, and to use the power that magic offered. All others carefully manipulated their magic for every day, simple tasks.
"He's a child, Astoria. He may be mature for his age, but even he will have the occasional whimsical fantasy."
"You don't understand! It's not… He's not… Something is wrong with him, Draco!"
The creation of wands changed the flow of energy. Wands, typically, are constructed from non-living things – dead wood from various trees, hair from various creatures, feathers, nail clippings, tears, etc. The non-living extension of the caster's body allowed even the weakest wizard to have a semblance of control over magic. Not even wandmakers understand that the reason "the wand picks the wizard" is that the components in the wand have to match the strength of presence of the caster, for every human born is born with a different energy signature.
The difference between muggles and magicals is simply genetic: is the body capable of conductivity or not? All humans were once magical, with the magical gene being recessive. Hence, "muggle-borns" are merely throw-backs to their magical ancestors, the product of two recessive-bearing parents, and "squibs" are born with the mutated and dominant non-magical gene. Logically, "squibs" are the origin of muggles.
"How can you say that? About your own son?"
"You're not listening to me! I love Scorpius! He's my precious baby boy, but he's... he's not normal, not right."
If the progression of energy from its surroundings to the change it undergoes and its eventual burst from the tip of a wand were obvious – were slow – then every wizard and muggle alike could and would truly see magic, but magic is speed. The movement of energy is so fast that it seems instantaneous, as though it "just appears."
"He's not even ten and he can already do speechless magic! And with spells that even I cannot perform!"
"Our son is a prodigy and that bothers you?"
"No! It's not… I just… I'm… I find myself… afraid of him at times, of what he… of what he can do…"
Theoretically, if one were to understand the path that energy takes to become magic and could focus on that path, then one would have the capability of "seeing" the magic by "sensing" it as though it were a solid object – in essence, the sixth sense, the one that allows for the sensing of presence.
"Afraid of him? He's barely nine years old, for Merlin's sake!"
"…Don't you think that… that even… You-Know-Who's mother knew something was wrong with her child? That she worried when she saw him… use magic to such a degree?"
"Are you mad? How could you compare our Scorpius – Scorpius! – to that- that- freak? How can you say that you love him and then say that?"
"I do love him! I do! I love him, but… but…"
That is, of course, just theory.
"But will love be enough?"
-o-o-o-o-
A concealment charm.
Scorpius recognized it instantly – lightly vibrating but not tingly, warm but barely so – and it entwined with the gentle breath of wingardium leviosa. Concealments were one of his specialties; he could detect a concealment even with a physical wall between him and the spell. Having been shoved into many a dungeon or makeshift jail, concealments were among the first incantations he had studied, along with restriction spells, defensive spells, healing spells, and apparition, the last being the most difficult to detect as the energy it drew was not from the destination but rather the starting point.
Closing his eyes, Scorpius could, by feeling out the spell, see the white string of energy connecting the floating, folded piece of parchment – invisible to the naked eye – to the discreetly moving wand tip at a nearby table. He dropped his focus on the magical energy and instead concentrated on the living energy signature of the caster.
Ethan Evans. Ravenclaw prefect, sixth year.
Scorpius opened his eyes and continued to read the book in front of him – or, rather, pretended to. Why was Ethan Evans of all people secretively slipping him a note in the library? He rarely spoke to the younger student outside of prefect meetings and the impression he had of Evans was not one of a timid personality. He much more expected Evans to simply walk up to his table and start a discussion with an arrogance that demanded he participate whether he wanted to or not. Honestly, that pompous attitude made tolerating the boy a bit difficult, especially since that pomposity was often used in accosting Scorpius's favorite Gryffindor.
Well.
A certain Head Boy happened to know that a certain Ravenclaw prefect barely managed an Acceptable in the Charms O.W.L.
Closing his book, Scorpius began to gather up his various scrolls and quills, nearly laughing out loud when he felt the surge of panic shake through the two charms being used on the small parchment. It was almost to his book bag so Scorpius pulled the bag a little closer to himself under the guise of sliding in books, and this time he had to look away to hide his smile at the quiet, irritated grunt that issued from the Ravenclaw table next to his.
He teased Evans a bit longer – moving the bag a couple more times and fumbling around with it to prevent an opening for the parchment to sneak inside – before he finally took pity on the sixth year and allowed the note to be passed to him before leaving. At the library doors, Scorpius discreetly glanced back to see that Evans was exuding his usual apathy toward the other students, although the light gleam of sweat on his brow belied the effort he must have exerted in order to use the two charms without being noticed.
Without being noticed by everyone except the receiver, of course.
Scorpius pulled the note from his bag once he was free of the library, still feeling the hum of magic that slowly scattered from the parchment and back to the environment.
"S. Malfoy,
As neither of us have previous engagements, meet me behind the greenhouses at 7:00 PM tonight.
E.E."
Scorpius blinked at the message and then slipped into an empty classroom so that he could laugh unobserved.
Ethan Evans? Ethan Evans was asking him down to the willows? And through a note no less. How unexpected and shy of the Ravenclaw. Apparently, even twits like Evans had their cute moments.
But cute or not, Scorpius didn't feel particularly inclined to comply with the "request." Ignoring it was, of course, completely impolite and therefore unacceptable, despite how unbearable the event could potentially be.
"You will catch more bees with honey than with vinegar," his grandmother had once told him.
