Rated: T

Genre: Hurt/ Comfort, Angst

Summary: It's Scorpius' seventeenth birthday, but he was in no mood to celebrate.

Word Count: (Per Google Docs) 1,672

Warning: Mourning,Trigger-Inducing Panic Attack

Author's Note: I tried to use the "hiding" prompt in multiple ways, from hiding feelings, to someone hiding an object, to secret presents, etc. Etc. Same with the song prompt.

I headcanon the Greengrass' to be Greek, so "Yaya" means "Grandmother".

Moonlight to My Starlight

.oOo.

Somewhere out there, if love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

— - Somewhere Out There; An American Tail

.oOo.

Scorpius stared at his reflection in the floor length mirror, checking his midnight blue dress robes for wrinkles a third time and poked at that one piece of hair that was always out of place despite product keeping the rest in line. Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled, leaving the condensation on the mirror when he turned around at the sound of knocking on the door.

"Are you ready, Scorpius?" His grandmother, Narcissa, asked as she opened the door. She smiled at him as she approached. "You look quite handsome."

He returned the compliment with a weak smile, taking one last look at himself before addressing Narcissa. "Ready as I can be."

She adjusted the black tie peppered with stars—one of the last gifts Astoria had given him before her death—before exiting his room. They walked down the corridor to the first floor entrance of the ballroom where Scorpius' coming-of-age party was being held. Narcissa spoke to him the whole time, but he didn't hear a single word of what she said. It was his seventeenth birthday today, and even though he was about to enter a room where his friends and family waited to celebrate with him, he had never felt more lost and alone.

Helen Greengrass—Scorpius' other grandmother he affectionately referred to as Yaya—waited for them at the door. She smiled brightly at Scorpius and pulled him into a hug, placing a kiss on his temple when she pulled away. "You look dashing, my dear."

She swept her hand over the rebellious piece of hair that didn't want to stay down before squeezing his bicep. Scorpius wished that his grandmothers would stop prodding at him and let him be, but he was too lost in his thoughts to protest.

"Your father is waiting. Shall we?" Helen prompted, to which Narcissa signaled through the frosted glass doors at Draco, informing him they were ready before Scorpius answered.

He sighed despite himself but put on a believable smile and a weak nod, watching as the French bi-fold doors glided open before him, revealing the balcony and winding staircases on either side.

Scorpius never thought he would miss his mother more than he already did until today. Maybe it was because his grandmothers were escorting and presenting him instead of her. Or it was the decorated ballroom he entered that caused his breath to hitch at the night sky theme they had insisted upon. Perhaps it was because her death day was in just a few days from now and he dreaded it.

Only a mere four years had passed, after all, and Scorpius still wasn't ready to move on like everyone else seemed to have done.

Whatever it was, it made his chest tight throughout the entire ceremony. His grey eyes swept the room to seek out his best friend, but all he could see were the decorations of shooting stars, twinkling lights, and chimes of soft music playing as he descended. He hated everything about it and wished he was more vocal in his opinion when the plans were being set in motion.

Echoes of her voice haunted him throughout the evening. Even spending every available second with Albus, Anthony, and Cecilia couldn't keep his mind from wandering to her.

"Whatever happens, my Starlight, remember you can always look to the heavens knowing I'll be looking, too," Astoria had always said.

"Oh, there you are, Scorpius," Helen chimed in, pulling Scorpius to the present. "I have been looking for you."

He was pulled back to the present and straightened his posture in the chair, only now realizing that his friends had dispersed, leaving him alone. "Well, you found me, Yaya."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a little squeeze. "I hope you are enjoying yourself."

Scorpius nodded, fidgeting with his sleeve. "I am. I still think it was unnecessary."

"Every child deserves to have a coming-of-age party," she said.

"You know what I mean, Yaya," Scorpius said, tone flat.

Helen took in a breath. "I know that you and your mother shared a bond over your passion for the stars and skies, and I thought you'd feel like she was here with you on your special day by having this theme."

Scorpius fought back the urge to throw up or snap. He knew that she meant well, but she was also the type to be a bit insensitive at the worst of times.

"It's fine," Scorpius said barely above a whisper.

