Scorpius walked into the hallway that afternoon as the sound of the front door opens, and watched as Orion and Harry Potter walked through the threshold. "You're not charging me to stay here, right?" Orion asked the Auror. Scorpius found himself smiling, and met Orion's gaze.
"Couldn't stay away, could you?" Scorpius wonders, glad to see that Orion was coping well enough to crack jokes. Harry closes the door and then looks around at the hall.
"Wow. You've cleaned up the place." He observes.
"Did it look bad before?" Orion wonders. Harry nods curtly. "You brought control-freak Scorpius Malfoy to a place of squalor and didn't expect he'd clean it up? You did see the spotless state of that manor, did you not?" The boy obnoxiously asked. Harry shook his head in dismay, obviously having been subjected to this kind of treatment all day. "And they say he's the one who defeated Voldemort." Orion snorts, but Scorpius saw Harry flinch slightly. Scorpius gave a light hearted laugh, gesturing for one of Orion's bags.
"Well, I'll leave you boys to it. If you need anything, send Kreacher. I'll be back tomorrow for a briefing." Harry tells them, going to leave again.
"Oh, a phone charger would be nice." Scorpius tells him. "My phone's dead."
"iPhone?" Orion asked him. Scorpius nods, expecting him to say he had an available charger. "I should've known. Elitist-"
"Hey!" Scorpius cuts off his words, and Orion laughs. Harry rolls his eyes.
"I'll send an owl." The Auror says, and leaves the way he came. The boys grab the bags and Scorpius leads the way up the stairs to the top floor where Regulus and Sirius's rooms were. Scorpius opens the door with his foot, and steps in.
"I figured you'd want this room. It's bigger." Scorpius explains, looking around at the Gryffindor posters and flags. Orion sets his bags on the floor and snorts at the decoration.
"What kind of dork decorates their room like this?"
"Those were my thoughts exactly. Apparently Sirius and Regulus were both those kinds of dorks." Scorpius makes his way back out of the room.
"Oh, so you set me up in the Gryffindor room, and you set yourself up in the Slytherin one." Orion looked at him. Scorpius smiles.
"I wasn't really thinking about it, maybe subconsciously." He shrugs. "I'll let you get settled in. Fresh sheets are in the hall closet. Watch for doxies. I've been working to get rid of all the creatures that have made their home here. Then come downstairs. We have food."
Orion pulls the nearest Gryffindor flag off the wall, and Scorpius leaves him to it. Raven was sitting in the dining room on the ground floor as he enters. She sat at the head of the table, her makeup done today. Michael sat to her left. She told Scorpius yesterday, today's the day for mourning. Tomorrow we return to our faces. So that's what they did.
Scorpius may still feel like all the happiness had been sucked out of his life, but he could smile. He could joke, and be arrogant. Put on that aura that said I'm fine. Even through everything. I'm here. I'm alive. His feet carried him to sit on Raven's right side, and propped his feet up on the table. She sent him a glare when he did, turning the page of-
"You're joking me. Twilight?" Scorpius gestures to the book.
"Ashton thought I should read it." She says.
"Does he know you at all?" Scorpius grimaced, lacing his fingers together behind his head. "I'm never going to hear the end of this." Raven sets the book on the table, picking up her half-eaten bagel to take a bite.
"I'm half way into New Moon." She says after swallowing the bite. Scorpius shakes his head in disappointment. "This girl seriously needs a life and purpose. No wonder Ashton wanted me to read it. He worships me like this Bella chick worships Edward. Ridiculous." Raven shook her head. Despite her words, Scorpius knew that his sister loved that loyalty and obsession. Probably a big reason as to why she loves Ashton. "Spending months hung up on Edward after he clearly told her that he was gone from her life? She clearly has never heard the phrase he's just not that into you." She rants, face contorting into disgust as she spoke. "And I can't stop reading it! It just sucks you in- like- like- a parasite!"
"You hate to love it." Michael concludes, drinking what looked like bourbon with his breakfast. He knew nothing about Twilight. Mixing Michael with twilight would be like putting a fish in the air. Completely different worlds. Raven slaps the table and gives him a strong nod of agreement.
