Author's note: Hello my lovelies! I've missed you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave me your thoughts. 

Hope you all are doing well. <3 

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Chapter Thirty-Five

“I love you” She says anxiously. He looks at her dully, not even attempting a smile.

“Love you too” She reaches her hand out and brushes back his poorly kempt curls. He pulls his head back from her touch, glaring at her reproachfully.

“I’m fine mother.” He scowls. She nods unconvincingly and lets him hop onto the train with a curt nod at his father next to her.

“I want him healed, Draco.” She sighs, leaning into his chest while his arm tightens around her waist. Next to her, the Potters and all of the Weasleys were saying good bye to their children. It was a foggy January morning, the first day back of second term for students.

“You know it takes time, Hermione dear. How long did it take you to get over the ginger?” Draco asks. Hermione pouts but nod reluctantly.

“Fine, you have a point. But, this is nothing like Ron and I. We weren’t meant for each other, but it’s so easy to see that Scor and Savannah are.”

“Of course they are. That means they’re bound to fight, right?” Draco implies. Hermione chuckles.

“We do fight a lot, I admit. I just don’t like seeing my baby boy in pain.”

“I don’t like seeing our kids fighting either, Hermione.” Harry joins in the conversation, Ginny and Ron by his side. Lavender was suffering from the flu and was forced to stay home.

“Rose has forbidden me from mentioning the name Malfoy. Not that I object too much.” Ron adds playfully. Hermione whacks the back of his head while Harry chuckles.

“And Albus leaves the room if I bring up what happened. I’m a bit confused on what’s going on. She left to help out a dying village?” Harry inquires.

“According to what we could get out of Scorpius. She didn’t know where, though.” Draco explains. They nod and become silent in thought.

“It looks like they have an adventure ahead of them.” Ginny comments.

“Someone should start writing this stuff into books.” Harry grumbles. Hermione smiles to herself.

“I already have. I have books one to five done. Just two more and then I can get started on our kids’ lives.” She admits. Ron shakes his head at her.

“I want to proofread this before they published.” Hermione smirks.

“You wish, huh?” She drags a chuckling Draco away to disapparate while Ginny and Harry laugh into their hands.

“This is one set of books I will buy.” Ron promises fervently. He, too, disapparates.

“Wishing you could save them from any and all danger, dear?” Ginny asks as they walk towards the exit. They were planning a lunch with Harry’s cousin, Dudley, whose daughter was nearing eleven. He had noticed that she had some accidents like Harry once did and wanted advice and to solve differences.

“Always, Gin. I don’t want any of them to go through even a sliver of what we did. But they are free to live their lives, which is all we can ask for I guess.” He sighs.

“Think Dudley’s girl is like him?” He wonders as they slip into their car.

“No, I think she’ll be a bit more like Petunia.” Harry winces and pulls into traffic.

“Lovely thought.”

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“I know that you’re mad at him, Rosie. But he’s my best mate and he’s hurting.” Lionel snaps and walks into the compartment anyway, not waiting to hear Rose’s response. He sits warily next to Scor, who’s facing the window.

“Hey mate” He says gently. Scor grunts.

“You better?” He says unexpectedly. Lionel blinks in surprise but says yes. Scorpius looks over at his best friend, his eyes red from repressed tears and long nights of no sleep.

“No, I haven’t heard from her. Yes, my life sucks now and all of my friends but you hate me. No, no one knows where she’s at and yes, I hate myself.” He says dully.

“You sure you’re not a mind reader?” Lionel mutters. Scorpius shakes his head, willing himself not to think of the continuous ache in his chest.

“I don’t want you fighting with Rose over me.”

“She’ll get over it. She’s just scared for Savannah and lashing out.” Lionel assures him. Scor nods listlessly and turns back to the window. Lionel sees a dark green book peeking from his bag.

“What’s this?” He points to it. Scorpius looks over and pulls it out, clutching it tightly in his lap.

