A/N I don't own Harry Potter etc. etc. etc. wish I did

The next day was a Saturday, which meant they didn't have lessons straight away, for which Scorpius was glad. The thing he wasn't glad for however, was the howler that came with the morning's post.

They had just sat down for breakfast, Scorpius helping himself to what Becky claimed was an infeasibly large amount of toast for one person to eat. Bickering comfortably, joined by Albus and Becky, it wasn't until owls started to land on the table that they broke off.

"Blimey that made me jump," Becky said, chuckling slightly to herself. "Um, Mouse, what's wrong?"

For Scorpius was staring horrified at the red envelope that had started to smoke at the edges.

"Best get out of here while you still can," Albus advised, looking sympathetically at his friend, whilst Rose looked on worriedly.

"Mouse...what's that?" Becky said in a forcedly casual voice.

"No time." Scorpius said in a strangled voice and sprinted from the room, raising laughter from some of the older students.

It wasn't his father however, but his grandfather who had written, although it wasn't far off what Scorpius had been expecting. He'd betrayed his family, he wasn't fit to be a Malfoy, or a pureblood, and he had better enjoy himself with the blood traitors and mudbloods as he could expect no sympathy from his grandfather Lucius.

When he went back into the Great Hall, his friends very carefully didn't mention the Howler his slightly red eyes, and instead changed the subject to the new timetables they'd just been handed by Professor Longbottom.

"Ugh we've got double potions first thing on Monday – McGonagall hates us," Albus groaned, looking disgruntled at his timetable.

"What's so bad about that?" Becky asked, as she dismantled a slice of bread.

"Professor Hendricks is really strict- she favours the Slytherins too apparently. That's her with the dark hair, I think." Rose gestured towards the rather forbidding looking woman who was looking disapprovingly at Minna, who had just arrived at the table, looking rather worse for wear. As he looked however, his cousin spoke a few words to his partner, who immediately looked at Mouse, eyes narrowed, and beckoned him towards them.

"Got to go," he murmured "Will you meet me outside?" he asked, and the trio nodded in assent.

"We'll meet you out by the lake" Albus said gesturing the girls to follow him.

As Mouse made his way up to the staff table, he wondered what exactly his cousin would say, and found rather than being glad to see him as he had been the night before, he was in fact rather angry with his cousin for not contacting him earlier. He was about to start to tell his cousin this, when Nat shook his head.

"Not here – lets go somewhere more private – Min?" Nat said, and Min quickly drained her coffee mug, giving her arm to Nat. Mouse frowned – the way that Nat was holding Minna's arm was different that it used to be, he was sure of it, and why was Nat holding his wand out like that?

"Like the man said, not here brat." Minna murmured, and although Mouse was annoyed, he kept quiet until they reached Nat and Minna's quarters.

Once again, Mouse was struck by a feeling of wrongness coming from his cousin, which lasted until he sat down and turned to face Mouse. Then it hit him – his cousin, the one who used to sneak him out the house to go on mad jaunts with Minna in both Diagon Alley, and occasionally the muggle world, His eyes, once sharp and sparkling with mischief, were unfocussed and wandering. Nat was blind.

Mouse gasped.

"Now do you see why I've been out of touch Mouse?" Nat asked.

"What- what happened?" He stammered, glad, that Nat couldn't see his his horrified expression.

"Explosion in my old job – should have had Auror back-up, but the department just thought it was an abandoned Hyppogriff. Min was with me – you know how animals are like with her, so figured she could cope with a Hyppogriff."

Mouse didn't know what to say, when Min took over.

"Turns out it was a trap. We think some stupid pureblood hater just heard the name Greengrass, and decided to get back at us, Muggle style. Rigged the whole place to go up. We still don't know what happened, but the Healers think I used wandless to shield us both from the blast. Good thing I did, else we'd both be a bit dead right now." She smiled wryly.

"But – Nat, you're..." Mouse trailed off, still unable to say the word. "Couldn't the Healers at St Mungo's do anything?"

"Apparently brain damage is a tricky thing – they can't do anything until they know they wouldn't just make it worse." Nat scowled, looking angrier than Mouse had ever seen him, whilst Min, seeing the ugly look on her fiancé's face, swatted his arm.

"Stop that. Be lucky you're still here - able to work."

"Why are you here?" Mouse asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Nat raised his eyebrows and chuckled, whilst Min looked...ashamed?

"Um...well that would be my fault." she said sheepishly.

