Scorpius started on his way down to the dungeons, in the wake of Albus. His emotions were a tangled, jumbled mess and quite frankly, he wasn't sure how to feel at this very moment. What had just happened could very well have been one of his wildest dreams and he was half expecting to wake up in his bed any moment. As he passed the final corridor headed towards the Slytherin dungeons, he ran his fingers along the cool, rough stone wall and concluded that he was indeed awake, for the slight numbness in his fingertips felt too real to be in his head. He was approaching the concealed stone entrance and opened his mouth to speak the password, when the wall shuddered and rippled open and Professor McGonagall almost tumbled on top of him.
"Professor!" Scorpius squeaked, regaining his balance. The Professor dusted off her robes and adjusted her square glasses, looking down her nose at Scorpius.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy! Just who I was looking for! You wouldn't happen to know where Mr. Potter has gotten to, would you?" she asked, putting an arm around his shoulder and guiding him away from the dungeons.
"N-no, Professor." Scorpius stumbled, glancing over his shoulder at the closing entrance to his common room, "Where are you taking me? I really ought to pack before tomorrow."
"That won't be necessary. I'll have Mr. Filch bring your belongings up to my office. Your father is waiting there for you." McGonagall said, her arm still around Scorpius guiding them both up the flight of stairs towards the Entrance Hall.
"My father?" Scorpius asked, shocked. He tried to dig his heels in slightly to stop but McGonagall continued to drive him forwards.
"Yes, yes. Come on now, pick up the pace!" she barked, guiding them past the now deserted, but nevertheless inviting, Great Hall. Up a flight of stairs they went and McGonagall scolded a Ravenclaw couple sharing a kiss when they thought they were alone.
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Can't you wait another day until the holidays begin?" she cried, sending them rather sheepishly on their way.
As they ascended another flight of stairs, that tried to shift rapidly to the left but upon sensing the Headmistress decided to stay put, Scorpius could feel the effects of the mead wearing thin and his sense of giddiness was quickly diminishing. At last, they approached the stone gargoyle hiding the staircase leading to the Headmistress' office. McGonagall withdrew her wand and flashed it almost threateningly at the gargoyle, that leapt aside and let them rise up into her office.
"Now, there we go. Please take a seat, Malfoys." McGonagall gestured to both Scorpius and Draco, who had put a hand on his son's shoulder by way of greeting.
"What's this about, McGonagall?" Draco asked, leaning back casually in his chair, while Scorpius was rooted bolt upright in his.
"Thank you for joining me tonight, Mr. Malfoy. I'm sorry for any trouble it might have caused you." McGonagall said absent-mindedly.
"It's quite alright given that you lifted the Apparition ban but I'd rather you explain why my presence was requested so desperately." Draco countered.
"You will be aware by now that Albus Potter was injured recently in an accident." McGonagall shuffled several rolls of parchment on her desk, peering at Draco through her spectacles.
"Not the way I heard it. It didn't exactly sound like an accident. Sounded more like the boy was set-up and my son could've been the next."
"I assure you we are investigating the matter as an accident. However," McGonagall, paused, drawing a sharp intake of breath, "We have found some most troubling information about a certain member of staff. Professor Gideon."
Scorpius shifted uncomfortably in his seat, he had partly been expecting this news since Albus fell from the ladder.
"It seems that he may not be what he appeared when he was appointed to our staff. It appears he may have been targeting the Potter boy, and by extension, your son." McGonagall said gravely.
"Well, there you have it!" Draco said triumphantly, "It clearly was no accident."
"That particular incident is being treated as an accident until we have sufficient evidence that says otherwise. We will be keeping an eye on your son and Albus Potter come the new term, for their safety, of course."
"That's a good start. I should hope this Professor Gideon will be getting the sack? Off to Azkaban perhaps?" Draco asked, his eyes glistening slightly at the thought of revenge.
"For now, the Professor is suspended pending further investigation. You'll let us deal with the matter, I hope?" McGonagall asked bitingly.
"So long as he's not teaching in the new year, yes, I'll leave you to it. Have you any other protection you're willing to offer my son and his friend?" Draco replied and rested his hand on Scorpius' arm.
"I can give them an escort of Prefects but I fear that would draw unnecessary attention from the other students."
"I don't want that!" Scorpius piped up and Draco turned to him, brow furrowed.
"Are you worried that other students would make fun of you, son?" he asked. Scorpius shook his head furiously.
"I'd just rather get my head down next term, not make a spectacle of myself. Again." Scorpius added the last word in a very small voice.
