October 30, 2026

Scorpius had a pile of newspapers sitting on the table before him – a pile that had grown considerably over the past few weeks. He couldn't read any of them though. His mind was utterly occupied by Rose and what went wrong a few days ago. Initially he thought the tavern was going to be a decent night. He gave Rose what he thought was a brilliant disguise for the Kazakhstani Auror was the largest man Scorpius knew. He figured people would leave her alone – the men at least – and nobody would really approach her. Some women came up to her, but they were harmless. And he was all the ready to take the piss out of her the next day about it because she was awkward and fumbling and it looked hilarious.

But something went wrong. Very wrong. And he wasn't sure what happened. He did know that she drank too much alcohol. But with her disguise he wasn't worried – as long as she was taking the polyjuice potion regularly. He was the one who was doing most of the sleuthing – that was his training and he wasn't expecting her to put herself in a dangerous situation. The only reason she was there with him was so she didn't go off by herself, inexperienced as she was with tracking people.

Gradford, his target, showed up later that night and it was almost a goldmine since him, Canwood, and Box were all there together. He found out more information about the gang: some of the new recruits, middlemen, where they were receiving money from, the new streets that were 'bitten,' and the dire situation about their supply of Spiff.

Which reminded him that he still needed to get Rose's stockpile of the potion and safely store it in his department at work – but if only Rose would talk to him!

She hadn't talked to him since that night. She wasn't even living at her flat anymore. He had stopped in at her place the day after and she wasn't there. Since there was no evidence she had even been there since they first stepped out, Scorpius used his map to locate where her wand was, and to his utmost surprise, she was in the meadow clearing again. The most extraordinary part, however, was when he was finally able to go to the clear, he discovered that she was living there. No joke. She was sleeping under some large pine boughs that were draped over the ground, with a few blankets around her for the frigid October nights. In her face was utter refusal to leave and her need, or desperation, to be left alone. Was it serious? He didn't even know what to think. He left in a half daze, not really believing his eyes. But she was still there the next day.

Every time he went to her (and it was sometimes upwards of twice a day) she was usually sitting in front of her shelter in a meditative pose, or inside and blocking out the world. She gave him monotone answers, and seemed depressed and very mellow. Her face was flushed and her eyes glassy. If it was anyone else he'd think they lost their marbles, but he knew there was a reason for all this. He just didn't know what it was! This was killing him, all this secrecy and not knowing anything.

Rose Weasley had wormed her way into his life and he couldn't just leave her alone now. He couldn't begin to guess what happened. He said sorry. He begged. He pleaded. Half the time she didn't even answer him, just blinked and stared straight ahead, ignoring him. With Dom still at the hospital, and the twins not at the flat, he didn't have anyone to turn to for help. Nor did he really want to involve anyone else. He had a feeling that it was something very important that family couldn't know. But it was the most frustrating thing ever. He cared. He honestly wanted to know what went wrong so he could fix it.

Even when he wasn't at the field, he was constantly checking his map to see if she was moving, or left. It was getting obsessive with how often he looked in a day only to be disappointed every time. He couldn't get her off his mind.

"Scorpius, I just don't care anymore," was the last thing she said to him. He had brought her some chicken noodle soup that she didn't acknowledge, never did. "Leave me alone and go back to your life that I wasn't part of. It's easier this way."

He had asked Al if he talked to Rose recently. He said no, but that he was planning on it soon. His business was talking over his life and he hadn't even talked to his siblings or parents in weeks.

It was just, he didn't like his job. Rose was the one who'd made the past few weeks bearable. Without her quick, shy smile, her frowns, and her restless energy – it was hard to continue working day by day.

He dropped the newspaper that was in his hands on the table and bunched them all up in a pile. What else could he do? If he kept persisting in questioning her, he might be able to get through. One of the times he was there she seemed to be on the verge of spilling something, or saying more than a sentence at a time. But something always held her back, and her glassy eyes didn't seem right.