"Exactly!"
Scorpius looked over as Kreacher set another glass down on the table, presumably for Orion when he came down to join them. "Would Master Salazar like anything from the kitchen?"
"I can get it, thank you." Scorpius replies.
"Master Salazar?" Michael mocks. "Who does he think you are, royalty?" Kreacher looked at Michael, turning his nose up at him like he had crawled out of the earth that morning. And as the house elf left, Michael scowled. As though to be looked at like that by a creature such as the house elf was offensive. And perhaps to him, it was.
"I may as well be." The egotistical remark slipped his lips, and Scorpius flashed his cousin a grin. "What do you think, should we paint the walls in this room emerald green, or a midnight blue?" Scorpius gestures to the limited wall pace in the dining room. The glass cabinets and shelves holding sparking China took up most of the room. Raven looked around.
"If you went for a lighter color it would look more spacious. Light walls opens up a room." She adds in.
"As long as you do away with this hideous wallpaper, any color will be an improvement." Michael says, eating his food.
"It looks brand new." Scorpius defends his magical cleaning job.
"Maybe, but it's out of style." Michael argued. "Are you going to redo the cabinets?" Scorpius looked at the wooden shelves and cabinets. They were cleaner than they've been for probably decades. And were in great condition.
"I thought about doing all the furniture one color, sanding it down and repainting it black." Scorpius paused. "Well not me personally of course, I'd have Kreacher do it. Or make a spell." He wasn't going to get his hands dirty with house work when he had magic to do it for him. "Having a grey scale theme would automatically make the house more modern. But it would clash with the antiques."
"Are you two talking interior design?" Orion joins them in the room, going and sitting by Scorpius, who still had his feet propped up impolitely on the table.
"I'm going to convince Harry Potter to sign this house over to me." Scorpius announced to him. Then realized. "Well, us." He gestures between himself and Orion.
"Oh don't bother on my account. I have no interest in living somewhere this..." Orion struggled to find the word.
"Ostentatious?" Raven offers. Orion looked at her in slight surprise.
"I was going to say large."
"Then why are you living here now?" Scorpius wonders. They look at him from around the table. "You could've stayed with your step-father. So why are you here?" He could've waited to ask, but his curiosity burned inside like a flame. He tended to satiate those desires for knowledge. To understand how people's minds work. There were a few things Scorpius didn't worry about with Orion.
For example, where his loyalties lie. The boy decided to stay and fight by Scorpius's side, even though Selwyn's followers were freely attacking with the intention to kill. Even though Scorpius has lied to him straight to his face- more than once. Orion watched his mother die, and he was still sitting here. Beside the boy who's fault it was.
Orion thought about it before responding. "He doesn't get it." He looks at the table to avoid any of their curious gazes. "Like all muggles, he's fascinated with magic. Up to the point where it becomes dangerous. Harry just told him that my mother was murdered in a battle between zealots and Aurors. He doesn't know what that means." Orion sighs. "He's a good guy. He's been the only father to me I've ever had. But he doesn't deserve to die fighting someone else's war."
"Neither do you." Scorpius tells him, and Orion lifted his hazel eyes to meet stormy ones.
"It's my war too. Anyone who's under the jurisdiction of the England Ministry of Magic has to choose a side. My mother's biggest regret was not choosing a side in the last war. I won't make the same mistake."
"Good." Scorpius runs a hand down his face. "Cause I'm not going to play defense anymore." He scans his eyes around the three of them, pulling his feet off the table. Raven's eyebrows furrow together. "We heard Lillian Malfoy talking with Selwyn. She mentioned a place."
"The castle. I remember." Raven adds. Scorpius nods.
"They have to have some sort of base. I reckon that's it. Aries and Daniel and the rest of them have made it clear they aren't above holding people captive and torturing them. They need somewhere to do it. Somewhere accessible to only witches and wizards." Scorpius scratches his chin. "Somewhere in England."
