Chapter Text
It was after 11 pm and Scorpius was directing the used wine glasses in the sink, when a loud knock on the door startled him. Had Elsa forgotten something? Opening the door in expectation to see his girlfriend he was surprised it was actually their landlady.
"Good evening Mrs. Dooley, everything alright?"
"Evening Mr. Malfoy, is Mr. Potter home?"
"I'm afraid not. But can I take a message for him?" He offered. "You can take care of that young man here." She pulled a small child into sight, that had been hiding behind her broad back and that Scorpius had not noticed before. The boy was maybe six or seven years old and his small, fearful face was decorated with an black eye as well as a split lip. Scorpius looked at Mrs. Dooley for an explanation, why in Merlins name she would bring a small, battered child to his doorstep at this hour. "He was in the leaky cauldron asking for Mr. Potter" she said with a shrug, "at first I thought he meant Harry Potter, but then he told me the Potter he was looking for had a name starting with A, so I figured it was Albus Potter he wanted to see." Scorpius nodded and got down to his knees to be able to look the boy in the eyes properly. "So I assume you are one of his kids? From the Dumbledore Shelter?" He said softly, trying not to frighten the child, as he clearly looked intimidated by the sight of a stranger. "Why are you here,all alone?" The boy looked at the floor and after a long silence he whispered "I ran away"
"So you ran away in the middle of the night, might have something to do with that black eye of yours?" The boy nodded. "Alright. Let's see, Albus's not here until tomorrow, but we can't have you wandering about the streets on your own, now can we? So come in, we'll figure something out." He stood up again and turned to the Landlady. "Thank you for bringing him up here, I'll handle it from here."
"Good, I'm sure you will. Good night Mr. Malfoy, goodnight Sam." The boy let out a quiet mumble, that fairly resembled a good night."Good night Mrs. Dooley, and thanks again." She only waved her hand while turning around. "So, now come in already", the boy stiffened noticeable when Scorpius put a hand to his small shoulder to guide him in. Scorpius took his hand back. "So your name is Sam?"
"Yes, Samuel Carter, Sir."
"You don't have to call me Sir. Just Scorpius, please." The boy didn't respond. "Come on into the kitchen." Scorpius led the child into the kitchen and gestured him to sit down at the table. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" Sam nodded a bit more enthusiastically than before. He watched with big eyes as Scorpius was tapping the ingredients with his wand, and they mixed themselves together. Scorpius noted the boys bewildered expression, he seemed not very used to magic. Maybe he was a muggelborn, but the fact that he was able to find the leaky cauldron and was asking for Albus qualified him without a doubt as a wizard. "So," Scorpius began, as he placed the mug with the steaming content in front of the boy and seated himself across from him. "Now tell me, how did this happen?" He asked, pointing at Sams face. Sam was figeding uncomfortable on his chair.
"The older kids are mean to me. But Sir, please don't tell them that I told you. I don't wanna be a snitch." He said quietly, eyes fixed at his mug. His left eye nearly was swollen shut. Scorpius had to do something about it.
" It's not squealing if they hurt you like that. Why didn't you tell someone from the staff?"
The boy shrugged. "They are always so busy,they tell us to get along."
Scorpius sighed.
"We are going to talk about that later, now let's see if I can't do anything for your bruises. Wait here." He commanded, afraid that Sam would run off, as soon as he turned his back on him. When he came back, the boy was still there. He placed the pot with the salve on the table.
"This is arnica and moon Carrageen, it will help against the bruising. I'm going to apply it on your injuries, that's ok with you?" Scorpius asked softly, remembering how the boy had stiffened under his touch earlier. Sam nodded hesitantly. Scorpius opened the pot and applied the cream carefully to the eye and the lip.
"Are you anywhere else hurt?"
"My arms hurt."
"Then take off your sweater." Reluctantly the boy took off his zip on jacket. His arms where dotted with little bruises where the older boys had kept him from moving while they beat him up.
"So how did you get here? The shelter is at least 4 miles from here.
"I took the underground."
"The underground at night? Don't you know that it's dangerous? How old are you, by the way?"
"I'm seven, Sir."
"So you are muggelborn, if you know how to use the underground?"
"Yes I am, Sir."
"Didn't I tell you to call me Scorpius?"
"I'm sorry." The boy looked down again and refused to look at Scorpius.
"It's alright, just relax, kid. So tell me, since when do you live in the shelter? Not very long, huh?"
"It's two weeks now."
"Ok, and before that?"
"In another home in London, but it wasn't magic. And before that I lived with my parents. But not anymore." He looked so sad that Scorpius didn't dared to ask more questions, whether his parents where dead or not, he would have to ask Albus about that.
"Ok, I'm trying to reach Albus now. Let's see if there is something on the Telly you could watch in the meantime."
"You have television?" Sam asked in awe.
Scorpius smiled, "yes, we have. I tell you a secret; Albus is crazy about the soaps. But don't tell him that I told you, he thinks it's embarrassing"
He setteled for a documentary on Seagulls as there were no children's programs at this kind of hour. Scorpius prepared the fireplace for a firecall to Albus who was spending the weekend with his girlfriend by the sea. The floo was blocked, but that was not really a surprise to Scorpius. So his only option was to send Albus their owl, but even if their tawny owl was strong, he wouldn't reach the coast before the morning.
"I can't inform Albus about your appearance until tomorrow, so I would suggest you stay here for the night. But I have to inform the shelter that you are here." He told Sam, who was watching him nervously.
Scorpius floocalled the shelter and this time he came through. He had to call out several times, before someone noticed him. The young man in charge jumped, when he saw Scorpius head sitting in the flames.
"Good evening Mr., I am Scorpius Malfoy, I share a flat with Albus Potter who works in this shelter."
The young man nodded in acknowledgment. "He is not here at the moment."
"Yes, I know. I'm calling because, 30 minutes ago a child was brought to our flat, who wanted to see Albus. He ran away from the shelter tonight. His name is Samuel Carter."
"What? He ran away? And he is at your flat?"
"That's what I said. Listen, he was beaten up badly, and claimed that the older boys where doing that to him. What do you know about that?"
"Nothing, that's the first time I hear something like this. Sam has not settled in yet. Just send him through the floo, I'll take care of it."
"I will certainly not send him through the floo. You haven't even noticed that he was gone. He took the underground to get here. Do you now how dangerous that is, that late at night, for such a young child? And you haven't noticed that he was tormented by the older boys. So no, I'm not sending him trough and expose him to your carelessness! He stays here, until Albus is back and you find a solution to your lack of security." Scorpius had talked himself into a rage.
"But Sir..." The other man tried to interrupt but Scorpius didn't let him, with a last angry glare he ended the call.
Sam looked at him with a fearful expression.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at them." He reassured the child.
"Now time for bed. You can sleep in Albus room, the bed is much more comfortable than the couch. Are you hungry?"
Sam shook his head.
"Well then, follow me."
Silently Sam followed Scorpius trough the flat, and only nodded when Scorpius showed him the bathroom. In Albus room, Scorpius changed the sheets with a flick of his wand and shrinked one of Albus pajamas to fit the small boy. Then he gave him a toothbrush and transfigured a stool he could stand on to reach the washbasin.
"You're all good here?"
The boy nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. When Scorpius reached out to tousle through his hair, Sam shied away. Scorpius hand hung mid air.
"It's ok, Sammy, I'm not going to hurt you. Now go to sleep, and call me if you need something, I'm in the room just next door. Good night."
"Good night Sir, and thank you." This came out just above a whisper.
Scorpius let the lights on, so the boy would find his way into the bathroom if he needed to.