The rest of the week passed with significantly less drama, although with a rather more substantial pile of work than Albus would have liked. It was during dinner time on Friday evening that his brother James approached them, flanked by his usual cohort of followers: Alphie, Conall, Louis and Persephone. Frank was in the process of begging a strong-willed Rose for help with Swinburne’s essay on the differences between transfiguring animate and inanimate matter and Albus was finishing his last forkful of casserole when James slammed down a piece of parchment in front of him.
–Well, well, little brother. We have been busy, haven’t we?†Albus swallowed and looked from the parchment to his brother, momentarily perplexed. However, it was Alphie who cleared it up for him.
–Detention! In your first week! You have more promise than James let on.†He flashed a smile at Albus and winked. Rose rolled her eyes while Albus sighed. Brilliant, he thought. Of all the people who could have delivered the news of his detention, James was somewhere near the bottom of that list. Not that he would be angry, no, he would just assume that from then on Albus would want to be pulled into whatever schemes he devised, which he did not.
–What did you do to get it anyway? It’s from Madam Chang, so I’m guessing it has to do with flying.†Albus let out a harsh bark-like laugh and nodded, rolling his eyes.
–Yes, very well worked out James.†The sarcasm did not affect James who merely took a small bow in return. Albus continued after a spoonful of Peach Melba. –Effie over here,†he gestured to the dark haired girl sitting next to Rose, –thought it’d be a great idea to see what we all looked like from twenty feet up.†Effie threw him a sardonic smile which he returned.
–Instead of waiting for Madam Chang to help, I flew up to try and help her.†He paused, taking another mouthful of Peach Melba before saying in very quick succession, –as did Scorpius Malfoy.†After finishing his sentence he shoved a particularly large piece of peach into his mouth so as to prevent himself from talking.
Albus knew he couldn’t get away without telling that part of the story, but sorely wished he didn’t have to. It was not helped by the fact that Theron interjected with a helpful: –Only he succeededâ€, prompting a swift elbow in the ribs from Rose. James’ eyes widened in disbelief and he seemed to be torn between an urge to laugh and not being able to quite trust what he was hearing. His friends also apparently shared his feelings.
–Scorpius Malfoy? Of the Malfoy family? He did something...selfless?†Conall asked bewilderedly. James was shaking his head though, clearly thinking he hadn’t understood something about the story.
–Right so, let me get this straight. Effie’s on her broom really high up and you fly up to do your hero thing and Scorpius Malfoy gets there first?†he asked incredulously. Albus shakes his head defensively, feeling more than a little embarrassed.
–No, I got there first, only, as soon as I got level with her broom, she fell. And, well, Scorpius was below us and so he managed to, um...catch her.†Albus finished weakly under the raised eyebrows and piercing stare of the oldest Potter child. A moment passed before James burst out into a fit of hysteria. Not long after, Alphie, Conall and Louis joined him. Persephone, as always, flicked her eyes upwards and turned to look at Albus kindly.
–I think that was a very brave thing you did, Al.†She then averted her gaze towards Effie with a smile, flicking her golden hair out of her eyes as she did, –and I hope you’re alright Effie. Brooms can be a bit of a pain the first time you go on one; I broke my arm my first time. But I’m a Gryffindor Chaser now, so it can’t have done me too much harm.†She smiled brightly at the two younger students as the boys’ laughter died down. Albus returned it before re-focusing his attention on his brother.
–I can’t believe a Malfoy would do anything for noble reasons,†James said as he turned to Effie with a smile. –He must really like you.†Effie shook her head, protesting that she hadn’t spoken to him before. James chuckled airily.
–And no one’s ever formed an opinion about a person without talking to them, for purely superficial reasons.†Effie looked at him stonily before replying.
–True, like I thought you were all right, before you started talking.†Albus, Rose and James’ friends laughed. Effie smirked and picked up her books before telling Rose and Tristan on the other side of her that she was going to do some work. With one last withering look at James and a smile at Persephone, she left.
–Ah well, can’t please everyone.†James raised his eyebrows and grinned to cover up his slight discomfiture.
–Or anyone in your case,†Albus muttered, finishing his Peach Melba in one rather large mouthful. James hit him on the back of the head in mock chastisement, adding:
–Cheeky! Enough of the back-chat please, little bro’. Anyway, that note says you’ll be sorting out the broom cupboard, polishing and trimming the brooms, et cetera. I assume Mr Malfoy will be in tow. You have to be there half seven sharp, so I’d hurry up if I were you.†He paused and added as an after-thought.
–Although, I’m glad I’m not. Seems only one Potter son could be blessed with such dashing good-looks.†He fluttered his eye-lashes and affected a mock pout to illustrate his point. Albus picked up his books and the parchment in front of him, rising from the table as he spoke.
