IX
Scorpius sat with his nose deep into the book. On the table lay plenty of them, either. He took the seat in the last row in the library and tried to learn more about the subjects McGonagall told him about. If he wanted to learn with the Headmaster, he had to catch up in many fields - he didn't want to look ignorant.
Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do on a Sunday afternoon, but alternatively, Scorpius could play the Wizard's Chess with Zack or bet the next Quidditch match with Karl. Neither of them was an entertainment he couldn't miss.
Scorpius was the only guest in the library. Even Mrs Pince left somewhere - probably she didn't want to lose an afternoon for one student. There was uninterrupted silence.
Uninterrupted since someone opened the library's door. Scorpius raised his eyes slightly and sighed with barely hidden irritation. Albus Potter came inside, and he rather didn't want to read any book because he crossed the library and walked towards Scorpius.
Be cursed the Marauders Map - wherever Scorpius hid, Potter might find him.
Scorpius rested his heavy head on his arms and cast Gryffindor a reluctant look. Potter didn't notice - or didn't want to notice - that he wasn't welcome here. He stopped a few steps away, smiled a little, and drew his wand.
If it were anyone else, Scorpius would be disturbed, but currently, he knew exactly what happened.
"Rictusempra." Scorpius quickly cast a charm.
"Protego!"
Scorpius' charm came through the air and hit the shield cast by Potter.
"Great… you learned the basic defensive charm. Now, you can protect yourself if someone would like to cast pimples on your nose."
Albus hid his wand and crossed his arms over his chest.
"It is perfect. Now I know where to go when I need some help."
Scorpius shook his head.
"I signed up for a one-time service."
Potter took one of the nearest chairs and sat in front of Scorpius.
"Does everything have to be some kind of transaction for you?"
"Slytherin, remember?"
"Sometimes I forget about it, like when you had come to the greenhouse."
"I had my reasons. I'm not the type of good Samaritan."
Potter shrugged, not bothered by Scorpius' comment.
"If you say so."
At that moment, Scorpius began to wonder when Potter started to behave so casually in his company. Did it start after their meeting in the Room of Requirement? Whatever caused that, Scorpius wasn't sure if he liked it.
"Are you not afraid that someone will find you in my company anymore?" Scorpius asked, flipping a few pages in the book.
Potter shook his head slightly.
"I don't care. All my life, I've tried not to pay too much attention to who my father is. I don't want to be a hypocrite, so I shouldn't think about yours. I prefer to take into account who you are… and it seems I like you. You're okay."
Scorpius raised his eyebrows and looked at Potter with disbelief. He didn't know what to say to that. Happily, a sudden noise from the door saved him from that problem. They both looked in that direction, but a lock of red hair was the only thing they saw before the door closed.
Scorpius was about to stand up and check it, but Potter stopped him with a wave of his hand and checked it on his own. He looked at the corridor. For a while, he talked with someone, then he opened the door wider and left inside a short, little girl with red hair.
She looked a little like someone from the Weasley clan, but not by the face - that was very similar to Potter's.
Albus pulled her by the hand through the library towards Scorpius.
"It's my little sister, Lily," he explained. "She acts a little weird, but don't worry, she simply is afraid of you."
"I'm not afraid at all," the girl pouted. "But he is the Slytherin."
It seemed that James was the greatest authority for the young Potter girl.
"Don't worry, I don't bite," Scorpius said with a vile smile on his face. "Sometimes, I only spread the poison in others' lives. After all, I'm a snake."
Lily took two steps back and looked at her brother with fear. Potter only shook his head and then sat on the chair he had occupied before.
"Nobody holds you here."
The girl pursed her lips in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'll stay," she said firmly.
Scorpius exhaled deeply; as if one Potter wasn't enough.
Lily Potter, although young and scared, was the Gryffindor in all meaning. She wasn't going to run from Scorpius, but she faced him with her head high. It didn't matter that Scorpius wasn't any real danger to her. In her eyes, he was a filthy, sneaky Slytherin, preying on her brother's naivety.