Ethan Evans isn't exactly a bee I want to catch, Scorpius thought with amusement, laughter finally subsiding into the occasional quiet chuckle. He fell back to lean against the wall as he read the short note again and considered how to handle the situation. Evans was hardly the first person to fawn after him, but Scorpius doubted that his usual, gentle rejection would sufficiently deal with the conceited Ravenclaw. No, he'd need to leave a negative enough imprint in Evans's thoughts, something that would stick with the boy even if the memory of where it came from was erased…
Smiling slowly, mind forming a plot, Scorpius folded the small parchment into a bird before walking to the nearest window and tossing it outside, setting a timed charm upon it so that it would fly to his desired recipient at the appropriate moment.
-o-o-
After dinner that evening, Scorpius casually made his way toward the greenhouses. Ethan Evans would expect him early, which was precisely why Scorpius walked leisurely, fully intending to arrive just as the clock struck the hour. It would infuriate the Ravenclaw to no end, but a ruffled Evans would aid rather than hinder Scorpius's plans for the evening.
Plus, ticking off Evans always proved to be entertaining.
Though it was late spring, the air outside still cooled with the setting sun. Not cold enough for a warming charm, but enough that Scorpius wrapped his arms around himself to lessen the chill. As he walked, his mind wandered to the potions he expected to finish before the year ended. One required the stamen of a fire lily soon; he could detour through the greenhouses on his way back to the castle to cut one. Professor Longbottom wouldn't mind (or notice).
The thick branches of the willow trees swayed in the light evening wind and Scorpius pushed them aside like a curtain. Within, he saw the tall figure of Ethan Evans leaning against a tree trunk, arms folded impatiently in wait. Scorpius slipped through the last of the branches as he heard the clock tower boom from the other side of Hogwarts and met Evans's disapproving frown with his patented polite smile.
"You're late," Evans said flatly.
"Only in comparison," Scorpius answered lightly.
Evans snorted at this but did not move from his position at the tree. He was nervous; Scorpius could feel his magic wavering with uncertainty. "Well?"
"Well what?" Scorpius asked innocently, feigning ignorance. It was obvious that Evans was trying to hide his anxiety with the arrogance-façade, but if he wanted a real answer then he needed to ask a real question.
"You know what," Evans scoffed, his expression sharpening. He finally pushed away from the tree and stepped toward Scorpius, chin raised as he looked down at the other haughtily. "There's only one reason I would ask you here. What's your answer?"
Does anyone answer favorably to you, with an attitude like that? Scorpius wanted to ask, mildly amazed by the sixth year's conceit. He was gazing at Evans thoughtfully, weighing possible neutral responses in his mind, when he felt the slight tingle of someone entering his radius of awareness – someone whose energy presence he knew quite well. Scorpius turned a fraction toward that presence, the warmth of it getting stronger as the other got closer.
Albus…
"Malfoy?" Evans took another small step toward Scorpius, his confidence clearly faltering at the prolonged silence.
Scorpius studied at the boy's prideful but earnest expression and felt a twinge of guilt.
What an awful person I am, using his affections like this.
"Ah, my apologies, I…" Scorpius drifted off, again distracted, this time by the feeling of Albus stopping just beyond the willows. Albus's energy felt hesitant, indecisive. Because it's Ethan Evans? Scorpius wondered, curious (and a tad worried), but a second later Albus's resolve was strengthening, and Scorpius tried to focus on his reply. "I'm afraid that a relationship between us would be ill-advised…"
It was Evans who wasn't paying attention now, head jerking sharply in Albus's direction – or, rather, in the direction of the noises of "someone" coming toward them – and after a brief moment Albus appeared in the curtain of thick branches. Once free, he trotted to Scorpius's side, glaring at Evans defensively.
"What do you think you're doing, Evans?"
Evans was tensing, and Scorpius knew that if he focused on the sixth year now he could see the boy's energy flaring with anger, but he was too delighted by Albus having come for him to feel guilty for his manipulative actions. It was wrong, yes, to constantly test the Gryffindor and to use someone else to do so, but, sometimes, Scorpius liked being reassured.
"Interesting, how he knew we were here," Evans was saying, his tone calm but cold.
"I, too, drop things on occasion," Scorpius offered quietly. He managed to not smile but, judging by the telling smirk on Albus's face, he hadn't managed to keep the amusement from his voice.
"Is that so?"
Scorpius didn't have to focus now – just a light probe of magic and he could see easily see the fluctuations in Evans's bursting energy. Powerful, but nowhere near the strong vibration of the Gryffindor next to him.
The Ravenclaw's scowl shifted from him to Albus, speaking to the intruder at last, "This is supposed to be a private meeting, Potter, one that you were not invited to. Leave."
"No," Albus refused, and Scorpius smiled at the protective stance Albus took between him and Evans. "You have a lot of nerve calling Scorpius out here."
"I believe I have an adequate amount of nerve," Evans countered coldly. "What's appalling is that you think you have the right to interrupt. Surely you haven't deluded yourself so far as to honestly believe the imaginary relationship you so pathetically perpetuate? It's disgusting the way you prance about trying to get Malfoy's attention when it's clear that he only tolerates your behavior because he has the sense of propriety that you lack."
