Chapter Eleven

It was Thursday after classes, and Rose was contemplating the words of the most recent victim, Tim Harris. He was Muggleborn, obviously, but there wasn't any other connection between him and Ella. Not that there really needed to be one—the neo-Death Eaters' intention was pretty clear. They just wanted to spread fear in order to convince everyone that purebloods and only purebloods deserved a magical education. However, Rose felt that there had to be some rhyme or reason to these attacks. How were they choosing their victims? How were they timing their attacks? If it was all random, how could it be that they hadn't been found out yet? Randomness would indicate that the group was disorganized, so shouldn't it be pretty easy to find them out if they didn't have some kind of system?

The most interesting thing that Rose had noticed about Tim Harris during their interview was that he was not scared, as Ella had been. No, he seemed more angry than scared. He was from Gryffindor, so that was to be expected, but he did not seem cowed in any way, shape or form, which Rose found curious. It could be that he was good at hiding it, but why should he want to?

Her thinking was getting cyclic, and usually when that happened it was time to see Scorpius. But since her little breakdown yesterday, well…

He'd handled it well, made her feel safe, dare she say loved. But she had not. She hadn't meant to reveal so much of herself, and now she felt uncomfortably exposed. Her perfect mask had been ripped off, leaving her bare before him. Again.

Albus told her every now and then that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let someone else in. She told him not to be ridiculous. "Trusting people is harder than it looks," she would say, and then the subject would be dropped, despite the worry in his eyes.

How did I even turn out this way? She wondered sadly. I mean, I grew up in one of the most loving families I've ever met. I never felt ignored, I fit in. Don't I? She sighed. I guess our family is stretched a bit. It's large to begin with, but it's larger for the dead. The whole wizarding world is.

She rolled out of bed. She had been done with her work for a while—there was much less, since it was getting close to the holidays and everyone (including the teachers) was in a good mood. There was time before dinner, so she figured she'd go visit Albus and maybe see Scorpius, despite the fact that she could probably put off seeing him until their set meeting Friday.

Rose went down to the common room. To her dismay, there was a large crowd, of course with her cousin James at the center. There was yelling, and she realized she'd probably missed a Gryffindor Quidditch game. She tugged the sleeve of someone next to her and asked, "Who'd we play?"

He frowned. "Didn't you go? Hufflepuff. We obliterated them."

"Doubtless. Thank you." She sighed and started shoving her way through the crowd. She was nearing the door when she felt someone tug her close. "Did you see me? I beat the shit out of them, Rosie!" said James, turning her to face him and hugging her.

"Yes, I'm very proud of you, James, but I have to go—"

His face darkened. "You're not going to see Malfoy, are you? What are you doing with him, anyway?"

"No, I wanted to see Albus. Bloody hell, James, are you my dad?"

"No, but it's my job to protect you from—"

"Malfoy's nefarious influence, I understand. I'll be wary, I promise," she said laughingly, and hugged him. "See you, James. Your fans await."

He was already turning away. She darted out the door and started walking the familiar route to the Dungeons. She made sure to go down crowded corridors—silly and paranoid as she felt, she remembered that Sectumsempra. The wound was still a bit tender.

The corridor leading to the Slytherin dorms was empty, the only sound her footsteps tapping on the stones. She shivered. "Why's it always so damn cold," she muttered, rubbing her arms.

She felt hands on her back and then she was on the ground, scrambling back to her feet. "Hey! Who the hell—"

And then she heard that nasty laugh that could only mean it was Peeves. "Haha! Not so quick on your feet now, eh, Weaselby?"

She brushed herself off, annoyed. "It's Weasley, Peeves. What's your issue?"

"What's yours? You're the lion in the snake's den."

"I'm visiting my cousin," she said coldly. "Now go annoy someone who cares, won't you?" She turned around and resolutely continued walking.

"Oh, but you should care, Weaselby," Peeves said, tittering. "Peevesy might know something you don't."

"Oh, like how to be such a useless poltergeist as to feel the need to annoy anyone who looks like they have something to do?"

"It's about those dirty Mudbloods you like so much," Peeves said, grinning.

She whirled to face him. "Alright, Peeves, you have my attention. There's no one around. What?"

"There's a time and a place for everything," said Peeves. After a moment she realized that he looked a bit anxious, which made her feel unsettled. What could rattle the dead? Or, er, the—not really living to start with.

"All right. When and where?" she asked, her tone neutral instead of irritated.

"Midnight. The Astronomy Tower."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because even Peeves is afraid of the dark things going on here. Mere self-preservation," he said, eyes slitted in pique.

"I'll be there. Thank you."

"You won't by the time this is over, Weaselby," he said, and before she could reply, he had faded into nothingness.

"Fucking ghost," she muttered, and turned the corner to where the Slytherin portrait awaited.

