Chapter Eleven: Welcome Back

POV: Scorpius and Al

It was the first day back to Hogwarts—the first day as a Fifth Year. It was hard to believe I'd gotten here, but it has been a fun broomstick ride. I could hardly pin-point certain things if I was asked, but if I summarized the past few years I'd say it was a blur of laughter, petty arguments, pranks, a few broken bones courtesy of House rivalry, detention, and unauthorized expeditions into the Forbidden Forest. 

"Hey, Scor." Tearing me away from my thoughts, Liam walked into the lonely classroom I'd been holed up in for more than an hour. "Shouldn't you be unpacking?"

"Yeah, I should," I said, "but my belongings are currently being aired out seeing as someone managed to get into the Slytherin Common Room and plant automatic stink-bombs in every dorm. McGonagall ordered us out until Filch can get rid of the foul stench and she finds the culprits."

Liam knitted his brows together, clear confusion on his pale face, but before he could express it, Nia Harper was not too far behind him. She glided into the classroom, her long, blonde hair pinned to the sides to expose the sharp (beautiful, if I had to admit) angles of her face. Her pink lips were currently pulled into a smirk. 

"I thought I smelled something," she said, sniffing the air. "What's the scent called? Shamed Slytherin?"

Liam grimaced at her words before letting out a giant sigh.

"It was you!" I accused. "How the hell did you get into our headquarters, Harper?"

That smirk turned into an innocent smile. Any other person might be fooled by it, but I could see the devil in her. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just woke up from my nap. Ask half of Gryffindor. I threatened them about being too loud while I was sleeping."

"It's true," Liam mediated. "She punched Saar Finnegan when he was telling Lysander Scamander about his trip to Egypt."

I rolled my eyes at my cousin. "Whatever," I scoffed. "This still has Gryffindor written all over it. Your lot better sleep with your eyes open."

Harper took a predatory step toward me, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. I could have been intimidated, but when I was often at the other end of it, it was something I got used to. 

"Be careful who you threatened," she said to me. "Liam and me are off limits to you squirmy Slytherins, got it?"

"That's enough," Liam sighed again, stepping in between his best friend and me. He took the precaution of pushing Harper a few inches back from the good swinging zone. "It took ages for the pair of you to be friends. Let's not ruin that now."

Harper and I scoffed at the same time.

"We are not friends," she hissed at my cousin. "I've just gotten nicer."

"Nope. You're friends," Liam insisted. "Especially since he saved you."

I cringed at the memory. As much as everyone seems to think I was a bloody hero for that, it was not something I had ever wanted to experience—let alone have someone I tolerate (fine, care for) go through. Harper had been cornered by a creepy older student in our Third Year who tried to snog her after an illicit Christmas party in the old Divination classroom. I hadn't my wand so I had used fists to save her from that unwanted situation (of course, once I had managed to pull the twat off, she got a few good punches at him, too—really, it had been her to put the bloke in the hospital wing  ). 

Huffing at that misfortune, Harper's piercing gaze found mine. "Fine," she said with clear hesitation. "It was the Tres Amigos, all right? James and Freddie brought them and Louis planted them. For fuck sakes, have your house-mates seek revenge on them, but the rest of us are innocent."

A grinned pulled at my mouth. "You're the best, Nia," I said, stretching my arms out. "Come here and let's hug it out, friend."

Harper glared and went in for the kill. Fortunately, Liam was still in the middle of us. He held her back as she attempted to aim a punch at me. I laughed wholeheartedly as he dragged her back out the classroom door. 

While she might hate to admit it, Harper and me were friends. It was not strictly conventional, nor did we have a bond like we had with everyone else, but it was still friendship. It was not sweet or gentle by any means, but she was loyal. She was often one of the first people to stand beside me whenever I faced students who liked to remind me of my family's history. Besides, her attitude kept things fresh. It was entertaining to watch her try to hate me and come up with new punchlines to jokes that were getting better as the years went on.

