Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/10190870.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M, F/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Draco_Malfoy/Other(s), Harry_Potter/Ginny_Weasley
  Character:
      Ginny_Weasley, Harry_Potter, Other(s), Draco_Malfoy
  Additional Tags:
      Explicit_Language, Slash_sex, Sexual_Content, Drama, First_Time, Pre-
      Slash, Romance
  Collections:
      HPFandom
  Stats:
      Published: 2008-03-15 Words: 13815
****** Seven Years ******
by SoftlySweetly [archived by HPFandom_archivist]
Summary
     Next!Gen Fic - They say your school days shape your life, and they
     do. A lot can happen in seven years, and only the strongest
     relationships weather the storm. (Albus Severus/Scorpius)
Notes
     Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally
     archived at HP_Fandom, which was closed for health and financial
     reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its
     works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I
     e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but
     may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator,
     please contact me using the e-mail address on HP_Fandom_collection
     profile.
Title: Seven Years
Author: SoftlySweetly
Beta: Potion_Lady
Pairing: Albus Severus/Scorpius
Rating: NC17
Word count: ~13,750
Warnings: Slash, Adult themes and words, Next!Gen, DH-Compliant
Summary: They say your school days shape your life, and they do. A lot can
happen in seven years, and only the strongest relationships weather the storm.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just let them play for my own amusement. If you're
not old enough, kindly amble away
A/N: Written for Sesheta_66's request in the recent round at Slashfest
 
 
 
First_Year
Scorpius knew all the rules about being a Slytherin; what it meant for his
family and how he had to behave. He knew all the words spouted at him by his
father, and his mother's curt nods punctuating them.
He wanted to cry.
Scorpius knew all about the War, and all about what had come before and after
it. He knew that people were still wary of Slytherins, but not as much as they
had been when his father slept within these walls. And Scorpius didn't want to
be associated with that. He'd quite wanted to be a Ravenclaw. But, knowing it
was pointless trying to change what the Hat had told him, Scorpius had no
choice but to stand up when the Hat was removed from his head, plaster a smile
on his face, and walk over to the table.
He barely listened to the other students, until one name caught his attention,
passing from Professor Sinistra’s thin lips.
"Albus Severus Potter."
Scorpius had listened to his father spit that name - 'Potter!' - most of his
life, and his interest was piqued to see what the son of their Saviour would
look like. He couldn't help the undignified snort when the boy tripped over his
robes as he walked to the chair.
When the hat took its time, Scorpius' mind began to wander, drawn back sharply
when the withered old thing announced
"Slytherin!"
And, for a brief second, Scorpius saw in green eyes what he'd felt in his own
heart.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Setting the last pair of folded socks in his drawer, Scorpius ambled over to
the bed currently occupied by a distressed looking Albus Severus. "Did you not
want to be a Slytherin?"
Shaking his head, Al spoke with the honesty an eleven year old was prone to.
"Nope. Wanted to be in Gryffindor like my Dad."
Sitting on the bottom corner, Scorpius scuffed his shoes, perversely pleased by
an act that would usually have his mother admonishing him about fine Italian
leather and treating his belongings with care. "I wanted to be a Ravenclaw."
"Really?"
Nodding, Scorpius was about to up and leave when a hand was thrust in front of
his chest. "I'm Al."
Taking the hand after a moment considering it, Scorpius clasped the tan fingers
in his own paler ones. "Scorpius."
"Scorpius?"
Squeezing Al's fingers, Scorpius laughed softly. "Shut up, I heard your full
name earlier! Albus Severus!"
Laughing and pulling his hand free, Al lay down on his bed and flung his arm
over his eyes. "Maybe our parents hate us. They must really hate you – that
can't even be shortened."
"Aunt Daphne calls me Score, but mainly to piss Father off."
Al nodded, grinning cheekily, "I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet him!"
 
 
Second_Year
They were barely through the barrier before a white blonde head had appeared
out of nowhere. "All right, Al!"
Catching sight of the older man walking more sedately over to their group, Al
checked his speech and used his friend's full name. "Hey, Scorpius. Good
holiday?"
Scorpius nodded, feeling his father's hand settle firmly on his shoulder, and
seeing Al's father match the gesture.
"Potter."
"Malfoy."
A woman that Scorpius recognised from Al's photos muttered something that
sounded like idiot men and held her hand out to him. He didn't know whether to
shake it or kiss it – Al had laughed at him when he'd mentioned that aspect of
his manners training. From the angle of her hand, Al's mother was expecting it
to be shaken, and Scorpius took it nervously.
"You must be Scorpius. We've heard a lot about you. Did you enjoy Andorra?"
"Yes, thank you very much, Mrs. Potter."
Smiling, Ginny squeezed Scorpius' hand and aimed a swift kick at her husband,
who looked liable to throw a punch at any moment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it –
the picture on your postcard was beautiful. And please, call me Ginny."
Scorpius nodded, shooting a glance at Al, and saw his friend was equally
unimpressed by the hostility between their fathers. "Uhm, Father, I might go
get on the train now."
Snapping out of his glaring match with Harry, Draco nodded and turned away from
the offending clan, hitching his smart trousers up to allow him to bob down.
"Be good, Scorpius, and do us proud."
"Yes, Father."
"And write to your mother, you know how she frets."
"I will."
Nodding, Draco straightened up, holding his hand out and shaking Scorpius' hand
formally. Before his son could dart away, Draco rested a hand on the back of
his head, bringing him close for a brief hug, and bestowing upon his son a
smile seen by no one but the boy he had sired.
As Scorpius and his father said their goodbyes, Al had turned to face his own
parents, being pulled into hugs by both of them, and kicking James as his
brother darted past. Released to board the train, Al found Scorpius in a
compartment and ducked inside, flopping into the seat with a groan. "They're
worse than kids."
Laughing off the tension, both boys settled into complaining about their
parents and swapping tales of their holidays
 
 
Third_Year
Sliding down the hallway in the thick socks he'd gotten for Christmas, Scorpius
opened the door of the Manor and gasped. "Al!"
Cold biting at him, Al glared at his friend and gestured his arms wildly. "You
gonna let me in then?!"
Stepping to the side, Scorpius let Al in and took his cloak, hanging it up and
grinning at his friend. "I didn't think you'd come – did your parents drop you
off?"
"Yeah. Is it really okay for me to be here?" Al asked nervously, eyeing the
grandeur of Malfoy Manor and wondering what he'd end up breaking first.
"Course it is. Father said I could invite friends over."
"Yeah, but I'm not exactly his favourite person."
Scorpius had to concede that point, and decided it might be better to introduce
Al to his mother first, so she was on side to quell his father's irritation.
"Come on, I've got to tell Mother you're here."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Once he'd realised that Al wasn't accompanied by his dad, Scorpius' father had
warmed to him and was teaching them both the finer points of Wizarding chess,
while his mother pored over the society pages.
That was when they heard the cursing.
Before they could do anything but stand up, Al's parents were bursting into the
room, a terrified House Elf scuttling behind them. Well, his father was
bursting, and his mother was looking mortified.
"What a surprise, I might have known you'd encourage my son into rule-
breaking!"
Falling neatly into their school-day roles, Draco sneered and squared up to
Harry, brushing his wife's hand off his shoulder. "I think your genes do that
well enough! He's been perfectly civil, it's his brute of a father needs
reminding of the rules!"
"You dare take the moral high ground? You… you kidnap my son and…"
"He arrived of his own accord, obviously looking for some culture away from
your plebeian influence!"
Al and Scorpius watched in terror as the fight turned physical; both men
lunging at each other, while their wives produced wands and separated them
brusquely, apologising profusely to each other for the behaviour of their
brutish, uncouth husbands.
Glaring at his dad, Al pushed forward and folded his arms over his chest. "I
came myself, because it's not fair to say I can't see my friend over
Christmas!"
"I didn't say that, Al. I said you could ask him over and…"
"And James gets to stay with Michael and Robin. You just don't like Mr. Malfoy,
and it's not fair."
Gritting his teeth, Harry gestured to the door. "Home, now."
"No."
Ever the voice of reason, Astoria stepped forward and held her hands out in a
show of peace-making. "Perhaps you should go home now, Albus, and then you can
come back tomorrow, after we've had a chance to dress a room for you. A night
or two here won't hurt anyone; I'm sure Scorpius would love to have someone to
play Quidditch with who won't be quite as competitive as his father."
Mr. Malfoy snorted, and his father laughed derisively, so Al looked to his mum.
"Can I, Mum?"
Ignoring the warning look sent her way by Harry – she'd deal with him later –
Ginny nodded softly and turned to the other woman. "If you're sure you can
handle the little terror, Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Astoria, please, and it'll be fine. Let me give you our floo number."
 
 
Fourth_Year
"Do you reckon we'll get anything as cool as the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Doubtful," Scorpius scoffed, waving at his mother through the window until he
felt it was safe to sit down and return his attention to his friends. He and Al
had formed a tight-knit group with their House year mates; even if everyone did
know they were thicker than thieves between the two of them. "Did you see the
look on your Father's face?"
