Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XXII

Erick couldn't help that Violet was angry with him. After all, it had been her fault in trusting him with her secret. She should have known that Erick couldn't have passed up an opportunity that good.

He was fourteen when Violet told him about her crush on her best friend. But Erick wasn't sure why she liked him in the first place. Sure, Scorpius was a good-looking lad, but he was often so quiet that he gave Erick the creeps. His wide, silver eyes seemed to bore right into someone to get under their skin for the kick of it.

For two years, Erick had Scorpius in the back of his mind. How was it that the son of the Chosen One could have only one friend? It made no sense; Scorpius should have had a hundred friends and even a few girlfriends. Erick had watched and failed to see girl's go up to Scorpius, begging him to take them to Hogsmeade for just an hour. However, he did see plenty of people bully him.

They called him names such as idiot and retard, all because he never spoke to anybody aside from Violet and the occasional Albus Potter. They made sure he, Scorpius, knew that he was never going to be as good as them.

Erick stood by and watched with Albus as they knocked his parchment and containers of ink out of his hands.

"Well, " Albus said once, "it isn't like they're wrong."

"What do you mean?" Erick had asked. He and Albus had been fifteen. "He isn't. . .like, sped, is he?"

Albus shook his head and began walking to their next class, Astronomy, leaving his younger brother to deal with the bullies by himself. "He's just. . .a funny lad. He always was. Even when he was little, he would hardly ever talk. And, when he did open his mouth, it was to cry."

"So he's emotional?"

Albus scoffed, "More like he doesn't know how to be normal. Hell, our dads made me watch over him when we were a bit younger. When I was, like, ten, he was eight and he still wanted to play pretend. And then he'd cry when I said no."

"Is that why you don't talk to him?"

Albus thought about this for a minute before replying, "Here, I don't have to watch over him. It isn't some sort of contract that says You have to look over your younger brother where you aren't required to. You feel?"

Erick nodded. "It's kinda weird, how you're so popular compared to him."

Albus said, "I'm sure that, if he actually tried to be normal, he'd be just fine."

Erick had always carried that conversation with him. But whenever really understood why Albus was so reluctant to acknowledge Scorpius Malfoy as his brother at Hogwarts.

It was true that Albus was the Golden Boy, adored by everyone. He had a large circle of friends, but he made sure they all knew that Erick was his best mate. He wasn't ashamed to put someone in their place by saying, "Say that again, you'll get a swift bump on your head."

Sure, both he and Albus were brawlers. But Erick had never noticed that Albus avoided those that picked on Scorpius. Not because he was scared of them, but because he chose not to deal with them.

Erick trusted his best friend with everything. Albus was the only one he told that his father had first hit him. He had been fourteen and was caught with a boy in his bedroom. He was a Muggle, but Erick hadn't cared too much. He had told Albus that he was glad his mother was dead. He was the first person to know that Erick was gay, and he just smiled and said, "I thought so. The way you look at girls is totally different than when you look at guys."

Erick was grateful for him. So, when he walked into Draco and Harry's home without knocking, they didn't even have to look over to know it was him.