(A/N: Hi. Here's the next one. I hope you enjoy!)

The Funeral Bells

Chapter 5

In Ten Cities

I think it's every time I walk into a room

A silence so sudden that I seem to hear it

Smiles turn to frowns

Tell me

How long could you hang on to a word?

Dinner was quiet. Not the good kind of quiet you strive for after 4 long classes and writing pieces of parchment longer than the dinning room tables. Not the silence you pray for after being yelled at by a prefect or teacher for sneaking around the castle in the late hours of the night. Not the peace you wish for after a grueling Quidditch practice or after taking a beating in D.A. club.

They wanted to speak. They wanted things to be the way they always were. They wanted Rose to brag about some miraculous save she made in Quidditch. They wanted Al to talk about some dark magic creature or ritual. But most of all, they wanted Scorpius to show up with one of his goofy smiles.

They wanted him to tell them about some exciting new things he learned in Care for Magical Creatures. Rose wouldn't even mind it if he and Al were talking about some new trick they learned in D.A. club. Al wouldn't mind it if he and Rose were being all lovey-dovey with each other.

But it never happened. Scorpius never showed up and the two cousins hardly said a word to each other during dinner; which resulted in them sneaking out of the castle to inspect the bell tower.

They spoke a little on the way there; mostly just whenever they say a teacher or prefect approaching on the map. However, there was barely a whisper between the two as they made there way up the long stairs.

Al never liked climbing the tower, but Rose - being in a bit better shape than her cousin - always found it to be well worth it for the view. However, this time, of course, her visit to the tower wasn't under healthy circumstance.

The two paused for a minute when they got to the top floor room. Al went over to the candle holder and used his wand to turn it on, which never really gave much light to begin with.

"Lumos" chanted Al, causing a light to shine at the tip of his wand.

Rose followed in his example and created a Lumos of her own.

"So," began Rose as the both of them inspected the room. "What exactly are we looking for"

"Can't be sure," Al admitted. "Anything I guess."

That wasn't much help, Rose decided. As far as she was concerned, nothing looked out of the ordinary at first glance, though if she told Al that, he would just tell her that it didn't matter. He would have said that just because something looks undisturbed doesn't mean that something didn't happen. He would have been right, but Rose was never much of a detective. She has always been a take-action sort of girl.

She focused her attention first on the couch that Scorpius and Al carried up here when they first discovered the place. Before Rose and Scorpius became an official couple, the two Slytherins would come up here every once and a while and do whatever boys do with some butterbeer and time to kill. Once Rose and Scorpius got together, Al stopped going as often as he used to, and the couch became a place for the couple to have some alone time.

After she realize that she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, the red-head couldn't help but feel somewhat hostile towards her missing boyfriend. Of course she shouldn't have been mad at him, but why would he just disappear without a trace? Even though the last thing Rose wanted was for her to find something that told her Scorpius was in some kind of struggle, she supposed that it was better than finding nothing at all.

Al's luck wasn't much better. He hasn't been up in the tower all year, so many things could have changed last time he visited; especially since that no one else really visits this room due to the fact that it has no real use.

Crunch

Al paused for a second as he realized that he stepped on something. He lifted his shoe up and realized it was a few rocks…or perhaps debris. He took a look upward to find out where the debris came from, but something on the wall caught his attention.

"Hey, Rose," Al called to his cousin. "Come here for a second."

It wasn't long before she was it his side.

"Do these look familiar to you?" he said pointing to the small cracks at the wall.

"How do you mean?" she asked since she felt like she as just staring at the wall.

"The cracks, there," he continued. "Where they always there?"

"I don't pay attention to the architecture every time I come up here, Al," Rose commented as she focused her attention away form the wall. "They've probably been there forever."

"I don't think so," Al responded. "Look," he said as he lifted his foot and pointed in laminated wand downward. "There debris all over the-"

Al stopped speaking suddenly.

"Debris?" asked Rose. "That could have been from-"

She stopped speaking as well upon realized that Al wasn't listening to her. He continued to stare at the floor with a face of disbelief.

"Al?" she asked as she too looked towards the floor. "Whats…"

She trailed off as Al slowly lower himself into a crouch position. He kept staring that the floor with his light close to it. Rose wanted to ask what was wrong, but Al started shoveling away debris until nothing was left to stare at expect for the cold hard floor.