"Mum told him he had to be nice to your Dad, or she'd make him sleep on the
sofa."
"Mother threatened the back veranda."
They sniggered, both amused at the stilted conversation that had grudgingly
passed between their fathers as they stood on the platform. As conversation
struck up around them, Al leaned close and whispered, "I have something to show
you later."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Scorpius feigned interest in the skin magazine Al had stolen off his brother,
but it wasn't really his thing. When Scorpius had bought his own over the
summer, he'd found his attention much more taken with the hard, smooth planes
of the men than the soft, rounded curves of the women. The week before school
started, he'd finally broken and bought his own magazine, packing it
surreptitiously. Checking that he was completely alone in the dorm room,
Scorpius lifted the wards on his trunk and rifled at the bottom, lifting the
false panel and pulling out the magazine he'd bought that was completely
devoted to men. Glorious, naked, moving men.
"Score, come on, it's dinner!"
Jumping, Scorpius pressed the magazine to the bottom of his trunk, cheeks
aflame with embarrassment as he set the wards and ran to join Al. "Okay, let's
go."
"What's with you?"
"Nothing, Al. Come on, let's go."
Shrugging, Al's attention was too focused on his stomach to pay much attention
to his friend, giving Scorpius the time needed to calm down and slide on his
Slytherin mask.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Draco drummed his fingers against the table-top, his coffee steaming in front
of him as he watched the door for a sign of Scorpius. The bell over the door
tinkled, and Draco smiled tightly as Scorpius walked across the small café to
his table. Merlin, but every time he saw his son the boy seemed to have gained
six inches. "Hello, Scorpius."
"Father." Scorpius sat down, smiling his thanks for the juice his father had
purchased for him. He wasn't exactly sure why he was giving up precious free
time in Hogsmeade to meet with his father, but Scorpius knew he needed to talk
about the feelings racing through him, and he'd always been able to talk to his
father, knowing that after an initial reaction the man would calm and do
everything in his power to help Scorpius.
They exchanged trivial information about life at home and at school, and when
Draco's coffee cup was empty, he pushed it to the side and rested his hands on
his folded leg. "So, what law have you broken?"
Laughing gently, Scorpius shook his head and drained his juice. "None, Father.
Could we… can we walk awhile?"
Taking the change of tone in stride, Draco left some coins on the table,
covering their drinks and a tip, and led his son from the coffee shop. Scorpius
waved occasionally at friends from school, but they were soon out of the
village and walking through the woods. "Scorpius?"
"I… I bought these magazines."
Smiling, Draco shook his head in relief. "That's all right; I was once a
teenage boy, too."
"No, I… in the magazines, I don’t look at all of the pictures. Justthemen."
Stopping in his tracks, Draco tried to unscramble the words. "Scorpius, I can't
help if you garble words. Which pictures did you look at?"
"Just the men."
"Oh."
Draco stared at Scorpius, and his son stared at the ground. Floundering, Draco
had no idea what to say, and found himself pining for his wife, who would take
control of the situation instantly and know exactly what to say for the best.
However, when Scorpius looked up, his eyes damp and pain written in his
features, Draco stopped thinking and just acted, stepping forward and drawing
Scorpius into his arms. He felt his son trembling, felt the hitch of sobs, and
murmured soothingly until Scorpius pulled away, turning around and wiping his
arm across his face.
"Sorry."
"Don't be."
"I just… I know how much you worry about us standing out, about things being
different, because of what happened when you were growing up, but…" Scorpius
was cut off by his father's hands tightening around his shoulders, spinning him
around so that he was trapped in the stormy grey eyes of his father.
"Do not ever, ever let yourself think you're not normal, that you're not making
me proud with every breath you take. My mistakes are mine alone, and they will
never be visited on you, so help me Merlin."
Scorpius nodded, stunned by the vehemence in his father's eyes. Though he'd
been sat down and told about the War in brutal, crushing honesty before he came
to school, to protect you against the narrow-minded fools who believe the
father's mistakes are the son's debts, and to stop you trying to pay that debt,
as his father had said, they never talked about the War or the consequences it
had unless Scorpius brought it up, and the pain it caused his father meant he
never did.
Letting his son go, Draco took a moment to compose himself before resting his
hand again on Scorpius' arm, though much softer this time. "The same rules
apply. Be careful, be safe. Don't break anyone's heart if you can help it, and
don’t give your heart away to anyone who doesn't deserve it. As long as you are
happy, I will do all I can to help you, however you want."
Scorpius smiled, taking a step back and running his hands up and through his
hair. "I was thinking about cutting my hair short and spiky."
Accepting the conversation change, Draco resumed walking. "Your Mother will
kill you, and I'm having no part in it."
"Teddy Lupin has green spikes."
"Teddy Lupin is a Metamorphmagus; he can get away with such ridiculousness."
"So green spikes are out?"
"If you want to live, yes."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Scorpius was lay on his bed writing when Al found him, and tossed a bag of
chocolate frogs onto the bed next to his friend. "Got you these. Your Dad all
right?"
"Yeah, he just wanted to talk about Mother's birthday. Did you have fun?"
Shrugging, Al popped a frog in his mouth and sucked it until it melted as he
lay down on his bed and kicked his shoes off. "All right. We spent most of the
time teasing Tony about Lisa. And I saw Sophie in Honeydukes'."
Setting his quill to the side, Scorpius sat up and unwrapped a chocolate frog
slowly. He knew his friend had a crush on the pretty Ravenclaw, and he grinned
as he bit the head of the frog off and spoke around the sweet substance. "You
ask her out yet?"
"Nah, lost my nerve."
Nodding, Scorpius quickly read through his letter, signing it and attaching it
to his waiting owl, seeing the bird off to his father before he focused his
attentions on his friend's romantic woes.
 
 
Fifth_Year
"How come you don't date girls?"
Scorpius looked up from his essay and glared at Al over the desk. "What kind of
question is that?"
"Well, you listen to me talk about girls, but you never have any tales to
tell."
"Neither do you! Unrequited crushes and a clumsy kiss in the Room of
Requirement before Christmas don't count as conquests!"
Al winced and tossed a piece of balled up parchment across the desk, bouncing
it off Scorpius' head and making the other boy flip a very offensive hand sign
at him. "That was low, Score, even for a Malfoy."
"Well, I have to set my insults to low-brow, you're a Potter after all!"
The light-hearted banter broke the tension, and Scorpius shrugged his shoulders
as he leant back and stretched the kinks out of his back. It was the Easter
holidays, and the pressure was on over the upcoming OWLs. "I'm just… not
interested."
Al nodded, but Scorpius saw the calculating look in his eyes. A blind panic
washed over him, before Scorpius remembered that this was his best friend, and
Albus would never break his trust by going through his trunk. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Just don’t want you to think I'm hogging the conversation. If you
want to talk, you can."
"Thanks for the permission."
"Prick!"
Scorpius laughed, returning to his essay and missing the look Al shot at him.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
"Richard Corner, you know, the sixth year Ravenclaw?"
Scorpius nodded absently, too lost in Potions theory to really react to what Al
was chattering about.
"He's gay, you know."
Raising his eyes, Scorpius looked up, his gaze calculating as he weighed up
Albus' expression with the strange things Al had been spouting over the past
few weeks. "What are you trying to say, Al?"
"Just that, you know, it's all right to be gay."
Staring at Al, Scorpius Summoned his wand and pointed it at his trunk,
muttering a spell to reveal magical signatures. When he saw the glimmering red
of Al's signature, the colour exploded over his eyes, clouding his vision as
Scorpius turned and lunged at Al, fists flying.
Having an older brother meant Al was good in fights, and with no siblings
Scorpius had no practise, so Al easily overpowered him, sitting on his legs and
holding his arms while the struggling died down.
"You fucking bastard you fucking bastard you fucking bastard you…"
"…fucking bastard. Yeah, I caught that. And before you continue with this hissy
fit, I didn't go snooping."
Scorpius snarled and renewed his fight to land a punch or eight on Albus'
stupid face, but the other boy held firm and Scorpius soon sagged against the
floor, eyes screwed shut to hold his tears at bay.
"I didn't go snooping, Score. I wouldn't. I heard you rustling magazines a few
weeks back, before you went for a shower. I was nosey, wondered if you had
something I hadn't seen, so I went for a look. You'd left one on the bed by
accident and I just… I figured you'd want it putting away."
Scorpius whimpered, and Al moved off him, waiting while Scorpius sat up and
scrubbed violently at his face. Though Scorpius wouldn't look at him, Al knew
he had his friend's attention, and he spoke softly. "You great pillock, what
did you think I'd say?"
"Considering your obsession with breasts, that I was a sick freak!"
"It isn’t an obsession! They're just so… weird, and awesome."
