AN: This is a very late birthday fic for Silver Sailor Ganymede. She requested I do Albus Severus/ Scorpius and I wanted to try my hand at a next-gen. I must warn you that I haven't read but one next-gen fic, so this is all purely how I see the kids turning out... and I've probably broken some next-gen rules but I thought this turned out pretty interestingly so I hope you enjoy. Happy Birthday...very late, but also, thanks for the assistance on Recall, SSG!
Title: If We Were Our Afflictions, I'd Be Joining You
Rating: PG- slash, some teen angst
If We Were Our Afflictions, I'd Be Joining You
Sometimes Scorpius Malfoy has to remind himself that he is not his father, but when he looks into the mirror, it's hard to tell there's a difference. He inherited the pointy nose, the blond hair. His own saving grace are his mother's dark eyes and his mother's general attitude. After all, Dad's always on edge. When Scorpius was a kid, it was like Daddy's playing a game, but now it's obvious that Dad is war-torn and wacko. He counts his steps and cuts his fingers when he shaves and gets angry about everything. He wears his teenage grudges proudly on his shoulder, and Scorpius doesn't want to be like that. Dad still narrows his eyes at Potter, even though so many times he talks about those people who saved my life. Dad's a hypocrite and Scorpius doesn't want to turn out that way, a depressed, smirking maniac.
Scorpius gravitates toward people the opposite of Dad—methodical, truly good people with beautiful hearts and no dirty secrets, happy to live and let live, to love and let love… So it's completely wrong that he should suddenly be so enamored with Albus-Severus Potter. That stupid kid with two names, Scorpius thinks, but he's excited that Neville (now "Professor Longbottom" during the school days) paired them together for fourth year Herbology. Albus-Severus doesn't talk very much, and when he does, it's very cold and dark, all searing complaints and apathetic musings. Albus-Severus is short and thin for his age, with black, black hair that flops into his face and a cool demeanor. The other Slytherins don't know what to make of him, so in the common room, he gets left alone. Scorpius really hasn't said much to him over the course of these past years besides, How's it going, Get a good grade?, any extra shampoo? He has a feeling that Albus-Severus doesn't really like him, and he doesn't blame him. After all, Albus-Severus' dad is Harry Potter, and Scorpius' dad is that pitiful Draco Malfoy. Every time Dad comes to pick him up at the station, Scorpius could just die.
But now they'll have to say something to each other. Scorpius picks up his bag and heads across the hot, sticky greenhouse since he knows that Albus-Severus won't move an inch.
"All right?" Scorpius asks, sitting down across from the dark-haired boy.
Albus-Severus makes a face. "Small talk? Ugh."
Scorpius' face burns. "Er…" I've completely messed up all ready, he thinks miserably. His heart is beating in his chest. Albus-Severus probably spotted that he's a homo years ago, and that's why he never talks to him. Scorpius imagines Albus-Severus telling his dad and them laughing it up. Draco Malfoy's son is gaaaaaay. Aahahaha!
Albus-Severus sighs heavily. "I'm okay. And you?" Good manners seem to have won him over, though he looks pained to have been forced to make conversation.
Scorpius sighs back, out of relief. "Fine. It's cold, though—"
"Not the weather,' Albus-Severus groans.
Scorpius cocks an eyebrow, feeling hurt.
Albus-Severus laughs out loud. "Joking, of course. Honestly, no one at this school can decipher sarcasm."
Scorpius has the hilarious fleeting thought that Dad would approve of this kid. It hurts to think that. "So…uhm. Albus. Severus. What do you—"
"Just pick one. Please. Or call me A. Or S. Or AP. Or SP. Or ASP. Or Al. Or just plain Potter. I can't stand my bleeding name. What a mouthful," the boy says angrily.
Scorpius can't help but snigger. "Well… Okay. Al?" he asks, as though getting permission. Albus-Severus doesn't look happy but he doesn't look pissed off, so Scorpius continues. "I'm…sorry I haven't been friendlier. I don't really talk to people here. But I'm glad we were paired together so that—"
"So that what?" Al says plainly.
Scorpius goes pink. "So that… I mean, it would be nice to get to know you." Oh Merlin, he thinks, horrified.
Al laughs. "Okay," he says.
"What?"
"Okay," Al repeats. "It'd be nice to get to know you, too. I'll enjoy telling Dad I've befriended the son of his mortal enemy."
"Ditto," Scorpius says, feeling relieved. He grins.
"Too bad Lord Voldemort never had a son. He could be our friend, too."
Scorpius doesn't know why, but he laughs and laughs and laughs. Al doesn't laugh, but he smiles knowingly.
The day when they return from winter break, Al comes up to Scorpius and gives him a hug. Scorpius doesn't hug much in his household, so he gives Al an awkward pat on the shoulder and laughs uncertainly. He didn't even know Al could hug, or feel, for that matter.
