Apologies for the delay, here it is!

Chapter 14

I can't think. I can't breathe.

"WHAT?" Roxanne yells.

Lily is sobbing, she can barely talk. "He's- he's in his room-"

I finally snap out of the cold shock. "Let's go - now."

We race up the hill to the castle. It's so painfully slow. I only realise when we're bursting through the castle doors that Melody is also running alongside Roxanne and Lily.

"Melody, can you get Madam Bell?"

Melody nods and heads towards the hospital wing.

"What happened?" I demand as we take the marble staircase two steps at a time.

"I don't- know-" Lily is sputtering and her face is a mess of tears. "He was- lying there- when I came in-"

I don't ask anymore, concentrating on just getting to Gryffindor Tower as fast as possible. James can't be dead. He just can't be.

We get to the deserted Gryffindor common room and go up the stairs to the boys dormitories, grateful that there are no trick stairs here. Roxanne is the first to reach James' door and we all pile in. I take in the scene; the room is a mess, and James is lying on his back near the bed at the far end of the room, his legs sprawled, in full Quidditch gear.

"Holy shit," Roxanne says and runs towards him.

I crouch down next to her as well as she starts shaking him, yelling, "James!"

I can't see any blood, or any other physical damage… Something near his feet catches my eye, and I grab it. It's a small glass vial. No, he would never… My breath starts to catch again and I feel sick.

Roxanne sees it, too, and she shrieks, "No!" and starts crying just as hard as Lily.

I'm about to break down, too, when I grip the vial and look at it again. It looks oddly familiar… Then it hits me. It's the vial Darius Flint stole away some Draught of Living Death in.

"Check his pulse," I tell Roxanne.

"Wha-?" she chokes through her tears.

"Move over."

Shoving her out of the way, I press my fingers to his neck and sure enough, feel a faint but steady pulse. "He's asleep."

"Asleep?" Lily says from her position above us, hands clutched together over her chest.

"He took a sleeping draught. He's asleep," I say.

"How-?" Roxanne begins. She pushes me aside to feel his pulse, too. I can almost see her breathe out in relief. "Shit, you're right. He is asleep."

Lily still looks a bit dazed, having been sobbing her eyes out until now. "Why won't he wake up?"

"It must be a very powerful sleeping draught," I say.

Roxanne frowns. "I don't get it, why would he take a sleeping draught right before our game?"

Good question. I'm not sure how Darius managed to convince him to drink it - it's not like he forced it down his throat or anything. Perhaps the pressure of this game in particular became too much and James decided he'd rather sleep through it. But no, that can't be right either. If I know James Potter at all, he would never give up on anything to do with Quidditch.

"Wake him up, Rose," Lily says.

"I can't. He needs a Wiggenweld Potion."

"Wiggen-what?" Roxanne asks.

And the girl's supposed to be a year above me.

"It wakes people out of magic-induced sleep," I tell her. "Maybe Madam Bell will have some. I doubt it though."

"Can't you brew it?" Roxanne asks.

"Err…"

I could try, but that's some seriously advanced potion-making.

"Come on, Rose, he has to play today," Roxanne says.

"You're seriously thinking about Quidditch right now?"

"Well it's not like he's dead or anything."

"God, Roxanne, could you be more shallow?"

"Hey, I was the one crying, you were just all, 'oooh what's this glass bottle'?"

"Shut up!" Lily yells.

Roxanne and I both look up at her in surprise.

"Just wake him up. Please," Lily tells me, her blue eyes all teary and pleading.

"I'll get Professor Ang. He'll brew it better than I ever could."

Lily nods, and doesn't say anything.

"Move aside, move aside," Madam Bell says as she comes bustling in.

Melody steps cautiously into the room after her, but hangs near the door. She gives me a questioning look - I give her a small, reassuring smile. Madam Bell is now bending down next to James' outstretched form. Her short, greying hair falls around her face as she leans over him and takes out her wand. She hovers it over his head, then down the length of his body.

"He took a sleeping draught," I tell her.

"I can see that," she says as the tip of her wand glows orange.

Well sor-ry for trying to help.

"He needs a Wiggan potion," Lily tells her.

"A Wiggenweld Potion?" Madam Bell mutters as she shoves James' limp form around and checks something in his ear. She looks thoughtful for a moment. "I think we have some old stock…"

She raises her wand and silently spells a small bottle of bright green liquid into the room. She holds it up to the light of the window. "It should still be effective…"

We all watch with bated breath as Madam Bell raises James' head onto her knee, pries his mouth open and carefully pours a stream of Wiggenweld Potion down his throat. For a moment I think it hasn't worked - that he's never going to wake up - as he lies there motionless, but then with a gasp he opens his eyes.

"James!" Lily cries, and practically hurls herself at him.

He blinks rapidly, looking around at us in confusion as Lily hangs off his neck.

"What happened?" he asks.

"You were asleep," Lily says.

"You took a sleeping draught," Madam Bell says. "A very powerful one. Where did you get it from?"

"I- I never took-? I can't remember," James says.

