The next day, Harry sent me a Patronus, telling me that Albus was still in the Hospital Wing. After I decided to go visit them, I had informed McGonagall that I would be coming ahead of time so that she wasn't alarmed when I showed up.
I hoped that Albus would be okay. Seeing him collapse like that worried me. It made things worse when no one knew why he collapsed. Of course, Madam Pomfrey, who had been at Hogwarts for a very long time, knew what to do with Albus. There wasn't anything that Madam Pomfrey couldn't do.
I entered McGonagall's office through her chimney like before. I headed for the Hospital Wing, walking down the corridors and realizing that the school looked exactly the same as it did when I was taking classes as a teenager. Of course, in a way, that didn't surprise me. Even after the Battle of Hogwarts, when the castle was destroyed, it still looked the same the year before the battle. How anyone managed to restore it the same way it was before, I had no idea. But I was glad that it felt like I was coming back to the only home I ever had growing up after being away for so long.
When I got to the Hospital Wing, Albus was sleeping while Harry was sitting beside his bed, who looked like he was asleep as well.
I tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey," I said.
Harry stirred in his sleep a bit before opening his eyes and staring up at me. "Hey," he replied, stretching his arms. "When did you get here?"
"Just now," I answered. "How's Albus doing?"
Harry looked at his sleeping son. "He's fine. He's been out for twenty-four hours so that Madam Pomfrey could reset his arm. She said it was the strangest thing. It's like it was broken twenty-six years ago and allowed to set in the 'most contrary' of directions. But she said that he'll be fine."
I nodded my head. "That's good."
He huffed a sigh. "Yeah, it is. How's Scorpius?"
I looked down at my hands. "He's been better. I think he's still mad at me and Draco."
"For what?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Not understanding him, I guess. Draco and I don't seem to know Scorpius as well as we thought."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I wish all the teasing and bullying would just stop. It's probably why Albus and Scorpius ran away in the first place."
I pulled up a chair and sat next to Harry. "Maybe Scorpius is right. Hogwarts isn't what it used to be. Things really have changed."
"Max, the circumstances are different," Harry said. "It's a new generation of kids. They're not fighting a war. We were in the middle of one when we were here. Everyone saw us as heroes. We got away with stuff like doing magic outside of school. We were able to do things at a young age that no one else could do. Everyone just wants our kids to be like us when we were their age. James and Lily seem fine, but I don't know where it went wrong for Albus."
"What do you think we should do?" I asked him.
"I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it," Harry responded. "Maybe Albus and Scorpius should stay away from each other for a while."
"What? But, Harry, all they have is each other. They have no other friends. Plus, how can we keep them apart if they're cousins?"
"But what if what Bane said was right? What if these black clouds that he was talking about really could put everyone in danger? We could lose our sons. You do realize that, right?"
"Yes, I do realize that, but keeping them apart might not be the best thing. They need each other. Maybe Bane is wrong, did you ever think about that?"
"Centaurs are never wrong, Max. We can't just ignore what he told us. What he told us could tear our families apart forever. You and I don't want that. We don't need that."
Of course, I didn't want our families to be broken forever. I was already having a rough time trying to fix my marriage. "I can't, Harry. Not now. Draco and I, we..." I stopped talking, making Harry look at me.
"You and Draco are what?" he questioned.
I took a deep breath. "We're separated. Both of us need to figure things out. I haven't even told Scorpius yet. So on top of that, how am I supposed to tell him that he's not allowed to hang out with Albus, his cousin, anymore?"
"I'm sure you'll find a way to tell him," Harry retorted in an almost bitter tone.
I shot a glare at Harry. "I'll see you later, then. I hope Albus gets better." With that, I got up from my seat and stormed out of the Hospital Wing.
Harry was not thinking straight. He was paranoid about this whole thing. I was worried, too, but Harry was crossing the line. I had to give my son news that was going to break his heart. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't listen to me, anyway.
"Roaming the corridors like old times, are we?" I jumped when I heard the voice of Dumbledore. I looked for him and finally found him in a portrait.
"Professor Dumbledore," I breathed, sighing in relief. "Do you just pop into empty portraits whenever you feel like it?"
"Ah, well, I do like to pop into my other portraits every now and then," he explained. "It's been a long time since we've talked, Max."
"Twenty-two years," I added.
"And I see a lot has changed in twenty-two years. You have a son attending Hogwarts, Scorpius Malfoy. What a fine teenager he is."
I smiled a little. "If only he wasn't mad at me right now. It seems like he's always...I don't know...angry."
"Sounds like you at one point in your teenage years," Dumbledore pointed out. "I remember that side of you."
