[ TRIGGERING CHAPTER ]

Students gathered in the Great Hall excitedly as they anticipated the details of just what had happened in the dungeons earlier that morning. Many suspicions had made their way around, ranging anywhere between a student playing a prank to the return of the Death Eaters, so when Professor McGonagall announced that the Ministry and herself had come to terms with what the magical force had been, the four houses were nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement.

"Quiet please," the headmistress began, and all around the Great Hall, silence followed. "After a very thorough and quick investigation between the Ministry, teachers, and myself, I come bearing news as to what new dangers are lurking in the Black Lake."

Another excited whisper filled the room as members of the Ministry appeared through doorways behind the High Table and stood with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic in the lead.

"I turn the attention over to our Minister of Magic, Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt to further the details." McGonagall gestured to the important man and stepped aside so he could take the podium.

The minister gripped the sides of the golden-encrusted podium and tapped his fingers along the corners while the students waited with interest. It seemed as though he were pausing for dramatic effect, waiting for the last straggling students to silence their mouths.

"Hello Hogwarts, my name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, as I'm sure you're aware, and I come before you today to explain the explosion in the Slytherin House's common room and the flooding of the dungeons." He began. "It would seem that during Professor Dumbledore's time as Headmaster, the man never thought to have magical landscapers check the grounds for any kinks in its foundation. Without careful observation, a fissure was able to appear deep within the Black Lake, allowing darkness to seep in and bring with it an interesting sort of creature."

A nervous chatter filled the room. Again, the minister waited for the Hall to silence. When it did, he cleared his throat and began speaking again.

"Due to a detailed description from a fellow student in your class, we were able to determine this creature's type and origin. It would seem what the Black Lake has become infested with is a somewhat vicious, powerful and ancient herd of telekhines, a breed of sea demons that we do not know why they've traveled so far north." There were a bunch of surprised gasps, though most seemed unfazed, as it was just another monster in the lake. Professor McGonagall walked to the podium once more.

"Thank you, Minister. Immediately following breakfast tomorrow morning, we will be welcoming a team from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to locate and remove every demon within the Black Lake, and disposing of the fissure properly. Until they're gone and reparations have been made to the dungeons, the Slytherins will be making the Great Hall their home between meals. Without further ado, allow your meal to commence."

Nobody from the Slytherin table was hungry, however. Other students dug into their meals, but Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter only pushed their food around on their plates. Albus had seen the telekhine, or demon as most knew it, and it had been because of him that the creature had been identified.

"Why are they here?" Albus asked suddenly, and Scorpius stared at his boyfriend curiously. "Why now?"

"What do you mean?" The blond asked, taking the green-eyed boy's hands under the table, rubbing his thumbs over his knuckles lightly.

"Demons, Scorpius. Demons. Evil, nasty little demons here at Hogwarts! Why is it that the bad always seems to follow us Potters around?" The dark-haired boy fretted, ignoring his boyfriend's comforting gestures.

"You mean, like Voldemort." Scorpius stated, a solemn air to his voice.

"Exactly. My dad and his dad were forced to deal with a power-hungry madman, but here I get stuck with a supernatural creature!" Albus continued and Scorpius watched as those around them started to glance their way. The blond held a finger to his lips as a form of silencing him. When Albus didn't calm down, Scorpius stood quickly and pulled the boy from the room, and together they ran down the corridor.

~△⃒⃘~

"Albus, I want you to listen to me," Scorpius began as soon as he'd locked the two of them in the boys lavatory on the fourth floor. "Sure, your father and grandfather had to deal with something bad, but I highly doubt those demons are after you."

"What makes you so sure?" The green-eyed boy asked, a troubled glare in his eyes. Scorpius frowned and sat next to his boyfriend against the cracked wall, ignoring the filth on the lavatory floor.

"Because the minister said that Dumbledore, the old fool, never kept up to date on the security of the Hogwarts grounds." Scorpius claimed, venom dripping as he spoke of the previous headmaster, and Albus' brow furrowed.

"Hey, I was named after that man. Don't speak so ill of him." Albus pouted.

"Your father chose shitty names for all of you, no offense." Scorpius rolled his eyes and Albus punched his shoulder.

"Like your father's name was any better. But anyways, McGonagall has been replacing Dumbledore for years. Surely she would've been up to date on the state of the school."

"Maybe not if she was busy dealing with renovations, as well as hiring secure professors and various other things. She is a very busy woman, after all."

Albus' breathing steadied and Scorpius pondered their discussion. Professor McGonagall had been busy, and though matters should've been taken on the state of the grounds, first the school itself had to be considered great and secure again. With students arriving and leaving every year, records had to be kept and personalities had to be considered. Something as frivolous as a fissure in the Black Lake could easily have been piled beneath layer upon layer of other traumas.

When the two found that the conversation had pretty much ended between them, they decided to make their way back to the Great Hall before curious students came looking for them or worse. When they reached the first floor, however, they heard yelling, and went running at once to the main entrance where Bruno Holden was standing against two Ministry workers, as well as the Headmistress. Behind the adults, a traumatized-looking Rose Granger-Weasley stood, shivering, her robes and underclothes in pieces.

"This is the last straw, Mr. Holden. I hereby decree you are expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and must leave the grounds at once." Professor McGonagall was saying, and Albus wondered how long the two of them had been gone.

When Rose caught sight of the two boys, she ran towards them and enveloped herself around Albus, crying into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and removed his robes to place around her. Scorpius watched the situation in horror.

"You can't expel me, McGonagall!" Bruno sneered and Albus took notice of a nasty scratch across his face, and then the broken nails on Rose's hands.

