It had been a week since the break up and everybody could tell that Albus was miserable. Whenever they were in classes or in the main hall Lysander could tell that he was trying to hide how miserable he was, but when they were alone in the dorms he would just sit there and sulk. He hadn't done any of his homework in the last week, and had barely eaten anything. Lysander was starting to get really worried for him but he didn't know what to do.
Lysander sat down in the bed next to Albus who was staring out a window. "I know this sucks but if you keep going like this you're going to fail your owls. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to face your mother after that."
"I don't care," Albus mumbled not moving. Lysander sat there not knowing what to say. Comforting people was not exactly his forte. He leaned against the headboard and looked down at Albus. He honestly couldn't say he would be any better if the same thing had happened to him.
When Albus had returned with a bloodied knuckle and looking like he was about to break down Lysander had made Albus tell him what had happened. He was shocked when he heard, he just couldn't believe that Scorpius would stoop that low.
"I'm fine," Albus said shoving Lysander out of his bed, "I'm just going to go to sleep." Albus knew Lysander could tell that he was lying but right now he really didn't care. He hadn't been able to concentrate on any of his classes and he really just hadn't been hungry. How was he supposed to react? Scorpius had been screwing with him! Even after he knew he had been Albus' first kiss, first time. Had all of that meant nothing? Albus shoved his face into his pillow. What the hell did it matter? Scorpius was no longer his and he would just have to get over it. He would not waste any more time thinking about this.
xxxx
Scorpius was surprised how much he missed Albus in just one week. To make matters worse Albus almost looked like he was okay. It was true he wasn't eating much and he seemed a lot less sociable, but that was it. In all their classes he acted almost perfectly normal.
Scorpius bit his lip, but that was what he wanted. He didn't want Albus to be miserable because of what he had done. At the same time he hadn't expected Albus to get over it that quickly. Scorpius mentally kicked himself. He would not be able to figure anything out if his thoughts just continually went around in circles like they were.
He slowly shut the book he was supposed to be reading. Any studying he was supposed to be doing wouldn't be getting done anytime soon. Scorpius stood up and walked down the aisles of the bookcases to return the book to it's spot before he walked out of the library.
He was so deep in thought he didn't realize he was being followed until someone pulled him into an alcove. "What the hell was that," he snarled trying to turn on whoever was holding him.
"You better be quiet or someone might find us," James cooed. Scorpius froze, this was the last person he wanted to see right now. He tried to move but his arms were pinned to his side and James was much stronger then him. For one dark second Scorpius wondered why the hell all the potter men were so much stronger then him. He almost wanted to laugh at that but all the humor seemed to be gone.
"What the hell do you want?" Scorpius growled when he realized he wasn't going anywhere until James was going to let him go. Scorpius gasped when he felt hot air running along his ear.
"Meet me in the girl's bathroom on the second floor..."
"The girl's bathroom?" Scorpius asked really confused. He regretted it as soon as it was out of his mouth. The hot breath that his ear again made him cringe.
James laughed, "It's abandoned, no one will be anywhere near there. Unless of course you know a better place." Scorpius shook his head no. There was no way he would show this bastard the room that Albus and he had shared, especially if he wasn't going to bring it up first. "Meet me there at 11, Filch should be wandering the seventh floor at that point."
Scorpius nodded. He had no idea why this guy wanted to meet him at some abandoned place in the middle of the night. Hadn't he done everything to this point to protect his brother? It didn't really matter, Until he knew where those photos were hidden he would have to go along with this sick game of manipulation. "Don't be late," James cooed before releasing Scorpius and slipping out of the alcove and walking down the hall away from where Scorpius still stood.
Scorpius stared at the wall wondering what the hell he had really gotten himself into. He slumped against the wall, his day was just getting worse and worse. He slowly righted himself and looked to make sure that there was no one in the hall before he walked out of the alcove and away.
xxxx
Albus grabbed his invisibility cloak and threw it over his head. He needed to talk to somebody and Lysander was a bust. The only people he had left were Snape and Dumbledore. They weren't even people, but maybe they would have some advice for him.
The common room was surprisingly loud this late at night but with the OWLS coming up he wasn't surprised to see so many fifth years studying every book they could lay their hands on. Albus smirked at the ridiculous sight before stepping out of the porthole and closing it quietly behind him.
Lysander was right, he would probably fail his OWLS this year but he still did not care. Call it teen angst, or whatever, he didn't care. That had become his new life it seemed, he didn't care about anything.
Albus shook his head, maybe Snape and Dumbledore would be able to help him. After his anger had subsided he was left with just missing Scorpius. If the Slytherin had come to him right then and ask to be taken back he would do it! He seriously had to be mentally weak or something. He shook his head, it wouldn't help thinking about this all alone again, he had done enough of that. He needed to get to Dumbledore and Snape. They had lived for such a long time, and Snape knew plenty about rejection...he probably shouldn't bring that up...if anybody would be able to help him right now it would be them.
xxxx
Scorpius quickly walked up the stairs that lead to the Slytherin dungeons. It was half past 10 already and James had warned him not to be late. All the reasons that James wanted him to come were rushing through his mind. The first one was that he would want to duel but Scorpius had dismissed that. If it was a duel he wanted then he would make it public. If it was to tell Scorpius to stay away from his younger brother, Scorpius figured he would know he had already made his point.
There was no use wondering what the eldest Potter brother wanted. That entire family was weird, at least that's what he thought. The rest of the world seemed to love all of them. He sighed, he had never thought things like this when he was going to meet Albus. James was nothing like his brother.