“It was Savannah’s Christmas present to me.” He explains softly, handing it over to him. Lionel leafs through the pages, studying it intently. It was a work of art, the pictures moved and demonstrated habits and the paragraphs would shift through so that multiple pages could be held on a single page.

“It’s beautiful.” He remarks. Scorpius nods and leans back against the seat. He closes his eyes and slowly falls asleep. Instead of leaving, Lionel puts the book back and settles back into his own seat, watching over his best mate.

Halfway through the train ride, the door slides open to reveal Rose and Albus, who is holding Peregrine’s hand tightly in his own.

“Mind if we join you?” Rose asks. Her eyes are slightly red, which causes Lionel to nod and scoot over so that she can slip in next to him. Albus and Peregrine take the seats by Scorpius without disturbing him.

“I’m sorry. I was too busy being mad at him, that I didn’t notice how much pain he was in.” Rose whispers to Lionel, her head facing her lap. Lionel takes both of her hands, gripping them tightly and kissing her wrists.

“Salazar, I love you Rosie.” He says casually. Rose blushes deeply and bites her lip.

“I love you too.” She murmurs. Lionel grins widely and leans forward, slanting his mouth over her own, letting one hand disappear into her fiery curls and keeping the other one gripped on her hand.

“Not here” Albus interrupts. Lionel groans but lets her lips go, licking his own to get a last taste. Rose winks and mouths ‘Later’. Lionel smirks and pulls her against his chest, relaxing into the seat once more.

“You disgust me.” Peregrine sniffs.

“Only cause you’re sex-deprived.” Rose counters without hesitation. Peregrine’s hair turns bright pink while her cheeks redden. Albus splutters before glaring at his cousin.

“She is not!”

“So you have done it?” Rose retorts.

“N-no! I meant that…er…well…” Albus stammers, trying to get out of the word-trap. Peregrine has her face hidden in her hands.

“Rose, I’m a virgin and I plan to keep it that way. I’m not sex-deprived and Albus is too much of a gentleman to do that.” Peregrine mutters. Albus relaxes and wraps his arms around her waist, nodding proudly.

“You’re both thirty year old virgins.” Rose scoffs.

“You’re incorrigible.” Albus remarks before turning to Peregrine and starting a conversation about the new motions that Minister MacMillan had proposed to the Wizengamot earlier that week.

“Guys! Guys!” Geoffrey slams into their compartment, tripping over Lionel’s long legs and falling straight into Scorpius.

“What the hell?” Scorpius snaps, jumping up, causing Geoffrey to slide to the floor with a groan. James comes ambling in, quite calmly mind you, as this happens and grins at his mate on the floor.

“I see you’re already ready for me.”

“Really James? Thank you for those mental images.” Albus gags. Rose and Peregrine giggle hopelessly into their hands.

“Yes, thank you.” Geo winks seductively and crawls to James, latching onto his leg and biting his pant leg.

“Down boy, we’ll find an empty compartment later.” Geo grins and jumps up, laughing at Albus’ horrified face while Scorpius continues to glare.

“Why did you twits interrupt the first good sleep I’ve had in weeks?” He snaps. James raises an amused brow and snatches the fallen paper that Geo had dropped.

“Well, I thought you would like to hear news of Savannah, but if we’re twits, then maybe—” He didn’t even get to finish before the paper was summoned from his hands and held up to Scorpius’ face as he read the article frantically. Not a minute passed before he threw it down in disgust and stomped out of the compartment. Albus snatches it up and spreads it over a seat so they all can see.

“The Amazonian Plague Stopped in its Tracks by Tracey Constable” Peregrine reads aloud.

“One month ago, the Ministry of Magic centered in Brazil was sent into panic and chaos as their indigenous wizard population located in the Amazon forest plummeted drastically due to an unknown illness. This illness spread faster than the Bubonic Plague of the seventeenth century.