Before stuffing my hands in the pockets of my black jeans, I jumped off the desk I'd been sitting on to follow the two Gryffindors. I could distinctly hear Harper's cursing while other students tried to dodge her (she was famous for her temper). When I decided to take a right instead of the left they took, I spotted someone at the corner of an isolate corridor I had not seen in months. She was sat on the floor, knees brought up to her chest, and her dark hair cascading down her face. 

My heart fluttered at the sight of her. Something like worry and relief washed over me as I approached her. 

"Hey, Em."

Emily looked up from the curtain of her hair. Her bright, beautiful green eyes stared right through me for a second; I saw comprehension dawn on her before she forced a smile in my direction.

"We missed you on the train," I said. "Bet Harper gave you a good scolding when you saw her and Rose in the dormitory, right?"

She cleared her throat, but her voice was still shaky. "Haven't gone up," she muttered. "I'm sorry about the train...I was...I was late."

That flutter turned to dread when I saw the glisten in her gaze. I quickly sat beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Em?"

With her eyes still locked on me, I swore she had fallen into some form of trance. There was no connection passing through her; it was almost as if she had run out of all feeling. She looked exhausted, in more ways than the purple rings beneath her eyes signaled. 

My worry multiplied as I grabbed her hands now. "Did something happen this summer?" She blinked, but the tears did not fall past her long eyelashes. "Emily," my voice was a little louder, "talk to me. Did something happen? Is it your parents? Come on, Em. I haven't heard from you all summer. What's going on?"

Suddenly, she was back. The tormented glimmer in her eyes was gone and it was replaced by that loving, kind glitter that I often found myself longing to see. Her pale cheeks grew pink and the skin of her palms grew warm now, too. 

"I'm sorry, Scor," she laughed, shaking her head. "I just haven't slept in a few days, so I'm a little dazed. I'm okay, though. Hey," she added, overlapping her free hand with mine, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I returned, but I was still staring at her with apprehension. She stood, pulling me up with her so she could wrap her arms around me. I eagerly returned the embrace, hoping I could keep her together. 

We stayed that way for longer than was needed, and I wanted it to continue, but she pulled away. "Let's go to the feast. I'm starving."

I nodded as she took my hand and directed me past a turn of the corridor. 

"Come on," she looked up at me, grinning, "catch me up. Tell me everything about your summer vacation. Nia wrote to me about Lucy's birthday party. She said you caught fire. What was all that about?"

That was my best friend Emily Taylor for you. The girl that I trusted the most, the girl I knew the least about.

X

Let the record show that it took five hours of being back at Hogwarts for a war to break out. Usually, there was nothing too bad or strange about friction between the Houses halfway through the school term—hell, it was expected, like Ravenclaw losing the Quidditch House Cup for the past four years (even when they bragged and bragged about their shit Seeker). It was unavoidable and people were okay with that. Well, that was until the war started by hitting neutral territory—and on the first day back, no less. 

"—I am not going down without a fight!"

"—We're obviously going to retaliate, knobhead. We just have to be very careful."

"—Do we know who it was?"

"—Oh, come on, Thomas! Does it really bloody matter? We're going to hit all of them."

 "—Wait, wait!" With a palm slamming against the tabletop, a huge Slytherin stopped the commotion going on in the middle of our House table. "You idiots are clearly missing the biggest fact here—a Slytherin let the trash into our common room!"

I was mid-sip of my cold, delicious Pumpkin Juice when the meaty Slytherin brought up an important point that everyone else had clearly missed. The attack to our common room had obviously been committed by someone from another house, but that person had to have been let in by a Slytherin. A Slytherin—one of our own—gave our password to the enemy.

After lowering my goblet away from my lips, I turned to the boys on my right side. Both Scorpius and Lucas had been paying attention to the riot a few feet down from us.

"You know what this means, right?" Lucas muttered, inching closer to me. "They'll pin this on you, Potter."           

The huddle of pissed, older students grew louder as they plotted and vowed revenge. I cringed as they all stood, riling each other up as they headed to the exit of the Great Hall.

"Yeah," I sighed, "that was my guess, too."

Smirking, Scorpius pushed his plate aside, shifting in an angle on his seat. "Look at those blokes, mate. You've got a few good days before any of them even consider you're the traitor."

