Chapter Text
Scorpius gasped for air as he surfaced within the Great Lake. The cool air against his back felt numbing, but it was the least of his worries. With the thought of Death Eaters and a Voldemort ran world still heavy on his mind, he frantically sifted through the murky water for his best friend.
The sky above him was dark and riddled with clouds that covered the light of the full moon. A murder of crows cawed in the distance, almost sounding just as panic-stricken as he felt.
The water felt like ice against his skin. Choppy waves splashed against his face and dirty water filled his lungs as he breathed it in. His chest burned when he coughed, but he didn't let it deter him from the task of finding Albus within the miles of lake ahead of him.
"Albus!" He heard his voice for the first time back in the present day and it sounded hoarse. It startled him for a moment, but the grasp on his leg didn't let him linger on it for too long. Soon, his head was engulfed in the water as he was pulled underneath. Bubbles escaped passed his lips as he screamed. Whatever had a hold on him was strong, and he was only able to get his head above water for a moment to take a deep breath before he was plunged back under.
He kicked at the alleged attacker and felt the grip on him loosen. He managed to get his ankle free and he resurfaced, wiping the water off of his eyelids so he could see clearly.
A gasp of air was heard from behind him and it startled him. He tensed, knowing it must be whatever was pulling on him just moments ago. He prepared for the worst as he whipped around to locate the source, but instead he encountered just the man he was looking for.
"Albus!" He felt his heart sink with pure relief. An owl hooted above them as if it was cheering them on. I did it, he thought. I brought back Albus.
Without wasting a moment, Scorpius threw himself at his friend, holding him in a tight embrace.
"Woah." Albus chuckled with clear confusion in his voice. "I just saw you like five seconds ago." Scorpius felt Albus' palms against his chest as he attempted to push him away. He only held him tighter in a silent protest.
"No, no. You were gone and—" Scorpius choked, but Albus didn't seem to notice his distress.
"It didn't work, did it. We have to try again. Scorpius, where is the time turner." Albus said, finally being able to wriggle out of his grasp.
Scorpius contemplated for a moment, still on a high from having his best friend back. He didn't think they should mess with time anymore, especially considering what he just came from. A world of pure darkness and terror. He could still feel the coldness of the dementors kiss as it attempted to suck the life out of him. He shuddered at the thought.
"I don't... I don't have it." He lied, hoping Albus wouldn't catch on. He should've known better. He was never great at lying, especially when Albus was on the receiving end of his words.
"You have it. I know you do." Albus stated, swimming closer to him in an attempt to stick his hand inside the pocket of Scorpius' robe.
"No. Back off, Albus. I dropped it, I think. We should probably start diving for it. Yes, that's a great idea. A great one indeed." He trailed off, forcing himself underwater for what he hoped would be the last time. He swam in the direction of the shore, not daring to resurface until his lungs were burning for air.
He knew Albus was quick on his tail once he resurfaced. There were splashes of water that hit Scorpius' face as he began swimming closer.
"Scorpius, give it to me!" Albus screamed, paddling closer to him before Scorpius plunged himself back underwater to stay hidden. It only worked for a short moment before he felt the familiar tug on his ankle again.
Scorpius' lungs felt hot and he let out a panicked scream as Albus pulled him further down into the lake. He needed to resurface immediately. He could already see his vision going fuzzy from the lack of oxygen. The only thing he could do was give in to Albus' wishes.
He blindly reached out and grabbed a handful of robes, tugging them hard as he kicked his legs to remove the hand that was latched around it. Albus followed him up to the surface without much fight and Scorpius didn't know if it was because he also needed air, or if Albus knew he was giving in.
A cough ripped from his throat as he drew in a much needed breath. Water spewed from his lips as he continuously vomited the lake water up. "Was the goal to kill me?" Scorpius asked Albus, who seemed to be in the same state as him.
"That's always my goal." Albus joked through unsteady breaths, using the back of his hand to wipe off the saliva that was dripping out of his mouth.
They waded in the water for several moments as they tried to catch their breath. Scorpius took this time to look at Albus. He was actually there in front of him. He wanted to reach out and touch him in any way that he could to prove that he was real.
