Rewritten || Scorpius x Hermione Time Travel AU

11 | Chamber of Secrets

His arms were already protesting by the eighth book, and Scorpius decided these books were enough for the day. His legs automatically brought him to the table he usually frequented – Granger's table – and unceremoniously dumped the thick tomes on the table. It was only when he relieved his aching arms when he noticed that it was currently occupied by the bushy-haired Gryffindor herself.

"You're on my table," she pointed out with a frown.

Scorpius shrugged and sat down on the chair opposite her, uninvited. "I like this table, too," he reasoned out. "It's secluded and quiet."

"Which was why I specifically requested for this table," she grounded out. "It's mine."

"Learn to share, Granger dear," he drawled with a smirk. "I'm not going anywhere."

Hermione bristled with his term of endearment but had thankfully clamped her mouth shut and went back to her essay. Scorpius peered at the parchment she was writing and snorted. "That isn't due until two weeks from now," he pointed.

"And?"

"And, why are you doing it today?" he pressed on. "It's a bright and sunny afternoon, Granger. I think the Hogwarts grounds already miss its resident swotty know-it-all."

She mindlessly gestured on another parchment on the table. Scorpius glanced at it and couldn't help but smile in amusement. "I have it scheduled for the day," she explained. "And if you don't stop talking to me, I'll be late for my next task."

"Which is?"

"The Potions essay."

"Which is also not due until two weeks from now," Scorpius pointed out. "Merlin, Granger, live a little." It was amusing to see the future Minister of Magic like this. Although just as swotty, Rose at least knew how to have fun through Quidditch and generally insulting the hell out of him.

Hermione sighed and didn't bother replying to his statement. Amused that he was now dismissed, Scorpius shrugged his shoulders and started to browse through the first book.

It was a book about the darkest artefacts invented for the past century. Seeing that the Vanishing Cabinet was not exactly a dark artefact, – in fact, it was used by civilians before to hide from Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War – there was nothing about Vanishing Cabinets at all. The second book was just about dark, Wizarding nursery rhymes ('Merlin, why did I even get this.').

The third book proved to be a bit insightful. There was a single page about Vanishing Cabinets, its properties, benefits and disadvantages, but much to his frustration, there was nothing about repairing it.

Frustrated, Scorpius chucked the third book away and grabbed the fourth one from his pile.

"Those are particularly dark books."

Scorpius looked up from the book he was reading and frowned. "Yes, congratulations for noticing," he distractedly said, skimming the index to see if there was anything about the Vanishing Cabinets.

"What are you researching about that needs dark books?" she asked, slightly suspicious. "I thought you were working on the different types of Wizarding transportation."

"That's part of my research, ye – aha!" Scorpius immediately flipped the book to the page where Vanishing Cabinets were mentioned. His eyes darted through the words, the introduction mostly speaking about what he read in the previous book. When he reached the last paragraph, it spoke about the possibility that a connection may be built using a spell. That was it; there was no mention of the spell itself, and Scorpius was bloody disappointed.