Rumours - Part 2 of Family Secrets (H/D, PG)
Title: Rumours - part 2 of Family Secrets
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: 975
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (past), Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy
Challenges: AWDT's prompts of "There's an ounce of truth in every rumour," and my 10_themes prompt #09 - "Library".
Summary: Does Scorpius know more about their fathers than he's led Albus to believe?
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Need to catch up? To start at the beginning, click here.
To view all stories in this series, click here.
Banner by mtranc3
"Malfoy!" screamed Albus from the hall in the dungeons. Damn Scorpius for not giving him the password to the Slytherin Common Room. Never mind that Al hadn't given Scorpius the Gryffindor password. "Scorpius!"
Breathe, you have to breathe he told himself. It's not like anyone would let him in if he was outside screaming. "Scorpius!" He banged on the wall where he thought the door was.
"What's all this noise about?" came the voice of Professor Slughorn, the Head of Slytherin House. "Albus, m'boy. Don't tell me it's you making all this fuss?"
"Um ... y-yes, sir. It's just --"
"Now, now. It's high time you got back to your dormitory where you belong. You know you shouldn't be out and about at this time of night."
"But sir," he began, trying to inject just enough desperation into his voice in the hopes that Slughorn would relent, "I need to talk to Scorpius Malfoy right away."
"Is someone in his family hurt or ill?"
"Well, no."
"Is someone ill in your family?"
"N-no."
"Is this some sort of emergency?"
Albus thought about that question for a moment. It sure seemed urgent that he talk to Scorpius, but if he was honest, it really wasn't an emergency. "Well, not exactly, sir."
"Well, then, I suggest you get back to your dormitory before your Head of House catches you out of bounds, Mr Potter."
Al looked frantically into the professor's face one more time before giving up and heading back to Gryffindor Tower. How he was going to sleep he didn't know.
***
The next morning, after a restless night with only short, fitful spurts of sleep, Al got up early, got himself ready and headed down to the Great Hall before anyone else in his room had even opened an eye. He knew there was no point going back to Slytherin, because no one would answer the door that early. His best chance was to corner Scorpius at breakfast.
Of course, Scorpius chose that day to be late. As soon as he saw Scorpius entering, Al made straight for him.
"I need to talk to you," he said without preamble.
"So talk."
"Privately," he said through clenched teeth.
"Relax, Potter. Can't a guy get some food around here first?" he joked.
"I've been waiting here for over an hour already."
"Well, I'm flattered, but really, I'm starving!"
"Come on," Al said, grabbing his friend's arm and almost dragging him out. "We need to talk now!"
"Ah, Mr Potter, I see you found Mr Malfoy."
"Yes, sir," Al replied, letting go of Scorpius's arm.
Slughorn looked pointedly at Al's hand, making it clear that he hadn't missed a thing. "Breakfast is almost over. I should think Mr Malfoy here would like to eat before class?" He looked at Scorpius who nodded mutinously.
Al was livid, but there was little he could do but let out an exasperated sigh.
"You'll have plenty of time to talk on the way to class, or at lunch, Mr Potter. Now please leave Mr Malfoy to have his breakfast in peace."
"But Professor --"
"Now, Mr Potter." There was no room for argument.
Al waited by the doors until Scorpius was done, then marched over to the Slytherin table. "Let's talk now."
Scorpius followed him away from the crowds hesitantly. "We're going to be late for class."
As they rounded the corner into an empty corridor, Al whispered, "What do you know about our dads?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean before they were married."
"What? That they hated each other? That they each did something so awful that neither of them talk about it?"
"No. I mean ..." Al looked around to be sure no one was listening. "I mean after the war, but before they each got married. Did you know that they ... they ..."
"They what?" Scorpius chuckled. "Had some wild love affair?"
"You did know!" Al shouted as he pushed his friend hard in the chest.
"What?!"
"You knew!" Al pushed him again. "How could you have known something like this and not told your best friend? I can't believe you!"
"What the hell are you on about, Potter? I was joking!"
"Oh, really? So how is it that you guessed right away?"
"Oh, let's see ... I said the most ridiculous thing that came to mind is all. You don't seriously think they did, do you? What are you, on some sort of mind-altering potion or something? They hated each other."
"No, Scorp. Rose heard her parents talking about it. According to them, our dads were together after the war. And my mum doesn't know anything about it."
"It must just be a rumour, right? An old one maybe, but still."
"Even if it were ..."
"Oh, God. You know what they say, right?"
"What do you mean?" asked Al.
"That there's an ounce of truth in every rumour."
"Considering the source, I don't think it was just a rumour anyway. Remember? Rose's parents are my dad's best friends."
Scorpius looked into Al's face, and must have seen the truth in his eyes. His face went ghostly white, and he looked a little ill. "So now what are we supposed to do?"
"You, young men, are supposed to get to class," Slughorn's voice interrupted them. "You've got one minute to get there. I do not want to hear about either of you being late, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," they both chimed.
"We'll talk more later," Scorpius called as he headed in one direction.
"I'll meet you in the library after third class," Al called as he went the other way. "And don't tell anyone!"
As he ran down the corridor, Al could hear Scorpius's voice echo, "As if."