Scorpius wasn't bothered by her critical eyes; there was something much more interesting.
"I was thinking that red hair is reserved for Weasleys," he said, looking at Albus.
Potter laughed shortly, then nodded.
"That's true. Lily took her hair from our mother, who is from that family. Unfortunately, not only hair, a nasty character too."
The girl grabbed her hips and glanced angrily at her brother.
"I have only brothers, just like mom, so I have to be tough."
"You forget that she had six older brothers, but you have only two."
"It doesn't matter. James can be enough for the four, and you are not better."
Watching that scene, suddenly Scorpius felt strongly uneasy. It wasn't his place to listen to that. It shouldn't interest him, they shouldn't interest him. They lived behind the glass wall, in a place Scorpius wasn't allowed. Their world was simple and happy. Why did they come here, exactly? He didn't need their company, and moreover, he didn't want to know how many siblings had their mother. He didn't care and had better, much more interesting things to do than listen to their babbling. They only irritated him.
Why couldn't he bring up a few sincere words that would effectively drive them out of the library?
"Do you have some siblings?" Lily asked suddenly. It seemed she had to calm down a little because her voice had lost its anxious tone.
"No, I haven't," Scorpius replied and seeing as the girl opened her mouth, he quickly added. "It's a family tradition. Through the centuries, in the Malfoy family, there was always only one male child."
"It's… sad."
Scorpius shrugged. He didn't know what to say to that statement. He never thought too much about that aspect of his life - never tried to imagine how it would be to have siblings. He didn't need that.
"At least nobody bothers me," Scorpius added, hiding his thoughts behind a mischievous smile.
"And are you all alone with your parents on holiday?"
That question at once brought a memory of the last Holidays and everything that had happened then.
"Usually - yes," Scorpius murmured, more and more irritated. He truly didn't want to discuss his family life. It was a very nasty topic. "But it doesn't matter because I won't come home on the next holiday break."
"You stay at Hogwarts?" asked Albus. "McGonagall told you to?"
That was enough for him. Scorpius stood up and began to gather books and his notes. He tried very hard to hide his irritation, but his gestures and movements were far too nervous.
He put all the books in one pile and carried them to Mrs. Pince's desk, all the time feeling surprised looks of Potter siblings at his back. He just wanted to leave that place, but he felt that it would be a very cowardly action, so in the end, he turned around and looked at Gryffindors, not hiding his anger anymore.
"Last time, when I came back for Christmas, I had fought with my father so hard that he threatened to throw me out of the house. Sorry, but I'm not going to give him an opportunity to fulfil the threat."
Potters' expressions were priceless; as if suddenly, the ugly reality came and told them that not everyone lived in their pink, full-of-fairytales world.
Feeling the dark satisfaction, Scorpius walked towards the door.
"In that case, come with us," Lily called after him.
Scorpius stopped in the middle of his way and frowned. He clearly heard something in Lily's voice that he never wanted to hear in his direction, and he felt sick because of that. He curled his fists and hissed, not looking at them.
"Sod off with your pity. I don't need it, the same as I don't need your concern. I don't need anything!"
After these words, he left the library, shutting the door behind him.
Irritated to the core, Scorpius couldn't sleep that night, and when he finally fell asleep, the dawn came unexpectedly quickly. Like a zombie, he came down on breakfast and almost fell asleep on the History of Magic. Not better was on Divination - with all these pillows on the floor and fumes of incense - it dulled the rest of his senses.
However, when Scorpius entered the dungeon - where the Potions lessons took place - he woke up completely. He spotted a disturbing look on Potter's face and remembered what had happened the previous day and what upset him so much. He didn't look at Potter when he walked to his stand, but throughout the whole lesson, he had a feeling that the Gryffindor observed him. In the end, he almost burned up his potion, but happily, that time, he worked with Esther, and she saved the day - and their work as well.
More upset than he wanted to admit, Scorpius left the dungeon after the lesson and walked straight to McGonagall's office.
