A/N: Hi! I've had this in my head for a while and I finally got round to typing it for you lovelies. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Well, some names but none of them are particularly inventive.

Dedication: Allison Reeve, because you gave me such a nice review for 'Doing it for the kids'.

Word Count: 1732

Privacy

There was no room for being shy about your body or pleasure (as his Dad had always called it rather than using words like wanking) or anything like that when you shared a dorm with five other boys and had done for the past six and a bit years. In the first year or so, the six Slytherin boys (Scorpius Malfoy, Adrian Zabinni, Albus Severus Potter, Thomas Smith, Geoff Goyle and, surprisingly enough, Artemis Longbottom) had been rather uncomfortable around each other when it came to things that they would have preferred to do in the privacy of their own bedrooms. Instead they hid behind their four poster bed curtains when they changed and, when they discovered the joys of it, locked themselves in the shared dorm bathroom to wank.

But as time went by they got over their skittishness and comfortable around each other, holding conversations as they changed in plain view, wandering about in their boxers when the occasion called for it (though Scorpius had demanded that they not walk about naked when he got an eyeful of Geoff's bits one too many times) and wanking in the comfort of their own beds, not normally even bothering with silencing charms. Well, they were all boys! They all did it. Why be ashamed?

There were times, however, when the boys had an unspoken agreement that whoever it was should be left alone in the dorm by themselves. These situations were limited to a select few scenarios.

Emotional trauma - like when Al's mother died and he stayed in bed for three days straight, crying his eyes out as Scorpius held him. The others had slept in the common room.

Snoring – 99 percent of the time, if the offence was too bad then the snorer was kicked out of the room. But they had made the exception when Artemis had had a bad allergic reaction to the pollen from the Hyperion Strangulus in greenhouse three and Madam Pomfrey hadn't been able to cure his bunged up nose (which caused the snoring). Or the hives. Or the sneezing. Or the constant drowsiness. The other boys had felt so sorry for him that they'd let him keep his bed and fought over who got to sleep on the large leather sofa in the common room.

Embarrassing parental conversations – e.g. when Adrian's dad had come to Hogwarts to tell him that his new found sexuality was nothing to be ashamed of and had decided that the best place for this discussion was on Adrian's bed. The boys had cleared out as one at the expression on Mr Zabinni's face. During the conversation, Adrian latter confided to his dorm mates, all he had been able to think about was that they were sat where he'd been taking it up the ass less than 24 hours previously from the fit seventh year Gryffindor keeper.

Which brings us conveniently to the last but most important reason for dorm evacuation:

Sex – Scorpius would never forget the image of walking in on the aforementioned sex between Adrian and his Gryffindor fittie and had immediately instigated the rule that if you were having sex, you put you tie on the doorknob to warn people. You got your privacy, they kept their sanity.

Scorpius' life had been going swimmingly up till now, the rules were observed and he was beating Rose Weasley in all of his classes. This was until he came back from the library late one evening to find the other boys loitering around the common room, reading and playing Gobstones.

"Someone getting lucky?" he asked, flopping down on the sofa next to Artemis

"Yep," he replied, not looking up from his book "It's either Adrian or your precious Al."

Scorpius felt his stomach flip at the idea of Al having sex with someone and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick. A list of all the girls Al could be with Rose unbidden to the front of his mind. There was Alicia Zabinni, Adrian's twin sister, Grace Evans, Emily Burns, oh and that annoying Gryffindor sixth year Bethany Creevey who hung on Al's every word. He only just managed to fight down the nausea by assuring himself that it had to be Adrian that was 'busy'.

The other boys seemed to notice how lost in his own thoughts he was and a swift whack to the back of his head was delivered by Artemis, jerking him back to reality.

"Hey!" he yelled indignantly "that hurts."

"You shouldn't think so hard. It doesn't suit your hair colour," Thomas informed him across his wizard's chess board where he was being beaten by Geoff (who had fortunately inherited his mother's brain rather than his fathers).

"If you're so bothered by it, go take a peak at who's in there."

Scorpius stuck his tongue out in reply to this.

"I don't care," he stated primly, but it was clear the others didn't believe him if Geoff's snort was anything to go by.

