A/N: This is sort of a DISCLAIMER for you guys. I have invented a bit of my own version of what we can call "The Magical History" in this chapter. I am sure it doesn't conform with what we know. But I went with my idea because I wanted to. So there. I am sorry if you don't like it. But I hope you do.

"Weasley- ooof! What the-" Scorpius exclaimed, stumbling after a very insistent Rose.

But Rose was not in the mood to leave him alone until she found a place not littered with their semi drunk peers, or worse sober ones. It was a bit difficult. It seemed as if half the student body was out of bed tonight. She huffed in frustration as she bumped into someone.

That frustration escalated as she realized who she had bumped into.

"Oh! Hello, Rose!" Viola Obst- The Vile Counterpart of Lily, exclaimed with all the fake sunny attitude she could muster. But all her cheeriness turned into something malicious as she looked who was standing behind Rose, holding her hand. "Well, well. Decided to finally give into that Malfoy charm, did we?"

"Did you need something Viola?" Rose ground out.

"Who? Me? Oh, no. Don't worry about me, Rose." Viola smiled her creepy smile again, came a little closer and held Rose's hand in hers. "Right now, your needs are more important than mine."

Rose's eyes went wide. She knew that Viola had hated her for longer than she could remember, but she never thought she would be so direct about it. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, you're excused, Rose. Believe me, I understand." Viola winked.

Rose couldn't believe the absurdity of this situation. Who would've thought that she would be getting into a pointless conversation with Viola Obst, out of all people, while she was with Scorpius?

Rose couldn't care what conclusions Viola was jumping to, but she couldn't afford the whole school gossiping about her. And it was safe to imagine that if Viola knew something, the whole school will find out about it soon enough. "Look, you've got it-"

But before she could finish that sentence, Malfoy started dry heaving and choked out a horrifying, "Get me out of here, Weasley. Or kiss your pointy shoes good bye."

"Ew! Don't let him puke here, Rose!" Viola's face twisted with horror.

"yeah, I.." Rose trailed off, because by then Viola had scurried away, leaving Rose behind with a still retching Scorpius. "Huh."

"Is she gone?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah."

"Good." Scorpius sighed, sagging against the wall. "I don't like her. She is nosy."

Rose smiled at that. "You're not the only one. Come on. Let's get you to your dorm."

Scorpius' eyes became sorrowful again as he said, "Do you mind if we sit here for a few minutes? All that fake puking makes me tired."

Rose wasn't sure how to respond to that. It seemed like the absurdity of the night was decidedly continuing. So, she took a sit beside Malfoy on the floor.

He didn't say anything at first. Just tapped his fingers on the floor with no particular rhythm to it. It was weird. And peaceful at the same time.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked him quietly, looking at Scorpius, tap-tap-tapping fingers. The tapping seized immediately. But he didn't respond at first.

"No, I am not alright." Scorpius said eventually. "I am a mess."

Rose decided to stay quiet. She wasn't sure what aspect of their rocky truce this was, but she wanted to be nice to him. He seemed like he needed the niceness. So, she remained quiet while she waited for him to continue.

He took it in encouragement. Because he slowly began his tale then.

It was the Summer of our Second year. It was my birthday, and I had just turned thirteen. My mother had gone all out with the celebration. All my friends were there. Albus was there as well. We were all playing a little game of Quidditch in the garden. It was an unusual event for Malfoy Manor. We didn't have birthday parties. My father once told me that he had never been allowed to have one as a child. Therefore, my mother had gone quite overboard in her preparations, as only she could.

Our game had escalated quickly into a bit of a "bloodbath" as Coraline and Bart had started a brawl right in the middle of it. They were quite comfortable with throwing the bludger at each other.

"Bugger off, Bartholomew! Or I swear I will kick you in the nutters!" Cora screeched at Bart, who was holding the Quaffle now, ready to strike.

"Well, you shouldn't have called me a brat then, should you?" Bart sneered back.

"Knock it off, Bart." Roman, the sound of reason as always, was trying to negotiate. I didn't see why he bothered. It was best to stand aside and let those two run their course. And that's precisely what I chose to do along with Emma Harris and Carson Talbot, my friends from before Hogwarts.

Bart had a mind of his own. He threw the Quaffle with utter strength and Cora dodged it quite expertly. But Albus, who was inspecting some sort of an insect on a plant during the entire interlude, got hit on the back and fell on the ground. He even managed to scrape his knees in the entire incident.

"Ouch!" Albus rubbed his head, looking at everyone in confusion. "What on Earth are you lot up to?" I helped him get off the ground.

"Sorry, Al. It was nothing. Are you alright?" Cora asked worriedly.

"Yes, I just- ow."

"You should tape your knee or something, mate." Bart said, frowning.

"Move aside, Bart." I said hastily. "Let's go, Al. We can ask mum what to do."

