Hugo wiped his bloodied nose with his sleeve, glaring at Albus.
"Feel better?" he asked, probing the bridge to check if the bone was broken.
"I have to admit, it was satisfying," Albus replied. His fist was starting to redden; he hadn't held back, but the poor angle softened the impact, sending a sharp pain through his knuckles.
"Turning on each other won't solve anything," Rose interjected, ready to jump between the two boys.
"Think, for heaven's sake!" Hugo growled. "We have a unique chance to set things right." He turned to his cousin, who had been standing aside, allowing them to vent their aggression. "James, without giving anything away, we can help them."
"We can't tell them anything," the boy observed, a hint of sadness in his voice. He placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder, only to have it pushed away in disgust.
"You're all a bunch of cowards!" Hugo spat, mixed with blood. "We could save them time, help them avoid mistakes that cost them dearly. We could prevent deaths!"
"You're delusional," Albus muttered behind him, but Hugo ignored him.
"They succeeded without us!" Rose insisted.
James cut in, "It's tempting, Hugo, but it's far too dangerous; we can't influence time!"
"What do you think the others are doing?" Weasley shot back.
"They won't betray us!" Albus shouted.
"You believe that because you're only thinking with your dick!"
A growl of pure rage escaped Albus's lips. He grabbed Hugo, slamming him against the wall, his fist tight on Hugo's throat. James wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him back hard enough for Hugo to slip free. Hugo took the chance to land two blows to Potter's ribs, making him gasp in pain. James yanked harder, bringing him to the ground as Rose positioned herself in front of her brother, ready to face off.
"This isn't our time," Albus growled toward Hugo as James blocked his path. "And if you try to play hero, you'll have to go through me because I won't let you do it!"
The redhead eyed him, looking more dejected than aggressive now.
"Do you know what's going to happen?" he murmured. "What they'll do to my mother? You know who's going to die!"
Albus winced, averting his eyes. For the first time, he seemed to hesitate, facing an inner conflict. He gathered himself, ready to retort, but Hugo wasn't looking at him anymore. His eyes were fixed on the wall ahead, and his sister followed his gaze.
"What's that doing here?" the young girl murmured.
Albus turned and spotted a ventilation grate. Behind it, an cat seemed to be watching them, with tufts of reddish fur poking out through the small bars. He heard James chuckle softly and turned toward his brother.
"If it were me," James said, "I'd put an Extendable Ear around its neck and send it to spy."
"We'd all do that," Rose added, pale.
"Damn…" Albus murmured. "We need to be more careful!"
"I don't think it'll make much difference now," James said.
He grabbed the filthy bolster on the bed and hurled it forcefully at the vent. The clanging of the grate startled the creature, which scurried into the duct toward the next room, the sound echoing through the metal.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Note : The next chapter will be out this evening! Much darker… which means, of course, more interesting.
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