“5 Times the Love” - from whichever you would like
One
It wasn’t as if the Malfoys ever participated in any sort of family versus family games anyway. It was tradition to migrate to the same in vogue destinations for the same weeks their friends did in the summer, but Scorpius’s parents sat in cabanas on the beach or balconies overlooking the mountain or mingled in whatever nature adjacent area wa the natural place to reminisce and then try to one up each other under the guise of sharing stories with other couples and Scorpius had always been left to occupy himself and get into whatever trouble he could. So it made no difference his mother wasn’t there that year. The only change was instead of a vague wave and bid to have fun and make sure he was back in time to wash up for dinner he was sent off with his father gripping his arm tightly and warning him not air out the family dirty laundry before he released him to go play with the other kids. So he shouldn’t have felt any shame when Claudia and Camille Flint informed him they and their parents were organizing a family relay race and weren’t he and his family entering? Scrunching his face in disgust and saying nobody wanted to be part of their dumb relay race would have been a reaction any year., not just deflecting, He shouldn’t feel bad, but he did, even if nobody did want to be a part of their stupid, classless relay race, until…
“Oh, he’s with us.” The other boy spoke before Scorpius could even get his rejection out, leaving him stunned into nodding. Rhys Parry. Scorpius knew him of course. Rhys wasn’t a best friend like Colin was, but he’d already been thrown together with him on group holidays like this in past years and other parents’ social gatherings they were both dragged to. They were supposed to be friends, despite the gap of a year that felt so big when you didn’t have many years to your name. This was the first time Scorpius could say he knew for sure they were friends though, when Rhys stepped in and then turned to face him and frowned apologetically as if he was asking for a favor as he shifted his weight between feet. “ If you want to be, Scorp. Ceri’s going to sit out and we already split the legs of the race into four. We’d have to tell Mr. Flint to change it all.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Scorpius drawled, face grateful but voice reluctant, “ if you’re putting me on the spot. You could have just said you needed my athletic ability though. Don’t need to make up some excuse.”
Rhys smiled knowingly and Scorpius smiled back and then Scorpius had a brother for the day and a second best friend for life, one he was lucky enough to find also had a second best friend that coincidentally was his original best friend, but that was their story.
Two
The cave hadn’t been filled with water when they came in to go exploring. Rhys might have said something about the tide, but Rhys was a smartass all the time (“Better to be smart than just an arse!” was the comeback Scorpius wanted to say Colin had to have fed him because Rhys was clever but not usually that bold) and Scorpius and Colin could control water so they couldn’t be bothered to listen and Rhys had to follow or be worse than chicken and a yellow bellied flobberworm. It would have been fun racing out even when it did begin to flood if Scorpius’s foot hadn’t gotten stuck so fast. They still had plenty of time to make it out. They’d never been in danger of drowning, no matter what “could have happened.” Anything could happen at any second of the day. Rhys hadn’t actually saved his life getting his foot free. Scorpius could have gotten it free himself. But damn if he didn’t look heroic with his eyes flashing and yelling, “Don’t worry! I’ve got you.” Heroic and maybe a little humorous with how serious he took it. Either way, Scorpius did know. Rhys always had him.
Three
The night would later go down as one of Scorpius’s favorite memories, but it was just a normal night. They didn’t know it was going to be one of the last nights for a long time they were all so close and free from any worry hanging over their heads or walls put up between them. Scorpius couldn’t even recall years later the name of the girl whose hand he’d been holding under the table that had sat sandwiched between him and Colin, or the name of the girl who’d sat on Colin’s lap for an elegant solution of how to fit everyone at the same small booth when there wasn’t any chairs to borrow. It was very possible that the only thing that made the night remarkable was how relaxed, happy, and fulfilled Rhys had looked. He wasn’t as skilled as the rest of them were at acting like he didn’t have a care in the world and making it convincing when it wasn’t genuine. So when there was nothing but joy radiating from him, even though his eyes were on Sarah and not on Scorpius, the sparkle in those eyes was burned into his brain and saved to hold onto until everyone could have no worries again.
Four
It was dumb to showoff. Once again, Rhys was the one to state the responsible and the obvious. He could have gotten caught and kicked off the quidditch team or worse (Rhys said “or worse” but to Scorpius there was no fine or consequence for not taking his potions and practicing his powers in public that was worse than that) and it wasn’t worth it. But he could make a small tornado and he wanted Rhys to see he wasn’t limited to water anymore. He wanted him to be impressed, and he succeeded. It took effort, but it was worth it for that widening of eyes, though, it was weird, the eyes kept getting wider and then they were tilting and…
“Scorp! Scorpius! Can you hear me?”
Odd sort of question. Of course he could hear him. He couldn’t see him though. Everything was blurred and coming into focus too slowly. He ached like his entire body was bruised.
“He’s awake!”
Had he not been?
Rhys face, pale, concerned, came into view, but by then Scorpius was fixed on something else that hadn’t shown up.
“What the fuck happened to my foot?”
Rhys turned paler but didn’t even glance, which said he’d already seen...or not seen as the case was. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix it.”
He looked so convinced that for a second Scorpius believed him totally. Rhys had him.
Five
Rhys hadn’t come back to school. Rhys was sick. Nobody knew what he’d came down with, some tropical disease was all that Ceri parroted or the older Parrys would say, and rumors abounded. Scorpius knew vanishing sickness wasn’t catching. Logically, he knew. It still felt like his fault though. He should have told Rhys to visit less when he was in the hospital. He might have done. He should have tried harder though. Was this how hard it was to have to consider a friend might be dying? He’d have to push Colin and Rhys if he survived even harder away even if Rhys’s current situation wasn’t his fault. It was torture and it wasn’t over even when Rhys did return, his friend was so changed. Seeing his face though and seeing him stand tall and walk strong and be healthy and whole? Now that was a special kind of relief.
