Working Through the Rest

Working Through

We sit silently as the table, staring at the door until it opens. We've been here for about ten minutes and I already regret asking Scorpius to come with me, because he's shaking, his hand in mine. When the door finally opens, I freeze, trying not to stare at Delphi as she walks in and stops, looking at the two of us.

Her clothes are torn and grey, and the blue sections of her hair have faded, almost beyond recognition. She has dark shadows around her eyes and I can't help but stare. It's only taken a year to bring her to this.
"Well, sit down," dad snaps from behind us.
"What's going on?" she asks as she obliges, placing her hands on the table.
"You said you have something to tell me."
"To tell you," she nods. "Not all of you."
"The last time anyone tried to get information out of you," dad says impatiently, "you said nothing. Forgive me for having doubts on your cooperation."

She shrugs and glances up at where Draco is standing, and then her expression softens somewhat as she looks back at us.
"How are you doing, Scorpius?" she says. "Did your dad write to you?"
"How did you..." I stare at her, my heart starting to pound.
"Draco came to see me," Delphi explains calmly. "He wanted to know how to help you. I hope any advice I gave was useful."

Scorpius tenses beside me and I squeeze his hand gently. Delphi smiles at him and I can't help but feel a wave of anger wash over me. I don't know who it's directed at.
"That is not why you are here," dad snaps.
"Harry Potter," Delphi snaps back. I flinch. "If you have brought your son and his friend, both of whom are terrified of me, to play to the guilt that I have, and make me tell you something, you are a terrible parent."

Silence.

"You have interrupted Albus and Scorpius at school to bring them to a place that will likely negate any positive progress they have made with their mental health. This is worsened by having to interact with me. And no one is getting what they want from it."
"Then give me what I want," dad snarls.
"You can't want it that badly," Delphi points out. "I have been here for over a year. If you wanted, you'd have it by now."
"Tell me."
"Are you blind or stupid?" she suddenly drops to a murmur. "Can you imagine what applying a face to the people worse than me would do to Albus and Scorpius? And Draco. Can you imagine how bad the people who crafted my monster are?"
"Why me?" Draco asks.
"Draco, I'll be honest," Delphi mutters, "you look like shit. I don't think you would take it well."
"You're not a monster," Scorpius whispers.

I look at him. He's biting his lip nervously, his hands shaking slightly. The look in his eyes is begging for help.
"What?" Delphi looks at him.
"We pinned you as a monster." That isn't really a lie. "It was – easier." That is.
"You're not – just – a monster," Scorpius whispers again. "How?"
"You want to know why I'm here?"
"No names."

Dear Merlin. Dear fucking Merlin. I can't tell if he thinks this is a good idea or not. Either way, she's going to tell us and I am fucking terrified.
"When I tell you this," Delphi starts slowly, "I don't intend to make myself a victim. Not entirely. I understand that I am a monster. But there are reasons. Please, please listen to them."

I would rather rip my own ear drums out of my head. At least I wouldn't be able to hear the screams at night. Or maybe I would because they're inside my head. I don't care. I just really don't want to listen to her words.
"I've spent a total of three months in the outside world. I'm twenty four, or twenty three, and I've spent three months as a free woman.
"During those three months, I learnt that my guardian abused a neglected me. I hadn't thought of my – experiences – like that before. I just assumed that fear was normal, and that the person who took me away from it was different."

She pauses, closing her eyes and flinching slightly. And then she continues, even more quietly than before.
"I wanted to meet someone who would care about me. I wanted to meet my father."
"Did you know who he was?" Draco says, a touch of scepticism in his voice.
"I was told that he was right, but that he had lost. I was told that no one would accept me. I was told that I would be seen as evil."

There is a silence, for a long time, and I try to distract myself. I try to think of something, anything, else. Delphi has her eyes closed and her shoulders are shaking slightly. I think she's crying. I don't say anything.

The silence lasts a moment longer and then she pinches herself, starting to stand up silently.
"Can I go, please?" she murmurs.
"Thank you," Scorpius is still strangely calm.

She nods and begins to walk towards the door. She bows her head toward the guard, who takes her wand out and opens the door.
"Wait!" dad almost shouts. "I want those names."
"Mr. Potter!" Delphi spins on her heel, snarling. "I never promised you names. I said I had something to tell you, but as Albus and Scorpius don't seem to think I'm a complete monster, I won't mention it now. But I wouldn't have given names anyway."
"Get some Veritaserum," dad barks angrily, "and bring it to her cell."

Scorpius and I watch silently as Delphi is pushed out the room, followed by dad. Draco doesn't move. It's over. We never have to see her again. It's over. Thank Dumbledore.
"Albus," Draco says quietly, "can I speak to you outside?"

I pause for a moment, a little confused, and then I nod, letting go of Scorpius' hand and wiping the sweat off my palm. I follow him out into the corridor, trying to ignore the exhaustion starting to wash over me.
"Albus, this isn't my job," Draco says quietly, "but as your father is otherwise engaged, I'll ask."
"Ask?"
"Are you eating? You've lost weight."
"I'm not hungry," I mutter. "And I feel sick. A lot."
"For how long?"
"A few weeks."
"Have you been to the Hospital Wing?"
"I don't think I'm ill," I admit. "Not properly – ill."
"When did you start feeling like this?"
"When Scorpius started playing Quidditch. And I started going with him. To the pitch."
"Do you think it might be something to do with that?"
"Probably."
"Albus."

His tone sharpens and I stop looking at the floor, tensing slightly. Don't cry. Don't start crying. Albus. Don't because he's noticed and your dad hasn't.
"I'll talk to him," I mutter.
"Make sure you're okay," Draco says softly, squeezing my shoulder; I turn away before he can see that I'm crying.

On the way back to Hogwarts, Scorpius and I mainly sit in silence. I assume he's trying to digest the conversation. I haven't got that far. I'm still trying to digest the fact that he even asked. I cannot understand why he would willingly ask something likely to scare the living shits out of everyone involved.

That question is still plaguing my mind when we get back and walk down to the Common Room. And the silence has given me time to let the fear grab me and scare me into being angry.

I don't want to be angry with Scorpius.

But I am.