Scorpius looked up surprised when he heard the clock tower start to ring the bells telling the school that it was 11 and after lights out. Scorpius started walking faster seeing the sign of the room that James had told him to come to. By the time the bell had stopped tolling Scorpius was inside the horribly bleak bathroom and the door was shut behind him.
The bathroom really looked abandoned, the doors were falling off the hinges and all the sinks were horribly cracked. It looked like no one had been in here for over twenty years. His father had told him that the opening to the chamber of secrets was in here but he wasn't sure where. It didn't matter, no one in their family was parseltongue anyway.
"You were almost late, I was wondering if you had decided not to show," a voice whispered against his ear. Scorpius jumped, when the hell had James gotten behind him and so close? Scorpius slowly backed away from James rubbing the back of his neck where there were still goosebumps.
"I didn't really have a choice," he growled. James smirked, slowly walking closer to Scorpius making Scorpius back up even further. He didn't like this. Something about it just wasn't right.
Scorpius gasped when he hit the wall, there was nowhere else for him to go. Dammit when the hell had he gotten corned like this? "What the hell did you call me here for?" Scorpius growled reaching for his wand.
James slammed him against the wall making Scorpius cry out in pain. Before he realized what happened James had grabbed his wand and thrown it away from him. This was all wrong! What the hell was happening? "With how many times you have already done it, I figured you would know," James laughed covering Scorpius' mouth slamming his tongue against Scorpius' lips.
Scorpius slammed his fist as hard as he could into James' stomach trying to get away. James gasped in surprise releasing Scorpius for only a second. Before Scorpius could get far James had thrown him to the ground.
Scorpius gasped, James was on top of him, straddling him and pinning his hands above his head. He couldn't move! There was no way he could escape... "I was trying to be nice since its our first time but I guess that's not how you like it!" James growled ripping Scorpius shirt open.
"Stop this! James stop!" Scorpius yelled trying to get free of the lock hold James had on his arms. Scorpius gasped when he felt James biting his chest. "Don't do this! Stop!"
"Why would I do that?" James hissed before biting Scorpius stomach making him cry out in pain. "You never struggled this way with Albus, don't I look enough like him?" James asked pulling away from the wounds he had just inflicted. "Just this time I'll let you pretend I'm him."
James finally released Scorpius' arms but he was still straddling him. Scorpius could feel James' hands sliding down to his pants. He had to stop this! He reached as far as he could. His wand was so close!
Finally he grasped it. "Incendio!" he yelled. James' robes went in flames immediately making him forget the boy that was still under him. He jumped up trying to beat out the fire that was starting to get to his skin. Scorpius took that chance and ran.
Scorpius ran as fast as he could, he wasn't sure where he was going but he didn't know how long he had before his diversion was over. In a fair fight James would beat him and then he would have no chance at stopping...that.
Scorpius could feel the tears running down his face. He had felt them when his head had hit the floor in the bathroom but they wouldn't stop. What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn't supposed to be this weak!
Scorpius couldn't see where he was going and stopped when he ran into something hard. It felt like...a person. "Scorpius? Scorpius what happened?" What the hell was Albus doing in these hallways at a time like this?
Albus looked around to make sure no one was near before grabbing Scorpius' arm and pulling him into an abandoned classroom. "Scorpius are you okay? Who did this?" Albus couldn't stop the questions from coming.
Scorpius shoved Albus away from him. Albus was supposed to hate him after what he had done. "I'm pretty sure when we broke up things like that stopped being your business," Scorpius growled wiping his face.
"When I see you like this I am going to make it my business!" Scorpius was shaking now. What was he supposed to say? There was no way he could tell him the truth! "Scorpius what happened?" Albus asked softly resting his hand gently on Scorpius' back.
Scorpius could feel the tears starting again and he couldn't stop them. He didn't have the energy to hide them anymore. Scorpius collapsed into Albus' arms. "You're not going to believe me," he whispered unable to make his voice go any louder.
"Try me," Albus urged lifting Scorpius so the two of them were looking eye to eye. "James," Scorpius whispered. Albus looked confused, what did his brother have to do with this? "H-he was the reason I broke up with you! He had photographs of us...doing that! He threatened that he would send them all over to my father, to the daily prophet, wherever they would cause the most damage! So I did what he told me and that was break up with you then he told me to meet him in the abandoned bathroom. I thought he just wanted to warn me away from you again but he attacked me and and..." Scorpius couldn't finish, the tears were running down his face and he was choking on his own sobs that he was trying to hold back.
Albus sat there listening to everything Scorpius was telling him, trying to understand. His brother had done something like this? But why? Albus looked down and was surprised to see Scorpius looking up at him expectantly. "I-I'd understand if yo-you didn't believe me," he stammered.
"No, I do," Albus promised wrapping his arms around Scorpius and holding him to his chest. "It's just a lot to take in," he mumbled. Scorpius let out a sob in relief. He didn't know what he would have done if Albus had rejected him. Albus slowly ran his fingers through Scorpius' hair, it was the only way he knew how to calm the Slytherin down.
Scorpius' eyes were slowly starting to close, he was too close to Albus not to feel safe and warm, when he felt a hand slowly rubbing over his stomach. Scorpius flinched, "Did James do this to you?" Albus asked quietly wiping at the blood that was still slowly seeping through with his own robe.
"Yeah," Scorpius mumbled into Albus' chest not wanting to move away from the warmth.
"I'm so sorry! I promise I will never let something like this happen again!" Albus promised tightening his hold on Scorpius as if he would never let go. Scorpius smiled as he rested against Albus. This was what he wanted and there was nobody that could try and be his replacement.
