stand by | scorpius

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

spring semester, 2019

THE CLOAK HAD BEEN A CHRISTMAS GIFT AND Albus had taken great advantage of it. Of course, he'd heard the typical lecture from his dad - it's a great responsibility, not to misuse it, blah blah blah. He'd heard the stories, he'd known for a fact his dad hadn't been as particular about how he had used it himself. And he had yet to tell a single soul about it, not even Rosie. It was a closely guarded secret, terribly suspicious that if somebody found out they would steal it.

Given the lack of knowledge, this also meant that Albus could roam the corridors completely freely. Not even a whisper of suspicion from the portraits he passed. He'd gone to the library, but it was boring. He'd gone to the kitchens, but the elves were easily spooked and terribly superstitious. Eventually, Al had begun to use it to tend to a few particular plants down in the Herbology greenhouses. This had quickly led to a diplomatic swiping of a few ingredients - he'd been tweaking a few potions in his free time, nothing serious, but a fourth year boy had bought a phial of Pepper Up! from him just before Christmas. It made for a few terrible ploys.

Pockets stuffed with dittany and lavender that evening, Al was a spectre that left a herbal scent trail. Even the portraits had taken note of it on his trek back towards his dormitory after dark - 'is somebody burning incense again?!' he'd heard from a soldier on horseback, making him pick up his pace in a guilty sweep. In his getaway, Albus didn't hear the group of boys until it was far too late. Tittering in an alcove just before the stairs that led down to the Slytherin common room, they were crowded around something.

Someone was telling another to 'empty your pockets then!', while a few others laughed meanly. Albus froze, instinctively leaning into the darkness as if he might be seen, before he remembered he was under a bloody invisibility cloak. 'Bet you've got loads of contraband,' another seemed to sneer. They were bigger boys, maybe fifth or sixth years, their robes out of place among the typical Slytherin green. Albus thought he saw a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor tie. 'Isn't your dad in Azkaban?', another asked meanly, 'Should be!' Another added with a roar of laughter. Albus felt his stomach drop, a great restless energy making him shift in place, knocking against a silver knight suit of armour as he did - it sent a clanging echo up the corridor. 

scorpius hyperion malfoy

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[scorpius hyperion malfoy]

Spring 2019

Having the last name that he did, Scorpius Malfoy had learned, put him in an interesting position amongst his peers at Hogwarts. Because he had been Sorted into Slytherin like most of his relatives, people assumed that that made him like they were, whatever that meant. He was either too close to the Dark Arts or too much of a "blood traitor" for people. It had been long enough since he had started school that he had hoped that things might settle down, but there were still people who couldn't accept that he was his own person.

He didn't typically make a big deal about the comments he received. They weren't just from within his own House, and it wasn't usually anything that any of the teachers could do besides maybe dock some points. It wasn't worth getting anyone into detention, either, because that would only make people resent him for making them give up however much of their free time. No, Scorpius felt, it was better to keep doing his best and avoid stooping so low as to imitate some other students' unkind behavior.

It was rare that he got ganged up on much, but being stopped before he could reach his own common room was not how Scorpius wanted to spend his evening. There were books to read and assignments to do, and he had been looking forward to the essay that he had to write for History of Magic! But being newly thirteen and light enough that he probably could have been picked up and tossed like a common garden gnome didn't bode well for his chances as a second-year up against boys who were easily in their fifth or sixth year.

One of the boys, the biggest of the group, had started accusing him of having some Dark artifact in his robes. Where something like that would have come into his possession was beyond Scorpius, but questioning that logic didn't seem like the brightest idea. He had started stammering out some excuse to explain why he needed to leave, but another one of the boys opened his mouth.

"Isn't your dad in Azkaban?"

He wasn't, Scorpius wanted to inform him, but he didn't have the chance to correct the misunderstanding before a third boy hollered out, "Should be!"

Scorpius knew that his parents weren't perfect and that his grandparents—on both sides—had been even worse people and that there were certain things, like being a Death Eater, that he couldn't really defend. At the same time, he didn't know what these boys wanted him to say. Was he supposed to apologize for something? He didn't know how to word that without making himself sound guilty for something that he hadn't ever done. "I-I'm not my dad," he mumbled as he looked down at his shoes, though he didn't know if the boys who were bothering him could hear what he was saying over their roaring laughter.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

spring semester, 2019

THOUGH HE'D MADE A BIT OF A CLATTER IT WAS not enough to deter the bullying boys, and Albus recovered. Straightening from where he had flinched down towards the ground, despite the fact that he was completely shrouded from view under his cloak. The fear fled quickly in favour of childlike curiosity, the tittering boys doubling down as their victim replied meekly. Albus recognised that voice, he thought, stuttered but sure as he disagreed high above the din of catty laughter.