Scorpius shook his head, unable to bite back a laugh at Al's wide-eyed wonder
and confusion at the biological phenomenon that was breasts.
"I'm actually pleased."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you were my only competition, and now I'm on the home straight."
Scorpius laughed, standing up and heading to the bathroom to splash water on
his face. He was stopped at the door, however, when Al called out, "You're not
a freak, Score. You're my best friend."
Scorpius turned, smiling softly at Al before he ducked into the bathroom,
leaning over the sink and breathing deeply until he felt able to go back
outside. When he did re-enter the room, Al had returned to his Charms book, and
as Scorpius picked up his Potions textbook, the atmosphere between them was the
same as ever. "Thanks Al."
"Don't mention it. I'm just brilliant."
 
 
Sixth_Year
It was supposed to be prep work time, but Al's mind was as far away from his
Transfiguration homework as it could be. It was, in fact, firmly focused on
Scorpius. On Scorpius talking to Richard Corner. On Scorpius laughing with
Richard Corner. On Scorpius' hand lingering on Richard Corner's chest far too
long to be the playful shove the action masqueraded as.
As Scorpius ducked his head in a farewell and moved back to the Slytherin
table, Al shoved his things in his bag and stood up, purposefully jamming his
shoulder into Scorpius as he stormed past him.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Finally tiring of the stroppy, bad-tempered brat that had replaced his best
friend, Scorpius entered the Slytherin common room and crossed over to where
his friends were sat in front of the fire. As Al stood up to leave, Scorpius
pushed him back down forcefully, balling his hands into fists at his side.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Nothing!"
"Bollocks! You've been a right gobshite for the past few weeks, and I want to
know why. Because I sure as Merlin's hairy ones haven't done anything wrong!"
They were attracting an audience, but as Al stood and squared up to Scorpius,
neither boy seemed to notice. Al's arms were rigid by his side as he snarled at
Scorpius, "Yeah, you've done nothing wrong. Except slobber over some Ravenclaw
like a kneazle in heat!"
Vicious triumph shining in his eyes, Al turned and went to leave, but was
stopped by a punch landed on the back of his head.
"You arrogant prick! I have a conversation without your permission and…"
"You're mine!" Al yelled, bringing the whole common room to a crashing silence.
The very air seemed thick and too much, crushing in around the two boys as they
stood, red-faced and panting, every muscle set to fight mode, and faced each
other off. Part of Al was railing, confused and unsure as to why this argument
was taking place, but most of him was guided by his temper, and he showed his
mother's genes when his voice dropped to a dangerous hiss. "You're my friend,
and you're too busy chasing cock to even remember that."
It was lucky Scorpius' sexuality was an unspoken truth, because if his House
hadn't already been fully aware of his sexual preference, Al would have just
outed him in the most spectacular way imaginable. As it was, a few of the
younger years gasped at such a blunt phrasing, but no one dared step up and get
between the two clouds of energy facing off.
Scorpius knew the right thing to do was walk away. But since when had Al – the
boy that sniggered at Scorpius' manners and copied his essays – cared about the
right thing? So Scorpius drew his hand back. It felt like slow-motion as his
fingers curled in around each other, balling up as his hand began travelling
forwards. Scorpius registered the look of shock on Al's face a split second
before his fist connected with the other boy's jaw. Scorpius watched as Al's
head flung sideways, skin tearing off with the pressure of the Malfoy crest
ring Scorpius wore sliding along Al's jaw. His arm came back down as Al hit the
floor, and Scorpius didn't even feel the ache in his hand, he was so focused on
the figure staggering to its feet in front of him. "I'm your friend, and I've
sat back while you whined about your own life for six years. Get used to it Al;
I'm not your lapdog, and I'm not going to drop my life when you throw a hissy
fit."
Brushing past Al, Scorpius stormed out of the common room, walking until he
broke into a run, feet pounding the stone flags as he ran aimlessly down the
halls. Darting into the second floor girls' bathroom, the one place he was
guaranteed safety as long as he could tolerate Moaning Myrtle, Scorpius leant
over the sink and began to cry.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Al hadn't been looking for his sister, but when he spotted her walking towards
the library, Al took off at a jog and caught her at the door. "Lils."
"Al, hey… what happened to your face?"
Shaking his head, Al wrapped his fingers around Lily's arm, leading her away
from her friends and into an empty classroom. "Me and Scorpius had a fight."
Lily's eyebrows shot into her hairline, and she set her books down, producing
her wand and holding Al's face still while she muttered a healing charm. It
wasn't as good as her Mum's, but it would pass and lessen the bruise blooming
on Al's face. "Really? What about?"
"He's being such a poof, always sniffing around that Richard and…"
"And you never do the same with girls. With Sophie, or Lisa. Or that ill-fated
dalliance with Crystal?"
"I don't get all… How do you know about Crystal?"
Shrugging, Lily hopped up on the desk opposite Al and drew her ponytail through
her hand, smoothing her hair into place and setting her legs to a gentle swing.
"Girls talk. From what she claims, you were raring to go until she took her bra
off, then you stalled and stuttered before muttering something about having to
help Scorpius with Transfiguration."
Al flushed, bringing his hands up to cover his face. "Does everyone know?" he
asked, voice muffled by his palms.
"No, not really. But Al, maybe Scorpius would talk to you if he thought you'd
listen?"
"What do I say? He's queer, I don't know the first thing about fancying
blokes!"
"Course you don't."
"What?"
Lily shook her head dismissively, and leant back on her hands, eyeing Al with
quiet intensity before nodding, seeming to have answered some internal question
that she did not intend to share with Al. "You don't need to know about it to
be an ear for Scorpius. He doesn't exactly know much about girls, does he?"
"Well, yeah, but…" Al faltered, his mouth moving but his brain failing to
supply any words. Giving it up as a bad job, he dropped his chin to his chest
and stared at his thigh. He heard the rustle of fabric, and then Lily was
nudging his legs apart, standing between them and tipping his head up.
Meeting her brother's eyes – so like their father's in depth, intensity, and
ability to express every emotion he tried so desperately to hide – Lily could
read Al like a book. She'd learnt from her Mum that being the youngest girl
gave her power over her older siblings, and Lily used that to the best of her
advantages. "Al, you should apologise to him. Scorpius is your best friend.
You've made Dad be nice to his nemesis for Scorpius. So maybe he's worth
swallowing your pride over?"
Lips quirking at the memories of stilted conversations between his and
Scorpius' dads, the words bitter and the insults thinly veiled, Al nodded
slowly. "Okay. Thanks, Lils."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Al opened the door to the girls' bathroom on the second floor, knowing his
friend would be in here. It was deserted – everyone avoided Moaning Myrtle –
and they'd hatched many a devious scheme in here. He saw Scorpius bent over the
sink, and cleared his throat softly.
Scorpius had paced, and sat, and thrown things about the bathroom. He was leant
over the sink after splashing water on his face when he heard the door open,
heard a throat being cleared. Straightening up slowly, Scorpius turned around
and fixed Al in a cold gaze learnt directly from the one portrait of his
grandfather, hidden away in his father's study behind a green velvet curtain.
Flinching away from the icy stare, Al stared at the floor by Scorpius' smart
leather shoes. "I'm sorry."
"Been talking to Lisa in the common room? Or maybe Tony? Perhaps you even
listened to your little sister's advice…"
"Scorpius."
"…Because that sure as hell isn't Albus Severus Potter, so fucking fantastic he
doesn't have to apologise, speaking."
Bristling, Al bit down on his tongue, tasting blood as he tried not to rise to
the bait. He was trying to work out what else he could say when Scorpius spoke,
exasperation and tiredness deep in his voice.
"You have a problem with me being gay."
"What? Of course I don't, Score, I…"
"Yes, you do. If I'd been talking to a girl, you wouldn't have reacted like
this. You'd be pumping me for details, not cutting me out of your life. Do you
have any idea how hard it is for me? There are about three gay guys in the
whole school. Everyone hears my name and expects me to be some womanising
lothario. I never really said anything, just let actions speak for themselves.
Can you even imagine how hard it is to get the courage up to talk to another
guy, to flirt with him, while the whole school is watching like we're some
freakish entertainment. And then after all that, my best friend turns his back
on me."
Shaking his head, Al took a step forward. "No, Score, it isn't like that! I
just…"
"Want me for yourself?"
"What?! No, I just…"
"Because I like cock." Scorpius intoned dryly, smirking in bitter triumph as Al
flinched. As he spoke, Scorpius advanced on Al – Al backing slowly away as
Scorpius got closer – and their words continued to swirl through the air. "In
fact, I love it."
"Scorpius…"
"Thick and hard, in my mouth, but even better, in my arse."
"Damn it, Scorpius!"
"You're not stupid, you must have cottoned on that either I wanted to stuff my
cock up some other man's arse, or take his cock up my own." Al grimaced, and
Scorpius sneered, bracing his hands on the slimy wall behind Al's head. "Either
deal with it, or fuck off. You don't get to talk to me like that, ever."
