torestoreamends:
upthehillart:
Of Mothers and Sons
Astoria & Scorpius, 2007 and 2019
The below was meant to be a tag fic, but I hit the 30 tag limit 300 words in, and decided to add another thousand words instead of editing…
*
I bet sometimes when he’s at school Scorpius
can’t sleep because he’s worried about his mum. He knows she finds it hard to
sleep when she’s sick because of the pain, even though all she’s meant to do is
rest. He wishes he could go and read to her like she used to for him, because
that’s always helped her.
One time, before Albus and Scorpius really talk
about Astoria, Albus comes into the dorm to find Scorpius sitting by the fire
with a book. He’s reading aloud, and at first Albus thinks he’s reading to
himself, but then he sees the head in the fire.
Even when she’s mostly flame and coal and ash she
looks tired and sick, and Albus knows – he can just tell – that she’s been
upset, which is why she’s here and why Scorpius is talking to her. Her eyes are
closed and her head is on one side as she listens to Scorpius read. It’s easy
to imagine her lying on the hearth, struggling to stay awake as she’s warmed by
the flames and lulled by Scorpius’s soft voice.
Albus tiptoes through the dorm and sits on his
bed, intending to get on with work, but he finds he can’t not listen to
Scorpius as he reads. His voice is wonderful – gentle and soothing, but
engaging at the same time, and he does the most beautiful character voices. Albus
gets drawn into the story, and he’s as disappointed as the two Malfoys seem to
be when Scorpius turns the final page.
There’s a long silence before Astoria opens her
eyes and sits up, exhaling softly
“Thank you,” she murmurs, and Scorpius nods.
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