"That narrows it down." Michael's sarcasm wasn't lost on Orion, who snorted.
"We need to narrow it down." Scorpius corrected.
"So what? We just go on a witch hunt until we happen upon a lair that evil wizards are using for evil schemes?" Michael wiped his mouth with a napkin and set it on his empty plate. He swirls the alcohol in his glass before taking a sip of it.
"No, we research." Scorpius frowns at him from across the table.
"Research hasn't gotten us anywhere in the past." Michael referred to their hours of studying to break their soul bond. Scorpius stretches his right arm under his hoodie, feeling the tightness of the scar.
"I'm not talking about books." Scorpius fixed him with a look that urged him to stop talking. Considering he just lied to Orion about their soul bond- he didn't need that to be brought to light.
"He means that we're going to actually go out on foot and get information. From people." Raven tells the boys who were looking confused. "Potter is working on tracking Selwyn. It's not our job." Her lips pressed into a line. "But we can track Julian Malfoy." She held up her wand. "Accio cuff links." The small items came flying, and she caught them from the air. "Julian killed our father. He was working with Selwyn from the beginning. He'll probably have answers for us."
"You just want revenge." Michael retorts. Raven's ice blue eyes hit him like death. He almost recoiled.
"Of course I want revenge!" She snapped at him. Michael went quiet. Raven looked to Scorpius, and then to Orion. "Sometimes there's justice in revenge."
"Those are Julian's?" Scorpius gestures to the cuff links. She slowly smiles, and if Scorpius didn't know her- that smile would've unnerved him.
"He foolishly left his coat behind at the manor. They looked expensive so I nicked them." She shrugs.
"You could buy anything you ever wanted, why steal?" Orion wonders. God, what a Gryffindor thing to say.
"Stealing is more thrilling than shopping." Raven and Scorpius spoke in unison. This wasn't the first time they've had to explain this concept.
"Well, a tracking spell can be used since we have something of his."
"We aren't doing this today, are we?" Michael looked between them all.
"Why? Got something better to do?" Scorpius countered. Obviously not, considering Harry gave them all strict orders to not leave the House for any purposes. Just another rule to be inevitably broken. Why even bother? "We know he's still in England, especially since his sister died at the manor." Scorpius looked at Orion. "He'll blame you, since it's your protection charm that the killing curse rebounded off. It's probably good that you decided to come here, because otherwise he'd have hunted you down at home."
"Are my step-sisters in danger?" Orion tensed.
"Awww, he's worried about his itty bitty step sissies." Michael pouts his bottom lip out. "Adorable." Orion ignored him, to Michael's annoyance.
"Julian has children. He wouldn't do anything to harm innocent kids." Scorpius promised. "But that's why I'm certain he's still around. Julian will try to avenge his sister."
"Great. A psycho Malfoy is hunting me." Orion jokes.
"I thought you'd be thrilled." Scorpius winked at him. "Isn't that like, Orion Black's wet dream?" Orion laughs and bites his lip, savoring the few flirts he gets from Scorpius. Even if they are tasteless.
"Get a room. Fags." Michael sneered.
"Michael." Raven calls in a sing-song voice, looking at him with a smile. She rolls her thumb over the cuff links in her hand. Their cousin looks at her, and when she has his undivided attention, she makes the threat. "Talk like that again to my brother or Orion, and you're going to wish your whore mother never opened her legs." She didn't drop the smile. "Am I clear?" Michael looked between her and the other boys, then gave a roll of his eyes in response. Clearly not wanting to pick a fight when Orion was there.
"We tracking this son of a bitch or what?" Orion clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth.
"Not until you and Scorpius eat something." Raven laid down the rule. Scorpius groans. "Kreacher!"
—-
"Avensegium." Scorpius's tracking spell made the cuff links levitate off the floor. He looked behind him at the group. They stood in what use to be the foyer of the Malfoy Manor. Now it was a mess, a hole in the wall to the outside, must've been blown in by one of Selwyn's Zealots. He held his fancy broom in his hand, and a wand in the other. The others each readied their brooms, and the cuff links took into the sky. "Stay close." He orders, and leads the way.
