Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XXIX

Astoria,

Nobody believes me. I know that Albus is keeping an eye on me (probably to help Teddy or Draco get in my head) but I don't want him to. I want him to leave me alone. I want him to---

"Damn, " Scorpius huffed. He looked around his room.

Draco and Harry were on a trip to Paris for a few days for their anniversary. Scorpius had scoffed when he heard that through his door. "There's another one, " he had told himself. "Another tally for Draco Malfoy, the slick bastard."

He had heard Albus saying he was visiting Erick and Scorpius' heart ached. Groaning, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey, Astoria, " Scorpius said loudly. "Want to take me out of my fucking misery?"

Don't talk like that, Scorpius. Your brother is just looking out for you. He loves you so much.

Scorpius let out an unfunny laugh. "Whatever. He just feels sorry for me after---after what happened with his friend."

Erick loves you too.

Scorpius shook his head. "It's been two years. We haven't spoken at all." He took out the letter Erick had sent last year with his address. Without looking at it, he shoved it in his pocket. "But I miss him."

He misses you too, Scorpius.

He shook his head, rubbing his temples to try and get rid of the ever-lasting migraine he had. "I've got to finish this." He began to write again, but more fervently. Astoria's voice kept talking to him and he responded, saying things along the lines of, "It doesn't matter. I need to finish. I have to."

Astoria began, You should take a break, darling---

Or you can talk to us, Scorpius. Draco's voice sent a shiver down his spine. Just put the quill down and you can talk to us.

"Go away, " Scorpius whimpered. He continued to write and asked Astoria, "D'you really think I should take a break?"

Astoria began to speak again, but Draco's voice overlapped hers. Put the quill down. You're just like her; a bit stubborn and unhealthy. Come downstairs and eat and---

"SHUT UP!" Scorpius roared, standing up.

Nothing is more important than family, is there?

Scorpius held his head, his migraine raging with every point of his heart. He stood, bending over at his middle. "Fuck, " he sobbed, salty tears trickling down his cheeks.

Groaning from pain, he curled into a ball against the wall, sobbing dryly.

Take a break, Scorpius, Astoria told him, but her voice was drowned out by Draco's.

Go and eat something, Scorp. Just go downstairs and talk to someone.

Scorpius shouted in the empty room, "Leave me alone! I hate you!" He grabbed a photo of Draco and him from his wall, throwing it as hard as he could against the wall, where it shattered. Scorpius picked up the photo gingerly, frowning down at it.

He had been six and he sat on Draco's shoulders, smiling down at him. Scorpius ripped the picture into quarters.

It's a shame she never got to see you all grown up.

Scorpius threw the picture to the ground. "Thanks to you, " he scoffed angrily.

She died when you were born, Scorp. She died during childbirth.

"Liar, " he snarled. "You did it! I know you did."

We're alike, Scorp. We're kind of the same person.

"I'm not you!" Scorpius shouted back, grabbing another framed photograph that hung on his wall. He threw it to the ground, but it didn't break. So he stomped on it with the heel of his shoe, angrily wiping at the tears that pooled in his eyes.

Slowly, he bent over, grabbing the photo from the pile of crushed glass. He grimaced as a particularly large piece cut his palm and he watched as blood dripped down his arm and over the previous cuts on his wrist.

It was a picture of Astoria Greengrass with the then Draco Malfoy. Both of them were laughing in the picture.

He threw the picture to the ground and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there were a few new cuts on his wrist. But he didn't even remember making them even though the piece of glass in his hand was bloody.

With a shake of his head, he tossed the glass aside and sat on the floor in a small space between his bookcase and his bed. He put his head in his uninjured arm and sobbed heavily, not caring about the blood dripping down his other arm.

Oh, Scorpius, Astoria's voice said to him. Don't cry. You're such a fine young man.

But for once, Scorpius didn't want to hear her voice. He mumbled weakly, "Go away. Please."

Go get some air, sweetheart. Fresh air will do you good.

Scorpius nodded and wiped his eyes. With one of his old shirts, he wiped the blood from his arm, tossing it into a corner. He threw on a sweater and opened his door, where Albus had just been about to knock. "Hey, Dad and Draco are coming home in a little bit. Are you---"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Scorpius pushed past him and, Albus noticed, he looked like he had just been crying. Albus frowned when Scorpius walked out the front door but, through the window, he watched as his younger brother paced the length of the porch.

Albus pushed open Scorpius' door, muttering, "Woah, " when he saw the mess.

Scorpius was always a neat-freak to Albus. But. . .his room was a complete disaster. Broken glass and shredded paper littered the floor along with food wrappers and soda cans. There were clothes everywhere and Albus looked down at a shirt that seemed to have blood on it.

Albus went to Scorpius' desk, searching for the journal he had stumbled across two years ago. Teddy had told him to keep an eye on Scorpius and it was hard to do that with his younger brother staying in his room all of the time.

He looked towards the door when he found the journal, opening it. However, when he opened it, he frowned in confusion.

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