A/N: ;)
Let me tell you, Borgin and Burkes is not exactly a place you want to take your grandkids, if you catch my drift. The place looks like something out of some Gothic novel I read when I was thirteen. I wish someone were here to tell me not to go inside, but there's nobody here but me.
The door sticks a little as I push it open, which makes the wheezing creak sound metallic and grating. I can't help but wince a little bit. Looking around inside doesn't help much either.
There's a film of dust on everything, from the glass bottles filled with a rainbow of dark liquids, to the bizarre jewelry with odd designs, to a shelf full of books I would never touch, either because they're most likely cursed or they're full of information on the Dark Arts. Or, perhaps, both... you never know in a place like this.
I walk around and look at the weird things on the counters. There's a tarnished silver ring with a wine-colored stone set in it. By instinct, I start to slide it on to my left index finger.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says a deep, scratchy voice. I jump a bit at the sound and here the man snicker. Turning around, I see it's young guy, maybe in his mid-twenties, with facial hair somewhere between stubble and a full on beard, and dark circles under his eyes. He looks like he's never slept a minute.
"It's cursed is why," he explains, gesturing to the ring in between my thumb and index finger. I immediately set it back on its navy velvet cushion.
"Oh," is my only awkward response.
"Yep, I just saved your nose from falling off," he says, coming out from behind the counter to lean against it nonchalantly.
"Well, thanks," I say nervously, because he keeps staring at me.
"You could say that you... owe me," he says slowly and suggestively. The way he's wiggling his eyebrows is not a good sign.
I laugh nervously, hoping to just brush it off. "Well, sorry to say this, but can I ask you for another favor?"
He gives me a little shrug. I notice his leather jacket and wonder why he tries so hard to be cool in a place like this. Then again, maybe he thinks working in a Dark Arts store is really cool. Personally, it just makes him seem very sketchy, to be honest.
"Well, so... are you a Burke?" I ask first, wanting to be sure.
"I'm a Borgin myself. Grandson of the man on the sign," he clarifies. "They were pretty good mates, before my granddad killed him."
I try very hard to ignore the last statement.
"So... you... well... Do you know where the Burke Manor is?" I say finally.
He snorts. "'Course I do. Granddaddy liked to show me exactly where Mr. Burke took his last breath, now didn't he?"
Once again, I choose to ignore his comment. Only it's really hard to ignore, because it's so awful and disgusting. I take a second to center myself.
"Okay then. So, do you think you could tell me where it is?" I ask tentatively, knowing that even if I do get there, things are not going to go well. I imagine nothing could in that house.
"Sure, but first you gotta tell me why you're so eager to go there. Last time I heard, it was being inhabited by a bunch of Greater Good kids," he tells me as he fiddles with a stack of papers on the front counter.
"Wait, Greater Good kids? They were those guys who killed that Muggle lady back in October, right?" Oh my God. This is a lot worse than I anticipated.
"Yep, just a bunch of Death Eater wannabes. So now, tell me, why'd you wanna go there? Don't say... are you a Greater Good girl?" He looks me up and down suspiciously.
My eyes go wide. "What? Of course not! But... Well, I think they've taken this boy I know."
He smiles slyly. "Ah, a good mate of yours, I s'pose then?"
What a creeper.
"Can you just tell me where this place is?"
"Fine, killjoy."
By the time he tells me, the sun is setting and by the time I actually Apparate to the location, the sun's completely lost from the sky. The moon gives the Burke Manor a leering silhouette. Even from my wandlight I can tell the place is rundown. There's light coming out from the windows behind the tattered lace curtains.
And there's laughter, too. Loud and harsh and from many sources.
Oh shit.
How many people are in there? I crouch down and shuffle in the tall brown grass until I'm under the window. I start standing up slowly so I can take a peak in the window, but I hit my head on a ledge of the house and let out a shriek of pain and surprise.
Oh double shit.
I hear their footsteps as they rush to the window, and I know they've seen me as I start running away, around the other side of the house. They're shouting something to somebody- "She's on the left! On the left!"
I take this as my cue to get to the right, but as I'm running around the back of this giant manor, I see a small horizontal basement window. The orange glow of light invites me in like a hearth. I quickly Vanish the glass and shimmy through the opening before replacing the window again. I duck as I hear their footsteps outside, worried they might see the top of my head.
There's a weird sound from the room, something muffled. I turn around and notice the single light bulb that dangles from the ceiling. The room smells like mildew, and there's a puddle in the corner on the cement floor. And, of course, the boy tied to a chair with a tie wrapped around his mouth like a gag.