Help was hard to gather, as the Amazon forest is nearly impossible to navigate, and mediwizards and witches sent from neighboring countries were too paranoid to enter it. Yet, help came anyway, in the form of two surreptitious people.

The descendent of Merlin, Savannah Merlin, and her partner, Morgan Fray, arrived at the edges of the Amazon Forest late on Boxer Day, plunging into the forest without hesitation. No word has been forthcoming since then until late last night, when Brazilian Ministry workers posted at the edges of the forest to wait for news, came upon an unconscious Fray. His condition is stable as reported this morning, and so far has been unable to tell us much of Merlin’s fate within the forest itself. His only concrete report was that the plague was over and wiped out, with half of the Amazonian wizard population remaining. Wherever these mysterious angels come from, we have much to thank them for.”

“He lost her?” Rose whispers in horror. James and Geo nod solemnly, having already read the article six times.

“But…he made an oath. The only way he could have left her was if she sent him from her.” Albus reasons feebly. Geo shrugs and pats his shoulder.

“We thought you should know.” James says as he and Geo exit. For a long time, it’s unusually quiet in the compartment as the four friends attempt to process the news on Savannah.

“I can only hope.” Peregrine sighs when they pull into Hogsmeade station. Albus and Rose nod dejectedly and clamber off, grabbing Scorpius’ things as well as their own since he had not returned.

The feast was not enjoyable in any form, and even the happy chatter of their common room about the holidays could not lift their mood.

Albus and Lionel, however, were roaming the castle on the pretense of prefect duties; but were really looking for Scorpius. He had not appeared at the feast, nor was he there to unpack his stuff in their dorm.

“Why do you think he ended it?” Lionel ponders as they navigate through the dungeons. Albus watches the faint emerald flames of the wall torches as they pass while he thinks about it.

“I can only come up with panic. He was afraid of losing her to Morgan if she went.”

“But he broke up with her and told her that Morgan was her only choice!”

“Yes, because that way it wouldn’t be her doing it. He let her go and broke it off so that she wouldn’t return having hooked up with Morgan and breaking up with Scorpius to be with him instead. It doesn’t make much sense, like I said, he panicked. I don’t think Savannah could ever be with Morgan.” Albus concedes.

“He’s a pretentious ass. Do you believe that whole crap about his magic complementing hers?” Albus nods.

“I do, unfortunately. When he confronted her on the train, he blocked their conversation, remember?” Lionel agrees. “And before that, when we found out the truth of her parent’s murders, he was the only one who could approach. His magic is like hers, ancient and elemental. My theory is that he is the –” He breaks off as they round the corner of the lowest level of the castle.

“Hey guys” Scorp grumbles, closing his eyes once again and leaning his head back, the bottle of Firewhiskey hanging loosely in his hand.

“Scorp, are you drunk?” Lionel demands.

“Not as much as I want to be.”

“What if someone catches you? You could be expelled!” Albus exclaims. Scorpius shrugs.

“I don’t care.”

“You do too.” Lionel snaps. He stalks forward and seizes the bottle from him.

“What’s your problem?!” Scorpius slurs angrily. He attempts to get up, but only makes one knee before slumping back to the wall.

“Savannah is missing in some jungle and you’re drunk?” Albus yells. Scorpius cringes back, his brown eyes flashing with fury.

“She left me of her own will.”

“She left to go save an entire population! Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re not that important!” Lionel snarls.

“I don’t care that she went! I don’t care about shit like that. I care that she took him but not me.” He trails off, gulping harshly.

“Scorpius, she took him because he would make her magic stronger. You’re a good wizard, but he’s more powerful than anyone.”

“Not her” He denies vehemently.

“Do you love her?” Albus demands, crossing his arms over his chest to stare down at the pathetic mess before him. Scorpius doesn’t answer, staring at his hands in his lap.

“Scorpius Malfoy, do you love her?” Lionel growls, wrenching his face up to look at them. Scorpius twists his head away and gets to his feet, fully alert now.