Pushing away, Scorpius stormed out, leaving Al to sink to the floor, strangely
weak-kneed and with his heart racing in his chest.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
"It is that you're gay."
Scorpius looked up from his book, watching as Al sat on the end of his bed and
leant back against the bedpost while he continued speaking. "With girls,
there's always a line, always a thing that you and me have that I'm not gonna
have with a girl. But if you date a guy, he's going to fill that role, too.
You're my best friend, Score; I don't want to lose you."
Sighing, Scorpius closed his book and pushed it to the side, folding his legs
and smiling softly at Al. "Don't be such a poof. I'm not going to drop you for
the first guy that shows willing. I don't even like Richard Corner, he's just
someone I can practise my flirting technique on."
Al laughed softly, closing his eyes and tipping his head back against the
bedpost. "I'm such a prick."
"Yeah, you are. Luckily, I'm a wonderful, forgiving person, and I'll let you
off the hook."
"I'm honoured!"
"You should be, pleb. Now break out the chocolate frogs I know you have hidden
in your trunk, and we can attempt this Potions essay."
 
 
Seventh_Year
Al didn't mean to stare, but he couldn't help it. They'd decided to get tattoos
to mark their coming of age – his and Scorpius' birthdays were a week apart,
falling at the end of July in the week before his Dad's – and while Al's
phoenix ached on his hip, Scorpius was gritting his teeth through a scorpion
being inked onto his lower abdomen. Not exactly inventive of them, but nice
tattoos all the same.
And Al was staring at his cock.
The sting of the scorpion was designed to lead onto Scorpius' cock, which meant
he'd had to shuck his trousers for the tattoo. When settled, the magical ink
would cause the design to move slightly: Al's phoenix would spread its wings,
and Scorpius' scorpion would undulate.
And Al was staring at his cock.
"How does it look?"
"Beautiful."
Scorpius nodded, squeezing his eyes closed again, and Al continued staring at
his best friend's cock. He liked girls, his mind kept trying to protest, but
that really didn't matter. Besides glances in the changing rooms, Al had never
been this close to another bloke's bits.
"How close are you two?"
The artist's gruff question surprised them both, and Al shrugged. "Close
enough. Why?"
"Need you to hold him up at this angle, so I can do the finer detail."
When Scorpius just rolled his shoulder and winced, Al had no option but to
reach out and wrap his fingers around the upper half of Scorpius' flaccid dick,
holding it as the artist finished up his design. Al knew it was just the
firewhiskey they'd drank for Dutch courage that was making him feel all tingly,
and soon the artist was stepping away, and Al could let go of his best friend's
penis.
The artist paid in full, Al and Scorpius hung onto each other as they left the
tattoo parlour laughing and joking, wincing a little from the residual ache.
Their Apparation licences fresh in their pockets, they clung together and by
the grace of Merlin managed to get back to Al's house without splinching each
other. "You gonna crash here?"
"Yeah, Mother and Father are away until the weekend, so it's fine."
Al nodded, jumbling in his pockets to find the door key that, when fitted in
the lock of the large cottage's front door, would lower the wards and allow
them to pass.
Giggling and shushing each other, Al closed the door behind them and grabbed
hold of Scorpius, trying to sound serious. "Gotta be quiet, or they'll know…"
The lights in the kitchen blazed on, and Al and Scorpius were faced with two
sets of angry looking parents as Draco intoned dryly, "…that you snuck out of
the house to get pissed."
Scorpius sobered quickly, and his hand subconsciously moved to cover his groin.
"I thought you were in France until the weekend?"
"We returned early, and found you gone. Imagine our terror, expecting to find
our son and instead finding an empty house."
Scorpius had the grace to look ashamed, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I
didn't think."
"No, Scorpius, you didn't. And remind me what you told Mr. and Mrs. Potter when
you arrived here?"
Unable to let his friend take all the blame, Al stepped forward, belching
softly – an effect of the whiskey – and raising his hands up in surrender.
"That was me, I told him to say you'd said it was okay."
Harry pushed off from the fridge, where he'd been leaning, and moved to stand
next to Draco. "And you, crafty little lies right on target. What in Merlin's
name were you playing at, sneaking off out to get drunk?"
"We didn’t sneak off to get drunk!" Al realised the error of his words when
he'd said them, and his look of panic must have alerted his parents that there
was more at play.
"Albus Severus Potter, you will tell me exactly what you've done tonight."
That tone in his Mum's voice was the one that no one ever disobeyed. Well,
Uncle Charlie had once, and Uncle Charlie was still twitchy when Mum had her
wand out. "We went out and had a drink for Dutch courage and got a tattoo and
Apparated home."
Harry groaned and brought his hands up to his face. "You Apparated after a
drink? Five minutes you've had that licence and you Apparate drunk. You could
have splinched… what did you get?!"
Eyes wide, Al backed away from the stunned look on his parents' faces. "Uhm…
we… no, I… it's… I'm…"
Tired of the stumbling, Astoria withdrew her wand and muttered a swift
disrobing charm. The boys rushed to cover their bits so fast they forgot to
cover their tattoos, and four voices shouted two names in perfect synch.
"Albus Severus Potter!"
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy!"
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
"Potter."
"Malfoy."
The names were said through gritted teeth, and Al and Scorpius swapped a look
before leaving their fathers to face off and snarl. It was childish behaviour,
but neither dared call their fathers on it – Al and Scorpius were still paying
for their coming-of-age celebration, and neither had been allowed much freedom
that summer. Entering their final year at Hogwarts was looking sweet, if just
to be out of the house and no longer grounded.
Curses streaked the air, and Al and Scorpius turned around to watch their
fathers launching at each other in an undignified scuffle. Al sighed, "Wonder
what that's about?"
"Father will have called your father a prat, or maybe Saint Potter. Your father
will have called Father a stuck-up pureblood. Father will come back with
Scarhead, your father will counter with Ferret, and any minute now Mother will
hex Father, your mother will hex your father, and everyone will wonder how two
such immature people managed to survive a war, much less win it on your
father's part."
Al laughed, shaking his head at the clipped, businesslike manner of Scorpius'
rundown as he watched his friend's words come true in real time. "Come on, I've
said my goodbyes. Let's get on and find everyone else."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
It was Friday night, and Scorpius was spending his time watching under his
eyelashes as Al and Sophie canoodled in a corner. He was happy for his friend,
truly, but he missed Al always being around. Scorpius had never thought
anything of the fact that he always went to Al, always spent time with Al,
saved news just to tell Al, until Al wasn't always there anymore. And now,
Scorpius wondered if maybe he'd been projecting onto Al, using his best friend
to satisfy the companionship other boys got from girlfriends.
Hearing a soft laugh, Scorpius looked up just in time to see Al and Sophie
slipping out of the Great Hall.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
They'd made it as far as a deserted classroom, kissing and laughing as they
stumbled over old desks to find somewhere comfortable. With a coy smile, Sophie
pushed Al onto a desk and sunk down to her knees in front of him. Tipping his
head back, Al moaned as Sophie undid his trousers, pulling out his interested
cock and stroking it to full hardness. For all his talk, Al was still woefully
inexperienced, and this was the first time anyone else had touched him so
intimately. His eyes sliding closed, Al grunted and groaned, reaching a hand to
slide through Sophie's hair.
It wasn't his fault, not really. Sophie had fine blonde hair, soft like butter,
and cut in a short bob. Her grip on his hips, holding him in place, was strong,
and with his eyes closed Al couldn't help himself sliding away, mind landing on
someone else as he murmured, "Score."
The suction on his cock disappeared abruptly, and fear flooded Al's heart as he
opened his eyes and saw Sophie stand up, rage and confusion on her face as she
wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
"What did you say?"
"Soph. I said Soph, for Sophie."
"Fuck as like you did! You said score. What, this is some notch on your
bedpost? Some goal to talk about later on with Scorpius… oh, gods!"
Comprehension blinked into Sophie's eyes, and Al darted forward. "No! No, I
said Soph! I meant you, Sophie I was thinking about…"
"Scorpius! Merlin, Al!"
Reaching out for her, Al reeled as he was slapped, hard.
"Stay the fuck away from me, Albus Severus Potter. Just stay the fuck away!"
Before he could do anything, Sophie had turned and fled. Spinning, Al crashed
his fist into the wall, rage and fear coursing through his veins as pain
blossomed in his hand.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
When Sunday morning rolled around and Al still hadn't come out of bed, Scorpius
warded the dorm room door and opened the curtains gently.
"Fuck off."
Ignoring the gruff tone, Scorpius shoved Al over on the bed, lying down next to
him and staring up at the canopy of the bed. "Spill it, what's wrong?"
Rolling onto his back, careful to keep a good six inches of space between him
and Scorpius, Al closed his eyes and sighed. "Me and Sophie split up."
"I know."
Wincing, Al hated the catch in his voice as he asked, "Know why?"
