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'Right,' said Scorpius as soon as they'd finished breakfast. 'It's the first of the month, so I'm off to ask Rose Granger-Weasley to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with me.'
Albus laughed and knocked Scorpius with his shoulder. 'How many times will that be? Eight hundred? A million? Do you get a prize if you reach a million?'
Scorpius lifted his chin, smiling and looking sideways at Albus as they left the Great Hall. Their first period was free. Albus was heading toward the library to work on a particularly tricky Transfiguration assignment. Scorpius would, he knew, join him after his monthly bout of public humiliation.
'Let me see,' said Scorpius. 'The first time was in October of fourth year. And it's been once a month since. Nine times in fourth year. Ten times in fifth year, minus April, as I was in the hospital wing, clinging desperately to life.'
'You broke your arm playing Quidditch! That's hardly a life-threatening injury.'
'It was the deadly blow to my pride that mattered.'
'If your pride was that fragile, you'd have died in first year.'
Scorpius brushed his fringe off his face, pale fingers through bright hair. He needed a haircut. Albus quite liked it when Scorpius's hair got a bit longer, though; he had a habit of tucking it behind his ear when he was nervous. Scorpius had lots of little habits and Albus had them all memorised. For example: Scorpius couldn't just climb a staircase like a normal person, he had to hop onto the first step, then spin around, robes swirling, and ascend backwards so he could maintain eye contact with Albus as they spoke.
'Albus, you are entirely missing the point. The point, is that on April first of our fifth year at Hogwarts, I was hospitalised, and thus missed my chance to ask out your cousin.'
Albus climbed up after him, bracing himself to catch Scorpius if he tripped over his robes. 'Which I'm sure was an enormous relief to her.'
'Notwithstanding, that makes only nine times in fifth year. If you count the singing Valentine I sent her in February, which I do, that makes–'
'What about Januaries?' Albus interrupted. 'There'd have been at least three Januaries since the first time you asked her and we wouldn't have been at school.'
'You are correct. January of our fourth year I sent her an owl. She returned it. Torn in half, yes, but clearly having been read. In fifth year we were all at the Burrow for New Years and I asked her then. Remember? She poured a glass of Butterbeer over my head. This year I sent her another owl. Not only did she not return it, but she sent me a response.'
'A response that read: Keep dreaming, Malfoy. Not really the height of romance.'
'It's all in how you look at it, Albus. A seed that takes longer to bloom is no less lovely for having lingered in its–'
'You do realise the fact that you say things like that is one of the reasons she'll never go out with you, right?'
Scorpius waved his hand at Albus in dismissal and then tripped over his robes, coming close to toppling them both down the staircase. He grabbed onto the bannister with both hands just in time, then cleared his throat and looked around to check who'd seen.
'Smooth, Malfoy,' said Zander Higgs, a seventh year in their house. Albus went blank a moment watching Higgs continue up the stairs. He was Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Which is probably where he got those firm-looking thighs.
He remembered himself and said, 'Piss off, Higgs!' Zander just grinned. And then winked, which made Albus's cheeks hot for some reason.
'So!' said Scorpius, rather louder than necessary. He'd turned around and was now climbing up the stairs like a normal person. He put his hand on Albus's back, sending the usual shivers across Albus's skin, and said, 'That makes twenty-six. I've asked out Rose Granger-Weasley twenty-six times.'
'And she's knocked you back twenty-six times,' said Albus. 'Which makes you an unbelievable masochist.'
'Perseverance doesn't necessarily equate with masochism.'
'Again. Things like that. The reason she'll never say yes.'
They'd reached the landing. Albus supposed Scorpius would try and catch Rose before she reached the Charms classroom. They paused for a moment, smiling at each other. On impulse, Albus took Scorpius's hand and brushed off his knuckles as if he'd spotted a bit of fluff there. Scorpius cocked his head to the side, gazing at him through his fringe, then swept his hair off his face again.
'See you after,' said Albus. 'I'll be at our usual table. Tell Rose if she's overly rude when she rejects you that I'll tell Aunt Hermione about the bottle of firewhisky she swiped from under the sink last Christmas.'
'I will not,' said Scorpius. 'I respect a woman's right to say no, no matter adamantly she chooses to go about it.'
Albus laughed and headed off towards the library.
* * *
Albus twiddled his quill between his fingers and checked his watch. It had been half an hour, and he was no closer to understanding how to Transfigure wood into marble. His notes–all the wand-movement diagrams and scribblings about spell work–were on the verge of making sense to him, but he needed Scorpius to go over it with him one more time before it really sank in. He stretched and ran his fingers through his hair, even though he knew it would make it stick up even more than usual. Where was Scorpius? What could make him miss a session in the library? Albus chewed on his lower lip. It was going to be time to leave for Potions soon and Professor Trickle would take five points for every minute you were late. Giving up, Albus shoved his things back into his rucksack and headed off to find Scorpius.
He wandered towards the dungeons, but Scorpius wasn't outside the Potions classroom. He climbed back up towards the library, but Scorpius still wasn’t there. Beginning to worry, Albus considered checking the Hospital Wing, but decided to check the Charms classroom first, even though it was three floors up. By the time he'd reached the third floor, having been momentarily set off-course by a recalcitrant staircase, he was out of breath. There, half-way down the corridor, stood a very Scorpius-shaped figure. Albus rubbed his eyes to clear them, and yes, there was Scorpius, alone in the corridor, leaning back against the wall.
He didn't respond when Albus called to him. Come to think of it, he didn't look quite right. Albus hurried over to him, still panting. Scorpius stared straight ahead, still and glassy-eyed, his lips parted. He looked like he'd been hit with a Bludger. Maybe he had? More likely some arsehole bully had hexed him with something. Cursing, Albus pulled his wand, intending to cast Finite.
Scorpius spoke before he could manage it, his voice soft and shocked. 'She said yes.'
Albus paused, still unsure what was happening. 'What?'
'Rose Granger-Weasley,' said Scorpius. 'She said yes. I asked her to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with me… And she said yes.'
'No she didn't,' said Albus.
'I know,' said Scorpius. 'I can't quite believe it either.'
A feeling Albus couldn't identify dribbled to life in his chest. 'Are you sure? Maybe she meant yes to a different question. Maybe you only imagined she said yes and she said something else. That must be it. What sounds like yes? Dress. Chess. Mess. That's it! She must have said mess. She wasn't agreeing to a date, she was insulting you. Calling you a mess. I'll bet–'
Scorpius stared at him and Albus stopped talking. 'She said yes, Albus. Merlin, is it really that hard for you to believe someone would want to go out with me?'
'What?' The dribbly feeling grew colder. 'N-no. I didn't mean… Of course it isn't. Hard for me to believe.' He swallowed. His shoulders had tightened, which usually only happened when he was angry. But he wasn't angry. What was there to feel angry about? 'It's just that you've asked her out twenty-five times, Scorpius, and–'
'Twenty-six. I've asked her out twenty-six times. Twenty-seven now.'
