Unexpected Things

KeysCanHurt: WEH. :P Jakey is a red wolf :P the one that attacked was grey. So it's Leah =)) Yesh, Al, like his namesake, can be way too nice. tsktsk. You haven't figured Dirk out? Good :P :))

MalfoyMaiden: Yeah... HAHAH, close close close close =)) Whee, I'm hyper =))

crazy-wee-cat: Yeah, Marigold can be likeable when she's not swearing at every person in the room xD Here's the next :D

yellow 14: Well Kron and Marigold DO have their uses for each other... Yeah, the world would be a better place if people wouldn't be so biased, but the Dursleys just can't do that (Vernon at least)

Bottled Sunshine:Heheh :D Thank ya! :D :D

trustsnape38: thanks a bunch for adding meh to yet faves :D

Vanilor the White Pheonix: Cool name! Thank ya for adding this to yer Story Alerts list :D

heartshaped-sunglasses: I was starting to miss ya! Glad you've caught up :D Yeah, Scorpy's back :D and here's a bit of Dirky's past coming up.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Winter

The sound of someone swearing awoke Scorpius. How many times must his sleep be interrupted tonight? First, he awoke to the twins laughing quietly (more quietly than usual anyway). After scolding them, Scorpius went back to sleep. Unfortunately, not long after that, he woke up again, but this time to Dursley screaming her head off outside.

Expecting something dangerous attacking her in the Common Room, they rushed over to see what was happening, only to find that the idiot was having a nightmare. Predictably, her annoying, disrespectful attitude was what followed. That was something Scorpius didn't have the patience for, so he was glad Al told them to go back to the room. Even if Scorpius pitied Al for having to be alone with the brat, Scorpius was relieved he didn't have to.

After Al came back, they didn't talk much about what Dursley told Al, and went back to sleep instead.

Now, another interruption.

Very much annoyed, Scorpius sat up and glared towards the source of the voice.

There was figure that was crouched down, clutching a foot, probably after bumping it onto something.

Scorpius recognized who it was.

The cheapskate from Durmstrang who had been practically invisible all day. Now there he was! Finally making an appearance after that disappearance.

Grabbing his wand from the bedside table, Scorpius jumped out of bed and charged. "KRON!" he growled, not caring about the other people still asleep. Amazingly, no one woke up.

"Malvoy!" The wide blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as Kron showed obvious surprise.

Scorpius pointed his wand at Kron's throat. "You owe me you son of a-"

"Owe you vhat?"

"My money! As if you didn't know! As if running out of the Hog's Head and leaving me to pay for those drinks you took was an accident!"

"Is it so bad I prever the stronger drinks offered compared to that Butterbeer you like so much?"

"That's not the p-"

"I'll pay you back! I was meaning to!"

"You really will?" Scorpius glared at him doubtfully. Why was he so willing to pay? Kron had never struck Scorpius as easy to intimidate. Kron was cunning, an opportunist who came up with plans for his gain. So that act must have been to escape paying the bill.

But if it was an act, a plan, why would Kron act like the money meant nothing?

Had something really bothered Kron back at the Hog's Head?

"Yes!" Kron nodded. Then the usual calm tone returned to his voice. "I vould appreciate it iv you pointed your vand avay from me."

"The money?" Scorpius held up his palm.

Kron rolled his eyes then pulled a pouch from out of his pocket. "Here." Placing the coins on Scorpius's hand, Kron raised an eyebrow. "Satisfied?"

Scorpius grunted, closing his hand over the money after counting it.

"Honestly, your family's so rich, I don't see vhy losing that small amount is such a big deal to you." Kron pretty much spat the word family.

"Don't talk to me about my family." Scorpius lowered his wand.

"Haff you made your decision yet? To join me?"

Now? Kron managed to think about that now?

"I'll have to think hard about whether or not I want to join the club of a crazy freak." Tactless and rude. Scorpius was too irritable after his lack of sleep to care much about how he was speaking.

"Crazy? Vhat makes you think I'm crazy?" Kron sounded sincerely insulted and irritated.

"That incident at the Hog's Head made you seem like it."

"That…" Kron's voice softened noticeably. "Malvoy… did you tell your… friends about it?"

Why did it matter? "I told Al. The twins weren't paying attention."

"Vould… vould you please… not tell anyone else?"

The tone was pleading. It took Scorpius by surprise. This was the second time Kron showed any… softness. It was absolutely strange and unexpected. What was with Kron?

"Sure, whatever."

"That… what happened… it… let's just say that…"

Scorpius listened out of curiosity, and waited for Kron to continue.

Kron sighed. "The men there… they're… they're an enemy ov my family… or… my parents at least. I just… let's say... that-they-that… they veren't... supposed to be there. And… they did something. It's something that I don't vant to remember."

Scorpius frowned, trying to understand the jumble of words and piece together facts easy enough to connect and comprehend. There wasn't much to work on though. "Did your parents have… some way of knowing those guys were coming so near to Hogwarts? Did they get to warn you or something if those wizards were near? Or they didn't know? Or… what did they do anyway? Why the enmity?" The lack of solid knowledge really attracted his curiosity.

The eyes narrowed. "My parents are dead. I don't vant to talk about it." Scorpius felt the finger that prodded his chest. "Not to you, nor to anyvun else. You haff your money. Now leave me alone!"

At breakfast, Scorpius was cranky since he felt exhausted, his eyelids heavy and he knew shadows rested beneath his eyes. Fighting back a yawn, but failing, he lagged behind as Al and the twins hungrily made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Al had shown concern upon noticing Scorpius's tiredness, but Scorpius brushed him off and told him to go ahead to have breakfast.