"It's just the floor," Rose spoke. "There's nothing on-"

"Blood," Albus interrupted her.

Her stomach dropped upon hearing that cryptic word. She stared at the floor a little closer. There was a very small puddle of discoloration, but it didn't look red; just a dark brown.

"Al," she said followed by a nervous laugh. "That could be anything,"

"It's blood," he shot back at her as he continued to study the floor.

There was a silence between the two. All placed his right index and middle finger over the dried up puddle. Rose felt her heart beating fast, praying that Al will soon say he was wrong. He didn't, he just continued observing.

"How could you be sure?" she finally broke the silence.

"This is exactly what blood looks like after it's dried up," He told her as he stood tall once again with his attention still to the floor. "Honestly, what else could it be?"

Rose didn't have an answer, although she desperately wanted one. This place had no indoor pluming so it couldn't have been a leak. Any drink that could have been spilled would have been over by the couch, and even so, it wouldn't have dried up into that color. Rose's calmness was running at a low…she was slowly reaching towards a panicked state.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Al continued, though Rose would have much preferred for him to shut up.

"Are you saying he's-"

"No," Al interrupted her. He didn't want to hear those words from her. "It's blood, but not that much…"

He trailed off, much to Rose's wishes. There was nothing left to say. The two both stared at the dried-up puddle of - what appears to be - blood as cryptic and frightening thoughts run through their heads.

As descendants of the heroes of the Second War, they've always felt as if that nothing could touch them. They're parents were warriors, as were many other family and friends of theirs. The thought of anything happening to them or their friends was simply never and issue. Now, that childish, yet comforting feeling that the two cousins always had about being invincible have blown away with the howling wind.

"We should go to the teachers," Rose finally spoke with a shiver.

"Yeah…" Albus exhaled.

Or maybe it's all eyes on him

The eyes that are just begging me for more

This is gone and I can see it

Your head is full of words

And how long can you hang on to a word?

"D…da….da da…"

"That's my little Scorpius."

"What House were you in?"

"Slytherin is in the blood of a Malfoy."

"Harry Potter…saved our lives."

"Make sure to keep warm…I'll miss you…"

"I'm Scorpius."

"That's a funny name."

"Funnier than Albus?"

"Their called unicorns, and their blood has the power to…"

"What's her problem?"

"I'm a Malfoy."

"…would you ever ride one of those…?"

"Al, I don't like this Kunsler guy…"

"I like this place…although it is a little cryptic."

"In a duel, a stunning charm could be your best friend…"

"Wand at the ready, Severus."

"Expelliarmus!"

"You're blood is just as dirty as any mud blood!"

"The sins of our fathers have not been erased…but we must do our best to put them behind us…"

"You two have been getting very friendly lately…"

"Don't spill the bloody butterbeer!"

"Avada Kedavra must never be used."

"You two were snogging!?"

"I will not tolerate this behavior, Malfoy!"

"Where do you two plan on going?"

"Keep your hands off my cousin!"

"I love you."

They say your life flashes before you're eyes before you die.

Not after.

His eyes shot open he felt they would leap out of his skull. The light is so bright that it hurts his head. It was as if he had never opened them before. He quickly sat up on top of a hard, cold table. He was still wearing the same thing as he was before he passed out, minus the robe.

Suddenly, Scorpius realized something.

He wasn't breathing.

He gasped for air desperately. He felt the air go into his mouth, through his throat, and into his lungs, but his body was getting no satisfaction from it. He tries to inhale once more, and again, and again. Nothing.

His lungs were working, but he still couldn't breathe. He tries to take a giant inhale once more, but nothing happens.

He stops trying to breathe altogether, praying that whatever was happening to him would stop. Suddenly, he felt comfortable. He felt as if whatever he was suffering from just a few seconds ago left his body with his last exhaled.

He wasn't breathing, and it made him comfortable.

He sniffed. He smelled something. Something that smelled totally familiar yet completely strange. He looked to his surroundings rapidly, like a dog in search of a peculiar scent. His nose quickly lead to a figure in the dark. The last figure he saw before he was attacked.

"My darling," she spoke with an excited yet grim tone.

Scorpius tense his muscles upon hear her voice.

"Did you have sweet dreams?"

