That's What Friends Are For
Title: That's What Friends Are For.
Characters: Albus Potter, James Potter, Teddy Lupin, Scorpius Malfoy.
Rating: PG.
Summary: In his first week at Hogwarts, Scorpius Malfoy finds friendship in unexpected places.
Warnings: Bullying, reference to canon character deaths.
A/N: Written as a birthday gift for the lovely leochi.
Scorpius Malfoy peered nervously around the corner of the corridor leading to the Ravenclaw common room. His first week at school had not been easy; the name of Malfoy hung over the shy child like a heavy cloud, mirroring the dark glares cast at him by his schoolmates whose parents remembered only too well the role played by his family in the war against Voldemort. Scorpius’ father had warned him about this, speaking gravely to his son over tea in his study the week before school began, and the small boy had nodded up at him with wide, serious eyes. He had promised his father that he would be brave and not let the bullies worry him, but it was easy to pledge such a thing in the safety of his home, with his father beside him and his mother just down the stairs. Things were very different here, when he had to walk through a huddle of older children to get back to the safety of his dorm.
Still, he had to go back sometime; he couldn’t stay here all night. Looking down at the floor, clutching his satchel tightly, he began to walk the seemingly endless distance to the door.
‘Hey, Malfoy!’ It was not a friendly shout. Scorpius kept walking, his head down, but his way was blocked by three students; two boys in Ravenclaw robes and a Slytherin girl. A larger group, perhaps five or six boys and girls in assorted house colours, watched and sniggered from the sidelines.
‘Where you off to, Malfoy?’ The largest boy sneered as he spoke. ‘Going to talk to some snakes, or torture some Muggles? I heard that’s what Death Eaters do.’
‘I’m not a Death Eater.’ Scorpius tried to sound brave, but his voice came out very small.
‘Course you’re not, course you’re not. And nor was your dad, right? He just mistook Voldemort for the Easter Bunny. Easy mistake to make.’ The crowd laughed, and Scorpius took a step backwards, feeling the cold stone of the wall against his back. The Slytherin girl reached out and grabbed his bag, pulling out a book.
‘What’s this? First Steps In Defence Against The Dark Arts? I’d have thought you’d know all about the Dark Arts, Death Eater.’
‘I’m not!’ Scorpius swallowed hard; he could feel his eyes stinging with anger and humiliation. ‘Give that back!’
The girl tossed the book over Scorpius’ head to a friend in the jeering crowd, letting out a sharp laugh as he tried to snatch it from the air. ‘Oops! Sorry, Death Eater. You’ll have to cast your Dark Magic, see if that’ll get it back -’
‘Give it back to him!’ Another voice, clear and indignant, cut across the jeering crowd. Scorpius turned to see a Gryffindor boy of his own age, with messy black hair and a furious expression, standing in front of the older students with his hands on his hips, and Scorpius realised with a sudden shock that he recognised him.
‘Well, well, if it isn’t little Albus Potter!’ The largest Ravenclaw boy stepped forward with a malicious grin. ‘And defending a Malfoy! What would Daddy say about that?’
Albus looked up at him fearlessly. ‘My dad would say that you’re the ones acting like Death Eaters, bullying someone smaller than you. He wouldn’t care about Scorpius’ dad, and anyway, he says people shouldn’t talk about things they know nothing about. He says only stupid people do that.’
‘You calling me stupid?’ The boy’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he stepped forward, but Albus stood his ground.
‘You are if you just judge people without knowing anything about them. Give Scorpius his book back.’
Laughter broke out from the gaggle of students at the sight of the small boy holding out his hand expectantly. ‘You going to take it from us?’ someone shouted from the crowd.
‘No, he’s not. I am.’ A new voice made Scorpius look round to see a red-haired boy walking up behind Albus. He put one hand on Albus’ shoulder, and then, to Scorpius’ amazement, reached out and rested his other hand protectively on Scorpius’ back.
‘James!’ The relief in Albus’ voice was not quite hidden. The three bullies took a couple of steps backwards, unsure of themselves now the odds were changing. James took a couple of paces towards them, grabbing the book out of a now unresisting hand, before resuming his position beside Albus and Scorpius.
‘Well done, Jamie.’ Scorpius looked up, his eyes wide with wonder, as a tall boy with a Prefect badge on his robes spoke from the shadows of the corridor. The boy stepped into the light, and Scorpius noticed that his tawny hair was tipped with deep indigo where it brushed against his collar. He walked over to face the abashed group of bullies, regarding them for a long time before speaking in grave tones.
