AlbusScorpius

On Your Side

Chapter Nineteen: Facing the Flames

A/N: Omg I hate trains so much. Making me sit somewhere else and destroying my privacy. I was happy sat between two suitcases on the floor D:

Since Albus had left, time seemed to go much slower. There was no one to interact with. His hours were wasted away by listening to the radio. Hoping for some kind of news. Scouring the few books and journals that were in the small cabin for some kind of clue on how to proceed. But there was nothing. He couldn't find a single thing. Admittedly there wasn't much to go on in the first place, he barely remembered the name of the plant, assuming his Grandfather gave him the real name in the first place. It wouldn't surprise him if he didn't.

Scorpius sat back, rubbing his eyes before staring up at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure he was willing to leave Albus. But he couldn't go back without a plan. It had only been a day since he'd left and Scorpius already felt like shit.

He thought about what was happening to his family. To his father. If Blaise had told him yet. What would his father even do? What would his grandfather do?

His thoughts were interrupted though by the loud sound of a crack from outside, frowning as he turned to glance out the window. He couldn't see anyone. But that sound was a very familiar one. He took his wand in his hand, poising it, ready for trouble as he crept towards the back door, glancing out the windows to try and find some sign of where the person was. He needed to be prepared for the worst, who knew who was standing outside his house, waiting for him to leve. Who knew which crime it was they were coming to punish him for.

He opened the door slowly, leaving wand first, the tip of the wood finding its target immediately. Scorpius frowned, trying to recognise the other person from the back of his head. Messy brown hair, kind of lanky, but kind of strong-looking? He couldn't put his finger on it.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The man turned round, blue eyes instantly recognisable. He'd seen this person before. While he was at school, and then again at Albus' house. He definitely had his mother's eyes and jaw.

"I'm James Potter. And your dad sent me."

Scorpius frowned, not believing the boy in the slightest, shaking his head slowly. "I don't believe you."

"How do you think I got the co-ordinates to apparate here then?" the man's voice was dripping with sarcasm, gesturing round. "Do you think I guessed? I don't fancy splinching myself, thanks."

"Why would my father have sent you to come get me? Out of all the people he could ask?"

"Because I was there and convenient? I don't know," James stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "Put away your wand."

"I don't think so."

"Please, don't make me hex you. Because I will."

"I'm fairly confident about my reflexes thanks."

"You really want to fuck with me?" James snarled. "Here I thought you were fucking my little brother."

Scorpius faltered.

"Oh yeah, I know, you little shit. Now why don't you try help me understand why you're here and he's there?"

"It was his choice to leave. The same way it was his choice to get involved with me."

"That doesn't explain why you're here."

"Because I don't fancy getting myself killed, thanks," Scorpius replied mockingly, though his wand was still half-raised. "What did my father want?"

"He wants to know the same thing I do. Why are you here?"

"Because this was the safest place to bring Albus."

"Okay, I don't understand why my brother would agree to leave in the first place."

"It was-!" Scorpius grimaced. "A rushed decision."

"'A rushed decision'?"

"How did you find out we were involved?"

"Rosie."

"Did she not tell you how the Headmistress found out?"

James' brows shot upwards. "What?"

"She was the one who found the information to give to the Headmistress, who then came to my rooms in the early hours of the morning. Your little brother had convinced me to let him stay in my rooms that night. So that he could let Rosie in to find the information she needed."

"You should've given it over without them needing to do that."

"No, I should've never started this whole fiasco in the first place," Scorpius snapped, pocketing his wand again and storming back inside the house, leaving the door open, hearing James chase after him. "I should've never become a Professor."

"Why did you do it?"

Scorpius made his way into the kitchen area, getting a glass from the cupboard. "Because my grandfather is very persuasive."

"Your grandfather?"

"It was his idea," Scorpius explained, pouring himself a drink of water, not facing James. "To bring justice to my grandmother."

"How old are you?"

Grey eyes finally locked with blue and narrowed. "Old enough that you should watch your mouth."

"Oh please, don't get started on that Professor shit with me," James rolled his eyes. "Al loves you, for some reason I can't fathom, and your dad seems to think you'll come back to the school, and we need all the help we can get."

Scorpius hesitated. "I don't have a plan. I don't know how to stop it, I don't know what it has become. I was not allowed to know the whole plan."

"Didn't you think there was something up?"

"I was under the impression that I did know the whole plan. Until I began questioning it, and trying to reverse the damage. Then I realised there were things missing that I wasn't aware of."

"What was missing?"

"The plant," Scorpius frowned, putting his drink down, preparing to explain. "It is a Dark Magic plant, it grows like an everyday plant, but eventually when it reaches its peek it sets fire to everything it touches. However, it requires live food."

James felt his heart thump. "Live food?"

