Time For The Next Page to Be Discovered. Time For An Old Chapter To Be Shared
Fifth year is the year for discoveries, apparently, for James.
The first one, he doesn’t like.
It happens in October.
Class finishes early and James knew that Scorp would be reading somewhere outside, enjoying the autumn air before the cold settled, so he goes to the lake, looking for his friend. He finds the familiar blond peaking out from behind the big oak tree near the water.
The fiery colors of the season find their twin in the reflection of the lake, a mirror of all the reds and oranges, and yellows.
Perhaps it’s because of all those colors, that James misses the red hair next to the blond he was focused on.
It is only when he has already sat down next to his friend, that James notices her.
“Rose?” he asks, too shocked by the discovery to react any differently.
“No, I’m actually a half-giant that simply looks like her. Merlin James don’t be so dense, of course it’s me!” his cousin responds, as gentle as ever.
“But what- I mean why are you here?”
“One question dumber than the other cousin. Truly, how you are supposed to become a functioning member of society is beyond me.”
“Rose was just talking to me about the potion assignment we were given today” Scorpius intervenes quickly, in what would have become a heated debate (That Rose would have surely won) while looking at James.
The angel with his grey eyes and frosty hair should look out of place in the warm colors of autumn, but instead the clash between the two shades lead to Scorp looking even more ethereal. Much like the lake, his eyes reflected the nature around him, becoming one with his environment.
“Well, since you have once again interrupted my peace and this lovely conversation, I will have to find a different spot. Again.” Rose interrupts his thoughts, breaking the silence James hadn’t even realized he created.
As the girl leaves, James looks at Scorp, the question clear in his eyes.
“I’m as surprised as you,” Scorp admits after a sigh “She just sat down next to me on the train at the beginning of the school year and started talking about the History of Magic homework. It has since then become a regular occurrence. I wouldn’t say we are friends quite yet but… I don’t know, I kind of like her. She always says what she thinks and- I don’t know... I’m still not sure what is happening.” Despite sounding unsure, there is a small flicker of hope in Scorp's eyes, hope to maybe have found another friend.
“Seems to me you have some kind of magnetic aura that attracts the weird and isolated members of my family,” James says, not without some bitterness seeping into his tone. Truly, it’s not that he doesn’t want to share Scorp, but… he really doesn’t want to share him.
Also, the knowledge that there is another person in the family that knows now about their friendship makes him uncomfortable. But for now, he decides to ignore the jealousness and anxiety by getting into a fierce debate about Emily Dickens.
It is only a few weeks later, that another discovery is made.
James is walking through the corridors of the third floor after class when he hears a familiar voice, coming from behind the door of the old Muggle Studies classroom.
“-can I go now?”
“Now Mr. Malfoy I really wanted to apologize, I had no idea! My deepest condolences and if you ever need to talk… You see, my mother is dead too and-“
“Thank you, Sir!” Scorp’s voice is as cold as ice when he speaks “-but this is not something I wish to discuss.”
It is already far too late when Scorp opens the door, face made of thunder, and catches James, eyes wide open with shock.
He can see the blond’s gaze hardening, disappointment showing in his eyes. He says nothing, leaving James standing in the empty corridor.
James hadn’t known.
How could he not know?
Something like this would have made the papers, right?
He spends dinner in silence, questions far too loud in his head. He tries to make eye contact with Scorp the whole time as he sits at the other side of the Great Hall but his attempts go ignored, Scorp stubbornly looking at the table the whole time.
It’s Albus, surprisingly, who visits him that night.
They stand in front of the Fat Lady in silence, a very awkward silence until-
“I don’t know what you did, but you better fix it. Scorp has been down the whole day and refuses to tell me why, but it’s clearly your fault and-“
“Did you know his mother is dead?”
Neither of them says anything for a while.
“Yes, I knew. It happened the summer before Second Year and I only found out months later. Scorp won’t talk to you about it, so don't even try. If you really want to know-“ he suddenly grows insecure”- talk to Nurse Jenna at Saint Mungo’s” is what Albus says after a while.
So on the following weekend James takes off to Saint Mungo's and makes the acquaintance of Jenna Kaster.