The cuff links-turned-tracking-device lead them into the West Country of England, surprisingly not to London. And as they landed in Godric's Hollow, Scorpius felt a prickle up his spine of unease. "Why here? Why would Julian be here?"
"Selwyn still wants Harry Potter dead." Raven brings up. "He lives here, doesn't he?" Scorpius shook his head no.
"Not anymore. Only Ginny and the kids live here." Orion explains, having known the story from his Quidditch member James Potter.
"Doesn't Irene Peverell live here?" Raven recalled.
"She does, but she's a shut in. No one has seen her in months. Maybe years." Scorpius turns and looks at Raven. "Why?"
"Her grandparents supported Grindelwald. She's one of the last members of the Peverell family, and she's pureblood. It's possible Julian's trying to recruit her." She offered. "If Selwyn could get the sacred twenty eight to join him, he wouldn't need anyone else. They are held with the highest respect in the wizarding community. It would be easy to remove the current Minister of Magic- Hermione- and reinstate a pureblood. It's the fasted way to get access to the Ministry."
"You think Selwyn is going to target Harry Potter and Hermione?" Michael wonders.
"He won't have to." Scorpius tells him. "They are living together, from what I understand. He could send Daniel to kill them both and be done with it." He looked around the bright streets, empty of people and cars. Streetlights standing up from the sidewalks. The cobblestone rough under foot. "The cuff links went this way." He points. "Let's find out what Julian is doing here."
The four of them walked down the Main Street of Godric's Hollow. A town that had been there for centuries, but with newer homes. They passed the pub that Scorpius had went to with the Potter's and started a food fight. And they slowed as they passed the ruins of the old Potter's house. The place where Voldemort was first defeated by a baby Harry Potter.
The cuff links led to an old house in a dark part of the town, where Scorpius wouldn't go after dark. The cuff links stopped at the door. "He's in there." Scorpius gripped his wand tightly, leading them around the side of the house and ducking under the windows to avoid being seen. He leans his broom against the side of the house, and the others follow his movements. Around the back is when they saw the back door, and heard voices inside. "That's him." Scorpius says as Julian's voice rose in volume and passion.
"Who do you think lives here?" Orion wonders, keeping his voice low. Scorpius looked around the back door, but didn't see anything indicating who lived there.
"Maybe Raven's right. Perhaps it's where Irene Peverell lives." Scorpius hushed Orion before he could speak again, listening as a female voice answered Julian's. They couldn't make out what was being said, but it was clear the two were arguing. "I only met Irene once at one of the Malfoy parties. Maybe five years ago. I don't know if that's her."
"So what are we going to do? Just wait until he comes out?" Orion pressed. "Things don't sound to be going smoothly in there. What if he kills her?"
"Selwyn would be pressed if Julian killed one of the last living Peverell's." Raven points out.
"That doesn't mean he won't." Orion countered. Scorpius considered what to do. Entering into the house could set off all sorts of magic alarms- especially since Irene is a suspicious and wary woman who no doubt had something set up to prevent intruders. He couldn't take the alarms down either- assuming that Irene used blood magic to bind it. It was held to her life force. The only way to take down wards like that would be to kill her.
That's not what he wanted to do.
But if they waited, Julian could simply disapparate. Even from inside the house unless Irene has an Anti-Disapparation jinx. Which seemed unlikely, considering she's a shut in and doesn't leave anyways. Think. As Raven and Orion argued about what they should do, Michael Greengrass stepped over to Scorpius. "What are you going to do with Julian anyways?" He asks.
"Other than kill him?" Scorpius replies.
"You're seriously going to murder Julian Malfoy?" He grabs Scorpius shoulder, and the blonde grimaced at the touch of his skeletal fingers. "He's your family."
"Hardly. My father, Draco, was family. And he killed him." Scorpius shook his head. "He's not getting away with this." The voices stop inside, and Scorpius hisses at his sister and Orion to be quiet. As they listen, heavy feet approach the back door. Scorpius assumed it was Julian- considering Irene Peverell was a female, she shouldn't sound so loud. Scorpius rushed them around the corner of the house and out of sight. They pressed themselves against the walls, silent as the dead. Holding their breath.
