Shell Cottage

They couldn't go home. Not yet. He could only imagine the panic it would bring his mother if they showed up there with a bloody Scorpius, a shocked, white-faced Al, and a brave, free house elf. The first place that popped into his mind was Shell Cottage, his godfather's house. Ginny had always looked up to Bill and Al thought Fleur was one of the sweetest people he had ever had the fortune of meeting. What better place to go to then to Shell Cottage?

They all landed in a heap on the sand outside of the house, tears of relief falling down Al's cheeks as he sat up and looked around. "Scorpius? Scorpius, we're safe," he told his boyfriend, unable to keep the obvious joy from his voice, not like he was trying to. "We made it. We're going to be fine, I promise." He looked down at Scorpius, frowning as he saw the state he was in. They would have to get him inside and fast. "Knobby, Scorpius needs help. We need to get him inside to Bill and Fleur. "Knobby...Knobby?"

Knobby had brought the two boys to safety. He had helped the boy who had helped him. He had done what his own father would have wanted. Dobby had rescued Harry Potter, Al's father, from all that he had heard...but sadly, Knobby never grew up with his father. He never had the chance. He knew it wasn't an awful thing because Dobby had died rescuing a great man. A man who would save everyone. Knobby knew Al was good because he freed Knobby. Knobby knew Scorpius was good because the young master never hurt Knobby. He comforted Knobby after Draco was cruel and after self-beatings. Knobby adored the young master, almost as much as he adored his new friend. The pain in his chest stung more than any beating he'd ever received. He didn't notice the surge of pain until after they had landed on the beach. He tried to remain strong, his small bony hands cling to the knife in his chest. He heard Al say his name and did not have the strength to respond. Eventually, the poor elf could hardly carry himself and he collapsed on the sand.

Al turned around when he heard no reply, only to see the small house elf collapse to the ground with the knife protruding from its chest. He cast Scorpius one last glance before getting up from the sand and running over to Knobby, gently picking the small house elf up in his arms as he removed the dagger. He bit his lip as he held back tears, knowing already that it was too late to save the brave elf. "You were brilliant back there, Knobby," he whispered quietly, suppressing a sob as he looked down at the house elf. It wasn't fair. He had finally been freed of his awful life, only to die saving the only two people that had showed him any kindness. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Please don't die, he thought as he cradled the house elf in his arms, his own heart aching as he watched Knobby grow weaker by the second. "You're a free elf, Knobby. You're free. And you're the bravest elf I've even known." He quickly thought back to what Dobby had said at the manor...about being related to Dobby, the house elf who had saved Al's father. "Your father would have been proud of you."

Knobby's eyelids felt heavy as Al lifted him off the sand. He did not have the strength to lift his hands or move his legs because of the pain that continued to attack him. He was proud to have met Al and glad that he was able to help him. He was happy to have been free, even if it was only for a brief moment, and that he was able to see his young master to safety. Knobby did not have much strength in him and he knew that time was short. He could barely comprehend what Al was saying as he opened his small mouth, his voice breathless and quiet. "Such a beautiful place..." he whispered, seeing the beach from the corner of his eye and hearing the waves collide with the sand, "...to be with friends." Knobby's eyes darted over to Scorpius, but his vision was blurred as he slowly began to lose consciousness. "Knobby..." he paused and arched his neck, the pain spiking, "Knobby is happy to be with his new friend, Albus Potter..." He smiled at Albus and his heart almost leaped from his chest as Al said Dobby would be proud of him. But eventually, Knobby could not hold on and he stared into Al's eyes until the sparkle slowly disappeared from his.

Al's eyes shut as he saw the life leave Knobby's. He continued to hold the lifeless house elf, clutching the small body to his chest as the tears fell freely. "Scorpius," he whispered in a strained tone as he tried to keep from emotionally breaking down. He glanced back at his friend and realized that he needed medical attention, and fast. But he couldn't just leave Knobby here. He needed a proper burial. "Scorpius, I promise you're going to be fine. Bill and Fleur will help us. Everything's going to be fine," he assured his injured friend, although everything was not fine. Knobby was gone, having died an unnecessary death that could have been avoided if it were not for Al's relationship with Scorpius. The only thing that brought Al comfort (Other than the fact that he and Scorpius were now safe) was that maybe it was better this way. Knobby had died a free elf, which was better than him living out his days at the manor as a slave. He had only been free for a brief moment, but he had died bravely. And now it was up to Al to give him the proper burying that he deserved.