There was a light trail of pink that danced across Albus' nose and pooled around his cheeks from the frosted lake. His hair was beginning to curl at the ends as they dripped water onto his forehead. His sharp green eyes were scanning his surroundings and Scorpius found himself wondering what he was thinking about.
"You said I was gone?" Albus asked, breaking the silence. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the heat of Scorpius' heart was almost enough to warm up the entirety of his numb body.
"Yeah. Like never born gone." Scorpius whispered, his head bowing as he remembered the cruel realization of Harry Potter's death in the alternate universe.
"Come here." Albus said gently, swimming closer to him. Scorpius' eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but when Albus stuck his arms out for another hug, he understood. Without much fight, Scorpius gave into the embrace. It was an awkward side hug as they needed their other arm to keep them afloat.
Scorpius' body was so numb that he didn't even realize that Albus' hand was inching down his body until it was too late. His hand was in his pocket and soon the time turner was plucked from his possession. "Albus Severus! No! Don't you think we need a plan!"
Albus pushed Scorpius off of him in a scramble, holding the time turner above his head and out of Scorpius' reach. "We have to do this. We need to bring Cedric back."
Scorpius launched himself at his friend as the contraption in Albus' hand began to glow. The golden light reflected off of the lake water and back onto their faces. The light became so bright that the two boys were blinded for a moment. In the last second, Scorpius' hand collided with Albus' wrist and the world around them began to spin.
He could feel his body shrinking and expanding as he raced through time, clutching onto Albus with an intense grip. His surroundings warped and the seasons changed in rapid succession. One moment the trees were a rainbow of colors and the next the trees were completely bare. The lake grew warmer as the leaves returned to their natural green state, then once more as it froze up again and the leaves fell off. It was winter of 1995. They were back at the second task.
Scorpius opened his eyes and found himself on the stands amongst the crowd of students eagerly cheering on the champions. Albus was still trying to find his balance when Scorpius rounded on him, attemping to grab the time turner out of his hands. "I lost you once to this task, I will not be losing you again."
"We just won't humiliate him this time. Scorpius, trust me. I know what I am doing." Albus reassured and made his way toward the edge of the platform to assess the best method of getting in.
"Do you? Do you really? You seemed to get your Dad killed before." Scorpius scoffed quietly, irritated that Albus wouldn't listen to him. There were people all around, standing shoulder to shoulder with one another. This was the closest they've been to others and he knew it was risky.
"We have to get down there somehow. We have to put him off course." Albus was deep in thought, not paying any mind to Scorpius' anxious pleas. A crowd of Ravenclaw girls cheered next to him as they pushed along.
"If we could just go back, I'm sure we can think of something that's—" Scorpius reached for the time turner once again, but Albus jerked it out of the way, beginning to move to a different area. Scorpius quickly followed in suit, trying not to cause a scene. "Albus, please. Just give it to me."
His pace quickened to follow Albus' stride. They wove around students who were thankfully paying more attention to the lake than them. Albus was getting too close to the edge for Scorpius' liking so he transitioned into a light jog. Albus hurried his pace while looking back, not paying attention to where he was going. Soon enough, his body collided with another student. One who was leaning over the edge to peer into the waters below.
A vision of blonde was seen falling off of the platform and into the lake, and only then did Scorpius realize it was his own father. "You just killed my Dad. Merlin, you just killed my Dad!" He panicked, already kicking off his shoes to jump in after him. Albus clapped two hands against his shoulders and held him back in place. "Let me go!"
Scorpius squirmed uncomfortably under his tight grasp. Cheerful screams turned into horrified ones in the matter of seconds and it was the last thing Scorpius heard before the world around him spun.
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"Give me the time turner! Albus! Give it to me! My Dad!" Scorpius cried as they washed up onto the rocky shore. His vision was blurred as hot tears continued to pour out of his eyes. It was 2020 again.
His father. The only family he had left. Gone in a matter of seconds.
"Scorpius! Scorpius, listen to me." Albus scrambled to his side, enveloping him in a tight hug. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like his throat was closing in on itself. He feverishly clawed at his neck, hoping it would help some air flow into his lungs.