"He won't be pleased about your decision." Julian's voice was crisp and clear as he went out the back door. "You're making the wrong choice, Irene." That confirmed it.
"Selwyn can stick his promise of a pureblood world up his ass." Irene's voice was sharp. Scorpius couldn't help but smile at her words. "As long as the Malfoy boy doesn't join him, there's no way he'll get anywhere."
"I told you Salazar will-"
"And I see through your bullshit, Julian. I heard about what happened at the party." Irene snarled at him. Scorpius's respect for this woman grew. "You murdered your own cousin. Draco Malfoy raised that boy. You think he's going to choose your side after that? Fool." She spat.
"I'll be returning in a few hours. I have other business in Godric's Hollow. Take my advice and reconsider." Julian Malfoy's voice was neutral, even though it was clear he was pissed this hadn't gone the way he wanted it to. Scorpius turned to Raven, and nodded. The twins moved together around the corner. Their spells hitting Julian at the same time.
"Locomotor Mortis." Raven's curse bound his legs together, gluing him to the spot.
"Expelliarmus." Scorpius disarmed him. Irene stood just inside the doorway, and her eyes went wide at the sudden attack. Julian's blue eyes watched as the younger group revealed themselves, clearly getting over the shock of them being there. Raven and Scorpius with their wands raised towards him. Michael and Orion coming up behind them. "Good morning Irene." He turns to her. "I'm glad to hear you've got your priorities straight."
Irene spares him a soft smile. "You've grown a lot since I saw you last, Scorpius." Even the name by which she addressed him was a show of respect. Because that's what he'd always gone by. And unless he said otherwise, that's what he'd be called. By her, at least.
"We have some unfinished business with Julian. We'll be taking him now. He won't be bothering you again." Scorpius tells her, gesturing to Michael. "It's nice to see you." Irene watches from the door way as the four of them immobilize the man, and levitate him with magic away from her home. Raven grabs his wand which was expelled from his hand, and they all disappear into the woods behind the house.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves and branches overhead, and they dropped Julian to the ground when they were deep enough. The colors of fresh green grass and bright new undergrowth flooded the scenery. Julian scrambled to his feet when he regained the ability to move. "Scorpius." He begins.
"Oh, so it's Scorpius now is it?" Scorpius snorts, raising his wand to keep the man at a distance. Julian looked around the circle, recognizing Michael and then frowning deeply at Orion before looking back at the platinum twins. "Where's the castle?" Scorpius demands, hoping that the man couldn't disapparate without his wand. Wandless magic was hard enough, apparition even more difficult without a wand.
"Why would I tell you?" Julian stood up straighter, brushing leaves off his coat. He looked back at Michael and Orion, this time with defiance in his eyes. "What are you going to do?" Scorpius looked at Raven, and she gave him a short nod.
"I'm glad you asked." Scorpius replies. "Crucio." The torturing curse brought Julian Malfoy to his knees and he screamed in immediate agony. It was probably the loudest he'd ever screamed. It almost seemed to echo in the forest. And after a few seconds that felt like forever, Scorpius stopped it, lowering his wand. He tried to hate that cool rush of power flooding his veins. And perhaps it was even harder now; considering this was the man who had just murdered Draco. Julian didn't get up from where he was crouched, breathing heavily. Sweat dripping down his forehead from the pain.
"I wonder if Harry Potter would bother protecting you if he knew you jumped at the opportunity to use an unforgivable curse." Julian breathed heavily, raising his head to look up at Scorpius through hooded eyes. Scorpius's face was steel.
"Clearly I don't need his protection." Scorpius responds. But Draco did. He needed to be protected. From you. And Harry Potter said he'd protect him. Julian laughed softly, and then broke out coughing. He spat up blood. Raven grimaced, backing up as though not wanting any to get on her.