And off we went to find my mother. Now, if you'd ever been to the Manor, you would know that finding anything, or anyone in that place is really, quite easy. The reason is, it's built like a giant echo chamber with many halls and rooms. So, you could be anywhere, but you would be able to find people if they are talking. I don't know why my ancestors decided to make it that way, though. I will never understand the logic behind it. But then again, I don't understand most of their logic anyway. So, really. No surprises there.

We found my mum in the library. I was about to call her, but I stopped. Because she wasn't alone. She was speaking to someone. It was my father. And the reason why I didn't dare call my mum was because they were clearly arguing.

Albus and I hid behind one of the shelves in a dark corner. Actually, now that I think of it, we should have left the library right then. I don't regret eavesdropping on my parents. But I regret the fact that I did it with Albus. I should have taken him out of there. I should have waited for my mum in my room. I should have tried to find the damn injury box by myself. I should've. Should have. Huh. There are a lot of things I would've done differently if I'd known all of my "should haves" my entire life. But I couldn't move. I was transfixed.

It sounds stupid now, I guess. Whose parents don't argue, right? It's something that comes with having parents. Their arguments, I mean. But mine were different. I had never seen or heard them having an argument before. But then again, I hadn't known much about Muffliato either. The fact is whether you're hearing your parents arguing for the first time or the hundredth, it's never, ever easy. It always feels like you are being punched in the face by an invisible force repeatedly.

"No, Astoria," my father, who was always composed, said angrily, "I will never let it happen, no matter what you say."

"It's not your decision, Draco! I am the mother! I should be able to decide what I chose with my child as much as you." I could tell that mum was crying because she was sniffling.

I didn't know what this was about, but my hands were clenched in tight fists.

"It will be alright. Please, Draco." My mother pleaded. "Please, let me tell Scorpius about this. He will be so-"

"Scorpius won't know about it because this- this thing, it won't be coming to fruition. I will make sure it doesn't." My father said in a clipped tone.

"It's not a thing, Draco Malfoy." If I had not heard my mother snarl before, I heard it then. "She is my child. Our child. If you- if you ever say something like that I will-" She never finished that sentence. The tears were too much for her to go on.

My father hugged my weeping mother tightly. There was so much pain in his eyes. I didn't understand it. I didn't understand any of it.

"I wish we could be a normal family, Draco. I wish we were normal, just like the Bates next doors. I wish our only worry was our dog trying to destroy the neighbour's fence. Or that our boy was flunking at school. I wish you were just a boy. And I, just a girl. I wish there was no magic. I wish there was no curse."

"I am sorry, Astoria. I am so sorry." He said quietly. "I wish I could give you that. I wish I could keep you and Scorpius safe. Always."

"Scorpius and her." Mother said with a glint of determination in her eyes. "You have to promise me, Draco. Promise me you will take care of her, you will love her if-"

"Shh. Shh. Hush now, luv." Father murmured, holding her tight.

"Scorp." Albus whispered. "Come on, mate. Let's go."

I looked at my friend, suddenly remembering his presence.

"What are they talking about, Al?" I asked stupidly.

I could see the look of pity in his eyes then. He patted my shoulder and said, "You can ask them later. For now, let's just go."

"But your knee-"

He didn't let me finish. We were already out of the library. The rest of that day went by in a blur. I can't even remember much of it. All I do remember is having this dull ache in the back of my head you get only when you can feel the planes of your life shifting, rearranging themselves into a new reality.

I didn't know then just how much my life was going to change.

Rose stared at Scorpius, unable to decide what to say. She wasn't sure if there even was anything to say in that moment. Scorpius was sitting cross legged on the floor, the back of his head resting against the wall, eyes closed, his fingers drawing invisible patterns on the ground.

"Turns out, there is a curse in my family." Scorpius said dryly, eyes still closed. "A Malfoy wife can give birth to only one living child in her life time. Male or female, doesn't matter. Although we haven't had a girl in the family since the curse."

That's barbaric, Rose wanted to say. But she didn't. "And what happens if she has more than one?"

"She dies."

Unaware of the emotional storm his friend was going through, Albus was sitting by the fireplace of an uncharacteristically empty Gryffindor Common Room with Roxanne Weasley. Compared to all the Weasley girls, Roxanne was a sweet, quiet girl. She had an uncanny ability to blend in the background.

Weirdly, in their huge family, she was the one Albus knew the least about. Partly, because Roxanne never came to him with her problems like all the others. But from what he did know about her had made him certain that losing today's game hadn't been easy on her at all. Albus could empathize. Because he had lost his first game, too. It was against Gryffindor. And naturally, James, the nasty little bugger that he was, had made a point of rubbing it in poor Al's face.

"Check." Roxanne said delightedly, making her move on the chessboard. Albus was sure that he was going to lose one as well. Roxanne may have failed to catch that Snitch, but she was definitely kicking his arse in Wizarding chess.