"Nope. I asked Sophie, she just said the same as what she's told everyone else.
It wasn't working and you've called it quits. Why, what really happened?"
Mentally thanking Sophie, Al brought his hands up to his face and scrubbed at
his skin roughly. "I called out another name when she was blowing me."
"Oh. Well, go after that girl then. It's not like anyone will turn you down;
you're gorgeous, as you're so fond of telling me."
For a split second, Al had felt a flush of something run through him, which had
been effectively quelled when Scorpius added his final seven words.
"Besides, there are plenty of girls ready and willing, you'll be fine."
Scorpius felt Al shaking his head, and was about to carry on speaking when he
felt the bed shake under him. Snapping his head to the side, he saw Al's hands
over his face, and his friend's shoulders were shaking. Sitting up, Scorpius
pulled Al's hands away from his face, surprised and upset to see tears
glistening in Al's eyes. "Al? Al, Merlin, what is it?"
The response was barely above a whisper; Scorpius had to strain to make out the
words that spilled from Al's lips. "It was a boy."
Stunned, Scorpius just looked at Al for long minutes. "But you're…"
Sitting up, Al wanted to stop, wanted to check his words so that he didn’t
expose himself to his best friend, but he couldn't hold back as noise tumbled
from his lips. "It was only curiosity at first. Just sort of, looking at the
men a bit more, trying to work out what you saw in them. Then I was wanking
over them just as much as the girls, and I figured, fine then, I'm bi. Except,
I had the most beautiful girl in the school on her knees in front of me, and I
was thinking about a bloke, and that makes me gay. Really, really gay. And I
can't… I can't…"
Al's voice trailed off, and Scorpius watched, helpless, as Al drew his knees up
and dropped his head down, body shaking with sobs. Scorpius didn't know what to
do, and when he reached his hand out to Al's shoulder, it just seemed to make
his friend cry harder. Bringing his hand back to his body, Scorpius spoke
softly, like he was trying to coax a frightened animal out of a corner. "It's
okay, Al. There's nothing wrong with being gay, you told me that often enough."
Looking up at Scorpius, Al wondered how he was ever going to explain. That it
wasn't being gay, it was the fact the bloke he wanted, the bloke he imagined as
he wanked over one surreptitiously bought, well-read gay porn magazine, was his
best friend.
Seeing the desperation in Al's eyes, Scorpius cottoned on. "He's straight,
isn’t he? This boy, it's someone we know and he's straight?"
Nodding, Al took the lifeline, letting Scorpius draw his own conclusions.
"Oh Merlin, Al. No wonder you're so upset. But Al, if you know he's straight,
then going after him will only cause pain. I know what it feels like, to be
obsessing over a straight guy. You just need to let it pass."
When Al nodded, Scorpius patted his shoulder and got up, re-drawing the
curtains and giving his friend some space. Heading out of the dorm room,
Scorpius leant on the wall outside and sighed. Back in fifth year, he'd nursed
an unhealthy crush on Al, and knew exactly how his friend felt, to be craving
someone you knew you didn't stand a chance with. Heading down the stairs, he
attempted to work out what he could say to their friends, to calm them down
without breaking Al's trust.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
After that Sunday morning, Al didn't say anything else about being gay, bi, or
otherwise attracted, and Scorpius didn't bring it up. He knew that Al would
speak when he was ready, and with the work they had on for NEWTs, Scorpius'
attention was regularly stolen by his courses.
Christmas came and went, bringing with it more than just gifts from his family
and friends. It brought Scorpius the return of some dreams he'd thought long
dead.
Dreams where his hands and lips worked all over Al's skin. Where he took those
clumsy fingers and showed them exactly how to work him, exactly how to bring
him wave after wave of pleasure. Dreams where he woke up sticky and stunned,
and in need of a serious cleaning charm on him and the sheets.
And stood on the platform at Kings Cross, listening to their fathers snark at
each other, Scorpius had never seen anyone as fit as Al.
Damn.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Al pretended to have just woken when he heard the curtains of his dorm mates
opening. Made it look as though he hadn't just been listening to his friend's
sounds of pleasure, to the whimpers and moans escaping the heavy curtains as
Scorpius dreamed. That he hadn't had his hand down his pyjama bottoms.
"Someone going to shut him up?"
Pulling his blanket around him, half to stave off the cold of the February
night, half to hide his achingly erect cock, Albus grabbed his jug of water and
crossed to Scorpius' bed. Opening the curtains, Al stared at the movement in
the sheets where Scorpius' hand was subconsciously rubbing his prick, and
tossed the jug forwards, letting the cold water rain down on Scorpius' face.
"What the fuck?"
"Keep it down, Score, or set a silencing charm."
Embarrassment flushing through him, Scorpius almost missed the bulge in the
front of the blanket. When Al turned away from him, however, to return to his
own bed, Scorpius saw the bulge in Al's profile. Drawing his curtains and
falling back against his mattress, Scorpius cast a hasty Silencing charm before
stuffing his hand roughly down beneath the quilt, rubbing himself through his
boxers as he returned to the images of his dream, and the fantasy of his mouth
wrapped around Al's cock.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Heading up the stairs to dump his bags before dinner, Scorpius was surprised to
find Al lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. Moving to his own bed, Scorpius
dropped his satchel and crossed over to Al. "Oi, you, tossing water on me!"
Al flushed slightly, "Yeah, well, you were making noises."
"Oh, and that was so awful for you?"
"What the hell does that mean?"
Scorpius shrugged, leaning against the pole at the foot of Al's bed and
gesturing his hand at Al. "That I saw your stiffy. Busy imagining your dream
man making those noises?"
They'd always teased and tormented each other, and Scorpius couldn't understand
why Al didn't react, didn't even rise to the bait, just sat up and walked out
of the dorm room.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Scorpius found Al sat on one of the benches in the courtyard outside, and sat
down next to him. Holding his hand out, Scorpius smiled when Al took a bread
roll and a large cupcake, bounty Scorpius had nabbed from the Slytherin dining
table before he came to find Al. "I was out of line earlier, and I'm sorry."
"It was your name."
Scorpius swallowed the hunk of bread roll he'd torn off with his teeth, and
looked sideways at Al, finding his friend's green eyes staring straight ahead.
"You what?"
Al hadn't meant to say. He'd never meant to say. But what Scorpius had joked
earlier was right, and Al was so sick of not saying anything. And while their
friendship may have seemed normal to everyone else, Al knew it had changed,
because he knew that whenever he got the chance, he was looking at Scorpius in
a way that was clichéd and so very wrong for just a friendship. "Back at the
start of term. It was your name I said. She's like the damn female version of
you, that should have told me something."
"Oh." Scorpius knew it was dumb, but what the hell else was he supposed to say
to a statement like that?
"And the thing is, it was always you. It was you being gay that got me thinking
about being gay. It was the thought of you… you know, kissing and that, that
got me thinking about it. And I figured, okay, maybe I'm bi. Except, the more I
look at it, the more I find that I don't want a girl. I'm too fascinated by how
they can be so curvy and squishy and still beat me in absolutely everything to
ever want to actually bed one. I can only tolerate one sucking my cock if I'm
thinking about you. And I'm sorry, Score. I'm so sorry."
Blindsided, Scorpius' mind would never be able to work fast enough to process
what he was hearing, and he latched onto the end so that he could speak and
make some kind of sense with his words. "Why are you sorry?"
"Because I fucked it all up. I was awake long before the others last night,
wanking myself raw and hating whoever you were dreaming about. I've ruined
everything, and I'm sorry."
Reaching his hand out, Scorpius rested it over Al's arm and squeezed softly.
"You haven't fucked anything up. When you told me you thought you were gay, it
reminded me of a crush I'd thought I was long since over." Al looked confused,
and Scorpius laughed, squeezing Al's arm a little tighter and banging his
shoulder against his friend's gently. "I was dreaming about you, dimwit."
"Oh." It was Al's turn to be stunned into monosyllables, and he set the bread
roll and cake on the bench beside him, turning to face Scorpius and just
holding the warm grey gaze. "So I guess we should Oblivate each other or…"
Scorpius brought one hand up and pushed Al's black hair off his temple, a
simple touch that quieted his friend instantly, and also burnt every bridge
that could have let them return from this as friends and nothing more. "You're
a paradox. You over-think everything without ever actually thinking about it.
Don't think about what we should do, just tell me what you want."
Painfully aware of the hand on his arm, of the heat radiating out from the
touch, even though his skin was protected by his jumper and shirt, Al could
feel himself standing on a precipice, so desperate to fall and so afraid of
what he'd find at the bottom. "You, but that…"
"…Is brilliant." Scorpius cut in quietly. Because it was brilliant. "I already
know your secrets. I know your bad habits, and your good ones. I know that
you're loyal, and you aren't a heartbreaker. I know you, Al, and you know me."
Whatever was at the bottom, Al was man enough to take the hit.