Ouch. Evans certainly knew where the weak spot in Albus's armor was, the sharp words causing the Gryffindor's confidence to plummet drastically. A quick movement caught Scorpius's eye and he swiftly grabbed Albus's wrist to stop the wand from being drawn, smiling soothingly at the Gryffindor's questioning glance. As wonderful as it was that Albus had come for him, he didn't want either of the prefects ending up in the hospital wing over this, especially since he had manipulated them both.
I am a horrible person, he thought with a grim smile.
"There's no harm in letting people think what they want to, whether it's true or not. I am Scorpius's friend, and I'm not going to let a ponce like you try to take advantage of his kindness," Albus snapped at Evans before Scorpius could stop him.
"How dare–"
"That's enough," Scorpius interjected softly, and two pairs of eyes snapped to him. He moved between them, amused by how quickly both of their energies calmed. "I've seen what I came here to see."
Evans's eyed Scorpius suspiciously before his mouth dropped slightly in shock.
Oh, he knows.
"You–!"
"Albus," Scorpius interrupted again, and a glance at Evans showed the Ravenclaw to be glowering at him. Ignoring this for the moment, Scorpius gently pushed Albus back toward the willows, encouraging, "Wait for me in the East greenhouse? I'll only be a minute."
Albus glanced at Evans's expression and hesitated. "Are you sure? I just got here and I came to get you…"
Even though this was something Scorpius was already aware of, he felt warmed by hearing it directly.
"Mm-hm, I know."
Albus hesitated only a bit more, shooting several threatening looks at the scowling Evans before finally disappearing back through the willow branches. Scorpius and Evans watched him go quietly, waiting until they couldn't hear Albus's clomping steps anymore before facing one another once more.
Evans was silent at first, expression darkening but energy becoming more controlled as he studied Scorpius. When he finally spoke, his tone was very clipped and business-like. "I am neither fool nor tool, Malfoy. In the future, I would rather that you didn't use me for your attempts at personal gain, especially where Potter is concerned. I feel that I am much more worthy of affections than him, but after this atrocious display of deceit, I have no wish to pursue my original intent."
"My apologies for the awkward situation in which I placed you, but asking me to not use you for my personal gain is asking me to go against my very Slytherin nature," Scorpius replied, tone neutral. "However, if there is something I can do to help assuage your anger, please let me know."
A pause. Then, "As a matter of fact, there is." Evans's smirk returned, this time with real snobbery behind it. "I'd quite like a kiss."
A bit vengeful, then. Scorpius smiled thinly. "Of course."
Scorpius stepped forward, brushing Evans's cheek with the backs of his fingers as he tipped up for the kiss, but at a hair's breath away he whispered instead, "Obliviate," and the magic surged from his fingers into Evans.
Evans's eyes glazed over and the Ravenclaw stumbled backwards into the tree he'd been leaning against when Scorpius had first arrived that evening. Evans trembled for a moment, looking incredibly dizzy, but then his eyes slowly started to clear and he blinked at Scorpius standing just inside the willow branches. With a frown he glanced at his watch, and the frown deepened. "You're late."
"Yes, quite," Scorpius hummed. "There were, ah, issues."
Evans seemed to accept the excuse and demanded, "Well?"
Scorpius concentrated on Evans's energy. Despite that the boy had no mental memory of the minutes before, his life energy still thrummed with resentment and loathing – a negative enough imprint. Scorpius smirked. "My sincerest apologies, Prefect Evans. I am afraid that I cannot return your affections."
With a scoff, Evans pushed away from the tree and began to leave, again haughtily looking down his nose at Scorpius, this time without the apprehension, and said over his shoulder, "Affections is not the proper word, Malfoy. I merely thought it might be an intelligent gain for us both."
"My mistake," Scorpius answered quietly, inwardly smirking at his success.
He waited until Evans was several meters away before leaving the willows in favor of the eastern most greenhouse. He still felt a bit guilty about messing with Evans's thoughts and emotions, wondering about his own cruel, scheming self, and sighed as he pushed open the greenhouse door. Albus was sitting just inside on an overturned bucket and his face lit up as soon as their eyes met.
"That was quick. No more Evans, then?" Albus asked, obviously trying to be confident but still sounding anxious.
"No more Evans," Scorpius assured, and the smile that bloomed on the Gryffindor's face was so full of warmth and happiness and affection that Scorpius was engulfed by its energy.
Impulsively, as if he had no control over his own body, Scorpius surged forward and kissed that smile. Albus at first jolted and froze in shock, but he promptly awoke and wrapped his arms around Scorpius, pulling Scorpius down onto his lap and pressing roughly into the kiss. The possessive energy flowing off of Albus made Scorpius's body tingle down to his toes, and he gasped when Albus broke the demanding kiss only to trail quick pecks and nips against his cheek and neck, his hands clenching into the fabric of Albus's robes. Then Albus was kissing his lips again, hugging him tighter, and Scorpius felt his mind start to cloud and close off as Albus's powerful emotions rolled over him in waves.
"Scorpius… This is… I… You… I love you," Albus gasped huskily, but it cut through the haze like a steel blade.
Scorpius immediately tensed.
Stop! Stop! Stop! What are you doing? Not again! Not again! a voiced shrieked in his head, and Scorpius realized that the voice had been yelling the entire time and he just hadn't heard it.
"Stupefy!" Scorpius choked out hastily, shoving away from Albus and landing on the ground as the stunning spell sealed off Albus's forceful energy.
