"So?"
Scorpius looked from Neville to Luna, waiting for their reaction to his revelation. He honestly expected some gasping and eye-widening, and although Neville was able to fulfil the latter, they were generally less aghast than how the other members of the DA core reacted to his secret.
Neville subconsciously scratched his head and cocked his head to the side. "Well, I guess that explains why you're willingly hanging out with us, Malfoy," he finally said. "I mean, the Scorpion King we knew hated the very path we are walking. I knew something was definitely off when Harry and the others revealed you're finally working with us to bring You-Know-Who down."
The Slytherin frowned and looked at Luna instead. "And you?" he asked. "What do you feel about this, Lovegood?"
She dreamily smiled and waved her hand over his head. Scorpius flinched and looked above, wondering what she was swatting around, but predictably, he found none and Luna was just being her usual weird self. "I knew you didn't belong here the first time I saw you this year, Scorpius," she replied. She hummed to herself and continued swatting around. "I haven't seen these breed of Wrackspurts swarming around your head before. Father used to tell me Wrackspurt species change every decade."
Luna peered closer at the invisible creatures flying over Scorpius' head. "Seeing we're still in 1997, your Wrackspurts are the only thing that is different from all the Wrackspurts I've seen in Hogwarts."
"O-kay, thank you for your wonderful insight," Scorpius responded, pushing Luna back onto her seat. He shot a look at Neville, who merely shrugged his shoulders, also used to Luna's weirdness. "Well, that was terribly anticlimactic. Weasley's reaction was rich! You should have seen it."
"So, if you're from the future, how will you go back?" Neville asked, ignoring his previous comment. "I mean, now I understand why you're trying to help us destroy these horcruxes to bring Voldemort down. But after the war, what then? What are you planning to do?"
Scorpius sighed and leaned back on his seat. "Time's a bitch, Longbottom," he lazily drawled. "Suffice to say, I believe I'm stuck here forevermore."
Before the Gryffindor could respond, the rest of the DA Core came walking into the Room of Requirement. Scorpius quirked an eyebrow upon seeing that Granger and Weasley were in a middle of a heated row. He tried to understand what they were arguing about, but all he could understand was 'Ron, you're an idiot' and 'That's stupid, Ronald'.
"What are they fighting about now?" Scorpius asked as Ginny plopped down on the couch beside him. Harry took Ginny's other side and sighed.
"Ron suggests that Lavender should be included in these meetings," Harry replied. The young witch between them made a face. "He thinks she has the right to know where her boyfriend gallivants off to most of the time."
"Yeah, mostly it's just to get her off his back since the woman is a jealous bint and believes Ron and Hermione are having an affair behind her back," Ginny supplemented in irritation. "Seriously, I don't really see why Ron chooses to be with her. She's a pain in the arse!"
Scorpius snorted. "Too many secrets are already revealed," he pointed out. "I'm afraid Brown would have a hard time catching up."
"Try telling that to Ron," Ginny replied.
Hermione finally sat across Scorpius with a huff. Ron, still irate and clearly the one who lost the argument, decided to stiffly stand beside Harry.
"Okay, now that we've agreed including Lavender Brown in the DA Core is a load of bollocks" – Scorpius cocked an eyebrow at her choice of words – "Let's discuss important things now, like how to help Malfoy infiltrate the Lestranges' vault."
The said Malfoy made a face. "It's the first day of a new semester, Granger," he grounded out. "I thought the purpose of this meeting was to tell Longbottom and Lovegood that I'm a time traveller from the future."
"Yes that, and the fact that I already have a plan," she said, frowning at his whining.
He would have loved to protest more. After all, it really was the first day of the new semester. Admittedly, he may be stalling a bit because the idea of infiltrating the Lestranges' vault and retrieving Hufflepuff's Cup greatly unnerved him. Bellatrix may have been already long dead during his time, but history books and stories from his father made him scared shiteless of the woman. The fact that she was actually living and breathing this day, and still undoubtedly insane, made his stomach churn.