“I love her, alright? I LOVE HER!” He screams, his voice cracking as he leans back against the roughly stone cut wall.

“I fucking love her. I wanted to spend my life with her. I was meant to spend it with her and only her.” He slams his fist into the wall, his breathing slipping out of his mouth harshly as he holds back something in his throat. “Albus, Lionel” He chokes out, staring at them with agonized eyes. Lionel steps forward to help him, but stops as he continues speaking. “I’m only sixteen. I can’t feel this way about someone else.”

“Scorp—”

“I can’t feel this much! It hurts. Holy Salazar, but it hurts.” Scorpius whimpers, sliding down to his knees and cradling his head in his hands. Albus and Lionel kneel on either side of him, holding his shoulders in their hands.

“Scorpius, you’re never too young to love someone.” Lionel says hesitantly.

“To love this much?” Scorpius whispers.

“Your dad loved your mum since he was thirteen and she punched him in the face.” Albus points out. Scorpius chokes out a laugh.

“I take it back, Alb. I never wanted to end it with her.” He admits weakly when his body finishes shuddering. Lionel conjures up a handkerchief and hands it to the blonde, who wipes his face furiously.

“When she gets back, try telling her that.” Albus suggests. Scorpius trembles, finally looking at them.

“What if she doesn’t come back?”

“We said that six years ago. She always comes back.” Lionel says firmly. Together, he and Albus haul Scorp to his feet and support him back to their dorm room, allowing him to spit angrily on Morgan’s bed as they pass.

“I’ll kill that sonuvab*tch for losing her.” He vows before succumbing to exhaustion. Albus and Lionel sit on their beds and stare at their unconscious friend worriedly.

“Has anyone tried to floo her?” Albus speaks up suddenly. Lionel grabs a pouch from his trunk and together they hurry to the main common room, where no one is left. They muffliato the doors just in case and sit before the fireplace, thinking of what address to use.

“I think her name should be powerful enough.” Albus finally decides. Lionel throws a hefty pinch onto the flames and watch as they roar emerald green.

“Savannah Merlin!” Albus commands. The flames twist and seem to disappear slightly into the chimney as if searching for their request. After ten minutes, the flames go completely out before the smoke turns into a smoky mirror with violet tints.

“Savannah?” Albus whispers. Both boys rear back as a sweaty face looms into view. Her eyes are sunken and feverish, her cheeks sallow and her hair in a tight braid coiled around the crown of her head. She’s wearing a ragged tank top and her arms are covered in scratches and sores, along with several bandages that seemed to be made of leaves. She steps back, and they see that she’s in sturdy jeans and no shoes, the jeans with many a tear.

“Albus? Lionel?” She croaks in surprise. Behind her, the only scenery definable is a mass of jungle trees and the edge of a wooden hut.

“Savannah, where are you?” Lionel questions. Savannah wipes her face with her arm and puffs out a breath.

“I’m in the bloody Amazon Rainforest. Have they found Morgan yet?”

“Yes, why the hell isn’t he with you?!” Albus demands. Savannah grimaces.

“He was getting the sickness. He let his guard down while making the potion that was healing them. I tried to send him away, but he refused, so I confounded him, knocked him out, and transported him to the outskirts of the forest.”

“I thought the sickness was over?”

“It is, but the villages are decimated. I’m leading the survivors to a main village, in the center. There they can regroup and reorganize themselves, heal their wounds and mourn for their losses. Eventually they’ll repopulate and split up into tribes again but that’s quite a few generations off.”

“Savannah, you look like hell.” Lionel compliments. She sticks her tongue at them and pushes some stray curls from her face.

“There’s limited food and water, and I’ve been continually walking for seven days. Kiss my magical ass.”

“Savannah!” Albus chuckles. She smiles briefly before settling back into her constant frown.

“Scorpius?” She calls hesitantly.