"Scorpius, are you alright?"

The dullness with which he saw his surroundings was from his sleepiness. Scorpius forced himself to be more alert, to wake up.

His vision cleared, and he became aware of a soft-skinned hand holding his.

"Yeah, Jacqui. Just…" Another yawn forced his jaws open. "…sleepy."

"What happened last night?"

"Stupid first year screaming because of a nightmare, then after that, Kron finally appeared, and I confronted him."

"Oh." There was an edge to Jacqui's voice. Scorpius knew she wasn't happy with Kron thanks to that Hogsmeade trip. When he told her he had to go meet Kron, she was mildly annoyed, but said it was alright and went to join Sophia Thomas. Then when he was back and complained to her about Kron leaving without paying, she showed her dislike and disapproval. "Did he pay you back?"

"Yes." Scorpius wondered what else to say. Kron told him not to tell his friends… technically Jacqui was his girlfriend. "Turns out, he left because he didn't want to be in the same room as… some people who entered." That was enough information. Besides, Scorpius didn't exactly know much more than that anyway.

"Why not?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I'm not sure." He really wasn't. He had no idea what the men did to make Kron fear them in the way that he did.

Al waited with Hagrid in his hut for Rose, Lily and Scorpius. Lily had already given the other ferret babies away. Now, only Scorpius's ferret remained. The ferret was mostly white, with cream paws and markings down his back to his tail.

As Hagrid prepared tea, Al let his mind wander.

The Hogsmeade trip drifted into the realm of his thoughts.

Demelza had feelings for James.

Al had listened attentively, showed concern, and offered comfort.

She seemed to feel better, and gave him a hug before leaving to go to Hogwarts and Gryffindor Tower.

At least he was able to make her feel better.

Why was he even thinking about this?

Al didn't like thinking about it. It… it stabbed him, to find out that Demelza had feelings for his brother. It shouldn't bother Al.

But it did.

So that probably meant that Al had feelings for Demelza after all…

"Al! He's coming!" Lily burst into the room.

Hagrid gasped in surprise before spinning around and pointing a teapot at Lily. "Ye didn' need ter be so surprisin' like tha'!"

"Sorry, Hagrid!" Lily apologized before bouncing over to Al. "Is Scorpius's baby ready?"

That didn't sound right. Scorpius's baby… "Yes, he's napping in that basket you got. Cookie's been lying next to it like she's guarding him."

"Aww! She's such a protective mother!" Lily bent down to pat Cookie's head. The ferret seemed to enjoy her touch. "Don't worry, Cookie! Scorpius will take good care of your baby. I'm sure of it!"

"Wait! Scorpius--WATCH OUT!" Rose shrieked from outside.

There was a squelching sound, it brought up a mental picture of slippery mud.

"Wot's goin' on ou' there?" Putting his teapot down, Hagrid walked over to the door and opened it. "Rose! What'd ye do ter Scorpius?"

Al squeezed himself through the space between Hagrid and the door to go out and see what happened.

Scorpius was sitting in Hagrid's vegetable patch, which didn't look like much more than a patch of mud surrounded by snow. A look of disgust was on his face as he wiped brown mush on his robe with a handkerchief. "Rose Weasley, I am never going to trust you with taking me anywhere the next time you blindfold me!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you'd walk towards the mud!"

"You could see it, couldn't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Damn you!"

"I'm sorry!"

Grumbling, Scorpius stood up and stomped away from Rose.

Hagrid chuckled loudly next to Lily.

Scorpius frowned. Al knew Hagrid wasn't contributing to a good mood. "What did Rose drag me over here for? And what was the reason for her blindfolding me and letting me slip on mud and end up filthy?"

"We wanted to give you your Christmas present early!" Lily wouldn't be dragged down by Scorpius's mood. "Come on and see!" With a spring in her step, she took Scorpius's hand and led him to Hagrid's hut.

Al, Hagrid and Rose followed.

"What's in the-"

"Close your eyes first." Lily told him while she placed the basket on the table, in front of Scorpius.

Scorpius frowned and cast a glare at Rose before looking back at Lily and closing his eyes.

What was Lily planning? Scorpius waited without knowing exactly what he was waiting for.

He felt a furry form on his muddy lap, nuzzling his hand.

At first, he thought it was Cookie.

But then he wondered why Cookie was suddenly so small.

Scorpius opened his eyes to find a little ferret looking up at him with curious dark eyes. "Wh- is that- what- ferret-" Scorpius tried to arrange his thoughts and speak coherently. "For me?"

With grins, they all nodded their heads.

"GREAT!"

A ferret!

His own ferret!

Scorpius picked the little ferret up and looked at it closely. "What's his name? He's so cute!"

"Whatever you want to name him!" Lily answered.

"Hmm…" Scorpius observed the pale markings, the dominantly white fur. "Winter."

He thought he heard her mumble something like "Vanilla" before saying loudly, "Nice name!"

Grinning, Scorpius put Winter back in the basket before hugging Lily. "Thanks, Lil!"

"I helped take care of him too!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Well you kind of ruined my clothes with a mud. Do you expect me to hug you too and thank you for getting my robe dirty?"

Rose pouted.

"Thanks anyway, Weasley." he gave her shoulder a light punch then looked at Al. "Did you help them, Al?"

"Not really, so you don't need to thank me."

"Hagrid helped take care of Cookie and the babies though!" Lily added.

"Thanks, Hagrid!"

Wheeeeeeeee! The Christmas break is coming!