Helen put her smile back on and placed a small silver box on the table. "Happy Birthday, Scorpius."

"It's not gift time," he said, smirking despite himself.

Albus had already given him a gift under the radar already. It was a Weasley product—a strictly forbidden brand in the Manor—but having his grandmother break the rules as well was a little shocking.

She leaned in close to him. "Let it be our little secret, hmm?" she said, putting a finger to her lips.

Scorpius wasted no time opening it, Helen always gave good gifts. When he laid eyes on the locket his smirk vanished from his features, and he pulled his hand away from the metal as if it burned him.

"Wh—Where did you get this?" he whispered, heart slamming in his chest, unable to tear his eyes from it.

"It was in your mother's things, and I thought that she'd want you to—"

"No," he snapped, "This was supposed to be buried with her! Why do you have it?"

"There's no need to raise your voice—"

Scorpius got to his feet, glaring at his grandmother. "Unlike you, Yaya, I haven't packed everything of her away and moved on like she was a terrible inconvenience to me, and now you're giving me something that should be with her without even considering my feelings on the fact that I've been thinking of nothing and nobody but her ever since!"

Helen looked like she had been slapped, but before she was able to respond, Scorpius snatched the box and took off, uncaring of the stares he received by those who overheard him. He didn't even see Albus as he stormed out of the party, tunnel vision even tuned out his own father calling after him. He just needed to get away from everyone.

His father had her portrait put up with the rest of their ancestors, but Scorpius refused to interact with it because he felt like it was an insult to her memory. It wasn't the same speaking to a painting who was nothing but a shell of the person they once were. Scorpius never set foot in that corridor until he found himself stalling at its threshold, yearning for his mother's comfort—or any semblance of it he could receive from the portrait at least. He swallowed hard, allowing the tears to well, but he couldn't make himself go see her.

Scorpius took a longer path around to reach the balcony instead. Finally able to breathe for the first time in hours, he leaned heavily on the high railing and looked at the locket again through blurry eyes. Touching the engraving on it that said Your Starlight, he pulled it out of the box and opened it with a shaky hand to see the picture of a much younger him and Astoria smiling back while they hugged. She then placed a kiss on his cheek and he giggled.

He brushed his fingers over his own cheek.

Beneath the pale Moonlight, I will always be your Starlight.

It was the first Mother's Day gift he had given to her, hand picked himself when he was about five years old. He could have sworn that she was buried with it…

Hearing someone approach, he pocketed the locket and wiped his face. "I suppose you don't—oh. Hey Al."

"Hey, Scorp," Albus said.

Scorpius let a moment pass, taking in a heavy breath. "Were you sent to find me?"

Albus scratched the back of his head, knowing that Scorpius meant no offense to the question. He approached and leaned on the rail next to him. "No, I followed on my own accord to make sure my best friend is alright."

Scorpius let out another heavy breath, trying to keep himself together as he looked up at the stars twinkling above them. "I'm not."

"I know," he said.

The quiet air whispered around them for several seconds.

"It was quite the nightmare," Albus continued, "l saw the horror written all over you. Your granmum really is uh… tactless. Here I thought that title would never be usurped from your granddad."

Scorpius snorted at the comment. Albus knew the significance behind Scorpius' love for astronomy and its lore, and knew to never cross the line on it. "Both my grandmothers thought it was a great idea. My opinion be damned."

Albus clapped a hand over his back, offering comfort. "You have every right to be mad. I'd be, too. I'm really sorry that they ruined your party in the absolute worst way possible."

They let the soft breeze silence them again for a moment while Scorpius gathered his barings.

"You know what this party needs?" Albus asked after a while, pulling out several smuggled Weasley goods from his pockets.

"For me to wake up from this nightmare and have a normal birthday?" Scorpius murmured, not paying attention to what Albus was doing.

The next thing he knew the sky above him lit up in a bright assortment of colors, quickly followed by a loud boom that resounded in Scorpius' chest. The smile that crept across his face only broadened when another huge one went off and took the shape of a bronze and blue scorpion that danced around in the sky.

"Uncle George does custom orders now," Albus said, setting up the last one before standing by Scorpius to watch the finale unfold.

"Happy Birthday, Scorpius."