It was his fourth meeting with the Headmaster, and that day, she waited for him with a couple of books spread out on the desk.
When Scorpius came there for the first time willingly, McGonagall didn't look surprised. It seemed she was sure that he took her proposition. That day, they had talked a lot about what charms and in what order he should learn. He had never thought about it before, but McGonagall showed him how important that order would be when one charm is connected to another.
The next two meetings they spent searching through McGonagall's books for topics that Scorpius needed to understand before he began a much more practical training. That day, they continued that task with the help of everything that Scorpius read at the library.
Scorpius tried to understand the more complicated formula, and the silence of the office was disrupted only by the ticking of the ancient clock. However, Scorpius was distracted, and after a while, he noticed he read the same sentence the third time. The whole day, he had a problem with focusing his thoughts, but at the moment, it reached the top. He was completely drawn away. Too many thoughts, too many questions.
Scorpius sighed slightly and closed the book. That attracted the Headmaster's attention.
"Why are you doing this, professor?" Scorpius asked before he could think about what exactly he wanted to say.
McGonagall looked at him a little alarmed, but he continued:
"I thought you were going to throw me out. According to the Ministry…"
"Would it stop you?" The Headmaster interrupted him.
Scorpius shrugged.
"I can't use magic outside Hogwarts."
"In England. In Ireland, it is prohibited only for children under fifteen. In Portugal, there are no restrictions at all. I would have to be very naive to assume that age-related restrictions would deter you."
Scorpius was right; she wanted to have an eye on him. Perhaps, in her opinion, it was better to control what he learned than to leave him on his own.
"But that wasn't the main reason. Of course, your actions were dangerous and could have severe consequences, but stopping you wasn't my goal." Saying that, McGonagall took off her glasses and put them on the book in front of her. "We are at Hogwarts; as a teacher, I should help students to grow, not cut their wings."
"I assume there are many who won't agree with you. Everyone thinks that these kinds of rules should apply to all Houses, but not to Slytherin."
Maybe he shouldn't say it so openly, but everyone knew how it was in reality. From the beginning, he wasn't treated like students from other Houses.
"If it would be Potter in my place," Scorpius added, not fully controlling his emotions. "Everyone would praise his determination. In my case, they see only danger. So, please, spare me that crap about teacher's responsibilities."
McGonagall's expression stayed unreadable. However, the Headmaster watched him with piercing eyes as if she wanted to look into his mind. Then she exhaled deeply, stood up and came to the window, looking outside with the same sharp eyes.
"In my opinion, the Ministry's strategy sooner or later will cause a tragedy. They are acting with pure intention, but their decisions are provided by fear - and that is never a good advisor. They worry so much about not repeating the disaster that took place twenty years ago that they lost their common sense. It seems the Minister of Magic forgot about a few important details."
Scorpius watched her with a question in his eyes. He didn't understand what she meant.
"Details?"
The shadow of a sad smile appeared on McGonagall's face when she looked at him.
"Nobody talked about it aloud, and I think the Ministry would like to erase these facts from the pages of history. The most important one is that Gryffindor student was responsible for the death of James and Lily Potter."
First, to Scorpius' mind came the image of Albus' siblings, but he quickly understood that McGonagall talked about their grandparents - murdered by the Dark Lord - Harry Potter's parents.
"The same student, several years later, helped in the rebirth of Voldemort. He was the most devoted Dark Lord's servant. The Ministry also forgot about how great meaning for the last war Severus Snape had and what price he had to pay for his actions. They didn't want to think about it because it doesn't fit in their view of the world."
Scorpius was truly surprised by the Headmaster's words. He didn't know the history of the last war in detail, but he never thought that someone from Gryffindor could support the Dark Lord. Apparently, the Ministry achieved its goal of indoctrination since, even for him, it was difficult to imagine.
"I prefer to think that the world is not only black and white, Malfoy," McGonagall continued. "The only things we should fight with are hate and jealousy because they are the ground for every misfortune. Voldemort's power came from his hate for muggles, muggle-born, half-blood wizards and everyone else who thought differently than him. He was consumed by that hate. I think he even hated those who served him."