Fleur was in the kitchen with a young Dominique sitting at the kitchen table. She was trying her best to prepare something for the child to eat, but the little girl was throwing her silverware on the floor. "Non, Dommie!" Fleur exclaimed in French as she picked up the silverware and set it back on the table. "You need to be'ave yourself. Zis ees not ze be'avior I want you to 'ave at school. You shall not go outside. Zat's your punishment!" Fleur pulled Dominique's seat back and gestured for her to go upstairs. "To your room! Come down when you theenk zat you are ready to be--" Fleur turned her head towards the window as Dominique ran upstairs. She ran over to the window and stared as there seemed to be two young boys on the beach. What could this be? This hadn't happened since...She turned and rushed to the living room and out the front door. She didn't bother putting shoes on as she rushed over to the figures, tripping on parts of the sand. "Excusez-moi! Do you need 'elp?" she paused when she recognized Albus. "Albus?! What are you doeeng 'ere? What 'as 'appened? Quickly, eenside!" She withdrew her wand and levitated Scorpius, glancing from side to side as she took the two of him. "Ees ze elf--....Albus?" She realized he was not ready to speak and took Scorpius inside where she would wait for Al.

Al's eyes briefly glanced over at Fleur as she ran out, relieved that she had seen him from the house. He didn't trust himself to speak yet, and was grateful as she took Scorpius inside, giving him a moment alone with Knobby. As Fleur and Scorpius entered the house, Al gently placed his fingers over the house elf's eyelids, shutting them and smiling sadly to himself. If anyone else had seen the elf, they could have thought he was just sleeping. He sat there in the sand for a few moments, before letting out a shaky sigh and standing up with the house elf still secure in his arms. He walked over to shed near the house and grabbed a shovel, then made his way to the top of the hill where he had been before as a child to mourn over the lost life of a house elf named Dobby. The grave was still there, untouched by anyone who had come across its path. Al placed Knobby down beside it, and then set to work on digging the elf a proper grave, just like his father had done years ago for Dobby. It took a while for him to make it deep enough, but eventually the grave was ready for Knobby, and Al wiped a tear away before picking the elf up and gently lowering Knobby down into his final resting place. He ignored the way his eyes burned up as the tears returned, and said his last goodbyes to Knobby. He picked the shovel back up and filled the grave, a task that was much quicker than the actual digging of the burial. He took a few steps towards the beach in search of something and came back with a small, flat rock. He set it down and used his wand to engrave the words, 'Here lies Knobby, a free elf,' an epitaph to match that of the elf's father's. "Thank you," he said, softly but clearly as he stood over the elf's grave. He wiped away one last tear, then made his way back to the shed to return the shovel and go inside the house to see his godparents and Scorpius.

He let himself in through the front door, wiping his hands off on his jeans to try and rid them of the soil that had gotten there after digging the grave. He figured that he would probably have some explaining to do with Fleur now that she had seen what condition Scorpius was in, along with the dead house elf and the tired, worn out Albus Potter.

Fleur was glad that Dominique had been acting up at the kitchen table because it meant she would not be getting in the way during the process of bring an injured Scorpius up to Louis' room. Victoire would have murdered her if she put a bloody boy in her room, so Fleur did as any mother would do and brought Scorpius to a room where no one would care what happened. She brought her attention to his wounds as she set him in the bed and wiped the blood off his face, his arm, and everywhere else. She started to heal the minor cuts before she realized the rest would have to heal in due time. When she heard the door open, she left Louis' room and stood at the foot of the stairs. "'E will be fine, Albus, but 'e needs 'is rest. I theenk you should tell me what 'as 'appened een ze kitchen and zen you can see 'im. Yes?"

Al let out a soft sigh of relief when he heard Scorpius would be okay, then nodded slowly as he took a seat at the kitchen table. He wanted to go see Scorpius and comfort him, but after everything that had just happened it was only fair that he explained everything to his Godmother. Especially after she had helped tend to Scorpius' wounds. "Thank you," he started out with, even though he knew he would never be able to say that enough to Fleur for helping him right now. He nervously bit his lip as he tried to think of where to begin, deciding that the minor details should probably be covered first. "Well, you should probably know that I'm gay," he told her, his voice surprisingly calm and steady as he spoke. He had always felt inferior to his brother ever since he got sorted into Slytherin, but it wasn't until now that he realized he could be just as brave as any Gryffindor when the situation demanded it. "My friend...The one you just helped. His name is Scorpius and he's sort of my boyfriend now. Scorpius Malfoy," he corrected, remembering that his boyfriend's last name was important to the story. "He invited me to the manor for New Years since his parents were supposed to be out of a party, but they came home early. Scorpius...He's the Malfoy heir, and when his father saw him kissing me he freaked out." He took a deep breath as he told his Godmother this, trying to control the rage surging through his veins as he thought of how Scorpius' own father had treated him. 'Freaked out' was certainly an understatement. "Scorpius' parents had some girl come in. Pansy. His mother took me out of the room and I guess Pansy used that dagger on Scorpius to teach him a lesson. I wanted to help him, I really did. I just didn't know how. And when I saw how scared their house elf looked...Well, I sort of tricked Scorpius' mother into freeing him," he explained, his hand subconsciously moving up to tug at his collar where the tie had once been. The tie that had been buried with Knobby. "The house elf ended up rescuing both of us. But not before Pansy used some sort of slicing charm on Scorpius. And now I don't know what to do," he finally mumbled, wrapping both his arms around himself as he wondered what would become of Scorpius now that he could never go back home. "I didn't want to go home just yet, and this is the first place I thought of."