"Time turner!" He choked out, leaning all of his weight against Albus.
"Scorpius, listen! You wouldn't be alive if your dad was dead. He's alive. He's okay. You're okay." The words sunk in and the only logical answer dawned on him.
"I really am Voldemort's son. Everybody. They were right. Voldemort is my dad." He screamed, staring wide eyed back at Albus.
"That's not what that means, and you know it. You're an identical clone of you father. Remember, you have his big nose." Albus tried to joke, but the comedy went right through one ear and out the ear.
"Please, just give me the time turner." He said defeated. Albus began patting himself down in search of it. Scorpius watched as his calm movements turned frantic and the panic began to set in.
"I don't... I don't have it." He said with wide eyes. "Check your pockets. Maybe you took it somehow." Scorpius scrambled to his feet, immediately turning his pockets inside out. They were completely empty.
"Is it in the lake?" Scorpius asked, stepping closer to the shoreline. Cold water lapped at his toes as he looked out into the dark horizon.
"No. It couldn't be. We were on the shore when we got back. It would be here." Scorpius instantly got down on his knees and began sifting through the rocks. He didn't even notice that he cut himself on a particularly sharp one until he saw his own blood dripping from the palm of his hand. Although he felt the fresh wound throbbing, he didn't pay it any mind.
"It would be glowing. We would see it." Albus kneeled down next to Scorpius, taking his wounded hand in his. He quietly spelled the cut closed as Scorpius continued to frantically scan the area with wide eyes.
"Hey, Scorpius. Look at me." Albus reassured, taking his friends healed hand in his. "Let's go back and ask McGonagall if we can contact your dad. It'll ease your mind and then in the morning we can assess the changes of this universe. I'm sure there's an explanation for why the time turner disappeared."
Scorpius nodded, feeling utterly defeated, and let Albus bring him to his feet. If he couldn't find the time turner right in that moment, the next best thing would be to see his dad. He needed to know he was alive.
The walk back to the castle was silent, the only thing breaking the sound every now and then was Scorpius' soft sniffles. He kept trying to tell himself everything would be okay, but his anxious mind continued to reel to the worst possible scenarios. What if he really was Voldemort's son?
No. He couldn't think like that right now. It wouldn't do him any good to dwell on it. If his father was really dead, then it would be time to worry. But Scorpius was alive and well, and he had every reason to believe his father was as well.
They rounded on the stairs and snuck into the castle, hoping they wouldn't be caught by any of the ghosts or poltergeists lurking the halls at night.
Their feet carried them automatically toward the Headmistresses office and right to her door. They didn't have plans on going back into the castle when they first turned back time to the second task, but he's glad Albus made the plan to contact his dad when things took a turn for the worst.
Albus' heavy knock reverberated down the stone hallway and soon McGonagall was at the door, standing there in her nightgown. She looked as though she just woke up.
"What on earth, boys? What are you doing up at this hour?" She asked, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I need to see my dad." Scorpius interrupted McGonagall's nonsensical babbles, not wanting to wait a moment more.
"Surely you can wait until the morning." McGonagall clicked her tongue, already taking a step back and preparing to close the door.
"He had nightmare about him. I tried calming him down, but I'm afraid it was pretty vivid. Headmistress, please. I promise we won't take up much of your time." Albus cut in, stealing a glance with Scorpius. McGonagall looked to be contemplating the idea before stepping back and letting them in.
"Quickly now. Get comfortable on the chairs and I'll floo call your dad. Help yourself to the sweets on the table." She said before hurrying off towards the fireplace.
Scorpius heard her whispering to the fireplace as he tried to steal a glance of the person inside of it. Albus led him to a chair before he could see and he sighed.
"See. He's still alive. I told you he would be." Albus reassured quietly before plopping himself down on the velvet lined chair and grabbing a handful of hard candies.
Scorpius nervously twisted his fingers in his lap, listening to the slurps of Albus sucking on a strawberry flavored sweet. Minutes began feeling like hours and he was getting antsy.
"I don't think he's—" Scorpius was cut off by the roar of the fire, signaling someone was coming through the floo. He quickly twirled around on his heels and made his way over to the fire place.
