When Scorpius woke up the next day, he saw he had overslept himself again. Even Vinny, who usually woke just in time to catch the last few minutes of breakfast, was already gone. He stood up, rubbed his eyes and wished Vinny had woken him. He doubted there was time to even shower.

Ten minutes later he turned on the water, hoping today would be better than yesterday. His track record could handle any more detentions, and he was tired. Tired of having bad luck and sucky timing, and just tired. It had been late before he was able to crawl into bed the day before.

He made his way down to the great hall with water still dripping from his hair, hoping against his better judgment that there would still be some food left. There wasn't, and he was late for transfiguration, which sucked because the Rivers didn't let tardiness slip by. He would have to get used to rising early after a late night, he realised, with all the detention he had gathered. He was already behind on homework as it was. Maybe he should ask Vinny to wake him up in the future. Maybe he shouldn't have sent hexes his way when he had done so in the past.

~~~~.~~~

"You're late, mate," Vinny said, grinning like a fool. Scorpius plumped down on the bunk in the back of the classroom and yawned. "And you look like shit. long night?"

Scorpius jerked his head and mentioned for him to be quiet. He looked over at Rivers, who was oblivious and kept lecturing. Vinny laughed. Scorpius arched an eyebrow in a silent question.

"There are pictured mate. Beautiful pictures. I don't know who took them but I do know they are hanging all over the school."

"Did your porn stack get leaked?" Scorpius asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Better." Vinny handed him a tiny little picture. It was no larger than his thumb. Scorpius looked at it and a grin spread across his face. "Where'd you get this?" he asked, excitement sparking him awake.

"Nicked it from the postboard in the common room. They are everywhere mate. You didn't know about this?"

"I certainly knew about this," Scorpius said, gesturing to the taveral that was playing on the picture. "I didn't know the rest of the castle did too, though. I hoped one or two early risers might have seen them before they were taken down, but that was about how far I dared to dream."

"It's perfect, mate," Vinny said.

"Why do you keep calling me mate?"

Vinny ignored him and took the photo back. Scorpius took one last look at the dangling red heads, hanging over the swamp.

"I knew I could count on you. This is absolutely perfect. I'll have Lily spread across my bed like that..."

"Please stop talking," Scorpius interrupted him. "I'm going to be sick."

"I didn't show them to Lisa yet," Vinny said. "You know how she dislikes Lily. I thought it'd be fun for you to show her. You know, you two, alone, together."

"It's creepy how you keep trying to set me up with your sister. You know that, right?"

"Don't fight it. I know you're secretly grateful I'm trying to save your love life."

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"My love life is not in need of saving."

"I disagree. How about a wager?"

Scorpius, who had won the last three wagers, didn't see a problem with making a little free money. He looked around to see if anyone had heard them.

"what are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I bet you can't find yourself a girlfriend by the end of the year."

"is your bet solely meant to insult me?" Scorpius asked, rubbing his temples. He didn't fancy going around and trying to pick himself up some bird. People hated him and he didn't have time. He didn't want a girlfriend.

"You're a chicken, Scorpius."

He was not a coward.

"you are on."

~~~.~~~

"Malfoy." The prefect bird that sentenced him to no social life ambushed him on his way to supper. "Tonight is your first detention. You report to Hagrid. 7 P.M. Don't be late."

Scorpius arched an eyebrow. "To Hagrid?" he asked. "No lines for me?" His hand was grateful. It throbbed at the thought of writing for hours on end.

She gave him a crooked smile. "No, not this time. The thought was that you would actually make yourself useful. I wanted to assign you to Filch's care, but apparently Potter got that covered for the rest of the semester, so hagrid will have to do. I know it's a joke in comparison, so count yourself lucky."

"I can't decide whether you're an angel or a demon." Scorpius said, giving her a slight curtsy.

"Demon," she said. "I would have fed you to Filch and not thought twice about it."

Scorpius winced. "Rough. People are better when they show their bad side."

The bird giggled and walked away before Scorpius realised how that sounded.