Breathing harshly, Scorpius closed his eyes and concentrated on calming his nerves. He swallowed a few times, regaining his composure, and then carefully got to his feet, dusting off his robes with shaky hands. A few more controlled, rhythmic breaths and the last of the tingles disappeared and the wild instability in his own magical energy subsided into its usual soft hum, and he finally turned to Albus.
What were you thinking? You know better than this! Scorpius chided himself, flinching at the frozen expression of surprise on Albus's face.
How many times had this happened now? It was getting a bit too frequent as of late. Why couldn't he control himself?
Scorpius sighed.
There's something wrong with me.
This had to stop. He knew Albus deserved better, deserved someone normal and right, and yet he kept repeating this same vicious cycle. It was just that… it felt nice to know that Albus wanted him – had wanted to be friends and now simply wanted him – and when those emotional waves hit him, they completely disrupted his tranquil flow of energy, flooding him till he knew nothing but Albus.
But you've tricked him into wanting you, Scorpius's conscience scolded. You've manipulated every action so that all he sees is you. Would he want you otherwise?
"They're not creepy! Um, I don't think they're like Death's, you know? Your eyes, I mean. They're kinda, um, different, but they're not creepy. I… I like them."
Scorpius smiled sadly at the memory and reached out to brush a hand tenderly against Albus's cheek. How he loved this man – the first person aside from his father to accept him – but that didn't justify binding Albus to him. If he truly wanted Albus to be happy, then he needed to stop and let Albus make choices without being coerced.
I want to be happy with him, Scorpius thought, smile dropping away.
You're selfish! his mind hissed. He'd be afraid if he knew the true you! If he knew what you could do!
"Enough of this," Scorpius murmured, shaking his head free of the internal argument. Now was not the time to act like a loon and argue with himself. His insanity could be dealt with at a later date. After another deep, relaxing breath, he pressed first a soft kiss and then the tips of his fingers to Albus's temple.
Rennervate.
Albus gasped as he instantly awoke, but Scorpius didn't give him a chance to wonder what had happened before reciting the next spell.
Obliviate.
Now Albus's eyes watered as they lost focus and Scorpius felt sick with himself. Poor Albus. It was amazing that, after all the times Scorpius had snogged and then obliviated him, he didn't have some sort of brain damage.
I'll slip him a pepper-up later.
"Your low blood pressure again?" Scorpius asked with concern when Albus's eyes finally cleared. It was the excuse he'd made responsible for Albus's bewilderment after repeated uses of the memory spell.
"I guess that's what it was…" Albus answered with an awkward chuckle, and Scorpius couldn't help but smile at the mild confusion on his face.
One day, maybe he'd let Albus remember kissing him.
-o-o-o-o-
Scorpius hated apparition.
Though he kept his expression calm as Albus snapped at the Magical Law Enforcement witch, he really wanted to roll his eyes and scowl and stomp his feet like a child. Unlike other spells, apparition was only detectable the tiniest fraction of a second before a witch or wizard appeared. Normally, the moment a magical drew his or her wand or mentally prepared for spells, Scorpius would notice an immediate flux change in the environment's energy, even if a spell had yet to be cast. With apparition, however, Scorpius could only sense the apparition in the millisecond that the starting point's energy connected to the destination's energy – and that was only if he was expecting it.
And he was on his guard now, in case more M.L.E. personnel arrived; he wasn't going to be caught unaware twice in a row. He'd barely managed to keep Albus safe when the fool woman – clearly a recruit – had started casting the moment she landed.
"Most likely she was using a trace," Scorpius said quietly, joining Albus's criticism. The look the woman was giving him was familiar, a disgusted one he'd seen on many a face, and he squeezed Albus's hand that he still held, finding comfort in the Gryffindor's presence. "A rather dangerous and bold move, taking into account that she could have ended up anywhere or in a trap."
The woman appeared shocked, as if she hadn't expected a student to have knowledge on traces, but then flushed in embarrassment and demanded, "Did you see who arrived before me? Where did they go?"
Arrived before…?
"We didn't see anyone," Albus said as Scorpius quickly focused on the energy signatures in their immediate vicinity. Sure enough, there were the tell-tale signs that multiple people had recently apparated to their location – faded and almost completely dissipated back into the surrounding area, but still there.
"That's impossible!" the woman argued, "They were ahead of me by seconds!"
"Apparating under a trace delays time. The spell must first connect to the already made trail and locate the destination before the apparition can be made. The farther the distance, the longer the delay," Scorpius explained out of habit, though his mind was far from focused on the fool woman and instead on the details she had already given them. She was a part of M.L.E., had followed a group to this area, and was awfully jumpy…
Scorpius strengthened his feel for incoming apparitions and spells as he mindlessly kept speaking, "What felt like seconds to you could have been up to several minutes. Your body would have been suspended in–"
"I know all that!" the woman barked.
"Then you shouldn't call it impossible or be surprised that we didn't see anyone," Albus growled back.
The tingle of a miniscule change in the environment's energy tickled Scorpius's perception.
"Listen, child," the M.L.E. witch snapped, "I don't have time for this. You and your brainy little boyfriend need to get back to the safety of Hogwarts. Tell anyone you see along the way to do the same. Now get out of here!"
A sharp snap of energy as the incoming magic attached to energy in their location.
They're coming!