Scorpius finally left his flat and the oodles of unread newspapers, venturing into the sunny, pleasant morning. There was a slight breeze that caused a need for his black windcoat. He debated between going into work to do some of the paperwork he'd been putting off for weeks, or bringing breakfast and coffee to Rose. It wasn't really a hard choice. And today, today for sure, if she didn't say anything to him – Scorpius would have to get help. From her parents. Cousins. Anyone.

From Al's flat he went south to a coffee shop that made fantastic small meals. He wasn't sure what she was eating, but regardless Rose needed more food in her life. It was the least Scorpius could do. He stood in the queue amidst the morning crowd. There was a teenager standing behind him, with short black hair, piercings, and black rimmed eyes. Scorpius wouldn't have noticed her, if not for the fact that she kept stepping on the heels of his shoes. She didn't apologise, nor did she give any facial expressions to signify that she even noticed each time Scorpius glanced back. Instead of causing a scene, he moved closer to the person ahead of him.

Unsurprisingly it didn't help, as the girl just moved closer to him and stepped on his heels again.

I'm not going to bring it up, Scorpius thought. I'm almost at the till anyway.

"Good morning, what can I get for you," said the man working the till. The café was busy this morning and man was pouring coffee with one hand while his other was poised over a writing pad.

"Two black coffees, two multigrain bagels with everything, and a large fruit bowl," he said as he read off the menu. The black haired girl behind him stepped hard on his toes and cut in.

"Also, a double pancake breakfast, a mocha, and another fruit bowl," she said smoothly, a smug look on her face.

Scorpius could only stare at her, his mouth hanging to the floor.

The cashier looked at Scorpius. "Uhh, is she with you?"

Scorpius was about to say a resounding 'no' when she cut in again as she stepped on his toe. Her eyes looked black and she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Most of it for Rose, richboy." She turned to the cashier. "It's all together. He's paying."

The fact that she referenced Rose threw him off completely. He could do nothing except silently put out his money and hand it over. The girl went to an empty table and sat down, leaving a seat open for him as she threw a bag and a coat over the two other chairs there. All the food that was ordered was piled in a bag and Scorpius hesitantly brought everything over to the table.

"Who are you?" he said. The girl didn't answer him right away, she went right for the mocha and had a few drinks. Then she tapped her fingers on the side once before glaring at him.

"I'm like a fucking guardian angel, that's who I am. For you, Rose, the twins, and Dom. God, I should be paid for this."

"What do you mean?" he said hesitantly as he sat down across from her, purchases on his lap to make a quick getaway if need be.

"What do you think it means? I assume you're not dense. The pancakes and extra fruit are for Rose, she's going to need them."

"Why will she need them?"

The girl raised her eyebrows and looked at Scorpius over another sip of her mocha. "Because you need to find Molly and get her to Rose."

Scorpius felt chills run up his arms. "Who are you?"

"Just a bloody guardian angel, with apparently no time on my hands who was told to be the messenger."

"If you're the messenger, who's giving the messages?"

The girl grinned a toothy grin, a jewel glittering on her tooth. "Wouldn't you like to know? I was serious, you know. You need to leave and go find Molly. Thanks for the mocha, richboy."

It took a few seconds for the immediacy of her statement to sink in and then he immediately jumped to his feet and was off in the street, mentally running through the places Molly would most likely be. He ruled out her flat, because she didn't seem to be around as much the past few weeks. St. Mungo's was the most likely place because Dom was there and she worked there. When he showed up and checked at the front desk – Molly wasn't on shift. He ran to the floor where Dom was and nobody was there.

He was going to have to pull the Auror card then. Back at the front desk he got access into Lorcan's files to find his home address when he stated it was for an official investigation. The girl working looked new and didn't think to question him further, thankfully.

It only took seconds for him to be at the house, apparating right to the address. He knocked on the door with his free hand before immediately unlocking it with a spell and calling out Molly's name.

"What? What the hell?" she said, body poised between sitting and standing from a rocking chair. He was sure he looked ridiculous with all the food and coffee he was carrying. "What are you doing here Scorpius?"

"It's Rose. She needs help."

"What's wrong?" Molly's lip curled before she grabbed her coat and put on her shoes.

Scorpius hesitated. "I'm … I'm not really sure. I just know something bad has happened."