"I didn't mean it like that," he muttered as he continued his way up to the great hall.

~~~.~~~

Lisa had never been someone to beat around the bush, so when Scorpius sat down next to her in the common room she turned to him and slapped him before hugging him. Scorpius' cheek stung and he frowned as he looked down on the messy black bun that was hugging his chest.

"I can't believe you took all the credit for it," she said. "but thank you for saving me back there. It was oddly… chivalrous."

Scorpius rubbed his temples and when she released him he welcomed the air could breath once again. Her hair tickled his face.

"Did you take the photo?" He asked. It had been burning on his mind all day, but whenever he saw her, there were too many people around. Rumours and secrets had a way of traveling through hogwarts faster than even Filch could, and he knew all the secret passage ways. It was a miracle it hadn't gotten around yet that he had done it. Scorpius was keen on no one finding out he had attacked, stripped and hung three of the most loved students in the school.

Lisa looked at him. "I didn't, I thought you did."

Scorpius. shook his head. "I nearly shit my pants when Vinny showed me. Good thing that old hag Rivers never notices a thing."

Lisa scowled. "Vinny showed me squat. Why do you always get all the credit."

"You want the credit?" Scorpius asked, crossing his arms. "Just tell anyone you did it. I have no problem with you taking over my detentions."

"That much?"

"More. Three a week till Easter."

She winched. "It's my fault." Scorpius shrugged. It was, but he didn't mind. He could have done something stupid just as easily. He told her so, but she didn't buy it.

"I am so sorry Scorp."

"It's okay, really. They're just making me do errands for Hagrid. Noting mejor. Just promise you won't tell anyone we did it. I don't fancy giving those idiots any more of a reason to come after me."

Lisa turned back to the pile of books she had build around her like a ford. The parchment in front of her had several striped out sentences on them and her quill had bite marks on them. There was an ink stain on her arm. A curl was released from the bum on top of her head and fell across her face, dangling in front of her eyes. She pulled it back behind her ear. Her cheeks were a bright red.

"I won't tell on you, you know that."

"Just checking."

"If there is anything I can do…"

Scorpius smiled and petted Lisa on her head. "I'm fine, thanks." Lisa smiled slightly and didn't look at him. She twirled the one loose curl around her finger. "I know, just… you know, formalities."

Scorpius nodded. "I know," he said. "I have to go. Detention." Lisa didn't look at him. her cheeks were still aflame. Scorpius wondered how warm her sweaters mustn't be.

"Thank you Lisa," He said as he departed.

It was already cold on the grounds and Scorpius was glad he had taken the time to change out of his robes and into some warmer clothes. He sank his hands deep into his pockets. His fingers were always cold, he had gotten his mothers bad circulation, but now it felt like they were freezing off. The air he breathed was slightly visible. Every step closer to the forest it seemed to get colder.

Witchin Hagrids shack burned a warm fire. It stood out against the forest like a burning star against the night air. Scorpius took bigger steps as he continued along the sandy little path that had been slowly cut out of the grass by thousands of students making their way across it over the decades. The last few yards had been paved in rough, uneven stone and Scorpius had to be careful not to stumble in the twilight.

"Who's there?" Hagrids gruff voice sounded through the door.

"It's me, Hagrid." Scorpius called.

The door shook and slammed open. Scorpius saw Fang lift his head in the corner of the room. He barfed and put his head back down between his paws. Hagrid let out a marry chuckle upon seeing Scorpius.

`Yeh got yerself inter trouble, didn´ yeh?" His eyes shined from behind thick, salt and pepper hair. "didn' know 't was you they were sendin'."

Scorpius smiled sourly.

Hagrid clapped him on the back, driving the air out him and laughed. "Makes it one hell o' a lot easier, it does. yeh got yer way 'round the beast, yeh do. Yeh migh' be able to really help. No pressure, I don't 'spect much."

"What are we doing, Hagrid?" Socprius asked.

"They didn' tell yeh?" Hagrid asked. "yeh're to help me do check up's in the fores'. Nothin' much, jus walkin' 'round to see if anything's died yet an' if the animals are fine." He scraped his throat and said more quietly, "Maybe yeh should lemme take the north side." Scorpius, who had heard the stories about the man sides spiders that lived there, didn't see any reason to object and nodded vigorously.

"If yeh get yerself inter trouble, jus shoot up some red spark." Hagrid said when they were walking up to the forest. "I'm goin' ter sent Fang with yeh, but don' count on 'im. He's a big coward, tha' one."

Scorpius nodded.

"Yeh know how ter see when a plant's dead?"

Scorpius nodded again. He gripped his wand. Hagrid looked him in the eye. "Don' go wanderin' too far, we only need to check 'till a mile in. tha's where the trees grow 'bout four yards 'part."

"Why not everything?" Scorpius asked His voice cracked.

"everythin' beyond ain't school property anymore."

Scorpius nodded one last time and nudged Fang. The sun already hung low and the shadows were long in the forest. They seemed to dance between the trees like the stories said the centaurs did once the stars showed themselves.

"Scorpius," Hagrid called when Scorpius entered the forest. Scorpius stopped and turned, Hagrid scratched his beard. "Be careful, 'right? don' want yeh ter get hurt on my watch."