Fleur led Albus into the kitchen and grabbed a cup from the cupboard, filling it with some water and setting it on the table in front of him before she took her seat across. It had been a little while since Fleur had seen her godson and she certainly never thought they'd meet again like this. She smiled, trying to be as comforting as possible. "Ah, zat ees news, but eet ees not bad news. I am 'appy to 'ear zat you 'ave found someone zat makes you 'appy. Alzoh, I know zat zere are people like ze Malfoys 'oo do not approve of anytheeng zat ees not ze norm in zere family. I sense zat what you and Scorpius were doeeng ees not ze norm and zey decided to be cruel. Bill 'as told me many theengs about zem, but I never would 'ave believed zey would do sometheeng like zis. 'Ow shameful. Zey are ze scum of ze magical world. Eef I could show zem a piece of my mind..." Fleur closed her eyes and calmed her rage, her hand gently shaking against her teacup. "I am sorry you 'ave been through trouble. You are undeserveeng, Albus. You are always welcome 'ere and so ees Scorpius. I theenk you and I can agree zat eet ees best Scorpius does NOT go 'ome. 'E 'as a place 'ere. We 'ave a spare room zat 'e can use...Victoire will be leaving ze 'ouse soon and zen Scorpius can take 'ers. Eet will be better now. Theengs can only go up, yes?" she said happily, reaching a hand over as comfort for Albus. "Dominique ees upstairs. She will be wondereeng why zere 'as been such a fuss. You can go visit Scorpius now and I will talk to 'er. She will want to see you, you know..."

Al smiled, feeling comforted by his Godmother’s words. He would have loved for Scorpius to stay with him at home, but after everything they had been though he figured that this would be the better option. James wasn’t a fan of Scorpius at all, and even though Al knew his brother would know better than to give the Malfoy a hard time after everything that happened, it would be best if Scorpius stayed here for a while. Somewhere calm and quiet where he could relax after everything that had happened back home. “Thank you, Fleur,” he said again, feeling unbelievably grateful for having such an amazing family, especially after seeing how Scorpius’ family had been. He smiled briefly at her, knowing that she was right. They had escaped the Manor and things could only get better from this point. He took her hand in his as she offered it out, finally letting himself relax as it really hit him; they were safe at last. He smiled at the thought of seeing his cousin, Dominique. She had always been a favorite of his, and he loved spending time with her. “I’d like to see her too. I’m sure she’s gotten big since the last time I saw her. And...I'd like seeing Scorpius if that's alright," he said, hoping that his boyfriend hadn't fallen asleep yet after being injured so severely. We haven’t really spoken since…Before his parents arrived.” And he honestly really wanted to see his boyfriend. He knew that Scorpius was fine after having Fleur take care of his wounds, but he needed to see him and make sure everything was alright.

"I don't see why you can't see 'im now. 'E ees resteeng at ze moment, so I can't guarantee 'e'll be as active as you are 'oping, but I do know zat 'e ees 'ealthy and will recover fine. I theenk you know better zen anyone zat ze Weasleys are talented at taking care of uzzer people's children. Your fazzer would know about zat now, wouldn't 'e? Molly was such a great muzzer figure to 'im eef you ask me. I remember meeteeng your dad when 'e was fourteen and 'e was so odd. You look like 'im, you know. I should 'ave known one day you'd be getteeng eento trouble just like 'e did. Zoh, eet's sad zat neizer of you deserve any of eet." Fleur frowned, but it disappeared quickly. "Your Scorpius ees een Louis' room. Eet was the closest to the stairwell, besides Victoire's. I will tell Dominique to keep 'er noise level down so you two will not be disturbed. I will, 'owever, be owleeng your parents to let zem know where you are. Your muzzer and fazzer will be very understanding, just as I 'ave been. Eef you or Scorpius should need anytheeng, I will most likely be down 'ere or een Dominique's room 'elping 'er with schoolwork. Just come find me."