'And she's never said yes before,' Albus continued. Something was making him want to undo what Scorpius had said, to make it different. 'And she's said no rather adamantly, you have to admit, every single time. Why would she suddenly say yes now? Today?'
'I don’t know.' Scorpius' expression grew heated. He stood still, arms straight and tense at his sides. 'But she did. Do you need proof? Shall we ask Headmistress McGonagall if we can borrow the Pensieve?'
Albus opened his mouth and closed it again. Scorpius got angry at Albus so rarely these days. Everything inside him was twisting up in panic.
'You'd imagine,' said Scorpius, 'that as my best friend you'd actually be happy for me.'
'Right.' He was supposed to agree to that now. To relax, to laugh, to pat Scorpius on the back. He forced himself to smile, but if felt awful. He tried to laugh, but made a sound like gagging. Then he thumped Scorpius on the arm hard enough to make him stagger backwards.
Gaping, Scorpius rubbed his shoulder. 'Did you just hit me?'
'I… It was meant to be a congratulatory… thing.'
'It hurt.' Scorpius' hair had fallen into his eyes. He tucked it behind his ear, looking at Albus like he'd never seen him before.
Albus turned away to hide his face. 'We should get to Potions,' he said. 'We're already late. Trickle will take all our points.' Scorpius didn't respond. Albus looked at him over his shoulder, pleading. 'Come on, Scorpius.'
Scorpius bit at his fingernail. He looked like he was trying to work out one of his Arithmancy assignments. 'It's just one date,' he said. 'It's not like she's my girlfriend.'
Albus wasn't sure why, but that made him feel a lot better. He laughed. It was still pretend, but it came closer to sounding real. 'Well, we always said I'd be the first one to get a girlfriend, right?'
They started to make their way downstairs.
'We did,' said Scorpius. 'And I'm sure it's still true. I've seen how Margery Bindle looks at you. I'll bet if you asked her, she'd be your date to Hogsmeade.'
Margery Bindle had a face like an Erumpent and smelled like onions. Albus didn't want to be mean or shallow, but he'd rather take an actual Erumpent to Hogsmeade than Margery Bindle.
* * *
The following day, Albus ran into Rose in the courtyard. He was returning from the lake, where he'd gone to blow off some steam by skipping stones. Given Rose’s outfit, she was on her way to Quidditch practice. Albus watched her from a distance. She looked as she always looked, happily confident. She walked with a strong, unhurried stride, eyes bright and chin raised. Something sour spiked in Albus's chest. He ran to catch her.
'Al-bus!' she said, once she'd spotted him, and grinned. 'Thought I might be seeing you today.'
'Right.' His shoulders tightened. 'Well. What are you playing at?'
'Hmm?' She straightened her gloves, wearing a tiny, maddening smile.
'Don't pretend you don't know what I mean.'
'Well I'm sorry I'm not Queenie Goldstein. I can't read minds so you're going to have to tell me what you're thinking.'
'Fine.' A couple of Rose's Gryffindor friends, Clarice and Mahika, wandered by. Rose waved at them. They waved back, then looked at Albus and giggled. He rolled his eyes. 'You told Scorpius you'd go to Hogsmeade with him.'
'Mmhm.' She gazed at him, still with that little smile, but didn't say anything more.
Albus threw his arms in the air. 'Well, why? Why after all this time did you decide to say yes?'
'Because I want to go on a date with him, obviously.'
'You. Want to go on a date with Scorpius.'
'Why would I agree to go to Hogsmeade with him if I didn't?'
'Oh, I don't know. To fuck with him? You hate Scorpius. You've hated him since you met him. You can't tell me now, after twenty seven attempts, you've suddenly changed your mind.'
Rose crossed her arms, smile gone. 'I haven't hated Scorpius since fourth year. And people change, Albus. They grow and they change and I decided, why not? Give him a chance. He's grown up quite fit.' She raised an eyebrow. 'Don't you agree?'
Albus stared at her.
'And he's become an ace Seeker,' she continued. 'And he can hold a conversation about cutting edge charm work that–'
'Wait, wait,' said Albus. 'When did you and Scorpius have a conversation?'
She sighed dramatically, which made Albus grit his teeth, then started off toward the Quidditch pitch again. 'This morning, Albus. After breakfast. You were… I don't know where you were. But Scorpius and I had a lovely chat about Elevantes' theory of magical momentum.'
Albus followed along at her side. 'I went back to the dungeon get my Herbology book. Are you going to be having a lot of chats with Scorpius now?'
'Maybe. I mean, he can't really discuss magical theory with you, can he? Not properly.'
'Wow.' Albus stopped short for a moment. 'That was a really mean thing to say, Rose.'
Her eyes softened. 'I'm just saying, Albus. You can't expect to keep Scorpius all to yourself forever.'
'I'm not trying to. I just don’t understand why you've decided you want to talk to him–to go on a date with him–now.'
Rose stopped and put her hand on his shoulder. 'Sometimes you look at someone you've known for years and just see them differently.'
'You see Scorpius differently?'
'Do you see him the same way you did when you were younger?'
Albus bit his lip. What did she mean? Scorpius was Scorpius. Albus knew him inside and out, down to the smallest detail. Or at least he'd thought he did. Shrugging, he said, 'He's Scorpius. I don’t know what you mean.'
She gave him a smile that bizarrely reminded him of his mother. 'It's okay, Albus. I'm not going to steal him away from you, I promise.' She gave his shoulder a squeeze then walked off again.
'You'd better not be messing with him,' Albus called after her. 'If you are, I'll… I'll…'
'It's all going to be fine! You worry too much. Don't worry!' She disappeared over the hill.
Albus kicked at a pebble. He didn't feel like it was going to be fine. He felt like the world as he saw it was being torn from his hands and changed in ways that made him panic. What if the date went well? What if they went on another one? What if… He swallowed, staring blindly at the ground. What if they became boyfriend and girlfriend?
With those thoughts forming a hot ball of pressure in his stomach, Albus went back into the castle.
* * *
He found Scorpius in the library at their usual table. Albus slid into the seat next to him and knocked their shoulders together. He was determined not to let Scorpius know how anxious he felt. He'd keep it to himself and hopefully everything would turn out okay in the end. He gave Scorpius a perfectly normal, everyday smile.
'What's wrong?' asked Scorpius. 'Is it about Rose again?'
Bollocks. 'Er, no. Nothing's wrong. It's all fine. Great. I'm having a fabulous day.' He grinned, knowing he was overdoing it but unable to stop. The ball of pressure was swelling, filling him with the desire to do something about it.
Scorpius's eyes narrowed. 'Albus Severus Potter, do not lie to me.'
Albus pulled a quill and a bottle of ink out of his rucksack, stalling for time. He set his potions book on the table. He straightened it. He reached down again and rummaged through the mess in his rucksack, looking for a blank piece of parchment.
'Albus!' Scorpius whispered.
'It's nothing, I told you. What did you put for the third question on Trickle's assignment?'
Scorpius wouldn't let it go. 'It’s about Rose, isn't it?'
