Chapter Six

Scorpius had been having the strangest dream.

First, he had worked up enough courage to kiss Rose. The thought had been on his mind since fourth year, when the hormones hit him hard. Rose was very pretty—it was hard to ignore. She was always kind to him, even in the beginning when they had barely anything in common. Rose was kind, smart, and always willing to lend a hand to those who needed it. A stronger man would've fallen for Rose without a struggle; Scorpius never stood a chance.

In the dream, in which Rose and Scorpius were kissing, Al had caught them. It was, at the very least, awkward for all parties involved. And then, out of nowhere, James "The-Bane-of-Scorpius-Malfoy's Existence" Potter had a time turner. Of all things. And, true to the Malfoy/Potter/Weasley luck (all of which were terrible), the blasted thing broke all over them. But not James "The-Bane-of—" Well. You get the idea.

So, by fate or chance or that blasted Malfoy/Potter/Weasley luck, they wound up in the Slytherin common room in 1996. The very same common room where Scorpius' father just happened to be. He was cruel and proceeded to flash them his Dark Mark. Which was an eye-opening experience for everyone, because Scorpius' father was so much different as a teenager. He was far more hateful and bitter.

Who could forget Harry Potter, being trapped beneath an invisible Rose? That was hilarious, and Scorpius had a vague feeling that the dream-him had embarrassed himself in some way or another.

The icing on this metaphorical cake was seeing Dumbledore; considering how he'd been dead for decades. That bit was particularly strange. Scorpius didn't remember ever having such a vivid dream in his entire life. And he'd had some weird ones; that was for sure.

Scorpius laughed at his subconscious, aware that his eyes were not open and he was, in fact, lying down. The mattress didn't feel like his own—this one was less springy. It didn't feel like a bed from the Potter house either, those tended to be somewhat lumpy, though not necessarily uncomfortable. In fact, this particular mattress had the same qualities as those in a Hogwarts dormitory. Well, in Gryffindor at least.

"Is he barking mad?"

It was a voice that sounded oddly familiar to Scorpius, and he tried to discover the owner without letting them know that he was conscious.

"I mean, he's got to be," This voice was different, the tone rich with a Scottish accent, "He's laughin' in his sleep, he is!"

"Yeah, well, he does dream about… odd things," That was Al.

Opening his eyes at last, Scorpius reeled back when he realized that five curious male faces were staring down at him.

"Ohhh, he's awake now," A familiar voice came out of the slightly chubby brunette to his left. Scorpius glanced up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he did so.

"Er," Sticking out his hand to the familiar-sounding boy, Scorpius ran through the standard procedure of greeting someone cordially, "Hello. What's your name?"

"Neville," This boy was too chipper, Scorpius decided, for such an early hour, "Neville Longbottom," So that's why his voice sounded familiar; it was Professor Longbottom who stared down at him. It explained why Scorpius had recognized him, but wasn't able to put a name to a face. Neville's voice hadn't deepened all the way, and the professor Scorpius knew had older facial features,

"What's yours then?" Scorpius heard Neville say.

"Sc-" About to blurt out 'Scorpius Malfoy', he slapped his hand over his mouth just in time. That would not go over well at all, "Er," Ignoring the confused looks about him, Scorpius looked directly at Neville, "Victor. Victor…" Right, Scorpius remembered, the 'story' Rose created, "Weasley,"

A small cough came from the red head in the group of gaggling boys, "We don't have any Victor's in our family," Ronald Weasley stated flatly, his blue eyes narrowed.

Well, to hell with that plan, Scorpius thought. He was a terrible liar and, despite that, was also unable to come up with a diversion on the spot. Perhaps that's why he wasn't sorted into Slytherin like his father but rather Gryffindor. It seemed as though all Slytherins had an unnatural ability to lie successfully. Which Scorpius didn't believe was a bad thing. In fact, such a trait would come in handy right about now.

"Er…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Scorpius propped himself up on an elbow, "Long lost relative? I dunno much, my parents never really talk about it."

