Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

68 The Dead

That first night all of them talked and laughed well into morning. Scorpius forgot about going to the manor, and decided to take the trip another day. He'd gotten so sidetracked with scheming and plotting the next move that time started to move quickly.

A couple days later Scorpius was in the backyard with Michael. The lanky boy got up from the grass, leaving stains on his jeans. Kreacher had sent Feyre with a lot more of their clothes and things. The owl watched them from a perch in a tree now, looking into the yard. Michael dusted himself off. "Again." Scorpius ordered, coaxing him forward. Michael was sweating from his brow.

"Debilito." Michael tried the curse again, pointing it wand at Scorpius. Scorpius prepared himself for the hit, but there wasn't one.

"You have to mean it!" Scorpius insists.

"I don't want to weaken you. How am I suppose to do this if I know anything I actually hit you with could hurt me too?" Michael protests.

"Let me try." Orion offers from where he stood under the shade.

"Fine." Scorpius changes places with him, and watched Orion face Michael. He was just thankful to be out of the sun.

"Debilito." Michael sent the curse with a flash of bright pink. And it threw Orion backwards on the grass. Scorpius grinned. Michael and Orion weren't exactly the best of friend but when they've started to train, that's actually been a motivator. Orion got to his feet again, holding his middle.

"Bastard."

"You asked for it." Michael shrugs nonchalantly.

"Again." Scorpius ordered. Orion groans, and pulls his wand out.

"Debilito." The pink flash came from Michael's wand, brighter than before. The weakening curse wasn't quite as painful as the Cruciatus curse, but it still would break an opponent's defenses.

"Recrepo." Orion threw up a reflecting charm, and the curse rebounded- sending Michael flying. "Pay back." Orion jokes. Michael wiped a hand down his sweating face.

"We've been at this for two hours." Greengrass complains.

"We can take a break for now. We'll pick it up in the evening. I told Teddy I'd come with him to Nocturne alley anyways." Scorpius stretched, his back sore from standing so long and training. Michael walked over to him.

"Where?"

"Amycus has been making frequent trips in and out of Borgia's Jewelry." He explains. "We're going to follow him in with the cloak."

"Need backup?" Orion wonders.

"We'll be alright." Scorpius tells him.

"Well you better be. I don't want to drop dead suddenly because your recklessness." Michael snorts, heading towards the back door. "Maybe I'll have to body switch with you this time."

"Oh shut up about it already. Go shower, you're rank." Scorpius shouts behind him. Michael flips him off before sliding into the house. The blonde turns to Orion. This was the first moment they'd been alone since they'd got here. "How did it go?" Scorpius didn't have to elaborate. Orion told Andromeda and Teddy who he was last night, and they'd all had a long private conversation.

"Better than I thought." He looked crestfallen. "There's a lot of things my Mum didn't tell me." Scorpius glanced once at the house and then turned his back to it, facing Orion.

"You can ask anyone and they'll tell you I suck at consoling." Scorpius begins. Orion's face lit up instantly. Even if his words weren't meant as a joke. "My Mum didn't tell me that I wasn't her son." He offered. Orion laughs.