Albus crept forward, peering around the sweeping robes of the taller boys. He froze when he saw him, white-blond hair gleaming under the flickering lamp light. Scorpius Malfoy was not Albus's mate. They weren't even seat buddy's in a class. Though they were both in Slytherin, the boys had stuck to their respective corners. Plus, Albus had heard what some of the other Slytherin's would say. He'd even heard a few titter about how 'his type give us a bad name', but he'd never been brave enough to speak up upon it - in defence or agreement. In truth, Albus was far too busy trying to pretend he was the first Invisible Potter to play a part in the House politics.

Upon discovering him, Albus noted that Scorpius looked tiny in the groups shadow, looking down at his shoes as if they might just go away if he wasn't looking. Albus felt a spike of something in his gut as he watched it unfold. He had always minded his business for the most part, but it felt different this time - it felt serious. If he walked away, well he wasn't sure what the other boys would do. There was a sinister quiet in the hallway, it made Albus feel slippery with dread. However, that was not to say that Albus did not consider his options. That he did not think about slipping into the common room unnoticed, and leaving himself out of it entirely. What could he do, really? They were much, much bigger than him, and meaner too. 

Stealing a breath, Albus flinched when they moved in front of him, obscuring Scorpius from view. The blood was rushing in his ears, loud and inconvenient as he turned on his heels and crept back towards the corner he had first seen the boys from. It was a bad idea, terrible really. The cloak brushing softly against his palms as he lifted them under the cloak, flat and open, before he squeezed his eyes shut and pushed them forward. His hands collided with the suit of armour, shoving the cold metal plates until the whole thing toppled towards the ground.

It was an instantaneous cacophony of noise, echoing up and down the dank hallway. The boys scattered like Gobstones, each squealing their shock and horror as they searched for the source of the fallen armour. Albus hopped over a broken armpiece, swearing at himself over and over as he used the distraction to rush towards Scorpius. Gathering the cloak at the front, he grabbed the bottom hem and lifted it all at once. He knocked into Scorpius's cowered frame, dropping the front of his cloak over his head and obscuring them both all at once.

"Sh!" He hissed, gripping the boy around his shoulders and tugging him away from the corner he'd been backed into. "They can't see us, but they can definitely hear us." He slapped a hand over Scorpius's mouth for good measure, pulling them along the corridor before the noise settled into a suspicious silence. Albus pressed them against the wall no more than eight feet away from the nearest bully. They were all drawing together, realising that the armour had been knocked over by nothing that could be physically seen. "Wh- The swots gone!" A snotty voice exclaimed in shock, triggering a slew of heads whipping around the corridor in search of Scorpius. Albus pressed his hand a little tighter to the boys mouth, head shaking minutely as they realised he was nowhere to be seen. 'If I get caught for this...' Albus thought bitterly, his hands beginning to sweat. 

scorpius hyperion malfoy

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[scorpius hyperion malfoy]

Spring 2019

Scorpius had to wonder what his father would say if he knew that his son was being bullied at school. He knew that his paternal grandfather wouldn't care for it one bit—not because he would have been worried about the bullying but because it meant that Scorpius, as his only grandson and the one meant to carry on the family name, was weak enough to permit it to happen. No, if he'd had any sense, he probably should have been cursing their noses off or something. He wasn't meant to be staring down at his feet, even if he couldn't overpower them physically. That's what magic was supposed to be for.

As he tried to think of something that might make him seem like he could actually stand up for himself, Scorpius heard something clatter against the stone floor. It sounded heavy, whatever it was, and he looked up as the boys who had cornered him made a run for it. He wished that the distraction had been his doing, though maybe they thought it was; he wasn't really sure, but he lifted his head.

It was a suit of armor that had fallen, though Scorpius wasn't sure how it had happened until he found himself facing Albus Potter beneath a cloak… An invisibility cloak? He didn't say anything, not that he was sure what to say. Albus shushed him anyway as he pulled him from the corner, saying that the group of boys could still hear them. (The cloak, in other words, didn't have the benefit of being soundproof, nice though that would have been.) A hand placed over his mouth reinforced to Scorpius that he really couldn't make noise, and he bobbed his head silently. It was all very sudden and very awkward, but he hoped that his disappearance from view had been enough to get the older boys to leave.

One of the boys mentioned that the "swot"—presumably, that was him and not Albus, considered Scorpius, since they hadn't seen Albus there—was gone. He might as well have Disapparated from the school, because it didn't seem that the bullies knew the difference. Scorpius, wanting to laugh despite the footwork that was required to make any movements under the cloak, was glad that Albus had pressed his palm against his mouth even harder. Strange though it was to have Albus Potter, of all people, come to his rescue, he couldn't help feeling a sense of victory.

Trying to make sure that he wouldn't do anything that might cause the cloak to fall off of him and Albus, Scorpius turned his head the slightest bit to check if the older boys were really gone. He held his breath and looked back at Albus. Maybe they could actually make it back to their common room without drawing attention to themselves.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

spring semester, 2019

IN THE ENSUING CHAOS AL'S HEART HAD TAKEN up a furious beat. His hand still pressed firmly over Scorpius's mouth as he tried to melt into the wall behind them. Wide eyes watching as the group gathered, before separating and trundling down the hallway all at once. Al felt foolish in the agonising wait for them to disappear. How could he risk exposing his cloak in such a way? For a boy he didn't even particularly like. It felt like something a Gryffindor would do, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the thrill of it.

