I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THAT SERIES BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING!

-Chapter Eight-

Neville Longbottom walked up to the Malfoy Manor. He went through the gates and up to the front door. He had already taken Scorpius, Albus, Alice, Rose, and Hugo back to the castle and they were asleep. He also told Hagrid about Hermione’s progress.

Now it was nine at night. It was already dark and there were barely any lights on at the manor, but that didn’t stop Neville from going up to the front door and knocking at the door. He noticed that there wasn’t any sound coming from the house either. It was almost like everything in it was dead.

So he jumped when the door opened. He stood up straighter and he saw Draco Malfoy open the door. To this day Neville still hadn’t forgiven Draco for everything that happened when they went to Hogwarts, but he started to respect Draco more after the Battle Of Hogwarts and after Scorpius became his friend’s son’s friend. Scorpius was almost like a family friend to him too now. He made the effort to like Draco and he knew that Draco also now respected Neville as well.

Neville was a bit startled by how pale Draco was. He also had a wild look in his eyes and some sweat coming from his forehead. His clothes even looked dirty like he hadn’t changed them in a while.

“Neville? What are you doing here?!” Draco asked shocked.

“Draco. I was just coming to check on you and Astoria.” Neville told him.

Draco put his face in his hands.

“Scorpius isn’t here is he?” he asked.

“No.” Neville promised.

“Good.” Draco said taking his face out of his hands.

“I’m willing to stay here to help you Draco.” Neville said.

Draco stared at him as if he wanted to push Neville out of the country. Draco looked so surprised and shocked, but also worried.

“Neville I don’t need help. If I needed help then I would ask for some. I would get a healer to come here if I needed help, but I don’t.” Draco told him.

“Are you sure? You look like a mess.” Neville commented.

“I don’t need help. I just haven’t had a lot of time to myself. I sleep at night when she does and I stay up all day cleaning after her and taking care of her.” Draco explained.

“Then maybe you should have a night off.” Neville said.

Draco shook his head.

“Neville I don’t need your help. I have to go to make sure that she is okay.” Draco said and he began to shut the door, but Neville held the door open with his hand.

“Draco. You need help. I can see it in your eyes.” Neville told him.

“I’m asking you to leave Neville. I don’t have time for this. I’m asking nicely. Leave.” Draco warned.

“Where is Astoria anyway?” Neville ignored Draco’s request.

“It’s past nine! She’s sleeping. I told you to leave Neville. Leave.” Draco said.

Neville looked over Draco again.

“Are you sure that you don’t need any help?” Neville asked.

“I’m telling you for the last time Neville. I want you to leave and I don’t need your help. I am taking care of Astoria myself until things get worst.” Draco told him coldly.

After a couple of seconds, Neville nodded and he turned around. He knew that Draco was watching him to make sure that Neville did in fact leave the property. He was down the road a little when he finally heard the door closed. Neville couldn’t help but feel something in his stomach tighten. There was something more to what Draco was saying. Whether Draco was ignorant and didn’t want to get help for Astoria or that something even worst happened to Astoria. Something just wasn’t right.

*

Albus walked out of his room and to the Great Hall. It was the morning before his first OWL. As nervous as Albus was he went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Scorpius was still getting ready and he told Albus to go in without him.

As he entered the Great Hall he noticed that it was barely full. Looking around he saw that Hugo was already down here and so was Lily. Sighing with annoyance Albus began walking over to the Slytherin table. For once Lily was alone. She was reading a book and Albus guessed that she was studying. Though he didn’t want to talk to his sister his parents asked him to.

“Lils?” Albus asked as he came up to her.

Some of the other Slytherins stared at them. Lily looked up at him.

“What?” Lily asked him.

“Mom and dad want to know why you haven’t answered their letters.” I told her.

She gave me a strange look as if I was an alien. She looked around as if she was waiting for James and our parents to come and gang up on her as well. When she saw that it was just us she stared at me.

“I haven’t been getting any letters. I have no idea what you are talking about.” Lily told him.

“Oh quit the act Lily.” Albus snapped.

“I’m not kidding you!” Lily told him coldly, “I haven’t gotten letters from our parents for years!”

Startled Albus moved his head a little. Lily stared at him and she raised her eyebrows. She closed her book and stood up so that she was facing him. Albus stared down at her.

“So what you came here to yell at me when you didn’t investigate things yourself?” Lily asked.

“Mom and dad asked me to talk to you because you haven’t been answering their letters.” Albus said.

“Well I haven’t been answering them because I haven’t been receiving them. Ask our parents if they have the right address.” Lily said.

“How do I know that you aren’t lying?” Albus asked.

“You don’t. You’ve never trusted me in the first place so I guess that you don’t have a reason to now.” Lily shrugged.

“You are so full of it.” Albus told her harshly.

“I’m full of it?! You and the rest of the family think of themselves as high like royalty because they are all from Gryffindor. So what if Rose is in Ravenclaw. At least she wasn’t a Slytherin like me so she still can hold her head high in the family. Our family has always had their differences with Slytherin and I’m one so what’s the difference between me and some other? Our parents don’t see it. I’m a big disappointment to them. You think I’m full of. They think low of me because of what house I was in.” Lily told him and she then walked away.

Albus stared after her and

“They wouldn’t need to send you letters if you came home once in a while.” Albus called after her.

She stopped and stared back at him.

“Why? It’s not like I have a place there anymore. I know that your stupid friend moved into my room. Besides what’s a Slytherin supposed to do with a Gryffindor family anyway?” Lily snarled at him.

“It’s not our fault that you left the house.” Albus called to her.

“Oh bite me!” Lily growled.

Albus stared at his sister as she then turned around and finished her walk out of the Great Hall. After a little Albus went back to his table and he sat by Hugo. Hugo stared back at Lily and told Albus, “You have to admit that your parents were really harsh on her.”

“Yes but they’ve tried to apologize and she won’t hear it.” Albus said.

“She’ll come around. She can’t stay mad forever.” Hugo said.

“You’ve met Lily. You know how stubborn she can be.” Albus said.

Hugo shrugged his shoulders. Albus sat down a little bit away from his cousin and soon Alice came to sit beside him with Scorpius beside her, his notepad and quill in his hand.

“Hey. What did you say to Lily? She spat on me.” Alice said and Scorpius gave him a weird look.

“Oh great. I’m so sorry Alice. I just asked her why she never answers my parents letters. Her excuse is that she hasn’t been getting them at all. Then I told her that she should come home once in a while and she mentioned you Alice since you were in her room and everything.” Albus explained.

“Oh. Well. Maybe I should go live on your couch again.” Alice considered.

“No. If no one is using it then you might as well take it.” Albus said.

“Well if I move out then maybe Lily will move in.” Alice said.

“She does have a point.” Scorpius agreed.

“I don’t know.” Albus said.

Alice sighed and said, “I better go. I have my cares of magical creatures test today and I need a really good mark. I’m going to get my things. I’ll see you all tonight okay?”

“Good luck.” Albus and Scorpius told her as she got up.

As Alice left the room Albus looked at Scorpius. He watched his friend take a piece of toast and after taking a bite Albus asked him after a minute of silence between the two of them. He cleared his throat and stared at Scorpius and asked him in a straight face and voice, “so when were you going to tell me that you liked Rose?”

Albus kept a straight face as Scorpius began to choke on his piece of toast. After he swallowed it he eyed Albus before he looked his over once. Albus smiled and chased after Scorpius after he jumped out of his seat and ran out of the Great Hall. As Albus chased after him they passed Rose and she gave them a weird look and Scorpius ran through the castle.