A/N Standard disclaimers apply
Also welcome to Woolfey1271, PrincessChloe72 (and thank you for adding me to you fav authors list as well you ROCK) and Deviliyan21 you're all awesome. Thanks as well to Sabrina-Luna-Potter for reviewing!
The presence of at least 10 members of staff, as well as James' team members meant that he was all right of course. Alyssa and Isaac grabbed him as he fell, although Madam Hooch insisted he go to the Hospital Wing to come round.
"It's Stuart I feel sorry for." Scorpius commented as he and Becky left the stands, alone now, Albus and Rose having apologetically abandoned them to accompany James. Becky looked at him quizzically. "I'm not saying that James deserved to be beaten unconscious!" Scorpius clarified hastily.
"Right..." Becky said, her expression sceptical as they made their way up to the castle, squeezing through the throng of other students.
"I just mean – James should be fine – Madame Pomfrey's supposed to be a genius mediwitch."
"Not to mention it'll mean James'll probably martyr himself." Becky added, grinning as she realised what Scorpius meant.
"Exactly. Where as Stuart will probably end up in detention 'til oblivion and maybe even lose as many points as we did."
"And we know how popular that makes a person." Becky finished wryly.
They finished their journey in silence, the dynamic a little strange with just the two of them. Despite the fact they usually worked together in Potions, when they were together normally, the presence of Albus and Rose mitigated the very different upbringings that they'd each grown up in.
"So..." Becky said as they entered the Entrance Hall. "What d'you wanna do? Library?" she suggested, although somewhat half-heartedly.
"Ugh." Scorpius replied, jokingly. "Haven't you had enough of those boring old history books? I know I have."
"Well what do you want to do then?" Becky asked, mock-exasperated.
Scorpius shrugged.
"If I knew the password to the Prefect's bathroom, I'd say go swimming."
"Huh? How would that work – besides I can't swim, remember?"
"It's a very big bath. And I could always teach you."
Becky looked at him curiously, and Mouse blushed.
"Or not. It was just suggestion."
"No. I think I'd maybe like that . But...not right now. Summer maybe, with Rose and Al, and you can all laugh at my hopeless inadequacy." Becky said, grinning again
"I thought it was Rose who used big words for effect?" Scorpius quipped dryly, then dodged as Becky chased after him.
In the end they decided to return to the Common Room, having realised that with the drop of points Stuart had given Slytherin, and the gain that winning the match had given Gryffindor, they would probably no longer be persona non grata.
After a few games of Exploding Snap, and an abortive attempt at their Herbology homework, - it was after all not due until Wednesday afternoon, as Scorpius pointed out, and even if it was late Professor Longbottom was usually lenient – that Becky made a comment that surprised Scorpius immensely.
"I was a bit scared of you at first, you know." she said, conversationally. Scorpius looked up, surprised.
"Really? Why?"
"Well, your clothes were so posh...and you had a proper handkerchief, a monogrammed hankie, and you do speak really posh a lot." Becky blushed. "And there was me, in my scratty Primark leggings and holey socks...I thought you'd turn out like Nerys Warrington and Adonis Parkinson – all right until you found out I wasn't like you – what?" she looked at Scorpius indignantly, as he had just laughed loudly.
"Becky, the first thing I heard you say was 'I'm going already you ugly horse face' in response to someone calling you a mudblood...I don't care that you're a muggle-born, and I never have."
"Really?"
"Well, I was pretty awful when I was younger," Scorpius admitted, sheepishly. "But Minna pretty much turned any ideas I had about Muggles and Muggle-borns being stupid on their head, and all of the other rubbish my grandfather still believes."
Becky's face was alight with curiosity, having never heard her friend talk about his family much, other than passing the occasional comment about how he was probably related to half of Slytherin, and that Nat was the only 'cool' cousin he had.
"Like what?"
Mouse sighed.
"Where to start? He still thinks that any sort of mixing with Muggles is 'an abomination not to be countenanced'" he mimicked Lucius Malfoy's aristocratic drawling tones. Becky laughed, and he gave little bow.
"He actually said that?"
"Yup. He went through the roof when he found out father let Minna visit the house," Mouse's face turned thoughtful, "I wonder if that's why he stopped the letter Minna wrote after Nat's accident from getting to me."
Becky gasped, her expression a mix of horror and disgust.
"Not really?" she asked. "Bloody hell, that's proper harsh!"
"Well, I can't see father being that harsh, not after Minna and him had words once – after that he was usually pretty fair to her...anyway what about you?" Mouse asked, not wanting to get into the horrible time he'd had after Nat and Minna had 'disappeared' or the guilt he'd felt on finding out the true story behind their disappearance.
The change in Becky's demeanour was immediate – she became suddenly defensive, crossing her arms and drawing her ponytail over her shoulder.
"Erm...not much to tell really, don't know me dad that much – he left me mam when I was about 3, but mam's usually got a boyfriend...not that they're much fun." Becky looked towards the window frantically. "Oh look, the weather's perked up – do you want to go for a walk or something?"
Mouse raised his eyebrows, but he knew from experience not push for the answers to questions people obviously didn't want to answer.
