Working Through the Rest

Back In The Sky

On the Friday, neither of us have any exams and we decide to spend the day revising in the Common Room. At one point, Scorpius gets up, says that he's going to get a book from the library, and leaves. I don't think anything of it, but when he hasn't come back half an hour later, I start to worry a bit. I know the chances are he got distracted and is still reading, but I still feel uneasy.

I ask someone to keep an eye on my stuff as I leave to look for him, and then I start to jog. He isn't in the library, and no one there has seen him all day. That scares me, really scares me. Because he lied to me. Something is so wrong that he lied to me.

A small blessing comes when someone tells me that they saw him heading towards the Owlery, even though it makes my blood run cold. I have to go up there. I have to find him. And that idea scares me shitless. Going up there after avoiding it for so long isn't a good idea. But Scorpius went. So I have to follow him. I have to help him.

The tower is reasonably quiet as I trot up the steps, and my heart starts to pound violently in my chest. I don't know where he is and I'm starting to realise I can't count on the people who  told me he came this way. I can't count on anyone.

I don't know why he would come up here, of all places. Neither of us have been up here since she happened, and I start to doubt my assumptions more and more with every step. I can't hear him. I can't see him. And my thoughts keep getting more and more distracted and crazed.

I keep seeing things – reminders – as I run, of what happened. What she did. What it caused. What it all caused. And it's terrifying.
"Scorp?" I call. "Scorpius, are you up here?"

There is no reply and I start to run faster. I have to find him before something happens. Because something will happen. It's too much to hope that it will all be fine.

And then I reach the top of the stairs, panting steadily, and I see him.

He's sat on the ledge, staring out over the grounds. He doesn't appear to have noticed me, or registered anything else that's happening.
"Scorp?" I walk towards him slowly, trying not to startle him. "Scorpius."

He looks up at me sharply as I take his hand, crouching down beside him. He looks away and I bite my lip.
"Are you okay?" I murmur. "Scorpius?"
"You came up here?" he frowns. "You don't like it up here."
"I was worried about you. I was really worried."
"I'm fine."

I bite my lip, trying not to lose myself in. It's so painfully obvious that he is not okay, but I don't want to think too hard. I can't face thinking about this place, even to help him.
"Hello, Potter."

I wheel around quickly to see Zack Alderton standing in the doorway with a stupid grin plastered on his face. I stand up sharply, blocking Scorpius from him. We're alone, but I'm still scared of him. He nearly killed me.
"What do you want?" I ask quietly.
"You never come up here, Potter."
"Why is that important?"

There isn't a reply and I turn back to Scorpius, who is still staring outwards blankly. I put my hand on his knee. He flinches and I stop.
"Do you want to go back to the Common Room?" I ask.
"She won't get out of my head," Scorpius murmurs, almost to himself. "She won't leave me alone."
"Malfoy's going mad," Zack laughs. "Is this his guilty conscience finally showing?"
"Shut up," I mutter. "Scorpius. Come on. Let's go back to the Common Room."

I stand up and pull his arm over my shoulder. He stands up, still whispering, still utterly blank to everything. I'm so scared for him.
"Why's he insane?" Zack sneers, moving to block our path. "You know what happened, don't you?"

I open my mouth, ready to tell him to piss so that I can find somewhere else to make sure Scorpius is okay, when his arm slips away from my own and he lands on the floor. He curls in on himself, starting to rock back and forth.
"Leave me alone," he mutters, over and over, his breathing quickening more and more with every second. "Leave me alone."
"Scorpius," I crouch beside him. "It's not her. She's not here."

Even though I know I'm right, I still glance over my shoulder, half-expecting to see someone. But we're alone. Alone except for Alderton.
"He's mad."
"Shut up!" I half-shout. "Just – just shut up."

Scorpius' murmurs have changed; he's whispering my name. Over. And over. And over. It becomes almost unintelligible, and Zack starts to laugh.
"I'm here," I try to work out what could be at all comforting. "Scorpius, I'm here."
"Where am I?" he suddenly pulls himself away from me, staring at something that no one else can see.

And I know what is going on inside his head. He's not here, not flashing back to what Delphi did here. He can see Antlia. And everything else she did. All the pain and fear that she caused him, that he's never said a word about. That I never knew was this bad because I never tried to push him to talk.
"Scorpius," I move into his line of sight, hands raised in the least threatening manner I can think of. "Scorpius. Antlia is gone. She's not coming back."
"Where is Albus?" Scorpius stands and stumbles. "Where is he?"
"I'm here," I try not to cry. "Scorpius, I'm here."

He shakes his head, continuing to stumble backwards. He's shaking, sparks crackling between his fingers, getting constantly faster and brighter. I don't dare move closer. I don't want him to get hurt. I am painfully aware of the opening behind him, but if I try and get any closer, it will get worse.
"He's a freak," Zack stares at him. "He's a complete freak."

I raise my hands again, opening my palms in a sort of attempt to not be a threat, to not be here. I need to concentrate on helping him, on at least taking him somewhere safer than this. But the only thing I can think about is how terrified he looks and how scared I am.
"Why are you doing this?" he cries, taking another step backwards. "Why do you hate us so much?"
"I don't hate you, Scorpius," I start to cry. "I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. I'd do anything."
"No! No, you don't!"

He stumbles back again, the sparks that are dancing between his fingers growing dangerously. They splinter up his arms, almost pulling him away from me as they spread. I can't seem to do anything other than watch helplessly as he tips back, landing over the ledge.

My stomach drops through the floor and I scream, diving forward as he disappears from view. However, when I make it to the edge, he's still there, suspended in mid-air by a million strands of pure magic. His eyes are wide in fear and I hold out my hand.

He takes it slowly, and I try to pull him back up.  A foot lands on my free hand before I can, however, and I start to scream at Alderton. I know he hates us. I know he very nearly killed me. But I never imagined that he would be willing to watch, willing to actively cause it.
"Let go," he jeers. "Let go of the freak."

I ignore him. Scorpius is starting to slip from my grasp. His magic is no longer suspending him, and I can't support his weight.
"Help!" I shout. "Someone help!"

Zack laughs, but it's cut off abruptly as he moves away. Or rather, is pulled away, as there is the sound of fist on flesh. I try to ignore it, focussing on Scorpius, until someone appears beside me, taking Scorpius' hand and pulling him back up.

When we're all safe, I look up to see it's James and I stare. Half a moment, I shake myself and focus on Scorpius – passed out in my arms. He looks awful. I need to take him to the Hospital Wing.

But first–

"I swear, Alderton," James snarls, "you touch my brother or his QPP again, I'll murder you."
"Sounds fun. Freak."
"Oh, we're all freaks, but that's all right. Because I can still kill you."

James turns back to me, smiling softly, and I look down at Scorpius. We need to help him. Help him now. And James understands, because he helps to take Scorpius' weight, and we start to walk as quickly as possible.