~~~.~~~

Scorpius had been in the forest plenty of times. Care of magical creatures was one of his N.E.W.T subjects and he had snuck out here often enough on his own to escape the people in the castle, but somehow the forest seemed different when the sun went to sleep. The trees seemed taller and the brushes housed creatures, not all of which wanted Scorpius there. When he walked into a spider web, he thought his heart stopped.

"It's alright Fang," Scorpius spoke. "Nothing's wrong. It's all alright."

Fang whined and pressed his wet nose against Scorpius' hand. Scorpius scratched him and looked around, searching for anything out of place. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for.

He kneeled by a black flower and held his wand closer to see. the light made the plant recoil. Scorpius whispered a few words under his breath. The plant was completely healthy. No deadly plant disease that would kill the entire forest. Crisis averted. Hagrid had better thank him. He let out a breath and stood up.

He was slowly getting further into the forest. He heard something rustle. "Just a bird, Fang," Scorpius told the old dog. Fang barked, and after a few passes, Scorpius realised he had stopped following.

"What's wrong, Fang?" Scorpius asked. Fang let out another bark. He was showing his teeth and was crouching. Before Scorpius knew what was happening, he had taken off was was chasing something through the forest, weaving through the trees. Scorpius cursed and took off behind him, hopelessly chasing a creature more agile than him. With ever log hanging branch he dodged he saw Fang get further ahead.

"Damn that old good for nothing dog. One time I see him run, and it's in the middle of a dangerous forest where I do not want to get hurt. Fang!" Scorpius cursed. "Fucking useless."

He lost the dog out of eye and the trail was hard to follow.

"Fang!" He yelled again. "Bloody hell, Fang!"

Then he heard something that had no place in the forest, nor in any forest. It was high and shrill. It quivered through the air, dancing over the wind.

A scream.

Scorpius stopped running. His head jerked but he couldn't make out where the scream had come from. Was a centaur in trouble? Had a student stupidly gone into the forest and gotten lost?

"Fang!" Scorpius called again, but the dog was gone.

Scorpius looked around.

There the sound was again. Closer. It had come from his left, he was sure of it. Scorpius looked, but he could make out nothing between the threes in the ever darkening twilight. Scorpius dimmed his wand and crept closer, trying to make as little sound as possible. He didn't want to alert whatever it was.

He heard a bark and loud breathing, something heavy hitting the ground. Feet trampling the forest ground. Branches snapping. He looked around the tree and right in front of his passed a shadow, dancing between the trees in the starlight. Red followed her, and so did Fang.

It was a girl, not a shadow, and she was fleeing. She must have been what upset Fang. Scorpius ran after the two, not quite sure what to make of the situation.