'Fine,' said Albus. Anxiety shivered into anger. He gripped the edge of the table, as if by holding on to it he'd be able to hold onto his temper. 'It's about Rose. I just… I saw her on the grounds a second ago. She said you hung out together this morning?'
'I don't know if I'd call it hanging out, but we did have a little chat about Elevantes' ideas about wand movement. She believes that we've been calculating the axis between thrust and air density incorrectly for the past sixty years. If the change in momentum of an object equals the impulse applied to it, and mass is constant, then…'
None of that made sense to Albus, so he tuned it out, watching Scorpius' pink lips curve and plump as he spoke. His eyes shone bright; he waved his hands through the air. With a sickening feeling, Albus realised that Rose was right. He'd never be able to join Scorpius in this kind of conversation. He'd already known that, but he'd never thought it mattered. They always had plenty to talk about. Didn't they? Maybe Scorpius secretly longed for someone else to talk to, someone like Rose, someone who could keep up with him. Maybe he was starting to get bored with Albus.
Scorpius made a particularly emphatic gesture and a stack of parchment flew off the table. 'Bugger,' he said, then crouched down on the floor to gather it up. Albus helped him. The cold of the stone floor cut through the fabric of his trousers. They reached for the same piece of parchment at the same time and almost bumped heads. Albus got a whiff of Scorpius's hair, which needed a wash but still smelled lovely–warm and earthy with a hint of lemon from the remnants of his shampoo. Scorpius grabbed the last piece of parchment and got up off the floor. Albus took a second. Scorpius' scent curled through his mind. It didn't calm him like it usually did.
They both settled back in their seats. 'Sorry about that,' said Scorpius. 'I know I get carried away.'
'T's fine.' Albus slid his finger along the edge of his quill. 'I'd join in if I could, but I guess I'm just not as bright as Rose.' He mostly regretted it the second he'd said it, but part of him–the part that was buzzing with anxiety–didn't. That part felt a dark satisfaction as Scorpius flinched.
'You’re being unfair,' said Scorpius. 'You're every bit as bright as Rose, just in different subjects.'
'Really? What subjects?' Albus crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.
Scorpius opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.
Albus snorted. 'Can't think of anything, can you?'
'No. You're just looking at me like you want to hit me again and it's putting me off.'
'Okay. I'll give you a moment to think. Go on. Think about it.' He gestured toward the parchment. 'Write me an essay if you like. 'Ways Albus Potter is as good as Rose Granger-Weasley' by Scorpius Malfoy'.
'What… What are you… As good as? Albus, you are being ridiculous.'
'I'm being ridiculous?'
'You are.' Scorpius leant toward him, glaring.
Albus felt as if a motor were running inside him, egging him on. He didn't know if he could stop it. 'You're the one going on a date with a girl who's rejected you a million times.'
'Twenty-six times!'
'I wouldn't call that ridiculous. I'd call that pathetic.'
'Oh.' It came out in a soft little puff. Scorpius's face crumpled and he turned away.
'Boys!' The librarian appeared, hands on her hips. 'You will keep your voices down. This is a library. People are trying to study.'
Simmering with self-hatred, Albus grabbed his things and shoved them back into his rucksack. 'Sorry,' he said. 'Anyway, I was just leaving.' He stood up too abruptly, and his chair crashed back to the floor. Without looking at Scorpius, he righted it again. His hands shook. He felt cold and hysterical, like after that horrible argument with his dad. He rushed around the table then stopped. Scorpius' back was half turned. His hair hung over his face so Albus couldn't see his expression. He thought about saying sorry. Right then, just nip it all in the bud. They'd work it out somehow. It would be fine.
The librarian cleared her throat, glaring at Albus.
He slung his rucksack over his shoulder and fled.
* * *
The next few days were hell.
It had been horrible being separated from Scorpius when they were in fourth year, but at least they'd been in separate Houses then. He hadn't had to avoid his own common room. He hadn't had to sneak into the doom just before curfew, hoping to avoid running into Scorpius with the lights on. He hadn't had to sit by himself at the very end of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. He only did that once. After the first day he grabbed a handful of whatever he could carry and took it outside to eat by the lake.
It wasn't that he didn't want to see Scorpius. He did, desperately. He longed for him with a horribly familiar ache. He didn't feel complete on his own. But he felt ashamed and confused and couldn't figure out how to make things better.
The fact that Scorpius had immediately been adopted by a group of Rose's friends made it even harder. He was always surrounded by a cloud of girls, Scorpius in the middle, a bit taller than they were. Ducking his head in that bashful way he had. It hadn't taken him long to recover from their fight, to find new people to hang out with. Maybe Albus had been the problem all along. Maybe he'd been the only thing keeping Scorpius from being more popular. Scorpius at sixteen was handsome, after all, with his sharp features and bright, lively eyes. And he was smart and funny and good at Quidditch. And kind. Kind in a way Albus knew he wasn't. Would never be. There was the evidence right there: Scorpius separated from him again. And he couldn't blame his dad this time. This was one hundred percent Albus's own fault.
He squeezed passed the group of girls and realised that Scorpius was looking at back at him as they moved down the corridor. Albus recognised that look. He'd seen it before in their fourth year. He turned away, hands in fists. What an idiot he was. He should… He should apologise. He should sort it out. The idea that he'd made that expression appear on Scorpius's face again made him nauseous. He straightened his back, determined to rush after him.
The Transfiguration classroom door opened and, 'Hiiiiii!' Rose came out. She sauntered right up to Scorpius and linked her arm through his, throwing Albus a smirk over her shoulder.
Why? Why was she being so cruel? Rubbing it in his face. He and Rose had been getting on much better, he'd thought. Their personalities were different enough that they were never going to be as close as they'd been as children, but Albus didn't think she had any reason to treat him like this.
He had to do something. He had to come up with a plan. Maybe his plans didn't always work out so well, but sometimes they did and he was good at coming up with them.
He smelt onions as Margery Bindle walked by and it came to him in an instant: . He needed to find a Hogsmeade date of his own. Not Margery, he wasn't going to stoop that low, but someone. Some other girl. Then, if he had his own date, he wouldn't be jealous of Scorpius any more. And they could be friends again. It was a brilliant plan that made complete and perfect sense.
Albus had three days to find a girl who'd agree to go out with him. Who would he want to go with? Who was pretty, who would be fun? He'd always liked Jessica Bones's hair and she had a nice smile. She was in seventh year, though, and Scorpius would tease him about liking an older woman. Maggie Chang was super pretty and a lot of boys liked her. But she was super pretty and a lot of boys liked her. If she didn't already have a date, she'd surely turn Albus down flat. There was Samantha Turpin. She sat next to him at meals a lot and sometimes they exchanged Charms notes. Yes. Samantha. She was the one.
She was on the Quidditch team, so he waited outside the girls' changing room after practice. He was careful to keep an eye out for Scorpius, but the boys' and girls' changing rooms were separated by a wall so he wasn't too worried. Samantha emerged, arm in arm with Becka Colgate. Her dark-blond hair was wet and her cheeks shone pink after the practice session. She was cute. Perfect.
