Chapter eleven
From Stranger to Brother

Mel sat hunched at a desk in the corner of the classroom staring at her sister. Beside her were Kathryn, Fiona and Rebecca. It had been three days since the incident and they had not spoken since. Mel had been adopted by the girls in her dorm after James tried fruitlessly to talk to her and Kaleb didn’t know what to say to her.

Indie sat ignoring the staring of her sister as she concentrated solely on her work and pushed her Mel to the back of her thoughts. It was there birthday in two days but there moods were to sombre to even consider celebrating it.
James looked up from his work and saw Indie writing furiously while Mel focused all her energy on staring at the back of Indie’s head.

“This is getting silly” Kaleb whispered to him “She’s not going to talk to her she’s just going to stare at her and before you know it they’ll be fighting again.”
“Not if I can help it” James replied checking Indie couldn’t hear him “Meet me in the library at lunch I have an idea”
Kaleb turned to face him, his glance flickering between the twins faces “Fine but we can’t just dump Indie in or she’ll be mad at us as well”
“I’ll sort it”
*****

“Err, Indie is it ok if I leave you here only I need to go to see Professor Longbottom about something from my dad” Said James stopping out side the entrance to the great hall.

The smell of today’s lunch tempted him in but he had something else to do. “Its fine, I’ll see you in transfiguration” Indie smiled slightly as he looked at her concerned “don’t worry, im ok your not abandoning me, I think I can manage to eat lunch without you and Kaleb next to me” James smiled back “ok see you later then” he waved and headed off to the library finding Kaleb sitting alone hidden behind a pile of books.

“You’re not reading these are you?” James grinned looking though the books
“No, im hiding from Mel and the gossip girls, have you ever seen me read anything?” Kaleb smiled
“Never” James glanced around the room and at the shelves. “There he is, right on time”
Kaleb looked around, “Who?”
“Scorpius Malfoy”
“You gotta be kidding me James”
“Im not, he comes here every lunch time, I’ve followed him before” James said walking towards Scorpius, who was skulking near the restricted section.
Kaleb got up and grabbed his robes “You’re not thinking I mean… What are you telling him?”
“I think he already knows, I’ve seen him watching them” Said James stopping to face Kaleb, “I think he knows who they are and that his father has told him”

“You can’t be serious, how can you have noticed this and know one else?” Kaleb said placing himself in front of him blocking his way. “I don’t know but it was the way they picked up on him in the beginning of all of this, I mean you heard the twins talking” He whispered “They recognised there likeness to him even before they knew they were related”
“That doesn’t prove anything” Kaleb looked at him suspiciously, “There’s no way he would admit that he had illegitimate daughters to his wife and son, that’s just not Malfoyish”
“Malfoyish, I think you have had too many hits on the head with a bludger” James stepped around him and carried on walking towards the white blonde hair in front of him.

“Scorpius Malfoy”
“James Potter”
“I wonder if I could have a word with you about something”
“I suppose, but keep in mind we are our father’s children” he smirked, then sat down in a large armchair.
“I don’t think we need to keep up old enemies for there sakes there are no reasons why we can’t have a civilised conversation” He smiled and sat opposite him.
Scorpius looked into James’ eyes and spoke “Is this about your friends, those twins?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“I may be eleven but I can guess things about my fathers past, I noticed our similarities especially the fiery personality from one of them”
“Mel”
“Have you come to tell me how I’m related to them, confirm what I think?”
“Yes, there… well they wouldn’t want me to say but…”
“There my sisters aren’t they”
“Yes” Kaleb spoke and sat down next to them both, “Does your father know about them?”
“I think so, he get’s quiet and wants to be alone around the New Year so I assume that’s there birthday”
“Yes, I can see why you’re in Slytherin with that intelligence” Kaleb looked at him full of disgust,
“I’ll take that as a complement” Scorpius sneered at him.
“You should I don’t give them out very often” Kaleb replied quietly and James turned glaring at him and then turned back to Scorpius.
“So you knew and never said anything?”
“I was waiting for them, I take it they know who I am and about our father”
“Of course, but you don’t seem that surprised” James looked at him carefully, watching his eyes stare back there likeness to the twin’s was exact and he noticed the calmness of his manner to be the same as Indie’s but with Mel’s impulses hidden with in.