And that way, if she's does want to tell me, it'll be because she wants to, not because I made her. Or I could ask Nat and Min for sneaky tips...
So Mouse stood up, acting as if he had never asked Becky the awkward question .
"Sure, but can I stop down at Nat's first? Got something I want to ask him- I just remembered something I meant to ask him on Thursday in Defence."
It's not entirely a lie...I did want to ask him something on Thursday... Mouse tried to justify.
Becky nodded.
"Yeah, course, I'll meet you down there, I want to get my gloves."
When Becky got down to the Defence office though, she was slightly confused as to why Mouse was standing outside the door with a rather disgusted look on his face, instead of inside, chatting with his cousin about whatever it was he wanted to chat about.
"What's up, he not in?" she asked.
"No...he's definitely in there, I saw that much."
Becky frowned, why on earth hadn't Mouse simply walked in, it wasn't exactly as if Professor Carter was a normal teacher...when a feminine laugh followed by a low murmur floated out of the room. Realisation dawned.
"Oh...you saw him...and Professor Grey?"she asked, suddenly understanding the slightly sickened look on her friend's face. He nodded.
"Exactly...I saw him and Minna snogging...on his desk...The images!"
Becky couldn't help but giggle.
"Take it you didn't ask your question then. Wish I'd been here to see your face."
"You really, really don't. Why?!"Mouse groaned, burying his face in his hands melodramatically
"Come on, mebbe the wind'll blow them out your head." Becky said, still laughing.
And it was with such involvement in Mouse's dramatic reconstruction that neither he or Becky realised they had run out of the castle...and into some of the older, snobbish bullying Slytherins.
"Oh look who it is..." A nasal, lazy aristocratic drawl suddenly brought reality to the forefront of Mouse and Becky's minds with a jolt.
"...The blood traitor brat and his mudblood pal." A second, similar drawl followed the first and Mouse groaned inwardly.
Of all the bigoted idiots to run into...literally.
The two dark haired, hulking seventh years smirked at the younger students.
"Flints..." he said, using all his etiquette training to stay calm, and not do or say something he'd really regret.
"Well Malfoy, aren't you going to introduce us to your little friend?" The older boy loomed over Mouse and Becky, and they each took an involuntary step back.
Lucky we're not actually on the steps any more...Mouse noted randomly.
"Mouse..." Becky's low, panicked whisper returned his focus to the threat in front of him.
"But Dorian, why on earth would you care about the name of some mudblood?"
"Very true Damien. I'd much rather have some fun, wouldn't you?"
"Mouse...what do they mean?" Becky's voice would have seemed calm, had it not been an octave higher than normal.
"Don't know...hexes we can't counter probably."
"Any ideas then?" Becky's voice was near hysterical now.
"Just one...but it might not work...say after me, Exsterco."
"Eck stair koh? What's that s'posed to do?"
"Uh oh, no time." Mouse saw that the Flint brothers had agreed on a hex, and had started to raise their wands. He grabbed Becky's hand focused on the wand movement Nat had taught him, and with Becky providing a ragged unison, cried,
"Exsterco!"
"Mouse...is it meant to do that?"
He looked up and gave a low whistle.
"If you mean cause insects to become hugely attractive to the victim, then yes"
"Uh oh... I think it just made them angry...run!"
Taking advantage of their already interlinked arms Becky pulled Mouse further into the grounds towards Hagrid's hut.
"It's...no good." Mouse panted. "He's...out."
Becky's response was to swerve behind the hut and into the fringes of the Forbidden Forest.
"Becky, we really shouldn't-"
"Shh!" She held up a finger as the Flints came into view, still surrounded by black cloud of amorous bugs. They each let out breaths they didn't realise they were holding as the brothers turned back the way they had come.
"That was too close..." Becky muttered, then cocked her head suddenly. "Do you hear music?"
Mouse listened, and realised Becky was right. A lilting, playful tune drifted through the Forest, which simply called the listener to come and dance their cares away.
"Yeah... he said, his face breaking into a smile. He just couldn't help it. Becky caught his arm again, laughing.
"Come on, I want to dance!" she said, and although the rational part of Mouse's mind was questioning their sanity, his body was too interested in the dance.
"My lady." he said, bowing and doffing an imaginary cap.
My lady?
They half ran, half danced into a large, dark clearing, with a smooth pine needle covered floor, where when the sunlight cam through the trees it flickered and dappled through the them in eerie patterns.
So it might have been that as they danced, the music twisting them into complicated steps Mouse knew for a fact he'd never learnt, it might have been that Mouse simply imagined seeing a shadow dart towards Becky. But he was sure he didn't imagine seeing a strange and almost predatory smile spread over Becky's face.
A/N Again, I am fully aware of being evil. Fun times. As an interesting aside, I wrote most of this in a converted railway carriage/bunkhouse within walking distance of Loch Shian aka Hogwarts' Loch and the Glenfinnan Viaduct aka where Harry fell out of the Ford Anglia. It was a very nice place to write, just no internet - hence the delay. Oh and one more thing - pretty please review! Concrit, random plot questions suggetions, all are welcome except flamers. :)