"Scorpius Malfoy!" I say excitedly.
His eyes are wide and his hair is slightly disheveled, which is weird for him. He shakes his head a little but I don't understand why.
"Huh?"
He rolls his eyes at me. The prat! I came all the way here to save his sorry ass and he's rolling his eyes at me! "What's you're problem?" I ask him, disgruntled.
He raises one eyebrow as though the answer should be obvious... which, of course, it is, I realize.
I quickly fumble with the knot on the tie (which of course is and manage to loosen it enough to slip it over his head.
"Weasley, why the bloody hell are you here?" he demands when I come back to look him in the face. His voice is hoarse.
I cross my arms. "To rescue you, obviously."
He shakes his head at me again. "You're bloody mental, you know that?"
I laugh at this. "Don't act like you're not grateful, Malfoy. Who knows what they might have done with you here?"
His face looks solemn now. "Actually, I do. Now keep your voice down. Rowle over there's a deep sleeper, but if he wakes up, it'll be nothing but the Cruciatus for us both." He motions to a heavyset bloke sleeping on the bottom step of the wooden staircase.
"Honestly, Malfoy. Aren't you supposed to be one of the brightest wizards in our year?" I turn and Stupefy Rowle.
"Can you just get me out of here, Weasley?"
I huff, slightly indignant, and start to hack away with my wand at the rope binding his torso to the chair. I do admit, though, it's such a relief to see him alive, even if he is sort of being a prick. Which I guess is understandable, seeing as he's probably had Unforgivables done to him since the moment he got to this hellhole.
Wow. I almost feel... bad for the guy.
Weird.
It's silent as I slowly break through the bonds. I can feel him watching me, and it's kind of unsettling. I look up and our eyes meet and I can feel my heart beating faster in my chest.
I drag my eyes back down to the rope, but stop at his neck. There's something on it... Wait.
"Is that a hickey?" I say, disgusted. The red mark is prominent on his white skin.
"Even Greater Good girls can't keep there hands off me," he says, the faintest hint of his usual smirk on his lips. "And it was Margaret Rosier's turn to keep guard last night."
"You're disgusting."
"I can't help it. I'm just magnetic when it comes to girls... well, you know, attractive girls, anyways." He looks me up and down like I'm definitely not one of them.
"Prat. I just came and saved your arse and here you are, already tormenting me!" I gripe, sawing away at the ropes. I manage to make my way through the first layer.
"Sorry, Weasley, but you just make it so easy," he says, a full on smirk on his stupid face now.
I saw furiously through the ropes in response.
"So how'd you even get here anyways?" I say after a couple more minutes of silence.
"I went for a hair cut and was kidnapped when I was walking down Hogsmeade. They Stunned me and blindfolded me and the next thing I know, I'm in here, and they're asking me to join them, that they'd give me power or something. So I told them they were being moronic and then Rowle over there gave me a taste of his Cruciatus Curse." He winces at the memory.
"Oh my God, Malfoy. That's awful!"
Malfoy sighs wearily. "They're planning something, Weasley. Something bad. I don't know when or where yet, but they're going to try to blow up some public Muggle area."
This whole thing just keeps getting crazier and crazier. "Well, we've got to stop them, Malfoy! I mean, do you have any idea how big this would be if it happened?"
"Listen, Weasley," he says, trying to interrupt me, but I'm too lost in thought.
"Well, first thing we've got to do is get out of here, and then get you a wand... but where are we going to get you one? Unless I can manage to get yours... but then we'll risk getting caught all over again... but what if-"
"Weasley."
"But no... that couldn't work because-"
"Weasley!" he says loudly, and I stop pacing and turn and stare at him.
"What?"
"They've got Albus."
A/N YES! I FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER!
Sorry for the late-ish update. I don't know... I feel like it's been awhile since I last updated. But yayyy! Scorpius is here now! He'll make things more interesting, won't he?
So, I wanna clarify a little. I know this story is called "Going After Scorpius Malfoy", and I originally planned to have Rose find Scorpius at the very end, but how could they have a relationship and all if she doesn't see him until the last moments? So here we are. I have come to a solution! Hopefully I haven't given too much away... ;)
Also, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU for all your support in the form of reviews, favorites, etc. Seriously! As of right now, May 8th, 2011, 6:56 pm, this story has 41 reviews! That's over 10 per chapter! And 34 of you wonderful, wonderful people have subscribed to this story! You can't imagine how much that means to me!
Sorry this was such a long Author's Note. Please review! I love you!
xx
Ali