The owl came at breakfast, interrupting Lily's boring recall of every stupid thing she did last night at the Lovegood's. The bird didn't keep Albus from stabbing his eggs. He hates eggs. Didn't his mother know this already? Harry read the note from the owl, frowned, and quickly got a quill to send his response. He sighed and sent an apologetic glance at his daughter. "Sorry, Lils, give me a second," she shrugged and cut off her monologue, "Daphne Greengrass is ill. That's Draco Malfoy's sister-in-law. He and his wife have to leave tomorrow morning to go help with her recovery." Albus didn't bother to take his gaze from his mangled breakfast. "Draco asked if his son could stay with us for a little while." At that, he did look up, incredulously.
Ginny smiled, happy. "Albus, aren't you and Scorpius in the same house?"
Albus cleared his throat, not liking the spotlight. "Yeah. We're in the same dorm, too. There's only three of us in our room."
"Oh good, so you know him pretty well?" she kept on.
Al shrugged. "We don't really talk. Mal—Scorpius is quiet. Keeps to himself a lot." Ginny frowned but didn't press the subject. James's lips were tight. The older Potter boy obviously did not like the idea of their visitor staying for any length of time.
It was Lily who spoke next. "I like Scorpius. He helps me with my Transfiguration. He's incredibly good at it." Harry smiled at her.
"We'll have to go pick up another set of tickets to the carnival today, if we don't want to cancel our plans," Harry announced. "Any of you want to come?" James opted out immediately. He had a date. His first real date ever. With some snot-nosed Ravenclaw. Gross. Well, that left Albus and Lily to tag along. At least he wouldn't have to stay home and listen to his mother ooh and ahh, watching James getting nervous and jittery over his date.
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Scorpius arrived early the next morning. Albus was still asleep when the visitor crept in his room and placed his bags near the closet. Hours later, when Al woke up and walked to the kitchen, he met the other boy in the living room. "Hey Malfoy," he said, groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Scorpius smiled slightly. He followed into the kitchen. "Hello Albus. I put my things in your room just to get them out of the way. If you don't want them there, I can move them."
Albus waved his hand at the thought and stood on tip-toe to grab a bowl. "Don't worry about it. You'll be sleeping there, if you're okay with that, so you might as well have your stuff there. You hungry?"
Scorpius smiled again. "No, thank you, Albus."
Al glanced at him. "Call me Al. Or something other than Albus."
"Ooooh, can I call you Alice?" sang a crystal clear and very feminine voice from around the corner. Lily came dancing around the corner, fully dressed and made up. Albus cringed. Scorpius grinned. "Scorp! I'm so glad you're here!" She leaned in and pecked the visitor's cheek and he blushed.
"Thank you, Lily. You look… nice. Why are you dressed so, uh, funky?" Albus took in her outfit. Pink fishnet with a green and purple miniskirt. Big puffy t-shirt with her favorite rock band all over it. Al grinned.
"Oh Dad didn't tell you?" Scorpius shook his head. She sighed. "He probably left before you got here. Well, he and Mom are getting out of work early today to take us to the carnival. We got you ticket, too! Aren't you excited?" She reached up to the top of the refrigerator and took down a plain envelope. Without waiting for his answer, "Here's your ticket." She sat down and eyed him expectantly.
He took the envelope and raised an eyebrow. Albus figured he should cut it. "Not everyone has been to the Hollow Carnival before, Lils." He turned to Scorpius. "The ticket changes its design based on the holder. She wants to see if yours is going to sprout something gossip worthy, like pink hearts and arrows." He rolled his eyes and took a huge mouthful of Wiggle Waggle Oats.
Scorpius smiled at Lily. "What does yours look like?" She shook her head and blushed. Albus laughed again.
"It's a perfect paper copy of the Tunnel of Love. She's holding hands with some boy I've never met before." He glared at her. "Don't you dare go meeting boys." She pfffted. Scorpius raised an eyebrow and was grateful when the conversation turned. He tucked the ticket in his pocket.
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"Great, isn't it?" Albus asked, his mouth full of color-changing cotton candy. He gestured toward the mass of crazy cloaks, neon hair dos, and millions of lights illuminating the cramped lot.
Scorpius shrugged. "It was really nice of your family to take me along."
Al waved his hand. "You're staying with us for…. However long. You're family, you know? For the time being, I mean." He stopped in front of an event and paid the five knuts to throw a battered quaffle through five hoops. He swore when, after acing the first four, his fifth missed by a yard. "They're jinxed, I tell you!" The witch running the game winked at the boys and Scorpius swore he saw a forked tongue dart out of her mouth.
Al swore again and walked off. "So what do you want to do? Let's not even think of going near that thing," he jerked his head toward the Tunnel of Love. "Lils is guaranteed to be there for the entire day, waiting for mystery boy to show up."
Scorpius nodded. "Doesn't it bother you that she's interested in boys?"
"Uhhh. Should she be interested in something else?"
"I mean, she's only fourteen, right? Or close to it."
"She'll be fourteen next Friday. I assume you'll be there for that." Al looked at the boy. "I pity you so much for that. Let me apologize in advance for anything they have planned. It's bound to be a mess of pinks and girly crap. And I'm sure there will be plenty of girls for a sleepover. Gross."
Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "You don't like girls?"
Albus blushed. "I don't like girls Lily's age."
"Ah, so you like older women?"
Albus laughed. "I don't know. I've got plenty of time to figure it out. What about you? Do you have a whole line of older women pictured on your ticket? Is that why you wouldn't show it? Huh huh?"
Scorpius flushed. "I don't like girls." He looked away.
"Cool. Neither do I. Let's not like girls together."
They eventually made it to the Ferris wheel. "Wanna go up?" Al asked, a goofy grin plastered on his face, sticky from all the cotton candy. Scorpius fumbled, still flustered from their previous rambles. He was sure Albus didn't know what he said, but it didn't change the fact that he said it. "Please, Scorp? You can see the whole carnival from the top!"
"Yeah, Albus. That's fine. Let's go." Scorpius all but raced to the ride, hoping for a long wait in the line. Naturally, they were loaded on the next round, and before they knew it Albus and Scorpius were packed in a round tea-cup shaped compartment with five other witches and wizards. They atmosphere didn't allow for much talking. Albus grinned at Scorpius and leaned over the edge, pointing at all the attractions. Scorpius sighed. Al lost interest, and just before the moment where everything turned awkward, right when they were stuck at the top of the wheel, Scorpius slipped his ticket into Albus's hands.
Al looked down at the piece of paper and saw, clear as day, the outline of their bodies against the setting sun, sitting in a small compartment. Al stared for a good thirty seconds at the picture. And when he finally opened his mouth, and high-pitched "Oh" escaped, as if something very interesting and unfamiliar dawned on him.
