Pride and Perseverance | {Scorbus}

Prologue

Prologue
March 1945

The silence of the night aided him as he crept quietly down the vast and elaborate staircase, trying not to wake up the few people who lived in the manor. He tightened his hold on his small pack, filled with a few clothes, some food he smuggled from the maids, and all the money he had in the world, which wasn't a lot.

Scorpius Malfoy winced to himself as the staircase let out a loud creak. He held his breath and stood still as he listened for any other sounds. When none came, he continued his descent.

The seconds seemed to drag as he treaded carefully onwards. His heart pounded heavily, worrying that someone would wake and he'd get caught. He didn't want to explain what he was doing, why he was sneaking out late at night. Lord Potter might have understood his wanting to enlist, but he knew Albus would be furious, and he doubted he could withstand Lily's sad face asking him why he was leaving them. But he had to go. He had to fight for others like himself and help end the war that had cast a dark shadow upon his life. He couldn't just sit and wait.

Scorpius finally made it off the staircase and to the front door. He took a deep breath out of anxiousness as his hand touched the handle and slowly began opening it. He pulled it wider and wider and prayed silently that it wouldn't squeak or groan. When it was wide enough, he thanked God for his success and quietly walked out, closing the door just as sluggishly as before behind him.

He walked out of the entrance way and made his way down the path and past the front gate. Now outside, he looked around the dark English moors. Spring was around the corner, so he knew that soon the moors would be green with life. He looked behind at the manor and stared at it one last time -- his home in the past six years. A minute or two passed, and he faced forward and started to head down the path that was illuminated by the moon.

About a couple hundred metres away, he suddenly stopped as he saw a shadow appearing from behind some bushes. He tried to dismiss the person, thinking of him as some wanderer, but he froze as he saw moonlight reflecting against the familiar emerald eyes. He stared at them, and instead of seeing its usual warmth, he saw coldness mixed with hurt and anger. In a strangled voice he said, "Al."

"What are you doing?" Albus asked, even though it was clear that he knew.

"I--" Scorpius began, but was quickly interrupted.

"You can't go!" Albus yelled. "I won't let you!"

Scorpius' mood then switched from nervousness to anger. "What gives you the right to tell me what I can and cannot do? I want to make a difference. I don't want to sit around and wait for everything to end. I won't do it!"

"After everything, you just want to up and leave?" Albus asked, his emerald eyes flaring with anger.

Scorpius bit back a nasty retort that threatened to escape from his lips. He tried to placate Albus. "Al, I'll come back. I prom--"

"Don't give me that! This is a war! There's a high chance you won't come back!"

"Al, please, I have to do this!" Scorpius tried to step around him, but to no avail. It was obvious that Albus was not giving up yet. Especially when he felt a strong pair of arms wrapping around him.

"Don't go, Scor. Please, don't go." Scorpius closed his eyes as he sagged nearly with defeat in those arms, with the warm voice whispering into his ears. The same voice that held a desperate edge to it.

"Al . . . I . . . " He tried to speak, but failed.

"Please, don't leave," Albus continued to whisper as Scorpius fought back tears.

Stupid Al, he thought miserably. Why did Al have to make things so difficult? Why couldn't he just let him go and do what he had to do? It would be so much easier if things had been different between them. If they hadn't become so close, he could just leave. But he knew that despite how hard it was, he wouldn't have traded any of their memories together.

As he tried to fight his sense of duty and his desired wants, his mind drifted down his life's memory lanes of the last few years. Already six years passed since he came to this country, a country that somehow became home to him.

Closing his eyes around the unshed tears, he wrapped his arms around Albus' slim body and buried his face into Albus' hard and strong shoulders as he allowed the memories to rush into him.