Family Loyalty

The week was the most depressing week Scorpius had in his 13 years of life.

It was the week before he returned to Hogwarts as a 3rd year student when Scorpius was woken up by his screaming grandmother. He quickly rose and pulled up his robes before running down to the place where he heard his Grandmother's scream came from.

What he saw was truly horrifying, and the smell ingrained into his head for years to come in the form of nightmare. His grandfather, Lucius Malfoy, was on the floor, half bleeding half burnt, hand clutching an opened letter. His skin and muscles were burnt, emitting foul smell. Scorpius could see his grandfather's row of teeth, and one of his grey eyeballs.

Scorpius was frozen on his spot, but he felt a breeze passed through him. His father was there. Scorpius held his breath. He believed his father could do everything he could to safe grandfather. But no matter how good father was a healer, his grandfather was already dead.

His father looked terrified, and his grandmother fell to the ground, unconscious. Scorpius felt gentle nodding from his house elves and he followed those hands until he reached back his room. He felt himself put to bed, and he hid under the blanket. He tried to breathe normally. He was a Malfoy, so he should be calm and collected. Malfoy never showed weakness. Scorpius was a Malfoy, and so was his father… and grandfather.

Although they were not really close as Scorpius was quite afraid of the eldest Malfoy, a pang of truth filled his mind. His grandfather liked him, Scorpius was sure of it. Scorpius wasn't sure whether he was loved by any of his family member since nobody showed their emotions to others even when they were alone; but his grandfather used to pat his head when Scorpius excused himself from family dinner for bedtime. His grandfather once asked Scorpius to sit beside him and told him the story of Malfoy family throughout generations. Grandfather sometimes took Scorpius for a walk around the manor to feed the albino peacocks. Grandfather always gave him presents on his birthday, yule and new year celebration. And Scorpius still remembered when last year his grandfather announced to their party guests that Scorpius was a brilliant Malfoy child. There was a hint of pride in his voice, and Scorpius found himself basking in it.

Yes, he couldn't lie to himself and said that his grandfather would be okay. Even though he recovered, his grandfather would look like a walking corpse. But now, his grandfather was dead. He is gone, forever.

And the feeling of lost made his chest hurt. His eyes started to water.

The pain from loss. The fear of losing more. The hollowness from knowing that the world was not a nice, warm cocoon for him.

Scorpius felt like he was robbed off his innocent that morning.

Of course the aurors didn't help much. It was not a big deal for them. Some even snickered and enjoyed it, for the public was still harbouring deep hatred towards Malfoy family—the prominent Death Eaters who were pardoned due to their helping Harry Potter in the war time. The public wanted them dead. Letters with curses and howlers were sent to their Manor daily. Usually the ward screened them properly, and thus Scorpius never really saw his family receiving any cursed letter on their breakfast table. There were many other letters though, mostly donation appeal. Their money still abundant, but their reputation is tarnished forever—despite being officially clean.

Scorpius knew it very well. That was why his family members kept to themselves in the Manor, and they seldom came out from the Manor. His mother usually went shopping in France, and his father travelled by special floo from his office in St. Mungo. Scorpius almost never talked to a child on his age before he entered Hogwarts—when he asked his father why he couldn't accept play day invitation or invited another child into the Manor, his father smiled sadly and talked about security.

Loneliness wasn't something new. It was a part of him, Scorpius suspected that it was a part of his parents and his grandparent's life. Malfoy thrived in loneliness. They only have each other.

Scorpius slowly entered the room. There were quite a lot of new people there—three people in blue-ish auror cloak and a man with green cloak whom Scorpius knew named Harry Potter. Scorpius knew the man right away because he looked exactly like his second son, whom was sorted in Slytherin with him, Albus Severus Potter.

"We will contact you as soon as we get anymore clue." Mr. Potter nodded at Scorpius' father. Scorpius watched as his (always pale, but now even paler) father nodded back and then sealed the floo once the aurors were gone. He stepped forward.

"Father."

"…Scorpius." His father greeted back, hollow and voice hoarse.