Despite everything that happened, Al felt himself swell with pride at being compared to his father. Though, part of him felt bad knowing that there were other families like the Malfoys, and he felt lucky to be part of such a loving and caring family. The Weasley's had always been there to take care of Harry, and he knew that his own family would always do the same for any friends of theirs. He smiled at Fleur as he stood up from the table, eager to go see his boyfriend and comfort him in any way he could. "Fleur, this is...Everything you've done...I don't know how I could ever thank you enough," he said, his voice tired after the eventful night. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Fleur's waist when she stood up, hugging her briefly before pulling away so that he could go see his boyfriend.

Fleur did a small shrug because it wasn't any trouble. She'd dealt with worse before, far worse. She knew exactly what Albus must be feeling at this moment and she didn't want to give him any trouble. When Bill was injured by Fenrir, she didn't know what the right thing to do was at that moment. All she knew was that she wanted to be there with him to comfort him when he woke up and tell him that she loved him. So, she could only assume that Albus wanted to do the same for Scorpius. "Eet ees no problem, Albus. Zat's what family ees for," she said and gave him a small hug. She watched him leave up the stairs and then summoned some parchment. There was no way in HELL that family was getting away with their malicious behavior. She knew just who to write to as well. It would be an anonymous letter, of course, but it would be sent nonetheless.

Al cast Fleur one last smile, then headed up to Louis' room to find Scorpius. He slowly pushed open the door and peeked his head inside, his face falling as he saw Scorpius on the bed. Sure, he was bandaged up and all, but all those marks were undeserved. Scorpius was punished for having feelings for another boy, and a Potter to make things worse. Al felt slightly guilty at first, but realized that there was no need for that now. They were both safe...and they were together. He walked in, closing the door behind him before he made his way over to the bed, cautiously sitting on the edge of the mattress at Scorpius' side. "Hey," he murmured softly as he gently took his boyfriend's hand in his own, gazing down at Scorpius' tired, pale face as he waited for a response. He brought his other hand up to lightly stroke Scorpius' cheek, the one that had not been marked by the woman his father had called upon to do his dirty work for him.

DAMN I MISSED QUITE A BIT WHEN I WENT TO BED.
I mean, Scorpius is just laying there....so I wasn't needed for it. The Knobby scene though...omg so sad.
I love Fleur. LOVE.
Dominique sounds like an annoying or troublesome child, which is amusing to read <.<

ALRIGHT. Those are my current early morning thoughts. I just need to shower and start up making some homemade soup, then I'll be on to properly write out a post.

Al loves Dom.....andhesecretlywouldloveadaughterofhisownonedaybuthewonttellScorpythatforalongtime

AND YEAH I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO MISS A LOT, BUT SCORP WAS BLEEDING AND STUFF ANYWAY SO FLEUR AND AL GOT CARRIED AWAY XD
Fleur is the best BAMF French mama of all time
OF ALL TIME

Of two things Scorpius was aware of. One, the fading pain from the cuts and two, the fact that he was currently alone in an unfamiliar place. Once he and Al had arrived on that beach, the house elf dying, he had collapsed to the ground and could only watch as Knobby died in Al's arms, himself too weak to try and move closer. In no time at all though, a woman had come and levitated him inside a small cottage, though confusion had completely consumed him. He knew he had nothing to be worried about or fear though, for Al had seemed to recognize her. She was helping him, helping them. It was slightly surprising to have a stranger care for his injuries, for Scorpius had assumed while back at the manor that he was going to have to take care of the wounds himself; that he deserved to suffer with the cuts. Once she had healed some of the marks, she had left him to rest; a peaceful atmosphere that Scorpius had immediately welcomed. After closing his eyes, he had dozed off lightly, his sleep fitful as his dreams were plagued by what had happened. At one point he had heard Al's voice, it seeming to save him from Pansy's dagger in the dream. The warm sensation that gripped his hand alerted him that he was not alone, that someone was definitely with him. Opening his eyes slowly, he was greeted with the site of his boyfriend. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "s'all my fault. Should'a known..." he mumbled.

