Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

65 Stranger

"He was a good guy." She exposed. "I didn't know him as well as I wish I did. But whenever I did see him, he always talked about his sons." Scorpius wasn't that surprised. Cypress and Draco wrote enough letters that Cypress knew a lot about Scorpius growing up. The books he was reading. Quidditch. How close he was with Astoria. Her voice got a little more tender. "And I'm sorry about your father."

Scorpius noted the differences between her sentiments. One note, she called Cypress by his name. And when she was talking about Draco, it was your father. Perhaps he'd judged her too harshly.

"Why? You didn't know him?" Scorpius challenged, unable to let go of that hard shell of a mask.

"I grew up an orphan." Delphi was a bit passive aggressive when she reminded him of this. "The only father I knew was a terrible human being who I couldn't help but cling onto. I'm sure you can relate." Scorpius clenched his jaw tightly. So she had claws when she wanted to use them. Fair enough. "What do you want? I have a job to get back to."

"Can she get into your head?" Scorpius asks Delphi. She regards him skeptically before shaking her head no. "You're sure?"

"I grew up with Aries. I learned early on how to protect my thoughts from her." Delphi seemed annoyed he'd even patronize her like this. Scorpius wasn't intentionally trying to piss her off. But considering the mood she'd been in the moment she saw him; what kind of outcome was he expecting at this point?

"If she came by here asking questions, would you tell her what we've talked about?" Scorpius kept his tone neutral this time, trying not to sound so antagonistic.

"It's none of her business." She didn't answer his question directly. He'd have to risk it. He had no other leads. It was either this or roam around the Forbidden forest for hours aimlessly. He leaned against the wall, holding the cloak and his wand.

"Your biological mother, Bellatrix Black. Or Lestrange, if you fancy her married name." Scorpius begins. "She might've had a certain talent for hearing magical objects." Delphini tilted her chin up a bit, and he knew this had captured her attention. "I'm trying to find something extremely important. I was hoping that you'd be able to help."

"How'd you know she could do that?" Delphi asks, avoiding offering her services. Scorpius's restlessness grew. But at least he had an answer to confirm his suspicions.

"I didn't, until you confirmed it right now. I just took a guess."

"I only know because I can do the same thing." Her silver eyes turned to Scorpius's new coat, where the invisibility cloak was inside. "What is it exactly, you need me to find? Can't you use a summoning charm and be done with it?"

"It's the Resurrection Stone." Scorpius measured Delphini's reaction of surprise. Her eyes widened a little. "Selwyn is planning to use it to resurrect your daddy." He snorts.

"He's going to bring back Voldemort?" She clarifies. Scorpius was worried for a moment she might support Selwyn in that endeavor- but was relieved when she spoke again. "He has to be stopped."

"That's why I'm here." Scorpius explains. "We have to find it before he can, or else you and I might be reunited with a psychotic dead relative who murdered anyone who opposed him." Delphi stood from the chair.

"I get off work-"

"No. I can't wait. We have to leave now." He was being unreasonable, but Michael was with Selwyn. There wasn't a moment to waste. And who knows how long this would take? Delphini looked like she was about to tell him to piss off. "Can you just trust me that it's extremely urgent we do this now?" Scorpius held her grey gaze, biting the inside of his cheek.