I scowled. "Great. Who doesn't fancy a few days of grueling lessons before dying?"

Scorpius laughed. "Grow some quaffles, Al. Just go to your idiot brother and cousins and tell them to own up to the prank."

Lucas and I furrowed our brows in confusion at our blonde friend. "How the hell do you know it was them?"

"I'm bloody charming, Al. Everyone tells me everything," he dismissed before standing. He didn't say anything else, but motioned Lucas and me to follow after him. I got up immediately, but Lucas contemplated for a moment; when he caught me frowning at him, he waved at his steak sadly and trailed us.

Just as we came to a stop at the table with a lot of familiar redheads and prats, Freddie plugged his nose with his fingers, leaning away from us. "Oi, what's that smell?"

"Why, Fredrick, that's Slytherin shame, that is!" Smirking wide, completely satisfied with himself, James crossed his arms over his chest. "It comes in five different fragrances. All of which are to be included in a special line open for sale next month at Weasley Wizard Wheezes!"

Some Gryffindors around him laughed while others vowed to purchase the upcoming products from my Uncle George.

I turned to Scorpius, rolling my eyes at his shit-eating sneer. "Real fucking great, James," I then grunted at my brother. "Your stupid prank is going to get me murdered when the vengeful squad of Slytherins realize I'm the only Slytherin related to Gryffindors."

As it was accustomed to whenever logic needed to be applied, Rose looked up from her thick book to scowl at me. "Technically, Al, that's not—"

"Yeah, yeah," I cut off my cousin before she could lecture me about some statistics or the other. "I know that's not true. Whatever. The point is I'm going to die!"

"Who's going to die?" asked Nia as James and Freddie scoffed at me. "Oh, did you eat one of those sweets Louis is handing out to his lab rats? Some Second Year passed out already. He turned orange and puked snails, too."

"You did what?" Rose demanded loudly, turning her scowl at Louis now.

I really did not hear Louis' shit excuse of defense because I was trying to remain upright when Nia flashed her breathtaking smile in my direction. Salazar, she was stunning (yes, I know, I'm corny as hell, but have you seen her? She glows brighter and mightier than the sun). 

He had earned the title of best mate for a reason; as such, Scorpius elbowed me hard on the ribs when my jaw slackened and I was a second away from drooling all over Nia. 

Clearing my throat, I said, "Very funny, Harper, but your House is going to get me butchered."

"You had a nice life, Potter," Nia laughed again, the sound like a sweet, captivating melody. "I promise to write a lovely speech at your remembrance."

She took a step forward, giving my shoulder a shove. That's how the Great Hall and everyone in it but her disappeared. Yeah, I was probably going to get destroyed by a gang of idiot Slytherins the size of trolls, but if it made Nia laugh like this, if it made her cheeks flush a beautiful pink, then, yeah, I had a good life. Let them come for me. 

I don't know how this happened—whatever this is. It just did. One moment she was this pretty treacherous storm (one of the lads, you know) and in the next she is this gorgeous, brilliant hurricane threatening to flood everything in its path. And let me tell you, I was drowning. 

The only thing is, she didn't seem to see me in her sea. 

"I'll come back a ghost," I warned playfully, trying to give a shove back, but she smacked my hand away, laughing some more. "I'll haunt you, I swear it."

She scoffed, ignoring the open space Emily had made between her and James for her to sit in. "Oh, piss off, Potter. Remember our encounter with the headless ghosts our Second Year? You, Malfoy, and Zabini ran for your lives and left me there."

"They were headless," Lucas chimed in, glaring. "Of course we ran for it."

Nia and I ignored him.

"Pansies," she said, "the three of you. I bet—" She stopped her teasing, brows furrowing as she turned away from me. 

I raised a brow of my own, unsure of what just happened, seeing as she was wearing that deadly glare on her beautiful face that sent shivers down everyone's spine (Scorpius, too, even if he claimed he was not afraid of her). While I had been lost in my interaction with Nia, the table had broken into little groups of conversation: James retold one of his summer adventures to Emily, who hardly seemed to be listening at all, Freddie and Louis discussed side-effects of the sweets they were having people test out to younger, naive Gryffindors (to Lucas, too), Scorpius had found his way next to Rose, both looking over her massive book—and then there was what had caught Nia's attention.

