The Dove; Distressed

January 2023

Scorpius leaned back against the side of the tub. The color of the water should have been brown with all the different colors mixed into it, but oddly enough, the Prefects' bath water was a swirl of colors, like when oil is seen in a pool of water and the light hits it just right.

He had a grand bathroom of his own at home, but this was just as good, the only annoying thing about it was-

"Malfoy!" James Potter spat when he seen him.

That.

Potter was no prefect, the only reason he had access to this private room was because he was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Scorpius about groaned aloud when the announcement had been made last week after Alba Norberry stepped down due to her grades decreasing.

Scorpius had gladly volunteered to tutor her, just so she could reclaim the position and he could have this lovely bathroom James Potter free again.

He couldn't say it was Potter free, since Albus had been made prefect of the Slytherin house, but Albus didn't bother him near as much as James did. Albus was a whiny, little mama's boy, who couldn't take a harmless joke. Where James was just an ass, and tried finding any reason he could to report Scorpius and get his prefect badge taken away.

James was jealous.

"Oh, joy." Scorpius drawled sarcastically, leaning his head back and closing his eyes to try and enjoy the rest of his bath.

"I don't know what your game is with my sister, but you better cease it immediently!"

"Merlin, Potter, you're pathetic; we're just friends."

"Friends don't kiss each other." James muttered.

Oh... that.

He had forgotten about that. His lips formed a smile. The kiss hadn't been that fabulous, but the thought of Big Brother catching them doing it made it well worth it.

She had done it as a hasty thank you for helping her with a Transfiguration spell. Turning ice from water wasn't easy with transfiguration. Scorpius never understood the point in that spell anyway. A simple freezing charm was much more effective. Nonetheless, fifth years couldn't pass the grade without the 'simple' transfiguration spell.

"Bastard." James muttered above him. "I oughta punch you in the face!"

Scorpius remained in the tub, not even flinching at the threat. "You worry about the wrong one, Potter, Lily can take care of herself."

"What are you talking about?! No one would ever hurt Grace!"

"You should pay attention more then."

"There are seven of us watching out for her." He said. Scorpius already knew that though. The lot of them were useless. How could seven people 'assigned' to watch over one young teenage girl be so fucking stupid not to notice her growing popularity among a lot of sex craved young men? Her innocent acts of justice alone was enough to make the boys' peckers rise in their pants.

Scorpius had just today broke up a fight between two Hufflepuff boys who had 'dibs' on her to ask her out.

Neither were good enough for her.

Even the Slytherin boys were starting to look, although, they were much more discreet about it, knowing that a Slytherin shouldn't be caught dead with a Hufflepuff. None of them had even caught the Goyle boy staring at her anytime that he had the chance. And Zachary Goyle was known to use a girl and throw her away, but not without making her feel like complete rubbish first.

Scorpius was sure it wasn't only because of her popularity and name though. Grace was a nice girl, and would later make a fine wife to a lucky man. She was starting mold into beauty, he had noticed that, but Grace was off limits to him. As it was, they were pushing this whole friendship thing to on a thin wire. He had to pretty much threaten his father and say he would denounce the Malfoy name if he didn't approve of his friendship to Grace Potter.

Grace was different. Grace cared about him. She was the first person outside of his blood to stand up for him.

No, he didn't need her to do it of course, but it was the thought that counted, and when he realized how much this mentally tortured James, the one person he could say he truly hated, he knew what power he had. And like hell he wasn't going to use it.

"All of you are fairly useless." Scorpius said, scrubbing his head with a special potion that would ensure his hair's sleekness.

James kicked at his head, but Scorpius was able to duck out of the way. "That's a bloody cowardly move, Potter; attacking a naked guy in a tub."

"Everyone is blind to your acts, but I'll prove it to them. I'll prove it to them all!"

"Yes, you do that." Scorpius replied lazily.

"Levicorpus." James muttered, sending Scorpius in the air, and dangling him upside down.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at the seventh year before him. He crossed his bubble covered arms over his chest. "Put me down, Potter." He said coolly.

James smirked. "The boys' time stamp is just almost up. The girls will be in here shortly." With that, James turned and walked out of the bathroom, pleased with himself.

"Shit..." Scorpius muttered. He could get in big trouble for being in the bathroom during the girls' alloted time. That was all that would be needed to take his prefect badge away.

* * *

Dove didn't acknowledge much of what went on the next few months, only that her family of many kept annoying her with their begging requests on swallowing several disgusting potions every day.

She didn't want to go on. She didn't want to go to sleep, because she would have nightmares that she couldn't run from.

She didn't want to be awake, and have her mind play the gory moments of her life over and over, which was all that it seemed capable of anymore.

She was sick of everyone in her life. They either wanted death or gore, and she was tired of it. She didn't understand how people could be so cruel. She had just recently came to the conclusion that she couldn't stop any of it.

She was a waste of space. Her existence in this word was meaningless. If she couldn't stop war, there was no reason for her to even be here.

If it wasn't for the baby...

If she hadn't had felt it kick a couple months ago, she would have ran away and ended it all. The only thing that kept her breathing was the tiny movements against her made by a tiny limb of the baby stretching.

Each day it got more demanding as it grew more cramped inside her body. Dove would spend hours waiting for the baby to begin its exercise. Sometimes, she would even try getting it to start by poking her belly, and speaking to it. The baby wouldn't always answer back, but when she saw her stomach occasionally bulge out, she could not help smiling.

She couldn't take away her life. Not with this new responsibility bestowed onto her. She had to stick around and see the baby grow. See it go to school, get married, and have children of its own.