Molly opened the door leading them onto the front porch. "Did she say something to you?"

Like Scorpius knew how to answer that question. How would one describe his encounter not even fifteen minutes ago? "Long story. I'll explain later."

"Alright, where are we going?"

Scorpius reached out to her arm and apparated them to the meadow.

Scorpius was pacing back and forth, wearing a tread in the grass and fescue beneath him. He didn't know what was taking so long. When they had arrived, they found Rose in a feverish state sitting outside in a large tree's shadow. She barely took notice of them. With Molly instructing, Scorpius picked up Rose, she was much too light and weak right now! and put her on her newly cleaned blankets near the treeline for Molly to assess the situation – and only then did Rose garner a feeble, "Leave me alone, it's done."

Yet she didn't put up a fight and Scorpius left to keep vigil and give them privacy. Every once in a while he could hear Molly curse violently, or Rose protest something. The conversations between them were too low for him to hear, and he kept his distance.

He could feel a charged energy in the air all around him – a thick, oppressing, energy that was almost suffocating. It worried him. He hoped it wasn't anything to do with Rose. It could be a storm brewing? He looked up at the sky and scowled. There were only high thin clouds in sight.

Half an hour later, Molly emerged from the shelter. Her face was white, her eyes looked frightened. "Where the hell did you take her?" she hissed.

Scorpius jolted back. "What do you mean where did I take her? We didn't go anywhere we're not supposed to be!"

Molly thrust her wand at his chest, tapping it once, and singed a hole through his shirt. "She had a tracker on her back – carved in her skin. That's flipping dark magic! Where did you take her? Who put it on her!" Molly finished in a yell.

His throat felt dry. "She's – what? What? I don't know," he said. He felt helpless right now. When? – but he didn't need to think when. "It was last week, I think. At the wizard tavern we went to." But he was there with her the whole time! How! And why?

"The tracker is off her now, the incantation remnants can't be removed. If I ever find out who … " Molly removed her heated wand from Scorpius' chest. "Get your best protective spells and secure our flat. Secure yours as well. She shouldn't be staying at our place right now, alone. It's unsafe, unwarded, and none of us are home if anything happens. I'll tell Lucy to keep clear."

"She can move in with Al and I – "

"Get her some of your bruise balm when you go home. I've done as much as I could. She's going to be starved when she wakes up, since the magic has been eating away at her all week. It's good you brought all the food."

"About that, there was a – "

Molly continued as if he didn't speak. "She's got a bracelet that's tightening on her hand. I took the liberty of finally spelling it. It burned me, but not before I was able to figure out some properties of it." Molly paused and looked him in the eye. There was a red mark on her hand of singed skin that she ran her hand over. She hesitated. "Question her about it. I've known about it for some time and didn't know what it was or what it did. But it's to do with Canwood and … it's dangeous, ancient magic and it's killing her. If she doesn't tell you anything, come to me. But I think she's ready to tell her miserable tale. It's past time. I will tell the Ministry if she doesn't say anything."

"Okay, wait, what were the – "

"And just – " she raised her hand to stop his sentence. "Just take care of her. I know you're Al's bestie, and you and Rose have this whole history. But she's back in our lives and I know Lucy is too proud right now to go to her, Dom's messed up in the hospital, and I can't decide if I'm mad, sad, or tired of all this – but she means so much to us all. And she needs all the help she can get. I'm at Lorcans if anything else needs to be done."

"I'll do whatever I can," he said honestly. Molly nodded and then was gone in an apparition crack.

Scorpius stared at the spot where Molly had just stood and then over to Rose, who was half hidden under the tree branch. Apprehension filled him – at what he'd find, at how quickly everything could change, at all the scars and dark magic that was and had been around her. He took one large breath before ducking under the bough, carrying the food and setting it down beside him when he took a seat in front of Rose.

Rose was curled up on her side, fingers bunched in the blanket. Her long red hair was swept back from her face to pool on the ground behind her in a loose elastic. Her eyes didn't meet Scorpius' for a long while. Her breathing was irregular and it seemed to cause her some pain for she closed her eyes and winced with every odd breath.

