A hufflepuff friendship

Chapter 6

SCORPIUS' POV

Our lessons had finished for the day and we were all sitting down to dinner in the Great Hall. Albus hadn't really spoken much all day, except to answer questions in lessons and pass the odd sarcastic comment about a teacher or task they were set.

"Are you going to eat anything, Albus?" He nodded and took a forkful of peas from his plate. "Are you OK, I'm really worried about you, you know." Again he nodded and I embraced Him, I could tell something was very wrong. "Oh, Albus are you still worrying about your family?" He nodded again into my shoulder. "Dude, you're stronger than that, I'm not going to let you give up." A weak smile played across his tanned face, but his eyes were still and lifeless. "I feel just the same, my Dad's going to absolutely kill me. Mum would have been so disappointed with me if..." I stopped, not wanting to disclose this sensitive information at the moment.

He looked up, distressed. "Your Mum..." He stopped. "Oh I'm so sorry you don't have to tell me. Oh, I've been so insensitive. So may people have it worse than me and I'm such an ungrateful, spoiled little brat, James was right about me."

"Albus, don't cry, please. Stop, Albus. It's OK, you were bound to find out anyway and honestly I'm OK. I'm fine. And you're none of the things your brother said about you. He was right about me though" I knew that Albus had done absolutely nothing wrong, but I could understand why his family hated me and quite right too. It seems that one cannot pick their relatives.

"Scorpius... Was your father really a Death Eater?"

"Albus, please understand this, my father is a good man, we love each other dearly. When he was but a little older than us, his parents Lucius and Narcissa were brainwashed by Voldemort. They tried dragging Him into that awful world, Lucius threatened Him with death if he didn't join. He honestly didn't have a choice. So, he has the dark mark tattoo on his forearm but he never did anything for You Know Who, because shortly after he was forced to the dark side, he was thankfully defeated. After that, he and his parents fled, Lucius saw what he had done to his son and committed suicide just days after. Narcissa took good care of Him, and helped him fit into life where she could. However, she could never escape the legacy of her family, being the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, and sent Draco at age 19 for a surprise 'holiday' to the Greengrass family. While staying there Narcissa hanged herself in order to make a better life for her son, my father. It was there where He met my mother, Astoria Greengrass. It's all very complicated, but people don't understand how it was......" I trailed off as Albus stared at me in disbelief.

"Oh, Scorpius I had no idea, honestly..." I nodded. "Its OK" I reassured Him as I saw that post was being delivered to the other students via owls. All around us, post dropped onto breakfast plates with great clatters and clangs, and I was surprised and overjoyed to see my father's owl, Sval, among the others in the hall. Albus also seemed to have seen an owl he recognised as he shouted "Look, post!" He pointed to a snowy white owl I was unfamiliar with. "It's Hedwig the second!" He murmured excitedly. "That's a good name for an owl" I agreed. I was pleased to see that his spirits had risen and was happy for the first time I had seen all day. Sval swooped under the great chandeliers and with a crash dropped a large parcel onto my breakfast. "Thanks, Sval!" I said, glad that my Father hadn't forgotten me. I suddenly noticed that Albus had a bulky letter and was ripping it open happily. "What've you got, Albus?" He gasped in disbelief as he opened the letter and two friendship bracelets tumbled out. He opened the off-white parchment and read the carefully formed text to me.

"My dear Albus, I hope this finds you well and that you are settling into Hogwarts nicely. I recieved an owl early this morning from your brother and sister who seemed eager for me to scold you. They informed me that you were sorted into the Hufflepuff house along with your new best friend Scorpius Malfoy. I do not know why these things should bother them, as Hufflepuff will have gained two wonderful and kind students. I know Scorpius Malfoy to be a very pleasant boy and hold his family in the highest regard despite our childish rivalry many years ago. I believe that Lily and James will have used me against the poor boy. I do not uphold such foolish hatred or dislike of another witch or wizard. In fact, I would even call Draco Malfoy, his father, a good and close friend of mine at this current time. It may be hard to believe, as he likes to keep up the act of hating me, and may even have told his own son Scorpius that our family is to be hated, but this is to ensure that he does not suffer because of it. However, he did agree to let me post this letter for you both to read, and he has decided that it is best to stop acting. He disclosed information to me which hopes that you, Albus and Scorpius become good friends and stay good friends. These bracelets are for you both, use them well, Dad xx

"Wow, Albus! That's wonderful, I'm so happy my dad isn't going to kill me, and I'm so pleased that your's is Ok with everything, I'm so so happy!"

"Oh, Scorpius!" Albus choked back joyful tears as he flung his arms around his best friend's neck. "I'm so glad, Scorpius. Dad sounded so pleased, isn't it great that they're friends!"

"I had a feeling they were OK with each other when he spoke at my Mother's funeral. I had always assumed that he must have been some sort of relative of her's or an old friend. But I never ever suspected a thing like that..." I thought aloud.

"My Dad was at your Mother's funeral? Oh, I'm so sorry, Scorpius. I never knew. It must have been dreadful."

I consoled my friend again but suddenly I noticed my large package, not opened yet. "What's that, Scorpius?" He inquired. He had a very good point. I untied the brown paper carefully and gasped when I saw what was inside. An entire box of things my Father knew I would secretly miss whilst I was at school. A photograph of me and Mum and Him when we were younger, A stuffed dragon that I'd had since I was born, A ring of my mothers' that I used to wear everywhere, An old book of kids stories 'Beedle The Bard' that I'd had forever, and a various assortment of sweets and chocolates. I suddenly felt very guilty that I hadn't texted him back, and I realised slowly that I really missed him. I vowed to write to Him that night.

"Oh, Scorpius that is so very lovely of your Dad. Here, this bracelet is for you" He held out a green bracelet with Albus' name written on in silver beads. He had tied the blue version with my name in gold around his tanned wrist. He helped me to knot mine around my skinny wrist. It was quite perfect. "Albus, they're great, thank you so much!"

I think that was the point where we realised that our friendship was real, and was going to last a lifetime and longer.

We fell asleep in our respective beds that night, me clutching my dragon, with my bracelet around my wrist, and Albus with his.

"Goodnight, Albus"

"Goodnight, Scorpius"