Albus held up his hands in defeat. "You know what, Rox? I give up. My fragile ego can't take it."

Roxanne giggled in response. "I am just trying to help you come back to the world of us mortals by bruising your ego a bit. After today's game…" She trailed off. She didn't sound particularly wounded anymore.

"Why, thank you, Miss Roxy! I appreciate your concern." Albus grinned.

"No, seriously though, Albus." Roxanne said, a ghost of a smile lingering on her lips. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the party?"

Albus sighed, "I don't feel like being around people right now." He said honestly. I had a suspicion that telling Roxanne the truth was not a bad idea, that she would understand. "I don't think anyone will even notice I am not there."

Roxanne was a wise thirteen year old. She didn't pry any further. Instead, she got off the chair and asked Al to do the same. "I think I am hungry now, Al. Do you mind accompanying me to the Kitchens?"

"What- but- How?" Rose stuttered. She knew that the Malfoys had a wonky history. But this was a bit too much.

"That is the thing. Nobody knows. Or knew, I should say. I think my Dad was worried that Mum would die in childbirth. But she lived through that. I am guessing that my parents thought they had beat the curse then. But a few days later, mum started having these red blotches all over the body. These big, angry red swellings. At first, it was just her legs and arms. Later, they started showing up on her face. Sometimes, they would go away. And she would feel better. But then after a few good weeks, it will start all over again. Always worse than last time. Since last six months, her breathing has been laboured. She hasn't been able to eat much because she says she can't swallow. It's only a matter of days, they're saying." His breathing hitched a bit.

Rose squeezed her hand, trying to channel as much sympathy and strength she could in that gesture. They weren't friends. But she wouldn't be able to bear seeing anyone in such pain.

"Ireland is four. Four! I don't think she even knows what's happening with mum. I don't think Dad even let's her see my mum. Just like he doesn't let me see her." Scorpius said bitterly.

"What do you mean he won't let you see your mum?"

"It means that it's the law of Draco Malfoy, Rose." Scorpius said, his voice getting a bit hysterical. "It means that he blames my sister for what is happening to my mother. And he is punishing her for that. As for me, I am supposed to be the older one. I am supposed to study. Take responsibility for my future, which mostly means not get distracted by the fact that my mother might as well be dead. Or that my little sister is being cared for some woman who doesn't even know the first thing about her." Scorpius clenched his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears.

"You know, the funny thing is, contrary to popular belief, my father is one of the best men I have ever known. He isn't this monstrous ex-Death Eater that everyone seems to think him as." Scorpius laughed bitterly. "He loves me. He loves my mother. And I think he wants to love my sister, too. But he has just had a really shitty life. Period. I think his ability to deal with all that shit has deteriorated over the years."

They sat there quietly for a few moments. Rose waited for Scorpius to calm down a bit, her fingers intertwined with his. She was aware of that little bit of intimacy. But in that moment, it just felt too right, too real.

"I am so sorry, Scorpius." Rose whispered.

Scorpius just shook his head in response. "Ah." He breathed deeply, braving a smile. "I'll be alright, Weasley. Hey, look at you. If I'd known that telling you my life story would make you call me by my first name, I would have done it sooner."

Rose rolled her eyes at him, and swatted him on the shoulder. Then turning fully facing him, she looked in her eyes, and said earnestly, "I know that we have never gotten along, but I promise you this. If you ever want to talk, I am here."

"I don't want your sympathy, Rose." Scorpius murmured, hurt apparent in his eyes.

"It's not sympathy, Scorpius. I am just tired of fighting with you. I am so tired of it. I feel that we could give this friendship thing a go for real this time, you know. And I think you could use a few friends in your life right now."

"Hmm." Scorpius pretended to contemplate the idea. Then smiled a small smile at her. "I think I could, too."

Viola Obst was drunk. And horny.

Why won't Albus ever look at her? Why won't he see how much she loved him? How she had chosen to wear Slytherin colours for him at the party tonight? Every single boy lusted over Viola Obst in this school. Then why couldn't Albus see it?

And where on Earth was Albus anyway? She had been trying to find him since the beginning of the party. But now she was just lurking in these corridors. Alone. Drunk. Bumping into the likes of Rose Weasley.

Viola gripped one of the pillars to keep herself from falling. Alcohol had never hit her this hard before. As the world began to spin and that horrible nausea hit her with a fresh wave, she cursed herself for not having stopped at the second glass of whatever abomination that idiot Bart Nott had created in the punch bowl.

That is when she heard it. The scratching on the wall. Whatever it was, it was close. Because the scratching was getting louder. And faster.

"Who is-" Viola hiccupped. "Who is there?"

It stopped. Viola couldn't see much ahead of her. It was dark. She didn't like being in the dark. Her breathing got laboured a bit. She rummaged through her robe for her wand.

And then it pounced.

A/N: Please review! They are very helpful!