"My dad is very skeptical of you," Al says proudly. "He warned me that your dad was tricky and all sorts of things, but then he ended it by saying he's really open-minded and he's glad I finally made a friend."
An uneasiness grows in the pit of Scorpius' stomach. "You should tell your dad that I'm not my dad."
Al looks him over strangely and shrugs. "He really doesn't care, honestly. It's all about the good old days, and how he fought off everything bad known to man and defeated everyone. He doesn't honestly care if I have friends or not."
Scorpius wonders how Harry and Draco could be so alike without knowing it, but he says nothing.
Al grins. "So what did your dad say?"
"Oh. I don't talk to him very much," Scorpius says. Al looks dejected that Scorpius didn't talk about him over break so Scorpius adds quickly: "Dad was furious!"
Al claps his hands, like this delights him more than anything in the world.
"Heeeey, queers!" James yells loudly across the library before running out, indicating Scorpius and Al, who are studying. It's fifth year.
"Your brother's an ignoramus," says Scorpius, turning bright red. But he's partly excited. Queers, James had said. Not queer. So maybe Al is…
"Well said. If you had a brother, I'm sure he would be, too," Al replies.
It's times like this when Scorpius doesn't know how to respond. "Your sister is nice, though," he says lamely. He's only noticed Lily a handful of times (being that she's in Ravenclaw and a girl), and she seems sort of annoying. But she's nice, unlike James, who is a raving, hormonal jerk.
"Oh yeah?" Al says, putting down the book he's been looking at. "A bit young for you, isn't she?"
Scorpius doesn't know whether or not his friend is joking. "Al, I—I don't mean it like that—"
"Well, how do you mean it?" asks Al pointedly, staring with those huge, round green eyes.
"I mean—I mean she's nice! What do you want me to mean!?" Scorpius demands, bristling, and he sounds just like his father, all edgy and cornered. He suddenly wants to hide in a hole.
"Nothing," Al says in that calm, dead way, and Scorpius wonders if perhaps he is evil. Maybe they both are.
They end up walking along the border of the Forbidden Forest that night, for no apparent reason except to test the powers that be. Al is taller now, but still stands a few inches shorter than Scorpius.
"So, what does your dad think of you being in love with me?" Al asks out of the blue.
Scorpius has the urge to shake him furiously for being such an idiot, but instead, he just turns crimson. "I don't know where you get that idea, Potter."
"Why are you pulling the last name out then, Malfoy?" Al asks bitterly. "Just admit something for once."
"ADMIT WHAT?" Scorpius shouts, balling up his fists. He can hear his voice echo in the dark.
"You don't talk to your dad about anything!" Al yells, suddenly very un-calm, which is really weird and disturbing. "You don't tell anyone about me! Have you even told your mum?"
"TOLD THEM WHAT?" Scorpius screams. "They don't know we're friends because we DON'T TALK! It has nothing to do with you! Honestly, there's more to my life than you!"
Al looks like he's been slapped in the face. "I guess I never noticed anything else going on," he snarls.
"Well, what about you? You don't talk to anyone else, either! You don't even go to Quidditch meets, and you act like I'm this secret weapon you can use against your dad!"
"That isn't true," Al says.
"Yeah, well, I'm not in love with you. I don't know what love is." Scorpius turns away, but Al grabs him.
Al decides to be completely bizarre again, and clamps Scorpius in another hug. "Well," he says into Scorpius' mouth," I told my dad I'm in love with you. He says I should give things like this time, that I'm probably not gay or even bisexual, and that you might be dark… And that I'd better not say anything to my Uncle Dudley because he might sign me up for boxing lessons to make me more of a man." Al rolls his eyes. "Like I'd be stupid enough to do that."
This is all spoken with such a deliberate and delicate honesty that Scorpius bursts out laughing and crying in unison. They kiss for the first time, and it's not perfect at all. It's too cold, Al's bad with his hands, and besides, there are werewolves in the Forbidden Forest.
"I finally told my dad about you," Scorpius says after the summer between fifth and sixth year.
Al recognizes the importance of this matter and sits beside him on the couch in the Slytherin common room, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "How'd it go?"
Scorpius shrugs, weaving a hand around Al's back. "Honestly, I don't think he heard me. He sort of said 'Good for you,' and kept working. Mum says she's accepting of it, though. She says Dad will come around, but I know he won't."
"Sorry," Al says, and even though it's such a short reaction to an important story, Scorpius knows just how much Al means with that one word.
"Oi, have you seen Camille Parkinson?" asks James in the hallway.
"She wasn't in the common room," says Scorpius.
"Rats!" yells James. "Thanks, though." He runs off in the opposite direction.
"Don't get drool on her!" yells Al. "We are honestly giving my dad such a headache. James got the lecture last break."
Scorpius has to smile this time. "Next, Lily will be dating Lord Voldemort's son."
"I wish!" Al declares, clearly disappointed.