Dedicated to Slytherin Buttercat, for the Hogwarts's Teacher Appreciation Week. Enjoy!

"Scorp, are you in there?" James Potter hollered from outside the door of the fifth year Gryffindor boy's dormitory. Without waiting for an answer, James swung open the door hazardously. Michael Finnegan gave him a disgusted look, shaking his head, but James didn't even notice.

Plopping down on the window side bed, James pushed back the curtains to find Scorpius with a pair of muggle headphones in his ears. James rolled his eyes. This explained why the boy hadn't answered him previously.

James grabbed the earbuds and pulled carelessly. Scorpius turned around, his eyes widening in shock before they softened upon seeing James. James felt a pang of something in his heart and he pushed it down, smiling mischievously at Scorpius before tackling him in a hug.

The two boys fell backward on the bed, laughing.

"How was your career meeting with McGonagall?" James asked once the laughter had died down.

Scorpius bit his lip. "Not very well. I got lectured for skiving off her class and then…" Scorpius trailed off, frowning.

"What happened?" James asked, not budging from his comfy position on Scorpius's chest.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Scorpius asked. "It'll hurt to hear, Jamie."

"Ya, ya," James said, brushing off Scorpius's concern with an absentminded wave of his hand.

"Shetoldmethatyouwereabadinfluenceonme," Scorpius mumbled, too quickly and quietly for James to hear.

James turned to look at him, their faces angled towards each other. "I didn't catch a word of that, Scorp."

"She told me that you were being a bad influence on me," Scorpius admitted quietly, running his hand through James's hair absentmindedly.

"And what did you say back?" James said back equally quietly, hating the vulnerability in his voice. He didn't want to open up like this, but Scorpius was all he had these days. Sure, he had other friends and flings, but none of those people understood him the way Scorpius did.

"I told her that nothing in hell would stop me from being friends with you," Scorpius said passionately, waving his hands. "I know you a lot better than she does."

James grinned. "That you do."

Scorpius grinned back brightly and James's breath caught in his throat until he found that his mouth was opened and he was saying the words he never thought he'd say. "I love you, Scorp."

"I love you too, James," Scorpius said, staring at James with an intensity that James had never seen. James leaned in closer until he could capture Scorpius's lips in his.

Somewhere behind them, the door opened again, but James was far too engrossed in Scorpius to care.