A/N: This chapter contains implied rape.
Chapter 5: Train to a New Life
I'm sitting in a cave. For once my hands are not bound. I look around and see that there are strange plants in the cave.
I slowly get up and move around to see if there is a way out.
"Don't bother. We don't get out of here unless she wants us to," a voice says behind me.
I turn around to see a young blond man with a pointed face sitting on the cave floor. He is dressed in rags, and probably somewhat worse for wear than I am. Once I look closer I recognize the man. I haven't seen him in two years.
"Scorpius?" I ask incredulously.
"Yeah, it is me, James," Scorpius says as though it didn't matter at all.
"What are you doing here?" I ask warily.
"Celebrating my holiday! What does it look like I'm doing here?" Scorpius asks in a sarcastic tone.
"Right, you are a prisoner too, then," I say, finally comprehending what my situation entails.
"Got there at last, eh?" Scorpius asks mockingly.
"Why are you here, Scorp?" I ask, genuinely interested.
"I'm Lily's 'boy toy.' I used to be a willing participant, but not any more, thus I'm here," Scorpius explains.
I get certain images in my head I never wanted to see about my sister.
"Tell no more. That is still my sister you are talking about," I say, grossed out.
"Right. Why are you here?" Scorpius asks, changing the subject.
"I have something of hers," I say, looking to the cave entrance.
"And let me guess, you are not giving it?" Scorpius asks.
"It is rightfully hers, but I don't have what she thinks I have. At least, not any more," I explain while sitting down.
"Ah, the two of you have been making friends?" a voice asks from somewhere in the cave. I turn around to see Lily standing there. I try to move, but find that I'm under some sort of body bind all of a sudden.
"Come, Scorpius, it is time to play," Lily says in a sickeningly sweet tone. I see Scorpius's eyes widen in fear while he struggles to get free, but Lily simply levitates him to her and leaves with him. Moments later the cave fills with screams of pain coming from Scorpius, with sounds I never want to hear Lily make ever again.
~O~
I wake up panting. Again I had a nightmare. I'm used to them now. Every time I close my eyes to nap, I am in what I am now calling 'the future,' though that is probably not a very good description of it. There Lily is asking me to do something, but each time I refuse. And each time I am getting a dose of torture.
This dream was different. There was someone else this time, a man. I don't know who, but I have a feeling I can trust this man.
Groaning, I get up and check the date. Today it is the first of September. Today we are going back to Hogwarts, a place I haven't set foot in for two years. I never came back for my seventh year last time around. I wanted to keep everyone home this time around, but mum put her foot down and said that dad wanted us to finish our education. I can't fault that logic. Checking the time, I see that it is six o'clock.
Slowly I get downstairs for breakfast. I see that Maddy already set the table for three. She stopped setting the table for dad when Albus talked to the elf. I have no idea what he said to her, but now Maddy thinks that dad is on a sudden mission. She had been delivering the food for mum straight to her room, since she has not been down for breakfast since the first day after dad's death.
A few minutes later Albus and Lily get down. Albus glares at me before giving me the cold shoulder. Lily just shakes her head and sits down. Things have been tense between Albus and me ever since I 'turned the house into a prison' as Albus put it. What Albus fails to realise is that I did it to keep the family safe.
Lily just accepts the new situation. She seems to have retreated into herself. She hardly speaks any more, except to shout at Albus and me when we get into one of our fights. I notice that she has been playing with her locket a lot more lately.
"I'm going to finish packing," I say when breakfast is done.
"Yeah, me too, maybe at Hogwarts I can be free from your tyranny!" Albus says scathingly before he storms up the stairs.
I tiredly rub my forehead. Albus raises an interesting point. How am I going to keep my family safe at Hogwarts? The solution comes to me almost immediately, the Marauders Map. I stole it from dad's office after my first year. Dad found out quite quickly what I had done, and after reprimanding me for stealing, he let me keep it.
I quickly go up the stairs to my room to check my trunk. I see that the Marauders Map is where it is supposed to be, but that my Invisibility Cloak is still missing. I never found it after my father died. That is when I remember that I had given the cloak to Albus at the start of the holidays, or two years ago for me.
When I get back downstairs with my trunk, I see that Albus and Lily are already ready to go, and that mum is standing a bit wobbly, but ready to take us to the King's Cross.
"Mum, shouldn't you be in bed?" I ask, worried. She still looks very worn and ill.
"I took a big dose of Pepperup Potion, I should be fine for a bit," mum says confidently.
The car ride to King's Cross is over quickly, without accidents. We make it to Platform Nine and Three Quarters with half a hour to spare, which is early for us.
The first thing I notice is that Aurors have been stationed around the platform. I guess they want extra security for our family due to my father's death. I'm surprised I did not see them earlier around our house. It might be that the wards have kept them away.
We quickly locate Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione; they are saying goodbye to Hugo. I don't see Rose anywhere, but I guess she is already on the train.
As mum says goodbye to Lily, Albus and me, I can't help but notice that she looks very pale and tired, as if she is about to collapse. It seems that Uncle Ron notices it too, since he is holding mum up a moment later.
"We should get you home," Uncle Ron says to mum, as it looks like she can't hold her own weight.
"I'm fine!" mum says, trying to glare at Uncle Ron; but the effect is ruined when she starts coughing.
"Hermione, I'm going to get Ginny home. Can you make sure they get on the train?" Uncle Ron calls out to Aunt Hermione who approaches us.
Aunt Hermione looks from me, to Albus, to Lily and then to Hugo, who is watching the whole scene warily. Aunt Hermione nods, and a moment later Uncle Ron Disapparates with a loudly protesting mum.