"Yes?" it asked.

She bit the inside of her cheek, hesitating. I have to tell Scorpius about this, but… I don't want to lie to James.

"Hurry up, Weasley, I haven't got all day."

"Get me Malfoy, then."

It sighed. "You're welcome, Weasley."

"Thank you."

She waited tensely, didn't look up even when the portrait slid to the side and he came over.

"I missed you too," he said, smiling, "but I figured that if you could wait till Friday, I could."

She smiled back briefly, but all she said was, "Room of Requirement this time."

He shook his head. "I have a better idea. Nobody's using the Potions rooms this time of day. Why go all the way over there if we don't have to?"

"Lead the way."

He started walking, then stopped short and turned to face her, studying her expression. "That bad?"

She shook her head slowly. "Not… bad, per se. Just confusing. We may have another late-night engagement."

"Oh shit. Not the enjoyable kind, I presume?"

She laughed and flicked him. "I'll tell you in a minute."

"Aw, don't keep me in suspense that way. I need to know whether to make other plans if you shoot me down," he said, grinning as they continued to walk.

She giggled. "Oh, c'mon, Scorpius, keep your hormones in check, honestly. What I have to tell you is important."

He stopped in front of an oaken door and opened it, holding it open for her and presenting the room with a flourish. "This is where I spend fourth period rotting." She laughed.

Rose looked around for somewhere to sit, then smiled impishly and sat on Slughorn's desk. Scorpius sat on a front row desk.

"Okay. So I talked to the kid—his name is Tim Harris. But I'll tell you about that later or on Friday. While I was walking here, Peeves was bugging me—"

"This is news?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She kicked him lightly, only just able to reach. "Yes. Anyway, he said he knew something regarding the Ella thing, and he wants to see me at midnight in the Astronomy Tower."

Scorpius shrugged. "Don't go. He's full of shit."

"No, look, you didn't see his face. He looked scared. The only thing that seemed off was that when I thanked him he said, 'You won't by the time this is over, Weaselby.' I think I should go. He might actually have something valuable to say."

"Or he might just push you off the damn Tower. You're not going without me."

"Fine, but use the Invisibility Cloak, just in case."

"Do you still have it, or does Albus?"

"I do. I might only be able to get it for you right before we leave, though. James might decide to have a bit of post-game fun."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "Post-game fun?"

She grinned. "Just… watch yourself next time you go to the locker room before practice."

"I see." His eyes narrowed. "So that was him in Third Year. That bastard." He laughed. "Sorry."

"It's all right. He is, sometimes." She paused. "I think he's onto us."

He arched an eyebrow. "There's an us? That's exciting."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "There's not. But there's… something, isn't there?"

He blinked at her. "I'd say. Unless you…"

"No, I…" she trailed off, not even sure what she was saying no to. However, Scorpius seemed appeased, so she continued, "Anyway, he asked me what I was doing with you. I mean, I didn't tell him, and he wouldn't have listened, but I thought you should know."

"…Yeah." He was quiet for a minute, then cleared his throat and said, "So, er, if he thinks we're messing around…"

She slid off the desk. "Yes?"

"Well, I was going to say—in this case I'd just rather not be falsely accused." His voice was about an octave below its normal pitch.

Of course, a rather passionate young couple chose this moment to stumble through the door, not noticing that the room was occupied until Rose coughed loudly. The boy looked up at them and said, "Malfoy?"

"Yes, Simmons, full points for observation," Scorpius said dryly.

"Weasley?"

"Yeah, it was the hair that gave me away, wasn't it," she retorted. "Uhm, now, if you'll excuse Malfoy and me—"

"No, like, what are you doing here? Together?" He grinned slyly and said, "Because if you were—" he gestured between himself and his now irate girlfriend, who was still firmly attached to him—"then I have to say, good on you, Malfoy." He snickered.

"Simmons, don't project. Miss Weasley and I were hardly in flagrante, and unfortunately I can't say the same of you and—" he leaned over to get a better look and raised his eyebrows. "Hello, Alice."

"Hello, Malfoy," she said huffily.

Rose cleared her throat, tugging on Scorpius's hand. "Anyway, if you'll excuse us—"

"No, so, what were you doing?" Simmons was still leering at them.

"Prefect business! Good day to you," said Rose, pulling Scorpius along as she marched to the door. She slammed it behind them and leaned against the wall, eyes closed, as Scorpius laughed.

"Was he still gawking on our way out? I couldn't see over the awkward," she said, looking over at Scorpius.

"Oh, I don't doubt he was. Sorry about your reputation."

She gave him a two-fingered salute, which only caused him to laugh more. "Great. Now James won't even let me out of the dorm."

"Oh, lighten up. Simmons will forget before dinner."

Rose made a dismissive gesture. "It's the look of the thing, Scorpius."

"Well, it's only the truth."

