Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

32 Birthday

Slughorn met with Scorpius later that week and told him that there was nothing he could do, that he tried but failed. Scorpius watched the deatheaters leave, a sinking feeling in his gut. Like he should've done something more. He stood outside the castle, sitting between the stone columns. His head turned to look up at the bright sky. It was starting to snow lightly, but he figured it would get heavier through the day. His breath billowed out in front of him, in a white puff suspended in the air. Beside him Raven sat with her legs crossed, her fluffy boots collecting snow. "Slughorn knows everything then?"

"No. Just enough to know who I am. The circle is beginning to get alarmingly large in diameter." Scorpius replies to his sister, pulling a cigarette up to his lips.

"Well don't worry. With our luck I'm sure someone in that circle will die and it'll shrink again." Her cynicism was especially prominent this morning. She was in one of her rather foul moods, so she was avoiding anyone that it would affect. Such as Ashton, or Rose, or Christine. That worked well for Scorpius since he was craving some sibling time. He certainly wasn't bothered by her moods. "So are you and Albus together?" She sounded a little judgmental, probably thinking that Scorpius was simply leading Albus on.

"Not officially." Scorpius responds honestly. "But I'm certainly not single." Aka, he was definitely not letting his eyes wander. Not that he was big on flirting anyways. He and Albus were still talking, so to speak. He knew that Albus was probably still trying to work out the mechanics of a relationship considering he had never been in one. And Scorpius was focusing on the fact everyone was going to know he's bisexual before long. Though the last day or so, his thoughts were consumed with fear of Selwyn; not about anything else. And also his homework, it was easy to escape life when consumed with Alchemy work. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't want you to hurt him. He's going through a lot with his family. He doesn't need anyone else walking out on him." Raven replies pointedly, and Scorpius caught her gaze. He was defensive then.

"Since when do I walk out on people?"

"You left Oliver, last time I checked." Her tone was clipped, like she wanted to say more but was holding back from laying on the cruelty.

"Our mother had just died. Oliver is a muggle. We were fading apart anyways because I was always at Hogwarts. That's completely different. And I don't feel the same way about Albus that I did with Oliver." His eyebrows were furrowed together, looking at her like she was crazy. Raven didn't seem phased at the scrutiny.

"Does Olly know about you and Albus?" She drilled him. Scorpius huffed, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Don't tell him. His life sucks right now, he doesn't need yours being shoved down his throat."

"He has been on my ass about admitting how I feel about Albus, and now I can't tell him?" Scorpius snorts. "He'd be happy if I told him."

"No. He'd pretend to be happy because that's who he is. He's sweet and nice, and hides his sorrow with a goofy smile and vulgar jokes. That's why he got along with you, because even when you said something mean, he'd just shrug it off. Even though the poor boy probably still remembers all of it." Raven scolded him. He pressed his lips into a thin line. She looked down at her notebook, writing something in pretty cursive. "He was broken up with, his Mum died. He had to move. Oliver can't catch a break."

"'Oliver can't catch a break?'" Scorpius echoes. "Do you even realize what our family is going through? Selwyn can break into the castle today and take me- or kill me. Or maybe he'll let Daniel do it. That would be a fun reenactment of Cain and Abel; wizard version." Raven looked back up at him calmly, unfazed by his words. "My mind isn't absorbed in other people's problems, Raven. I don't have that luxury anymore."