As the wizards appeared around them, Scorpius dragged Albus to the ground, stealing the Gryffindor's wand as he did and tucking it into his sleeve where he kept a small tear with an expanding charm. Albus looked dazed by the unexpected action, but Scorpius was more worried about the curses flying around their heads and focused on building energy around them so that any spells that came too close would be, mostly, canceled out by the opposite energy flow. Belatedly, Scorpius remembered the M.L.E. officer but she was already unconscious on the ground a few feet away, and five men encircled him and Albus, wands raised.
"Jus' some brats!" one of the men said. "What should we do with 'em?"
Another stepped up to loom over Albus and Scorpius with commanding authority. If the obvious distance between his energy strength and those of the others was anything to go by, then he had to be the one in charge. "Drop your wands. Now."
"We don't have them," Scorpius lied quickly, trying to sound meek. "She spelled them off of us. We don't know where they are…"
Albus's energy twitched at the lie but he otherwise remained motionless at Scorpius's side.
"Get to your feet! Hands where I can see 'em!" the leader growled and snatched the paper bag out of Scorpius's hands as soon as they were standing. He tossed it to another, ordering, "Check them! Get her wand, too!"
Scorpius discreetly eyed the group of men as he and Albus were searched and considered their options for escaping under the circumstances. It would be easy for him to apparate them to safety before the men could stop him, but that meant leaving the M.L.E. witch behind and while Scorpius felt no moral obligation toward the woman he knew Albus would. The Gryffindor was exceptionally open-hearted.
Another option was simply stunning and binding the entire group, but then he'd have to show Albus the true nature of his abilities, not to mention M.L.E. was involved and would definitely want some answers as to how he managed to take down five adult, possibly-dark wizards.
If there was one thing Scorpius had learned in his ninth year of living, it was that he didn't want people knowing what he could do.
Forget "people." He wouldn't be able to bear the fear in Albus's eyes.
"What's wrong with your eyes, kid?" the leader asked, catching Scorpius's attention. "Ain't got no pupils. You blind or somethin'?"
Scorpius mutely shook his head, dropping his gaze to the ground as he touched upon the man's living energy. Strong. Dark. Violent. This man was dangerous. Right now, the best plan of action was to play obedient and wait. An opportunity to escape would arise sooner or later, preferably at a time when the leader was not present.
There was another snap of connecting energy and then someone else apparated to the group.
"Anyone see us?" the main man asked.
"Nah, it's too empty on this side a town. Nobody comes here," the newcomer answered.
"Then let's get outta here. Grab her." The man motioned to the unconscious officer on the ground and then pointed at Albus and Scorpius. "Grab them, too. M.L.E. will be more inclined to nuhgotiate if we've got more hostages than jus' that stupid rookie."
Energy flowed from the environment as a wand pressed against Scorpius's back. He quickly concentrated his own energy in the same spot, just as the spell burned against him. It was the stunning spell, and Scorpius felt his body tremble from the force of it, only half of it being canceled by the opposite energy flow he'd gathered. However, the other half was enough to affect him and he slipped gently into oblivion.
-o-o-
Naturally, he was the first to wake, with his senses slowly coming back to him as sounds, smells, and lights tickled against him. He eased himself into consciousness but kept his eyes closed, casually sending out feeler-waves of energy to see what they met. The waves struck against walls of magic – barrier spells – and the living energy presences of three others, as well as small spells in various spots throughout the room. Opening his eyes, Scorpius adjusted to the dimness of the room, the sunlight seeping in through holes in the wooden walls not providing much. To his left was the M.L.E. witch, slumped in the chair she was bound to, and to his right was Albus, also slumped but being bound to his chair by a short, thin man with scraggly hair.
Carefully, Scorpius collected magic around his hands, feeling out the spell that bound him. It was a typical magic-rope; he knew it well, having been kidnapped multiple times, but the thin man's magic was a bit strong. With some extra concentration, Scorpius forcefully unwound the magic until the rope disappeared, leaving his hands free. He twisted his left hand and fixed an illusion charm behind him so that he still appeared tied. With his right, he sent a wisp of a waking spell, barely detectable, to Albus.
Albus's eyes instantly began to flutter open and he hissed in pain, trying to pull away from the chair against his, no doubt, burned back.
"Stop whining," said the thin man as he finished the binding spell around Albus's hands. Albus attempted to turn, but was stopped by another wince of pain and the man laughed. "Now ya know better, eh?"
The M.L.E. officer was starting to wake on her own and her groan of pain drew Albus's drowsy attention to her and Scorpius. Albus sighed in relief when their eyes met and Scorpius gave him a small smile.
"Stop makin' eyes," the nasally-voiced man snorted, smacking Albus across the back of the head, and then moved to flop down onto the room's creaky, rusted bed. He grinned a yellow, crooked toothed grin when he caught Albus glaring and folded his arms behind his head to lounge. "Too bad fur you looks can't kill, eh? Get ya far, wouldn't it? If ya be a good lil' prefecty maybe you'll get home to yur mum and dad."
"Do you even know who my dad is?" Albus asked, clearly annoyed.
No, Albus! Scorpius thought, biting his bottom lip and wishing Albus would look at him. Don't say anything!
There were degrees of corruption. Scorpius had been abducted by people amicable enough to play cards with him while in their captivity and treated him pretty decently for a hostage, but he had also been abducted by people who drew pleasure in beating him senseless, snapping his bones, and watching him bleed.
The ominous feeling he received from the leader of this mob indicated that they fell toward the darker end of the spectrum.
