The Flower and the Snake

Scorpious shook his head furiously. "He's got enough to worry about." he insisted. "Besides, he's around Grandpa Lucius all the time, by now he might even be under his thumb for all I know." he frowned. "He'll demand I come home and try to settle thigns without bring more attention to the family, I know how he works."

Hermione bit her lip, not sure if she should listen or not. Scorpius did have a point. They could be playing straight into Lucius’s hands by contacting Draco, though now she was worried about the man as well. She had struck up a sort of friendship with him, and didn’t want him hurt.

“I have to think Scorpius. Listen, go to bed and rest. We’ll talk about this more another time. If you receive any letters do not touch them do you understand me?” When he nodded and got up to leave she added, “And I expect you to be honest with her Scorpius. Don’t make me be the one to tell her everything. She has a right to know before you tell the rest of us.”

Scorpious nodded, frowning. he had calmed down now that he had told her everything, though the numbing charm was wearing off on his eye, and damn it was beginning to sting.

"... sorry to bring all of this into your home during the holidays Mrs. Weasly." he said.

“Don’t be. I would rather know about this then be left in the dark. You came to the right place Scorpius. I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to you.” With that said she turned back to her the letters he had given her and began to peruse them with her wand, muttering things under her breath as she examined them. Harry would be far better at this she thought, knowing that he would have to know about this soon. ‘What a mess.’ she thought to herself, holding her head in her hands much like Rose had earlier.

While they had been talking Rose had laid in the bed waiting for him to come back, unable to find sleep. Something wasn’t right, she knew that much.

Scorpious got back up to the room, his eye-patch in his hand as opposed to being on his face, frowning as he tossed it onto his trunk.

He looked exhausted again, his usualy handsome and bright face dull and down with sleep deprivation. still, he looked good.... just beat. "Hey..." he said seeing rose was still up.

“Hey.” She said, sitting up. He looked horrible, like the life had been sucked out of him or something. She of course didn’t miss the new gauze with blood on it, or the fact he looked so defeated. She got up quickly and went over to him, pulling him down onto the bed to sit.

“What happened?” She asked, concern lacing her voice.

"never got to see yoru grandmother... You mom stoped me on the stairs. My grandfather wrote, signed the letter Draco." he said rubbing his face, exhausted. "Put a willing curse on me through the paper... I kind of had an epiphinay when you mom lifted it. the eye they implanted," he just then realisedhe never told ehr about it, "was suposed to take to my optic nerve and act as a replacement. well... My grandfather paied for it, and I figured out he was able to see what I see through it..." he frowned. "removed the eye, your mother destroyed it. I told he everything that's going on, and she said to tell you everything."

“Tell me everything?” She said, confused. She had figured there was some things that he had kept from her but how much? Looking at him and what he had already gone through this night she decided it was best to stop the conversation before it went any further. Holding up her finger to his lips, she stopped him before he could say anything more.

“Sleep Scorpius. Anything you need to tell me you can tell me in the morning. Just rest.” She said, pulling him down on the bed beside her. For once she held him, comforting him the best way she could.

Scorpious blinked before closing his eyes, getting lost in her smell as he drifted off into a sleep. It wasn't very restful, though it was better than what he had been averaging.

When he woke up the next day, it was almost noon.

Rose had stayed silent as he had fallen asleep. She conjured a blanket for them with her wand and stroked his hair. Her mind was in overdrive however, and it took her quite a while before she could fall asleep herself.

The next morning she woke much earlier than Scorpius, though she remained still until he woke up himself. She got the feeling he hadn’t slept in quite some time. It was alright though since she had plenty of time to think, and there was quite a lot of things to think about. When she felt him move she smiled, stroking his hair again.

“Awake sleepy head?”

"Mmm..." he mumbled, burring his face into his arm. "Do I have to be?" he asked, still tired. He opened his eye and looked back at her, before rolling over onto his back to see her. "Morning gorgeous..." he stifled a yawn, his bed tossed hair coverign the majority of his face.

“Morning to you too.” She said, giggling lightly at how adorably cute he looked with bed tossed hair and half awake.

“Though I do think it’s time you got up. It’s nearly noon. I would’ve thought you hadn’t slept in days. You were like a rock.”