She reddened slightly. "Shut up."

"So when should I come meet you?"

"I'll come get you at your dorm at eleven-thirty."

"Doesn't take a half hour to get to the Astronomy Tower."

"I want to get there before he does."

Scorpius considered this a moment, then said, "That's probably a good idea."

She took a breath. "So—see you then?"

He was quiet. She was about to go when he said, "Should I walk you back up?"

She blinked at him in surprise. "If you want. Why?"

"You seem particularly prone to trouble in empty corridors."

Even if it was true, it struck a nerve. "I can protect myself."

"I know. Consider it—consider it my attempt at being gentlemanly."

"Pfft. Fine. If you can keep up. I've noticed you're awfully slow." She started to walk at a brisk pace.

He ran up next to her. "Harpy. I can keep up fine."

She laughed. "Harpy? That's a new one."

"Really? I feel honored."

She shook her head, suppressing a smile and the feeling that she was glad he came. "Oh, shut up. Just shut up."

#

As it turned out, James was not using the Cloak, so Rose was able to slip out right at eleven-twenty and head to the Slytherin dorms direct. Scorpius was waiting for her just outside the common room. She looked about for Filch before slipping the Cloak off and handing it to him.

"Why do I have to wear the Cloak?" he asked playfully.

"Because you're bigger than me. Easier to spot," she replied, smiling.

He had the Cloak on by now, so he said, "I'm flipping you off right now, just so you know." As an afterthought he added, "You could come under here with me."

"Yeah, but it's harder to walk that way."

"Hm. Also harder for me to eye you up if you're under here, I guess. It's a toss-up."

"You are such a lecher."

"I know, I know. You think Peeves is lurking here somewhere?"

"I don't know. I mean, he wouldn't turn us in, anyway. Not if he really wanted to talk."

"Mm."

Their trip to the Astronomy Tower was quick and uninterrupted by unexpected bands of students or teachers. When they got up there, Scorpius started to take off the Cloak, but Rose said, "Leave it on. Maybe it's better he doesn't know you're here."

"Why's that?"

"He approached me and only me, didn't he? He might not talk if he sees you."

"Right, because I don't care whether he leaves dead things on my bed for the next six months."

Rose blinked. "What?"

"That's what he did last time someone pissed him off."

"Six months? Really? That takes conviction."

"He's dead. What else has he got to do with his—afterlife? Nonlife?"

She laughed.

"So the holidays are coming up."

"They are," Rose replied, only belatedly seeing the significance of the statement. "Oh! Are you staying with us? With Al, I mean."

"Ah, there's the question I was looking for. I'm hoping yes. If I can, we should think about how we can continue the investigation. We can't use magic, but we have more mobility outside of school than in."

"Right, right." Rose sighed. "Well, hopefully by that time we'll have more of an idea of who's involved in this mess." She paused. "What are your thoughts re Aliana?"

"Other than the fact that she's a few bats short of a belfry?"

Rose laughed. "It's 'got a few bats in the belfry,' Scorpius."

"Potato, potahto."

Rose cast a Tempus and frowned. "Peeves should be—"

"And who does Weaselby think she is, that she can say what Peeves should or shouldn't be doing at this time of night?"

"Hm. You look a bit paler than usual, Peeves, or perhaps yellower?" The ghost made a face at her, but she continued, "What is it you wanted, anyway?"

"There's dark doings in this school, no doubt about it," he said, jittering and tapping his fingers. "Sons just like their fathers, mothers like daughters—new blood too, though, and it'll be spilt soon enough."

"What? Stop gibbering. You're no help to anyone if you can't make sense," Rose said, voice calmer than she felt. Peeves's vaguely prophetic-sounding mutterings worried her. She had never seen the poltergeist like this.

"Oh, what, Weaselby with her mother's brains can't figure it out? Sons and daughters of ghosts thirsty for blood! Crimes overpaid for breeding resentment and hatred. Sins of the father, sins of the children!"

Rose's mind was working furiously. "You're saying that the children of—of Death Eaters are doing this? Because they feel people are blaming them for their parents' crimes?"

"Nothing so simple, nothing so easy, Weaselby. They're snaring other children in with their nets, anyone who isn't accepted, anyone who doesn't fit in. And they're not doing it just for that. They want revenge for themselves and for their parents."

Rose frowned. "But why—I mean, no offense meant, but why should that worry you?"

Peeves was gesticulating wildly, his hands seemingly running against his will. He slammed the wall with his fist. "Don't you see, Weasley? Little children with warped little minds are going to do what their parents could not! They'll kill—they'll kill us all. Never mind purity, they don't give a damn for that—they're already damned. They're only starting with Mudbloods, don't you see? It's a warning shot, glancing off the nose of the ship, but if you let them they'll blow us all to smithereens! Bitterer even than Tom Riddle himself! These are children of war and loss." Peeves sneered, continuing, "Little old cat lady doesn't see it yet, not even with her fancy spectacles. She doesn't see how grief can drive you mad. She'll deny, deny, deny. She thinks Tom Riddle is dead. His body, maybe, and his spirit, but his legacy? He has shown these children how a little bitter boy or girl can be feared throughout a nation."