Suddenly, the Headmaster sighed heavily and, one more time, looked outside.
"Maybe I'm wrong, and history will curse my decisions. My famous predecessor seemed to know all the answers, but in the end, he was wrong in so many aspects. Nobody is infallible. We are only humans."
Scorpius still watched the woman. He felt a strange pressure in his stomach. He never thought that the Headmaster would so openly talk about her doubts.
"I'm not going to be another Dark Lord if that's what you are afraid of," he murmured, feeling the need to say something.
McGonagall smiled sadly again.
"Nobody plans such things."
Scorpius didn't know how to answer. Was it hate that pushed him to act? Did he only want to show other students that he was better and more clever than them? Did he really despise them? Did he despise Potter?
"Ouch!" Scorpius hissed when Tori bit his finger, trying to catch a piece of chicken.
He sat in an almost empty Slytherin common room and taught his pet new tricks. He didn't have anything better to do - or rather couldn't focus on any task. He thought back over his discussion with McGonagall over and over again.
Scorpius left the Headmaster's office late that evening. They talked about the last war and also about what happened at Hogwarts those days. Scorpius had an impression that many things he said were completely new for McGonagall. She knew about a deep division between Houses, but she was not fully aware of the scale of that problem. Of course, Scorpius carefully passed over the conflict between him and the Ravenclaw beaters, as well as his latest quarrel with Potters; nonetheless, there were many other things he could say.
On the other hand, he learned many interesting things about events from wartime. The facts he couldn't read in history books or such things his parents didn't want to talk about. The Headmaster didn't want to speak with Scorpius about his family, but even without it, he found out many interesting details - especially about Severus Snape. Who would have guessed that one feeling could change the shape of an entire war?
In the end, they had to break their discussion as it was almost supper time. Then McGonagall surprised him even more. He was sure she would say goodbye and leave him alone, but she closed her office and came to the Great Hall with him.
Scorpius had counted at least several very startled eyes of other students when he walked with the Headmaster through the corridors. Most of them probably thought that he broke some rules and was escorted by the Headmaster, but it was a weak explanation. All the way, Scorpius and McGonagall still talked freely about things he should learn before their next meeting right after the Easter Holidays.
He shouldn't think that way, but it was very nice to come on the opposite side of the glass wall, even if only for a moment. Usually, he wasn't allowed to be there. Scorpius knew it was temporary; for sure, the other students would quickly remind him where his place was. He heard their not-too-well-hidden comments about his meeting with the Headmaster. Nothing could defend him against it, but he didn't care much. The confusion in other students' eyes was worth it.
Suddenly, the silence in the Slytherin common room was broken when Karl and Zack entered. They walked straight to Scorpius.
"Hey, I have heard that McGonagall caught you that afternoon. What have you done?" Zachary asked, taking a place in front of Scorpius.
"Nothing I want to talk about," he replied, throwing the last piece of meat to Tori.
"Oh, come on! There is so much gossip!"
Scorpius rolled his eyes; then he looked at his roommates with curiosity.
"And what are they saying?"
"Most are totally rubbish, but the most popular is that you were trying to poison Filch or steal something from Smilthon's storage," Zack explained.
"Some say that you wanted to sneak into the Restricted Section in the library," Karl added, sitting on the floor next to the fireplace. "Perhaps someone noticed how much time you spent in the library lately.
Scorpius scratched his head. Some students had a very vivid imagination. However, the most important thing was: did he want to reveal the truth? He didn't have doubts that if he told something the next day, the whole of Slytherin would know about it. Unfortunately, Zachary was a real talker.
"Smilthon told the Headmaster that I'm ignoring him and his lesson," Scorpius lied without a flinch. "So I was called to her office to hear a talk about my attitude to education."
Zachary began to laugh.
"This is something, after all. You have to be really lazy if old Smilthon troubled himself and walked to the highest instance."