“Im not, you have heard the stories about my father from your own no doubt” Said Scorpius eying the two boys carefully, James nodded,
“Do you want to talk to them?” Kaleb questioned, regaining his interest.
“Yes, I would like that; do they want to meet him?”
“One of them does, that’s why were here” Said James “Indie’s not sure”
“And you want me to do what?” Scorpius looked at both of them “I wrote to him and asked him about them, and he replied that he’s coming to the school to speak to me so I suppose he’s going to tell me who they are then, you want them to met him”
“Yes, but when is he coming”
“January 1st” Scorpius smiled.
Kaleb looked confused and then the date dawned on him, “But that’s there birthday”
“That’s the point” Said James, “I think Indie will have changed her mind by then, but they have to speak to their mother before then”
“Can I see them today?”Scorpius looked at them, “I want to tell them about dad before they meet him, their mums probably not been the nicest about him”
“Yes, but they’ll have thought we interfered” James looked worried “I don’t want to lose there friendship over this, I want to help them but they won’t help themselves”
“I’ll say I found out from my dad, I don’t think he’ll mind” Scorpius smiled, and Kaleb spoke up “How do we know we can trust you?”
“You don’t, but it seems I’m your only chance for them even talking to each other again” said Scorpius glaring at Kaleb
“I told you he watched them” James looked at Kaleb, from who the two boys wanted a reply,
“I guess” He muttered “let’s go” and got up motioning to James to follow, but he sat still and continued to talk “I don’t know how you’ll get them together to talk to them, its like you said they don’t even talk to each other any more”
“I’m sure once I tell them I know who they are they’ll want to talk to me” Scorpius smiled and got up “I think your friend wants you to go with him now, I don’t think he likes us talking” James grinned at him and then Kaleb “It’s his problem” He got up as Scorpius made a move to leave too,
“See you around Potter”
James laughed “You too Malfoy”
*****
Indie sat in the Transfiguration room clutching the letter in her hand. She had forgotten her books and when she went to the common room she found the owl by her window. She hadn’t spoken to her sister and this had come addressed to the both of them, ‘Why can’t she treat us like separate people?’ she thought to her self when James sat down beside her.

“Hey Indie, you have a good lunch?” He said emptying his bag, “Fine, this came from my mum”
“And...?” James looked at her as Kaleb sat down next to him “And what?” Kaleb stared at them both,
“And it’s addressed to both of us, I haven’t opened it”
“Open it read it and then give it to her to read” said Kaleb
Indie looked at him “I can’t do that, we have to read it together. We always do”
“Well you’re not exactly talking, are you” Kaleb said as Mel along with three chattering girls walked past and sat at the front of the room. “No but this is your chance” James smiled at her “Go quick before the professor gets here, you know he’s always late.”

She looked at him, then Kaleb who nodded and then to Mel as she threw her head back in laughter.
She ripped open the letter and began to read, then pulled out her wand and made a replicate of the letter appear next to it. She then folded the original up and used her wand to cause it to float to Mel. Mel looked up and then to her sister, she grabbed the letter and looked at what was written on the front “Indigo and Imelda” opening it she read and reread the contents. Mel sat in silence while Indie waited for her reaction. Mel got up and walked over a grim look on her face.

“We’ll talk later, once I get rid of the chattering triplets” she turned and walked away just as the professor strode in the room.

*****

“I knew he was bad, but never a death eater” Said James,
“Well that’s what she says” Said Mel sitting beside them.
They where in the library the only place the gossip queens dared to tread if they really needed to.
“I suppose his dad being one he thought it was the only way to not be killed” Said Indie
“I’d rather die then kill others” Kaleb said looking at Mel, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
“I don’t trust Mum Indie, she seems different in this letter, like she’s trying to be nice about him and then says he’s a bad guy, she’s hiding something” Mel looked at her sister,
“I think your right” Said Indie eventually “But she’s our mum what could she have to hide?”

“A lot” Said a figure coming towards them “Our parents all hide something from us” he moved closer to the group,
“It’s nice to finally meet you both, im Scorpius Malfoy and im your brother” he smiled coolly at them and sat down at the table. He ran his hand through his hair, moving it away from his eyes and looked at them revealing the pale blue - grey orbs the three of them shared, all now shining with happiness and glistening with tears.