He waved at her. 'Hey. Samantha.'
She stopped, surprised and smiled at him. 'Hi, Albus.'
'Can I have a quick word?'
She looked taken aback, but said, 'Sure.' She turned to her friend. 'I'll meet you back at the castle, Becky, okay?' Becky nodded then kissed her on the cheek. 'What is it, Albus?'
Albus had thought asking a girl out would be nerve-wracking, but he felt strangely calm. 'Er, I was wondering if you had a date for Hogsmeade this weekend.'
Samantha stared at him. She frowned and crossed her arms.
Albus didn't know what to do next and she didn't give him an answer, so he blundered on. 'Because if you don't, would you like to go with me?'
'Are you really… Do you not…' Samantha's expression softened and she laughed. 'Albus, I've been going out with Becky since third year. Did you really not know?'
His eyes widened. Becky always sat on the other side of Samantha at meals. They were always together in the common room. She'd just–Merlin, he was a clueless berk–she'd just kissed Samantha on the cheek right in front of him. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I'm an idiot.'
'That you are,' said Samantha, but in a friendly way. She patted him on the cheek. 'I thought you'd be going with Scorpius.'
'No.' He tried not to frown and failed. 'He's going with Rose. You know, from Gryffindor.'
'Really?' Samantha wrinkled her nose. 'But I thought she… And that you and he… Huh.' She shook her head. 'Guess you can't believe the gossip.'
'What gossip?'
'Never mind. I've got a study session coming up, so I'm going to head off. Try Letitia Greenblatt. She's always had a crush on you.'
As he walked back toward the castle Albus considered the fact that he really needed to learn to pay more attention to the people around him. Since third year! And he'd never noticed. Mortifying. He considered Samantha's suggestion: Letitia. She was a Hufflepuff. They had Herbology together and once when Scorpius was in bed with a cold they'd shared a Mandrake pot, but otherwise he didn't know her. He was a bit worried that she was very shy and they'd have nothing to say to each other, but if Samantha said she had a crush on him it was worth a shot.
He caught her the following day as they were leaving the greenhouses. She was tiny, even smaller for her age than he was, with spiky black hair and olive skin. He said hi to her and she froze, eyes open wide. Just then Scorpius appeared at the top of the hill, carrying his school satchel. He must have been studying by the lake. Their eyes met. Scorpius ducked his head, then looked up again. It seemed, for a moment, as if he were going to walk down the slope and talk to him. Then Letitia, in a voice unfeasibly loud for someone so small, said, 'Are you going to ask me out to Hogsmeade, Albus Potter?' Scorpius paused for a second, looking surprised, then hunched his shoulders and moved off towards the castle.
Albus swallowed away his sudden sadness and said, 'Er, yeah?'
She jumped up and down, clapping her hands. 'Oh, that's lovely. Yes! I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you.'
'Great,' said Albus. There was something about her reaction that was making him wary. 'Okay, I'll–'
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. 'I love the Potters,' she said. 'You're all so amazing. Your dad, of course.' She sighed, looking dreamy. 'And James is so handsome. He's becoming a Curse Breaker. I know, because I saw it in the Prophet. I have a scrapbook where I keep articles about things that interest me and there's a whole section dedicated to the Potters. Lily is the sweetest. I don't have any articles on her yet, but maybe some day. There are a bunch about you because of what happened that time. Remember? You're all brilliant. I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you. Do you think I could meet your dad someday?'
Albus jerked back his hand and moved away from her. 'Hey. Letitia.' His voice sounded oddly high-pitched. 'I just realised that I can't go to Hogsmeade after all. I'm, um, I've got to…'
She stood staring at him, her eyes huge and expectant, her fingers clasped.
'I've got to study,' he continued, backing away. 'Sorry! Sorry.'
'Oh. That's disappointing.' Letitia stepped towards him. 'Do you think Hugo would go with me?'
'You'll have to ask him!' said Albus. Then he turned and ran. Poor Hugo. Albus would have to find him and warn him.
His plan wasn't going very well. The following day he asked three more girls, but they were all already going with other people. On Saturday, the day of the Hogsmeade outing, Albus trudged down to breakfast in a gloomy mood. He’d probably have to spend the day on his own in the castle. He could study. Or take a long nap and try not to think about Scorpius and Rose drinking tea at Madam Puddifoot's, possibly holding hands, maybe even kissing. He dropped his fork when he realised he’d been holding it so tight it had started to cut into his skin.
It was time for desperate measures.
He reached behind Leonard Jenkins, who was sitting next to him, and poked the girl on his opposite side on the back of her shoulder. 'Margery. Hey, Margery.'
She leant back, eyebrows raised. She really didn't look that much like an Erumpent. 'D'you want to go to Hogsmeade with me today?'
'Oh,' she said. 'Um. No.' She went back to eating her breakfast.
Albus took a moment to take that in, then slumped against the table, head in his hands.
'Hey. Potter.'
Albus looked up at Zander Higgs, who was sitting across and little ways to the left, eating bubble and squeak. Immediately on guard, Albus raised an eyebrow. 'What?'
'I'll do it.' Zander licked some ketchup off the back of his fork, keeping his eyes on Albus.
Angry that he was blushing and that Zander could see it, Albus scowled. 'You'll do what? Eat breakfast like you were raised in an owlery?'
Zander dipped a finger into the ketchup on his plate, then sucked it off. The table had gone silent around them as everyone watched. 'I'll go to Hogsmeade with you,' said Zander.
Someone gasped and there were whispers. Albus longed for the Invisibility Cloak. 'Why on earth would you do that?'
'Why not?' Zander pushed his plate away and leant back. 'You're fit. Could be fun.'
Zander had eyes as blue as Occamy scales and his wavy black hair hung down to his shoulders. Albus's face burned so hot he could feel his pulse beating in his cheeks. No one had ever called him fit before. Not a girl or a boy. He licked his lips and looked around, but there was no sign of Scorpius. 'Er…' He shrugged. 'All right.' Someone giggled.
'Brill,' said Zander, grinning with very white teeth. 'I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall in an hour.'
Albus tried to get up, but his shoe caught on the bench. He wrenched it free, bruising his ankle in the process. Then he fled.
Merlin. The Slytherin Quidditch captain, one of the most popular kids at Hogwarts, had just asked him out in front of the entire school. Or at least had offered to go out with him. Did that count? And… Well, a boy. Not that it mattered. He was only doing this for Scorpius, it didn’t matter who it was, boy or girl. He ran down the stairs towards the dungeons, heart pounding. Did he want to go out on a date with a boy? He hadn't really wanted to go out with anyone. He'd just wanted to spend the day with Scorpius as usual.
Higgs was better than Rose. As far as social status was concerned, anyway. He was older, even more popular, better looking. Higgs was gorgeous, really. Very attractive, even if he was a git and… Albus stopped short and pressed his hand against the cold stone wall to balance himself.
Oh. Well.