"Yes. Like a living sacrifice. It feeds of a sacrifice."

"But-what is it being fed?"

"I refused to give it something. I don't know what it's been fed."

"We have to go," James insisted, beginning to panic. Something was alive in there. Being fed to a plant. "You know where it is!"

"Didn't you hear me when I said I had no plan? What use is it to go without knowing what to do, or how to stop it? I'm better off trying to find out a way than racing into the fire and getting myself killed!" Scorpius defended, feeling his blood beginning to boil.

"You don't have time to find out a way!" James shouted back. "I'm going back, you're either with me or you're not!"

They both knew exactly what not being with him meant.

"Okay," Scorpius stepped forward, clearly not sold on the whole thing. "Okay, let's go."

James flashed a wide grin, holding out his hand. "Glad to hear it."

Scorpius took it.

It was a disaster. It was complete and utter chaos. And it was exactly as his grandfather would've wanted it. For all Scorpius knew, his grandfather was there. Dictating who the sacrifice was. In the back of his mind there was an image of who it might be. Of who he thought it would be. Of who he expected it to be. But he refused to acknowledge it was there, refused to allow the name to enter his mind.

Dispose of our little problem.

He shook his head, turning to James who had just finished recovering from the apparition, and had turned to speak to the blond. "The others are all sort of gathered at the Headmistress' office-!"

"This way," Scorpius hissed, racing through the destroyed corridors without allowing James to finish his sentence, though the brunette was soon close on his heel. "There's no time to ask for help. We have to find another way to get them to the correct spot. The fire is reaching its peak."

James jumped over obstacles, biting his tongue when Scorpius said there was no time to get help. "What happens when it reaches its peak?"

There was a pause that had James' blood run cold. "I don't know. I hope you're not squeamish however."

James was too scared to hear the answers to any more of his questions. He just followed Scorpius, wondering whether or not trusting the Malfoy was a good idea. It could've been a trap for all he knew. It could've been countless things. Without help, everything could go wrong. He wasn't an Auror, like his dad, nor was he wanting to become one, like his brother. He worked in his uncle's shop inventing things and making potions. And Scorpius was a Transfigurations Professor, who didn't even seem to know exactly what they were facing. It was too late to turn back now though. He had to just keep going. And pray to every muggle God he could remember the name of that his lucky streak would come in handy.

"It's here," Scorpius turned to James, who was staring at the wall of fire blocking their entrance. He raised his wand, pointing it at James, making the Potter child reach for his own wand. "Aguimenti!"

James spluttered as he had a stream of water hit him, soaking him from head to toe. "What the fuck?"

"Cast a Patronus to find your father and lead him back here," Scorpius instructed, before casting the same spell on himself, composure failing for a moment as he blinked back the water now on his face. "Quickly, else I'll have to soak you again."

The brunette grumbled, casting the Patronus before turning back to Scorpius, who was staring beyond the wall, eyes clouded over. James took his hand before leaping forward, shutting his eyes as he pulled them both through the fire, the water on their body mostly protecting them from it. Scorpius patted down his singed sleeve, eyes fixated on the archway that was now in front of them.

"I found it while patrolling one night," he explained quietly, as if more to himself than his companion. "A secret alcove, it works a lot like the division between the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. You tap the bricks in a set order and pace, and it opens up," Scorpius turned to James again. "It's a bit of a drop."

"Let's do this," James said, rolling up his sleeves and giving Scorpius his most convincing grin. "Let's see what you're made of, Malfoy."

Scorpius couldn't help but smirk. "Back at you, Potter."

James stood to the side as Scorpius dragged his wand along the brick wall, making a pattern, before pulling back and watching the stones beginning to shift, opening to an ominous black passage way. It was like something out of a horror movie and terribly cheesy as far as James was concerned. Scorpius glanced at him for a moment, waiting for a signal to say that it was okay to move forward, before he stepped into the passage, taking hold of what looked like a ladder in the darkness. It was then that James realised it was so dark because it was so small. Scorpius grasped the edges of the ladder before allowing himself to slide down it, disappearing down a hole. James moved forward, looking down the hole, feeling a sense of dread. He sucked it up though, taking hold of the ladder as Scorpius had, before following him down.

His feet landed on the floor with a thud, the passage way he found himself in lit up by a lumos charm.

"For someone who doesn't know what he's doing, you're doing a good job of it."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I don't know how to stop the plant; I know how to get there."

"Of course," James gestured down the corridor. "Lead the way."

The Malfoy started to head down the passage way, James close on his heels. It was eerily quiet, and he wasn't entirely sure how long this elongated silence with his brother's boyfriend slash Professor was going to last. It was beginning to make him feel a tad uncomfortable.

"So," James drawled, his wand out at the ready. "You and Al."