Finally, he decided it was futile to argue with Hermione Granger. The little row she had with Weasley a while ago was enough proof. "Fine, let's hear it," he said.
She nodded her head and sat up straighter. He would have found it comical, but he was too nervous about the plan she had concocted.
"You should owl your aunt and tell her there is an artefact housed in the Lestrange vault that could aid you in fixing the Vanishing Cabinet," she started.
"That would have been a nice plan, if only there is an artefact that could do that," he pointed out.
"Oh, there is," she stated matter-of-factly. Hermione rummaged in her robe pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. She passed it on to Scorpius and he peered at its contents; the other members of the DA Core also looked at the paper out of curiosity.
On the paper was an image of a golden quill, with it waving around and emitting golden sparks out of its nib. "The Golden Quill of Evanora," he murmured aloud. Knitting his eyebrows, he looked back at Hermione. "And how, pray tell, will this help me in my task of fixing the Vanishing Cabinet?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "It won't," she said. "It's just a pretty and useless, albeit priceless, quill possessed by the Lestranges. As the name implies, it was once owned by a rich witch, Evanora Dispera, the inventor of Vanishing Cabinets."
Scorpius absentmindedly nodded. He came across her name one too many times during his research.
"That quill is merely for show, but Bellatrix does not need to know that," she continued. "You can tell that if you retrieved that quill from the Lestrange vault, it would help you immediately fix the Vanishing Cabinet since the quill was once owned by the inventor herself. I don't really know much about Bellatrix, but I do know that she's a fanatic of your 'Dark Lord'. I'm sure she'd buy your excuse, since she is eager to please her beloved Lord."
"She may be insane, but she's not stupid, Granger," Scorpius said with a frown. "What makes you think she'll agree to my plan?"
"Because," she started, "your family had fallen out of glory and she'd do anything she could to bring you back into Voldemort's good graces. These are dark days for the Malfoy family."
Scorpius scowled, but pocketed the paper anyway. "Fine, all right, I'll send a letter to my mother tonight," he said. "If this did not work, I'm going to blame you, Granger."
"Oh trust me," she replied with the most confident smile on her face. "This will work."
__________
Scorpius skipped dinner that night and went straight to his bedroom. He immediately grabbed a blank parchment, his quill and an inkpot to pen a letter to his mother.
Dear Mother,
I have researched that a certain artefact can help me aid in fixing the Vanishing Cabinet. The Golden Quill of Evanora is found inside the Lestranges' vault and I beseech you to help me ask permission from Aunt Bellatrix. I'm sure if she heard that this could help me in immediately fixing the cabinet, she would agree to it.
I am well, by the way. Things had been quite busy, but I still find the time to fix the Vanishing Cabinet. I hope you are well too, mother. Our misery will end soon. Do not worry.
Love,
Scorpius
Satisfied with his letter, he attached the picture of the Golden Quill Granger had given to him before tying it to one of Apollo's talons.
Now, he waited for a reply.
__________
He woke up extra early the next day due to his complaining stomach. Since he skipped dinner last night, Scorpius was absolutely famished.
After having a quick shower and donning his school uniform, he walked out of his dormitories and toward the Great Hall.
There were still a few students inside when he came in. Unsurprisingly, he spied Hermione sitting on the Gryffindor table, nose buried behind a book. She was absentmindedly drinking a cup of coffee and Neville, another early bird, had to give the cup of coffee to Hermione's reaching hand countless times, lest she accidentally drank a jar of marmalade or butter.
Neville gave him a small smile of greeting before going back to his breakfast. Scorpius smirked, thinking the bumbling Gryffindor was already warming up to him. Operation: Sucking Up was starting to look promising.
He was already finished with breakfast when the other students started trickling in. At the same time, the morning post courtesy of the owls came swooping in to drop packages and letters in front of their rightful owners. As for Scorpius, besides receiving the usual Daily Prophet, he also got a letter from Narcissa.
Nervous and giddy at the same time, he broke the seal and pulled out the letter.
