Taming

Luckily when he awoke, he didn’t remember dreaming. It was nearly supper time. He didn’t want to go down and see any of his friends, but he’d eaten next to nothing for two days. His stomach was loudly protesting. He flipped through his clothes, looking for something suitable to wear. He finally settled on a pair of very ordinary jeans and a plain gray jumper that wasn’t even tight. He wanted to look boring. Penitent.

As he made his way toward the Great Hall, he heard a bit of conversation around the next corner.

“Malfoy, that’s who.” At the sound of his name, he froze to listen. “I’ve heard it from a bunch of people. They all say Malfoy told the headmaster that he didn’t see who attacked him.”

“Hugo, are you sure?” At the name Hugo, Scorpius shuddered. He chanced a tiny peek around the corner and saw the tall girl with the red curls that had gone with Lily after Albus that horrible previous morning.

“I swear it, Rosie. He says he got sucker punched and went down before he could get a look at the person who did it.”

Scorpius put the name together with the tall girl, and realized that this was Rose Weasley. He knew of her, of course, since she was the smartest girl in their year and considered to be a shoe-in for the top marks in their N.E.W.T.s. She must be Hugo’s sister.

“Well, you know what this means. He actually feels guilty for what he did!” She sounded triumphant.

“How do you reason that?”

“Well, you said that he didn’t even put up his hands to defend himself. He let you beat him to a pulp, and then he refused to turn you in for it. He obviously felt he deserved what he got.” It seemed that Rose Weasley’s legendary brain was everything it had been made out to be.

“I’m a lot bigger and tougher than that prat, Rose. He’d have to be suicidal to just let me beat him into the ground.”

“Maybe he was. Albus is pretty wonderful. It’s not really a secret that he’s been in love with Scorpius Malfoy since forever. Lily and I figured it out ages ago. I think Scorpius is used to running with a pretty sophisticated and jaded crowd. I doubt he’s even come in contact with someone like our cousin. Someone pure and unspoiled. Someone who didn’t want anything from Scorpius but affection. Maybe Scorpius got spooked and didn’t know how to deal with someone like Alby. I think most of the people who usually hang around Scorpius do it to get more popular themselves or because he’s rich and goes to the best parties and all that shite.”

“So what are you trying to say?”

Rose sighed. “Honestly, Hugo, you have the emotional range of a teaspoon. I’m saying that I think something special happened. Lily said that Scorpius couldn’t keep his eyes off Alby and he didn’t even try to hide it. I think that just by being his sweet self, Alby touched something tender in Scorpius that no one else has reached before. And it scared the living daylights out of Scorpius who considers himself above such things. So as a defense mechanism, he pushed Alby away and humiliated him. It was much easier to make Alby think that he didn’t care than to have to admit that Alby’s special. And someone he might actually have a chance for an adult relationship with.”

Scorpius realized that tears were pricking his eyelids. Rose Weasley was quite the most clever person he’d ever come across. The undeniable truth of her words shamed him to the core, so much so that he stepped around the corner and said, “Hello, Rose. Hugo.”

Hugo stepped forward. “What did I say about coming near my family?”

Rose put her hand on Hugo’s big arm. “Stifle it. Can we help you with something?” She addressed this to Scorpius.

“I’m afraid that I couldn’t help overhearing you discussing the situation with your cousin. It’s to my deep shame that I’m apparently so transparent, but you’ve obviously earned your spot at the top of our class. I’ve never been psychoanalyzed quite so thoroughly or accurately before, at least not to my knowledge.”

Hugo looked confused, but Rose smiled slightly. “What in the name of Merlin’s most baggy y-fronts are you two swots talking about?” Hugo asked.

“Hugo, sweetie, why don’t you run along? I think Scorpius and I have an understanding now.”

“Well, I’m glad someone’s understanding it. But I don’t like leaving you with him.”

“Honestly, Hugo. What could possibly happen?” Rose asked. Hugo cracked his knuckles.

“Hugo, I promise that if any harm comes to your sister while she’s with me, I’ll take another beating without lifting a finger to stop you. And I won’t say who did it.”

“So, you really didn’t this time?”

“No. What you heard was true.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Well, as your sister put it, I felt that it was more than deserved.”

“Crazy blighter,” Hugo muttered. However, he turned and lumbered off down the hall, leaving Rose with Scorpius.

“Do you know anywhere we can talk privately? Do you know about the Room of Requirement?” Rose asked him. Scorpius flinched. “What?”

“I’m afraid that’s where Albus and I…” he was unable to finish, but Rose understood perfectly.

“Oh, I am sorry.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go there. I can rest assured that it won’t look the same.”

“Was it nice there that night?” she asked gently.

“I should have realized that I was in trouble when I opened the door and the damn Room was filled with candles.”

Rose choked on a giggle. “Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s really not funny at all.”

“It is, a little,” he admitted. “Sodding Room thinks too hard.”

She did laugh softly this time, and she took his elbow as they walked. He wondered why someone like her who was dreadfully smart, obviously caring, and pretty to boot wasn’t someone he’d bothered to talk to before today. She made his so-called friends seem dreadfully shallow and useless, which for the most part, they were.

When they reached the correct area, they walked back and forth three times and opened the door that appeared on the wall. Scorpius braced himself, but the Room had provided a cozy sitting room that bore no resemblance to the last time he’d been there. There was a steaming pot of tea, and Rose offered to pour him a cup. Thankfully, there was also a plate of delicate tea sandwiches, since Scorpius was definitely going to miss supper now. He briefly thought of asking the Room for a bottle of firewhiskey instead of the tea, but he didn’t want Rose to think worse of him, so he accepted the little cup and grabbed a couple of sandwiches.