–And I thank Merlin every day that it was me.†Alphie and Persephone laughed and James ruffled his brother’s hair in an overly vigorous way. Rose, Frank, Tristan, Xander and Theron stood up to leave with Albus who began to walk away from his brother and his friends having said his goodbyes. They were interrupted by the voice of Alphie Grey who called after him.
–Oh and, Al,†Albus turned around, eyebrow raised to look towards the mischievous face of Alphie, his dark hair hanging in his pale blue eyes, –give him hell from us!†James and Louis laughed in agreement. Conall merely smiled, looking a touch unsettled by the idea. Persephone hit Alphie over the back of the head in the same way that James had done to Albus earlier.
He turned round with a falsely wounded expression. –Merlin’s beard, Persie! I was joking!†She smiled, rubbing his head tenderly to make up for it and, as she was looking the other way, he mouthed ‘I wasn’t.’ Catching one last handsome smile from Alphie, the first years turned and made their way towards Gryffindor tower.
As Xander gave the password to access the Gryffindor common room, Tristan sidled up to Albus and said in a low tone. –Your brother’s friend’s right, you know.†Albus took this as a reference to Alphie’s parting words and he sighed, slumping down on the sofa next to Effie who was scribbling away at her notes. He looked up to Tristan who remained standing.
–Alphie, you mean? What he and my brother don’t seem to understand is that relations between our group and Malfoy are already bad enough. We don’t need to start a feud with the Slytherins. I don’t expect Morgana would appreciate that at any rate.†Tristan snorted briefly and nodded his head in acknowledgement.
–No, I don’t expect she would.†He paused, letting the smile die on his face. –Seriously though, I wouldn’t trust him. He may have saved Effie and everything,†he patted a rather disgruntled Effie on the head at this, –but there must have been a reason. With the Malfoys there’s always a reason.†Albus was about to respond to this broad generalisation but was prevented from doing so by Rose’s rather terse retort.
–Just because someone’s family’s a certain way, doesn’t mean they are as well.†This seemed to strike a nerve with Tristan and those around picked up on it pretty quickly, all falling silent. Although that may have been due to their own shock at hearing Rose defend someone she purported to strongly dislike. For a minute, Albus thought Tristan was going to shout at Rose, he was so perfectly still, bubbling at the surface. However he broke his hold and unclenched his hands, still not completely relaxed.
–No,†he said slowly, –that’s true, Rosie.†The way he spat the last word was evidently supposed to have implications, but Rose did not respond, merely blushed and tried to keep her eyes steadily focused on Tristan. –I can’t work down here - too many people - I’ll go to the library,†he said abruptly, swinging his bag onto his shoulder. Rose scrambled up, books in hand, a concerned expression on her face.
–I think I might join...†she began, although, too late, as he stalked off out of Gryffindors common room, –you,†she finished lamely, staring after the spot Tristan had disappeared. After a minute she sat back down, biting her lip. She glanced at her watch, giving her something to do and raised her eyebrows a bit. –You better get going Albus - you don’t want to be late for detention.†Albus would have pointed out that he wouldn’t mind too much if he was late for detention, only Rose looked a bit strained, so he thought better of it.
Frank offered to run his things up to their dormitory so Albus could go straight down the Quidditch storage unit. With a wave, a round of goodbyes and a bag of Puking Pastilles from Fred and Alaric ‘just in case,’ Albus made his way down the changing staircases and through the courtyard in the direction of the Quidditch facilities. When he arrived, Madam Chang was already there, laying brooms onto the floor into two piles. There was however, the notable absence of Scorpius Malfoy.
Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Madam Chang glanced up, spotting Albus as she did so. She cast him a smile before straightening up, putting her hands on her hips. –Albus, well done for arriving on time!†She checked her watch. –Early, in fact! Even better.â€
She handed him a bucket containing a bottle branded ‘Bertrand Sheen’s Broom Polish’, and two cloths, two broom clippers and some twine. –Right, so, your job is to polish these brooms up. Pick a pile; they’re the same, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Clip the ends of the brooms, we want them as stream-lined as possible, and if you see any stray bits, re-bind them with the twine.†She removed her gloves and slapped them down on the shelf, checking her watch a second time.
–I have to go now; there’s a meeting with the Quidditch captains about practice times. You and your partner in crime, when he deigns to honour us with his presence, have three hours to finish all these.†She gestured to the now gargantuan-looking heaps on the floor. –Do a good job and you’ll be free to go and come back to next week’s flying lesson. Don’t do it to my satisfaction and you’ll be doing it again tomorrow night, with another week’s ban. Got it?†Albus nodded, feeling her expression was too stern not to. However, she grinned at him unexpectedly and in a softer tone said:
–I know it’s not the best way to start your weekend, but hopefully this will teach you to stay out of trouble. Not likely if your brother and your dad are anything to go by.†She smiled reminiscently for a moment before adding. –I meant what I said by the way, about being a good flyer. You should try out for the team next year.†Albus nodded cheerfully, agreeing that he definitely would. She cast him one last, odd look before smiling to herself and heading off towards her office.
Albus surveyed the mass of brooms at his feet and sighed. Staring out into the growing dark, he saw no sign of Scorpius and so decided to begin his punishment. By the time the door to the broom store cupboard swung open, Albus had been polishing and snipping for forty-five minutes and he’d managed to finish nearly a third of his pile. He looked up, wiping his forehead with the cuff of his shirt and met the shadowy grey eyes of Scorpius Malfoy who greeted him with a smirk.
–Oh. Am I late?†He asked tonelessly, obviously knowing full well and not caring about it particularly. Albus said nothing but shoved a pair of clippers and a cloth into his hands. Scorpius wrinkled his nose and looked at them. –And what am I supposed to do with these?†Albus exhaled tensely and pointed to Scorpius’ heap of brooms.
–Polish the handles, clip the uneven bits and re-bind any stray bits.†Malfoy still didn’t move merely inspected his clippers then looked from his pile to Albus’ before asking:
–Why’s your pile so much smaller than mine?†Albus actually dropped the broom he was polishing; such was his shock at this question. He turned his face towards Scorpius wearily.
–You can’t actually be serious? I’ve been working for forty-five minutes because that’s how late you are,†Albus said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Scorpius gave him a withering look but Albus ignored it and continued. –Madam Chang told me that if we don’t finish these in two hours and ten minutes we would have to do this again tomorrow and be banned from flying for another week.†Scorpius’ eyes widened as he slumped down against the wall, picking up some polish gingerly and applying it to the cloth.
–You can’t actually be serious? How am I supposed to finish all this in that time?†Albus rolled his eyes, replacing another polished broom in its stand and picking up another from his diminishing load.
–Well, she did give us three hours, Malfoy,†Albus snapped. Scorpius narrowed his eyes for a moment before picking up the clippers with a cluck of his tongue. A few minutes passed in silence, Scorpius finishing two brooms in the time it took Albus to do four. Seeing Malfoy’s lack of progress Albus picked up an armful of brooms from the opposite pile.
–The rate you’re going, we’ll be lucky to make breakfast tomorrow.†Scorpius scrutinised him for a moment before mumbling something that sounded like ‘thank you.’ Albus snorted, clipping one of his newly acquired brooms. –Don’t thank me - I just don’t want to spend another three hours with you tomorrow night. This is plenty. Polish, please?†Scorpius smirked and hurled the bottle of Bertrand Sheen’s polish towards Albus’ head. Quick reactions, however, allowed Albus to catch the bottle in his left hand, just as it was about to strike that side of his head. Scorpius raised his eyebrows, almost appearing impressed, although he would never admit it.
Smoothing the polish over the increasingly glossy looking wood, Albus remembered something Scorpius had said during the week that he meant to ask him about. –Why did you ask about his father?†Scorpius looked up at him, his expression a mixture of confusion and annoyance. –Tristan,†Albus clarified, setting another broom in its rack, –what’s the deal with his father?†Comprehension dawned on Scorpius’ face and he grimaced darkly, wrapping the cord tightly around the newly straightened twigs.
–Oh, that. I was just trying to wind him up, really,†Scorpius said dismissively. Albus frowned at this and Scorpius caught it and laughed. –What? I am a Slytherin after all.†He paused; a bitter look appeared on his face which he just as swiftly wiped off. –I don’t know exactly what happened. My father and mother were talking about it when we saw Morgana, her brothers and Magnus on the platform.†He stopped to bite off the end of the twine, before tying a very tight knot.
–His father left when Magnus was really young, he was into the Dark magic. When people started catching up to him I think he thought it best to lay low. He has been for most of Magnus’ life I guess.†Albus stared at Scorpius for a moment, before realising what he was doing and continued his job. He couldn’t quite believe that anyone close to Tristan was associated with Dark magic. Then again, he did say that it was a family tradition to be in Slytherin.
–And his mother?†Albus asked in what he hoped wasn’t an overly curious way. Scorpius rolled his eyes, setting another broom aside before speaking.
–Why am I the one telling you all of this? Surely Magnus is the best person to tell you about his family, not someone who barely knows him?†Albus had to agree that that was the case, but getting information from Tristan would be more painful than hearing his dad sing along to the Howling Harpies.
–He’s, er, not the most open of people. He’s a bit touchy where family’s concerned.†Scorpius raised his eyebrows with a smirk. –Do you know what happened to his mother, though? Or why he’s living with Morgana?â€Albus enquired, dropping any pretence of airiness. Scorpius tutted, although he seemed slightly amused.
