Scorpius hadn't meant to sleep by Orion the entire night. And had a nightmare woken him as usual, he wouldn't have. But he always sleeps better beside someone- anyone, it would seem. So he woke just before dawn, blinking to adjust to the blackness of the room. Orion was still asleep, so Scorpius quietly left.

He went back into his room to see that Christine had fallen back asleep on his bed. She opened her eyes as the door opened with a click. "How's the hangover?" He asks, walking over and sitting beside her. She groans, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I figured it would be bad. Lucky for you, I know the cure."

Scorpius takes the next few minutes to get ready for the day. He showers, dresses, and finished his hair and teeth. Kreacher is downstairs as the boy arrives. "Should Kreacher begin breakfast for Master Salazar?" He asks, already retrieving ingredients from the pantry.

"The Potters will need it more than me." Scorpius replies. Kreacher looked like he was about to scorn the guests, his lip curling up slightly at their mention.

"Kreacher will bring food to the dining room." He said. Scorpius looked the house elf up and down, feeling a bit pitying for him.

The potions cabinet was smaller than the one in the Malfoy Manor, but it wasn't a surprise that it had enough ingredients for a hangover potion. Enough that anyone who needed it would be able to have it. Scorpius busied himself, wondering when he became the mom friend. The wine he had yesterday was completely out of his system. Other than being a bit emotionally drained, he felt utterly fine that morning.

Scorpius added the potion to tea, and brought it upstairs for Christine. She looked miserable. "Drink this." He offers, and she sits up to take the cup. "You want to borrow some clothes?"

"No, my Dad would probably flip shit if I came home in your clothes."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Scorpius smirks. She smiles.

"I'll ask Raven. Where'd you sleep?"

"Downstairs." Scorpius lies. He didn't want to have to explain that he was just watching over Orion and nothing happened. Nothing would happen. And he'd rather throw himself from a Hogwarts tower than to admit he was kind enough to make sure the Gryffindor boy wasn't going to die in his sleep or whatever. Even if it was Christine and she knew everything. "Kreacher is making food for everyone."

"I didn't know you had a house elf. I thought the Malfoys shrugged that habit when Astoria married your father."

"They did. She found it barbaric." Scorpius nods, making sure Christine was drinking the tea down. "He was Walburga Black's house elf. Technically he's free to do as he wants, but it seems he can't really leave this place behind." He explains. "I can't really blame him. He watched the Black family grow up in this house."

"It's the sentimental value." Christine yawns. "I get it. Family is important. Even if his is gone, they remain in the house."

"The Black family isn't gone." Scorpius corrects. "Both Orion and I have that blood."

"You're a Malfoy."

"You can't call me a Malfoy and then agree with Albus when he says Orion and I are related." Scorpius's voice had an edge. Christine rolls her eyes.

"You are related."

"I'm going to check on Raven." Scorpius dismisses the conversation, not about to argue with her. He didn't have a headache now, but listening to her righteousness might give him one. Christine frowned as he left the room.

—-

Everyone had gone home by the time Harry Potter arrived. Which was a good thing since he probably wouldn't have been happy anyone knew where they were. 12 Grimmauld Place was meant to be their safe house, in a way. It would be easy for Selwyn to learn they were here. Even easier to come in and kidnap any of them if he wanted too.

Scorpius watched as the Auror appeared at the end of the street. And with him was a woman. Scorpius recognized Narcissa Malfoy from his tall balcony. He sniffed out a cigarette bud, watching as they spoke. Narcissa was expressive with her hands, indicating she was talking about something that made her angry. Usually she was a very refined woman, not using gestures as she spoke.

Harry Potter's posture told Scorpius from a distance that he was heeding her words, even if it annoyed him to be lectured by the older woman. The boy watching from above smiled, rather excited to see his non-grandmother.

Scorpius passed Raven and Michael in the stairway as he headed towards ground floor. "Grandmother is here." He tells his sister. She looked healed from the hangover, thanks to potion magic, and her eyes brightened at his words. She and Narcissa may have not always gotten along, but considering they were running short on family, Raven probably was desperate.

"Fantastic." Michael's sarcasm amused both twins.

