Sarah Beth~
I continued to cook it the kitchen as Ashley went into the living room to try to bond with Scorpius. I wasn't really sure why he wasn't taking well to Ashley. My understanding was that he got along with everyone. Why wouldn't he like him? I was mixing salad when Ashley finally spoke. I listened closely.
" Hey, Scorpse. " Ashley started off, no doubt taking a seat beside the boy." How are you? "
" Fine. " Scorpy replied. There was a short since.
" What are you drawing there? " Ashley tried again.
" Well, that's me and that's Frecky. And that's her kitty. "
" Frecky? "
" Sarah Beth. "
" What about me? Am I going to be on there? "
" Her want going to draw you, but I will if you want me to. " Scorpius sounded reluctant. I heard Ashley sigh.
" I have a feeling you don't like me very well. " He calmly said.
" I like you. " Was all Scorpey replied with.
" Then what's the problem? "
" You yelled at Frecky... " There was another short silence.
" I know I did. I'm sorry. I just got a little mad, that's all. She was spending money we don't have. "
I gripped the sides of the salad bowl, making my knuckles turn white. Why was he telling him that? That only made me look like the bad guy!
"Sometimes Mummy yells at Duddy, and Duddly looks sad afterward. Mummy yells at a lot of people, expecially the healers. No one is happy when she yells. Did you make Frecky sad?"
"No, I didnt, and if I did, I didn't mean to. I told her I was sorry. We just have a lot of things to do." Ashley asdured. I smiled as I cut up some carrots.
"Can I help you?" Scorpius offered. Ashley laughed.
"No, I'm affraid not. These are grown up things. We are going through a hard time. But we'll get through it."
"Okay, Ashley." A second later I heard the pitter of his little feet heading towards the kitchen. "Can I help you cook, Frecky?" He egerly asked, tugging on my pants leg. I smiled, lifted him up, and sat him on the counter.
"Of course you can." I pointed to the sink. "You need to wash your hands!"
I kept him busy with tossing the salad as I sucurried around the kitchen. Eventually, he got board, and asked if he could stop cooking. I said yes and helped him off the counter. He ran off somewhere, and I started to get the loaf out of the oven, when a loud meow sounded from behing me. I tried to raise up, resulting in hitting the top of my head in the stove, burning it a bit. I held back the urge to scream, but couldn't stop the tears that watered up in my eyes. When I got my head out, I found Scorpius standing near the table, holding Triangle-Face upside down by the torso. By some luck, the cat wasn't clawing the boy, but was glarring at me in a 'help me' way. I rushed over and grabed Triangle, flipping him over the right way.
"That's not how you hold him." I explained. Scorpius look down.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know..."
"I know." I kissed the top of his head. He giggled and turned a light shade of red. "Have you ever held Vincent Colin?"
"Yes. Nana lets me!"
"Thats how you hold Triangle-Face. Vincent is a baby boy, this is a baby kitty. They're both babies so you need to be careful with them, okay." I asked.
"Okay!" I handed him the cat and stood back up. I walked into the living room, where Ashley was just getting off of the phone. He took a questioning look at my tear filled eyes,,perhaps thinking he was the cause.
"Are you okay?" He asked, taking my hand.
"I burned the top of my head..." I sniffed.
"How do you- You know what?I dont want to know. Do you want me to look at it?" He offered. I nodded yes and bent my head down. I didnt have to very far, considering my height.
"It does not look to bad." He offered. I sniffed again.
"Will you finish dinner for me? And bring me an icepack?"
............................
After dinner I played with Scorpius until he got a Floo from his parents. As preficted, it ended with Eleanor in tears and a dent in Scorpius's udually chipper attitude. After that I decided it was time for his bath and then off to bed. Breaking my own 'Muggle Way' rules, I transfigured the couch into a small bed.
Once he was settled in with Bruce, I crawled in bed with Ashley.
"It's nice to have a kid around here, isn't it?" I laid my head on his chest. He wrapped an atm around me,
"He is a pretty good kid." He softly kissed my cheek, then kept going until he hit my lips. I laughed a laugh yhat turned into a yawn.
"You betcha." I cuddled closet. Minutes later, I was asleep.
...............................
Around two thirty Scorpius came into our bedroom, clutching Bruce. He went to my side of the bed and stood on his tiptoes, poking my back.
"Frecky?" He softly wispered., careful not to wake Ash. I didn't stire. "Frecky?" He said again. When I did't respond, he went to the other side and poked him. "Ashley?" Ashley flinched, waking up. When he came to his senses he looked are, trying his best not to wake me.
"Scorpius? What are you doing?It is late."
"I miss Mummy and Duddy. And all the mammimals and Nana and Grandud and my brother." He tearfully replied.
"Your Mummy and brother are sick, remember?"Ashley sat up as much as he could with me limply on him. The statment only made Scorpy looknupbwith his big, blue eyes, so Ash quickly added, "But they'll be better for now. Why don' you try going back to bed?"
"It is lonely in there..." His voice suddeny sounded ten times more innocrnt. Ashley rubbed his eyes.
"Well, I suppose you could come up here with us."
"Thank you." Scorpius smiled a bit. Ashkey scooted over as far as he was able able so the child coulf have room. One he was under the blankets and cuddled against Ashley as wrll, he said thank you again and dozed off.
