Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

40 Into the Fire

Scorpius woke the next morning exhausted. He'd fallen asleep cuddling with Albus in his bed and returned to his own at some point in the night. But when he returned to his own it had felt empty and cold, and he drifted in and out of consciousness for hours. Luckily though, there was no nightmares or memories or dreams to plague that unconsciousness. Now that he was out of the closet, no one seemed phased in the boys dorms when he'd be in Albus's bed- on top of the blankets of course.

One of the students would complain if he was under the sheets with the Potter, for obvious reasons. He had heard the name calling behind his back- the whispers down the hallway about him being bisexual. Scorpius hadn't really made himself available for ridicule. Other than lunch in the Great Hall and class, Scorpius typically steered away from public eyes. Veering towards the abandoned girl's bathroom. And that's when he wasn't busy after classes training with Aries in the Forbidden Forest.

It's only been a few days. Not even a week. There was still time for backlash from the students. He expected it to come. Every time a book thumped a little too loud on a desk or when someone would call his name- his heart would race a little with anxiety. Concern they were going to ask about him and Albus- about his sexuality. They haven't. Not to his face, at least.

He knew a lot of it was going on behind his back. Mostly because Aries snidely mentioned that she had to scare off Slytherin girls who were asking her about him. "They need to grow a pair of balls and ask you themselves. Cowards." She had complained, huffing as she walked towards the little clearing in the trees. "You'd think with upcoming OWLS they'd have something better to do." The girl was annoyed, letting it bother her more than it usually would've.

With high spring fast approaching it only made sense she was on edge. She'd be returning to Selwyn soon- with Daniel. Even though she was helping Scorpius learn magic that Daniel had been taught- she still had an unbreakable vow to uphold. He wondered if her loyalties were divided. Recalling how she told him that it wasn't that bad, being with Selwyn. Not compared to Rodolphus Lestrange, at least. The terror who raised her and Delphini.

Scorpius tried to sift through her emotions when he practiced the Legillimency. But it was hard, especially when her mind was like a spider web. Albus's was more easy. And he could feel the boy's emotions smoother. Without him knowing, of course. Eventually he'd get to the point where he can read actual thoughts and memories without someone knowing- but he wasn't there yet.

He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He had woken before the alarm on his phone. And the other boys were still asleep in their bunks.

Today would be the day Aries opened that gate in his head, for better or worse. His grey eyes looked over where Daniel slept. So soundly, softly. His brother didn't look so menacing now, face relaxed, eyes closed. Scorpius didn't underestimate him. And with the target now on Polly's back- it was clear how people were reacting to sexual harassment. Daniel shouldn't be sleeping like a baby, considering what he pulled with Raven. Then again, he already got his punishment.

Scorpius pushed the sheet off him, and got up swiftly, balancing on the balls of his feet to stay silent.

After getting ready for the day, he headed down to the common room and out- to the castle beyond. A bag on his shoulder with his school books. Few students were awake, but there were some- primarily Slytherins and Ravenclaws- who meandered here and there. With things to do before classes. Crimes usually happened during night-
but at Hogwarts it was in the early hours of morning when schemes took place. Not always. But between the clever and wise houses it was.

So he wasn't surprised when Scorpius passed a hallway and the corner of his eye caught the sight of a brunette shade of hair, flowing and long. He'd know that hair anywhere. He stopped in his tracks and peaked back around the corner, looking at Christine. The Ravenclaw girl was standing with Luke. Her arms across her chest, hip thrown out with attitude. And the Greek-god shaped boy stood facing her. "... away from him." He caught the last bit of her words- and wondered what it was about.