"Yeah," Al agreed, "Our parents are rubbish with family. They don't keep up with it anymore. Mum's a muggle, you see." Scorpius sighed with relief. Al was able to convince people of all sorts of things. It wasn't lying, more like persuasion.

In any case, it worked. Ron grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything else on the topic.

Scorpius wasn't paying attention to the idle chat passing between the boys around his bed. He was thinking about his "dream" and about how everything in it had actually transpired the previous night. He really had kissed Rose, and she looked quite pleased about it. That was a thrilling prospect all by itself. Then there was the whole "becoming a Weasley" thing. Scorpius snuck a glance at Ron—it was odd to think he was the same age as them. Ron Weasley had learnt to accept the friendship between his daughter and Scorpius over time, but tension was always between them whilst in one another's company for too long. What would Ron—that is, the Mr. Weasley of Scorpius' time—say when he found out a Malfoy had been kissing his daughter?

Scorpius refused to gulp in nervous anticipation. He would stand up to Mr. Weasley if the time came.

If they even got back to their time.

The blasted time turner and bloody James… And his father.

His father was a Death Eater.

Scorpius' world tilted and swirled, his mouth going slack as he considered the aspect of his dad. His dad, the man who raised him, was a Death Eater. The prospect was sickening.

"Shit, Seamus, look attim, he looks like he's gonna be sick!" Someone who had not spoken yet mentioned uselessly.

Scorpius reached down and pinched his leg through the sheet. Hard. The faces of the boys came back into focus along with the pain of his nails digging into his skin. "Sorry," He muttered, avoiding everyone's eyes, "It was a long night,"

Harry and Al exchanged a brief look that Scorpius did not see. The boys gathered around the bed began to nod in affirmation, turning to Al or talking to each other. Scorpius stood, stretching his stiff muscles. For a split second he panicked, realizing that he had no robes, but then he remembered the trunk that had been placed at the end of his bed. Approaching it as if it were going to bite him, the young wizard took a deep, shuddering breath and yanked the top open.

Inside there were layers upon layers of clothes. Books were placed in neat stacks. There was a brown, over-the-shoulder bag for him to carry his things in, a cauldron, a brand new set of scales, and parchment, quills and what seemed like an endless supply of ink bottles. Scorpius saw a note sticking to the top of the robes. Picking up the parchment and unfolding it, Scorpius read the loopy hand writing-

S.M.,

I hope that you find everything according to size. If not, feel free to come see me after the day is done and we can arrange something for you. Please remember that the Forbidden Forrest is in fact off limits and the Black Lake is not a swimming pool.

Best Wishes,

A.D.

Scorpius reread the note. The man was bonkers! But in a genius sort of way that made one feel appreciated.

Snatching the Hogwarts uniform, Gryffindor tie, and black robes, Scorpius ran off to change. He hoped the bathrooms were in the same place, or else Scorpius was going to have a problem.

Scorpius, an outcast in his own common room for reasons he did not quite understand, was curled up in a ball reading when he heard their fight. Albus Potter and Rose Weasley were cousins, and the best of friends. Unfortunately, they were prone to arguing over the silliest things—looking back, Scorpius reckoned it was because of their gender difference. Eleven was an awkward age in which one must not be seen associating with a friend of the opposite sex too much.

"Maybe if you studied more, then you wouldn't come crying to me when you need something done,"

"Well, at least I have friends,"

"Oh yeah! I have friends too, you know!"

"Like who?"

"Well, there's Alice Longbottom…"

"She doesn't count, you've known her since you were in nappies,"

"Al, you are being a prat! You sound a lot like James right now…"

Then came the atomic bomb.

"Nobody likes you, Rose!"