The thin man was laughing at Albus. "Some high up official, 'spose, well-bred pretty boy like you. But that won' do ya any good here."
"A high up official? I guess you could say that," Albus said cockily.
Stop! No more, Albus!
"He is the Head Auror. You know – Harry Potter. Relatively unheard of, but a decent wizard in his own right."
Scorpius winced as the man shot up from his reclining position, an interested frown look overcoming his grin but he narrowed his eyes on Albus as though weighing the truth of the words. After a long stare, he finally gruffed out, "Yur makin' that up," but continued to eye Albus curiously.
"Because I don't look just like him or anything," Albus scoffed, rolling his eyes. He drew in a breath to add another scathing comment but finally looked over to meet Scorpius's eyes and Scorpius gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head, trying to convey as much seriousness to Albus as possible.
But it was too late. A greedy sneer was growing on the man's face.
"Ya do look like Pottar," the man said. He hopped up from his position on the bed, chuckling to himself, and made for the only door. "Oughtta pass that lil' bit a knowledge on…" He paused at the door, tilting his head back to give Albus a dark grin. "Yuh'll wait, wontcha pretty boy? I'll be righ' back."
As soon as the door closed behind the man, Scorpius whispered softly, "That was ill-planned, Albus. These are not good criminals. Now they know that you are Harry Potter's son and they will try to hurt you."
"Good criminals? I don't think that any criminal is good," Albus whispered back, sounding offended.
"To be an Auror, you need to learn the difference between people who are bad, people who do bad things, and where those two groups meet in the middle. By understanding this difference, you will know how to treat every situation," Scorpius chided gently. Albus may not have his experience or abilities, but it would be foolish to train for Aurorship and not know the differences between the Morgan le Fays and Voldemorts of the world.
Scorpius's father, for one, had done bad things but not because he was a bad person.
"We need to get out of here, then," Albus conceded, looking a bit ashamed.
"There are barrier charms on this room, but I can get through them. His magic is strong, but completely obvious. It won't take me but a moment," Scorpius said with a small smirk. It was true, too. The thin man's magic practically oozed all over the room. Not his fault, of course – some magicals just had naturally discreet magic while others did not.
"Take you but a moment? He tied us to the chairs! How are you– right, right," Albus rolled his eyes at himself as Scorpius held up freed hands, "You de-magicked the spells. How did I not see that coming? How long have you been free?"
"Oh, not long. Like I said, his magic is strong so it took a bit more unwinding," Scorpius hummed and moved behind Albus, pulling his wand from the tear in his sleeve.
Now that he had a good feel for the thin man's magic, he easily unwound the spells on Albus's hands and then moved to the burn, setting a cool healing charm between his friend's shoulder blades. Albus sighed in relief, but glanced back at Scorpius curiously, asking, "Your wand, where did you hide it?"
This answer Scorpius did not mind sharing and he took one of Albus's hands in his own, drawing it into his sleeve. Albus cocked an eyebrow but then Scorpius pressed their hands against a small tear in the inner layer of fabric of his sleeve a few centimeters from the opening. Albus jolted in shock and then withdrew his wand from the tear, looking between it and Scorpius's sleeve in wonder.
"You… You have a…"
"An expanding charm, yes. It is quite handy."
"Wouldn't that be really difficult on something loose like fabric?" Albus asked, bewildered. "I mean, wouldn't you have to cast it all the time, too? That would take a lot of magic almost every day…"
"Yes, it does, but I have been using it since second year so I am familiar and comfortable with the spell," Scorpius explained, and then mentally kicked himself for tacking on the last bit. Albus would be appalled to know that he was performing those spells at such a young age.
"Since second year?" As predicted, Albus was flabbergasted. He stuttered for a breath before choking out, "Merlin, you're amazing, Scorpius!"
Amazing? Scorpius couldn't help but smile at the unexpected compliment, and he looked away from Albus's earnest eyes, feeling shy. "Only sometimes…"
"No, not just sometimes," Albus corrected, reaching out to take Scorpius's hands. "All the time! You… You're incredible!" Then, softer, "Intelligent, powerful, kind… It's no wonder that I…"
Albus's affectionate energy and words were making Scorpius dizzy, and, even though Scorpius knew that it was only there because he had conned the Gryffindor into it, he cherished the love with which Albus's presence was enveloping him. Albus had lifted a hand to his face, brushing back his hair, and the touch felt like delightful sparks of warmth on Scorpius's skin. His own energy presence was becoming more and more instable and Scorpius knew that, if Albus didn't stop soon, there was going to be a repeat of what had happened in the greenhouse the previous night.
"It's no wonder that I love y–"
A pained groan interrupted Albus and dowsed Scorpius with cold energy. They jerked apart in surprise, each turning to the M.L.E. officer as she finally came to full consciousness. She shifted her head back and forth stiffly, as if gauging how injured she felt, and then looked at the two of them groggily. It seemed her mind cleared after a few blinks because she straightened and shot anxious glances around the room.
"What is this?" she demanded shrilly. "What have you done?"
Albus rushed to explain. "What? No! This isn't–"
While he was no longer falling dopily under Albus's loving presence, Scorpius still felt like all of his nerves were extra sensitive to the Gryffindor standing so close to him. He could barely focus on the energy of the M.L.E. officer, and therefore barely felt the three menacing energies that were already at the door to the room – something he normally would have recognized at a respectable distance. That he felt them at all was miracle enough, and as they burst through the door in response to the M.L.E. witch's alarmed shout, their sudden appearance an unmistakable danger to Albus, Scorpius panicked.