‘You should all be ashamed of yourselves. My mum and dad died fighting Voldemort, and you all know about Albus and James’s dad. And you know what? If they were here to see your behaviour today, they’d be ashamed to say they fought for you.’ He looked at them all in silence for a long moment before continuing. ‘I don’t normally use my Prefect rights to give punishments - you all know me, you know I don’t - but you’ve merited one in this case. Tomorrow evening, at the war memorial in the grounds. You are going to tidy the weeds around it, without magic, and then we are going to talk about the people whose names are on that memorial and the things they stood for. Do I make myself clear?
The group of bullies, now thoroughly abashed, performed variations on the theme of ‘Yes, Teddy’ before slinking away to their various dormitories. Scorpius’ eyes widened as the older boy turned to face him; this must be Teddy Lupin, Harry Potter’s godson and the most popular prefect in the school. There was no anger in his eyes now, though, and his smile was kind as he approached the three boys.
‘Good job, you two. You okay, Scorpius?’ Scorpius could only nod mutely, feeling a little shaky now that the danger had passed.
‘Good lad. There’s no point worrying about idiots like that. Now, who’s for cocoa? There’s nobody in the Prefects’ common room this evening, so I reckon I can bend the rules for once and let you lot in.’
‘Great! Come on, Albus, Scorpius!’ James set off down the corridor, trying to match Teddy’s long stride, and Scorpius looked over at Albus, amazed at being included this way. He felt his eyes stinging again at the casual kindness the three boys offered him, in sharp contrast to the taunts and stares other students had given him all week, and Albus put a tentative hand on his shoulder.
‘You okay? You’re not upset by that lot, are you?’
Scorpius wiped the sleeve of his robes over his eyes, swallowing hard. ‘I’m okay. Thanks.’ His voice was a bit unsteady, but he took a deep breath and smiled as Albus put an arm around his shoulder and gave him a brief, awkward hug.
‘Come on,’ Albus said with a smile. ‘We don’t want to miss out on Teddy’s cocoa; it’s the best in the world! He puts cinnamon and marshmallows in it.’
Scorpius returned his smile, feeling a little braver now he was surrounded by friendly faces, and by the time they reached the Prefects’ common room, he and Albus were deep in animated conversation about their favourite Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes products. Scorpius was still in peals of giggles at Albus’ impression of Professor Longbottom under the influence of a Tongue Twisting Toffee, when Teddy handed him a steaming mug of cocoa, brimming with melted marshmallows and redolent with sweet spices.
‘Thank you, Teddy.’ Scorpius’ smile was bright as he took the mug, snuggling deep into the sofa cushions. He looked around at his new friends and hesitated before continuing. ‘And thank you for rescuing me, all of you.'
‘That’s no problem.’ James’ voice was fiercely protective. ‘Don’t worry about those stupid bullies. We’ll make sure everyone knows you’re our friend now. They won’t bother you again.’
A rush of warmth flooded through Scorpius at James’ words. He hadn’t expected anyone at Hogwarts to want to be his friend, least of all Harry Potter’s children. His surprise must have shown on his face, because Albus slung an arm around his shoulders and James and Teddy sat forward in their armchairs, smiling at him.
‘We don’t care what your name is or what your dad did in the war.’ James’ voice was earnest as he continued. ‘Our dad says none of that matters any more. Anyway, people judge us for our name too.’
‘My dad was a werewolf,’ Teddy broke in with a lopsided smile. ‘I got some trouble over that at first, but everyone soon forgot about it when I made a few real friends.’
‘Does Mr. Potter really say it doesn’t matter?’ Scorpius’ eyes were wide as he looked around at his friends. His own father had tried to tell him the same thing, but he had never really believed that anyone else thought the same way, let alone the Hero of the Wizarding World.
‘He says if people want to remember anything from the war it should be that you can’t judge people before you know anything about them.’ Sincerity was shining in Albus’ eyes, and he suddenly looked very like the portrait of his father that hung in the Great Hall. ‘He says we should be friends with whoever we want to be friends with, and to ignore what anyone else says. And we want to be friends with you, so there.’ His tone was triumphant as he finished, and Scorpius blushed and smiled as the two older boys burst out laughing.
‘So there, indeed!’ Teddy smiled. ‘But now, if you’ve finished your cocoa, I think it’s bedtime for all of us. We’ve got classes tomorrow, and I don’t want you lot falling asleep in Transfiguration! The Headmistress would never let me hear the end of it. Come on, we’ll walk you back to your dorm.’
The walk back to the Ravenclaw dormitories was more subdued than earlier in the evening. Scorpius and Albus were both sleepy from the warm fire and the cocoa, and their conversation was quiet and punctuated with wide yawns. Still, Scorpius felt completely safe for the first time since arriving at the school, warmed by the presence of his friends around him. Even after they had said their goodnights, and Scorpius was in his pyjamas and tucked up between the sheets, his newfound sense of security stayed with him. He knew now that school could be the magical, fun place he had hoped it would be.
Dreaming of adventures and friendship and laughter, Scorpius drifted into sleep with a smile on his lips.
Characters: Albus Potter, James Potter, Teddy Lupin, Scorpius Malfoy.
Rating: PG.
Summary: In his first week at Hogwarts, Scorpius Malfoy finds friendship in unexpected places.
Warnings: Bullying, reference to canon character deaths.
A/N: Written as a birthday gift for the lovely leochi.
Scorpius Malfoy peered nervously around the corner of the corridor leading to the Ravenclaw common room. His first week at school had not been easy; the name of Malfoy hung over the shy child like a heavy cloud, mirroring the dark glares cast at him by his schoolmates whose parents remembered only too well the role played by his family in the war against Voldemort. Scorpius’ father had warned him about this, speaking gravely to his son over tea in his study the week before school began, and the small boy had nodded up at him with wide, serious eyes. He had promised his father that he would be brave and not let the bullies worry him, but it was easy to pledge such a thing in the safety of his home, with his father beside him and his mother just down the stairs. Things were very different here, when he had to walk through a huddle of older children to get back to the safety of his dorm.
Still, he had to go back sometime; he couldn’t stay here all night. Looking down at the floor, clutching his satchel tightly, he began to walk the seemingly endless distance to the door.
‘Hey, Malfoy!’ It was not a friendly shout. Scorpius kept walking, his head down, but his way was blocked by three students; two boys in Ravenclaw robes and a Slytherin girl. A larger group, perhaps five or six boys and girls in assorted house colours, watched and sniggered from the sidelines.
‘Where you off to, Malfoy?’ The largest boy sneered as he spoke. ‘Going to talk to some snakes, or torture some Muggles? I heard that’s what Death Eaters do.’
‘I’m not a Death Eater.’ Scorpius tried to sound brave, but his voice came out very small.
‘Course you’re not, course you’re not. And nor was your dad, right? He just mistook Voldemort for the Easter Bunny. Easy mistake to make.’ The crowd laughed, and Scorpius took a step backwards, feeling the cold stone of the wall against his back. The Slytherin girl reached out and grabbed his bag, pulling out a book.
‘What’s this? First Steps In Defence Against The Dark Arts? I’d have thought you’d know all about the Dark Arts, Death Eater.’
‘I’m not!’ Scorpius swallowed hard; he could feel his eyes stinging with anger and humiliation. ‘Give that back!’
The girl tossed the book over Scorpius’ head to a friend in the jeering crowd, letting out a sharp laugh as he tried to snatch it from the air. ‘Oops! Sorry, Death Eater. You’ll have to cast your Dark Magic, see if that’ll get it back -’
‘Give it back to him!’ Another voice, clear and indignant, cut across the jeering crowd. Scorpius turned to see a Gryffindor boy of his own age, with messy black hair and a furious expression, standing in front of the older students with his hands on his hips, and Scorpius realised with a sudden shock that he recognised him.
‘Well, well, if it isn’t little Albus Potter!’ The largest Ravenclaw boy stepped forward with a malicious grin. ‘And defending a Malfoy! What would Daddy say about that?’
Albus looked up at him fearlessly. ‘My dad would say that you’re the ones acting like Death Eaters, bullying someone smaller than you. He wouldn’t care about Scorpius’ dad, and anyway, he says people shouldn’t talk about things they know nothing about. He says only stupid people do that.’
‘You calling me stupid?’ The boy’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he stepped forward, but Albus stood his ground.
‘You are if you just judge people without knowing anything about them. Give Scorpius his book back.’
Laughter broke out from the gaggle of students at the sight of the small boy holding out his hand expectantly. ‘You going to take it from us?’ someone shouted from the crowd.
‘No, he’s not. I am.’ A new voice made Scorpius look round to see a red-haired boy walking up behind Albus. He put one hand on Albus’ shoulder, and then, to Scorpius’ amazement, reached out and rested his other hand protectively on Scorpius’ back.
‘James!’ The relief in Albus’ voice was not quite hidden. The three bullies took a couple of steps backwards, unsure of themselves now the odds were changing. James took a couple of paces towards them, grabbing the book out of a now unresisting hand, before resuming his position beside Albus and Scorpius.
‘Well done, Jamie.’ Scorpius looked up, his eyes wide with wonder, as a tall boy with a Prefect badge on his robes spoke from the shadows of the corridor. The boy stepped into the light, and Scorpius noticed that his tawny hair was tipped with deep indigo where it brushed against his collar. He walked over to face the abashed group of bullies, regarding them for a long time before speaking in grave tones.
‘You should all be ashamed of yourselves. My mum and dad died fighting Voldemort, and you all know about Albus and James’s dad. And you know what? If they were here to see your behaviour today, they’d be ashamed to say they fought for you.’ He looked at them all in silence for a long moment before continuing. ‘I don’t normally use my Prefect rights to give punishments - you all know me, you know I don’t - but you’ve merited one in this case. Tomorrow evening, at the war memorial in the grounds. You are going to tidy the weeds around it, without magic, and then we are going to talk about the people whose names are on that memorial and the things they stood for. Do I make myself clear?
The group of bullies, now thoroughly abashed, performed variations on the theme of ‘Yes, Teddy’ before slinking away to their various dormitories. Scorpius’ eyes widened as the older boy turned to face him; this must be Teddy Lupin, Harry Potter’s godson and the most popular prefect in the school. There was no anger in his eyes now, though, and his smile was kind as he approached the three boys.
‘Good job, you two. You okay, Scorpius?’ Scorpius could only nod mutely, feeling a little shaky now that the danger had passed.
‘Good lad. There’s no point worrying about idiots like that. Now, who’s for cocoa? There’s nobody in the Prefects’ common room this evening, so I reckon I can bend the rules for once and let you lot in.’
‘Great! Come on, Albus, Scorpius!’ James set off down the corridor, trying to match Teddy’s long stride, and Scorpius looked over at Albus, amazed at being included this way. He felt his eyes stinging again at the casual kindness the three boys offered him, in sharp contrast to the taunts and stares other students had given him all week, and Albus put a tentative hand on his shoulder.
‘You okay? You’re not upset by that lot, are you?’
Scorpius wiped the sleeve of his robes over his eyes, swallowing hard. ‘I’m okay. Thanks.’ His voice was a bit unsteady, but he took a deep breath and smiled as Albus put an arm around his shoulder and gave him a brief, awkward hug.
‘Come on,’ Albus said with a smile. ‘We don’t want to miss out on Teddy’s cocoa; it’s the best in the world! He puts cinnamon and marshmallows in it.’
Scorpius returned his smile, feeling a little braver now he was surrounded by friendly faces, and by the time they reached the Prefects’ common room, he and Albus were deep in animated conversation about their favourite Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes products. Scorpius was still in peals of giggles at Albus’ impression of Professor Longbottom under the influence of a Tongue Twisting Toffee, when Teddy handed him a steaming mug of cocoa, brimming with melted marshmallows and redolent with sweet spices.
‘Thank you, Teddy.’ Scorpius’ smile was bright as he took the mug, snuggling deep into the sofa cushions. He looked around at his new friends and hesitated before continuing. ‘And thank you for rescuing me, all of you.'
‘That’s no problem.’ James’ voice was fiercely protective. ‘Don’t worry about those stupid bullies. We’ll make sure everyone knows you’re our friend now. They won’t bother you again.’
A rush of warmth flooded through Scorpius at James’ words. He hadn’t expected anyone at Hogwarts to want to be his friend, least of all Harry Potter’s children. His surprise must have shown on his face, because Albus slung an arm around his shoulders and James and Teddy sat forward in their armchairs, smiling at him.
‘We don’t care what your name is or what your dad did in the war.’ James’ voice was earnest as he continued. ‘Our dad says none of that matters any more. Anyway, people judge us for our name too.’
‘My dad was a werewolf,’ Teddy broke in with a lopsided smile. ‘I got some trouble over that at first, but everyone soon forgot about it when I made a few real friends.’
‘Does Mr. Potter really say it doesn’t matter?’ Scorpius’ eyes were wide as he looked around at his friends. His own father had tried to tell him the same thing, but he had never really believed that anyone else thought the same way, let alone the Hero of the Wizarding World.
‘He says if people want to remember anything from the war it should be that you can’t judge people before you know anything about them.’ Sincerity was shining in Albus’ eyes, and he suddenly looked very like the portrait of his father that hung in the Great Hall. ‘He says we should be friends with whoever we want to be friends with, and to ignore what anyone else says. And we want to be friends with you, so there.’ His tone was triumphant as he finished, and Scorpius blushed and smiled as the two older boys burst out laughing.
‘So there, indeed!’ Teddy smiled. ‘But now, if you’ve finished your cocoa, I think it’s bedtime for all of us. We’ve got classes tomorrow, and I don’t want you lot falling asleep in Transfiguration! The Headmistress would never let me hear the end of it. Come on, we’ll walk you back to your dorm.’
The walk back to the Ravenclaw dormitories was more subdued than earlier in the evening. Scorpius and Albus were both sleepy from the warm fire and the cocoa, and their conversation was quiet and punctuated with wide yawns. Still, Scorpius felt completely safe for the first time since arriving at the school, warmed by the presence of his friends around him. Even after they had said their goodnights, and Scorpius was in his pyjamas and tucked up between the sheets, his newfound sense of security stayed with him. He knew now that school could be the magical, fun place he had hoped it would be.
Dreaming of adventures and friendship and laughter, Scorpius drifted into sleep with a smile on his lips.