Fourth Year
"Sorry I'm late Professor," Albus muttered as he entered the Potion's class ten minutes late. "It's alright Albus, sit next to Aquila," Draco smiled. Albus smiled and swiftly walked towards the back of the class, where Aquila was sitting. It was a theory class today which Albus was thankful for. He, unlike his brother, had not acquired the potions making skills. Aquila frown as she glanced the boy. Four years and his cheek bones were very prominent. almost protruding out from Malnourishment. Albus brought the back of his hand at the corner of his mouth and in one swift motion, wiped some of the red liquid poring out slightly. Aquila noticed his Adam's apple bobbing every few seconds from the constant gulping Albus had going on. "Are you okay?" Aquila asked. 'Of course he isn't, what a question to ask,' she thought. "Yes, I'm fine," Albus spoke with as little mouth movement he could.
Aquila noticed him slightly slurring and hissing as he spoke. He had a forming bruise at the side of his cheek and a bead of blood dropped it. Albus's hand shot up to his right cheek to wipe it off but Aquila's hand beat him to it. She used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe that drop of blood as if it were normal tears he had shun. 'Her hoddie is white,' Albus thought as he stared at the new blood stain at the sleeve of Aquila's hoodie. "You need to go to Madame Pomfrey," Aquila whispered noticing more blood at the corner of his lips. She wiped it off again, using that same white hoodie's sleeve. She barely cared that her hoddie would be ruined. It was a gift from Voldemort that she desperately wanted to get rid off. So she wore it everyday hoping to spill some pumpkin juice on it by accident. "I'm quite fine, thank you," Albus slurred again, keeping the rising blood in his mouth.
He dragged his tongue across his teeth praying that his blood wasn't staining them. He had been beet to pulp by Elphias Zabini and his gang. Albus hadn't been able to complete their Charms essay in time. "Does anyone know about Severus Snape?" Draco said with a smile so broad, you could run a broom across it. Aquila's hand shot up instantly. "Yes Aquila."
"Severus Snape, also known as the Half-Blood Prince, was descendant of the Prince family line of purebloods. He decided not to acknowledge his muggle heritage and decoded to name himself the Half-Blood Prince. His findings in Potions are Legendary. He is one of the only six people who have successfully brewed Wolfsbane. He was a headmaster of Hogwarts and a Potion's Professor at Hogwarts too. I hear he taught-"
"Okay thank you Aquila," Draco cut her off quickly, his ears were red when he realised that she would tell about his connections to the Malfoys and himself. He knew his class was a big fan of his deceased god-father. Aquila opened her mouth and said in a sing-son voice, "He is Professor Malfoy's godfather." The class erupted in murmurs as Draco hid his face behind his hands. Worst of all, his son was in this class and was obsessed with 'the Great Severus Snape.' He calmed the class as best as he could, even thought of the Silencio charm when the questions wouldn't stop. He glared at his sister expecting her to look at him with a mischievous smirk but he frowned when he saw her wiping a blood-stained sleeve over a protesting Albus's mouth.
"Mr. Potter, please see yourselves at Madame Pomfrey's," Draco said quickly. Albus froze and hesitantly got up. He half wanted to glare at Aquila but then remembered who she was and silently left the class. "Is it true that he was in love with a mudblood," a student (rank 2) asked. Draco suddenly tensed at the word 'mudblood' and turned towards the board. The class went silent as started flicking his wand for letters to appear. The students hurriedly copied the notes and Aquila put a duplicating charm on hers so she could give one copy to Albus.
The class bended into Charms which further blended into Herbology and Albus was at neither. Aquila frowned because they had every class together of Wednesday except of Transfiguration because Albus had Divination then. Aquila may or may not have by hearted his time-table. she grimaced when she pulled out her time table, to look at what class she had next after Charms, and noticed little heart all around the lessons she had with Albus. She even wore white half of the time (because it was her favorite colour of course not because it meant albus in Latin. No). She was making her way to the lake, her usual study spot, when she heard cheering and screaming from a distance. She peaked around a tree and noticed a crowd of at least twenty students gathered in a circle. She pushed her way through the circle and gasped in horror at the sight. A student, a fifth year Aquila's best bet, was pointing a wand at a weak and screaming Albus and another student was holding James back.
"Crucio," the fifth year said calmly as Albus erupted into screams. "LET HIM GO!" James yelled, struggling against the binding spell. Aquila, in panic and rage, let out a Reducto escape her lips. The fifth year tumbled back as the crowd to the side had made a pathway for someone. two head of blonde came to the center of the circle. "What is going on here," Draco said in a low and dangerous voice Aquila had only heard him use when Lucius had slapped her in the face for spilling some juice. Scorpius was instantly at James's side and Aquila ran towards Albus. She hugged him tight as he cried into her chest. A student from the crowd had explained the situation and at the end, 80 points from Gryffindor, 140 points from Hufflepuff, 90 points from Ravenclaw and 200 points from Slytherin were lost and 27 detentions were given out and 3 restrictions for playing quidditch. "It hurts so bad," Albus choked. Aquila hugged him tighter.
Scorpius and Draco were tending for James. Draco undid the Binding Spell, and protectively held James close to him. "Will he be okay?" Scorpius whimpered. Draco looked into the adoration in the boy's eyes as he looked longingly at James. James held out a hand and grabbed Scorpius's left fist, "I'll be fine. Where is Albus," he added in a hurry. "He's with me," Aquila said a little louder that normal so they would here him, "What happened?"
"I went to Madame Pomfrey like Professor Malfoy asked me too. She healed me and then when I was heading for Herbology, a few kids dragged me and started hexing me," Albus said. His wandered down to the blood stain on Aquila's sleeve. Aquila folded her sleeve such that the stain became invisible to the eye. Albus looked at Aquila and the path of their eyes intersected. To the part of the Wizarding World that had met Harry, Aquila's eyes looked familiar to his but for Albus, they were their own thing. They were more teal then emerald green like everyone else assumed. But the teal color, Albus had to agree, was more on the green side of the color spectrum. If you looked close enough, there was a blue-ish rim around the pupil of her eyes. Aquila suddenly looked away, breaking their eyes contact and got up. She smiled at him as she pulled out her hand for him to grab.
Albus happily grabbed the hand and pulled himself up. "It's lunch-time. Lets go to the great hall," Scorpius chirped.
"I can't," Albus and James said at the same time, "Detention."
"I'll convince the Professor to let you off the hook," Draco said quickly, "You need to eat." Albus and Aquila nodded and headed for the great hall. "Thank you," James whispered to Draco. "It was nothing. You're like a second son to me. Don't you dare think I'll b bothered it you come to me for any bullying," Draco whispered back as the three trailed behind.