Before he could stop himself, Scorpius swung his arm wide, pulling a vast amount of energy from the room and shoving it toward the three men, not even bothering to attach a spell to the energy as the force of it alone was enough to slam them into the hallway wall and even destroy the barrier spell that trapped the room. All around him, Scorpius could feel energy vibrating with harsh twangs as it tried to restructure after the unanticipated burst and even his left arm screamed in pain, energy still sparking at his fingertips.
"You… What… How did you…" the M.L.E. officer murmured, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing in shock.
Scorpius glanced at her and she recoiled when their eyes met, her expression turning to one of fear.
"That's impossible! How could… What are you?"
The terror in her eyes cut into Scorpius worse than any curse or blade and he cringed.
"S-Scorpius…?" Albus beckoned quietly, and Scorpius couldn't tell if he sounded worried or afraid.
Both, his mind supplied, Afraid of what you can do. Worried about what you did do. Now he knows.
He knows.
He knows.
He knows!
There's something wrong with you! Not normal! Not right!
He can't know! Don't let him!
Resignedly, his expression closing off his pain in favor of detachment, Scorpius straightened and flicked his fingers at the still fearfully babbling M.L.E. witch.
Stupefy. Obliviate.
She again slumped in her chair, unconscious once more.
"Scorpius?" Albus repeated, sounding more shocked.
Scorpius waved his hand at the door to the room and it slammed shut, closing off the equally unconscious men in the hallway.
"Scorpius!" Albus said, and this time reached out to grab him. He knew Albus was staring at him, expecting an answer, but he didn't want to see the disgust that would no doubt be in those beloved green eyes and so kept his gaze on the floor as he shook his arm free, placed his hand flat against Albus's chest.
Albus managed another tentative, "Scorpius?" before Scorpius wiped his memory, too. Albus stumbled back, grabbing onto a chair for support, and looked as though he might throw up – a very reasonable possibility given that the memory charm had been used on him not twenty hours earlier and would be affecting him severely in such a small time frame.
"I'm sorry," Scorpius said quietly, painfully, feeling overwhelmed by guilt. He softly brushed a hand against Albus's cheek as Albus regained his bearings, mentally reciting a gentle healing spell to help ease the Gryffindor's nausea. He wanted to do more to help, but… "but we really have to go. Are you okay?"
"Mm fine," Albus murmured. Scorpius tenderly pushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Can you help the officer while I de-magic the barriers?"
At Albus's weak nod, Scorpius gave him another affectionate pat before moving to the closed door. The barrier was gone, of course, but Albus didn't know that – didn't remember it anymore. Instead, Scorpius focused on the three unconscious men beyond the room and set upon them a series of charms: first obliviate their memory of the incident; second, a righting spell so that they were standing on their feet rather that crumbled on the floor; and finally, a timed rennervate so that they'd awaken as soon as Scorpius and Albus apparated free.
Scorpius moved back to Albus once the final charm was set. Albus still appeared sick and Scorpius did his best to be soothing; it was his fault, after all. He helped Albus lug the dead weight of the M.L.E. officer, saying, "We should be able to apparate. Are you feeling up to it?"
"Yeah," Albus answered shakily. He gestured to the officer. "What about her?"
"Side-along, I'll take her," Scorpius said simply, hand clasping her shoulder. He shot a feeler to the outside environment, recognizing its familiar hum. "We are not far from Hogsmeade, so should we apparate to the main street, outside of The Three Broomsticks?"
"Sounds good to me."
Scorpius reached over to squeeze Albus's hand encouragingly, worried about whether Albus could really make it or not. Then, each turning on the spot with two sharp crack!s, they disappeared.
-o-o-o-o-
The gentle spring wind, though pleasant, did little to ease his mind. Scorpius sighed deeply, hands clenching the fabric of his sleeves, and looked across the Black Lake, watching it ripple in rhythmic waves, much like the energy it exuded. Behind him, closer to the castle, he could hear other students laughing, enjoying their free time, and he wondered what it would be like to simple exist as they existed and not see and feel everything moving and humming.
He often wondered what it was like to be normal.
"There you are! I've been looking all over."
Scorpius turned and smiled sweetly at Albus, hiding his despondency even though he felt a sharp twinge of guilt. Albus only needed to know him as happy and kind, not as the monster he was.
"Feeling better?" Scorpius asked as Albus stopped at his side.
"Loads!" Albus laughed. "That stunning spell those jerks hit me with yesterday was really strong, but I've been taking that potion you gave me like you said. I already feel back to normal."
Normal.
"Mm, I see," Scorpius hummed in a playful tone.
"I really do!" Albus insisted, slinging an arm across his shoulders and drawing him close. "But man! We get into trouble a lot! I thought my dad was going to lose it when he came to The Three Broomsticks. This was, what? Your thirteenth time to be abducted?"
Sixteenth.
"Mmm."
They stood quietly together for a moment. Scorpius wanted to lean into Albus, lay his head on Albus's shoulder, but, after the day before, he had made some rules for himself and intended to follow them. The most important one was that he wouldn't trick Albus into loving him anymore – that he wouldn't use these moments to stir up Albus's emotions. It was time to let Albus go, so that Albus could find someone who was actually a good person and could fall in love for real.