"…Is grandfather going to be…"

"The funeral is in three days, Scorpius. I will send you a tailor late today to make your mourning robe."

Scorpius felt his eyes started to blur. But he held his stance and chin up. He blinked.

"Father, what happened?"

"…Somebody sent a cursed letter to your grandfather. It should be rejected by the wards. Maybe the ward is getting weaker. I need to restrengthen it again."

"Father…"

"Stop asking, Scorpius. I am busy." His father walked pass him. "Go back to your room and wait till I call you."

Scorpius nodded. His chest felt even tighter. He wanted something more. Something other than cold dismissal and calling as a disturbance. He wanted something more, maybe something like what the Potter siblings did to each other each morning. A hug, a greeting, some kisses on the cheek. Scorpius wanted that at the moment. So much.

But his father's words were law, so he returned to his bedroom and hid under the blanket.

The blanket around him was as warm as it could be.

The funeral was a private one. Not even half of the usual party guests were there. But most of them looked sad. Scorpius watched as they burned the offerings and slowly put the nail on his grandfather's coffin. He looked around and found that he and father were the only Malfoy around. His mother and grandmother weren't there.

"Father…"

"Ssh, child. Wait till the ceremony is finished."

Scorpius bit his lips. He waited in solemn. Once the ceremony has finished, he followed his father into the apparition point and then he waited till his father took off his mourning robes.

"Father, where are grandmother and mother?"

His father's eyes were glassy. Scorpius felt he had said a very bad thing.

"Your grandmother is in distress, Scorpius. She is recuperating in one of our summer house in Denmark. Your mother… she… well, Scorpius, it is only you and me now."

"What do you mean, father?"

"…Your mother and I got a divorce yesterday. It is better this way. She has given me full custody of you."

"…Why?" Scorpius gritted his teeth. His head refused to think. All he wanted to do was shout in anger and agony now.

"She said she couldn't take it anymore. Being a Malfoy made her a target. She doesn't want to sacrifice herself for being a Malfoy, so she begged me divorce the day… that day. And I agree. I don't want to put her in more danger than she should have been."

"How about me?"

"You are here with me. Its only you and me now, Scorpius. We just need to carry on with our lives."

Scorpius nodded. He felt tears melted onto his cheek. He bit his lips harder to make it stop, but he couldn't. Quickly he rubbed his hand onto his eyes.

"Forgive me, father. I know Malfoy does not show weakness. I am not crying. It is just some dust. I will clean myself now, father." Scorpius managed to stoically excuse himself before running towards his bedroom.

His mother chose to leave.

Maybe there was no such thing as love in his family after all.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" his father stood in front of him, the smoke from Hogwarts Express filled the air around them. The other students and their families were busy preparing themselves for the train ride to Hogwarts. People were crying, laughing, shouting to each other to say those "I miss you", "I love you" messages.

But Malfoy never said those words. Because there were nothing loveable in the family.

"Yes father, I am sure." Yes, he wanted to go back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. He couldn't stand to stay for a day more in the Manor. It didn't feel like home at all. Even though Hogwarts wasn't his home either, it still felt better.

"…I am proud of you, son." His father, Draco Malfoy, smiled sadly and suddenly kissed his forehead. Sorpius was shocked, but his father just smiled and left the platform, claiming that he has a lot of work to do. Scorpius was there, left alone, standing on the platform, chest hurting and eyes stinging. When the whistle blew, he pulled himself together and took his luggage in.

Once he was inside a compartment by himself, he started to sob into his arms.

The opening feast went well, and Scorpius managed to maintain his Malfoy mask to receive the well wisher, those who need to make sure that their (business) relationships with Malfoy family were still fine, and the mocking people who think that it was karma for Malfoy family to be broken in such a way.

Some of his Slytherin dorm mates defended Scorpius, but none was fiercer than Albus Severus Potter. The boy actually sat beside him and patted his shoulder, saying nothing, but his green eyes were shining in determination. And the boy actually shouted to the bad wisher to "go and fuck yourself", earning a look from the Headmistress. But she understood what happen, thus overlooking Albus' swearing words and instead punishing those who teased and laughed at Scorpius' loss.