–You’re a nosy so-and-so aren’t you, Potter?†Albus didn’t respond but looked at him pointedly, hoping it would force him to answer the question, which he did. –It’s a bit sad, really. I’d feel sorry for him if he hadn’t tried to beat me up the other day.†His eyes lit up for a moment at he realised he was nearly half way through his pile.
–His mother, Morgana’s aunt, who, according to her, was already a bit unstable before her husband left, kind of went to pieces when she realised he wasn’t coming back. She wrecked things, wouldn’t eat, screamed at Tristan...one day she snapped, just snapped.†He clicked his fingers as he said the word before picking up another broom. –Tried to kill him. Morgana’s father turned up and stopped her. He took Tristan home with him and he’s lived there ever since. Much to his aunt’s annoyance.†Scorpius reached across and took the polish from next to Albus. –His mother’s still in St. Mungo’s now. Morgana doesn’t think she’ll get better.†Scorpius almost sounded saddened by that, but it could have been Albus projecting his own feelings onto the words.
No wonder Tristan never wanted to talk about his family, no wonder he snapped at Rose and lunged at Malfoy. Albus had no idea what that could have been like, he who had grown up with parents who loved him, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins; all that love. Who did Tristan have? Cousins and an uncle he appeared to get along with, an aunt who dislikes him and a mother who tried to kill him. Albus wished he could tell his friends, explain to them why Tristan was the way he was. Tell them the horrific things that had happened to him in his short life. But he could not; he would wait for Tristan to tell them himself. Albus understood now that, as much as you may want someone to tell you something, they are the ones who get to decide when. They give you a piece of them when they do tell you - the least you can do is give them time to do it.
They lapsed into silence for a while, Albus too wrapped up in thoughts of Tristan’s misfortunes to concentrate on the conversation. Besides, Scorpius didn’t need any more distractions if he was going to finish in time. Albus picked up his last broom to polish (Scorpius still had a few left) when a voice broke the silence:
–Your cousin doesn’t like me much, does she?†Albus glanced over to his detention partner who was smirking as he smoothed the cloth down the broom handle. Albus chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
–You’re sharp, I’ll give you that.†Scorpius laughed his first genuine laugh that Albus had heard. –I think she’s just determined to hate you because of our parents’ history.†Scorpius nodded in agreement.
–Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like her either - or any of you for that matter.†Albus raised his eyebrows, leaning against the wall, having finished his last broomstick, a small smile playing on his lips. –I have to admire her attitude, however. Stealing her cousin’s wand just so she could retrieve her wand and my own? I didn’t realise anyone disliked me that much.†Albus watched as Scorpius was down to his last three brooms and he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes before he replied.
–Well, that’s Rose for you. She doesn’t do things by half.†Scorpius let out a short laugh at this, saying in a low voice:
–No...I noticed.†He smirked to himself and finished the rest of his punishment in silence. Almost as soon as Malfoy had finished his half of the brooms, Madam Chang returned to scrutinise them. She couldn’t fault them, and gave her congratulations. Albus didn’t mention Scorpius’ tardiness, although he wouldn’t have covered for him if she had asked. She dismissed them both with a warning to stay out of mischief. They walked out across the grounds in the direction of the courtyard and did not speak at first until Scorpius came to an abrupt halt. Albus thought the sound of a rook squawking had startled him, but he did not seem unsettled as he looked at Albus.
–Now, let’s get one thing straight Potter: this,†he whirled his fingers round in a circular motion, –tonight, doesn’t make us friends. We managed to survive each other’s company for three hours.†Albus frowned causing Scorpius to roll his eyes. –Ok, two and quarter hours. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to start talking to you in lessons and sit next to you or asking you to sleepovers and braiding your hair.†Albus chortled sarcastically. He had been expecting something like this, so it did not concern him too much.
–I wouldn’t dream of it.†Albus grinned. Scorpius half returned it; however, it turned into more of a curious expression as he stared over Albus’ shoulder.
–Good,†he responded, –cause you seem to be having enough trouble with the friends you do have.†Albus was perplexed at first, but as Malfoy nodded his head in the direction he was looking, he swung around to see what he was referring to. Then he saw him, as he was a few nights ago, all in black. Only this time his face had a sheen to it, as if tears had recently fallen. He seemed so preoccupied that he didn’t even notice his classmates but a few feet away. Albus stared at the direction he had come from. It was easy to spot, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was: why, when he said he was going to be in the library was Tristan, alone in the dark, emerging from the Forbidden Forest?
Albus Potter and the Midnight Thief by Alice Mac
Chapter Endnotes:
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