"Huh?" Mouse said, not following.

"I got fired from the Creatures department. Apparently taking a civilian on a job is against regulations. Doesn't matter that she saved both our lives." Nat explained.

The room fell silent for a few minutes, whilst Mouse mulled over the revelations that his cousin had provided. He could understand why he hadn't been in touch, admittedly, but to not even let him know? Dimly a part of his brain realised that he sounded like a spoilt brat, but he didn't care. Would it have killed Min even, to have told him.

"Mouse?" Nat's worried voice broke the silence. "I know it's a lot to take in, but-"

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought you'd just gone off and forgotten about me! That you thought, oh he's not a pureblood brat any more, our work here is done, and then just sailed off into the sunset. Have you any idea-"

"MOUSE!"

He gulped. Min was doing her patented death glare, her eyes flashing angrily. Mouse knew that if this had been one of his on Min's beloved mangas, she would have throbbing temples, a murderous aura and her hair would be whipping around her face. Oops.

"Yes Min?" He asked, flinching as if away from a blow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Huh?!"

"We didn't tell you? Of course we told you. I nearly got carpal tunnel and RSI writing a bloody novel to you! Nat couldn't exactly help, after all."

"You did?" Now he was really confused.

Nat massaged his temples, obviously trying not to laugh at either his fiancée or his cousin.

"Yes Mouse, we did." he sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me, however, if your dad or granddad made sure it didn't get to you. They don't exactly approve of me – probably one or either of them thought that it would a good way to 'limit your exposure to blood-traitors'" Nat finished, in a mocking impersonation of the Malfoy's aristocratic drawl.

Mouse slumped in his chair.

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted." Nat grinned, and pulled Min on to his lap. "Right Min?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sorry for going all crazy on you – thought you were being a brat again so..." she finished by grimacing, making Mouse laugh.

Silence fell again, when a thought struck Mouse.

"Nat?"

"Yeesss?"

"Why are you going by Carter now?"

Nat laughed again, and Mouse could almost believe that the last year or so hadn't happened.

"Figured that way I wouldn't get kids trying to get me playing favourites. 'But sir, you're a member 28!'"

Min rolled her eyes again.

"Like they wouldn't twig you don't go in for blood-status when they realise that you're engaged to the Comparative Cultures teacher." she said, tugging Nat's hair.

"So...Comparative Cultures..." Mouse said, not really expecting an answer – Min and Nat were the ones who taught him the trick of fishing for information, after all. He wasn't proved wrong.

"Nice try, brat. You find out with everyone else." Min chuckled, "Anyway, go back to your friends-you can tell them about Nat's condition if you want, but not my history please Mouse."

"He can?"

"Shut up."

Mouse laughed, suddenly feeling much happier. His cousin hadn't abandoned him after all. He stood up to leave, but just before he left the room Min stopped him, an oddly smug grin on bis face.

"Hey Mouse."

"Yeah?"

"You know that conversation we had in Covent Garden?"

"Yes..." He had spent most of the afternoon venting about how he didn't want to be a Slytherin, much to Nat and Mina's amusement,

"Well...I tried the Sorting Hat – for the craic, you know?" Her expression turned scarily innocent.

"So?"
"I'd be a Slytherin, apparently."

"What?!"

Nat nodded, grinning at the shock in Mouse's voice, whilst Min was too busy laughing herself sick.

"Anyway, get back to your friends – I'll deal with this crazy.

Mouse glanced back at Min, who seemed to be incapable of speech, further than a stifled gasp of 'your face!' and rolled his eyes.

"Later, then."

Five minutes later, Scorpius flopped down next Becky underneath a large tree by the lake, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, Scorpius," Albus said lazily greeting his friend. "Something good happen?"

"You could say that. What you reading Rose?" Scorpius asked, grinning again.

It looked like it was going to be an excellent year.

A/N. Well here it is. Sorry it took a little longer than I thought to get it up, but not as long as I thought it had if that makes any sense!

I've decided for the moment, Scorpius will be Scorpius with his friends and Mouse with Min and Nat, as that's who he is with them. (I know Tom said you preferred Scorpius, but I just think it suits my take on Scorpius so :P. Kidding)

Don't forget to review, constructive criticism is always welcomed, as would a beta be actually.

Fair warning, I don't know when I will next update, as I have deadlines and tests(uni is so fun) , and Saturday is free comic day. HOWEVER I will try update more over summer *fingers crossed*