“He’s asleep.” Lionel replies. Her shoulders fall. She stares at the ground for a few seconds before looking up, her face a mask.

“I’m glad he’s doing okay.” She says. Albus goes to object, ready to tell her of everything that had been revealed to him, but another figure steps into the picture, a tall handsome man with coffee coloured skin and an elaborate cloak of miniature gems and precious stones lying over his shoulders and down his back. He has on a pair of worn shorts and no shirt, the muscles very apparent on his body, flexing as he moves.

“Savannah, our people are ready to move on.” His voice is deep and accented; his blue eyes intense as he stares down at Savannah. She hitches her shoulders and gives a terse nod.

“I will be there shortly, Braulio. Do I need to create the path again?” Braulio’s face transforms to worry and determination.

“No, you are too tired and weary. Before we move on, you will eat two handfuls of fruit and some bread.”

“No, there are children and elderly to feed. I am fine with my share.” Her eyes flit to Albus and Lionel anxiously. Braulio notices and turns towards them.

“You must be friends of Savannah. Rest assured that I will do my best to see her returned healthy and whole to you.” He vows, pressing his thumb to the center of his forehead and inclining it towards them.

“T-thank you, sir.” Albus stammers. Braulio grins suddenly.

“I am the same age, friends of Savannah. No need to address me so properly.” Lionel shares a skeptical look with Albus. He was sixteen? He looked twenty!

“I will eat one handful of fruit and half a piece of bread if you share the other half.” Savannah speaks up suddenly. Braulio turns a gentle face to her, smiling wryly.

“If you insist, butterfly.” She scowls, angry at losing, and turns to face her friends.

“I should be back in two days. Take notes for me?” Before either can respond, Braulio is taking Savannah’s hand in his, demanding her attention.

“About that, Savannah…” He pauses and clears his throat before speaking again. “Do you have to go back?”

“Yes, I have school, Braulio.” Savannah says tiredly, as if this was a recurring subject.

“You could stay here.”

“I can’t. This life isn’t for me. I’ve told—”

“I know that you told me when we were younger but we are older now. Those boyish feelings I had for you then are different now. I will go to my knees and beg you, Savannah. I want you to be my life-partner and rule this new tribe with me.” Albus rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and Lionel picks at his fingernails nervously.

“Braulio, I am not content with cooking and popping out babies the rest of my life. I—”

“You won’t. Things have changed. Women hunt and they lead too.” He says quickly, hope flickering onto his face. Savannah stares incredulously into it.

“You’re honestly asking me to marry you, at sixteen, and rule an entire tribe with you?” She reiterates. He nods eagerly. Her mouth is open in shock.

“My father would’ve wanted it, and you’d make my mother so happy.”

“Braulio—”

“And our people look up to you so much already, they would gladly accept you into our tribe.”

“Braulio, listen—”

“And our future children, Savannah, just imagine how powerful and intelligent they’ll be!”

“Braulio!” She cries. Her cheeks are flaming red, a vein in her neck pulsing wildly. Braulio’s smile fades away and he shuffles slightly.

“My destiny is not here. It never was and I do not think it ever will be.” Braulio hangs his head.

“But it feels like I am meant to be with you.” With a quick motion, he cups her face, kissing her wildly. The image blurs and then vanishes without another trace.

“What?!” Albus yelps, touching the ashes desperately while Lionel yanks him back to pour more floo powder into the hearth.

Nothing.

“Well that was insightful.” A scathing voice enters their panic and both boys jump in fright, colliding foreheads painfully.

“Ow!”

“For all that is magic!” Lionel groans, holding his head. He blinks his eyes to clear the blurry image of his scowling best friend.

“And here I was, thinking that I was the one in the wrong. Forget her and everything to do with her.” He turns on his heel and slams the dorm door shut behind him.

“We have the worst timing.” Albus groans, rubbing the slight bump in his head.

“You’re not kidding.”