Dear Scorpius,
I have talked to your aunt and she agreed to accompany you to the vault to retrieve the Golden Quill of Evanora. I also requested to come; knowing my sister, I do not trust her to be alone with you. You will floo through Headmaster Dumbledore's fireplace so that you can meet us in the Malfoy Manor. I already sent a letter to Dumbledore requesting for you to be excused this Saturday.
It is good to hear that you are well, my love. Your mother is well, too. You need not worry about me and focus on your tasks and studies.
I love you,
Mother
"Who's that from?" Pansy asked, trying to snatch the letter away from Scorpius, but he already hid it inside his robe pockets.
"My mother," he replied. "Just the usual letter."
He sought for the DA Core in the Gryffindor table and caught sight of Hermione's eyes. Apparently, she had been watching him and noticed the letter he received. Hermione silently lifted an eyebrow in question, and Scorpius gave the teeniest nods. He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes when a triumphant grin spread out through her face, a silent 'I told you so' exchanged between the two of them.
"Who are you looking at?" Pansy asked and tried to follow his line of vision.
Scorpius immediately broke his gaze away before he was caught. "No one," he hastily replied. After glancing at his wristwatch, he scrambled up from his seat. "Come on, you lot. Transfiguration starts in a few."
__________
"I've received a letter from your mother, but I am afraid I do not know the reason for this sudden excursion."
Scorpius, together with the other members of the DA Core, were gathered in Dumbledore's office later that night. After he relayed Narcissa's reply to the others, they all agreed it was best to tell Dumbledore what their plan was. It somehow slipped off Scorpius' mind that Narcissa already sent a letter to Dumbledore, asking permission to borrow Scorpius for the weekend.
"It's to get Hufflepuff's Cup, Professor," Hermione replied. "We're sorry we forget to tell you about our plan immediately. Malfoy already penned a letter to his mother asking permission to retrieve an artefact in the Lestrange vault and at the same time steal Hufflepuff's Cup."
Dumbledore laced his fingers and rested his bearded chin on top. "I cannot deny that this plan might work," he continued. His bespectacled eyes landed on Scorpius and asked, "But are you sure this is safe? Forgive me for doubting, but we are talking about Bellatrix after all. She is, for lack of a better word, unhinged."
Scorpius smirked at his choice of word. "You mean crazy?" he asked. The corner of Dumbledore's lips lifted into a small smile. "I think you don't need to worry, professor. Granger thought of a brilliant plan."
Said brunette's cheeks warmed at the praise.
"It's what Hermione does best," Harry helpfully supplemented with an encouraging nod.
"So, according to that letter you've received from my mother, my aunt agreed to accompany me to her vault," he said.
"How will you be sure that you'll be able to get the cup without arousing suspicion?" Dumbledore asked with a quizzical look. "I'm sure there is enough warding spell inside, no doubt even outside, the vault to fend off any possible thieves. I believe luck must be an essential element to trick Bellatrix and her keen eyes."
Scorpius showed a small smile. The others peered at him curiously, also asking the same thing. After all, they had faced off against Bellatrix before, and the witch was insane and scary. Scorpius would need the luck to be on his side to trick her.
"Which is why I'll invite as much luck as I can on the day of the retrieval," he announced, pulling out the small vial of Felix Felicis in his pocket. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at his suggestion. "I knew this would come in handy in the future."
"That is not a bad idea," Dumbledore concurred. He then proceeded to grab a spare parchment and his quill, ready to scribble down his reply to Narcissa. "I expect you to be here at 8 am sharp on Saturday, Mister Malfoy. Do not be late and be ready."
"Of course, sir."
__________
It was a Saturday, but the DA Core plus Scorpius Malfoy were already gathered in the Room of Requirement at 7 am. Remnants of sleep were still visible on their faces, but Scorpius felt anything but.
