Found In the Past

32

Albus's POV

"WHERE IS HE?" Narcissa demands, bursting through the door behind me. I jump up, wiping my eyes quickly with the already damp sleeve of my shirt. I gesture to Scorp's body limply and move out of the way so she can see.

"He just..." I trail off, staring numbly at my best friend's white face. His eyelids are still twitching unnaturally in small spasms. I can only imagine the horror he's going through right now. His grandmother rushes over to Scorpius, pressing a hand to his forehead. I watch her eyes narrow in concentration as she turns back to me.

"I'll send for a doctor. Call me as soon as something changes," she instructs me firmly before rushing back out the door. I sink back to the seat I've been rooted to for the past twenty minutes to continue waiting for him to wake up.

I barely notice the whirl of people coming in and out of the room. Lily comes to sit by me for a few minutes, silent in her distress. She squeezes my hand reassuringly, and for once I'm glad she knows how I feel about Scorpius. James comes in too after she leaves, muttering something about a 'talented quidditch player in the making' and what not. I think it's as close as he's ever gotten to complimenting a Slytherin.

"Albus," My mum eventually comes in after another, anxiety-inducing ten minutes. "The doctor just arrived. Why don't you go outside to let him work?" she asks me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turn away from my unconscious best friend, instantly having to resist the urge to look back at him. "Please... why don't you come talk to me?" she tries again. The extreme worry in her eyes moves something inside of me and I hesitate before agreeing.

"Okay..." I tell her softly, standing up.  I walk out into the hallway in a haze, almost running into Scorp's pacing father. I'd nearly forgotten how much he must be going through right now... He lost his wife and now... I lean against my mother for support as she wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"Draco, I'm sorry about everything. But you have to believe that he will be okay. He WILL get through this," My father says quietly from where he's leaning against a wall. He looks at Mr. Malfoy with a pained expression and for the first time, I think about what the time traveling incident might have been like for my father. I never meant to cause him that kind of pain, even if I was angry.

My mum lingers in the hallway for a second before briskly pulling me into the room my parents are staying in at the Malfoys'. As soon as I collapse onto their bed, everything I've been trying to hold together rushes out in a strangled cry.

"He didn't do anything to deserve this," I whisper quietly, rocking back and forth. My mum nods and sits besides me, comforting me by just being there.

"I know honey," My shoulders start to shake and I rub my eyes again, trying to calm down.

"You know this happened because he saw a picture of his mum?" I ask quietly and once again she nods, eyes filled with a kind of pain only a mother could understand.

"This isn't your fault," my mother tells me firmly, taking my clenched fist in her callused hand.

"I was the one who wanted to travel back in time," I shoot back, shame rising in my chest. "He never would have seen the things he did if I hadn't been so stupid..."

"It's okay," Mum hugs me tightly and I fight back another sob. I want to be strong for Scorpius, but holding his lifeless form in my arms was the worst thing I could never even imagine.

"He still won't tell me what happened when he was in that world without me," I confess, turning my head to look away from my mother's searching eyes.

"There are just some things we can't tell anyone," My mum says quietly in a way that sounds like there's something else she's remembering. "No matter how close you are with that... person," She finishes, watching me carefully. I appreciatively note her careful choice of words not just calling Scorpius my friend. He means so much more than that to me.

"Yes. Maybe," I think back to all of of the things I've kept from my parents and my siblings over these past four years. It's no secret that I've pushed everyone but Scorp away from me.... but perhaps not all things in my life need to be kept secret anymore.

"And about Scorpius..." Mum starts, bringing me immediately back to the present situation, "He will wake up," My mother assures me, steel edging into her voice as if she's commanding the world to keep him alive. The amount of courage in her her voice wears off on me and the one secret I don't want to keep inside anymore comes spilling out in a single breath.

"I think I'm in love with him," I tell her quietly. There's an agonizing second of silence before she responds, and I wait for the disownment remark or something similar about betraying the family... but it never comes.

"That's perfectly fine," Mum says with a small smile, "I'm glad you've finally realized it."

"Y-you knew?" I stutter out, shock settling into my bones.

"From the way you look at him," My mum confirms, lips twitch up knowingly as a blush spreads across my cheeks. Yup. It's decided. I have a terrible poker face.

"And how's... uh how's that?" I ask awkwardly.

"Like he's the only person in the entire world," she teases softly.

"I see..." I can't say she's wrong.

"One day he'll tell you how he feels as well," my mum stands up, tucking her red hair behind her ear. "He's a very nice boy, Albus. I'm proud of you," I can't stop a tear from slipping down my face at the last comment. All I ever wanted was to make my parents proud and I've always thought I screwed that up a long time ago. I guess I assumed being gay would ruin that even more, but I was wrong. It's almost indescribable how being accepted for who I am feels inside my heart.

Before I can manage to try and respond, the door opens and Narcissa hurries in. I lock eyes with her and she smiles before delivering the news.

"He's awake."