The three of them were at the front door as Narcissa opened it. Harry Potter hadn't come up to the house at all, and disapparated from the street as the door opens. Scorpius wondered if that was because Narcissa gave him a tongue lashing. "Oh! My boy!" The old woman beamed, immediately pulling Scorpius in for a hug. Despite the trials she'd gone through, she looked extremely well off.

Her Grey and black hair was drawn up with an old looking accessory, probably a family heirloom. And her modest black dress went down to her calves. Her eyes were sincere and soft, lacking that hard expression she so often carried. As Narcissa pulled away from Scorpius, she then embraced Raven. Probably one of the few hugs they'd ever shared.

Raven's eyes twinkled with unshed tears, and caught Scorpius's gaze over their grandmother's shoulder. She mouthed a silent thank you. Recognizing that it was Scorpius who had guilt tripped Harry into letting her come here. "I'm so glad to see you both in one piece." The older woman plants a kiss on Raven's forehead, and examines the twins. Her smile falls, and a darkness comes into her eyes. "We all need to talk."

At some point Michael had decided to make himself scarce, because he wasn't in the entrance hall as Narcissa called down it. "Kreacher!" Scorpius shouldn't have been surprised at the aura of authority that simple demand exemplified. But he was. As the house elf comes down the hallway at the call, he bows deeply. Narcissa hardly acknowledges his arrival other than giving another order. "Bring tea to the drawing room."

The drawing room was picked up after the Potters and Weasley girl crashed there. And their grandmother took time to marvel at how the house was cleaned up. "Grandmother, what's so urgent that we must talk about it now?" Scorpius asks. She turns from the open window that looked over the street, and moved to sit on a couch. The twins sat on the lounges across the coffee table from her, expectantly waiting.

"It's something I didn't tell the ministry when they found me." Her intense eyes focused on Scorpius in particular. He wished she wouldn't do that; it probably made Raven feel insignificant. "Argulus Selwyn murdered Lucius." There was no pity or hesitation in her voice. There was nothing but sheer will. It was an answer to a question that the twins had been asking for months. Narcissa smoothed her dress with her hands as the house elf left tea and biscuits on the table.

A certain kind of silence fell on the three of them. Other than distant family, they were the last Malfoy's. The ones holding the title of the manor. "I was under the impression Selwyn had turned you to his side." Scorpius tells her. She pours them all tea.

"Side with a fanatic who murdered my husband- your grandfather- right in front of me? No. I let him believe that I had. But I knew after he told me about Daniel that there was no way you'd ever consider joining his little... cult. So when he fully trusted me, and released me, I went straight to Harry Potter." Narcissa gave a hiss of rage. "If I had known he'd do such a piss poor job of everything else..." She trails off, not about to admit that she thinks she made the wrong choice. She knew about Draco then. Scorpius's chest seized, wondering how hard it was for her to hear that news. Did Harry tell her himself?

The man who once told Narcissa that her son was alive all those years ago, came to tell her he was dead?

"There's no hope for Daniel." She caught him off guard. He blinked rapidly, trying to piece together what she could've learned about him during that time considering he was at Hogwarts still. "I know you hope that he will come around, but he will not." She spoke directly to him.

"He doesn't realize Selwyn is using him." Scorpius tries to defend him, holding just a little false hope that maybe she was wrong. That maybe, maybe, Daniel would come around. "Don't worry. I'm not daft enough to go on a mission to save him." He clarifies to her. Narcissa didn't look relieved.

"No matter that. Daniel's magic isn't as potent as yours. The prophecy tells of a boy with a snakes tongue who will change the world." Scorpius shared a look with Raven. "Daniel isn't a parselmouth. You are. Selwyn is hiding the fact that the prophecy isn't about your brother, keeping the wool over his eyes to use him. He believes that he's helping you change the world. Convinced that you'll see reason." She shook her head, like she'd been subjected to Selwyn's insane rambling and his words were still ringing in her head.

"That's ridiculous. It sounds like the prophecy is too vague to make any assumptions about it." Raven chimes in. Narcissa shook her head.

"When the sky meets the sea, the boy with a snakes tongue of a line believed to have withered, shall vacate the world in a new light." She repeated what sounded like the exact words of the prophecy. Scorpius wondered where it had even come from.