Even if it would hurt to watch.
"Lunch will start soon," Scorpius said, and made to slip away from Albus, but was stopped by Albus holding on to his arm. He glanced questioningly at the other.
"Scorpius…" Albus started with a mild look of embarrassment. "I know it's a bit late to be asking, but… what do you plan to do once we graduate?"
Scorpius blinked. Albus, indeed, had never asked him about his plans for the future, not that he had ever given any indication as to his goal. Mostly because it sounded awfully lame and would probably ruin any image Albus had of him. But Albus was asking now and Scorpius had already done too much to the poor man to tack on lying. "I'd like to… well… be an inventor."
Albus's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "An inventor? Of what?"
"Of many things. I understand very well how magic works," Scorpius smirked lightly but humorously, "so I thought I might put that… ability to use."
"Where would you work?"
"At my home," Scorpius said slowly. "Everything I need is there... I've already started on some projects."
Albus was staring, taken aback, but then the shock left his face and he grinned broadly. "That makes so much sense. I kept wondering what you'd go into- healing, ministry work, stuff like that. None of it ever seemed to fit, but being an inventor? I can totally see you leaning over your cauldron as you discover a new potion."
"You should never lean over your cauldron," Scorpius chided, more than a little embarrassed by his admission, but he, as always, was swept away and comforted by Albus's positive vibes. Feeling flustered, he turned and began walking back to the castle.
Laughing, Albus trotted to catch up, falling into step with him. "You're unexpectedly shy."
Scorpius wondered if that made him like Ethan Evans. "Hmm. Maybe."
Albus chuckled a little more, but then cleared his throat, his presence changing to a more serious feel. "Well, now that I know what you're going to be doing, is it –arrggh!"
Having been looking at Scorpius rather than his footing, Albus stepped straight into a rabbit hole and tripped to the ground. Scorpius choked back his laughter and looked away innocently when Albus shot accusatory green eyes at him.
"Yeah, thanks mate," Albus said flatly, but his tone lacked bite and he soon grinned, too. "Grace is my middle name."
"I thought it was Severus," Scorpius answered quietly, smiling when Albus gave him another half-hearted glare. Albus then made to stand, but winced and fell back down on one knee and Scorpius moved to his side, worried. "What is it? Are you hurt?"
"No, I just think I might've twisted my ankle a little," Albus answered, leaning to inspect said ankle.
Scorpius nodded and began to leave. "I'll go get–"
"No! Wait." Albus grabbed his hand, pulling him back, and shifted awkwardly on his knee. He looked up at Scorpius with an oddly nervous expression. "What I wanted to ask, you know, before I made a fool of myself… again… Just that, is it… Would it be okay if… I mean, we're graduating, you know? I'm probably going to be in Auror training and you'll be off inventing the next great thing, but I still… I still want to see you as much as possible. I mean, we're friends, we've been together all this time, so… yeah?"
The pleading in Albus's eyes made Scorpius's guilt come back ten-fold, but the love flowing off of Albus was seeping into his senses. The right thing to do would be to agree and then slowly distance himself from Albus, but he knew that if he agreed, he would never be able to let go.
Noticing his hesitation, Albus squeezed his hand. "Please, Scorpius?"
Several shocked gasps interrupted anything Scorpius might have said. He and Albus snapped toward the direction of the gasps and Scorpius blinked at the group of girls in wonder of how they had appeared before realizing that Albus's powerful presence had sealed him off to others yet again.
Albus, too, was looking at them in confusion, frowning, but then his expression slowly changed to understanding and then dismay as he glanced between himself and Scorpius. "No, ladies, this isn't what it–"
"He's proposing!" one girl shrieked and then entire group squealed.
"Albus Potter has finally proposed to Scorpius Malfoy!"
"I can't believe it! This is so exciting!"
"How unromantic, though! To do it here instead of someplace special…"
"Maybe he wanted to yesterday but was interrupted by those criminals. They were alone together, you know."
"We have to tell everyone!"
"Ah, wait…" Albus held out a hand as if to stop them, but the girls darted up the steps to Hogwarts, squealing and chattering all the while, and he dropped his hand and slumped in defeat.
Scorpius patted him sympathetically on the head, asking, "Do you want me to quick-fix your ankle so you can stop them?"
"No, I'm not even going to bother," Albus sighed heavily. Then, with a snort, "I wonder how long before James finds out? He's got informants everywhere..."
Scorpius laughed at first, but suddenly felt a strange urge to cry – something he hadn't done since he was a child – so he stopped laughing to prevent any choked sobs. Biting his lip he looked down at Albus to see if he'd been noticed but the Gryffindor was shaking his head at the ground, muttering in an amusing manner, and Scorpius felt his whole presence hum with affection for these weird behaviors he had come to know in the other.
How he loved this man.
"But will love be enough?"
-o-o-o-o-
On Astoria: I do not intend for her to come across as a horrible mother – just that, having been a young teenager during the second dark war, she may be a little sensitive to her child having such an atypical aptitude for magic. Also, as I doubt Harry published Voldemort: Biography of a Whiny Dark Wizard, I always write in a way that most of the wizarding world is ignorant of Voldemort's past and of his parents/childhood/life (as we learned that information through Harry), so that's the reason Astoria wouldn't have the knowledge of Voldemort being Tom Riddle being an orphan.
I hope Scorpius's insecurities are easy to understand! =)
