Whisper, Whisper [A Scorose AU]

3. Laugh It All Away

A/N: so as you can see, I shirk all my responsibilities becuz I'm legit fandom trash. The (shitty) sketches are Marny and Ava as I imagine them, although idk about the way Ava turned out... maybe she should be wearing converse instead... she'll probably be different when I write her... anyway, on with the story.

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"I made a decision today," announced eight-year-old Scorpius, hopping up onto his chair and swinging his legs back and forth. Dusk was creeping its gloomy fingers over the city, and the Malfoys were just settling down for the evening meal.

"That's good, Scorpius." His mother smiled her gentle smile at Scorpius, and he grinned hugely back. "What was your decision?"

"I want to be an actor," Scorpius proclaimed, beaming proudly up at his parents and grandfather. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be an actor. In movies. Like Rose's parents!"

There was a brief moment of silence. Scorpius bounced his legs excitedly, his eyes like beacons of hope in his pale, round face.

Grandfather cleared his throat and leaned towards Scorpius. There was a dangerous look about him; Scorpius' smile faltered a little, and his legs stilled. "You want to be an actor," Grandfather repeated slowly. "Like Rose's parents."

Scorpius nodded, but he didn't feel nearly as confident as he had moments later. Had he done something wrong? Was he in trouble?

"Scorpius, that's lovely," his mother cut in, a pointed edge to her voice that only served to heighten Scorpius' growing unease. "Now, why don't you take these roses out to the compost? They're quite dead. Not very pretty anymore. Take them straight out and come back in, okay?"

Maybe it was the way Grandfather was watching him, or the way his mother seemed to be trying to get rid of him, or the uneasy look on his father's face and the way he was chewing on his bottom lip — whatever it was, Scorpius didn't like the feel in the room. It scared him. His toothy grin crawled into a hole and died. He snatched the dead roses from the vase in the centre of the table, whipped around and fled.

Scorpius paused in the dimly-lit corridor outside the dining hall as his mother's angry voice drifted after him. "Really, Lucius!"

"I will not have my grandson aspiring to follow in the footsteps of those filthy Weasleys," Grandfather growled, and Scorpius caught his breath. Filthy? The Weasleys weren't filthy, were they...?

"Let Scorpius be." Father. "Let him be who he wants to be, not who you want him to be. We've put aside our grudges with the Weasleys, or had you forgotten?"

"They are all untrustworthy scum, Draco, or had you forgotten?"

"To hell with that!" Scorpius' eyes widened; he'd never heard Mother so angry. "Your business feuds will not affect my son's future!"

"Your son is a disgrace to the name of Malfoy!" Grandfather bellowed in retaliation, and there was a thud and a crash, a shocked cry from Mother and an exclamation of outrage from Father.

Scorpius stumbled away from the door as though it had bitten him, heart pounding, holding his breath in the ringing silence that ensued. The angry voices began again, quieter this time, yet Scorpius could not discern the words over the blood rushing in his ears — he had to get away, had to get out, wanted to disappear — he turned and ran blindly, tears blurring his vision, nearly falling down the stairs and ignoring the butler, who asked him what was wrong and tried to stop him. Scorpius ducked under the outstretched arm and burst through the front doors. Everything was wrong. Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong.