Enough

Scorpius Malfoy tried to clear his throat as gently as he could, but it still sent a hot pain running through the sore tissue. He was incredibly thirsty, as the dryness at the back of his mouth kept reminding him, but still he ignored it as best he could. He had already realised that he probably wouldn't be going anywhere soon, it was a very quiet part of Hogwarts and at eleven o'clock at night the likelihood of anyone turning up was slim to none. It had crossed his mind that perhaps a patrolling teacher may happen his way, but that was almost as bad as having to wait until morning. He would probably just get into trouble for being out after curfew. That's what normally happened anyway, if he was found at all that is.

Scorpius breathed deeply for a few moments, then sucked in a long breath and held it. With his teeth clenched, he gathered his feet up under him again, and wrapped his left hand around his right wrist. With as much strength as he could muster at that moment, he tugged at his arm, trying his best to ignore the searing pain as he did it. After ten seconds of effort, he felt his skin tear slightly and the new jolt of pain through his arm made him cry out slightly and lose his hold, falling back down onto his knees. Scorpius couldn't help giving another cry, this time of rage as well as pain as he stared through only one eye up at his right arm above his head, still stuck fast to the stone wall and now bleeding from his attempts to free himself. Scorpius looked over to where his wand lay only a few feet from him, but still out of reach. He had thrown it over there himself, praying that it was not found and snapped. He didn't want his parents to have to get him a new one; he had already owned five wands already.

Scorpius willed himself not to, but he just couldn't help the tears that began to form behind his eyes. It wasn't the pain of his arm that caused the tears, Scorpius Malfoy was quite used to pain at this point. It was the whole situation he was in, a situation that he found himself getting into far too much while at Hogwarts.

He never went back to his dorm in Gryffindor tower (yes, he was a Gryffindor) before dark, he liked to try and venture up there when the school was at its quietest. He would always leave early in the morning for the same reason. But some nights people were still around, some nights he wasn't lucky enough to get back undisturbed. Tonight had been one of those nights.

Its not like Scorpius tried to bother anyone, he kept to himself as best he could and never got in people's way. But some students at Hogwarts found his mere presence at the school to be an insult. Some students whispered and called him awful names behind his back, some to his face. And some students, well, they liked to form groups, and then they liked to find Scorpius when he was alone, with no way to defend himself. Maybe they wouldn't be so hard on him, except Scorpius had an awful habit of refusing to stand down. Its only then that they hurt him…kicks, punches, hexes, and one of their favourite choices at the moment, as this group had chosen to do tonight, was to find someway to get him stuck fast to a wall.

And so it was that Scorpius was to spend this particular night with his eye black and swollen shut, his lip bleeding, his body bruised and his right arm melted to the stone above him. Scorpius almost wished a teacher would happen across him, because at least he would be allowed a comfy bed in the hospital wing before they punished him for being out at night. Trying to explain what had really happened would fail as always, it was a large group of students against only him, and their story would be believed every time. Scorpius had stopped trying to explain himself by the end of his first year. He was a fifth year now, and nothing had changed.

Scorpius tried so hard not to complain and to not get angry. In fact he tried his best to pretend it didn't happen. He knew how much it would kill his father to know that Scorpius suffered; he would blame himself for it, blame himself because it was his and his own father's actions during the Second War that made all the students at Hogwarts dislike him. But Scorpius wouldn't allow his father to feel the pain he did every day, from students who knew nothing about him or his family or his life. It didn't stop them though. And a boy could only take so much before he began to break.

Scorpius knew that too, he knew that he was breaking. Something inside him that had once been so rock-solid had been withering away bit by bit for the five years that he had attended Hogwarts, and there wasn't much left standing anymore. Most days now, he just felt exhausted. He hadn't slept right in so long, he barely ate anything either. His grades slipped one by one. His parents were noticing from his trips home during the breaks, Scorpius was not the same and they knew it. But as much as he cared for his parents, they were still at home, and they couldn't help Scorpius while he was away. Not that he would ever admit anything to them.

Scorpius' world wasn't completely dark; every life had a silver lining, and so did his. His came in the form of his best and only friend, the most unlikely of people, Albus Severus Potter.

Albus and Scorpius had happened across each other quite by chance when they both had been seeking refuge from the domineering school not long into their first year. Scorpius had been running from a group of bullies, while Albus; funnily enough, had been fleeing from a fan club. Both had the same idea to run to the one place no one went to, the Forbidden Forest. They had met there and somehow, they had been secretly meeting each other there ever since. It was their special place, the one place where neither of them had to hide.

But even though they had much more in common than they would have thought was possible, the big difference was obvious. Albus was smothered and whole-heartedly loved by everyone, while Scorpius was ridiculed and loathed. Scorpius had never thought to tell the full extent of what he suffered to Albus. He didn't want to tell anyone, ever.

Scorpius sighed; tears still flowing unguarded down his cheeks. It hurt his bruised eye a little but it hardly mattered to him now. Trying to find some way to sit comfortably on the stone ground, certain he wasn't going anywhere, Scorpius didn't catch the sound at first.

Eventually he did hear it. A noise he hadn't expected to hear for a good many hours. Footsteps.

They were heading his way, and Scorpius could do nothing but wait for who ever was coming to happen across him. He hated himself for it, but he felt relieved that someone, most likely a teacher was going to find him, he would take any punishment if it meant he could sleep in a bed tonight. If it was Mistress McGonagall, perhaps she would go easy on him. If Filch turned up, well, he'd worry about it later.

As he was thinking this, the glare of a lit wand finally made it around the corner. Scorpius who had been sitting in the dark for hours already had to clench his eyes shut against the light. He could see behind his eyelids that the light was growing nearer, and he could hear that the footsteps had gotten quicker, whoever it was had spotted him at last.

"Scorpius?" Came a shocked voice.

Scorpius' eyes snapped open at that voice, then immediately his eyes clenched again as the light from the wand blinded him. He heard the same voice whisper gently and the light from his wand grew dull but did not distinguish completely.

"Scorpius…God…Oh God, Scorp, who did this?"

Finally, Scorpius could open his eyes again without them stinging and he looked up into the emerald eyes of the one person he'd wanted to show up. At the same time, he was the one person Scorpius had never wanted to see him in this state.

"Hey Al," Scorpius croaked, his throat still very sore from the annoying cries he couldn't help making earlier. He tried to smile, but it probably just looked grim what with his lip. He most likely had blood on his teeth too.

Albus fell to his knees beside his best friend, his mouth agape. In one hand he held his lit wand, in his other was a piece of parchment. Scorpius remembered Albus once telling him that it was a map to the whole school given to him by his father, Harry Potter. Scorpius looked at Albus as best he could with his one eye, confusion written on his face.

"How'd you know where I was?" he whispered, cringing at his weak voice.

Albus said nothing, he just held up the piece of parchment he had brought with him, the map. Scorpius didn't really understand, but he was too tired to care.

"Scorp," Albus said, he had to have been really freaking out to call his best friend 'Scorp', "Who the hell did this? You know what forget that, lets sort you out first. Can you get up?"

Scorpius chuckled at that, "I wouldn't still be here if I could."

"No, of course not," Albus answered, feeling stupid for even asking, "Oh hell, what's with your arm?"

Scorpius looked back up at his stuck right arm where the skin had melted to the wall. The spell itself was painless, his arm only hurt from where he had been pulling at it. He imagined it must look terrible to Albus though.

"Don't panic," He whispered as he could see Albus was going very pale, even in the dim light, "I know the counter curse, if you can just get my wand, it's over there," He pointed at where he had chucked it earlier.

Albus turned and was back in a second, holding the wand out and Scorpius took it in his left hand. With a quick incantation and a flick of his wand, Scorpius gritted his teeth as he felt the melted skin of his arm pull back off the wall and into place again. Some of his skin was still torn and bleeding, but he would fix it later.

"Okay, good one, Scorp." Albus said, still sounding very shaky, "Now lets go, we'll get you up to Gryffindor Tower and I'll help you clean up those wounds…"

But it was then that Scorpius felt something he was becoming very accustomed to wash over him. It was a strong sense of hopelessness. Suddenly, the previous thought of a warm comfy bed, meant nothing to him at all. Why should it? What was the point?

"Scorp?" Albus asked, "Come on, mate, it's late and someone will find us soon."

"You go, Al," Scorpius croaked to his friend, "Go back and get some sleep. I'm…too tired…"

Albus stared at him with the same expression he used when he had found him there in the first place, "Scorp, you can't be tired now, we have to get back…"

"But I am tired, Al. I'm really tired." Scorpius muttered, almost too quiet for Albus to hear, "I'm tired…of this…I'm tired of the way people treat me…so tired…"

Albus watched helpless, as his closest friend slid further down the wall he was leant against, it was almost a visual representation of him sliding into himself. Albus was at a loss; he hadn't even known that the bullying had gotten this frighteningly bad until he had found Scorpius here tonight. And he'd only just happened to find him because he had randomly looked at the Marauder's Map before going to bed.

It struck Albus just then. How long had Scorpius been enduring this, putting up with this…abuse, and keeping it from everyone, even him. No wonder he was tired of it all.

It was in that very moment that Albus could see just how ill Scorpius was becoming. He had lost weight, his skin was ashen, his eyes sunk. And suddenly it was terrifying.

Albus felt a burning heat rush through him, boiling in his stomach and overflowing up into his head. Albus Potter did not get angry very often. In fact he'd never known himself to be really angry about anything. But this, this was too much. The state of his best friend and what had drove him into it, tipped something in him that he never expected to feel. This was enough.

"Scorpius, get up," Albus said as firmly as he could.

Scorpius had shut his one eye and had lent away slightly, but Albus' sudden cold voice snapped him out of it. Looking up, he was surprised to see the sudden fire, behind his friend's emerald orbs.

"I said, get up, Scorp," Albus said, using his nickname so that Scorpius knew the anger wasn't directed at him, "We're going to Gryffindor Tower. I'm going to help you with those wounds, and you're going to tell me exactly who did this to you, understand?"

Scorpius was speechless, not that he had much voice left anymore. This was an Albus he had never known before. In the end he just simply nodded, his previous feelings of hopelessness over powered by the burning gaze his friend was giving him.

With help from Albus, Scorpius managed to get back onto his feet, an act that made him realise that one of his ankles was rather badly twisted. However, Albus seemed more than capable of supporting him, even though Scorpius had always been taller and heavier than he was.

The journey was slow and very quiet; Albus was concentrating on his map that Scorpius noticed had moving dots on it. He figured out the power of the map for himself, as well as how Albus had managed to find him. Even though they couldn't move very fast at all, Scorpius was amazed at how quickly the other boy got them back to Gryffindor Tower, through the portrait hole and up to the boys dorms.

Gently, Albus helped Scorpius down onto his own bed before fishing out a wizard's first aid kit from his trunk, his father insisted he kept it with him and for the first time ever, Albus was grateful for it. After spelling a silencing charm around his bed and pulling the curtains closed, Albus sat down next to Scorpius, immediately pulling out a jar full of purplish cream.

"Bruise balm," He said as an explanation to his friend, who was watching intrigued. Albus just began to smear some onto his hands before he said, "Now, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. But you're going to tell me every name of who was there and who had a hand in this, alright?"

Scorpius, still a little stunned at this strange assertive Albus that he had never known before, just nodded his agreement, then winced as Albus reached over and smeared the balm onto his eye.

The next hour consisted of Scorpius croaking out the names of the group that had attacked him that night as best as he could remember as Albus treated his wounds. Albus worked quickly and once he was finished he made sure Scorpius had drunk a strong sleeping potion before he sent his friend to bed.

Scorpius rested under his covers and could quickly feel the strength of the potion taking affect. Just before he nodded off he noticed that Albus wasn't getting ready for bed himself.

"What are you doing…?" Scorpius slurred, trying to stay awake.

"I've got things to do," Albus whispered in the dark, "Go to sleep, I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow…and you will be eating breakfast, I'm making sure of it," Albus smirked.

Scorpius snorted and felt something happen he didn't feel often these days. A genuine smile. Perhaps he should have told Albus about his problems long ago.

He noticed Albus' back leaving the dorms just as he dropped off and slept properly for the first time in weeks.

Scorpius woke up the next morning, with the memories of the previous night flooding back to him. Scorpius could honestly say he felt better than he had done, but he could still feel the pain of something invisible inside him crumbling, why would today be any different to the last five years he had endured. At least his wounds had healed well. Albus had done a good job.

This reminded him that Albus expected to meet him down in the Great Hall for breakfast. He didn't feel hungry at all despite not having eaten properly in a while, but he knew he had to try for his friend.

Walking down to the Hall on his now healed ankle, Scorpius was met with something he had not been expecting. A large group of students were gathering and entering the hall, all gasping and yelling as they went. Scorpius couldn't catch what they were saying.

Squeezing into the Great Hall with the large crowd, Scorpius didn't see at first what was exciting everyone. But then his eyes caught sight of it and his mouth dropped, shocked.

A group of ten students, all from different houses and consisted of seven boys and three girls, were currently yelling and twisting terrifyingly from where they were being held up by their feet on the Great Hall's ceiling. Their ankles were bound by some kind of magical ropes. There was a group of teachers standing below them pointing their wands upwards, but miraculously they had yet to figure out how to undo the bindings.

Scorpius immediately recognised the ten students as those who had attacked him last night.

"I have no idea how to undo those bindings, got the idea from Sirius' unmoveable posters back at my house."

Scorpius turned around to see a sheepish looking Albus Potter sitting at the Gryffindor table, a piece of half eaten toast in his hands. Though looking guilty, he still said firmly to Scorpius, "You said you would eat today," he pointed at the plate of toast in front of him.

Scorpius dropped down into the seat in front of Albus and stared at him with eyes wide, "You did that? How the hell did you get away with that? You could have been expelled. What the hell were you thinking Albus?"

Albus didn't back down, "I was thinking those bastards needed to pay for what they did to you last night. And the very next time it happens, you're going to tell me, aren't you?"

Scorpius looked back over his shoulder where the students were still hanging by their feet, their faces were starting to go an alarming red colour.

Scorpius turned back again, "You're a bit scary when you're mad, you know that?"

Albus looked guilty again, but still grinned, " It's lucky I don't get angry much…"

Scorpius couldn't help grinning back and took a bite out of a slice of toast. He didn't feel whole again, not even close. And he knew he wouldn't for a long time yet, but with Albus being the remarkable friend he was now backing him up, maybe he would make it after all.

Just an angsty one-shot. I always imagined that Scorpius probably suffers from a lot of hate due to his family's part in the war. But Albus will be there to help him. ^^

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