Al just shook his head and continued holding Scorpius' hand, removing his hand from his boyfriend's face and instead resting it on the bed. "No, it isn't, Scorpius," he replied softly. "How were you supposed to know they'd get home early? Besides, you're the one that got hurt, not me." He frowned as he gently rubbed his thumb along the back of Scorpius' hand, not wanting his boyfriend to feel guilty at all. After everything the two of them had been through, Al didn't want to add the extra weight of Scorpius blaming himself as well. "And none of that matters now anyway. We got out safely and Fleur said you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. Do you need anything?" he asked quietly, wanting to make sure Scorpius was well taken care of now that they were far away from the Manor where both of them could finally relax and be together without having to fear for their lives.

Scorpius just shook his head gently from side to side. "I put you in danger..." he said quietly, still feeling guilty about the whole thing. He had known that his father wouldn't like the situation in the slightest, but he truly hadn't expected things to get so dangerously violent. "I'm fine." His thoughts soon flashed to all of his belongings though, himself realizing that all his belongings were still in the manor. What the hell was he going to do about that? He needed his things for school, yet his father would surely kill him if he showed up or would burn his belongings as soon as he saw them. "All my stuff. My clothes... the homework I had brought home for classes... he's going to ruin it all," he said, letting out a small sigh. "Where are we anyway? That's the part I'm confused about."

Al frowned, not knowing what to tell Scorpius other than what he already knew; that they wouldn't be able to go back to get any of his personal things. "I'm sorry, Scorp. I wish I knew a way to go back there and get everything but..." He trailed off, taking a moment to quietly look around the room. It hadn't really changed much since he had last been here, which had been quite some time ago. "Shell Cottage. It's where my Godparents live. The place I thought about when Knobby said he'd take us anywhere. That was my Godmother, Fleur, who brought you in and cleaned you up." He thought back to how he and Knobby had saved Scorpius, though Al knew he wasn't a hero. Not at all. In fact, none of this would have happened if it weren't for him being at the Manor in the first place. He knew very well that the only true hero was Knobby, which saddened him even more as he thought about the house elf resting next to his father on top of the hill.

"It's fine," he said quietly, knowing that there really wasn't anything that they could do. "Just somehow... before school starts up again... we'll have to go to Diagon Alley," he said, already thinking of all the things he would have to get. It soon clicked when Al mentioned that Fleur was his godmother, for he recalled now that she was a Weasley and part of Al's family. One thing was for sure, he would never ever have one negative thought about the Weasley family. Fleur had done so much and had been so nice to him already, regardless to the fact that he was a Malfoy. "And to think your mum allowed you to come to the my hou- the manor for New Years...she probably trusted me in that it would be fine. I seriously hope that my father doesn't try anything now...I hope he just backs off and lets me go."

"I'm sure she won't blame you, Scorp. My mum knows that you're different. I've told her how you aren't like your family." He hesitated before making his next move, but figured that Scorpius wouldn't mind, seeing as the bed had plenty of room for the both of them. Without letting go of Scorpius' hand, Al pulled his legs up onto the bed and rested his head down on the bed beside Scorpius as they lay side by side, their fingers still intertwined as he closed his eyes. "And we'll have time to get to Diagon Alley- Once you're properly healed up. Don't worry, Scorp. I know Fleur and Bill, and they're not going to let your parents get away with this." Deep down, Al wasn't sure that everything would work out nicely but he had to be positive...For both their sakes.

Scorpius could only hope that Al was right. After all, he didn't really know Mrs. Potter and perhaps she wouldn't loathe him for putting her son in potential danger. Scorpius hadn't expected his father to react to the whole situation in such a violent manner, or well really...have someone else to the violent stuff, and it was now too late to try and make things better. After the reaction his father had, Scorp was going to do everything in his power to forever remain far away from the man. Would that be entirely possible? Probably not, yet it was worth hoping for. "Fleur and Bill don't have to do anything," Scorpius replied quietly. "This is my problem to deal with. I'm just going to forever attempt to stay away from my father and mother."

Al glanced over at Scorpius and frowned. Scorp had always seen so confident and it was odd to see him like this now. Al bit his lip nervously before leaning over and softly pressing his lips to Scorpius'. He still couldn't believe what just happened, but it was just starting to hit him that he could have lost Scorpius forever back there. He wouldn't put it past Scorpius' uncaring parents to have him beat to death, and even if they didn't, they probably would have found a way to prevent the two of them from ever being together again. And the thought of losing Scorpius forever...Scared Al. It terrified him. What if he had lost Scorpius without ever having the courage to tell him how he really felt? Please don't hate me for this. "I love you," he murmured softly as he looked down at his boyfriend. "You don't have to say it back!" he added hastily. "You don't even have to feel it. I just wanted you to know." He quickly tore his gaze away from Scorpius and rested his back on the bed again, feeling more than nervous about his reaction to this.