Scorpius lasted almost a minute before almost jumping to his feet with a small "Still doesn't mean anything," and heading to the archway and set of stairs that led down to their dorm. The tie was still in place around their snakehead doorknob and for a moment Scorpius considered not looking, scared that he would actually see Al doing the dirty with some girl.

A faint but still recognisable moan made him jump and almost in reflex he grasped the doorknob.

'Oh well,' he thought, twisting it 'might as well just do it.'

The room was barely lit, the only light coming from the fireplace at one end of the room. In the dim light he could just about make out two figures on Zabinni's bed. His heart gave a little leap of joy until another moan echoed around the room.

"Merlin! Al, you're sooo good at this."

Once more the nausea returned full force. He knew the sensible thing to do was to shut the door again and pretend that he'd seen nothing but the rational side of his brain wasn't working anymore. He felt angry and betrayed and hurt all rolled up into one. He's always loved Al but had accepted to himself that Al was straight and that it was good enough to just be his friend but now it turned out that Al was gay and that he still didn't want Scorpius. The anger reared its head again and he couldn't help the words that tumbled from his lips.

"I never would have believed that you were a fag, Potter! Though there have been rumours about your precious father and we all know that it's like father like son," he spat spitefully and the figures on the bed sat bolt upright.

"Scor-" Al's voice began but Scorpius slammed the door before he could finish.

The next few minutes were a blur as he ran away, through the common room, up from the dungeons and out of the front door towards the Lake.

It was dark outside, the stars were twinkling, a full moon reflected in the Lake's smooth black surface, a soft breeze rustled the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest and if Scorpius hadn't wanted to curl up and cry, he would have thought it beautiful. As it was, however, the stars gave the impression of mocking his misery, the reflected moon was naught but a pale imitation of something pure and the trees that rustled seemed to whisper cruel things that he was only just able to hear.

Scorpius knew that he was being ridiculous but as he kicked off his shoes and dipped his toes in the icy water, as he and Al had done many times before, allowing his tears and toes to make ripples that disrupted the smooth water and upset the moon's reflection, he couldn't bring himself to care. He felt as though his heart had been ripped out of his chest and his breath was coming in short pained gasps.

He was so concerned with his tears and the feeling of cold spreading up his feet and into his legs that he didn't notice as someone came up behind him. He did, however, notice when Al sat down beside him, his shoes removed too.

"Look, Scor, I know that you didn't mean any of what you said. I know you're just upset. I want to apologise for not telling you sooner. I wanted to tell you but it was so hard. I didn't think it mattered. It hasn't been going on long, only a couple of months, and I didn't think it matter. I'm not in love with Adrian. I don't even really fancy him. It was just practicing. Experimenting. And I know I should have told you and I'm sorry I didn't. I hope we can be friends."

Al stood up again and began to move back towards the castle but froze when Scorpius at last spoke.

"Why him?"

"Sorry?"

"Why Zabinni? Why not with someone you actually care about?" Scorpius demanded, getting to his feet and glaring at Al "Why not with me?"

Albus seemed to have been shocked into silence and just stood there staring at him. Scorpius could feel the anger bubbling up and did the only thing he could think of. He tuck a slow step forward and when Al didn't move away he rushed forward and pulled him into a heated kiss. After a second Al seemed to recover and responded to the kiss. It was wet and hot and perfect. When they broke apart Al surveyed him with a slightly perplexed expression.

"You… like me?"

"Yes, you idiot," Scorpius said exasperated "I've always liked you. Only you."

"Well I wish you'd told me earlier. I never would have had to fuck Adrian. I like you too," Al said, grinning, before pulling Scorpius into another kiss but Scorpius pulled away.

"So why were you with Adrian?"

"Because I wanted to be good in bed so that I could get you drunk and sleep with you and then if I was good enough you'd keep coming back."

"… Are you being serious?"

Al nodded, looking rather embarrassed.

"You silly thing. Dad's right, Potters are weird."

"Shut up and kiss me, Malfoy," Al ordered.

And Scorpius had never been one to not do something that Al wanted him to do.

OOOOOO

A/N: What did you think?