These feelings–the shivering warmth, the slight tug in the centre of his stomach, the ache that felt good, like you wanted to prod it and make it worse–they were familiar. They were milder versions of how he felt about Scorpius all the time. At least lately. When had it happened, when had friendship started to form into something else? It all made sense now. The anger. The jealousy. He'd been rather extremely stupid to take this long to figure it out.
His heart didn't slow down even though he was standing still. He could see the entrance to the Slytherin dorms up ahead. Praying that there'd be no one inside so he could take time to gather his thoughts, he spoke the password, 'enlightenment,' then winced at its appropriateness.
Higgs didn't matter. Albus trudged into their dorm room, hands in fists, skitterings of anxiety criss-crossing his skin. It was probably a joke anyway. Higgs’d have some nasty and humiliating surprise planned. Albus shouldn't have agreed to the date. He'd done it in a moment of panic. He should cancel now while he still had the chance.
The door swung shut behind him. Scorpius, alone and shirtless, sat on his bed surrounded by four different tops, each in a different colour. His hair hung down over his face and his shoulders were hunched as he picked as his ragged cuticles. He was clearly upset. Albus's heart, still beating hard, grew warm and heavy with longing. He took a deep breath, crossed the room, and sat down next to Scorpius.
Scorpius pushed his hair off his face and their eyes met. Scorpius smiled, the shaky little smile that meant he was nervous or sad but didn't want to show it. All Albus's anger melted away and he wanted… So much. He wanted to…
The attraction Albus could admit he felt toward Higgs was nothing. It was nothing compared to this. This was like gravity, drawing him towards Scorpius. His friend. His best friend. It wasn't normal to feel like this about someone who was just a friend. He swallowed, throat tight, then forced himself to smile. 'You look pretty miserable for someone about to finally go on a date with his dream girl.'
Scorpius looked away. 'I don't know what to wear,' he said, voice low and quiet. 'Clarice says the blue one makes my eyes sparkle, but Mahika says the black one shows off my… stature. Or something. I don't know what she's on about, really.'
'The red one,' said Albus. 'It always makes your hair look brighter. And your skin… nice.'
'Does it?'
Albus nodded. Scorpius cocked his head to the side, and Albus’s gaze ran along the curve of his neck leading up to the soft line of his jaw. He sat on his hands to keep them still. The way Scorpius looked at him was new. Speculative. And if he didn't know better, if maybe he was more of a Gryffindor, he'd do something about it. Just to see. But Scorpius was about to go out on a date with Rose, who he'd been pursuing since they were eleven. So Albus did nothing. Just watched Scorpius's chest and stomach disappear beneath the red shirt as he pulled it on.
'You know,' said Scorpius, standing and fiddling with the buttons. 'Right from the start, if you'd said you didn't want me to go with her, I'd have cancelled the date.'
'You would have?'
'Yeah. Of course.'
Albus smiled, then rubbed at his eyes. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I've been horrible. I know I have. You didn't deserve that, Scorpius, and I hope you know I’m really, seriously sorry.'
'I know,' said Scorpius. 'Of course I know.' He held out his hand. Albus took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, where Scorpius drew him close and squeezed him so hard he couldn't breathe. He hugged Scorpius back. After a moment Scorpius tried to let go, but Albus clung.
Only when he started feeling a bit dizzy did he finally step away. 'I've… I've got a date too. Just so you know. So it’ll be fine. You can be with Rose, and I'll be with my date. There won't be any problem.'
'Oh,' said Scorpius. 'That's…nice. I'm glad.'
Shivering with relief and gratitude, Albus pulled open his trunk. 'You're going to have to help me figure out what to wear too,' he said. 'I didn't have any girls giving me advice.'
'The green shirt,' said Scorpius without pausing. 'The one with the long sleeves. It goes really well with your eyes.'
Albus pulled out the shirt and flung it on his bed. He pulled off his hoodie and slid his arms into the green shirt's sleeves. Scorpius moved closer and Albus went still. He held his breath as Scorpius did up his buttons. He could smell his lemony shampoo. Scorpius didn't move away when he'd finished. He looked at Albus with that same new expression.
Al's skin tingled all over. He didn't move. 'It's going to be fun.'
'Sure it is,' said Scorpius. 'It's going to be great.'
* * *
Rose arrived in the Entrance Hall and disappeared with Scorpius before Albus spotted Zander. He searched the crowd, wondering if maybe Zander had changed his mind and wasn't going to show up.
He felt someone come up behind him but before he could turn around, hands slid over his eyes. Albus jumped.
'Guess who,' said Zander.
'I know it's you,' said Albus. He slid out of Zander's grasp.
Zander grinned. 'You look nice,' he said, looking Albus up and down. 'Nice shirt. It brings out the colour in your eyes.'
'That's what Scorpius said,' replied Albus, trying not to squirm.
'Did he?' asked Zander. He wore faded jeans, a Muggle T-shirt and a black leather jacket. Al's dad had a similar one–older and battered–but he hadn't worn it for a couple years. Zander looked like something out of a magazine. It made Albus feel ridiculous. He waited until Zander was looking away and tried to pat down his hair to stop it from sticking up.
Zander grabbed Albus's hand and led him out of the castle. They were going to hold hands? Wasn't that jumping over a step or two? Should he hold back or just let Zander pull him along? Zander was taller than Albus with longer legs, so Albus had to walk quickly to keep up, falling into a trot now and then. While it wasn't overly warm, the sun shone bright. His hand grew slippery. He wanted to let go, but thought that might be rude.
They circled the lake and headed through the front gates. Zander asked him what NEWTS he was planning to take and told him about his up coming trial with the Appleby Arrows. Albus scanned his brain and came up with a bit of pro-Quidditch gossip he'd overheard from his mum the last time he'd been home. Zander was easier to talk to than he'd expected him to be.
All around them, other couples and groups of friends were also walking into Hogsmeade, and a lot of them were staring. This was going to end up in the papers, he realised. His dad would see, and mum, and everyone. Merlin, he really hadn't thought things through. Too late now, though. He didn't think anyone in his family would mind. Uncle Charlie was gay and dad was good friends with Dean and Seamus. James would rag him unmercifully, of course, but what else was new.
'Will we go to the Three Broomsticks?' Albus asked as they crossed the bridge into Hogsmeade. Zander was seventeen and maybe he'd sneak Albus a firewhisky. Albus had only tried it once the previous Christmas, but he remembered the buzz and calming heat.
'Do you want to?'
Albus thought about it. It would be teaming with Hogwarts students, who'd stare and whisper. He shook his head.
Zander scratched his head and for the first time Albus wondered if he was nervous too. The idea that Zander might be nervous made him feel less so. They decided to get ice creams and took them to the little park behind the war museum near the pub. It had been an old, abandoned shack when his dad had been at school, apparently. The "most haunted building in Britain". It was still haunted, but only by one ghost: a young boy, wearing a torn Ravenclaw uniform, who gave tours to visitors.
