Working Through the Rest

Sweet Scents

Scorpius barely had time to move as his arms were pinned behind him roughly. He kept his focus on Albus, curled at Zack Alderton's feet, covered in blood. He couldn't remember a time when he had ever been this angry and, had Albus not been lying on the floor, he would have been scared of himself.

In this instance, however, he needed his anger. He needed to help, needed to save Albus. He remained silent as Zack walked towards him, smirking.
"Look who showed up," he spat. "The murderer."
"Leave..." Albus groaned. "Leave him..."
"Why should I?" Zack snarled. "Craig's dead because he and his sister were just too desperate to not leave well enough alone."
"What the hell?" Scorpius tried to step towards Albus but the other boys' grips were unwavering.
"You killed Craig!" Zack started to scream at him. "You and your insane family!"

Scorpius glanced at Albus, who was curled up, his eyelids drifting open and closed with exhaustion.
"If you have a problem with me," he said quietly, "take it up with me."
"Why?" Max sneered, kicking Albus again. "Does this hurt too much?"

Scorpius didn't reply, mentally clocking where his wand was, so that he felt ready to start the fight. And he was ready. He was prepared to go to the ends up of the earth to protect Albus. To hell with what happened to him.

He waited for another half-second before pulling himself away sharply, grabbing his wand as he dived towards Albus. He didn't make it, being dragged backwards and pushed against the wall. Zack scowled at him as David MacMillan and Josh Parkinson pulled Albus to his feet roughly.

Scorpius felt his stomach lurch violently as he looked at Albus. Blood was dripping from his nose, which was bent off-centre – obviously broken. It looked as if the effort of standing upright, even while being held up, was too exhausting to manage. He was bending in on himself, eyes half closed.
"Leave him alone," Scorpius found himself pleading. "He hasn't done anything. Please."
"No."

Scorpius screamed out as Zack threw his fist into Albus' stomach again, and Albus collapsed again, shaking and whimpering. And muttering words that Scorpius could not make out.
"Please," he whispered.

They ignored him, the three that were not restraining him returning their full attention to Albus, starting to kick him again. Scorpius felt his stomach drop further and further as they turned from his friend's stomach to his chest, smashing into him over and over and over.

And then came a godsend. Supposedly.

"Zack?"

Rose's voice echoed around the alcove as she ducked out of the wind, smiling sweetly at Zack. He stopped what he was doing, smiling back at Rose as she walked towards him.
"Rose," Scorpius stared at her, trying to work out what insane plan she was working with.

Rose ignored him, shoving her hands in her pockets and glancing around, apparently unfazed by the scene she had stumbled upon.
"Zack," she said calmly. "Someone said you were here."
"Yes?" Zack continued to smile.

Scorpius couldn't help but notice that Zack was blushing slightly and his hands started to shake. That was what Rose seemed to be noticing. Not the fact that her cousin was being beating up to the point of possibly dying. They were screwed.
"I just wanted to give you some advice," Rose said. "About asking me out?"
"You know that I like you?" Zack froze.
"Oh come on," Rose giggled. "The entire school knows."
"Oh. Right."
"Anyway," Rose continued. "If you wanted to ask me out, successfully, your best shot would be to – well, to not assault my cousin and his best friend."

Scorpius watched utterly dumbfounded, as Rose, wand in hand, threw her fist into Zack's face and grabbed his hair, shoving him away from Albus. He looked up as he caught himself by the alcove entrance.
"That freak is your cousin?" he stared at her.
"'That freak' was my best friend when I was six," Rose fumed. "And I am quite a loyal person."
"You're insane."
"Then leave my friends alone and you won't have to deal with it."

Zack ran as Max Coleman and Louis Cosgriff let go of Scorpius' arms, raising their fists. Rose got there first, throwing hexes that sent them flying backwards. They stared at her, stumbling past each other to leave the alcove. And, by that time, the other two were long gone.

Scorpius dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as he crawled towards Albus. He was unsure as to whether he was actually conscious at this point. Rose appeared beside him, her wand between her teeth.
"Thank you," Scorpius mumbled.
"We're not done yet," Rose muttered. "Albus? Albus, can you hear me?"

There wasn't a reply.