“So, would you like to tell me what happened? I promise to listen impartially.”

Scorpius nodded, and found that he was actually quite nervous to hear her reaction. “Well, I suppose it starts with my father, who has a very unbending structure of rules about how a Malfoy should behave…”

He talked about his early humiliation and his desire to be the one in a position of power and the double damned Malfoy pride. He talked about his diligent study to become informed on the things to say and do and wear so that he could achieve his meteoric rise to popularity. He talked with devastating frankness about the sheer volume of his past sexual liaisons, which Rose listened to without judgment. Then he spoke with heartbreaking eloquence, leaving out most of the salacious details, about his meeting with, and subsequent deflowering of, Albus Potter. And he spoke with deep, real regret about his actions afterwards, including his altercation with Hugo. Then he told her about the dreams that he’d had in the infirmary and his fear that they were prophetic; that Albus would never forgive him and in fact hated him.

When he finished, there were tear-tracks on his cheeks, although he didn’t remember shedding any tears. Rose gently took his hand. “We’ll make him understand,” she said quietly. “Alby isn’t like you. He doesn’t have such rigid rules, though he does have his pride in his own way. For years he’s loved you. Really loved you. You see, Alby is a shy, sweet person. He doesn’t let many people get close. But as one of the people he is close to, I know what it’s like to have Alby love you. He does it without any restraint. When I’m with him, I don’t feel pressured to be smart or be funny or even be anything. I’m just good enough.”

“I know. That’s how I felt, too. Everyone expects me to be witty and charming and catty and to be this person they can look up to. It sounds so terrible, but I used to say that I was a god to the students of Hogwarts. That I was their king. My ego was literally out of control. But I let the hangers-on keep feeding that ego. And then I met Albus and he didn’t seem to want anything but me. He told me that he’d been in love with me since first year. First year! I was a skinny little nobody then with a dubious family name and no friends to speak of. But he thought I was perfect then. That’s what scared me the most. He didn’t want the King of Hogwarts, he wanted me. No one ever had before him.”

She squeezed his hand. “That’s the real difference. These people you hang out with now tell you that you’re a god, a king, so that you’ll like them and feel good about being with them. To Albus, you are a king. Just you. Just Scorpius. If he tells you that he loves you, it’s not to see what he can get from you. It’s because he just does. And I’m sure he hasn’t stopped loving you. You have to face the facts, though. You broke his heart a little on Saturday morning. I don’t know how much, and I don’t know how much it’s going to take before he can trust you. What are the Malfoy rules on groveling?”

“Never grovel. Never lower yourself. Never let go of the power. Keep the upper hand. Unless of course, you may have just ruined your entire chance at future happiness, and then you wallow like the lowliest worm. Supplicate yourself like the most worthless of slugs. Prostrate yourself like the most humble paramecium…”

Rose was laughing in earnest now. “Stop! I get the picture!”

“Sponge like the most inferior and insignificant bacterium.”

“Okay, okay! No wonder you always have a crowd of admirers. You’re quite hilarious!”

“Well, you’re the first person that I’ve met in a long time who would think that was funny. Most of my ‘admirers’ only want to hear me cut people down to size or shred reputations to ruins. They’re not the types for paramecium humor.”

“Well, perhaps it’s time for some new friends.” He realized that she was offering, and he was unexpectedly touched.

“I think you’re right.” He grabbed her hand back and squeezed it. To his surprise, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. After only a moment’s hesitation, he hugged back. “Okay, Rosie,” he began, calling her by the nickname he’d heard Hugo use. “How are we going to get me in your cousin’s presence long enough for me to supplicate myself properly? I have a feeling that he’s going to beat it in the other direction if he sees me coming.”

“True. But he’d come with me somewhere if I asked him to.”

“I couldn’t ask that. What if he took it out on you when he realized that you’d brought him to me?”

“Well, you might want me there, though. At first, that is. I could act like a buffer. He’s less likely to simply run away if I ask him to stay.”

“I can hardly believe you’re so willing to help me when until a few days ago, I was a complete arsehole who’d never even spoken to you.”

“Well, I’m helping Alby. He loves you and I want him to be happy. I doubt anything would make him happier in the long run than being with you.”

“I’ve finally realized that nothing is going to make me happier, either.”

“And you keep saying such sweet things about my favorite cousin. It’s endearing. And you aren’t an arsehole. At least not anymore, I don’t think.”

“Well, I don’t know how the boy did it, but he looked at me with those big eyes and nothing’s been normal since. First, I have the best shag of my entire life, which is quite a feat, sorry for being indelicate, and then I have the most agonizing depression, coupled with a smashed face. It’s bound to change a man.”

She laughed again. “ALL that shagging you’ve done and my cousin Alby, the complete and utter virgin, is the BEST you’ve ever had? Really?” she teased.

“There’s no way to say this without sounding like the world’s biggest ponce, but there really is all the difference in the world between fucking and making love. That was my only experience with the latter. And I think it’s ruined me for everything and everyone else.”

She sniffled. “I’m so happy for you two! You’re going to be so beautiful together!”

Scorpius smiled wryly at her. “Let’s just worry about getting him to talk to me first.”