Al froze, as did most of the common room. Slapping a hand over his mouth, the dark haired eleven year old looked immediately sorry. His green eyes got wide and his face paled, "Listen, Rose, I-I didn't mean it…"

A sound that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle echoed around the common room, which was now dead silent. It was muffled, but there was no doubt that it had come out of no other than THE Rose Weasley, the girl who never cried, even when she was 'accidentally' pushed down the stairs by some cruel Slytherin sixth years. Without a word, she got up, abandoning her books, rushing right past Scorpius and through the portrait hole. As soon as it slammed shut, whispers erupted.

Al hung his head, a defeated expression upon his face. Scorpius felt a rush of anger. He and Al weren't friends per se, but they sat next to each other in several classes and had engaged in perfectly normal conversation. But how could he say such mean things? Rose was bossy yes, but she was also helpful, and nice if one took the time to get to know her.

Without thinking, Scorpius put his bookmark in the book and slammed it shut. Leaving it on the chair he opened the portrait hole, shutting the Fat Lady painting as delicately as possible. His ears perked up as he listened for the sound of crying. He moved to the right, trying to detect where she might have gone. He left the corridor, moving his head from side to side, searching the empty classrooms on the floor. He was going to search the whole castle if it meant he could find Rose Weasley and cheer her up!

Sure they'd never talked, but Scorpius sometimes pretended they were friends. Only now he might have an opportunity to talk to her for real and he wasn't about to waste it.

Scorpius had been searching for at least twenty minutes before he heard the faint sound of sobbing from behind a tapestry. Pulling the thick material back, the blonde was not shocked when he found a wet-cheeked Rose Weasley. Sensing someone else in her presence she glanced up through watery blue eyes, her bottom lip puckering out in the most adorable gesture Scorpius had ever seen.

His eleven year old brain was not in any means interested in girls (they all had cooties, obviously), but his breath hitched in his throat when he saw her tear-stained cheeks. Without her permission, Scorpius sat next to her, his back to the wall. She turned her head to glare at him, but it wasn't very intimidating due to her red eyes and puffy cheeks. Scorpius didn't care. Rose Weasley was the prettiest specimen of girl he had ever had an encounter with.

"Hullo," The blonde smiled at the auburn-haired witch, "I'm Scorpius Mafloy,"

Rose's face darkened at the mention of his last name, "I know who you are, Malfoy,"

"Please, call me Scorpius. Or Scorp. Or Ius. I-I really don't care," Flushing a deep red, Scorpius diverted his eyes, staring instead at a small brown spider crawling by his foot on the floor. His mother often told him that he had a habit of saying things akin to "word vomit". Scorpius knew that what he'd just done definitely qualified as such.

"I don't want to call you anything," Rose sniffed, running a hand across her cheek to wipe away a tear, "Now can you leave me alone please?"

Scorpios ran a hand through his hair, "Listen, I don't want to fight with you, Rose, I just wanted to come and comfort you,"

She stood up so fast Scorpius almost got kicked in the gut.

"I do not need your help, Malfoy. I'm not an idiot, I know you're just the spawn of Death Eaters but—"

Scorpius stood too, his usually calm grey eyes stormy, "My Dad is not a Death Eater!" Rose looked as though she wanted to protest, but Scorpius wasn't hearing it. He turned away from her, talking to the wall was much easier, "Listen, I'm sorry. I just wanted to come and tell you that people do in fact enjoy your company,"

Before he could pull away the tapestry and leave Rose Weasley by herself, her voice came from behind him, "Like who?" It was almost timid, the way she said it. Rose wasn't a timid girl, from what Scorpius had seen of her. Despite her crying, she hadn't been exactly timid before. It was such an odd shift in character that Scorpius stood in place, still facing the wall.

"Like me, Rose. I like talking to you, especially when you're not accusing my family of being evil," Scorpios was sure that she'd yell at him or shove him or something, instead she flung her arms around his neck in an awkward backwards hug.

"Th-th-thank you Sc-Sc-Scorpius," Dear Merlin was she crying again? "I'm s-sorry I called your D-Dad a D-Death Eater," She buried her snotty nose against his neck, but Scorpius didn't even flinch. Normally the action would disturb him there was something different about Rose. He didn't mind her presence at all; snot or no.