"Forgive me for being so lame in comparison to the speculations," Scorpius finished, then he stretched his arms a little theatrically and added. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed."
Scorpius stood up, whistled on Tori, and walked to the Dormitory. It seemed Zack didn't want to follow because he grabbed the Evening Propet and began to read. On the other hand, Karl walked right after Scorpius.
They changed to nightclothes in silence, but then Karl sat on his bed and looked at Scorpius seriously.
"One day, Zack will lose his patience and break your nose."
Scorpius looked at him, truly surprised.
"Are you thinking that we are complete morons?" Karl asked rhetorically. "We both know that you are none stop feeding us with lies. Even now."
"Maybe I would speak the truth if Zack could hide his tongue behind his teeth."
The irritation appeared on the usually calm Karl's face.
"Just tell him that instead of lying. We have been together since the first year, but I constantly have a feeling that we are only an obstacle for you. If you don't want our friendship, just say it. Nobody will force you."
Friendship? He never considered Karl as a friend, moreover Zack. They were only roommates, nothing more.
"You are overthinking," Scorpius replied, lying down on his bed." I'm Slytherin. Honesty is not my thing."
Karl chuckled, but it was false to the core. However, he said nothing more, laid back to Scorpius and went to sleep as well.
Scorpius lay on the bed in the absolute silence of their room. He thought about everything he heard that day. His mother - Astoria - had said to him once that he despised everything and everyone. Then, he hadn't thought it could be true. That day, he had to admit her observation wasn't wrong. He improved his magic skills not because it made him a better wizard but because he wanted to demonstrate that he was better than others. Those who were supposed to be his friends got from him only lies and lack of reciprocity, and those who wanted to understand him - his anger and hostility.
In that light, he was a total arsehole. They shouldn't even try to come closer to him. The only question left: did it bother him? As a child, he never was alone - he had many childhood friends with the kids who lived near the Manor. He had changed in Hogwarts. That place and its rules made him aware and untrustful. He preferred to be alone because it was safer that way. Making a friend, trusting someone - it meant putting yourself in danger.
Scorpius didn't believe that friendship was a positive thing. It required to show his weaknesses and vulnerabilities to the second person. It was like giving someone a knife and hoping that he didn't use it against us. And what should stop him? Some stupid illusion that we were important to that person. It was far from something that Scorpius could accept.
On the other hand, McGonagall was also full of doubts, but she decided to trust him, and Scorpius had to admit that it was… nice. It was the first time in a very long time that someone noticed something good in him. The Headmaster trusted him and asked him to do the same - in truth, Scorpius did it without thinking or consideration, almost subconsciously. There was no second when he thought McGonagall could lie to him, that her actions and decisions could be against him. Scorpius immediately assumed that her motives were noble and, as a result, allowed himself to be careless.
When Scorpius thought about it, he felt an unpleasant chill on his neck. During their last meeting, he allowed his better self to have a voice. It was that part of him which was sincere, eager to learn, and ready to take on new challenges. The most vulnerable part of him.
How easily could the Headmaster use it against him when Scorpius opened up so completely to her? He showed her how much he wanted to stay at Hogwarts and how much he wanted to develop. He even admitted - although not directly - that he cared about what other students thought about him. McGonagall had to notice it; she wasn't stupid. When he threw off the mask of indifference, she understood how easy it was to hurt him.
Did Scorpius think that McGonagall would use all that knowledge to betray his trust? Absolutely not. Moreover, she also exposed herself to the blow. She had to believe that Scorpius wouldn't use whatever he learned with her in the wrong manner, and although he felt the temptation to try, he wanted to do everything that was needed not to disappoint her.
Didn't Karl do the same? Out of every known method, he chose the least Slytherin-like - honesty. He told openly what he thought about Scorpius' behaviour… He - and Zack as well - had enough lies. It was a kind of ultimatum, though cleverly postponed, but still an ultimatum. Scorpius had to trust them and let them into his life, or he would be left alone. The clock was ticking.