"Gentlemen, if you'd please." The headmistress claimed, and the two Ministry workers stepped forward to lace their arms through Bruno's and lead him from the building. The older woman turned around to find Albus, Scorpius, and Rose, and sighed. "Ms. Weasley here has been through a lot tonight, and if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could you please take her to Madam Pomfrey? As you've noticed, I have quite a matter to attend to."

The headmistress walked off and Rose continued to sob into Albus' shoulder. She caught sight of Scorpius and glared at him.

"You got your wish, Malfoy."

"What does she mean, Scorpius?" Albus asked confusedly. "What happened?"

Scorpius continued to stand frozen and Rose wrapped Albus' robes securely around herself, bracing against the cold. She kicked her destroyed clothing away, and pursed her lip in resignation. Albus continued to look at his cousin and boyfriend in disbelief.

"What did I miss?" He pleaded and Scorpius gulped before attempting to take his boyfriend's hand. Albus pulled away, continuing to glare at the blond. "What was your wish?"

"I-"

"Scorpius, I swear to Merlin!"

Rose's legs trembled against the cold of the castle. With no help from Scorpius, Albus lifted the girl and began carrying her towards the infirmary. The blond only followed once the green-eyed boy had nearly turned the corner, and stood back as the fifteen-year-old went with his cousin inside the hospital wing.

Scorpius sat outside, putting his head in his hands as memories flooded back to him:

"Good luck finding someone else to back you when prats like Bruno try to get in your pants, because I'll be on the sidelines, encouraging them to not play nicely!"

His own voice rang in his head and he choked as the realization struck him. Sure, things had differed from what the blond had originally insinuated, but still, they fell along the same premises. Rose had been hurt and Scorpius had done nothing - just as he said he would. And it had been Bruno to do it. Scorpius felt as if he would throw up in disgust.

~△⃒⃘~

Rose was propped against a bunch of soft pillows in her bed in the infirmary. Her body was loaded with bruises and her eyes were red from crying. Beside her, Albus held her hand and stared down at their intertwined fingers shamefully.

After Madam Pomfrey had made sure the traumatized girl was comfortable, Rose explained her side of the story, and though she had done something horrible originally, nobody deserved to suffer what she'd been through.

Following his and Scorpius' exodus from the Great Hall, Rose had originally gone after them to see why her cousin was in distress. Then, she encountered Bruno as he was returning from the lavatory on the main floor and he immediately attacked her. He hadn't gotten far, as they were close to the Great Hall and her screams echoed greatly, but while the students were held inside, the headmistress went to investigate and found the young Gryffindor in the state that he saw her now.

Bruno had run off, but the Ministry workers were far quicker than the sixteen-year-old boy, and he was caught and tried easily by the headmistress. He was proven guilty quickly enough, and now faced expulsion while Rose awaited the arrival of her parents. She would not be completing her schooling that year.

"I'm so sorry, Rose."

"No, I should be the one to say sorry, Albus. I've been horrible to you and Scorpius - especially him. I had it coming."

"No, Rose. You did not have this coming. It's horrible! I'll talk to Scorp, but you should not feel like this is your fault. It's Bruno's, if anyone's to be blamed." Albus interjected, disgusted that his cousin believed herself to be so irrelevant and deserving of such a terrible thing.

"But-"

"But nothing. You need rest. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione will be here by morning. Get some sleep." Albus stood and kissed his cousin on her forehead before drawing the privacy curtains closed and made his way from the infirmary.

Outside, Scorpius' head perked at the sight of his boyfriend, but Albus' eyes narrowed. He moved to stand, but the green-eyed Slytherin only walked past him as if he didn't exist. He made a move towards the dungeons, but remembered the current situation within them and instead headed to the Great Hall.

The room was magicked to show Slytherin colors, and numerous cots were lined in rows for various students to sleep. A fireplace had been set where the High Table had once been atop the few steps, and a few plush couches sat in front of them.

Albus chose a cot, and stretched out on it, glaring at the enchanted ceiling above him, and their mocking, faux stars and flickering candles. It was ironic for the sky to be displayed so clearly when his head felt like such a mess.

"Albus!" Scorpius called exasperatedly, running into the Great Hall and sat across from his boyfriend.

"I don't wish to speak to you." Albus snapped, and turned away from the blond. Various housemates around them stared interestedly at the couple.

"Albus, please."

"Scorpius, please. Stop." Albus turned briefly to meet his eyes and then turned onto his side, falling into a dreamless sleep.

~△⃒⃘~

In the morning, things were far from better. As the Slytherins had taken over the Great Hall, they were forced to wake up earlier so the room could be turned back to its original state.

Albus awoke to find Scorpius staring at him with bags under his eyes. He assumed the blond hadn't slept the whole night. If he hadn't been so angry with him, he almost would've been concerned.

"Albus," the blond began, and the green-eyed boy sighed before turning his head attentively to his boyfriend. Their relationship was so new and already it faced serious trouble. "Please listen to me."

"I am." The fifteen-year-old said bitterly as his mind wandered to whether Rose was still in the Hospital Wing or not. Scorpius' grey eyes lit up, and he made his way to Albus' cot quickly before sitting down beside him.

"What I did- what I said, Albus, I was horrible. I was scared, but I was horrible. What happened to Rose, it never should've- Merlin, I'm sorry."

"You're a piece of shit, Scorpius Malfoy." Albus claimed and then took the blond's hand. In spite of how much he hated what his boyfriend had said, it was true that the young Malfoy was not completely to blame. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you."

"I love you too, Albus."

"Let's agree to be done with drama for a while, huh?" Albus asked, a hopeful smile on his face, and the blond nodded, disbelieving of his luck. "We'll check on Rose, make sure she's alright, and we'll be done with it."

"Indeed, let's."