Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, and fellow fanfiction writer, Tzitzi in honor of her birthday *Crowd applauds*.
Also, a big thank you to Hedgi, Master_of_bugs_123, and Meagan Snow for reviewing. You guys are awesome!
Day 2:
15:37
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Albus banged his ski pole against the roof of the cave, hoping to make a hole. Lily was bawling, and Rose was trying to explain to Scorpius the concept of infinity.
"It's quite simple, really," Rose insisted.
"It's not possible!" Malfoy declared stubbornly. "Numbers can't go on forever. Everything comes to a stop eventually."
"Not everything. Most things, yes, but not everything has to. That's the amazing thing about numbers - - hey, are you even listening? Look, Scorpius, look. Here, so let's say I draw a circle. Where does it begin and when does it end?"
"That's easy," he replied. "Wherever my quill starts."
"No, that's not what I mean."
You just can't admit that you're wrong."
"Can not!"
"Can too!"
"Can not!"
"Can too!"
"Can not!"
"SHUT UP!" Al suddenly shouted. "Be quiet, all of you. We need to come up with a plan to get ourselves out of here. None of us have eaten in over twenty-four hours and we won't be able to make it much longer like this. Brainstorm, people!"
"What's the use? We're all going to die in here!"
The older boy reached out his hand, and slapped his sister across the face, leaving behind a red mark. "LIAR! We will make it out, but not if you keep talking like that! We can't afford to think so negatively, unless you want us all to die! Is that what you want? Is that what you want, Lily? Do you want to kill us all with your whining?"
Lily's eyes were as wide as saucers. Her brother had never struck her before. "N-no," she said meekly.
"I thought so. Now make yourself useful and help me dent the roof. And you two," he said, referring to Scorpius and Rose, "the same goes for you!"
Scorpius straightened with indignity. Even at times such as this, if not more so, his Malfoy heritage stood out. He was not going to be ordered around by anyone. He was also not one to abandon his sardonic sense of humor. "Snap out of it, mate! This is the second girl you've hit so far!"
His attempts to joke at the situation, however, backfired. Albus narrowed his eyes at the blond boy, and clenched his hands into fists. "Oh, I'm sorry, Scorpius. Would you prefer that I smack you instead?"
"Actually, I wouldn't," he said, smirking. Malfoy was playing a dangerous game. He knew it, too. Albus had already proved unstable when angry, and provoking him was likely to make it worse. Still, maybe he could - -
Black spots danced before Malfoy's eyes as he staggered to keep his balance. The next thing Scorpius knew, he was lying on the ground, being shaken awake by Al and Rose. Albus looked considerably calmer.
"Wha-what happened?"
"Dehydration," Rose explained, refusing to meet Scorpius's eyes. "Dizzy spells and fainting are common side effects. Here, have some water," she pulled out a purple canteen.
"This is yours," he said, confused, pushing the container away.
"It is? Wow, you're brilliant! Look, Al, Scorpius knows this is my canteen? How could he possibly tell. I mean, other than the purple colour. Or the fact that it says 'Rose' on the side. Honestly, who would've thought- -"
"If I agree to drink it, will you shut up?"
Rose laughed. "He's being sarcastic. That means he's okay."
Day 2:
18:49
"I'm still not sure about this," Astoria said.
"Oh, come on, Love. What's there not to be sure about?"
The former Slytherin crossed her arms and glared at her husband. "We're suing Harry Potter! What do you mean 'what's not to be sure about'? The whole idea is stupid!"
"Stupid?" Draco frowned. "Well, we can't back out now, can we? I already scheduled an appointment."
Astoria groaned. "Well, why do I have to come? I don't want to leave Calista, especially at a . . . a time like now. She needs someone to be there for her."
"Trust me, one person will not have nearly as much of an effect in court. Plus, they would never listen to a single word I said, if I came alone. Besides, who could say no to a face like yours?" Astoria scowled, so he dropped the subject and continued. "Why are you worried about Calista? She's at your sister's house. Everything's going to be fine my dear. We'll sue Potter for all he's worth!"
"But it's not Potter I want," she said quietly, looking down at the ground. "It's Scorpius."
Calista Malfoy was always particular about her friends. The few that she had all fell into a very narrow category. They needed to be purebloods, for a start. All-Slytherin families were best, although the occasional Ravenclaw was tolerated. They needed to be rich - - Malfoys never associated with bottom-feeders. But that was not all. To be a wealthy, pureblood, Slytherin wasn't enough. He or she needed to behave like a proper pureblood as well. And, family or not, Arissa did not fit the bill.