So he jumped.
"Sorry," Al mumbled as his nose banged Scorpius', and he angled his head better
to press his lips against Scorpius'. The kiss was nothing, inconsequential,
brief, and gentle, and Al wondered what the hell he was doing.
Leaning back, Scorpius shook his head slowly. "I'm not a girl. I like rough,
and biting, and stubble burning over my skin. Stop. Thinking. And. Feel."
Bringing his hands up, Scorpius cupped Al's head firmly, and took control.
Leaning in, he pressed his lips hard against Al's, kissing him firmly and
growling when he felt Al giving back. Their lips moved together, soon finding a
rhythm, and Scorpius got more confident, bringing his tongue into play and
demanding entrance to Al's mouth. Sweeping over the inside of Al's mouth,
Scorpius committed the sweet-minty-sharp taste to memory, lapping up as much as
he could before Al was fighting back, tongue pushing into Scorpius' mouth as
hands tightened in Scorpius' hair.
Drawing back for air, Al stared at his best friend, whose hair was mussed out
of character and lips were swollen and red from the brutal kiss. That had been
some kiss, and Al felt hysterical laughter bubbling in his chest, fighting to
be free as he just stared at Scorpius and laughed. When confusion marred
perfect features, Al swooped forward and pressed a hard kiss to Scorpius' lips
before resting his forehead against Scorpius', eyes wide and shining as he
laughed, "I'm so fucking hard!"
In an act of daring, Scorpius pressed his hand to Al's trousers, finding
bulging hardness there and squeezing it firmly as he leant to Al's ear and
spoke softly, "Want me to suck your dick?"
"Aaah, fuck… if you want to…"
"Didn't ask that. Do you want me to suck your dick?"
Al groaned, squirming on the bench under the attentions of Scorpius' hand. He
had a fleeting thought to how this would look if anyone came into the
courtyard, but decided he didn't really care. "Yeah… yeah, I do."
Scorpius smirked and moved his hand from Al's crotch to his wrist, pulling his
friend up and heading back into the school. He knew there was a storage
cupboard pretty close to the Entrance Hall, and Scorpius headed for that,
dragging Al in and charming the door closed behind them. Pushing his friend
back against the wall, Scorpius took the lead, latching onto Al's lips as he
let his hands have free reign, running roughly over Al's body while tentative
hands explored him too.
Breaking the kiss with stinging nips to Al's lips, Scorpius looked down and
fumbled Al's belt buckle undone, opening his trousers quickly and pulling his
shirt and jumper up. As Scorpius sank to his knees, he pulled Al's trousers and
boxers down in one swift movement, staring as his friend's cock sprung free,
already erect and jutting forward. Shutting his mind down, Scorpius leant
forward and acted on instinct, taking the head into his mouth and sucking
gently at first; letting the suction increase until he heard Al moan, felt
fingers thread through his hair as something clunked against the door.
Pulling off, Scorpius looked up at Al, waiting for his friend to look down at
him. "Don’t you dare close your eyes, Al. I want you to watch, every inch."
Moaning, Al's eyes widened impossibly as Scorpius leant forward again, eyes on
his as the Scorpius took the head of Al's cock back into his mouth, and began
inching down. Scorpius looked away after that, focusing his attention on Al's
cock and letting his eyes slide closed while his hands held Al's hips steady.
But Al couldn't look away, it was the best thing he'd ever seen. If he died
right now, he'd have seen all he needed to see in this world. And he was so
desperately close to coming. Al didn’t want to embarrass himself, but he
couldn't help it, and when Scorpius moved one hand from his hip to play with
his balls, Al cried out, fingers tightening reflexively in Scorpius' hair as he
came down his friend's throat, breath escaping on a whispered word, "Score…"
Swallowing thickly, Scorpius was overwhelmed and drew back, letting the last of
Al's release hit his hand, and dribble down Al's cock. Standing, Scorpius
couldn't help but rub his aching prick against Al's thigh, finding blissful
friction there.
"I don't know how…"
Shaking his head to cut Al off, Scorpius grabbed his friend's hand and fumbled
it to his trousers, undoing the belt and fly and pushing Al's hand into his
underwear. "Touch… Al, just touch."
Unsure of what he was doing, Al moaned when he felt the hot-soft-hardness of
Scorpius' erection, and his fingers faltered. Knowing what he liked when he
wanked, Al curled his fingers around Scorpius' shaft and stroked slowly, the
actions made jerky by the angle of his hand and the confines of Scorpius'
clothing. Whatever he was doing, though, Al must have been doing it right,
because after a few short pulls he felt wet warmth burst onto his fingers, and
then Scorpius was leant against him, shuddering and moaning. The most natural
thing in the world seemed to be bringing his free arm up to cradle around
Scorpius' body, so Al did that, waiting for the trembling to stop before he
asked, "All right?"
"Better than all right," Scorpius laughed, pushing himself off Al's body and
disentangling them carefully, doing his trousers up while Al wiped his hand on
a pile of discarded rags handily situated on one of the broken desks. Running
his hands through his hair, Scorpius took a few deep breaths, and turned to his
friend with a timid smile on his face, "So, where do we go from here?"
"Bed."
Scorpius choked in shock, and embarrassment flushed over Al's cheeks as he
rectified his words, "No, I didn't mean… well, I do but not… I just meant, I'm
tired, and ready to sleep."
Nodding, Scorpius stepped forwards, more confident with Al than he'd been with
any of the boys he'd clumsily flirted with before. "Don't worry, I know you
want to jump me. Who wouldn't? But sleep sounds about right for now."
Swallowing, Al tipped his head to the side, looking just past Scorpius' head as
he asked, "So… what are we… I mean…"
"I'm not sharing you."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Al sat down on one of the desks and stared at
Scorpius. "Do we have to tell everyone?"
"Not unless we want to."
"Can we not? It isn't that… I'm not ashamed, I'm just not…"
"…Not ready for the song and dance that'll follow us saying anything? That's
all right, Al."
"I haven't even told my parents."
"Well, it was a rather quick thing."
Laughing, Al flipped his finger at Scorpius, "Shut it, you didn't last any
longer. And I meant, about any of this."
Holding his hand out to pull Al into a standing position, Scorpius shrugged
softly, "We can work on that. You should tell them though."
"How?"
"We'll work it out. Come on, lover boy, let's hit the sack."
As they walked the hallways down to Slytherin, Al shoved into Scorpius, sending
his friend skittering to the side with a yell. "Less of the lover boy pet-name
nonsense."
"All right, sweetie."
"Score!"
"Sorry, sugar-plum fairy."
Al laughed, catching a playful punch around Scorpius' head, the two of them
play fighting the rest of the way into Slytherin, and joining their friends as
though nothing – especially the interlude in the store cupboard – had happened.
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
The final Hogsmeade weekend before Easter had gotten off to a normal start, and
Al and Scorpius were in the Three Broomsticks with their friends when a few
former students came in. Al tensed immediately when he saw Richard Corner, and
his fists clenched when Richard intercepted Scorpius on the way back from the
bathroom. Rationally, Al knew that for Scorpius to brush Richard off would be
strange, and would lead to questions about why, with no visible boyfriend,
Scorpius wasn't enjoying a flirt.
However, Al was not know for being rational – Lily had gotten those genes – and
when Richard Corner (when the hell had he gotten balls, anyway?) leant forward
and stroked his fingers down the side of Scorpius' face, Al saw Red.
So did Richard.
In the form of blood, from his nose, decorating his face and Al's fist.
Silence in the pub reigned supreme, and Al's fists remained clenched as he
stared at Richard. The other boy regained himself quickly, and as he drew his
hand back, Scorpius stepped in front of Al smoothly. "Try it."
"You're going to let him dictate your life?"
Scorpius faltered, wondering what to say without giving Al away. The decision
was taken out of his hands, though, when he felt fingers twine with his. The
sneer in Al's voice was biting as he hissed, "Yeah, just like he can dictate
mine."
Eyes flicking from linked hands to expressions of matching determination,
Richard knew he was beat and retreated, leaving the pub with his friends in his
wake. Al stood very still, heart racing as he realised what he'd done. Slowly,
very slowly, Al closed his eyes, but when he opened them, he still had the
population of a pub staring at him in shock. "Whoops."
"Whoops indeed," Scorpius muttered, wondering whether he should mention to Al
that they were still holding hands. His friend looked a little unstable at the
moment, and Scorpius really didn't want to be the one tipping Al over the edge.
So he waited it out, the seconds feeling like minutes until Al spoke.
"Well, best be getting back then."
And with that, Al turned to the door and walked briskly out, staring straight
ahead as he turned down the road and began heading back to Hogwarts, Scorpius'
fingers still clasped in his.
"Uhm, Al? You're still holding my hand."
"Oh, sorry." Al let go, stuffing his hands in his pockets and humming in a
forcedly bright manner as he walked. They were halfway up the road when
Scorpius reached out and stopped Al, turning him and forcing Al to meet his
eyes.