He quickly shuffled himself off of the table and onto to the floor, slowly walking backward; away from his attacker. He felt different; even more so. His body isn't responding to his commands as well as it should have. His legs were shaking and moving not as quickly as he'd liked. He also felt a giant pain in his head and chest.

"You!" he shouted. He felt his lungs inflate and deflate as he spoke, then stopped once again.

He tripped over something and stumbled to the floor. She heard her chuckle as he crawled backward.

"What have you done to me?" He shouted at her. He felt his lungs inflate and deflate once more. "What have you done!?"

She didn't answer right away. She couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her subject. She rolled her eyes in a very playful fashion just before answering.

"I know it hurts," she said, ignoring his question. "All births do-"

"What did you do!?"

"I freed you."

She was nonchalant, and that only disturbed and confused him. He sniffed once more, and smelled the same thing he had earlier, only more in numbers. The two were not alone, yet he could not see anybody else.

"Freed me?" he almost whispered as he slowly got back to his feet.

She slowly took a step towards him.

"Stay back!" he yelled at her, causing her to stop in her tracks. She continued to smirk. "What do you mean 'freed me'? What have you done to me!?"

She shrugged casually and Scorpius felt her anger rise. She paced about the room, but did not make a single advancement towards the blonde boy.

"Well, let's see," she continued to speak casually. "I freed you from air. I freed you from your conscious. I freed you from time. I freed you from your soul…"

Scorpius became even more confused. He kept smelling that peculiar scent and checked around the room. Something else was in there, but he still couldn't see it.

"I guess you could say I freed you from life itself…"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "No more games! Where am I? What's wrong with me? Why can't I-"

"Well he is an ungrateful sod, isn't he?"

That voice came from neither Faye nor Scorpius.

Suddenly, more shadows began to appear in the dark room. 5 of them. All wearing cloaks. 4 of them were male, the other a female. Not only did Scorpius recognized none of them, but he also couldn't figure out which one called him and ungrateful sod.

"Now, don't be so harsh, Fitz," spoke the blonde girl, who sported a thick Irish accent. "Don't you remember yourself when you were first sired, boyo?"

Sired.

If he hadn't been best friends with Al Potter since 1st year, Scorpius would have no idea what that meant. But he knew. He knew all too well.

Suddenly, the blonde Slytherin began frantically searching his pockets. Upon realized they were all empty, Faye raised her right hand, holding exactly what Scorpius was looking for.

"Looking for this?" she asked, continuing to sound playful and she held his wand by the handle.

He thought his heart skipped a beat, but that was before he realized his heart wasn't beating at all.

"You!" he spoke again.

He noticed 5 of the people in the room were getting some kind of pleasure out of his suffering. However, it was Faye who slowly began approaching Scorpius.

"You turned me.."

She continued to approach him.

"…Into one of…"

She embraced him before he could finish his thought. He buried his head right were her right shoulder met her neck. He wanted to cry at that instant, but he knew he couldn't even do that.

"Shhh…" she whispered into his ear. "You're one of us now."

Although he was very reluctant, he embraced her back. He opened his eyes to see that the other 5 people in the room were smiling. However, their smiles weren't warm or welcoming, they were cold and victorious.

He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to slaughter every single one of them for what they did. He wanted to shoved Faye off of him and curse them all straight to whatever hell those monsters were destined to go to.

But he didn't, for something else cause his attention.

His nose was touched Faye's bare neck, and he couldn't help but admire the smell of her. It wasn't any kind of perfume. It was her skin and what was beneath that caught his nose's attention, and Faye knew it.

She pulled back from him softly until they were face to face.

"You want to eat," she said to him softly. "Don't you?"

He didn't know how to respond to that question. He didn't even think he fully understood it.

She tilted her head to her right, revealing her soft and smooth neck.

"Do it," she whispered.

Somehow, Scorpius knew what to do. He subconsciously decided to let his instincts take over. He felt his face change. He felt his teeth grow. He felt Faye's skin break as he bit into her.

It was cold, which was disappointing since he craved warmth, but he didn't let that stop him. The taste, the texture, everything about it soothed Scorpius' hunger more than a fat steak ever could. The sucked on her neck and forced the blood down his throat, and he never wanted to stop.

He heard a moan come from Faye, yet he was not sure if it was in pleasure or in pain. Or both.

Either way, he didn't care.

He drank, and the others watched smiling.