scipio minor

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔡𝔤𝔢 𝔪𝔞𝔷𝔢

❛ 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔡𝔤𝔢 𝔪𝔞𝔷𝔢 ❜
december 1998
MALFOY MANOR
⋅ ﹙ ♚ ﹚ ⋅

𝐇𝐈𝐒 feet carried him around the lands of Malfoy Manor. Scipio was no stranger to physical exhaustion and as he was running his usual round, he practised his breathing. To keep his physical condition up the right track, he used the early winter morning that usually covered the ground in a cold mist and made the air chilly to do his exercises. Andromeda had taught him how to breathe correctly in order to keep his healing lung healthy and strong.

He ran next to the hedge maze and followed its bushes to the far back of the Manor's lands. He narrowed close to the woods, where he could see Armani hunting the grounds for mice, before she took off to collect Scipio's morning mail. The grass beneath his feet was damp from the dew and his socks were wet inside his sports shoes. Training with the Slytherin Quidditch team had been a bit the same. When Scipio had replaced Marcus Flint as captain of the team during his fifth year, he'd pushed his members to run a few rounds around the Quidditch field, just to get them to be a little more grateful for the sport. All of their feet had needed a pair of fresh socks when returning to the castle for their morning classes.

His path was now entirely cut off by the looming trees. Mist hung between the trunks, the only sound came from awaking birds that searched for worms in the ground and the rustling of leaves in the soft wind. Scipio had to run around or he had to venture into the forest. He'd tried the last couple of days to do the latter, but without succes. His body repulsed when he stepped one foot into the shade of the trees before he sprinted back to the Manor.

It was no different today.

He took a deep breath, turned around on his heels and ran for it.

On his way back, he entered the hedge maze. Manoeuvring through the passages, attentively to not get himself injured by the thorns of the roses, he made his way back to the house. If he stood on his toes, he could watch over the green of the hedge maze, however, he'd walked through these passages a thousand times during his youth, to play a dangerous game to find every solution, he knew every way to find an exit.

Malfoy Manor radiated warmth in the rising sun. Its grey rock was now warm and touched with vibrancy. Scipio took the exit of the maze that lay closest to the kitchen doors. He hurried down the lawn and reached the kitchen door, shaking from adrenaline. To cool down, he leaned against the cold of the Manor's stones and took a few coordinated breaths and swiped the sweat from his forehead, before entering the kitchen.

''Oi Bobbity,'' Scipio greeted the house elf, who was busy getting the scrambled eggs on one of the serving dishes.

Bobbity's head snapped to Scipio. ''Has the troublemaker finally decided to eat with the Master?''

Scipio's jaw clenched. ''I'll eat in the kitchens,'' the boy said.

Bobbity grunted. ''Master won't be happy to hear this.''

Scipio leaned against the kitchen counter, while Bobbity plopped away in thin air to go and serve breakfast.

After collecting his demeanour, Scipio hung his head beneath the tap head and let the water stream inside his dry mouth. When he was finally hydrated, he took an apple from the big fruit basket and a bit of toast before sweeping himself out of the kitchen, back outside.

He ignored Lucius as much as he could. Breakfast he ate outside, he spent his time in his room painting and drawing or on the ground feeding the horses and strolling past the edge of the forest. It did retain him from speaking to his mother, whose attention Lucius harboured.