"If you think you're going to walk into the castle and survive, you're wrong." Julian tells him.
"Where is it?" Scorpius demands again.
"Selwyn will kill me." Julian slowly got up. Raven raised her wand at him.
"You thought you'd be going back to him?" Raven shook her head, fixing a gaze on him that reminded all the boys to not cross her. "You're not leaving this forest alive, Julian. The only question now, is if you'll die quickly, or slowly." She took a step towards him, and Scorpius wondered if Julian even noticed himself taking a step backwards. "The address." She snapped, like a wolf ready to dig into its prey.
Julian held her gaze as he replied. "Little miss perfect is getting her hands dirty? I never expected that from you. You aren't going to kill me."
"You aren't the first person to underestimate me." Raven sneered. "Cru-"
"Wait!" Julian stops her from hitting him with the Cruciatus curse, again. He looked from one twin to the other. "The village Tinworth. In Cornwall, England."
"The coastal village?" Scorpius clarifies. Julian nods. "And where?"
"There's an abandoned castle, half of it burned down a century ago. That's where Selwyn and Daniel is." Julian admits. Scorpius narrows his eyes at him. Not believing him for a second.
"Legillimens!" Scorpius is sucked into Julian's mind with the spell.
He shifts through it, and finds the castle, focusing on the image. And it comes to him. Looming over a hillside, built on the shore. It almost just looked like a ruin, but on the other side towards the ocean, it was intact. The waves crashing against the back, where growing sea plants clung to the stone wall. And memories of the inside of the castle fill his head. Scorpius could see Selwyn walking through it, Julian walking behind him, following him into a huge hall.
And then he's snapped out of it, lowering his wand. "He's telling the truth." Scorpius looked between the others, and then back to Julian- who looked angry at the invasion of privacy.
"Why didn't you do that to begin with?" Julian fumed, upset to have been tortured.
"Reading your mind doesn't hurt you." Scorpius replies. "You deserve the pain after what you did." He turns to Raven. "Let him go back to Selwyn." Raven's head whipped back to Scorpius so fast he worried if her neck broke.
"What!?" She snapped.
"He'll kill him. Or worse." Scorpius turned to look at Julian, who now looked truly fearful. "Selwyn will kill his kids. Probably his sister's family too. His wife." Julian increasingly got upset, his hands visibly shaking. "Even if Julian runs, he'll have nothing. That's worse than death." Scorpius's words seemed to have Orion and Michael relieved. Like they didn't want to be witness to a murder. Raven thought about it a moment, saw the distress and pleading look in Julian's eyes.
"If I see you again, I will kill you." Raven threatened him, and then turned, walking away back towards Godric's hollow. Orion and Michael turned to follow her, and Scorpius lingered to look at Julian Malfoy.
"When I first met you, all those years ago, I thought you were great. Lucius adored you." Scorpius paused, recalling the memories. "My grandmother, Narcissa, adored you." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "And now looking at you... I don't see a Malfoy at all. I see someone who Tom Riddle would've used and thrown away. Who I used." Julian looked broken, like this had all really got to him in the end. "You're a follower. And your decisions will result in you dying, alone. Somewhere dark." Scorpius watched as Julian's gaze stayed on the ground. "Perhaps I'll see you on the other side." And with that, he turned and followed after his friends.
—-
"For the record, I'm glad you didn't kill him." Orion breaks the silence as they walk down the sidewalk. The sun was high in the sky overhead, heating up Godric's Hollow. Scorpius pushed the sleeves of his hoodie up to his elbows at the warmth, feeling a bit cooler. He gestured to Orion for his broom, and the Gryffindor passed it to him.
"I wanted to." Scorpius tells him, looking ahead to where Raven and Michael walked in front of them. Raven had taken off her light sweater, leaving her in a dark tank top underneath. Her long hair hides her bare back, black high waisted jeans meeting the bottom of her top barely- so that only a slim strip of skin showed when she moved. "I know she wanted to."
"I'm surprised she didn't." Orion tells him.