Rose felt a chill shiver down her spine. "You can't be serious. I mean, how could—just because—"

"Oh? I can't be serious?" Peeves snarled, suddenly leaning in far too close to Rose's face. "And what do you know of loss? What do you know of being knocked from your high pedestal, family shamed? They're too twisted by their parents' cruelty to seek love and not hatred!"

Rose was about to answer when she heard someone else say, "You're full of shit, Peeves!"

Rose put her head in her hands. Oh fuck.

Scorpius threw off the Cloak and marched straight up to the poltergeist. "You are so full of shit! What do you know about it, huh? I'm here helping her, aren't I? Not all Slytherins are bad! I'm sick and tired of having my father's crimes pinned on me. I'll be known for my own damn wrongs, thankyouverymuch!"

Peeves just grinned. "Ah, the little Malfoy boy's just proved my point. That's exactly what they said, when they banded together. Too long have we suffered under the Muggleborns' yoke! You are a special case, Scorpius Malfoy. Don't think there are too many others like you. Slytherins are not evil, no, but they are by nature selfish creatures. If they are wronged, the first thing they do is look for someone to blame." Peeves paused a second, eyes narrowing. "I've given you a lot to think about, Weaselby, at great personal risk. I'll be seeing you around." He started to fly off.

"Wait! Do you know who's involved? Which Death Eaters' children?"

But he was gone.

After a while, Scorpius said, "Do you believe him?"

"What?" Rose had been too preoccupied to hear the question.

"Just—do you believe him? What he said?"

Rose sighed. "He didn't say just Death Eaters' children."

"No. Even so, he mentioned them quite a lot." He wouldn't look at her.

Rose rubbed the back of her neck anxiously—found it covered in sweat. Peeves really had scared her. She walked over to Scorpius and put her arms around his waist, leaning her forehead against him. "What do you want me to say, Scorpius? It does sound like he wants to blame Slytherins, but what he said—well, it made sense."

"It was a bunch of hyperbole, Rose. Come on! The Death Eaters' children are going to round up a load of misfits and nutters and kill us all! Right, and Andromeda was in Venus last week, so the apocalypse is nigh." He turned around so he was facing her, brought his hands to her shoulders. "I just—I really would like it not to be Slytherins again. I'd like to believe we're smarter than that, or at least more self-serving."

"I know, I know. But it's a lead, isn't it? And Aliana—well, she's Pansy Parkinson's daughter, isn't she? So we've kind of already been—"

"I know." He traced her collarbone absently. "I just wish… Well. If I had a nickel for every wish, right?"

"Yeah." She smiled sadly.

Something changed in the air. She became acutely aware of his body, her body, and the sparing distance between the two. They both leaned forward—and then stepped back. Rose cleared her throat. "So, er, we should be getting back—"

"Yeah. But, um, can you come over here again? Please?"

The way he said it melted her, and she stood in front of him, smiling shyly. He smiled back. "So did you think about what I said Wednesday?" he asked softly.

She swallowed nervously. "Yeah, I… you were sweet."

"And?"

"And what?" She was studying his shoes. Old sneakers, she noticed, as opposed to his usual loafers.

"Hey, look at me, won't you? Just tell me what's going on in that fiery head of yours."

She rubbed at her eyes, opened her mouth, closed it again. "I can't. I'm sorry. I just—letting people in has always, always been hard for me. It scares the shit out of me." She pursed her lips.

"All right. I mean, you don't have to…" he shook his head, sighed. "Good night." It felt like she had missed something important, hadn't said the right thing somehow. He started to walk away.

Well, she couldn't let him do that. She grabbed his hand suddenly, and as soon as she had his gaze she said, "But I'll try, okay? Just give me time. I'll try. If I—you know, it just feels like you see everything already. And that's scary in and of itself." She brought his hand to her lips briefly. "I'll try. That's all I can promise you."

He smiled at her—grinned, really. "I wouldn't ask for more."

Rose sighed, relieved. "Do you want the Cloak? Where the hell did you put it, anyway?"

"Umm… we'll find it."

She giggled. "Oh shit, you didn't lose it, did you?"

"No, no, look—"

"Well, that won't help, it's invisible." He laughed.

They did find it within five minutes, however. He used it to get to the Slytherin dorm, but made her take it back to her dorm. As soon as she got there, she collapsed into her bed and marveled at the strange sequence of events that had caused her to achieve emotional growth at the hands of Scorpius Malfoy, of all people.