Summary: Scorpius didn't want to face the fact that his mother was dying, the truth hurts, after all.

Rated: K

Genre: Family

Warning Tag: References Terminal Illness; Grief/Mourning

Competition/Challenge Block:
Written For: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 3); Hogwarts (Term 14)

Hogwarts: Ravenclaw: A.6; Healer Studies (#11: Write about doubting the truth of something.)

MC4A: Sp Bingo (4E-Struggle); Link; Fence (Machismo) T3 (Terse; Thimble); ICs (In a Flash; Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon (Y); Zed Era (Y); Ravenclaw MC; Old Shoes (Y)

Word Count: 419

Truths Become Reality

Scorpius knew since he was small that his mother was unwell. His parents did their best to hide this unsightly truth from his innocence, however, implying that she could get better and that the healers would do their best to help make that happen. This had skewed his perspective on his mother's health and quality of life by riding on the unsaid promise that she would in fact recover and live a long, happy life.

However, this warped viewpoint hindered Scorpius' acceptance of what was really going on within his family, the false sense of comfort and security that the healers and muggle doctors are doing everything they can for his mother and he put his complete faith in them and the empty not-quite promises from his father. They wouldn't lie to him about anything, but he knew that they would twist the truth to protect him. They wanted him to be happy, to be carefree, to not worry.

But underneath it all, Scorpius knew she was dying a slow, painful death. Each day would steal a little bit more of her, and he would refuse to leave her side and miss those precious seconds with her. For some reason, he still liked to hold onto that small hope that she will take a turn for the better, to defy her fate and the truths that he refused to see around him. His small family would stay strong, united, together.

Until they weren't.

The truth was still there, as real as the air he breathed and the food he ate. The false reality he created with the help of his parents shattered like the mirror in his room, it burned like the tears that streaked down his face and blinded him, it ached like the emptiness that was left where his heart was.

No matter how much he wanted to deny the truth about his mother, it didn't make it go away. The doctors, the healers, they didn't do what they said they would, and now he had no mother to read to him, to sing to him, to listen to him play the piano or pick the fruit from the trees. There would be no more soup when he was sick or sweets shared between them when Father wasn't looking.

All they had were each other now, this was now their reality.