Chapter Text
Hermione stares at the young man in front of her.
Her eyes drag down the slope of his nose, his pointy chin. She focuses on the dimple that caves in on his left cheek when he focuses.
He watches her with eyes that seem vaguely… familiar. They’re bright silver, almost iridescent with the whites in his eyes. His hair was a matching shade of inhumane blonde, nearly white. It’s eerie how gorgeous he is.
He sits tall in the purple chair, his long fingers scribbling at a rapid speed. What he’s writing about—she has no clue. His skin is a nice color. A lovely shade of caramel. He must tan nice in the summer. She wonders if he’s married. He must be.
“You’re awfully handsome,” she comments, fibbing with her fingers. Her lips hitch up a bit when she notices his cheeks turn a shade darker.
“Thank you,” he says, his eyes focusing on her again. They’re so hopeful. So full of life. “How are you feeling today, Ms. Granger?”
Granger
The way he says her name tickles something foreign in her brain. But just as fast as it comes, it goes away.
She tugs her cream-colored sweater over her hands, “I’m well. What was your name again, dear?”
Something flashes in his eyes—something she doesn’t notice.
“Scorpius, ma’am,” his voice chokes up.
She reaches for his hand, unexpectedly—she wants to comfort him. “I’m sorry, did I say something to hurt you? Are you okay, dear?”
His fingers tighten around hers, the warmth of his skin spreading around her cold hands. “I’m perfect, M-Ms. Granger.”
She smiles, patting his hand gently, “You have a lovely name, Scorpius. Did your parents name you after the constellation?”
Yes, my father was initially against it. But my mom,” he chokes up again, but he pushes through, “My mom wanted to continue the family tradition.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear. You are a handsome young man. I bet your mother is so proud of you.”
His face tenses, but he breaks out into a smile. His eyes crinkling in the corners, “I hope so, Ms. Granger. She’s a wonderful mother.”
“You speak highly about her,” Hermione hums, patting his hand again before letting go. She leans against the soft couch cushion, “What is it that you do again here, dear?” She glances around the sterile-looking room. “This is…” She scrunches her eyebrows, her fingers trembling slightly. “Where are we again, Scorpius?”
Suddenly, Scorpius is sitting right beside her. She jumps a bit. Her heart was racing. “Where am I?” She shrieks, her skin crawling with the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears. She allows Scorpius to grab her hands, and he squeezes them tightly.
“I’m here,” he breathes into her space. “Look at me,” he begs.
She does, her eyes filling with tears, “Scorpius, what’s happening?”
He touches each one of her fingers, “Tell me what you see about me this close.”
She focuses on him, her eyes peering into his, “You have a little bit of amber in your eyes. You have freckles on your nose. Your lips have a cupid’s bow. You… You…”
Scorpius nods, “I resemble my father the most, but if you take a good look at me, I look like my mother. She is the most extraordinary woman I have ever met. The smartest woman in my life.”
Her heart leaps, “The smartest?”
He nods, his eyes not leaving hers, “Yes.”
“I’d like to meet her one day.”
His bottom lip wobbles, “She’d love you. Take a deep breath in.”
She does. Her insides calming down. She focuses on his breathing. “I feel better now. I’m tired.”
“Healer Ambrose will assist you to your room,” he says. The sudden appearance of an older woman at her side startles her, “She’s nice. Her name is Amy. You like her.”
Amy smiles at her, reaching for her hand. She’s wearing a similar lime green uniform like Scorpius. She has kind brown eyes.
Hermione gently releases Scorpius’s hand and grabs Amy’s. She’s about to walk away, but she stops. She peers up at the young man, who’s already standing, and he watches her intently. “Will you be back tomorrow, dear?”
“Of course,” he rushes out. He bends down to place a gentle kiss on her cheek, “See you tomorrow.”
Hermione smiles, her eyes feeling heavy. She wraps her arms around Amy. She walks slowly to her room.
Scorpius watches her walk away, his heart heavy. He clutches his fists together tightly. The lump in his throat grows at a rapid speed, but he shoves it down. “See you tomorrow, Mom.” He whispers to the empty room.
He grabs his notebook, clutching it to ground him. He glances once more to his mother’s room. He keeps his head down while he walks to his office.
HEAD HEALER
SCORPIUS MALFOY
He closes the door behind him. Not even noticing the woman sitting down on his leather couch. He sits on the chair, sighing deeply. He rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands. It never gets easier. None of this.
“How was she today?”
He jumps. His eyes snap towards the voice. He relaxes when he sees it’s his sister.
It’s his mother. A younger version of her with blonde curls. It’s the same face, same smile, same stubbornness. Same intelligence.
“She’s the same.”
“Did she recognize you today?”
Scorpius can’t speak. His face falls, shaking his head. He covers his eyes with his forearm before a painful sob escapes his mouth.
Lyra jumps. She’s at his side before he can completely break down. She wraps her arms around her older brother, the one who is always the strongest of them all. The one who became a Healer to save their mother. The one who sees her every single day without fail. The one who has never given up on her.
The one who first noticed the curse’s effects on their mother. The one who made the connection that it got worse with each child.
She holds him tightly, letting him have his moment of vulnerability. She rubs his back, comforting him. She runs her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp.
She doesn’t care that he’s getting the front of her Auror robes wet. She doesn’t mind.
“It’s going to be okay,” she says. The empty promise floating around them, her own eyes, her mother's eyes, full of unshed tears. “We’ll get her back, Scorp.”