They found a bench beneath a willow tree. 'Must be weird, being Harry Potter's son,' said Zander. Albus kicked at the dirt, staring at his trainers as if they were fascinating. There was a silence and then Zander said, 'My ice cream smells a bit weird.'
'Does it?' Albus sniffed his own, but only got strawberries and fudge.
'Yeah,' he said. He held it out to Albus who, like a complete berk who hadn't grown up with James, leant forward to smell it. Zander knocked the ice cream into Albus's nose, then laughed. Like someone who had grown up with James, Albus took his own ice cream and shoved it fully into Zander's face.
'You little brat,' said Zander, grinning, then grabbed Albus and licked the ice cream off his nose. Albus laughed and pushed him away. While Zander conjured a flannel and wiped off his forehead, Albus decided that he might like him. He'd sensed that Albus didn't want to face a crowd and also that he didn't want to talk about his dad. Albus had expected him to be arrogant and annoying, but he was fun and interesting.
Zander had smooth, brown skin and sat with his long legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. Albus ran his eyes up them, landed on his muscled thighs, and then blushed.
'So,' said Zander, leaning back and shaking his hair off his shoulders. 'How long have you known?'
A little white butterfly fluttered down and hovered in front of Albus's face. He swatted at it, but it only circled then returned. 'Known what?' He blew at the butterfly, which made it more aggressive.
'That you're gay, obviously.'
Albus froze. The butterfly landed on his forehead and stayed there, opening and closing its wings. 'I…' He shook his head and the butterfly finally flew off. 'Am I?'
Zander laughed. 'Well, you're here with me, aren't you?'
'Yeah. But I don't know if I'm actually…' He swallowed. He'd never thought about it. Why hadn't he? Wasn't it a normal rite of passage, figuring out this kind of thing? A dark memory swirled to the surface. He had been genuinely attracted to at least one girl, but he did not want to think about her. He picked at a loose thread in the spot on his knee where he jeans were starting to fray. 'You can like both, can't you?'
'Sure,' said Zander. 'You're bi, then.'
'Guess so.'
The next couple of hours passed quickly. By the time they arrived at Honeydukes Albus had stopped caring about the stares and whispers. He bought some Drooble's gum and choco balls for himself and some pepper imps and ice mice for Scorpius. Was Scorpius having a good time? What had he and Rose spent the day doing? Were they holding hands? He scanned the road once he and Zander were outside again, but didn't see them anywhere.
The bright morning sun had mellowed into the buttery yellow warmth of afternoon. They turned down a side street, and crossed beneath a railway arch. There, in the shadows, Zander stopped and leant back against the brick wall. Albus stood beside him, suddenly feeling nervous again.
'Are you having a good time?' asked Zander.
'Yeah,' said Albus. 'It's been fun.' Nerves made him keep talking. 'I wasn't sure it would be. I mean, I thought maybe it was just a joke. You know.'
'No,' said Zander. 'I've had my eye on you for a while.'
Albus found that baffling, but Zander looked sincere. 'Really?'
'Mm hmm.' Zander focused on Albus's face, eyes dark with intent. 'You don't even realise how fit you are, do you? And that makes you even more…' He stopped and licked his lips, then shifted to stand in front of Albus. A shiver went down Albus's spine; he arched his neck, every nerve-ending alight. Zander slid his fingers into Albus's hair and, slowly, watching Albus's face with a kind of caution, leant it. He was going to kiss him. Albus's lips tingled in anticipation and a pool of heat blossomed in the pit of his stomach. Albus hadn't been kissed before. This would be his first.
His hand shot up and grabbed Zander's shoulder, preventing him from coming any closer. 'S-Sorry,' he said. 'I can't.' He didn't know how to phrase it. It was just… Scorpius. His eyes started to sting. Kissing Zander would have felt like cheating on Scorpius. Which was ridiculous and stupid, because Scorpius was his friend and currently on a date with a girl he'd fancied since they were children.
Without rancour, Zander pulled back. There was colour in his cheeks, but his eyes were soft. He cupped Albus's jaw, stroking his neck with his thumb. 'Thought that might be the case.'
'What do you mean?'
'You've got it for Malfoy. Don't you? Pretty bad, I reckon.'
Albus closed his eyes and bit his lip. Was he really that obvious? Closing his eyes wasn't enough, so he covered his face with his hands.
'Hey,' said Zander. 'Hey, Albus. It's okay.'
'He's with Rose,' he said. 'He's on a date with Rose.'
'Rose? You mean… Your cousin Rose?'
Albus lowered his hands, wiped his eyes and nodded.
Zander wrinkled his nose. 'But isn't she a bit…'
'Fierce. Yeah.'
'And he's a bit…'
'Not quite so fierce. Although he can be.' The familiar swell of warmth and pride that always came over Albus when he remembered everything Scorpius had done, how he'd wrestled the world back into the shape it should be, despite being terrified. Scorpius was brave, and scarily intelligent, and absolutely fierce when the situation called for it. 'He likes her, though. Has since we were kids. And he's been asking her out for ages. She finally said yes. So…' He shrugged, looking at the ground.
'That's rough,' said Zander.
Albus sighed. He wondered if the date was over now, if they weren't going to kiss. Maybe Zander wouldn't want to hang out any longer. But Zander smiled and said, 'Maybe we could go to the Three Broomsticks now?'
'Sure.' Albus grinned.
* * *
The pub was packed and people did stare. Albus didn't mind. There was something giddy inside him. It popped and fizzed like bubbles. Like taking a deep breath before you jumped off a moving train. Zander pushed through the crowd, creating a path. Zander said something, but Albus didn't catch it. It was too noisy. Zander slid his arm around Albus's shoulders and leant in, speaking directly into his ear. 'D'you want a Butterbeer? They don't let the sevenths years get anything stronger on Hogsmeade weekends. Too many got caught passing drinks to younger students.'
A little disappointed but not that much, Albus said, 'Sure. I'll go try and find somewhere to sit.' He turned around, and there was Scorpius, who jumped and dropped the glasses of drink he'd been holding.
Albus steadied himself, his pulse suddenly racing. Scorpius wasn't looking at him, he was watching Zander disappear through the crowd toward the bar. 'That's your date?'
'Er, yeah.'
A dustpan and brush scuttled across the floor and began sweeping up the mess at their feet, aggressively bumping into Scorpius's shoes as it did so. Scorpius ignored it, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Zander Higgs?' Albus nodded and shrugged one shoulder. 'Do you like him?'
'He's not bad,' said Albus. 'Kind of cool, really.' He looked over to the bar. Zander winked, then waved to Scorpius.
'I hate him,' said Scorpius, with enough vehemence to make Albus's eyes widen. 'I mean, he's a bully, isn't he?'
'I don't think so. Have you ever seen him bully anyone?'
'No. But he seems the type.'
'He's not a bully. I like him.'
Scorpius flinched. He lowered his head then looked up at Albus with one of his false smiles. Terrified they were about to have another fight and not knowing why, Albus asked, 'Did you have a nice time with Rose?'
'Pardon?'
'Your date with Rose. How is it going?'