"I'd made my peace with it," Rose said quietly. Her fingers were occupied with the blanket still and she avoided his look. Scorpius carefully laid down in front of her so their faces were level.

"Peace with what?"

"Death. Losing my life. It's inevitable that it happens and it seemed my time was now."

Scorpius could barely breathe. "Why give in?"

"Because there's only so much I can take. And I'm tired of being hurt. Of being stressed, and sad. Of having no control. Of constantly worrying about everyone around me and putting everyone in danger with my mere presence."

"It's not you."

"No, it is. It really is. Canwood knows who I am. So does Box. If they ever see me with anyone, that person is no longer safe. And it's either going to happen now, or in a few months. I'm not going to run anymore. Whatever happens happens."

"What do think is going to happen? How do they know? Tell from the beginning," Scorpius commanded. He didn't know what else to say. He felt numb, sick.

"The beginning … " Rose hummed and pulled herself up into a sitting position, holding her ribs tightly with one hand and trying to control her breathing as she made a grimace. She crossed her legs under her and leaned back against the tree. Scorpius mimicked her position and sat up. She reached to her arm and pulled up her sleeve, exposing untanned skin underneath. Her hands were brown and Scorpius only realised then that he had not seen Rose without a long-sleeved shirt in the past few months. Her hand looked very swollen, and purple, especially compared to the normal hand.

She held it to him. It was shaking slightly. There was a black bracelet that was too tight for her wrist that seemed to be what was causing the discolouration.

"This, Scorpius, is the beginning. The very beginning," she said in such a small voice.

He took her hand in his and began looking at the bracelet closer, feeling the swollen fingers and turning it this way and that. Rose stared at his minstrations, her hand limp in his.

"This is a blood bracelet from The Reds Inconnu, a wizarding organisation that deals with bounty hunting. I unknowingly signed a blood contract that caused this bracelet and a letter to appear the morning after we went out in celebration of Al's restaurant success. Remember when I went running after the purse thief? And couldn't remember anything that had happened? That was because of this."

Scorpius' grip tightened on her hand briefly. He looked again – inspecting, just holding Rose's hand. He didn't want to let go, but found he didn't have an excuse to keep it any longer. "That was back in August," he said hoarsely.

"And I thought I would have completed the assignment long before then. Anyway … "

Scorpius could do nothing except listen for the next half an hour while Rose told her story. He could do nothing to stop his sinking heart.

If he had known, couldn't he have helped more? Understood more of the reasons behind what Rose did and actively try to take Canwood down instead of waiting for a safer area, delaying it?

Afterwards, while Scorpius tried not to explode into a ball of hatred and self-loathing, Rose finally dug into the food he brought. It was all cold, the coffee included, but that didn't seem to stop her. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something. But he didn't know what to say, or how to say anything. Nothing seemed important right now in the outside world. Nothing could compare to this. It was almost unbelievable … and all the crazy shit Rose had gone through – that he didn't help alleviate. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

She was onto her third pancake, her thin wrists exposed to him, and one shirt sleeve rolled up still to show the bracelet. The secret was out, she didn't need to hide it right now. The blood bracelet was taunting him. Telling him what a fool he'd been. What an arrogant son-of-a-bitch he was. Scorpius finally forced some words out that were woefully inadequate of what he wanted to say. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't more help and didn't figure it out."

Rose almost spit out her pancake in surprise. She shook her hand at him and swallowed before she started talking. "No! Scorpius, you have been the most helpful part of everything. I wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for you." Her hands fluttered around for a moment more before resting on the blanket only inches from his knees. She bit her lip and hesitated. Scorpius didn't trust his body enough to bridge the gap. He was sure he'd start shaking. And he didn't want to break down in front of her. Honestly, he was terrified.

"Didn't seem like that all week," he said softly and raised his eyebrows at her and she stared back unashamed for only a moment. She seemed ready to not be here right now, to let it all end. She ran her hand through her hair and her shoulders dropped, her spine seemingly giving out.