"Al, it'll be okay." Leaning forward, Scorpius stopped with an inch to spare,
needing it to be Al who made the decision, Al who bridged the gap. He hummed
when warm lips pressed against his, chasing away the chill in the March air. He
forgot they were outside when arms twined around his back, pulling him close as
Al's tongue slid against his lips, begging entrance. They kissed passionately,
wet and sliding and oh-so-right, slight stubble grazing slight stubble where
neither of them had bothered with shaving charms that morning.
Someone squeaked.
Pulling apart, they looked at a gaggle of fourth year girls, who were staring
at them in open-mouthed wonder, and snickered as Lisa pushed them out of the
way. Their friend approached them, linking through each of their arms and
leading them back to the school. "You boys have just made every girl in the
school equally happy and despairing."
"Huh?"
Grinning at the evident confusion, Lisa laughed softly. "Well, they're
heartbroken because they can't have you, and thrilled because their wank
fantasies of the two of you fucking each other raw have come to life!"
"Lisa!"
"That's disgusting!"
Shrugging off the disgust, Lisa squeezed her friends' arms a little tighter.
"Hey, it's what girls do. We pair pretty boys with each other and have deviant
little fantasies when we should be studying!"
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Lay on his bed, Scorpius tossed a Snitch up in the air, catching it before it
could zoom away as he listened to Al's footsteps wear a hole in the rug. News
of their relationship had gotten back to Hogwarts yesterday before they had
even returned to the castle themselves, and Al hadn't left the dorm room since.
Scorpius didn't have such a problem – it was common knowledge he was gay. The
student body had however received a rude awakening regarding Al's sexuality,
and the gossip machine was in overdrive.
Unsurprised when Lily had demanded to see her brother as Scorpius was returning
from lunch with an armful of food for him and Al, Scorpius had brought her into
the dorm room with him, and was very aware of her sat on Al's bed, watching his
every move.
"But Lils, how do I even tell them?" Al's question was the continuation of a
stream of thought he hadn't made public, but both Scorpius and Lily were used
to that trait in him, and as Scorpius sat up Lily rolled her shoulders slowly
and ran her hands up and through her hair.
"Al, I don't know. But you really have to tell them. Soon. Because that little
display in the Three Broomsticks won't just be ripping around the school, it'll
be around the whole Northern Hemisphere soon enough!"
"But why? What the fuck does it matter who I punch or who I kiss?"
Lily could have slapped Al, but she knew it would do no good, so sat on her
hands instead to resist the temptation. "Al, it matters because we're Harry
Potter's kids. And he may just be Dad to us, but to everyone else he won the
War. People watch what we do to try and draw conclusions on him, you know that,
Al!"
Throwing his hands in the air, Al resisted the urge to punch the wall.
"Fantastic! So now everyone'll be concluding that he raised a poof."
"Hey." Scorpius voiced his objection at the derogatory term and tone, and got
an apologetic nod from Al.
"I'm sorry… I don't mean… it's just, what business is it of anyone's? And
anyway, if the whole world will know by tomorrow, why on earth do I need to
tell them?"
Clenching her hands in the bed sheets to keep them from throttling her brother,
Lily spoke calmly and clearly, as though explaining to a child. "Because it
will hurt them in a way you will never, ever be able to repair, if you let them
find this out in the headlines of the damn Prophet."
Knowing Lily was right, Al crossed and sat down next to Scorpius, glad of the
comfort offered when an arm came to rest around his shoulders. "An owl won't
make it before the morning papers."
"Then go and see Headmistress McGonagall. If you ask nicely, she'll let you use
her floo to go home tonight."
Nodding, Al took a breath before he looked up and met Lily's eyes. "All right.
Thanks, Lils."
"No worries. I'll wait on the stairs while you two finish up, and then we can
walk to her office together."
Waiting until the door had clicked closed, Al met Scorpius' eyes and sighed
softly. "Sorry for all this."
"Don't be. I'm sorry that you're having your hand forced in this."
"Aaah well, they had to be told eventually. What are you going to say to your
parents?"
Scorpius shrugged, "They live closer, so an owl will make it before the morning
papers. I'll work it out as I go, send a letter and deal with the fall out when
we're home in a fortnight. It'll be all right, Al, your parents are great, they
won't be mad."
"Yeah, well, if they disown me, I'll have to be your kept man."
Scorpius laughed, pressing a kiss against Al's lips and pushing him gently up
and off the bed. "Go on, go find out if I get a concubine or not."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Al staggered out of the floo, tripping over the cat and cursing loudly. That
alerted his parents, and Al was just straightening up as his mum and dad rushed
into the lounge.
"Al? Al, darling, what is it?"
Accepting the hug, Al spoke to his dad's worried eyes as he held his mum close.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I just needed to speak to you both, so Headmistress
McGonagall let me floo home for a few hours."
Ginny stepped back and Harry stepped forward, running his eyes over his son but
seeing no signs of illness or harm, except for slightly reddened knuckles.
"Have you been fighting, Al?"
Glancing down at his knuckles, Al nodded softly, flexing his fingers and
cursing himself for not getting this healed before he came home. "It was
nothing too bad. Can we sit down?"
The floo journey hadn't afforded him much time to plan what to say, but Al had
always thought better if he didn’t think at all until the moment of impact, and
he didn't see why this should be any different. He sat down on the sofa,
waiting while his mum sat next to him and his dad took the armchair to their
right. Twisting around so that he was facing both of his parents, Al took a
deep breath. "I… I've known this for a while, I've just been sort of, getting
my head straight and working out what to say. I figured I'd say something at
Easter, but then this fight happened, and it's going to be in tomorrow's
papers, according to Lils anyways, so I figured it'd be best to tell you now,
and McGonagall agreed which is why she let me come home and…"
"Oh gods, you've not gotten some girl pregnant, have you?"
"Harry!"
Looking at his glaring wife, Harry shrugged. "What? It's a valid concern!"
Narrowing her eyes, Ginny filed that away for a later telling off, and turned
back to face Al. "Go on, sweetheart."
Smiling a little, Al took his mum's hand between his when she rested it on his
knees. "I haven't got anyone pregnant. Pretty much the opposite end of the
scale. I'm… well, I'm… I'm gay."
That went down like a lead balloon, and Al wondered whether his parents were
really as accommodating as he'd once believed. But then his dad stood up,
moving to sit on the coffee table, and closed his hands over Al's. "Thank you,
for telling us. I can't imagine how hard it was."
His mother was nodding her agreement, and Al felt stupid as tears welled in his
eyes. He wasn't an overly emotional boy, but the sensation of having told his
parents was lifting, and tears seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction. Getting
himself under control, Al mouthed thank you, unsure of whether he'd be able to
speak or not.
"So, is that connected to your knuckles?"
"Kind of. We were in the Three Broomsticks, and this guy… Richard Corner, he
was in James' year, he was hitting on my boyfriend, and I just lost my temper.
I thumped him and outed myself, and it's probably going to be in all the
papers."
Harry groaned, hands moving to cover his face as he began imagining the
headlines. He was so busy wallowing, he almost missed the exchange between his
son and wife.
"Boyfriend? Someone we know?"
"Yeah. It's… well, I'm seeing Scorpius."
"You're what?!"
Al turned to see the expression of sheer horror on his dad's face. It got under
his skin, and his own Potter temper flared as he glared at his dad. "I'm in a
relationship with Scorpius, got a problem with that?"
"He's a Malfoy!"
Standing up, Al glared down at his dad, sorely tempted to deliver a quick kick
to the shins. "Yeah, he is. Just because you're too stubborn to see past old
arguments doesn't mean I'm going to seek your approval on who I date. It's none
of your business!"
Sensing an argument brewing, Ginny stood up, placing herself between the two
men, knowing neither would be stupid enough to attempt going through her. "Al,
don't talk to your dad like that. Harry's always done you the courtesy of being
upfront in his dislike of Scorpius' father and his reasons for that, and he's
never once let that dislike filter through to his dealings with Scorpius. And
he will be apologising profusely for that statement when you come back with the
tea."
Nodding, Al took his cue and stormed into the kitchen, setting the kettle on
the hob as he listened to the sound of his mum berating his dad. When he
returned with the tea, his mum took her mug and muttered something about
checking on the chickens. Al was tempted to sit on the chair, not the sofa with
his father, but he knew that would be churlish and would do more harm than
good. So he passed the chipped Top Dad! mug over, and sat down gingerly,
extracting the two digestive biscuits from his pocket before he settled
properly, and offering one to his dad. They both dunked and ate, Al waiting out
whatever was to come.
"I will never, ever be able to get on with Malfoy. I wish I could, know a
better man than me would be able to. But there's too much water between us for
it ever to all flow under the bridge. But I know Scorpius, and he is a fine
young man. I can't fault him, and if you're happy then I will support you in
any way I can."