"Unfortunately, so do I," I muttered. "I just don't like seeing Scorpius like that. I want him to be happy while he's here."
Dumbledore shot me a sad look. "It must be a difficult thing, seeing your child in pain."
I sighed. "It is. I just don't know how I can protect him. According to Bane, him and Albus are in terrible danger. What should I do?"
Dumbledore chuckled a bit. "We cannot protect the young from harm. Pain is a part of everyone's lives."
I scoffed. "So what, I'm supposed to stand and watch Scorpius suffer?"
"No. Just teach him how to see the good in things, to meet life in a positive way."
"How? He won't listen to me."
"Perhaps he's waiting for you to not only see him clearly, but also for you and Draco to see yourselves clearly."
I looked at him, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, it's a portrait's curse and blessing to hear things," Dumbledore said with sensitivity. "At the school and at the Ministry, I hear people talking. Not just about Scorpius, but about you and Draco as well.
"There's been concerns about all of you. Your marriage with Draco, Scorpius struggling with school and wondering about you and Draco. He knows there's tension between you two and he's upset and feels like he can't do anything about it. He's angry about his life here and at home. I have come to the conclusion that you and Draco are too focused on your marriage that you can't see Scorpius and what he is dealing with."
"So you're saying that Draco and I need to focus on Scorpius more? The black cloud over Scorpius is us, isn't it?"
"Well, really, does my opinion really matter anymore? I am just paint and a memory. That's all I will ever be. Besides, I never had a son. But, Max, you're an intelligent woman. You'll be able to figure it out."
"Mum?" I turned around and saw Scorpius standing there.
I spun back around to see Dumbledore was now gone. "Well, great, he's gone," I muttered.
"Who are you talking to?" he asked, making me turn around again. Scorpius looked confused.
"No one," I replied. "What are you doing in the corridors?"
"I was on my way to see Albus in the Hospital Wing," he said. "Have you seen him yet? Is he okay?"
I walked towards my son, nodding my head. "Yeah, I saw him. He's fine. Madam Pomfrey has him all under control."
Scorpius sighed in relief. "That's good. Mum, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what is it?"
He hesitated, then asked, "Am I the reason why you and Dad are separated? He told me what happened."
My heart broke. "No, Scorpius. Of course not. Let's walk, shall we?" And so we began to walk down the corridors as I explained to Scorpius what was going on. "There are times when people like me and your father lose their way. They forget what loving each other is like. They argue and say things they don't mean to say. And that's when they come to the agreement that they need time away from each other, to figure things out."
"You and Dad don't love each other anymore?" Scorpius shot me a sad look.
"I think the spark that we had just went out," I replied.
Scorpius nodded his head. "You know, I've seen the way you two look at each other. There's no hatred or anger. It's all love. It just hasn't been that way recently, I've noticed. I don't want you guys to give up. I think there's still hope for you two."
I smiled at Scorpius. It felt good to me that Scorpius still thought Draco and I had a chance of loving each other again. I was glad that he hadn't given up on us yet.
"I'm glad to hear you say that," I told him. "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday. We didn't mean to upset you."
Scorpius gave me a sad smile. "It's okay. I just wish things will get better for me and Albus, you know? I'm tired of everyone making fun of us."
"I know. But it gets better. You'll see."
"I hope so. I can't wait for Albus to get out of the Hospital Wing."
My heart filled with sadness, knowing that I had to tell him what Harry wanted me to. "Scorpius, I have to tell you something."
Scorpius was now looking worried. "What is it?"
I took a deep breath and stared at my son. At that moment, I knew that I didn't have the heart to tell him. I couldn't break his heart like this. He didn't need any more bad news. Not now, not when his parents were separated.
"I won't be staying at the house, your father will. If you need me, I'll be at Grimmauld Place. I'm always here for you, no matter what, okay?"
Scorpius looked relieved, nodding his head. "Okay." He gave me another sad smile.
I smiled back at him. "I love you, Scorpius. I will always love you."
"I love you, too, Mum." He pulled me in for a hug and squeezed his arms around my neck. "I bet if you ever go back to the house, Dad will expect you there with the lights on and everything. He would make some tea for you with a smile on his face."
I laughed at this. "It would be like I was never gone."
A/N: Finally finished this chapter!
Not gonna lie, this story has been hard to write. I don't know what it is, but it's been so difficult trying to write it. It feels like Max has been mad at me for a while. Someone please talk some sense into her.
Also, I have a new Harry Potter fan-fiction out! It's called When Fire Meets Gasoline and it would mean a lot if you go check it out! :)
Song is If You Ever Come Back by The Script, because they literally write Drax's life tbh.
Comment, vote, next chapter will be back in Scorpius' POV. :)
-A