"It's all on me, I wouldn't have lasted this long if you weren't here," she said. "I can't seem to do anything right and I'm just tired of it. I'm not going to give the potions to Canwood and I didn't want him to track me to my flat. He can kill me out here where no one else will be harmed." Rose stopped talking and pulled her hands back slightly. "I've gone too often to the twins and Dom and I know they've had enough. I didn't want to get you further involved in my fucking mess. It just seems easiest this way … And I don't want this to change anything. You're not responsible for anything. I don't want that. If something happens to me, it's only because I'm at fault. You've done more than enough."

Scorpius flared his nostrils. "Stop talking like you're going to die right now. You're not! You're not giving up. Just because it seems easy and you're tired of running doesn't mean you should – you have so much to live for! We have time still – and will now get back out there with a renewed purpose ... Where's your fight Rose Weasley?"

Where was her fight? Her passion? Her adventurism? This was bloody Rose Weasley in front of him!

And he didn't recognise her at all.

"It left when dark magic was used to carve up my back," she said quietly. "It left when Canwood bruised my arm from shoulder to wrist and almost twisted it out of my socket. When his body weight cracked my ribs ... It left when my hand started swelling up, and turned purple, and the constant headaches I've been having. I don't want any more pain. I don't want to play cat and mouse. I don't want to be scared to walk in public."

She pulled up her other shirt sleeve to her elbow and silently showed Scorpius the dark fingerprints along her forearm. Lifting her sleeve even higher, her arm was coloured viciously in bruises. This time, Scorpius didn't hesitate reaching out, moving closer, and bringing her arm in. He gently put his own fingers in the imprints. The bruising was almost double the width of his fingers, and a dark purple-black.

He felt shaken. This was beyond cruel. He didn't let go of her arm. "What were you going to tell your parents, Rose?" She flinched and Scorpius could feel the muscles in her forearm tense up. "What about Hugo? You're grandparents? Cousins? Any one of them would take this trouble on for you in a heartbeat. They all would support you endlessly if they knew. Don't deny them that chance before you decide your life isn't worth living, because you haven't mentioned one thing to any of them. You've kept your distance, and I understand why, but every one of them cares about you and would never want to see you – eradicated and beaten by a power hungry street gang. I don't want to see it. You deserve to live much longer than 23 years, Rose. Your time is not now."

Rose rubbed her eyes with her free hand and didn't say anything.

"Don't deny them this chance," he repeated. He ran his hands over her arm a few times, his fingers trailing, and he wished he could just heal the hurt with his touch. Goosebumps formed on her skin. "Don't deny me this chance."

Her face was expressionless as she watched Scorpius' ministrations. "Okay," she said so quietly Scorpius wasn't even sure she said it. She squeezed his hand and pulled her sleeves down to cover up her maimed arms.

"We'll get the potions today and take them to a secure location. You should have told me months sooner, Rose. Months. I'm here. I'm not just going to let you do this by yourself. Then I'll find my bruise balm and we'll figure something out with your ribs – St. Mungo's or a smaller clinic. And before the day is done, we'll move you out of your flat in with Al and I."

"What? Why would I move? I never went back to the flat after the tavern. Canwood doesn't know I live there."

"Because nobody is at your flat and it's not magically protected. No arguments." Rose didn't have a choice and she seemed to realise it for she kept her mouth shut and picked up the fruit bowl, the last of the food Scorpius had brought.

Scorpius finally felt his anger flare up as he stood up and left the shelter of the boughs. This was ridiculous! What sort of barbaric and archaic organization was this? Canwood and the whole Snakebitten game were utterly despicable. These were lives they were ruining. These were real people – with real family, loved ones, and friends. He picked up a large, angular rock from the ground and chucked it with all his might across the field. He felt like yelling. He felt like screaming. He picked up another rock. The sun was too bright and he wanted to reach up and tear it to pieces in the sky. He wanted to find Gradford, the gang leader, and Canwood, the loyal middlemen, and string them up by their feet, cursing them endlessly until they were no more than flea-trodden maggots, and then step on those damned maggots until they were no more than squished carcasses on the ground.

Instead, he burned a small patch of grass with his wand, the smoke curling up and rising before him. Everything is changing right now, he thought as he twirled his wand between his fingers, and resisted chucking it across the meadow as well. Every damn thing.