"She would've been able to live with it." Scorpius tells him, glancing over to him for a moment. "She's strong. Especially when it comes to her family. Kind've like my grandmother, Narcissa. Maybe that's why they never got on well. They were too much alike." Scorpius muses, mostly to himself. Michael had started to tell Raven something excitably in front of them, probably about when he traveled to another part of the world. She was listening, and would make a sarcastic comment which Michael gasped at dramatically. "I think I owe you an apology." Scorpius turns to Orion, and they stop walking on the sidewalk. Raven and Michael didn't notice, and continued on.
"What do you mean?" Orion snorts, waving it off. They stood there, holding their brooms, facing one another.
"You stayed at the manor." Scorpius begins. "Your mother-"
"Don't." Orion warns.
"She died because you stayed to help me." Scorpius addressed it. "And now you're here. I don't get it." Orion shook his head, astounded that Scorpius would expect him to just leave- save his own back. Of course the blonde thought that; that's what he would've done.
Orion looked upset to even think about his mother. "I don't blame you for... any of it." He couldn't meet Scorpius's gaze. "My mother would never have left you, Raven, or any kids there. It's not your fault. Even if I had left, she wouldn't have." He wiped his eyes before he could start crying. Scorpius was glad- for Orion's sake- that Michael and Raven had gone ahead. "I'm fine." He gave a forced laugh, looking around the street.
"You don't have to pretend to be fine." Scorpius says softly. "Not around me." Orion shook his head again, to keep from crying more.
"All of you are so... strong." He gestures to where Raven and Michael were some distance away, his reddening eyes met Scorpius's finally. Scorpius gripped his broom a little tighter. If only Orion had been around yesterday when Raven broke down.
"We aren't." Scorpius tells him. "We're just really good at hiding it." Orion didn't seem to believe him, and just looked away again. "I'm being honest." Orion snorts.
"You always lie to me." He replies. Scorpius bites the inside of his cheek. Not always, but sometimes.
"Michael and I have a soul bond." He admits. "That's why his scar is identical to mine. Because it's dark magic, deep enough to affect my soul. And therefore his." Scorpius gestures to the tall lanky freak of a wizard. Orion looked between them. "I lied to you because I didn't trust you. And I don't know if I'll ever completely trust you. Because now you know... if Michael dies. So do I."
"That's what you meant. In Diagon Alley. When you told me you knew someone who would do anything to protect you because their life depends on it." Orion puts it together faster than Scorpius thought he would.
"And... we aren't strong." Scorpius repeats. "I hardly sleep. And when I do, it's filled with nightmares. My bestfriend- well not anymore, I guess- betrays me over and over again. So I have to relive it. I watch her kill my biological father- a man I didn't even care about. But now, there is no chance of me ever knowing him." Scorpius felt his throat close up as he talked about it. "And if it's not that, then it's Daniel's darkness. It's so black that I can't see anything. I just float in an abyss." He runs a hand down his face. He felt a bit free when he talked about it, making it real. "In some I just watch as everyone I've ever loved is taken from me. Murdered right in front of me. And I can't stop it. Like I'm a ghost watching from the other side. No magic." Scorpius didn't mention the memories that twinkled at the back of his mind.
Orion listened and watched him, letting him talk. "And Raven?" Scorpius continues. "She blames me." He laughs, but not because it was funny. "I know she can't help it. She knows I didn't intend for any of this to happen. But the truth is that it's only happening because of me." He stopped then, not bothering to say anymore even though it was all bursting inside of him. Scorpius shifts his weight from one foot to another, finding Orion's gaze. "We're a mess." Scorpius blinked rapidly, getting rid of whatever tears might start to come. "So stop pretending to be fine. Or be okay. Because no one is okay." His voice took on an edge.
"Okay." Orion nods, reaching forward with his free hand to softly touch Scorpius's. "I'm sorry." Orion probably would've hugged him, but this was Scorpius. And he didn't want to be too forward.
"Don't apologize." Scorpius ordered. "No one ever has to apologize to me." He rubs his face, and gestures to where Raven and Michael had stopped. "Let's go."
—-
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