"You should get on the train," Aunt Hermione says to us, shooing us towards the train, then hugging Hugo tightly before shooing him on the train too.
"Where's Rose?" I ask. Aunt Hermione looks at me and shakes her head, but does not explain anything. Shrugging, I turn around to look for a compartment.
"James!" a voice behind me calls out. I turn around to see Alice Longbottom. I suppose she is my girlfriend at the moment, though I haven't spoken to her in two years. It is then that I realise I never contacted her after the duel, like I promised dad.
But it is also with clarity that I realise that a girlfriend is the last thing I need right now. Being near me, or any Potter, is dangerous at the moment. I can't put Alice in danger, no matter what. There is only one thing for it, even if it breaks my own heart to do so.
"Hello, Alice," I say warily, knowing what I'm about to do.
"I heard about your father, I'm sorry," Alice says sincerely. She makes no move to kiss me, probably sensing my mood.
"Yeah, about that, we can't be together any more," I say, deciding it is better to get it over with.
"What? Why?" Alice asks, her eyebrows furrowing. I know I'm walking on thin ice now. She always does that when she is about to get very angry.
"It... I... because..." I try to explain, but realise that anything I say is going to sound very ridiculous and wrong. Unfortunately for me, my hesitation seems to anger Alice even more; and she slaps me, hard.
"You are a right bastard, you know that, James?" Alice says harshly, before running off, tears in her eyes.
I stare dumbly after her. That could have gone better, I guess, but it is done now.
Before I have time to turn around to continue my search for a compartment, another girl approaches me. This time it is Olivia McMillan. She is Alice's best friend, and if I remember correctly, Albus's girlfriend. One look at her tells me that she is angry. When she reaches me she slaps me.
"I knew it was all about sex for you boys!" she says harshly, before she storms back the way she came. I look after her dumbly. What has sex to do with anything? Shaking my head, I turn around to search for a compartment while trying to figure out what I possibly did wrong.
Halfway down the train, I hear the voices of Scorpius and Hugo. They are arguing about something. When I get closer, I can make out the words.
"For the last time Hugo, I have no idea where Rose is!" I hear Scorpius shout.
"You were the last one to see her, Malfoy! Now tell me what you did to her!" I hear Hugo reply.
"Like I told your father and any Auror who would listen, I have nothing to do with her..." Scorpius was saying just as I look into the compartment.
I see Hugo and Scorpius standing toe to toe. Albus is looking warily between Hugo and Scorpius, and Lily is sitting by the window, seemingly bored by the proceedings.
"You have everything to do with Rose's disappearance!" Hugo shouts, cutting Scorpius off.
That is when I stop short in the opening. Rose has disappeared? When did this happen? If it is true, it explains the Aurors I spotted on the platform earlier. Dad told us about standard protocols if any of us would go missing.
"Al, you believe me, right?" Scorpius asks, turning to Albus. Albus looks wary about being asked an opinion on the matter.
"I don't know, Scorpius, it would not be the first time you lied to us," Albus says, narrowing his eyes.
"I have never lied to you before!" Scorpius shouts exasperated.
"What about your home life, Scorpius?" Albus asks scathingly.
"That has nothing to do with this!" Scorpius says.
"Malfoy, stay away from our family if you know what is best for you," Albus says, drawing his wand. Without a backwards glance, Scorpius pushes past me out of the compartment.
"What was that all about?" I ask, sitting down in a free seat. Normally, Albus would have sided with Scorpius in such a situation. It is not the first time that my family has distrusted Scorpius for something, but usually it is me voicing the distrust. What has happened to make Albus turn against his best friend like this?
"Rose has been kidnapped," Hugo explains, sitting down heavily across from Lily.
"When did this happen?" I ask, bewildered.
"About a week ago in Diagon Alley. Mum and I were in Quality Quidditch Supplies. Rose and Malfoy were waiting outside for us. When we got back outside, Malfoy was there; but Rose was gone. Malfoy claims he doesn't know what happened," Hugo says.
"So, that is why the Aurors..." I say.
"Yes, there are even a couple of Aurors on the train. They should be looking for Rose instead of trailing us everywhere we go," Hugo says angrily.
"Why don't they, then?" I ask.
"Dad says they are waiting for a ransom note. As far as I know there isn't one yet," Hugo says, shaking his head.
At that moment the train starts to move, and the door to our compartment opens.
"Hello, all. Hello, Lily-fire," two voices say from the doorway.
I turn towards the door and see Lorcan and Lysander Scamander standing there. They both have equally dirty blond hair. The only way to tell them apart is the eyes. Lorcan has the almost permanent dreamy look of his mother, while Lysander seems to be more 'down to earth.'
I look questioningly to Lily. Normally she would have at least threatened to curse the Scamander twins for calling her 'Lily-fire.' The only one who gets away with it is Uncle Charlie, but Lily just glowers at them and keeps it at that.
Without waiting for an invitation, Lorcan and Lysander sit down in the two remaining seats.
"I wonder who the master of the Elder Wand is now?" Lorcan says out of nowhere.
"What is that?" I ask, instantly alert.
"The Elder Wand, you know, the one from the tales," Lysander explains.
"I know what the Elder Wand is," I say, getting annoyed.
"Of course you would, your father was the master, after all," Lorcan says, looking at me intently.
"Does it matter who the master is?" Albus asks warily.
"Of course it does. Someone out there is the master of the most powerful wand in existence and probably will use it for not-so-noble purposes," Lysander says as though it is obvious.
"You seem to know quite a lot about it," I say, narrowing my eyes at the twins.
"Just making observations," Lysander says, shrugging.
The ride passes quickly. By the time the Hogwarts Express arrives in Hogsmeade Station, it is clear to me that this is going to be a long year.