They sat and talked for a while before Rose glanced at her watch and mentioned that they shouldn't be out after curfew. Scorpius and she had left the Common Room as acquaintances, but they came back as friends.

Yanking on his left trainer, Scorpius walked out of the lavatories, and through the dorm, catching Al as he finished his conversation with Dean Thomas.

"So here's the deal," Al muttered as they trotted down the steps to the common room, "Our parents are hardworking people who are distant with the rest of the family. They work abroad and have always taken us with them. However, they decided to send us to Hogwarts this year because most places require a NEWT level education. We got special permission from Dumbledore to come here, of course. Our parents got hung up with a job in another country, and that's why we couldn't come until now."

Scorpius remained silent for a second, just a second, before bursting into laughter.

"I-I-I..." Trying to regain control, Scorpius paused, leaning against the railing. He wasn't sure what made him laugh—perhaps it was Al's tone of voice. Or maybe it was the strangeness of the entire situation. Either way, once Scorpius started, he couldn't stop. It seemed to be an affliction he suffered from often.

"Scorpiuuuuuus this isn't funnnnny!" Al whined, stomping his feet like a child. This only made Scorpius burst into more choking half-laughs that sounded more like wheezes.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh… Al but it is don't you see!"

"Shut it, you bloody prat, we've got to get a move on!" Al yanked his friend's arm, forcing him to walk. Upon reaching the common room, much to Scorpius' delight, no one looked at them with sucpicion. In fact, everyone seemed to be too excited to bother with looking in the direction of the boy's dorms at all.

"Wonder what everyone is so bloody happy about…" Al muttered under his breath. Scorpius shrugged to appease his friend, not really hearing what he said. Instead, he was searching the room for Rose. She has to be around here somewhere…

A light tap on the shoulder made Scorpius spin about, only to be faced with a very young, very pretty Hermione Granger.

"Oh," She sounded a bit disappointed, "Sorry, I… I thought you were someone else," Scorpius ran a hand through his now red hair self-consciously, feeling as though someone had stuck him under a microscope. Hermione's eyes narrowed, a telltale sign that she was trying to place his face with a name, "I haven't seen you around here before… What's your name?"

"Victor," Giving no last name, Scorpius stuck his hand out, smiling when she took it.

"Victor… I was friends with someone named Victor for a while during fourth year… except he spelled it with a 'K'," She flushed a faint pink, and Scorpius had a sneaking suspicion that her and Viktor hadn't just been "friends". Before he could comment, Hermione was glancing over Scorpius' shoulder and asking, "Who's your friend?"

"This is my… brother…" Scorpius looked at Al for help.

"Benito," Taking her hand, Albus shook it heartily, "I'm not sure why my parents named me that, maybe because they took their honeymoon in Italy."

Scorpius added lightly, "Ah, yes, but we call him 'Lil Ben because he's barely old enough to be considered a sixth year at this school."

Dropping his future aunt's hand, Al glared at his best friend, "Screw you, Vicky,"

"You want to fight? Want to take this outside?" Scorpius asked tauntingly, raising an eye brow in jest.

"Boys, you're giving me a migraine and it isn't nine yet." A familiar voice came from directly behind Scorpius. Both he and Al dropped the tense posture they'd taken, and Scorpius turned to face Rose.

"Hullo," Scorpius scratched the back of his neck absently, trying not to imagine the kiss in the garden. He failed spectacularly of course. All he could focus on was the sight of her soft lips, their slight pucker—how easy it would be, to lean in—

"Can't you guys play nice, or do I need to put you in the corner for time out?" Rose's arms crossed over her chest, which Scorpius also found distracting.

"Listen, Ro—" Al started to say something, but Scorpius cut him off.