"two wednesdays ago was the last time I slept..." he mumbled sitting up as he rubbed his eye. "And I was woken up by a rather unpleasant curse."

“What?!” She said sitting up so quickly she gave herself a headache. Grabbing her head for moment, she paused before turning to him. Without thinking about it she jumped him, straddling his waist and holding him down so he couldn’t escape her.

“Tell me. Everything. Now.” She growled, her eyes darkened.

He sighed, then began to explain everything. Including the letters and how his house mates woudl hex him in his sleep.

"So I've been using the sleep in a bottle potion..." he held up a hand showing her the slight tremor that still remained. "Aisde effects of long time use include shakes, jitters, panic attacks, slurred speech and shorter lasting effects..." he listed off.

“You idiot.” Rose said quietly, trying to process everything that she had just heard. All this time he had been in danger, living in fear, and she could have done something. It was infuriating, and it was terrifying.

“Did it ever occur to you, that you could have stayed with me. In my…private room. Where they couldn‘t get you?” She said slowly, refusing to move off of him. One of her hands was splayed across his chest, feeling his heart beat through her palm. She had to reassure herself that it was still beating. To think of all the times he had nearly died, the extra threats against him, how she had no clue it was happening.

"And impose?" he opened his gray eye. "Besides, it woudl have only made things worse.... I kiss you in public and people went nutts.... if I was sleeping in the same room as you we might not even be talking about this right now."

Rose sighed. She was frustrated, angry, scared, and most importantly she didn’t want to accept that he was right. She got up and went to her bag, not saying a word. Once again she couldn’t help but like this was partly her fault. If he wasn’t with her then he wouldn’t have been attacked like that. Wouldn’t be threatened and cursed.

She grabbed a change of clothes, and stood up, starting to make her way to the door, her mind racing as she fought back the emotions that were raging against the walls she was so desperatly trying to put up.

Scorpious picked up his wand. "Accio Rose..." he said, putting his arms out as she was pulls over to him. he caught her in an embrace, burying his face into her neck. "I love you." he said softly, dropping his wand.

"I promise from now on to tell yo everything... As long as you tell me everything." he kissed her neck lightly. 'Don't walk away when your upset... Talk to me."

She froze in his arms, the words that came out of his mouth so easily causing her heart to skip a beat. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to respond. But his last words stuck in her mind, and gave her something to respond to.

“You have no idea how much you mean to me.” She said quietly, tracing his hand with her own. “How worried I am about you. How much I want to kill your grandfather right now.”

She turned in his arms and looked at him, her eyes boring into his. “To find out you didn’t trust me enough to tell me this, it hurts. It bothers me. You could have died and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to help you.”

She hugged him then, placing her head on his shoulder. “I love you stupid, and…you don’t trust me….”

'I do trust you." Scorpious said kissing her neck again. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be here right now..." he kissed her collar bone. "I just... Need to learn how to trust more. You're really the first person Ive ever consoled in."

He pulled back, to look at her. "I didn't want to worry you needlessly."

“So I can instead worry about what you’re not telling me?” Rose said, forcing the words out. His kisses were starting to make it hard for her to think straight. When he pulled back she felt a mixture of disappointment and relief that now she could argue with him properly. She had a strong feeling that he had no idea how much he affected her.

“Just don’t hide things from me okay? My mind jumps to conclusions and I’m not stupid. I know when something’s up.”

"Yes Ma'am." he said. When she didnt continue speaking he kissed her lips, moving down her neck. He was kind enough not to leave any embarrassing hickys in his wake.

Rose couldn’t help it. She gasped when his lips touched her neck, the feeling rather nicer than she would like to admit. Taking her hands she pulled his face away from her neck and brought his lips to hers again, biting his bottom lip lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, finding herself repositioned so that she was straddling his lap again.

Rose broke the kiss after a few moments and kissed his chin again and moved to his ear placing light kisses along his jaw as she went. Playfully she nipped his earlobe.

Perhaps as they ere begining to get just too far carried away, the door to her room burst open by Hugo. "Mom says lunch will be ready soon." he said.

Scorpious blushed, his hands on Roses hips still as she straddled him. He laughed a bit, either embarrased or frustrated. Either way, he gave Rose one last kiss before sliding out form under her. "Looks like we should get going."