Sat across from one another was Liam and Lily—my little sister Lily, who was now a sassy Third Year Gryffindor instead of that clumsy eight year old I missed so much. They were smiling at each other, Liam and Lily; their conversation was the most soft-spoken in comparison to the others. 

"Third Year is nothing," Liam murmured to my sister. "Especially not to someone like you. You did brilliant the past two years."

Lily smiled, her cheeks tinting pink as she brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. It was such a sweet, gentle gesture that I had to blink a few times to accept the fact that it was indeed her and not a look-alike (she had been in such a foul mood all summer, none of us tolerated her—no matter how many times Mum tried to explain it was hormones seeing as Lily was now a teenager).

The same pink in Lily's cheeks was now on Liam's. He cleared his throat, looking away briefly, spooning his mashed potatoes before glancing up at her again. "I didn't see you the last week of holidays when I went to see your brother. Al mentioned you were in Bulgaria with your Uncle George and his family?"

"Yeah, it was Roxanne's birthday," she murmured back. "Uncle George had business meetings the first two days and she did not want to be alone with Freddie so I agreed to tag along."

"That's nice of you," Liam replied. "Did Lucy and Hugo go with you, too?"

How the hell did Liam know Lily, Luce, Roxy, and Hue never went anywhere without the others? It could not just be a random guess because they were all the same age, could it? Because you had to be around the four of them, talk to them, to know their bond ran further than cousins. They were best friends.

Lily nodded, but then muttered something too low that not even Liam caught it. She cleared her throat, saying a little louder, "I really wished I could've seen you—"

Whatever else my little sister was going to say was cut off when the girl standing beside me starting choking. 

I was already reaching for Nia when Liam shot out of his seat, pushing me aside to put his hands on his best friend. He grabbed her shoulders, his brown eyes wide with concern as Nia kept coughing wildly, heaving desperately for air. 

Liam patted her back in panic when Nia turned red. "Nia," her name sounded like a plea coming from him, "breathe!"

Scorpius and Rose stood up,too, eyes locked on the choking girl as the Great Hall was slowly turning to the commotion. Rose was pulling out her wand, no doubt already thinking of the perfect spell, but one more smack from Liam against Nia's back and she was breathing again. 

"I'm okay," she gasped out, the sound strained. "I'm okay."

Liam reeled her into a hug, squeezing tightly. 

Behind him, Lily's shy, sweet smile was replaced with a glower that gave even the worst of witches a run for their galleons (she was a Weasley, after all). Nia locked in on her, too, just like I had, but her blue eyes narrowed back, breaking past the haze of paranoia she had felt from her coughing fit. 

"Lily," standing from her spot beside James, Emily waved a hand in the direction of my sister. "Would you mind joining me in my dormitory? I have to give you and Roxy the dresses I made you."

Although Lily looked like she might want to commit murder rather than have a private fashion show, she still tried her best to smile at the lovely American. "Sure, Em. Sounds great."

While Lily gathered her belongings, Emily threw Nia a pleading look. Something flashed in the latter's eyes, but I couldn't really tell what it meant. All I know is that her arms wrapped tighter around Liam.

When Emily and Lily were out far enough, Nia stepped away from her best friend. He still looked terribly concerned for her. "You scared me," he whispered.

She touched his cheek gently, a sight not uncommon for both of them, but the gentleness in her blue eyes was. She always had fire burning in her gaze, but when it came to Liam, it tamed, it fizzled out to an nonthreatening warmth. 

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked. "Get some air that way?"

Nia smiled and nodded, allowing him to take her hand to lead her out of the Great Hall.

"Those two are so in love—" Past his chewing of a chicken wing, James grinned at me. "But that's the least of your problems, little Albie."

Glaring at the use of that damn nickname and on his comment about Nia and Liam, I still followed my brother's pointed finger. Of course I had bigger problems—the Slytherin brutes were back and charging their way in my direction, screaming my name.

What a way to start the new school year.