Now that the day of his little field trip with Bellatrix and Narcissa dawned, adrenaline pumped through his veins. He admittedly couldn't sleep well last night, and he may have only slept for a few minutes. The next thing he knew, he was on his feet, took a nice, short shower, and already donning his best wizarding robes. He double-checked the vial of Felix Felicis in his pocket before he bounded out of his dormitory and into the Room of Requirement.
They all agreed it would be best to gather here before Scorpius left for his mission. The Slytherin pointed out it was useless, since all they were going to do was watch him drink the Felix Felicis, but Hermione was adamant. Potter and Weasley actually concurred with Scorpius, but they couldn't do anything anymore once Hermione had set her mind on things.
"Now that we are all gathered," Scorpius sombrely started, "I would just like to say that you lot have been really nice to me. It's still super weird that I met the younger version of the parents of my friends, enemies, and even my professors, but it was totally wicked I got this opportunity."
The others made a face at how he was making light of the situation. "Just drink the bloody potion, Malfoy," Ginny grumbled, annoyed by his antics. "And for Merlin's sake, you won't die today."
"That isn't for you to decide, Weasley," Scorpius pointed out.
"And yours too," Hermione interjected with a disapproving frown. "Our plan with the addition of Felix Felicis is solid. Everything will go on smoothly today."
"I'm flattered you think highly of me, Granger," he cajoled. "What makes you think I won't double-cross you and return to Moldy Voldy's side."
"Because you're too much of a ninny to become a full-fledged Death Eater, that's what," Ron shot back. Harry snorted beside him, prompting the blond to shot death glares in their direction.
"Just drink the bloody potion," Neville suddenly blurted out, much to the surprise of the people inside the room. Wide-eyed, Neville realised what he said and darkly blushed. "Err... please."
Scorpius snickered and finally took two, big gulps of the potion. For a while, he blinked, waiting for the potion to take its effect on him.
"Well?" Luna dreamily asked. "How do you feel, Scorpius?"
"Nothing's ch—" Instantly, he felt a rush of euphoria and giddiness; bloody hell, he felt like he could do anything and fucking wing it. "I feel bloody brilliant!" he exclaimed, stretching his arms wide open. "Merlin, I feel like I could really get that Cup and destroy it! Ha!" This feeling paled in comparison back when he got Imperio-ed by Voldemort. It felt like he was invincible and he could actually do anything.
He felt brilliant, dear Merlin. Scorpius was tempted to drink a few more gulps of Felix Felicis to let this feeling last, but Hermione had already grabbed the vial away from him. Shame.
"O-kay, he's become weird," Ginny murmured under her breath.
Hermione vigorously nodded her head. "No, that is a good sign," she added. "Giddiness and overconfidence are some of its side effects." Then, to Scorpius, she said, "Malfoy, let's go. Dumbledore's waiting for you in his office now."
They all agreed that Hermione would escort Scorpius to Dumbledore's office, lest he got sidetracked due to his sudden overconfidence and bound off to Merlin-knows-where and save everyone from their little misfortunes.
"Wish me luck!" Scorpius hollered over his shoulder as Hermione started dragging him out of the Room of Requirement. "Oh wait, never mind. I have an abundance of it!"
He cackled while the others shook their head. "I feel a little nervous," Harry voiced out as soon as Scorpius and Hermione were out of the Room of Requirement.
"Don't worry, Harry," Luna said, the only unworried person in the room. "Felix Felicis never failed." She plopped down on one of the plush couches in the room and started reading the Quibbler. "Unless, of course, the endeavour was futile in the first place."
Harry and Ron both made faces. "Thanks Luna, that was entirely helpful," Ginny retorted sarcastically.
"Oh, you are most welcome, Ginny," the Ravenclaw replied with a smile. The redhead shook her head and sat on another settee, praying to whoever could hear her that Malfoy would be successful in his mission.
__________
"Trust me, Granger, this mission will be accomplished!" Scorpius yammered, perhaps for the umpteenth time, as they finally trudged into the second floor where the Headmaster's office was located.