I scrutinise his confused expression, wondering whether he really can't remember or if he's just covering for Darius Flint. But why on earth would he lie to protect him? It's not like they're friends.

Suddenly James looks panicked. "The game!"

Lily pulls back as he leaps up. James quickly pats himself down, checking all his gear is in place, before rushing for the door. "I'm late already, c'mon Roxanne, c'mon, c'mon."

Madam Bell sighs, slowly getting up as James and Roxanne rush out the door without a second glance. I smile at her. "Thank you."

"Well at least someone is grateful," she says, then stalks out of the room.

I'm left in the boys room with Lily and Melody.

"Why were you in here?" I ask Lily.

Lily looks guilty for a second. "I was looking for his Invisibility Cloak. I was going to use it to go watch the game."

"Invisibly?

"I had an argument with Lance. I yelled at him that I wasn't going to watch him play. But then I got curious…"

I shake my head. "Come on, let's go watch. It's a big game for James."

Lily agrees, and we all head out. By the time we're in the Gryffindor stands the game is halfway through, and Slytherin are well ahead. It seems like Gryffindor are on their way to catching up, though; James is flying like a maniac, weaving between players. Even I, knowing nothing about Quidditch, have to admire the way he handles the Quaffle so easily like it's an extension of himself. The Gryffindor supporters are going mental around me as James scores goal after goal.

I spot Scorpius high above the other players, circling the pitch as he looks for the Snitch. He's bent over on his broom looking all serious. Darius Flint is swinging a bat at practically everyone and everything, but Coach McLaggen appears not to notice as he's busy refereeing a foul committed by a Slytherin Chaser when he gripped the tail of a Gryffindor Chaser's broom. I glare at Darius, wishing I'd been here to see his reaction as James entered the pitch looking as awake as ever.

"Aaaand it's a foul!" booms the announcer's voice.

A chorus of boo's go up from the Slytherin stand as one of their Chasers - Cameron Nott, Slytherin team captain - is sent to the sidelines while his replacement takes to the air.

I scour the sidelines as Cameron Nott stalks to the bench, throwing his arm pads in the dirt. I can't see anyone who may be a scout for the British and Irish Quidditch League; everyone standing on the perimeter look like Hogwarts students. Perhaps the scout is in the stands. Or hiding under an Invisibility Cloak like Lily intended to.

"Albus Potter scores a goal! Slytherin are still ahead, but only just!"

Albus whizzes around the pitch with his fist in the air as there's a blast of cheers from the Slytherin stands. I swear I can see some girls crying (and not just Slytherins).

"James Potter scores! Looks like these two Potters are bringing it today - but which brother will come out the victor?"

I roll my eyes at the cheesy commentary.

The rest of the game goes by in a breathtaking display of flying exhibited by both teams. It almost makes me want to play Quidditch. Almost.

I cheer, caught up in the excitement of the crowd, as Scorpius dives towards the bottom left of the pitch, Roxanne just behind. They careen around in a circle as the Snitch flits off in the opposite direction. Roxanne has the lead now; she's leaning forward, the Gryffindor's are yelling their heads off. The two of them collide with one another as they reach for the Snitch…

"ROXANNE WEASLEY CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

Roxanne flies around the pitch holding the glinting golden Snitch in the air. I can see James' grin from here; he's whizzing around, high-fiving his teammates. They all descend and form a mass of burly Gryffindor males (plus Roxanne), hugging and thumping each other.

I look over at the other end of the pitch where the Slytherins are walking off, shoulders slumped. I recognise Scorpius' platinum blonde hair from here, and see Darius clap him on the back.

"What's happening there?" Melody asks into my ear, pointing towards where James, having extricated himself from his teammates, has taken Albus aside.

It looks like a heated conversation. Or rather, James looks aggressive, while Albus seems to be just shaking his head sadly. Then James marches off the pitch, ignoring the excited calls from his fellow Gryffindors.

I look back at Melody. "I have no idea."

xxxxxxxxxx

There's a celebration going on in the Gryffindor common room by the time I get there after dinner. The walls and furniture are draped in red and gold streamers, and everyone's got a bottle of butterbeer in their hands. A few older Gryffindors have snuck in some firewhiskey and are doing shots by the fireplace.

I make my way across the crowded room to the row of couches that have been pushed against the walls. Lily and Lucy are there giggling over something.

"Have you seen James?"

Lily looks up at me and shrugs. "Nope."

She's obviously recovered quite fully from the faux-death of her brother this morning.

"He's not here," Lucy tells me.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Ask his team," Lily says.

I look over at the fireplace; Tobias Wood, clearly off his face, has clambered onto the table and is singing a Victoire song into his wand. Roxanne is cheering him on while Charlie Baxter - Gryffindor's stocky, sandy-haired Beater - has got his tie around his head and is bellowing at his younger teammates to do a shot each.

"Mmm, maybe not."

"What are they doing here?" Lily says, looking over at the entrance to the common room.

Albus and Scorpius have just walked in.

I storm over to them. "This is not your common room."