Arissa Nott was Calista Malfoy's first cousin. She was the daughter of Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass, her mother's sister. She, like Calista, was ten-years-old. But their similarities ended there. The was small and weakly-built, with stringy brown hair, and large inquisitive eyes. She was pale, too. Almost as pale as Calista herself, even though she technically did not have any Malfoy blood.
Despite her well-bred heritage, Arissa Nott might as well have been a mudblood. All one had to do was take one look at girl. She often wore pants. Yes, pants! What kind of self-respecting pureblood young lady would wear trousers? But it was not Arissa's dress style that was the most repulsive thing about her. Not by far.
Arissa liked to practice taxidermy.
Day 2:
21:06
Albus Potter woke up to the sound of laughter. That couldn't be right, could it?
Al rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and attempted to sit up. He was momentarily confused when all he saw was white. It took him a couple of seconds to remember where he was. Soon his bewilderment turned to panic. How long had he been asleep? Why were they still in the ice cave? Surely someone would've found them by now.
The laughter came once again, only adding to the discombobulation going through his mind. Al turned around, overexerting the pressure he was putting on his bad foot. Albus howled in pain, and the laughter increased as he faced the source of the terrible sound.
It was Rose.
Rose was sitting cross-legged, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were unfocused with a hint of insanity in them, and she was grinning broadly. Every few seconds she burst in a frenzy of hysterical laughter.
What the . . .?
Albus watched his psychotic cousin for nearly two minutes, before finally building up the courage to ask her what she found so funny.
Rose smiled. "I'm placing bets on who will die first. I'm thinking Lily, but the blond kid's not doing too well either," she gestured towards Scorpius, who appeared to be half-asleep in the corner of the cave. Lily was not fairing much better. The young girl was hugging her knees to her chest, and rocking back and fourth, silently crying as tears froze onto her face. Her eyes were glazed over and staring straight ahead.
"You like animals, don't you, Al?" Rose said. Her tone sounded a little more even than before, but the look of insanity in her eyes never faltered.
". . . Yes," he said hesitantly.
"You know how it is in the wild, then. It's kill or be killed. That's what they say, isn't it?" she giggled manically.
Albus began to scoot slightly away from her. He did not like where this was going. "We're not animals, Rose," he whispered.
"No?" she shot him a glare. "But aren't you the one who always says that animals and people aren't so different? That dogs and cats have the same right to live as human beings? You said that, didn't you? Don't try to deny it!"
Albus whimpered pathetically like a cornered puppy.
"It's the strong that survive. That's the way nature works. We haven't eaten anything in two days, and those two inches away from death. Just how hungry are you, Al? I, for one, would do anything for some food." She leaned forward into her cousin's face. The look of madness in her eyes was as prominent as ever. "Anything." She added for emphasis. Rose paused, and then giggled.
Albus began to slowly scoot away from her. He grabbed a ski pole, and held it up like a weapon. She wasn't really suggesting what he thought she was . . . was she? She's mental! he thought. Absolutely mental! "Get away from me," Albus said quietly. His hands began to tremble, nearly causing him to drop the pole in his hand.
But Rose did not listen. She inched closer and closer, as her poor cousin trembled in trepidation. "I'm not gonna hurt you," she said. Albus wasn't so sure.
Lily looked up. "What are you doing, Rose?"
The other girl whipped her head around, sending her two plaits flying. Her gaze rested on Lily and she smiled with the same insanity as before.
Albus began to panic. She wouldn't really hurt Lily, would she? At this point he wasn't sure what to believe, but he was positive that Rose was not all there.
It was then Albus noticed Scorpius. He was sitting cross-legged, staring straight ahead. That was not what bothered him, it was something else:
Scorpius had stopped shivering.
There was never a time that Calista could think of where she would actually want to see Arissa, but the idea of seeing her cousin now was more repulsive than ever. Scorpius was gone, after all. Her big brother.
The relationship between Calista and Scorpius had been a rocky one. In many ways the two were polar opposites. Scorpius was friendly and sociable. Calista was reclusive and distant. Her brother was a people-pleaser, while she was more of a loner. Scorpius was playful and child-like, despite the fact that he was the older sibling. His sister, on the other hand, was always serious and dignified. One would not be able to guess they were related at all, much less siblings, if it wasn't for their classic Malfoy traits.
And yet . . . there were things Calista rather admired about him. Scorpius could charm his way into just about anything. He was clever and cunning (the boy was a Slytherin, after all.) And just overall charismatic. Although she would never dare say it to his face, she secretly envied the popularity he had among his peers.
As she thought this over, Calstia did not notice her cousin coming up to her, and jumped when Arissa announced that she got a new cat.
"A live one?" asked Calista hopefully.
"No, silly! I think it was the Carrows'."
Was? Calista gulped.
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