"When the sky meets the sea?" Raven repeats. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It sounds like weather, at least that's what Selwyn had said before I left." Narcissa looked at a loss.

"'Vacate the world'? It's talking about death." Scorpius felt a chill go up his spine. This was supposed to be about him? He didn't like the sound of this. "And Selwyn thinks that means-"

"Selwyn is interpreting it the way that best suits him." Narcissa takes a drink of her tea. They sat for a time in silence, thinking and enjoying the company of family. The older woman looked around the room, probably feeling nostalgic being back here. "I understand Harry Potter is putting this into your name." She tells Scorpius, indicating the house. She seemed pleased that it would be going to him.

"I threatened to fight him in court over it." Scorpius's mouth twitched with a ghost of a smile. Narcissa looked proud.

"That's my boy." She stood up. The twins follow her as Narcissa reacquainted herself with the House of Black. She moved through the halls like she was a part of this place, and lead down the hallway. She paused at a bedroom door, and then opened it up after a breath. Scorpius and Raven trailed behind her, watching the way she entered the room and looked around. Scorpius hadn't changed anything in the empty bedrooms other than cleaning them.

"This was Bella's room." She murmured, almost to herself. Narcissa turns and looks at them. "You'd have liked her. And Dromeda." Scorpius ached for her, not even able to imagine the kind of pain he'd suffer if Raven was killed. Of course, Andromeda wasn't dead. She raised her grandson, Teddy Lupin. But she was disowned by the Black Family when she married Ted Tonks- so to Narcissa, she was as good as dead.

Scorpius wondered if Orion would want to meet Andromeda- since technically she was his grandmother too. She probably mourned her daughter Marius, even if they didn't really get on well.

Narcissa walked down the hall again and opened the bedroom door to another room. She looked teary eyed just to be there. She held a hand to her chest, like it gave her strength or comfort. Scorpius and Raven were silent, just letting her have a moment. Scorpius turns towards the stairs as he hears footfalls, and sees Orion walking in their direction.

Narcissa comes out of the room back into the hall, and watched as Orion approached. "Orion Davis. I haven't seen you since you were a lad." She wasn't exactly kind, but her words weren't a sneer either. He shook her hand respectfully, in his other hand he held a balled up piece of fabric. Scorpius recognized it immediately. Narcissa watched as the black haired boy handed the cloak to Scorpius.

"The Potter's owl dropped this off for you." He says simply. Scorpius's hands close on the cloak, and he felt a thrill of excitement. The invisibility cloak. "It's nice to see you again, Narcissa." Orion inclines his head politely to her. The woman was curious about the blanket, but said nothing about it.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother." She tells him. "Marius and I may have had a strained relationship, but she was my niece nonetheless. Selwyn will get whats coming to him." Narcissa had a certain tone of determination about that statement. Scorpius agreed instantly. He looked at the cloak in his hands.

"Yes, he will." Scorpius looked at his sister, who gave him a soft nod. "If you'll excuse me, grandmother, I have some business in Cornwall." He checked his pockets of his coat for his wand, phone, and wallet.

"We do, actually." Raven corrects, Narcissa looked between them and nodded.

"You're leaving now?" Orion seemed surprised.

"Watch out for one another." Narcissa orders, seeming to already know what said business was without having to ask.

Scorpius and Raven walked out of the house a few minutes later. After taking Scorpius's advice, the girl had pulled on her combat boots and green coat. "The invisibility cloak." Raven gestures to the rolled up fabric in Scorpius's hand. He nodded, looking up at the puffy white clouds floating above them in a blue sky. It was too warm for coats, but soon enough they'd be on the coast. Where cool breezes carried across the ocean. "What kind of mischief are we getting into, anyways?"

"We're going to check out this castle. We know Selwyn will be there."

"Should we bring Orion or Michael?" Raven asks as they walk down the sidewalk away from the house.

"No, Michael will be more of a burden than anything else considering our soul bond. If he's there, I have to cover him as well as me if things go sideways. And Orion doesn't think he'd be able to make a kill shot."

"He said that?"

"Well not those exact words but close enough. Besides, after the manor I'm convinced you're a more skilled witch than the lot of them." Scorpius tells her, and watched as Raven beams at the compliment. Some things never change. He extends his hand to her, and apparates them to Cornwall, England.

