Title: Whomping Willow

Characters: Scorpius, Albus Severus, James,

Rating: K+

Summary: Albus goes looking for James and ends up helping Malfoy.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to JK and the publishers and no offense is intended by this piece. Non-profit fun.

Albus furrowed his brows. He had been looking for James since returning to the common room after dinner, but his brother was nowhere to be found. He sighed heavily. He had gone looking for James so that he could have his DADA essay checked –Rose was too busy studying to for a charms test to help him.

After sitting in the common room for a while, slaving over his transfiguration notes –all right, skimming- Albus realized that James' friends were also missing. Deciding that there was no way he would begin to understand transfiguration without Victoire to help him, he got up and went searching. His brother had a knack for getting into trouble ever since he stole the Marauder's Map from their father's desk that summer, Albus wondered if their father had yet to realise it was missing, and he would always carry his friends with him.

It was not after curfew as yet so Albus decided to check Hagrid's cabin. Sometimes James and his friends would go there to trouble the chickens or have tea, but mostly to trouble the chickens. On his way there he caught sight of some branches moving by the hill -he had heard rumours about the Whomping Willow but had never seen it do more than shake leaves from its branches during fall. Then he saw a flash of magic and ran towards it.

Albus slowed down, keeping himself behind a large boulder, and carefully walked closer. When he reached the boulder he could make out the voices that were taunting and laughing at someone. He peered out and saw James and his friends throwing hexes at the Malfoy boy. Albus could not remember his name though. It was funny and reminded him of a scorpio- Scopius, the boy was named Scorpius. He blocked a few of the hexes and ducked and dodged some of the others. Albus could see that a few stinging jinxes had already hit him.

Malfoy was getting closer to the Whomping Willow and the tree seemed to notice him, as if it had eyes that could see. A Bat-Boogey Hex hit Malfoy and soon his boogers were slimy bat shaped globs that were bearing down on him. He stumbled back and Albus jumped out from behind the boulder and yelled a warning.

"Malfoy, look out! The Willow! The Willow!" Albus yelled, running forwards and flailing his arms. Malfoy looked around in time to barely dodge the branch that hurtled at him and then he scrambled in the opposite direction of the tree.

"Albus what are you doing here?" James asked, as if he had not almost gotten another student's head bashed in.

"Me? What about you? What the bloody hell are YOU doing?" Albus yelled, flinging his arms into the air as he spoke. He glanced at Malfoy, who was away from the tree but was now hiding behind a number of shield charms to protect himself from his boogers, to see if he was all right.

"None of your business, Potter," said Eliud, a gangly boy in his brother's year.

"Never mind that it isn't any of my business! You could have seriously injured Malfoy or gotten him killed from the looks of that tree!"

"Calm down, Potter, we wouldn't let it kill him," Greg said, patting Albus' shoulder as he walked passed him, James and Eliud in tow.

"It didn't look that way to me you wankers!" Albus yelled after them, while he ran over to the blonde boy. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look like I'm all right Potter?" Malfoy said, huffing in frustration. Apparently Finite Incantatem could not dispel the hex. Albus did not know what to do now that they were alone. "Bloody hell, Potter, help me to the Hospital Wing why don't you?"

Albus did just that, grimacing the entire way there because Malfoy's boogies were attacking him as he helped the boy inside. Once they reached the Hospital Wing, just after curfew, Madame Pomfrey huffed at them and fussed over Malfoy while she shot question after question at Albus. He told her that he saw some other students troubling Malfoy and that they got away before he could see who it was. Malfoy had looked at him, his eyes burning, but said nothing.

The next day Malfoy had corned him on his way to History of Magic, pulling him into an alcove. Albus blinked at him as he waited for some sort of statement but Malfoy said nothing. He did stare at Albus in a rather calculating way though, eyes narrowed slightly but nowhere near a glare.

"Thank you," said Malfoy, rather abruptly. Albus was convinced he would just walk off once he had finished staring.

"Er, you're welcome," he replied, trying at a friendly smile. It was not something he had ever considered doing for Malfoy.

Malfoy nodded and turned away but stopped and looked at Albus again. It was a bit uncomfortable in his opinion. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for your actions?"

Albus started, he was not expecting that. Besides, what normal twelve year old spoke like that? "... No?"

"Potter, are you asking me or telling me?" Malfoy asked, smirking. It looked teasing instead of mocking, friendly even.

"Uh..."

"I'll take it as a question then. I hear you're pants at Transfiguration. Well, I'm not, so yes."

"You're going to help me with my Transfiguration...?" Albus did not know what was going on. Malfoy did not need to repay him in any way. James was being a prick and Malfoy was in trouble, so he helped.

"Yes, I am. Meet me in the library after dinner."