"No, it's not important, Benito, because we are about to miss breakfast if we don't get our sorry Gryffindor butts down there,"

Rose looked eternally grateful for Scorpius' interruption, but before he could say anything she turned to her mom and said, "Listen, do you want to walk down with us? I could use a helping hand, after all, I've never been here before…"

Scorpius almost snorted. What a load of bull shi-

"Sure!" The brunette's voice halted Scorpius' thoughts, "What's your name?"

"Elizabeth. Please, call me Lizzy if you want," As a side note, 'Lizzy' added, "Oh, and I'm related to these two bimbos," She jerked her thumbs back, gesturing to the two of them.

"Yep, we're twinsies, aren't we Lizabeth," Scorpius punched her casually in the shoulder, which Rose did not return. She merely glared at him, though it held no malice. Scorpius held up his hands in defeat.

Just then, Al's stomach growled rather loudly.

"We should probably go down to the Great Hall now…" Hermione mentioned. Sure enough, the common room was almost completely empty, save a few first years who were examining a large book.

"Right," Rose agreed, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "Let's go,"

"You won't need that," Hermione told her future daughter, motioning towards the bag, "There's a Quidditch game today,"

"Really?" Al asked immediately, jumping up and down with excitement, "Against who?"

"Slytherin, who else!" A particularly nosy first year called. Hermione smiled at the boy as a means of thanks. Scorpius followed Rose, Hermione, and Albus out of the portrait hole and down the hall. While he was desperate to get home, he was also looking forward to the Quidditch match. He wanted to see his father play—Scorpius was sure his father had mentioned being on the school team at some point. Plus, Scorpius loved Quidditch.

Almost as much as he loved breakfast at Hogwarts. From halfway up the staircase in the entry hall, Scorpius could smell it. He quickened his pace to catch up with his friends. Rose was discussing "Hogwarts: A History" with her mother, though Scorpius could tell she was keeping it light to avoid mentioning things about the future Hogwarts. Meanwhile Albus was making eyes at a group of girls passing them on the staircase. He was trying not to be obvious about it, but he failed miserably.

Today was going to be interesting. There was no doubt about it.

"I can't believe it, I just can't believe it!" Hermione ranted to a very bored Scorpius as they waited for the game to start, "Felix Felicis is a luck potion… and that's cheating!" Honestly, Scorpius didn't see the big deal.

Sure, Harry had been acting weird by slipping Ron some not-so-subtly at breakfast, but then again, who cared? It was just a little luck before a big, important, nerve-wracking game. Who got that upset over a little advantage? Scorpius knew Rose took rule-following very carefully, and now he knew where she got it from.

Not like Scorpius had anything against the 'Brightest Witch of Her Age'. She was a great conversationalist, she had a genuine smile and a good heart. However, she was a bossier than Rose during OWL week!

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game began.

Scorpius zoned out for most of the game. His earlier excitement about seeing his father play had all but dissipated. He was remembering the way he'd seen his dad act the previous night, and it wasn't as enticing a prospect anymore. Plus, Scorpius couldn't see the familiar blonde hair out on the pitch. Scorpius wasn't even sure his dad was playing.

Plus, Reality had begun to settle in, and the terrifying prospect of it all had started to drag him under. It's 1996, it's 1996, it's 1996! I'm sitting next to a girl who I know as Mrs. Weasley, or 'Rose's Mum' at sixteen! How are we going to get home, how are we going to live here, what if we never get home and-

"YES!" Harry Potter cried as he landed the broom on the pitch, a glittering gold ball (the snitch Scorpius realized) clutched tightly in his fist. On auto-pilot Scorpius jumped up, screaming with the rest of the crowd. Al's voice practically drown out his own and Rose, who was sitting on the other side of Al, looked exceptionally pleased.

"Oh my God we won!" Hermione jumped up and down, grabbing the first person she could find.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Scorpius felt Hermione Granger jump into against him. In order to support her, Scorpius pulled his hands to her waist. The turn of events was quite surprising, for the both of them. Without realizing how caught up they were in the excitement of winning, without her even acknowledging what she was doing, Hermione kissed him.