Scorpius spared a glance over his shoulder, confusion on his face. "Is now really an appropriate time for this discussion?"

"I don't see why not. We're both here, no one else around to overhear, nothing else to do while we walk round the dark corridor to our doom. Got to waste time somehow."

"It will alert others to our presence."

James smirked. "I think you're just trying to avoid the conversation."

"I don't even see what there is to talk about," Scorpius said with unmistakeable bitterness and embarrassment. "Your brother and I were involved. Now we're not. End of story."

Well that bit he hadn't exactly been expecting. Sure, Albus had seemed upset about the whole thing, and kind of testy, but to that extent? "You're not?"

"You're very nosy, you know that?"

"I do. I get told regularly. But, you know, we're talking about my baby brother here. I think I have a right to be nosy."

Scorpius resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. More at himself than James. "He was rather clear on the fact he didn't want anything to do with me when he left."

"Maybe he was just angry. You're here now, that should make up for it."

"It was more than just me not coming back with him."

James waited. Scorpius sighed.

"He didn't appreciate the lying thing either. I never-he found out, a while ago, that something was going on. I told him that I had it handled."

The brunette whistled. "No wonder he's so pissed off. This is so not handled."

"Thanks for that observation."

"You're welcome," James tried to figure something else to say. The way Scorpius' shoulders were slumped made him feel kind of sort for the boy. It was obviously getting to him. "Al's smitten with you. If we do this, he'll come round."

"You seem fairly confident about that."

"We broke into your house at Christmas. I'm pretty sure I have a reason to be fairly confident."

Scorpius came to a halt. James noticed that there wasn't any fire here. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Just one," he pulled Scorpius round to face him. "Though it's really more of an order."

The blond chuckled, a softness on his face that had James' breathing caught. He never quite expected to see a Malfoy so…open. "It might be a little late for that order, but I love him. If it's in my power, I won't allow him to be hurt. Even if it's not."

It was more the look on Scorpius' face that convinced him than the words. "Glad to hear it."

James sucked in a breath as his companion pushed the door open, preparing himself for whatever was beyond the door. He followed Scorpius in, moving to stand beside him, holding his wand high as he caught sight of what was in there. He felt himself begin to feel sick to his stomach as he took in the appearance of it though. It towered over them, it's head brushing against the ceiling of the room, though it was less the height of the apparent plant and more the rolls of flesh and plant and the puss that was seeping out from between them.

"What-what is that?" he spluttered, wondering if he looked as green as he felt.

"It's the sacrifice," Scorpius managed to choke out, his voice wavering, but attempting to stay strong. "Do you have a plan?"

"I always have a plan," James said. "Shoot spells at it and attempt to find one that works."

"That's not a plan."

"No, it's not a good plan," he corrected. "It's still a plan."

Scorpius was the first to shoot a water spell, both men grimacing when the creature let out an ear splitting scream, rolling backwards in pain. Within seconds they were shooting off as many spells as they could remember, repeating some, occasionally going as far as simple charm spells, desperate to find something. Anything.

He heard voices coming from the corridor, and James glanced to the door to see a light flickering in the distance. A smile broke out on his face, jumping on the spot as he turned to Scorpius to tell the man that people were coming.

But the blond was frozen to the spot, tears welling in his eyes, wand dropping as he choked on his own air.

"Scorpius?"

James turned to the monster they were battling, seeing that it was facing him, bending down, fat arms outstretched, a twisted scowl on its face. Though he didn't think 'scowl' quite covered it.

"Scorpius, what's wrong?"

"Mother," Scorpius choked out, his voice hoarse. "That-!"

James turned back to the beast, feeling his blood run cold. He couldn't see the resemblance, only the dark locks that were greasy and unkept.

And then it let out one loud, long cry, reeling backwards, a vine shooting out of its stomach, covered in a creamy liquid, straight through Scorpius' abdomen.

"No!" James cried out, shooting a severing charm at the vine. The plant let out another cry as it did, the vine oozing into a liquid, splattering on the floor. James rushed to Scorpius' side just as his father came bursting into the room.

"Scor!"

OmgnoIdon'twantittoenddon'tmakeitendpleasestopit D:

Anyway. This chapter is a tad shorter than usual, but it felt weird to mix it with the other chapters, 'cause it's kind of James and Scor's chapter, and having other people in it would make it less their chapter. And I want to draw this out more. And the preview is not in this chapter because I forgot about the preview. Also, for anyone who wanted to know what I was thinking

R+R

LOVE YOU ALL!

Sorryfortheslowupdating.

Thanks ~

Kivea R.

PREVIEW

"What happened?"

"The-the thing, it went right through him."

"Merlin, Scor, please be okay!"

"Albus, you have to get him out of here."