"Oh sod off, Rose, not now," says Albus. "Where's James?"

"I'd like to know that too."

"We found out what Darius did," Scorpius says.

I raise my brows. "And what was that, exactly?"

Scorpius looks uncomfortable. "You know. With your sleeping draught…"

"It wasn't my sleeping draught."

"You brewed it," Albus says.

"Not to drug James!"

"Whatever. We need to find him. Reckon he'll be in his room?"

"Haven't a clue," I say.

Albus and Scorpius start walking towards the boys dormitories, and I follow them.

"Is that what you two were talking about on the pitch?" I ask. "Did you know Darius was going to do that?

Albus stops abruptly just before the dormitory stairs. "I had no idea what that idiot was going to do. I would never do that to James."

He seems offended, and rightly so. Whoops.

"Yeah, okay, sorry. So what were you two talking about?"

Albus continues up the stairs; Scorpius and I follow side by side.

"The scout.''

I glance to Scorpius.

"Don't worry, he knows," Albus tells me.

"The scout didn't like what he saw?" I ask.

Although that's crazy, out of all the games James has played today was his best.

"The scout didn't even see."

"What?"

We're just outside James' room now. Albus doesn't explain; he swings the door open and goes in. James is lying face-down on his bed, and for a moment I feel a pang of this morning's shock and grief.

"James," Albus says.

"Piss off," comes the muffled reply.

"Oi, mate, we just came to talk. Found out what Darius did - I'm sorry."

James lifts his head off the pillow. He looks like he's been crying. Oh, God, James Sirius Potter crying. I'd expected to see unicorns before I ever saw that.

"Fuck off, how could you not know?"

Albus instantly bristles at that. "Of course I didn't know. Do you honestly think I would have gone along with it knowing about the scout?"

James gets up off the bed, standing to match Albus' height. "I'm not sure what to think of you now. Lying to me about your prank. Telling Flint about the scout-"

"I never told him, he overheard me telling Rose!"

They all look over at me, and suddenly I wish I hadn't followed them up here.

"Why did you drink it?" I ask James.

James looks down at his shoes.

"He thought it was Felix Felicis," Albus says.

James immediately looks angry. "If you had kept your big mouth shut-"

"But you still took it. It was your choice," Albus argues back.

"He knew about the scout, manipulated me - and you're as Slytherin as he is."

Albus scoffs. "Using 'Slytherin' as an insult? What would Harry think?"

"Dad would flip his shit because you're his favourite."

"Am not."

Woah, this is getting way too intense. I look up at Scorpius and he looks just as uncomfortable as I'm feeling. He surreptitiously inclines his head towards the door. I nod.

"We'll just be outside," I say breezily. Both Albus and James ignore me.

Scorpius leaves and I follow quickly after him. He shuts the door just as James replies (something about Albus being "the Golden Child") and sort of ushers me down the stairs.

We stand on the outskirt of the victory party still going on in the common room. Scorpius jams his hands into his pockets.

"So how was your game?" Scorpius asks.

"Huh?"

"Your game of Gobstones."

"Oh- right- Gobstones Club. I'm in the Gobstones Club, yeah. The game… was alright."

Scorpius looks amused. "Just alright?"

"I didn't win," I say.

"That's a shame."

"You're taking the piss now aren't you?"

"A little bit."

He's smirking at me. Plonker.

"You should come one night. It'd be a blast."

"No, thank you. I'm really busy."

"Waaaaahooooo!"

We look over to the other side of the common room, where Tobias Wood has taken off his shirt and is swinging it around over his head. We stand in silence for a bit, watching Roxanne try to calm him down.

"How can you be friends with him?" I say eventually, quietly.

Scorpius doesn't need to ask who.

"Darius is… I've known him all my life. He comes up with ideas, thinks they're brilliant, and goes ahead with them without thinking of the consequences."

"Is that supposed to be a reason?"

I turn to face him, and Scorpius frowns down at me. "I'm not trying to say what he did was okay. He just doesn't know any different. You should meet his old man - you'd understand."

I scoff. "Don't blame it on his upbringing. He's a prick, pure and simple. If everyone followed in their parents' footsteps, then there's no hope for us."

Scorpius clenches his jaw, and I know what he's thinking. He's worn that old Malfoy chip on his shoulder throughout the time I've known him, holding himself aloof from the Hogwarts student body, taking the occasional murmurings of 'Death Eater' with that stoic face he's made his trademark over the years.

"Well some of us haven't had picture-perfect childhoods," Scorpius says.

Immediately I feel a surge of annoyance at the remark. Before I can respond, though, Albus comes stomping down the stairs.

"Let's go," he says to Scorpius.

"What happened?" I ask.

Albus shakes his head. "He'll get over it. He just has to cool down. I'm out of here."

"What happened with the scout?"

"He left when James was late to the game - something about not wanting unreliable players. He was pretty pissed, I don't think even Mum could convince him to come back."

"Shit," is all I can think to say.

'This is his last chance' is what Albus told me.

"So what now?"

Albus looks at me seriously. "He'll just have to pass NEWTs."