'Rose? Great. It's going great.'
The happy fizzy feeling evaporated. 'Oh. Good.'
'Rose and I are in the corner,' said Scorpius, staring after Zander again. 'Do you want to come sit with us?'
'I don't want to, you know, be a third wheel.'
'You won't be.' He sighed and tucked his hair behind his ear. 'We're friends, Rose and I. Just friends. I really don't know why I thought it would be anything else.'
Albus shoved his hands into his pockets. 'Is that because you want it that way or because–'
Zander arrived and handed Albus a butterbeer. Scorpius suddenly didn't seem to know what to do with himself. He looked at Zander, then at Albus, then crossed his arms and hunched.
Cocking his head to the side, Zander nudged Scorpius with his elbow. Scorpius glared and Zander laughed. 'Just saying hello, Malfoy.' He held the second butterbeer out to him. 'Why don't you take this? I think I'm going to… I need some new quills. Going to go see what's happening at Scrivenshaft's.'
'You're going?' asked Albus, worried he'd done something wrong.
'I had fun today,' said Zander. He winked and squeezed Albus's hand. 'See you at practice, Malfoy.' He turned and moved his way through the crowd towards the exit.
Scorpius stared at the butterbeer Zander had given him as if he thought it might be poisoned. 'Guess I scared him off,' he said.
'We're just friends, too,' said Albus. 'Zander and me.'
'You are?'
'Yeah,' said Albus, encouraged by the way Scorpius' face had brightened. 'Just friends. Nothing more than that.'
As they looked at each other the din of crowd surrounding them blurred, became distant. Albus gave a nervous, shaky laugh. 'Bit of a disaster really. Our dates.'
'Well, it's us,' said Scorpius. 'Of course they were.'
Albus couldn't look away from Scorpius’s eyes. Scorpius had that expression again, the one from the dorm room–warm, speculative, a little excited. His heart fluttered as if the white butterfly from the park had crawled inside. He reached out, found Scorpius' hand. He slid their fingers together. Scorpius smiled and his face filled with light. Then he leant forward and kissed Albus. Dimly, Albus registered the sounds of hoots and cheers from the crowd. It was a soft, hesitant kiss but it rooted him to the spot. He let his butterbeer fall to the floor, grabbed Scorpius' shoulders and kissed him back–another soft and hesitant kiss, but it left him panting when they drew apart.
'Can… Can we go back now?' whispered Scorpius. He swayed a little.
Albus nodded fiercely.
'I should tell Rose,' said Scorpius, looking over his shoulder.
Albus followed his line of sight to the back wall where Rose sat at a table with Clarice and Mahika. All three girls beamed. Rose gave them two thumbs up and mouthed something that looked like, 'I told you so.'
Albus grabbed Scorpius' hand and dragged him out of the pub.
* * *
Somehow they made it back to the castle. Albus, entirely focussed on getting to their dorm, couldn't remember exactly how it happened. They could have unconsciously Apparated for all he knew. They stumbled through the door, still holding hands, and tried to catch their breath.
The room seemed to be empty, but Albus checked all the beds, just in case. Yes. No one there. Everyone was in Hogsmeade. They were completely alone.
Albus glanced at Scorpius, who stood in the middle of the floor staring back at him. He smiled. A nervous smile. There were patches of red on his cheeks.
'There's no one else here,' said Albus, unnecessarily.
'I know.' Scorpius started to bite his nails, then put his hands behind his back and clasped them. 'All alone. Just the two of us. Shall I Colloportus the door, or would that be collo-presumptuous… Oh god, I'm sorry.' He covered his face with his hands, then turned away.
'You're an idiot,' said Albus, feeling so fond of Scorpius he wanted to squeeze him until he popped. He took a halting step forward.
'I am, aren't I?'
'So am I, though.' He'd reached Scorpius and was standing right behind him. 'Taking so long to realise that I was…' He slid his arms around Scorpius' waist and buried his face in his hair.
Scorpius made a quiet sound and Albus felt the tension in his body change from embarrassment to something else. 'That you were what?'
'Jealous,' he admitted. 'That I was jealous. I couldn't stand the idea that you wanted to be with Rose.'
'I don't want to be with Rose.' Scorpius slid his hand over Albus's wrist and squeezed, then pressed back against him, making them both sway a little. 'Oh,' he said, so quiet. 'Albus.'
Scorpius turned in his arms until they faced each other, then paused, blinking and staring. He was a bit taller. His lips were red and wet; he must have been biting them. Mine, thought Albus. He's mine. The thought made him wild. He leant in.
Their kisses were soft at first. Each slide of their lips sent hard shivers down Albus's spine. 'Scorpius,' he whispered. This was the same Scorpius–blond hair, sharp features, gangly limbs–but at the same time, he seemed entirely new. Blond hair Albus could run his fingers through. A sharp jaw Albus could cup while leaning in to kiss him. Limbs… Albus could think of all sorts of things he'd like Scorpius to do with his arms and legs. The thought made him dizzy and he kissed harder, digging the fingers of one hand into the back of Scorpius' neck and holding him close with his other arm.
'You've gone slightly mad,' said Scorpius, smiling and breathless.
'We should, we should lie down.'
'Yeah, okay.'
They pulled apart. Albus tried to pull Scorpius over to his bed, while Scorpius did the same toward his own. They had a bit of a tug-of-war and then bumped together as they each gave in at the same time. Finally, laughing, they ended up on Scorpius' bed. Albus pushed him onto his back and kissed him again, thrilling at the soft pressure of Scorpius' lips and the mobile heat of his body beneath him. Their tongues met, which made Albus moan and press his hips downward. With a soft gasp, Scorpius arched up against him. 'Merlin,' said Albus. Feeling clumsy and desperate. Unsure what to do, he pushed up on his arms. Scorpius gazed up at him, his eyes almost all pupil.
Tentatively, Albus poked his fingers beneath the hem of Scorpius's red shirt. He moved them upwards until he felt skin. There was a quiet moment in which they both remained still, holding their breath, and then Albus slid his hand across Scorpius's stomach and up his chest. Smooth and soft and warm and perfect. Scorpius arched his neck and gasped. When Scorpius grabbed the bottom of Albus's shirt and tugged, Albus reflexively rolled his hips and groaned. Scorpius yanked at Albus's shirt until it got stuck and they had to undo the buttons, each one taking ages as their fingers shook and slipped. Scorpius's shirt came off more easily.
They kissed for a while longer. Albus wove his fingers into Scorpius' hair and Scorpius stroked his palms up Albus's sides, sending shivers across his skin. Scorpius drew his knees up, holding Albus's hips and Albus had to push off him and roll to the side to avoid ruining things.
He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing hard, and brought himself back from the edge. Scorpius laughed and when Albus opened his eyes Scorpius was gazing at his chest. He trailed his fingers through the slight patch of dark hair in the centre. Albus grabbed him and buried his face against Scorpius' neck. He smelled so good, so familiar. Albus mouthed against his skin, breathing him in.