Al nodded, sipping at his tea before he shot a cheeky smile at his dad. "That
sounded like Mum."
"Yes, well, she's always been good at taking my vague noises and hand gestures
and putting them into words. Poor woman had to propose to herself, I was so
useless at it."
Al laughed, knowing that was an exaggeration, but only just. "I'm sorry, Dad. I
didn't mean for all of this to blow back on you."
"Don't be sorry. I can handle whatever that Skeeter woman throws at me. It's
you I'm worried about; you might get a rough ride."
"Not a problem. As long as you and Mum don't hate me…"
"Al, we could never, ever hate you. You're our son, and we love you more than
anything."
"Really? Wait until I tell James that!"
Harry laughed, swiping his hand around Al's head, before pulling his son into a
rough bear hug. "We love you, and as long as you're happy, we are too."
                                  ~~~~~♥~~~~~
Stripping to his boxers, Al pulled on his pyjamas and slipped into Scorpius'
bed, elbowing the other boy awake. "What'd you write to your parents?"
Blinking, Scorpius yawned widely, shaking his head a little before settling on
his side, propped up on his elbow and reaching his hand out to stroke down Al's
arm gently. "That I was going out with you, that you floored someone defending
my honour, and that your mother and father took it really well. That should
ensure Father's cooperation, if only so he doesn't lose face in their
ridiculously petty little animosity." Scorpius watched Al's face carefully,
before continuing, "They did take it well, didn't they?"
Nodding, Al shifted forwards on the mattress so that he could sling a leg over
Scorpius. "Yeah, fine. Dad took a few minutes to get used to the idea, but he
wasn't mad. Probably just pissed he'd have to carry on being nice to your dad
once school was finished. But let's not talk about parents; floo journeys make
me horny."
Scorpius laughed, but allowed Al to roll them over, accepting the kisses Al
peppered over the jut of his collarbone. "Everything makes you horny."
"You make me horny."
"Just horny?"
"So fucking horny I worry my dick might drop off if I don't get it in you right
this moment."
Scorpius tutted in mock-irritation. "Three shags and you think you're
Casanova."
Al nodded, catching the lobe of Scorpius' ear between his teeth and worrying it
gently. He could feel Scorpius' hard-on pressing against his thigh, and applied
teasing pressure there. "Come on, Score. You know you want me."
"Ward the curtains then."
Crowing quietly in triumph, Al knelt up and warded the curtains to ensure them
privacy. Turning back, he smirked down at Scorpius, the blond lay spread out on
the bed looking good enough to eat. Eyeing the bulge in Scorpius' blue pyjama
bottoms, Al leant town and breathed hot air over the silk-clad bulge, holding
onto Scorpius' hips when his lover began to squirm, and laying hot, wet kisses
over Scorpius' throbbing cock.
"Al… shit, Al, I'm gonna come," Scorpius pushed Al's head away roughly, letting
himself be rolled over and brought up onto his knees as Al draped over his
back, laying kisses along his spine. "I mean it; if I come, I'm going to sleep,
and bugger your hard-on."
"I'd just fuck you anyway."
"I wouldn't let you."
"Course you would," Al muttered, fingers hooking in the waistband of Scorpius'
pyjama bottoms and dragging them down, revealing pale, creamy buttocks that Al
couldn't resist sinking his teeth into, making Scorpius writhe and moan. "Shit,
Score," Al breathed, teeth leaving neat marks on Scorpius' left buttock, "you
writhe like a damn kneazle in heat."
"Watch who you're calling kneazle, or you'll be lucky to get laid ever again."
Licking the bite mark by way of an apology, Al pushed his pyjama bottoms and
boxers down, kicking them to the side and grabbing his wand. Pressing the tip
against the tight pink whorl, Al muttered carefully learned stretching and
lubricating charms, tossing his wand to the side and sliding two fingers into
Scorpius.
"Al-bus!" Scorpius whined, pushing back on the fingers inside of him and
clenching his fingers in the bed sheets. He was a teenager, for Merlin's sake,
and much more of this would finish him off!
"All right, all right, keep your jizz in."
Scorpius would have turned around to deride Al for the uncouth comment, but
then he felt the blissful pressure of Al's blunt head pressing at his entrance,
and Scorpius decided to let it slide, just this once. He exhaled on a hiss as
Al slid carefully inside him, his lover panting at his ear when he came to rest
tight inside Scorpius.
"Shit, Scorpius, you’re so fucking sexy!"
Scorpius wriggled in agreement, burying his face in the pillows and biting
down, soaking the material as he yelled out. Al had one hand on his hip, the
other clumsily stroking his cock while Al thrust into him. Scorpius' balls were
aching, drawn close to his body, and he yelled around the cotton and feathers
in his mouth as Al's thrusts became erratic, intermittently hitting the bundle
of nerves inside and sending jolts of excruciating pleasure through Scorpius.
He came on a cracked yell, biting down hard as his fingers flexed in the
sheets, and Al stroked his cock in furious jerks, finally letting go as he
stiffened and collapsed against Scorpius, sending them both onto the soiled
mattress.
When he'd caught his breath, Scorpius wriggled impatiently, prompting Al to
roll off him, which allowed him to breathe again. Grabbing his wand, Scorpius
cast a few cleaning charms, and flopped back against the bed.
"Priss."
"At least I don't talk like a porn star while we shag."
"You love it though. I might grow a handlebar moustache."
"And never kiss me again."
"Yeah, but those coarse hairs rubbing over your skin while I rim you."
Scorpius shuddered, leaning up to press a clumsy kiss to Al's lips before he
sprawled back on the bed, slinging one arm over his eyes and smiling when Al
rolled onto his side and slid an arm and a leg possessively over Scorpius'
body. "Don't make promises you can't keep. And don't grow a porn star
moustache."
"Yes, dear."
"Stop being such a gobshite and go to sleep. You'll need to be rested up for
tomorrow."
"Can I shag you again?"
"I was referring more to the headlines, but your option is good too."
Nodding, Al snuggled a little closer to Scorpius, smiling when his lover's arm
moved to rest gently around his shoulder; Al liked snuggling after sex. "It'll
all be fine. In years to come, we'll laugh about this."
 
 
Nineteen_Years_Later
For their tenth bonding anniversary, Albus and Scorpius had decided to throw a
massive party, inviting everyone they knew and letting their adoptive children
choose the theme. That explained why everything was some shade of pink, and
Draco rolled his eyes that his son had been foolish enough to let his
granddaughters choose the décor. Still, the twins were happy, and from what
Draco could tell, Scorpius and Albus were happy too. He'd never admit it, but
he was also having a good time, and the little pink vol-a-vents were decidedly
more-ish.
"Ferret."
Without having to look, Draco kept his attention on the selection of finger
foods as he sniped back, "It's amazing, Potter. You get more and more grey
hairs, and fewer and fewer clever insults. What a poor trade off."
A little stung – just that morning he'd been complaining to Ginny about the
grey hairs that kept sneaking up on him – Harry reached forward and snatched up
the filo pastry parcel Malfoy had been reaching for, popping it in his mouth
whole. Speaking around it, he affected cheerful nonchalance. "My hair may be
grey, Malfoy, but at least my hairline is in the same place as it ever was."
Draco squawked in outrage, one hand flying to his hair as the other flew to his
wand. "You arrogant, scar-headed charlatan! My hairline is exactly where it's
always been!"
Bringing his hand to his mouth, Harry coughed, "Receding!" and smirked as
Malfoy paled, turning around to study his head in the window.
Turning back to Potter, Draco lifted his wand and was about to hex the single
cell of sense from Potter's arrogant head when a silky voice sounded warningly
at his ear.
"Use that wand in front of our granddaughters, and you will be on the porch for
a month, bad hip or not."
Lowering his wand, Draco scowled at the sickening smirk on Potter's face as he
turned to his wife. "Yes, dear. Punch?"
Astoria shook her head, hiding a smile when the look of triumph slid from
Harry's face as Ginny appeared next to him, voice dangerously bright and
breezy.
"Now now, Harry, you haven't forgotten our discussion this morning about being
nice to extended family, have you?"
"Not at all, Gin. Vol-a-vent?"
A little way away, Al leant back against Scorpius' chest and watched the
interactions between their parents. "Do you think we'll be like that in twenty
years?"
Scoffing, Scorpius pressed a kiss to the side of Al's neck, "What, hating the
girls' in-laws and you under my thumb? Probably."
"Excuse me? You under my thumb!"
"Someone obviously doesn't want to get laid tonight," Scorpius purred silkily,
laughing when he heard Al grumbling in acquiescence.
"Fine, you win. I'm completely, utterly, hopelessly under your thumb. Have been
since I was eleven."
"That makes two of us. Now, do you think we can slip out for ten minutes?"
"Why?"
Producing a bottle of lubricant, Scorpius pressed it into Al's hand, sniggering
when his husband dead-panned, "Wow, you even fit it to the colour scheme!"
                                    Finish
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