When Scorpius thought about everything that happened, he remembered his last talk with Potters in the library. There, though quite accidentally, he also revealed himself. He said a few words too much. He allowed them to see how miserable he felt in his life. They noticed it almost immediately and answered just like Gryffindor could - proposing help.
At that moment, Scorpius… well… he was seriously terrified. He quickly regained his composure and acted like a true Slytherin. He didn't want… didn't need their compassion or sympathy. For sure, Scorpius didn't need their friendship, right?
When Scorpius woke up the next morning, his roommates were awake as well. Karl changed his robe, and Zack came back from the bathroom wrapped in the towel. Scorpius had to sleep very hard if their noises didn't wake him up earlier.
Scorpius stretched and sat on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. He still fought with doubts, but in the end, he took a deep breath and said:
"McGonagall is teaching me charms."
Both boys looked at him, strongly confused. Perhaps more confused by the fact he told the truth than the information itself.
"Why?" Zack asked after a while.
Scorpius shrugged. At that moment, he had at least ten excellent answers to that question, and none of them was even near the truth, but if he wanted to change anything, he had to swallow all the lies and say what was the hardest for him.
"Do you remember when I landed in the Hospital Wing without my right arm? It was an effect of wrongly cast Protean Charm."
"Are you kidding? Do you really try to do that?" Karl asked. "That kind of spell is on the N.E.W.T."
"Yeah, I know. I overdo it a bit, and it was a painful lesson. I had bad luck because Filch caught me and took me right to the Headmaster. She had quickly guessed what I had tried to do. I was sure she would kick me off, but instead, she offered me private lessons with her as long as I won't try anything else by myself. "
His roommates watched him with disbelief. Scorpius winced slightly and stood up.
"You wanted the truth. Here it is," he said, coming closer. "It isn't especially interesting. Unfortunately, I don't plan any new mischief in the near future, and I'm not in the middle of some hidden war with other Houses. So, there won't be fireworks any time soon - I don't have time for it. It seems I became a boring bookworm who spent his time in the library. You must be truly disappointed."
"I am rather shocked," Zachary replied. "I was always thinking that you don't give a shite on school. You gave the impression that it was the last place in the world you wanted to be.
Scorpius smirked wryly.
"I care about appearances. The fewer people who know about me, the better. That's why I ask you to keep quiet about it. I don't need any more gossip."
Zachary smiled as well, then came closer and patted him on the arm.
"Don't worry, nobody would believe us."
Scorpius knew it wasn't the whole truth, but he wasn't ready for further explanations; the news about McGonagall had to feed their curiosity. Maybe one day, he would decide to tell them about his connection with Potter and why he was responsible for the explosion in the South Tower. But it wasn't that day.
Deep inside, Scorpius still heard that quiet voice which said that he would regret the decisions he made. People - especially from other Houses - wouldn't accept that new Scorpius Malfoy. They would search for some tricks or lies… maybe they would be right. Could he change his mind in one night? How much did he have to convince himself that he knew what he was doing? That he wasn't afraid of consequences. There was no turning back; if he showed others his weak points, he had to deal with the effects.
However, Scorpius wasn't a coward and wasn't going to change his mind, even though he knew how dangerous it could be for him. How many bad decisions did he make in the past? If that was just another one… so be it.
When Scorpius finished his dinner, he stood up, took a deep breath, and walked through the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor's table. He had a feeling that - with each step he made - more eyes focused on him, and fewer talks were between students. Finally, when Scorpius stopped next to the table, the Great Hall was completely silent. He didn't want to analyse the looks he felt on his back; he knew too well what he could see there. Instead, he looked at a slightly confused Albus, who did his homework with Rose Weasley. The girl threw him a strange - but not hostile - look. She was cautious, ready for his attack.
"Can we speak somewhere?" Scorpius asked, looking straight at Potter.
He hoped Potter wouldn't want to argue with him in front of everyone. Even without it, Scorpius felt like a sheep thrown between lions. Fortunately, Albus was calm in his nature, so he only nodded and stood up.