Hermione sighed through her nose and merely nodded her head. Who knew a person under the influence of Felix Felicis could be a pain in the arse? Malfoy already had a huge ego; with the added overconfidence given by the said potion, Merlin was he unbearable.
"Just be careful, Malfoy," she murmured as they finally reached the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office. "Acid Pops."
The gargoyle jumped off and the spiral staircase came into view. She hopped inside and ushered Scorpius to follow suit. The Slytherin followed her command and as they got off the staircase, Hermione was surprised when he suddenly latched onto her wrist.
"Say, Granger," he started, "If I got away with this stupidly dangerous mission alive, will you go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with me?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "W-what?" she sputtered out, her cheeks colouring into a lovely shade of red.
He gave her an easy, handsome smile that made her heart leap a tiny bit. Sure, he was different from the Scorpion King that she grew up with and loved to hate, but it was hard to forget all the bullying his weird doppelganger – his father? – did to her when they were young. But then, this time traveller proved to be a nice person, heaven help her. He was enjoyable to talk to, too. She couldn't recall a conversation she had with him that bored her so. It didn't help her one bit when she realised that this stupid Malfoy was stupidly handsome too.
Hermione scowled. She blamed all these weird feelings she suddenly had during their weird interaction on New Year's Eve. Inviting him for dinner was an impulsive thing to do, but she didn't regret it one bit. It made her heart feel things when she saw how lonely he was; undoubtedly, he missed home and she at least wanted to accompany him on this day. Her poor heart couldn't handle the thought of a sad person on a supposedly happy holiday.
'Bollocks,' she thought. 'Maybe he is my new pet project?'
Sighing, she shook those thoughts away. Turns out, everything boiled down to Ginny and her stupid words. Hermione took a mental note of confronting the young witch later, after she safely delivered Malfoy into Dumbledore's office.
She was snapped out her thoughts when Malfoy suddenly chuckled and shook her wrist to get her attention. "Merlin, Granger, I was merely asking a simple question. You don't have to overthink it," he pointed out.
The thing was, she had to overthink because this was Scorpius Malfoy they were talking about and he had made her life a living hell before.
'Not the same Scorpius,' she reminded herself once more.
Taking a deep breath, she frowned. "Okay," she finally said, thinking it wouldn't hurt to accept his proposition.
"Your reply says 'yes', but your face says 'no'," he said, quirking an eyebrow.
"Ugh, bloody hell, Malfoy, I said yes. Now get your arse into Dumbledore's office so that you could finish this stupidly dangerous mission," she snapped.
Scorpius grinned widely, rapped the door thrice, and burst inside even without waiting for Dumbledore's permission. Hermione trailed behind him, a little shamefaced with the Slytherin's overbearing audacity, but the Headmaster merely looked amused.
"I take it Mister Malfoy already took a few gulps of Felix Felicis?" he asked, eyes twinkling at how Scorpius puffed out his chest in confidence.
Hermione wordlessly nodded her head, tired with his antics.
"Mister Malfoy," the wizened wizard addressed. "The floo powder is right beside the fireplace. In case something arises, please send your Patronus."
"Nothing's going to arise," the younger wizard reassured. He shot a brief wink at Hermione, prompting her to roll her eyes. He then strutted closer to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and threw it into the fireplace. The fire roared emerald green and before Scorpius could step into it, he craned his neck and beamed. "See you later."
He vanished through the emerald fire and silence soon followed his departure, save from Fawkes' soft snoring.
"He'll be all right," Dumbledore reassured.
He may have seen the face Hermione made when Scorpius left. Hermione, a little tired of denying the worry she felt, directed her brown eyes at her professor.
"Headmaster," she started, "you do know that Felix Felicis is useless in futile missions, yes?"
"I see you've done your research," he said with a small smile. Hermione merely stared at him, waiting for his reply. "Yes, Felix Felicis had proven to be ineffective in impossible situations, but I do believe that this mission will be a success. We just have to trust Scorpius, Miss Granger."
Hermione sighed and weakly smiled, hoping that he was right.