Scorpius found himself escorted by the second Potter son back to their dorm even before the feast was finished.

"…Why?" Scorpius asked gently. They were never closed, the two years they shared the dorm room together. Their beds were beside each other, but they seldom greeted each other. Albus usually was busy with other friends and his family in other Hogwarts houses. Scorpius was always proper and polite, thus although other students tolerates him, none actually wanted to get closer to him because of his family's reputation.

"… I am sorry for your lost." Potter answered as he opened their door. "You look very sad and I think you need support more than anything else."

Scorpius felt his cheek heated—he looked weak! Malfoy never looked weak! That was mortifying. His grandfather would not tolerate… and yet, his grandfather was nowhere around anymore.

"Tha..Thanks." Scorpius managed to answer, maintaining his voice as calm as possible, before quickly hid into the toilet, closing the door behind him. He panted hard. His eyes were still dried from sobbing in the train. He had cried so hard, even harder than when he was still at Malfoy Manor, and luckily nobody entered his compartment.

The door was knocked.

"Malfoy, you alright in there?"

Scorpius didn't want to answer or meet anyone right now, but not showing himself would make him look like a coward. So he bit his lips and put on a smile. He opened the bathroom door.

"I am fine, thank you, Potter."

Albus smiled back, although a bit awkward. Scorpius nodded and maintained his smile. "Have you finished your homework, Potter?"

"Call me Al, please. Potter is my dad." Albus smiled and scratched his messy hair. Scorpius wondered how on earth a person could look that good with messy hair. Malfoy could never pull that off, but it wasn't like Scorpius wanted hair like that. That hair only looked good on Albus.

"Then you may call me Scorpius."

"Scorpius? Really? Can I call you Scor? Because it is too long… or maybe Pi, Pi sounds cuter."

Scorpius felt his eyebrows raised the way his father always did when he saw little Scorpius covered with mud when he was still 4 and trying to catch their albino peacocks. And immediately Albus laughed.

"Your eyebrows have life on its own, I swear." He managed to say between his laugh, and somehow, it made Scorpius chuckled too.

He suddenly felt so comfortable around Albus.

Maybe there is love for him after all.

The months after weren't bad, courtesy to Scorpius' now best friend Albus. The boy actually refused to leave him alone and slowly, Scorpius embraced the friendship offered by the boy. He was really grateful for Albus, especially for the very first week after they return to Hogwarts. Especially for that day.

That day some group of older Gryffindors passed by and bullied Scorpius. Albus was behind him, still in the washroom and Scorpius was instructed to wait for him. Scorpius complied and waited while standing against the wall, watching the patina on those wall stones. Then the older students stood around him, cornering Scorpius to the wall.

"Malfoy, I heard you saw what happened to your grandfather." One of them smirked. "I bet it was nothing on you, isn't it? You must be used to many gore things you kept in your basement, right?"

Scorpius remembered back how his grandfather's skinless face was watching him, teeth out and eyeballs clearly out of place. The burnt smell and his grandmother's scream. Scorpius closed his eyes to evade the memory, but it was the wrong move since he could see clearly what happened that morning inside his eyelids.

"What, are you savouring those moments, Malfoy? You are sick!" The boys laughed to themselves, as if it was the best joke around. Scorpius shook his head.

"What, you don't think its bad?" one of them asked. "What did you see, Malfoy? Hmm? I think you like it, don't you? You are a sick fuck!"

"I think it's bad." Scorpius slowly answered, making the laughter stop. "My grandfather's face was skinless and burnt, his teeth were clear from his gum, his eyeball came out, and his muscle contorted in pain. Blood were trickling, and the smell of burnt skin and human flesh filled the room. Grandmother was screaming and she fainted. I think it's bad. I don't enjoy it at all. Please leave me alone."

They were silent for a few moment before suddenly Albus' voice was heard.

"What are you doing!? Leave him alone!"

Grumbling, the group of older students left them alone. Albus dropped his bag and went to Scorpius.

"Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" Albus sounded so panicky, yet it made Scorpius' chest very warm. His father didn't even ask that after all that happened. Maybe they didn't have the power of sympathy within them, but clearly Albus had it in abundance. That was why Scorpius couldn't help but threw himself into Albus' chest. Their height wasn't that much difference, but Albus was still taller than him.

Scorpius curled himself in Albus' embrace, and it felt really good. As if Albus really cared and loved him. And when Albus' arms were around him, Scorpius felt himself started to sob. It felt so good. The Malfoy heir has forgotten the last time he got a hug from a family member. They had stopped when Scorpius was 6, claiming that Malfoy does not show open affection physically.

"Sssh… You are fine. Everything will be fine." Albus whispered on his hair. Scorpius nodded reverently, hand clutching Albus' shirt tightly. He needed this. Please let him be selfish for a moment and forget the Malfoy name. He wanted to be Scorpius for a moment. Just Scorpius.

The boy who needed a hug.

Scorpius didn't want to return to Malfoy Manor for Yule. But he didn't want people to start talking. Albus has come to him and offer some sleepover for three days in his place. Scorpius really wanted to come, so he decided to go back to the Manor and asked his father. He wished his father would allow him. Scorpius has become closer to the Potter family members, at least the younger twos. James Sirius Potter was still avoiding and rude at him, but Lily Luna Potter was a sweetheart with her own hidden Slytherin trait. She was sorted into Hufflepuff, but Scorpius suspected she has bribed the hat with that choice.

Aside from the Potters, he had made good relationship with Rose and Hugo Weasley as well. Both were sweet Ravenclaws, which eased Scorpius in cultivating conversation with them. it helped that Scorpius was the smartest boy in Slytherin and second only to Rose in the whole third year. More often than not, Albus took him to study with Rose, and although the girl used to suspect 'Malfoy' coming along to see her answers, now she gladly opened her essays for him to check. "It was refreshing," she said once, "to have a brain that works like mine. I can let you check my work without needing to explain my choice of words everytime you encountered some words you have never seen before." The statement was welcomed by angered snort from Albus, but Scorpius laughed and agreed on that.

The rest of Weasley clan, though, was not as welcoming. Fred Weasley was siding with James Potter, both uncomfortable and hating the fact that Scorpius, a Malfoy, was hanging out with young Potters and Weasleys. They retaliate through pranks, sometimes borderline cruel, on Scorpius. But Scorpius never told anyone—who would listen anyway?—because he was a Malfoy. A Malfoy waited till the time is right to extract revenge. Even when 'the right time' might never come.

Three days before the Yule holiday was started, Scorpius got a letter from his father.

Dear Scorpius,

Stay at Hogwarts this Yule. I will send you your presents.

Love,

Father.

Scorpius stopped smiling. He blinked twice. He was ready to go back to the Manor, he had been thinking of maybe inviting Albus in, to visit Albus' home, maybe he could see his grandmother and mother…

Love.

What a lie.

"Pi?" Albus called for him, and then read from his shoulder. Scorpius didn't know whether Albus had the chance to read it or not, but he really didn't want to show the letter to anyone. So he shrugged Albus from his shoulder.

"Go away, Al." he shrugged. He accidentally pushed too hard. Albus fell backwards onto the floor. Scorpius immediately felt guilty and helped Al to come back up, but the accident had happened, and James Potter has seen it. He angrily stood up from his Gryffindor table and walked towards Scorpius.

"Damn you, Malfoy! Don't you dare hurt my little brother!"

"Jamie! I am alright, it was an accident." Albus tried to pacify. "No need to angry, brother."

"NO! Don't you see how he shoved you? He is showing his real face, and you need to see it, Al! He is not worthy of your friendship!" James hissed. He grabbed Scorpius' collar, and pulled him up. Scorpius winced and closed his eyes—knowing the blow that would come—he was used to it.

But a voice in his mind was screaming bloody unfairness—why was it so good for the Potters? They have each other, they cared for each other, and they were the diamonds in the eyes of the public. Everybody loves them, even though James was quick to violence and Al was very chirpy and Lily was not ladylike at all. Was it because Scorpius was born in the Malfoy family? Just because of that, and Scorpius was doomed as an evil wizard, forever? And nobody from his family would defend him—after all, not even his mother wanted to stay for Scorpius.

