Still Waters Run Deep

Eleanor Finds Out II

Lupin paced back and forth, he scratched his forehead frantically, occasionally glancing at Eleanor, shaking his head in disapproval. Scorpius sat on Lupin's chair, his knee bobbing furiously up and down, Eleanor leaned against the wall staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell was she going to get out of this sticky situation. 

"You just got me in a whole lot of trouble," Lupin pointed at Eleanor, "I can't believe I was this careless!"

"What are we going to do?" Scorpius asked.

"We have no choice but to inform Professor McGonagall," Lupin said. 

Lupin was the first out the door. Scorpius and Eleanor followed him in silence. The three of them climbed the stairs and walked into the office where McGonagall sat at her desk.

"Good morning," She said in her typical collected tone, "Is there anything I could help you with?"

"Yes, Minerva. This is a serious issue." Lupin started, in a rushed tone. "Eleanor read something about the Order," McGonagall's expression tensed. She put her quill down to listen. "She was in my office and read a letter Sirius sent me."

"What exactly did the letter say?" She asked.

"It was about Scorpius being included in the plans," Lupin answered, Scorpius was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Did it actually say something about the plans?"

"It di-"

"I didn't read the whole thing!" Eleanor interrupted, "I only read something about an Order and Scorpius being an essential part of some plans! I shouldn't have read it, I'm sorry. I'll have detention every day for the rest of the year if needed, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I'm sorry."

"It's not about being sorry, Miss Seymour," McGonagall stood up from her desk and walked towards Eleanor, "We know you're sorry. It's about that now you know something you shouldn't. Something serious..." Eleanor's palms started to sweat. "You can not tell anyone what you read, ever, not even your brother. Do you understand? You have to promise me you won't." Eleanor nodded. "Good..." McGonagall paused. "This Order you read about is-"

"Wait, are you going to tell her?" Scorpius piped up.

"She already knows too much about it," McGonagall started. "And since obliviation is no longer legal, we might as well tell her so she doesn't ask any more questions." 

"I am sorry, but I absolutely disagree!" Lupin intervened. "Shouldn't we give it a little thought first?" 

"I did," McGonagal said sternly. "I'm the head of the Order after all. I make the decisions. Plus, I think she's going to come to some use, sometime soon."

"I don't understand," Scorpius spoke up. "She's in like fourth year, what the Order deals with is dangerous. I have a huge amount of weight on my shoulders and I haven't done anything yet, imagine how she'll feel!"

"Professor Lupin, Malfoy, you are to leave my office whilst I talk to Mrs Seymour," McGonagall said at once. Scorpius was hesitant but seeing Lupin obey her orders, he decided to follow him without a word. He knew McGonagall wasn't going to change her mind and so did Lupin. 

Scorpius was worried about Eleanor. He feared she would tell someone, or worse, get hurt. He didn't know her very well, but she reminded him of someone... his brother. He pushed the thought to the back of his head, too scared to where it would lead him. What plans did McGonagall have for Eleanor? The more he thought about it the more questions he came up with. He decided to concentrate on something else, Quidditch should do.  

**

"Hi," Rose muttered as Scorpius walked into the dormitory. She was sitting next to the fireplace, the light made her eyes and her hair glow. She looked beautiful. 

"Hey," He said back as he sat on the floor next to her. He stared into her hazel eyes. They usually looked fiery and intense with passion, but instead, they looked sombre and mournful. "Is everything okay? You seem a little down."

She looked down at the floor and shook her head. "How do you do it?" 

"Do what?"

"Read people so well..." Scorpius shrugged, Rose continued, "My grandma passed away last week, the muggle grandma. I got the owl this morning." Her eyes were watery.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." Scorpius instinctively held her hand, as a way of comforting her. They were cold and fragile, like crystal, threatening to snap at any second. 

A silent tear rolling down her cheek. Scorpius hated seeing her like this. "I never knew her very well, but it hurts." He nodded. 

"How is your mom doing?" 

"She took the day off." Rose shook her head and wiped the tear off her cheek. "She's so self-involved that she can't even take some time to spend with her family, her dad just lost his wife for goodness sake!" She spat.

"Hmm... So there is more that's bothering you. It's not just your Grandmother." 

"It's just my mother," Rose started. "She is so cold and distant all the time, I wish we were closer." Scorpius completely understood what she meant. "She and dad are so involved with work they hardly spend time with us. We all look like a big happy family from the outside but it's like my parents don't know Hugo and me."

"You should speak to her," Scorpius said. "You should tell her how you feel."

"I can't do that," She shook her head. "I've always had a hard time communicating with my mother."

"Well, then you can't blame her for not knowing you," Scorpius said truthfully.

Rose groaned. "Maybe I'm the one being selfish. Maybe I don't make an effort to spend time with them..."She continued. "I mean, I don't think anyone really knows me all that well... Hell, I don't even know myself!"

"I know you," Scorpius said, "I know you very well. I know you are passionate and intelligent. I know how full of life you are, and how you're a free spirit, like a fox." She let out a small giggle, "I know you never give up, on anything or anyone. I know sometimes you get disappointed, so you don't trust people at first, but that still doesn't make you give up on them. You are analytical and you have a thirst for knowledge only ever seen before in your mother, but you hate being compared to her for obvious reasons. And I know how much you love your friends and your family, so much you'd do anything for them and I love that about you."

When he finished, they stared at each other for a few seconds. Scorpius's heart was beating fast. He couldn't believe all these things had just escaped his mouth. But they were true, every word. After a few seconds, they both looked at the ground.

"I-" They said at the same time. Rose was blushing intensely but Scorpius couldn't help but slightly smile.

"I'm going up to my room," he said slowly as he stood up.  She nodded slightly. That's when they both knew they were more than friends. 

**

Scorpius,

The order is ready to meet you. On October 11th you'll floo to my pace where the meeting will take place. See you soon.

Sirius. 

It was going to be a long week.