"Scorpius?" He heard his fathers voice before seeing him. It definitely was his father, but once he got a good look at him, he noticed something was off about his appearance. His hair was short and not tied back in his usual pony tail. He had a slouch to his posture, which was odd. He usually stood with poise, no matter the time of day.
The weirdest part to Scorpius was his father's clothes. He was wearing muggle pajamas instead of his usual nightgowns and robes.
"What are you wearing?" He couldn't help but ask, surveying his outfit once again with a curious eye.
"I came all this way just for you to berate me on my fashion choices, did I?" His dad sarcastically questioned before pulling Scorpius into a bear hug.
Scorpius stood stiffly in his arms, not used to the outward affection his father was showing him. He can't remember the last time he hugged his dad this way. It felt odd, but in a good way.
"You must be really startled to pass up a hug. What happened?" His dad spoke softly, pulling away and looking at his face.
Scorpius noticed the slight stubble that outlined his fathers jaw. It was unusual seeing him in such a state. Evidently, it shocked him so badly that he forgot to answer and he just ended up staring back at him with wide eyes.
"Albus. Albus, what's wrong with him?" His dad desperately asked, turning his attention to Albus who currently had his mouth full of sweets.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy." He crunched on the candy in his mouth as an embarrassing shade of red tickled his cheeks. He awkwardly brushed the back of his neck with his hand and stood up.
Draco gave him an odd look. "Mr. Malfoy." He scoffed under his breathe. "Unbelievable, I tell you." He reached up and ruffled Scorpius' hair. "Why are you all wet?"
"I uh..." Scorpius trailed off, feeling like he was stuck in a trance. What happened to his father?
"He was sweating a lot in his sleep, so I told him to rinse off in the shower quickly." Albus added, walking over to the group and stopping next to Scorpius.
"Is that why you're wet too?" His father chuckled, shaking his head.
"Mr. Malfoy, what they do in their free time isn't of concern to us right now. May I remind you it is the middle of the night." McGonagall reprimanded and Draco shrunk down as if he was a school boy getting told off.
Scorpius stole a confused glance with Albus. What was his father implying? Scorpius was too afraid to ask, so he didn't.
"Tell you what, how about you two come home with me for the weekend. Maybe we all just need a good reset." His dad said while clapping Albus on the back lightly.
"Will Mr. Potter be okay with Albus coming to the Manor?" Scorpius inquired. Harry has never let him step foot in the Manor. Albus said it was because it was 'tainted with the Dark Lord'. Scorpius thought that Albus would be quite fond of exploring the winding corridors with him.
His father looked taken aback. He stared at Scorpius for a long while, trying to read the expression on his face. "Scorp, I didn't say we were going to your Grandmother's estate. And what is with you guys and the formalities. It's Harry. He's always been Harry to you."
Scorpius caught Albus mouthing 'Scorp' in confusion out of the corner of his eye. His father never called him that. That wasn't what was making Scorpius feel disoriented though. It was the talk of the Manor being his Grandmother's home and not his. Where did he live then, if not the Manor?
"Sorry. I don't know why I thought we would be visiting her. My head feels extremely foggy right now." Scorpius made a show of rubbing at his forehead.
His father turned his attention to Professor McGonagall for confirmation. "Is this alright, Headmistress? I'll bring the boys back around supper time on Sunday."
"If it gets you out of my quarters sooner, then it sounds like a lovely idea." She remarked, pursing her lips.
"Alright boys, then it's settled. Go pack your belongings for the weekend and meet me here in ten. Out with you lot." His father spoke, shooing them with his hands towards the door.
After many confused whispers and frantic packing, they found themselves back in the Headmistresses office with a minute to spare.
"After you, Scorpius." Draco insisted, pushing him towards the Floo. He had no idea what address to say considering he's never been to this home before. Frankly, he didn't know it even existed until mere minutes ago.
"I'd feel more comfortable if someone was already there when I arrived. You know, woozy head and all that." He awkwardly laughed, motioning towards his head.
"Very well." His father nodded courtly at him before stepping in front of the green flames. "13 Orchard view!" He shouted, and within a second, he was gone.