A week at Malfoy mansion ~ Scorbus + Wolfstar

Chapter ten ~ He needs to know

I just ran, charged up the drive, blind with anger, madness, stupidity, and a few other emotions I couldn't pick up at the time. Get away, get away, run away, get lost Al. You really fucked up this one. In my fury, I hadn't thought to take my wand, so of course I couldn't open the gates. I kicked them,not hard enough to make a dent, but to break a toe. For fucks sake! Stangley, a lot of my anger drained out with that one kick, and I sank to the ground and crunched up like an infant, cradling my sore foot. This was mad. I was mad. I was stupid! I couldn't leave- Scorp still needed my help, I couldn't just run. Yes, I had just let him in on my biggest secret I had been harbouring for several years. Yes he drove me insane with worry. But for that reason I couldn't just leave, could I? That would be horrible, not to mention extremely dangerous. Grudgingly, I crept back into the house, and automatically checked on Scorp. He was just still, and I grew worried, the usual stone of anxiety rolling about in my stomach. I didn't call out, but crept round, just to see him staring directly into space, his eyes focused apon the space where I'd been sat.

"Scorp?"

He didn't snap to attention the first time round, so I gently shook his shoulder, and he looked round sharply.

"Sorry" he mumbled, shifting to get up, grabbing the arm of the chair for balance. "I'll just go to bed, if that's ok." 

"Do you want some help?"

"No, I'll be fine" he said stiffly, feeling for the wall with his finger tips, bare feet on the cold stone floor. Nevertheless, I followed him up stairs, feeling like a crazy stalker. I waited for him outside the bathroom, coming in and brushing my teeth with him when I heard the tap running, feeling the awkwardness in the air as I looked at him in the mirror, his eyes on his mouth. Then he got changed into the pyjamas I had washed, and I made a point of going outside so he didn't think I was checking him out. I peered through the crack in the door, and when I saw him climb into his freshly made bed, I came in and wished him goodnight. To my surprise, instead of turning away towards the wall like the sulky baby I expected him to be, he launched himself at me, and hugged me round the shoulders, knocking the breath out me. "Thanks your looking after me Albus Severus Potter. I'm sorry for being a pain the last week. And just now. And alway, for not realising you were unhappy."

"It's ok, seriously. It's been done now. And I did what I should have done from the beginning, I should have picked up on earlier signs of yoou being unwell. Furthermore, you looked after me on the train, remember?" He looked confused, and it dawned on me how much the week he had lost, our one planned week of fun, flushed down the toilet.

"What happened on the train? Did you get hurt?" I smiled sadly, shaking my head. 

"No, just my travel sickness, you know what I'm like. Forgot to take my travel sickness potion. It's a good thing you remembered then, even if you don't now!" I  hoped this last remark would cheer him up, but he just unattached himself from me, and sunk back to his mountain of pillows. Sadly, but glad we spoke, I turned to go, and whispered "Goodnight Scorp"

"Good night Al."

(Page Break)

I woke up late for the first time in months, and felt less tired, less anxious than I had in a while. Even stranger, Scorp was leaving over me, his eyes wonderfully clear, like a great glass mirror.

"Scorp! Are you ok? What's happened?"

"You woke up late. That's literally it Albus Severus. You worry too much"

"Tell me about it. Have you taken you medicines?" I said, sitting bolt upright in bed, ignoring the slight light headiness I suddenly endured. Scorp laughed, and put something on the floor, sitting in bed next to me, shivering. "Why- Scorp you're topless! No wonder you're cold! Oh my God, right, sit down, I'll go get you something-" I peeled the covers back, toes curling at the sudden icy ness of the inappropriate stone floor. Then I limped  to my trunk, and pulled out a random jumper- my hoodie from the train no less, standing on one leg, imagining a faint whiff of sick on there. But he took it gratefully enough, and before he put it on, I threw my own pijama top at him.