Working Through the Rest

Life Beyond Death

I leave the Common Room long before Scorpius gets up and comes to find me. I don't eat very much in the way of breakfast, so I am gone from the Great Hall long before he appears. I don't want to talk about last night. I don't want to talk about what fear did to me, or that this wasn't the first time that I've had that nightmare, though that was the worst version of it.

Scorpius told me that he had some end of term work to do so I will be able to avoid him, at least for a while. And then I have to work out how to ignore last night. If I just make it through today and tomorrow, then I won't have to worry. After tomorrow, we have summer and I have time to reply to his letters. I have time to work through everything in my head.

I walk down the grounds for some reason, my eyelids heavy. I didn't sleep after I woke up last night, so I've been up since one in the morning, either curled up on the floor or pacing back and forth. I probably walked miles.
"Hey, Albus." An unfamiliar arm lands on my shoulder and I duck around them quickly.
"Where are you off to? We wanted to see you?"
"Piss off," I mutter.

Zack Alderton, no doubt, saw Scorpius alone at breakfast and thought that no would be a good time to come and give me grief. Except this time, it's Zack Alderton. And Max Coleman. And three of their friends.

I turn around and keep walking, moving more quickly. Unsurprisingly, they continue to follow me and I scowl, barely having the energy to roll my eyes.
"Kissed your boyfriend yet?" Max calls.

I feel my mouth dry out and I force myself to breath. I can't end up having an internal debate now. Five of them means business. Five of them means they're not interested in playing nice today.
"Fuck off," I snap, glancing back.

All five of them are grinning, almost nastily, and I have to shut my eyes. They remind me of her. They remind me of her more than Scorpius did last night. And now I'm beginning to regret leaving the dormitory without him.
"Come on," another – Louis Cosgriff – jeers. "Max asked you a question. Answer it."
"He's not..." the words catch in my throat.
"Yes?"
"He's not my boyfriend," I mumble, turning away.

An arm lands on my shoulders again and I flinch as Zack pulls his wand out of his pocket with his free hand.
"Don't try anything, you useless shit."

After that, I don't have much choice but to go with him. I don't know how far he's willing to go, but judging by the formation that the others have packed themselves into, they think I'm going to make a run for it and have no intention of letting me get away.

We walk silently for a few minutes. None of the students spilling out of the castle, laughing and talking in the morning sunshine, notice us, and I swallow nervously more than a few times, almost constantly wiping sweat from my palms.

Eventually, they let me stop walking as we reach an alcove, pushing me in roughly. I stumble, leaning against the wall to steady myself. Zack smirks as he walks closer, towering over me.
"What do you want?"

Surprisingly, my voice doesn't shake – I am surprisingly calm – and I stare coolly at them, waiting for their next move.
"What do we want?" Zack steps closer, staring down at me. "We want you to pay."
"What? Look, Zack, if this is about Craig–"
"You killed him," Zack spits. "Don't say you're fucking sorry when it's your fault that he's dead."
"I didn't kill him."
"No, but your so-called friend did."
"What are you talking about?" I'm beginning to get nervous.
"That's why you went back, isn't it?" Max snaps. "So that brother and sister could meet dear old dad?"
"No," I shake my head. "No, we didn't – Scorpius isn't–"

Zack shoves me backwards and I trip, wincing as I stick out my hands to break my fall. Before I can stand up again, two of them – David MacMillan and Josh Parkinson – grab me and force my head back so that I am staring up at Zack. His anger and hatred seems to grow with every passing moment and I shut my eyes as his fist flies into my face.

I cry out as I am pushed backwards by the force of the punch, grimacing as the blood starts to trickle from my nose, into my mouth. It tastes metallic and bitter, and it hurts. The pain starts to morph into a violent throbbing and I look down at the floor.

One of them grabs my hair and rips it back so that I am looking up again. The blood in my mouth starts to hit the back of my throat and I cough slightly. Zack laughs, grabbing the front of my robes and pulling me up so that I am inches from his face.
"Zack–"

I don't get further than that before his fist collides with my stomach and I fall back again, groaning as the pain spreads across my torso. Tears prick at my eyes as I hit the back of the alcove, my vision spinning after I smash my head on the stone.

I let myself fall on the floor, my eyes starting to drift closed. Spots on my shirt are sticky and warm as the blood drips down my face, off my chin. Zack smirks, looking down at me.
"You killed our friend," he kicks me. "You killed him."

He kicks me again, harder this time, and I look up, still silent. I no longer have the strength to move.
"We didn't..."
"Shut up," Zack snaps. "Shut up or fight back."

I don't move and then the kicking returns. When he begins to aim for my stomach, I start to curl up, trying not to concentrate on exactly how much it hurts. I have the vague sense that my nose is broken, because it's still bleeding.

And I then I start to hear a voice, barely audible through the wind and my grunts of pain. But I listen out, desperately hoping that he comes. I need him. I fucked up. But I need him so much.
"Albus?" Scorpius calls. "Albus? I'm sorry about last night. Someone said you were up..."

He trails off into silence as he sees me, sees what's going on. Half a moment later, he's pulled his wand out, fire burning in his eyes.
"Scorpius..." I pull myself towards him but Max's foot lands on my hand.
"Grab him."