Part 3 - Breaking the News
.
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: 975
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (past), Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy
Challenges: AWDT's prompts of "There's an ounce of truth in every rumour," and my 10_themes prompt #09 - "Library".
Summary: Does Scorpius know more about their fathers than he's led Albus to believe?
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Need to catch up? To start at the beginning, click here.
To view all stories in this series, click here.
Banner by mtranc3
"Malfoy!" screamed Albus from the hall in the dungeons. Damn Scorpius for not giving him the password to the Slytherin Common Room. Never mind that Al hadn't given Scorpius the Gryffindor password. "Scorpius!"
Breathe, you have to breathe he told himself. It's not like anyone would let him in if he was outside screaming. "Scorpius!" He banged on the wall where he thought the door was.
"What's all this noise about?" came the voice of Professor Slughorn, the Head of Slytherin House. "Albus, m'boy. Don't tell me it's you making all this fuss?"
"Um ... y-yes, sir. It's just --"
"Now, now. It's high time you got back to your dormitory where you belong. You know you shouldn't be out and about at this time of night."
"But sir," he began, trying to inject just enough desperation into his voice in the hopes that Slughorn would relent, "I need to talk to Scorpius Malfoy right away."
"Is someone in his family hurt or ill?"
"Well, no."
"Is someone ill in your family?"
"N-no."
"Is this some sort of emergency?"
Albus thought about that question for a moment. It sure seemed urgent that he talk to Scorpius, but if he was honest, it really wasn't an emergency. "Well, not exactly, sir."
"Well, then, I suggest you get back to your dormitory before your Head of House catches you out of bounds, Mr Potter."
Al looked frantically into the professor's face one more time before giving up and heading back to Gryffindor Tower. How he was going to sleep he didn't know.
***
The next morning, after a restless night with only short, fitful spurts of sleep, Al got up early, got himself ready and headed down to the Great Hall before anyone else in his room had even opened an eye. He knew there was no point going back to Slytherin, because no one would answer the door that early. His best chance was to corner Scorpius at breakfast.
Of course, Scorpius chose that day to be late. As soon as he saw Scorpius entering, Al made straight for him.
"I need to talk to you," he said without preamble.
"So talk."
"Privately," he said through clenched teeth.
"Relax, Potter. Can't a guy get some food around here first?" he joked.
"I've been waiting here for over an hour already."
"Well, I'm flattered, but really, I'm starving!"
"Come on," Al said, grabbing his friend's arm and almost dragging him out. "We need to talk now!"
"Ah, Mr Potter, I see you found Mr Malfoy."
"Yes, sir," Al replied, letting go of Scorpius's arm.
Slughorn looked pointedly at Al's hand, making it clear that he hadn't missed a thing. "Breakfast is almost over. I should think Mr Malfoy here would like to eat before class?" He looked at Scorpius who nodded mutinously.
Al was livid, but there was little he could do but let out an exasperated sigh.
"You'll have plenty of time to talk on the way to class, or at lunch, Mr Potter. Now please leave Mr Malfoy to have his breakfast in peace."
"But Professor --"
"Now, Mr Potter." There was no room for argument.
Al waited by the doors until Scorpius was done, then marched over to the Slytherin table. "Let's talk now."
Scorpius followed him away from the crowds hesitantly. "We're going to be late for class."
As they rounded the corner into an empty corridor, Al whispered, "What do you know about our dads?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean before they were married."
"What? That they hated each other? That they each did something so awful that neither of them talk about it?"
"No. I mean ..." Al looked around to be sure no one was listening. "I mean after the war, but before they each got married. Did you know that they ... they ..."
"They what?" Scorpius chuckled. "Had some wild love affair?"
"You did know!" Al shouted as he pushed his friend hard in the chest.
"What?!"
"You knew!" Al pushed him again. "How could you have known something like this and not told your best friend? I can't believe you!"
"What the hell are you on about, Potter? I was joking!"
"Oh, really? So how is it that you guessed right away?"
"Oh, let's see ... I said the most ridiculous thing that came to mind is all. You don't seriously think they did, do you? What are you, on some sort of mind-altering potion or something? They hated each other."
"No, Scorp. Rose heard her parents talking about it. According to them, our dads were together after the war. And my mum doesn't know anything about it."
"It must just be a rumour, right? An old one maybe, but still."
"Even if it were ..."
"Oh, God. You know what they say, right?"
"What do you mean?" asked Al.
"That there's an ounce of truth in every rumour."
"Considering the source, I don't think it was just a rumour anyway. Remember? Rose's parents are my dad's best friends."
Scorpius looked into Al's face, and must have seen the truth in his eyes. His face went ghostly white, and he looked a little ill. "So now what are we supposed to do?"
"You, young men, are supposed to get to class," Slughorn's voice interrupted them. "You've got one minute to get there. I do not want to hear about either of you being late, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," they both chimed.
"We'll talk more later," Scorpius called as he headed in one direction.
"I'll meet you in the library after third class," Al called as he went the other way. "And don't tell anyone!"
As he ran down the corridor, Al could hear Scorpius's voice echo, "As if."
Part 3 - Breaking the News
.