Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XXXV

Opening his window, Scorpius sighed, crossing his arms as Teddy climbed through, his trainers landing on an empty ink cartridge. "There's a reason the door is locked."

Teddy rolled his amethyst-coloured eyes. "I invented the angry-kid act of locking the door."

Scorpius scoffed and turned, asking in a clipped tone, "What do you want, Teddy?" He walked over to his bed, sitting on the edge, facing away from Teddy.

"Where've you been, Scorpius?" he asked, sitting beside him. Carefully, he watched Scorpius' body language, catching cues. Scorpius' hands tightened into fists for a moment before they flattened out over his thighs.

Scorpius answered, "I was at a friend's place."

Teddy told him, "I'm glad you're here. Now you can meet Oliver. He was downstairs with me."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "The bloke you were talking about the last time you were here?"

Teddy nodded. "You didn't really stay downstairs too long, did you?" When the younger boy didn't answer, he added softly, "Everyone's been worried, Scorp. When Draco told me---"

Scorpius whipped his head up, glaring at Teddy. "What do you really want?"

Teddy straightened, telling him, "I've been working a lot, lately. At St. Mungo's, I've worked with a lot of kids your age and younger. There was one kid, in particular, that I helped a lot."

Scorpius furrowed his eyebrows, asking Teddy, "That has nothing to do with me. I'm not sick and I don't need help."

Teddy stood and walked over to where he had seen Draco pick up one of Scorpius' shirts. He lifted it up from the ground, turning to face Scorpius, who eyed the cloth warily. "This is blood, isn't it?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Teddy huffed and asked, "So you haven't starved yourself? You haven't been cutting yourself off from everyone who cares about you, Scorpius? You haven't been talking to people who aren't there and you haven't been hearing voices? This isn't your blood?

"Right now, if I asked, can you tell me with ultimate certainty that you're honestly okay and that nothing is wrong at all?" He gave Scorpius the bloodstained shirt.

With a pounding heart, Scorpius' stomach dropped into a red hot pool, writhing inside of him. Throwing the shirt to the ground, Scorpius stood, rounding on Teddy. "You're wrong. I'm not sick and I don't need your help! You don't know anything at all!"

"Scorpius---"

"How the hell do you even know about any of that?" Scorpius asked, his hands in his hair. "Who the fuck told you about---it's nothing!"

"Scorp---"

"Shut the fuck up and get out of my room!" He stomped to the door, turning the lock and jerking it open. But he swiftly shut it again, pacing in a small circle, his migraine coming back tenfold. Teddy's hand was on his arm, but he hardly registered.

"Scorp, take a few breaths."

"Fuck you and your techniques!"

Softly, Teddy said to him, "You've been hearing things right? Voices and such? And it's been related to your mum or Draco, right---" he tried to say, but Scorpius shoved him away. Not too hard, afraid he would hurt him like he hurt Albus. "Those are symptoms of a delusional disorder."

"He's making you do this, isn't he?" Scorpius asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Scorpius---"

Before he could finish, Scorpius ran out of his room, hearing Teddy following him. Picking up his pace, Scorpius jumped from the last five steps, his legs slipping out from under him when he tried to turn. He fell, hitting his chin on the hardwood floor.

"Scorp, are you---"

"Get off!" Scorpius shouted, though Teddy hadn't even reached out. The blonde got back up quickly, rushing into the kitchen, where laughter had just stopped. He pushed the door open, his mercury eyes landing on his father. "Why're you doing this?! You're making them think I'm mad!"

Lunging at Draco, Scorpius grabbed him by the front of his shirt, slamming him against the wall. "Scorpius, what are you---"

Scorpius interrupted, "How in the fuck do you know anything? I never told you anything!"

"Scorp, I don't know what you're---"

Scorpius' hands shook as Draco said, You have a strong head, like your mother. But his mouth didn't match up with the words. His migraine raged and his ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton. He knew tears were streaming down his cheeks, pooling under his chin, but it was as if Scorpius was an outsider to his own body.

Rough hands pulled him away and a sharp voice said in his ear, "Scorp, calm down! You don't want to do this!"

"He killed her!" Scorpius shouted back. He hardly registered Albus and Harry poking their heads through the kitchen door. While Harry's eyes widened and narrowed quickly, Albus looked quite sick, his cheeks a bit green. "He's the sick one, not me!"

Harry looked at Draco. "What's he talking about?" he asked, his voice high in a panicky sort of way.

"I have no idea!" Draco replied, holding his hands up. "I never---"

"HE'S LYING!" he snarled, shaking his arm free and grabbing a nearby glass. With what could have been deadly accuracy, Scorpius threw the glass as hard as he could. But Draco instantly moved out of the way, allowing it to shatter against the wall. "You---!"

"Scorpius, take a breath and---"

He shouted, thrashing in Teddy's loose hold, "I already told you, he's the mad one, not me!"

Teddy tightened his hold on Scorpius, making sure his arms were stuck to his sides, preventing him from grabbing any other glass projectiles. "Take a deep breath and--"

"Let go of me---"

"--let it out slowly." Teddy finished, panting from the effort of holding the relentlessly thrashing boy back. Without warning, he lifted Scorpius off the ground, throwing him over his shoulder.

Scorpius struggled some more, slamming his fists into Teddy's back, twisting and trying to get away from him. But Teddy was stronger than Scorpius had initially imagined. "Put me down!" he shouted. "Put me down, Teddy!"

"No, " Teddy huffed.

"He fucking killed her! He's a murderer!" Scorpius screamed as a sob clawed up his throat. When Teddy didn't respond, Scorpius felt a burning in the back of his throat. "He took her away. . ."

Teddy set him down atop his bed, his hands on Scorpius' wrists, keeping him from running off again.

"He killed her and he wants me dead too, Teddy. How do you not get that?!" he exploded before Teddy could say anything.

Teddy put his hands on Scorpius' shoulders. "Breathe."

"He wants me dead. . ."

"Look at me, Scorp." But Scorpius didn't look away from the door. Teddy added, "Please. I can't make it better until you do that for me."

Taking a shaky breath, Scorpius looked up at Teddy, his silver eyes shining with unshed tears. "I don't want it to happen again, Teddy." He swallowed, wringing his hands together with his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Before Teddy could say anything more Scorpius lashed out, trying to push his godfather away, but Teddy anticipated this. He wrapped his arms around Scorpius', pushing him into his bed. The blonde tried to kick at him, but his legs were pinned beneath Teddy's weight.

Scorpius knew that he couldn't fight Teddy. His silver eyes trailed over to the cracked picture frame above his clock, his mother's face smiling and waving at him. Around him, the room faded to black and Scorpius saw nothing more.

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