Even when the hall emptied, and it was just Al's rushing breath and Scorpius's cool cheeks clasped by Al's fingers and thumb, he felt overwhelmed by adrenaline - light-headed with it. He didn't speak as he cast Scorpius a cautionary look from the corner of his eye, mouth pursed tight as he carefully pulled his hand away from the boy's mouth and jerked his head in the opposite direction the boy's had disappeared down. He didn't have the guts to speak just yet as he ushered them both down the hallway, a left and a right turn before the dim lights and slumbering portraits gave him the guts to finally draw in an anticipatory breath.

"That was bloody close," Al whispered, still not brave enough to speak any louder than a hiss. Looking over his shoulder, and then at Scorpius's wide-eyed stare, he finally tugged the cloak from their shoulders. It was becoming uncomfortable to be pressed so close to another body, their combined sweat and breath making Al flinch as he pulled the cloak into a bundle and clutched it to his chest possessively. It was then, quite abruptly, that Al realised he'd inadvertently exposed his secret cloak to a person he did not trust in the slightest.

"I- you can't-" He took a quick step towards Scorpius, more nervous than threatening as his hands began to sweat around the luxurious charmed fabric. "Don't you tell a soul," He warned him suddenly, wide eyed and stern faced. "Not a single soul, and- and if you do..." He drew in a breath, restless with uncertainty. "Well, nobody will believe you anyways." He wrung the cloak out between his fingers, wondering about all the horrid gossip he'd heard about Scorpius's father. Of Malfoy's in general. And inserting the strange boy in alongside them. It wasn't fair, but he simply couldn't help it. 

scorpius hyperion malfoy

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[scorpius hyperion malfoy]

Spring 2019

Without knowing how long it might be until the bullies would be tempted to return for a second round, Scorpius didn't dare to do so much as make a squeak. Finally, though, they made it far enough away from where the older boys had gone that it seemed safe, or at least as safe as they were going to get. They were still under the cloak, but Albus mentioned that what they had just done—nay, what he had just done, because Scorpius had neither asked him to nor anticipated it—had been "bloody close".

It had. Scorpius knew it, and he let as much air out of his lungs as he felt comfortable exhaling while trying to keep himself as quiet as possible. He could feel the movement of fabric being pulled off of his body and looked as Albus gathered up the cloak against his chest. Obviously, it had covered them both, but Albus remained secretive. From what he said, he implied that Scorpius couldn't say a thing. He didn't know what excuse he would have to come up with if those boys were to ask, but Albus's reminder that no one would believe him even if he were to say something about his classmate's possessing an invisibility cloak was definitely true.

Scorpius looked down at Albus's hands as he adjusted the cloak again, mesmerized by it and increasingly stunned as the adrenaline rush he had gotten hit with began to wear off. "…Th-Thanks, Potter," Scorpius choked out, trying his best to seem cool about the fact that Albus Potter had just come to his rescue.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

spring semester, 2019

THOUGH SCORPIUS GAVE NO IMPRESSION THAT he was bursting to tell the world about his cloak, Albus still burned with fear. He'd been given the cloak with the promise to keep it a secret. He wondered, seized with the fear of discovery, if it would be taken from him if Scorpius did decide to tell somebody about his jaunt around the corridors under an invisible swathe of fabric. Merlin, he felt sick to his stomach.

Alas, he needn't have worried. Scorpius was so quiet, Albus couldn't even tell if he was impressed. Just a sheepish wee 'Thanks, Potter'. Like he'd borrowed a pencil, or something. Albus found himself smarting a little, bitterness making him tense for a whole different reason. Why wasn't he bloody saying anything? Albus shook out his cloak with a stiff nod, tense around the mouth as he slung the cloak over his shoulders. "Right well..." He mumbled stiffly. "Night then, Malfoy." And then he hunkered down, pulled the cloak over his head and disappeared along the corridor.

[END AL]

scorpius hyperion malfoy

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[scorpius hyperion malfoy]

Spring 2019

Scorpius had never seen an invisibility cloak used before; he had only ever heard about them, but he knew that it wasn't the time to ask Albus Potter about his. He was glad that the other boy had been in the right place at the right time, and he'd already sworn himself to secrecy. Though he hadn't been sworn to secrecy by Dark magic, Scorpius knew better than to break that secret. Albus had done him a favor, and it would stay between them.

As such, Albus was quick to sound as though nothing at all was out of the ordinary, and Scorpius was left with no option but to play along. Otherwise, he wasn't sure what trouble awaited him—or maybe both of them, if they were found out.

Albus bid him a good night, and then—with the help of the cloak—was gone again. Maybe someday, Scorpius thought, he'd have the courage to bring it up to him. It would need to be in private, though, certainly.

Albus Severus Potter
Fin.