"Right, that's settled then. You'll keep an eye on the boys and they'll pass their exams. Was there anything else you wanted to add, McGonagall?" Draco asked, already rising from his chair.
"No, that's it, Mr. Malfoy. I'll let you know by owl any further developments." McGonagall concluded, waving them away, "Oh, Merry Christmas." She added and Draco nodded in gratitude.
"Ready to go home, son? Your suitcase is just over there." Draco asked, pointing over to the familiar case. Scorpius hadn't even noticed Mr. Filch slip in with it, for it definitely wasn't there when he entered the Headmistress' office. Scorpius grabbed the case and Draco put his arm around Scorpius, preparing to side-along apparate out of the castle.
"Headmistress, Mr. and Mrs. Potter are here to see you!" Argus Filch, announced bursting through the door directly opposite the Malfoys and looking rather shocked. He pushed his way past them and behind him followed Harry and Ginny, looking slightly dishevelled. Draco raised an eyebrow in questioning and Ginny whispered in his ear,
"He apparated us into the greenhouse. Nightmare."
Draco turned briefly to Scorpius to say,
"Wait here a moment, I'll just go have a chat with the Potters."
Scorpius understood that his father was actually going to see if McGonagall would give the Potters any extra information she may have concealed from them. He settled his suitcase back down and sank into a red leather chair, suddenly feeling all the energy from the day drain out of him. Hopefully his father wouldn't take long and he'd be back at home in no time.
"Feeling tired?" came a calm, old voice from behind Scorpius. He jumped up from the chair and found himself face-to-face with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.
"How did you get here?!" Scorpius croaked, very shocked. Dumbledore chuckled to himself, running a hand along his majestic, white beard to smooth it down.
"I live here, dear boy. I'd just been for a little jaunt down to the portrait outside the kitchen in the hope that I could spot any pudding going in and out. How did you get here would be a more prudent question?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, the Headmistress needed to talk to me." Scorpius replied as Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes surveyed the boy before him.
"Ah, quite right, Minerva did mention that to me earlier. I've gotten rather spotty in old age, you see, or rather in my painted years." Dumbledore added with a wink, "I sense something's troubling you."
"Not exactly." Scorpius mumbled.
"Indecision helped no man, Mr. Malfoy. Go on, tell an old portrait what ails your soul." Dumbledore insisted.
Scorpius hesitated for a moment but then decided that it couldn't hurt to vent to a portrait and so he shuffled the leather chair around to face Dumbledore and slumped into it once more.
"Well, there's this friend. My friend. Only, it seems like now they want to be more than friends. I don't really know how to feel. I've liked this friend for quite some time and I'm not sure what will happen when we come back to Hogwarts."
Dumbledore and nodded and paused in thought for a moment, tapping his chin with one, long, thin finger. Scorpius wondered if the portrait were actually thinking or if it just gave that impression as it's what Dumbledore would have done in life. After a few more moments of painted contemplation, the portrait Dumbledore spoke,
"I see many similarities between myself and you, Mr. Malfoy. We both tried to make up for the ills of those that came before us, both rather gifted with magic – if I do say so myself – and both deeply in love with a boy that perhaps couldn't love us back."
Scorpius' eyes bulged and his jaw fell slack, leaving Dumbledore to chuckle slightly.
"I may be a portrait, but I'm rather astute you see. I've always been quite partial to Hogwarts gossip. You are, I assume, talking about Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes." Scorpius muttered, dropping his head.
"It should be noted that while I do see a great number of similarities between you and I, there are also crucial differences between us. I was unable to cope with being rejected by my love, but I don't see you ultimately struggling with that scenario." Dumbledore commented and Scorpius looked back up at him, inquisitively.
"That is to say, I imagine you would still remain fierce friends with Mr. Potter should he choose to remain just that. Friends. Am I right?" Dumbledore asked and Scorpius nodded.
"I thought as much. You are a stronger man than I, Mr. Malfoy. Although, you are still young. And youth dictates that you enjoy yourself. So perhaps you should take a chance? Or as I believe young people say 'put yourself out there'." Dumbledore smiled a gentle smile, before rising out of his painted chair.
"I must be going, Mr. Malfoy. All the best and you know where to find me should you need to talk." As Dumbledore departed out of frame, Scorpius felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see his Dad standing there, holding his suitcase.
"Time to go home, son."
Scorpius got to his feet and thought for a moment on Dumbledore's advice. He certainly didn't feel strong enough to survive rejection from Albus. Although, after that night's events, he wasn't sure he would get the answer he had so dreaded.