Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

66 Switch

Oliver opened the door when Scorpius returned after dark, and beamed at him. The blonde couldn't even muster a smile back, still annoyed and irritated with Aries. And now that he upset her, he had no idea if he should still be body switching tomorrow morning, or just go later tonight to get Michael. Would she even help in the morning now? He'd wanted to hurt her. And he did. But it didn't make him feel any better. He felt worse.

"How's it going?" Scorpius referred to Oliver's guests. Raven, Orion, and Narcissa. Oliver could tell something was off the moment he spoke.

"It's fine. My uncle and cousin are staying in the flat above the shop tonight." Oliver was too kind to say that he didn't want his uncle here. Around Narcissa. She wasn't being nice to Olly, and more muggles wouldn't improve the situation. She already acted like these living quarters were plagued with rats and roaches.

"I'm sorry. I'll find someone else we can go tomorrow." Scorpius tells Oliver, feeling exhausted. He didn't sleep that much last night and since waking he'd been on his feet all day. Dirt still remained in the tight grooves of his finger pads, and his jeans were dirty from the search in the forest. He looked around the entrance and living room. Raven leaned over a chess board and was explaining something to Orion. Who was smiling wide at whatever she was saying. "Where's my grandmother?"

"I set her up in my uncles bedroom since it's the biggest. She hasn't left it in a couple hours." Oliver looked a little guilty, like he thought it was his fault she didn't want to come out. Scorpius rested a hand on his shoulder, and their gazes met.

"Let her wallow. Do you mind if I borrow some pajamas? I need a shower." Scorpius suggested. Oliver nodded, seeming relieved to have something else to think about.

Scorpius spent a long time under the hot water. He opened the locket and looked at the resurrection stone. Then Bellatrix's photo. She looked young in it, probably just out of Hogwarts. He clasped it closed again, and dressed in the sweats and long sleeve Olly had given him.

As he walked down the hallway back to the living room, he paused at the entrance. Oliver was pointing at the chess board in an appalling manner. He was accusing Raven of cheating because there's no way she beat him. Raven was laughing and shaking her head, defending herself. But the laughing gave away to everyone that Oliver was probably right. Orion watched on in amusement.

Regardless of the day he had, the scene before him gave Scorpius peace. Life might suck- but they still found a way to be happy. Even if they were brief moments before something else bad happened.

But it wasn't right.

How was it okay to smile when Michael was at the castle? Even though he was alive and Scorpius hadn't felt anything through their bond, didn't mean he was being treated well.

"Hey are you hungry?" Oliver called over to him, pulling Scorpius out of his reverie.

"Yes, of course he is." Raven answers. Scorpius snorts, but doesn't correct her, walking in to join them.

—-

Scorpius sat in the beanbag chair in Oliver's bedroom, beating him again in Mortal Combat. "How!?" Oliver set his controller down on the bed where he laid on his stomach to face the tv. Scorpius looked over at him. "You don't even have a PlayStation!"

"I'm a fast learner." Scorpius had explained pretty much everything to Oliver about what was going on. In detail that made Oliver's eyebrows raise. Other than the bit about the resurrection stone, of course. And Aries.

Everyone had gone to bed. Raven was going to share the room with Narcissa, and keep an eye on her in the process. Orion was set up in the guest room. Scorpius would bunk with Olly. It wasn't weird to either of them since they'd been best friends growing up. And it might raise questions if Scorpius had offered to share the guest room with Orion.