Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

46 Hook

Scorpius pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his teeth, as he walked up the hill beside Harry Potter. Who had decided to escort him personally to Hogwarts. Harry sent a disgusted look his way when he sees the cigarette. Like father like son. Scorpius rolled his eyes and put it back without lighting it. "Considering your behavior, you're pretty judgmental." Scorpius tells the man, readjusting the duffel bag on his shoulder. There wasn't enough school left to repack his entire trunk. Harry Potter shakes his head.

"Considering your behavior, you're very confident to be insulting me."

"There's only one thing no one can take from me Mr. Potter." Scorpius clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth, picking up his cat Missy from where the padded silently. They come into view of the castle, and his grey eyes scanned the students who lined the outside corridors, clearly waiting for his return because all their eyes were on the Auror and the boy. Salazar Black. That's who they saw this time. "And that's my pride."

"I have business with the Headmistress. I assume you can find your way to the dungeons?" Harry asked, slowing to a stop before they came into hearing distance from the curious mob of students. Scorpius nodded, hugging his white feline to his chest.

"Thanks for letting me come back." He tells the Auror. "And for everything else." Narcissa, the wardings. The assurance his family was going to be safe. Scorpius had given Harry the letters he had tucked away in his room, the letters between Cypress and Draco over the course of so many years. He'd also had to explain that he found them in Slughorn's office. But he kept the details to a minimum- not mentioning that Albus had known everything this entire time. Harry had cleared up only a few details, and even though there was tons more to explain- Scorpius just said the least he possibly could. Exhausted from dealing with Michael, the blonde had just wanted to leave the Manor as quickly as possible.

Harry Potter nodded, and then headed off in a different direction. Leaving Scorpius to fend off the students himself. It wouldn't be that difficult. If they didn't fear him before, they definitely did now. The news of who he was had certainly traveled around the school. He hoped that Raven hadn't had to deal with too much drama because of it in the last few days. Luckily half of the time he was gone was weekends, so the gossip would've died down on those days.

Scorpius was expecting some sneers and jabs in his direction. He approached the entrance and saw that Raven was pushing herself to the front, snapping at people to move. She greeted him with a wide smile. And he felt a little happier just being back around her. She beelined for Missy, taking her out of his arms. Scorpius had worn his black hoodie, not about to show off that ugly wound just yet. Maybe he never would. Albus was no where in sight, but he wasn't in a rush to see him. Right now, he just wanted to get back to the basics. Making sure people were safe.

Primarily his twin sister. And so he stuck to her side like glue. They went into the boys dorms, where Scorpius set his stuff down and Missy jumped onto Albus's bunk, sniffing the familiar scents. Away from prying eyes, Raven finally spoke to him. "How did it go with Dad Potter?"

"Good, I mean he let me come back here. So I think it's gone very good. It sounds like I don't have to worry about an attack here at Hogwarts." Scorpius tells her. But I'm still not letting you out of my sight. "I just want to... get back to schoolwork. Study for exams. You know? Normal. At least for us."

"It's not going to be normal." Raven reminds him. "Everyone knows who you are."

"I don't care." Scorpius lied. He wished he didn't care. But he was nervous to be back here. And he'd already tucked away specific places in the school that he'd be escaping to when the crowds and students got too much. Slughorn's office, for one. He knew without even asking that the Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House would let him read or study in his office to avoids prying eyes. And McGonagall would do the same. Especially now that she knew what had happened and was going on. "Tell me about Polly Chapman. Anything new?"