After a bit more kissing their hips were pressed against each other again, which was delicious but frustrating. Albus wanted… He wondered… He didn't want to push things too far too soon, but god, he wanted to…
'Oh,' gasped Scorpius. 'Please. Could we. Could I?' He took hold of the corner of Albus's fly.
'Yes, yes.' Albus's hands shook as he undid Scorpius's trousers. The idea of touching him was terrifying and exciting enough to make him feel faint.
Scorpius grasped him a little too tight, which was okay as it meant he could concentrate on finding the right angle for his own hand on Scorpius. 'Is that all right?' Albus asked.
Scorpius didn't respond. His breath came in gasps.
'Scorpius, is that okay? Is it good?'
'What? Yes. Merlin, yes.'
Albus kissed him, wet and sloppy. It wasn't going to last much longer. He could feel the pressure building. He whimpered and jerked his hips.
Scorpius's breath hitched. His eyes widened. His breath hitched again. He arched his neck back and said, 'Oh, Merlin. Albus, oh, I'm going to, I'm, I'm…' His teeth dug deep into his lip and he went rigid, trembling, not breathing at all.
Delicious shivers of empathy rolled across Albus's skin. Scorpius' grip tightened painfully around him and Albus yelled, then twisted, and followed Scorpius over the edge.
They clung to each other, panting.
'You're… You're awfully good at that,' said Scorpius. His body had gone soft and boneless in Albus's arms.
'Lots of practice,' said Albus grinning. He felt like he could grin forever. Like he'd never stop smiling.
'I hope you mean what I think you mean, and not that you've been sneaking off behind the greenhouses with Quidditch players without my knowledge.'
'I mean exactly what you think I mean. There's only ever been one Quidditch player and he's here with me right now.'
'Is he?'
'Yeah. The only one I want.'
Scorpius pushed damp hair off Albus's face. He smiled and looked… happy. He looked really happy. Albus slid closer and squeezed him.
'Ugh, ew. Wait.' Scorpius fished around in his jeans until he found his wand, then cast a cleaning charm. 'Okay. You may hug me now.'
Albus did. Tight. Scorpius returned it. The rolled back and forth a bit. Albus started to laugh. They settled, Scorpius running his fingers through Albus's hair, catching on tangles now and then. It was lovely and soothing. He felt Scorpius kiss him on the top of his head. 'Don't you dare fall asleep,' said Scorpius.
'I won't,' said Albus, but then he did.
* * *
Two days later, Albus ran into Rose while rushing to Potions after doubling back to the library because he'd left his homework there. His mind had been all over the place. There wasn't anything he wanted to think about other than Scorpius and when would be the next time they could be alone together.
'Hey, Albus.' She gave him a knowing grin. 'Nice afternoon on Saturday?'
He narrowed his eyes. 'It was great. No thanks to you.'
'No thanks to me?' She smirked. 'Complete thanks to me, actually.'
He crossed his arms. 'You're talking gibberish.'
'Albus, why do you think I agreed to go out with Scorpius?'
He shrugged. 'You said it was because you wanted to go on a date with him.'
'Well, I lied. Look. It was obvious to everyone–and I do mean everyone, both our mums and Lily and Hugo and Clarice and… Well, everyone, that you and Scorpius were mad about each other but too dim-witted to realise it.'
'Good to know you were all gossiping behind my back.'
'And something had to be done about it. And I knew that if I finally gave in and went on a date with Scorpius he'd realise that it wasn't me he wanted. It was you.'
A thought occurred to Albus. He frowned. 'So… Was it the same for Zander? Did he ask me out just to prove a point? Were the two of you in on it together?'
She sighed. 'No, of course not. You're my cousin, but even I can tell that you're much more adorable than you realise.'
'Oh.' He kicked at the floor, biting his lip so she wouldn't see him smile. 'Well, it was still a terrible plan. You could have just told me. Or something. Instead of making me think…' He gestured with his hand.
'Yeah, I could have.'
'And?'
She laughed. 'My way was just a lot more fun.'
'You'd be a perfect fit in Slytherin. You know that, right?'
Her eyes widened in mock outrage. 'You dare!'
'It's true.'
'And you…' She ruffled his hair, making him squirm away. 'Have a whole lot more Gryffindor in you than you'll admit.'
'You're talking complete rubbish.'
'Goodbye, Albus.' Her voice took on a sing-song tone. 'Say hi to Scorpius from me when you see him.'
He watched her saunter down the corridor, then cursed, realising he was going to be horrifically late to Potions again.
* * *
A few weeks later Albus was fast asleep when someone started harassing him in a completely unnecessary way. Scorpius, Albus had learned since they started sharing his bed, woke up way too early.
'Albus,' Scoprius whispered. 'Albus!'
'Shhh. We've got at least five more minutes before we need to be conscious.'
Scorpius shook his shoulder. Albus swatted him away.
'Albus.' Scorpius put his mouth right up against Albus's ear. 'AlbusAlbusAlbusAl–'
'All right!' He rolled over and glared. Scorpius beamed at him. 'What? What is it?'
'It's June first.'
'So?'
Scorpius snuggled closer. 'Time to ask my crush out on a date.'
Albus sighed. Scorpius' hair stuck up in front. His face was creased from the pillow. He wore flannel pyjamas with pictures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle all over them. He was ridiculous. 'You're ridiculous,' said Albus. 'You don't need to ask me out, we already go everywhere together.'
'You should indulge me.'
'Now? Before breakfast?'
'It's the first of the month. There are traditions to be adhered to.'
'Traditions that have nothing to do with me.'
'Albus…' Scorpius whined.
'You're not going to stop until I let you do it, are you?'
'Nope.'
'Well, go on then,' said Albus, starting to grin.
Scorpius sat up and crossed his legs. He lifted his chin, then tucked his hair behind his ear. He really, truly needed a haircut. 'Right. Well then. Will you, Albus Severus Potter, do me the honour of accompanying me on the next Hogsmeade weekend?'
'Really?' said Albus. 'Is that really how you did it? That's how you asked out Rose? And you wonder why it took her twenty-six times before she gave in?'
'Twenty-seven. And yes. I believe these things should be done properly.'
Albus pushed up on his elbows. 'What if I say no? Maybe I should make you ask me twenty-seven times too.'
'Now that would just be mean.'
'Or maybe,' said Albus, 'I don't want to go out with you. Maybe I'd rather stay in. It's not often we get the dorm room to ourselves for hours at a time.'
Scorpius' eyes widened. 'You make a very good point.'
'On the other hand, I heard Honeydukes has a new kind of sweet that makes you grow animal ears. Rabbit, horse, Erumpent. I want to get a bag and slip them into James' pumpkin juice while he's not paying attention.'
'You'd better say yes then.'
Albus shifted until his head was in Scorpius' lap. Scorpius ran his thumb over Albus's lips, smiling. 'Yes,' said Albus. 'I'll say it twenty-seven times if you like. Yes, yes, yes… A million times. Yes.'
Scorpius bent down to kiss him and they ended up missing breakfast entirely.
-- The End