My Mother Kept A Garden

After what happened between them in the beginning of the term, Scorpius and Albus had become even bigger outcasts than they once were (which had seemed impossible before). Some people were nice. Karl Jenkins and Yann Fredericks had sympathized with them since they were Craig's best friends. Polly Chapman had softened a bit, most likely because of Rose. And, most surprisingly, the biggest jerk ever Mr. Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team Don Curley had become less of a jerk. But still people wouldn't dare sit near them during meals or in classes. The common room still got quieter whenever they walked in and people continued to avoid contact with them. It was like they had some sort of contagious disease. But neither of them minded it. They always preferred the quiet and they always had each other.

Scorpius had found an unlikely safe haven in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey. When he wasn't busy with classes or homework he enjoyed assisting her and learning about all the different remedies and spells. Albus would make comments about Scorpius becoming the "best healer there ever was" but truthfully, Scorpius would never want to be a healer. When he was young and his mum had grown ill he found himself going in and out of hospitals and they just made him feel so alone. The hospital wing was never like that. He would deal with students who had nasty cuts or quidditch players who had gotten a beating from a bludger.

Madam Pomfrey had grown fond of Scorpius. He had been in the wing for quite some time after Delphi had left her mark and his father would refuse to leave until he was better. She remembered young Draco Malfoy. The most dramatic of student she had treated, but it was interesting how he seemed to be a completely different person to the child he once was. She presumed it was grief, it often does that to people. She recalls meeting Scorpius for the first time. It was his first year at Hogwarts and he was found shivering in the snow sitting near his mother's grave. He hadn't come out horribly injured, just a cold of course. It only raised concerns for his mental health. He was so young, just 11 at the time. She had contacted Draco after the incident and without a reply he pulled him out of Hogwarts for a week. The next time she saw Draco Malfoy was after Delphi. He begged her to not let his son die, saying he couldn't bare to lose Scorpius, that he was all he had. The memories stick out sorely in her head, so she keeps the young Malfoy close to her and finds herself counseling him often.

Albus had yet to find a safe haven like Scorpius had with the hospital wing. He couldn't find a place to distract himself from life. Whenever he found himself alone he would wonder to the cemetery where his dad had taken him once. He would sit nearby Craig's grave and just cry. He was so angry that any of it had happened, so devastated at the loss. The cemetery was where he could let it all go, in peace. Cedric's grave was nearby and only a short distance away was the grave of Astoria Malfoy. It was bigger than most of the ones in the Hogwarts cemetery. He had come with Scorpius a couple times to pay respects, he says that Draco had her grave put there so that Scorpius could have a place to go when he was away at school. Albus admired their relationship. It was clear Draco had cared deeply for his son. He wanted to be able to share that connection with his own father but they had their difficulties. His dad used to try to garden with him as a way of bonding and "growing their relationship" as Harry Potter said, dumbly. Turns out neither of them had much of a green thumb.

Albus and Scorpius were inseparable, even when they were seperated between terms. They found themselves sharing anything and everything about their breaks through letters. Scorpius found himself reading a letter from Albus about the failed garden. It had brought back old memories of him and his mother in the Manor's huge garden. Scorpius would help digging the holes and planting the seeds, Astoria would teach him how to help the plants grow. He never dwelled on memories of his mother, they often brought on some sort of panic attack but the memory of his mother with her long brown hair in the garden brought him comfort. He can hear her saying telling him.

"You have to be careful, Scorpius. If you are careless with something as precious as the seeds you plant, you will lose them."
"Fascinating how the most beautiful flowers can overcome such harsh conditions."
"We remove the weeds because they cause harm to our flowers, that's why we must check in on our garden often."

Astoria and Scorpius spent as much time together as they could, it was clear he was a mama's boy. When she got too ill to keep up with blasts of energy, Scorpius would sit by her side calmly on her deathbed. They read books and played chess. He never realized how bad it was for her. Scorpius believes it's because his father couldn't be the one to tell him that he would have to live without her. He thinks it's because his dad didn't want to accept the fact either, that she was on her deathbed. That they were in their final days, as a family. Scorpius remembers the last he spoke to her. He cried for her not to leave but she softly whispered in his ear before he was pulled away, out of the room.

"Don't forget to tend to the garden, my blooming flower."