Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

47 Quidditch

Scorpius laid on the grass on his back, invisible hands holding him down while fire sizzled on his arm. The pain was excruciating, but in some part of his head he could recognize this as a dream- a nightmare. Above him a girl with a saccharine smile looked down with eyes that sucked souls out of bodies. "You didn't actually think we were friends, did you?" She repeats, and Aries sick cackle split the air. The smell of burning flesh and grass swirling with her words like they were two sides of the same coin.

"I trusted you." That strangled gasp that left Scorpius's mouth was once again the words he woke to.

He blinked awake, heart pounding in his chest. He was laying beside Albus, and Missy was curled up between them. She raised her head as he stirred, and got up. It was early Dawn, the sun barely beginning to show its rays. Scorpius figured he couldn't fall back asleep and got dressed and ready for the day, going down to the common room, his mind set solely on coffee. The common room was empty, the fire crackling in an endless cycle, not warming the place as substantially as it should. The corridor outside the Slytherin dungeon was actually cooler than inside this morning.

He wore his white collared shirt and a black and green Quidditch zip up hoodie over it. He missed Quidditch, and looked forward to returning to the sport next year. He didn't miss the busy weekends and the other boys, but he missed flying his broom. The last game of the season would be next weekend, last weekend of May, between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Scorpius hadn't been following it or going to games this year. He'd clearly been preoccupied.

Scorpius's boots lightly thudded on the stone as he walked, heading towards the kitchens. He paused briefly by the opening to the fields, and saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team climbing the hill. Like in true Gryffindor fashion, they would have morning practices and evening practices leading up to a game. And still, Slytherins could kick their asses without that much time in. He could see James, walking with Yann Fredericks. And behind them the rest of the team, including the boy Orion.

Scorpius moved aside as they walked into the hall, heading back to Gryffindor tower. Orion spots him on the way and and Scorpius immediately dreads talking to the boy as he saunters over, looking particularly sweaty from practice. "Early bird, Malfoy?" He asks, a goofy smirk on his face. Scorpius waited until he approached and stopped to respond to the boy clad in red and yellow.

"Something like that. You guys are preparing for the match with Ravenclaw?" Scorpius asked in response, if only to be polite since Orion had his back in the Great Hall when it came to Luke. He kept him at arms distance though, keeping in mind how Albus had felt about it. He already knew that's what they were preparing for, he just was looking for a way out of this. Orion nodded. "Well good luck. They haven't exactly been the easiest opponents the last couple years." Scorpius turns to leave.

"It's cause what's-his-face is a really good strategist." Orion says. "It's not exactly easy for James to come up with a better play." His words keep Scorpius in the same spot.

"Well, it shouldn't be that surprising, James has trouble separating logic and practicality." Scorpius replies. "Why don't you do it?"

"Is there a compliment in there?" Orion jokes. Scorpius thought about it.

"It was subtle." He couldn't help but laugh. Very subtle. Not even intentional, really. "I'll see you later." Scorpius tells him, hoping he wouldn't, and returns to his trudge towards the kitchen. This time, Orion didn't continue talking. By the time Scorpius had collected his mug of coffee and sipped on it, more students were emerging from their respective towers. He put his earbuds in, and leaned against his perch. The coldness of the stone seeping into his clothes. Music drowned out the chatting of students. He looked inside himself, grasping for whatever tied him to Michael. But like the other times he'd tried, he couldn't feel it anywhere. It was so faint and invisible, it was like it wasn't there at all.