The village Timworth was occupied by both muggles and wizards. The twins walked though the streets, and Raven points at the sea birds, looking thrilled to be out of the House. Last time Scorpius was at the coast was with Aries when they ditched classes, he recalled her telling him about Delphini then. Confiding in him about the unbreakable vow.

It felt like it's been years since then.

The twins pulled the cloak over them when they left the village to the hills, Scorpius navigated them to the coast. And when the castle rises over the ocean, they stop. "This is the place." He recalled the dark stone from Julian's mind. Goosebumps crawled along his skin. They got as close as they dared, and started to see witches and wizards here and there.

Raven cursed under her breath as they spotted Tiberius and Brutus Nott walking out of the only land-entrance to the abandoned castle. They looked more arrogant than at Hogwarts, which Scorpius didn't think was possible. So their mother, Pansy Parkinson-Nott, had sided with Selwyn. It wasn't that surprising.

The twins watched from under the invisibility cloak as the two Slytherin boys walked to the boulders outside the castle. They sat there, looking around. Probably waiting for someone to arrive. Maybe their mother. Scorpius and Raven couldn't overhear their words from the distance away they were.

"You think Julian came back here?" Raven asks.

"Yes. He probably didn't tell Selwyn that we captured and tortured him." Scorpius looked at her, keeping his voice lowered. His white fingers clenched his wand a little tighter. "My guess is Julian will try to get his kids and wife and flee first chance he gets. Which is definitely the Malfoy way of doing things." Whatever criticism was in his voice, his sister didn't like. "Clearly he's important to Selwyn, so it's probably going to be hard for him to do that." Scorpius goes on. "Right now, I just want to see who's inside."

"Fair enough." Raven gestures, and Scorpius follows her gaze. People were approaching them. They stayed silent. Scorpius recognized them, they had been invited to the party. "Look." Raven was harsh. Aries came over the hill towards them, and stopped maybe ten feet away. She watched as the two other wizards faded away and out of sight. Scorpius held his breath. Aries turned and looked right at them, and he knew she had somehow found them.

"Revelio." The girl's charm pulled the invisibility cloak off of the twins, and it fell to the grass. Immediately they responded, standing side by side and pointing their wands at her. Aries didn't look like she did at the manor. The cool, relaxed, chaotic girl that fought Orion as though he was a flea.

Her makeup was light, and as always, she was dressed like an assassin. Head to toe in black, that hugged her curves. Asymmetrical hair cut like a curtain around her face. Eyes like pits that lead straight to hell. And she didn't even hold her wand at the ready. Considering how fast she could strike, it wasn't exactly like she needed to. "You both are lucky I didn't tell Selwyn I sensed your thought signatures the moment you apparated in Cornwall." She said indifferently. "I suppose I should thank you for not killing me at the manor." Aries's eyes met Scorpius's grey ones.

"I wanted to hear your pathetic excuses before I murdered you." He sneers, nostrils flaring. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he was barely containing that instinctual magic building inside him. If she felt guilty for what she did, it didn't show. She cast her eyes down the hill towards the castle, where the Nott boys had disappeared from, and then back to the twins.

"You know I had no choice." Aries glances at Raven. "Once Selwyn told me to kill Cypress, it was either him or me." Because if she didn't, it would be breaking her unbreakable vow, and she would've died. It wasn't good enough. "I warned you about the manor."

And it was a good thing she did, otherwise they would've killed Michael, and accidentally killed Scorpius in the process. It still wasn't good enough. Her betrayal cut him too deep. Scorpius wanted so desperately to forgive her. He just couldn't find it in his heart to do so.

"I have the good sense to kill you if he doesn't." Raven growls, eyes like steel. Aries met her gaze.

"Look at you, little bird." Aries's characteristic smirk tugs at her lips. "All grown up."

"Shut up." Scorpius silenced her. "I know self-preservation drives you. So give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you."

"I'm not going to." Aries Carrow wasn't going to take an order from him. She wasn't afraid of him. She knew what he could do; she'd seen him at the manor. She'd taught him. She knows he could get into her head now if he wanted too. "If you want to kill me, Sal, then do it." It was a dare. A