It was so unfair. So, so unfair.

So he gritted his teeth and punched the bigger boy in front of him.

James Potter let his hands go, and was thrown backward. Scorpius' punch wasn't very painful since Malfoy were never trained to use physical power. But it still a punch, giving James the reason to hit back. He immediately punched Scorpius' stomach, which made the smaller, thin blond's body doubled in pain.

"Jamie! Stop!" Albus shouted and shielded his friend. Scorpius felt something coming out from his mouth, the foul smell and taste of vomit. He vomited his breakfast onto the floor, heaving. He was brought back onto the chair by some other Slytherin, and Scorpius vaguely watched the Potter sibling brawl.

"Ha!" suddenly a voice not far away from them shouted. "Look, not even his own dear Father wants Malfoy back home!"

Scorpius eyes popped from its socket. He quickly turned to see Fred Weasley was having his father's letter. Scorpius wanted to shout at Fred to give it back, but Rose Weasley came forward and took the letter from her cousin.

"Stop it, Fred! Do you know how idiotic you look, bullying people weaker than you!?"

I am not weak, was what Scorpius wanted to say, but he couldn't. Instead he doubled over again and vomited. This time, it was coloured rather pale red. Blood.

"What is happening here!?" The headmistress finally came down from her throne in the teacher's table. "Stop it right now! James and Albus Potter, stop it right now! And Mr. Zabini, will you kindly send Mr. Malfoy to the infirmary?"

"I'll do it." Suddenly Albus was beside Scorpius and took his arm. Scorpius leaned on his friend and let himself be taken away. The headmistress ordered everyone to return to their breakfast, then ordered James to follow them into the infirmary.

"You are fine, Mr. Malfoy. But vomiting blood is a sign of inside bleeding, maybe we need to call your father and let him bring you home early…"

"No!" Scorpius shouted. He was on the infirmary bed, too weak to rise up. "No, please, Madam Pomfrey. Please don't tell my father. He is busy."

"I need to tell your parents, dear." The mediwitch smiled sadly. "It will be alright."

"No!" Scorpius shook his head. "No, please don't tell him. He is busy. Grandmother is sick, grandfather is not there to help him, and the divorce process with mother has just started. He is busy, madam Pomfrey. He doesn't need me to add into his worry."

The mediwitch shook her head and went away. Devastated, Scorpius turned to the boy beside his bed.

"Albus, please. Please promise me you won't let her tell my father. I don't want to burden him with this. This is nothing. I am fine. I will be fine. Please."

Albus slowly nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Scorpius smiled weakly. "Thank you, Al. I am sorry."

Albus smiled at him. "Nothing to worry about, dummy. I know you didn't want people reading… that."

Scopius felt his face reddened. "…It was embarrassing enough. But now every student knows father does not want me home. It seemed I am staying at Hogwarts this holiday, Al. Thanks for the invitation, but I think I won't come to your place after all. Your brother won't like it if I come anyway."

"Don't worry about Jamie, he is an arse." Al scowled. "Lily has already planned our day out. My dad wants to meet you. He said to just let you stay the whole three weeks."

Scorpius smiled and winced when he felt his stomach churned in pain. "Sorry… I don't…"

Albus quickly grabbed the pain relief potion and shoved it into Scorpius' mouth. "Drink."

Scorpius thanked him in silent, drinking the potion. He was seen as weak in front of people—he was a disappointing Malfoy. He was not suited as a Malfoy. Maybe that was why his father didn't want him home. His stomach churned again, this time from sudden desperation and fear.

"Rest. I'll come back with today's stuff." Albus stood up. "I'll go to class now."

Scorpius nodded and thanked him. After he was sure there was nobody left in the infirmary, the blond boy pulled the blanket up till his head and started to sob in silent.

The blanket was as warm as it could be.

TBC.

My plan is to make a triangle here. So stay tuned!