"Be right back," he said to Rose.
Followed by the surprised looks of almost everyone present in the Great Hall, they walked into the corridor. Luckily, nobody was there.
Scorpius stopped next to the stairs, and leaning back against the railing, he crossed his arms and looked at Potter. He never thought he had to say such words to Gryffindor students.
"I'm sorry for what I said in the library. You were hit by my frustration."
Albus looked at him oddly for a moment; then his expression softened a little.
"I found out that you rarely say something nice," he replied, shrugging. "By the way, you should apologise to Lily."
"You were closer. Besides, if I go towards a group of first-year girls, they will run away screaming," Scorpius said, and after a while, he smiled a little mischievous. "But don't worry, I will buy her a lollipop."
Hearing that, Albus began to laugh openly.
"She would scratch your eyes for that. She has a huge age complex."
"Good to know," Scorpius added with an evil note in his voice.
Suddenly, Potter became more serious.
"The proposal is still valid."
"Yeah, right. Because it is such a wonderful idea."
"What is wrong with it?"
Scorpius snorted.
"Do you want explanations in alphabetical order?"
Potter shook his head, came closer and sat on the stairs.
"You are overthinking it."
"Oh, really?" Scorpius looked at Albus with a critical eye. "Perhaps you forgot that our fathers wanted to kill each other during the war. Are you certain that I - the Slytherin to the core - will be greeted with open hands in the home full of Gryffindors? It is a very bad idea, so I prefer to stay at Hogwarts."
He didn't like Albus' expression - too mischievous for his liking.
"You are afraid of it."
"Don't provoke me like this."
"I'm not saying that you are a coward. You stood alone in front of half of Gryffindor, so that is not the case. I think you are afraid that when you come with us, you will notice that we aren't so different at all. I am certainly not a walking example of bravery and courage, and you aren't the utter bastard you are trying to show the world."
"Why are you so sure?"
Albus was still unexpectedly calm.
"I'm sure about that for quite a time. The former - from the day I came to Hogwarts. Sometimes, I think I'm in Gryffindor only because my name is Potter. The latter - from one day at Hogsmeade."
Scorpius felt an unpleasant chill on his back. When Albus looked away, he had to fight the urge to run.
"I saw what had happened there," Potter continued quietly. "First, I saw as you were walking to the Shrinking Shack, and then as you helped that girl. I should have done something then, but I was completely paralysed. I was watching as they attacked you, and I didn't…"
"They would beat you to a pulp just like me," Scorpius stopped him. He had enough of listening to that kind of confession. Scorpius didn't get used to something like that, and he felt almost nauseous hearing that crap. With a few words more, Potter would begin to apologise. That was sick. "Let me explain something. I did what I did, and I knew the consequences. It was my decision, and later, I also solved that problem myself. Okay, maybe you added your two pennies to my revenge. What I did in Hogsmeade wasn't an example of courage but rather complete foolishness. Because you didn't interfere, you only showed that you have more common sense than me."
Potter smiled weakly, hearing that.
"My aunt always says that the boundary between bravery and stupidity is very thin."
Scorpius agreed with a nod.
"She must be a very smart woman."
"The smartest one," the girl standing right behind them said.
They both looked in her direction. It was Rose Weasley. She stood a few steps away with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I came here to check if you are not lying here petrified," she added to Albus.
I can do that for you," Scorpius murmured.
"Are you always that nice or only in Gryffindors' company?"
Look at that, the Gryffindor student who used sarcasm. Until then, Scorpius was sure that that attribute was unavailable for them. Maybe Albus was right, and they weren't so different.
"Nice - it's my second name," Scorpius replied.
The girl rolled her eyes and snorted. Then she looked at him with sharp eyes.
"So how will it be? Are you coming with us?"
Scorpius ran a hand over his hair, feeling that he lost his patience. However, before he could find a good answer, one stray thought broke his confidence. Before he even could think about the consequences, he nodded.
"Yes."