Chapter 1: Hugging
It's the summer break after his fourth year in Hogwarts and Scorpius Malfoy couldn't be more depressed.
So much has happened during that year. He had almost made sure that some people he deeply cared about would never exist. His best friend in the whole world had stopped talking to him and it had made him almost as miserable as he had been after his mother had died. But all had turned out well. Albus and he were back to being inseparable and even Rose had been nicer to him and they had spent more time together.
So, when the summer break came, Scorpius was sad to leave it all behind. He was exited to spend more time with his father again and to visit his grandparents in France, but this nagging feeling of something very important missing never left him.
He thought he would spend all his vacation thinking about Rose Weasley, the clever, pretty, strong willed, sporty and popular girl. But to his surprise and confusion, he hardly ever found himself thing about her. And when he did, it was because he was at a exiting Quidditch game or saw a fascinating book, she would surely love. But in these moments, it was not sadness of her absents that filled his mind, but the thought of telling her about it when they saw each other again.
His crush for her had lasted four years now and everyone had always told him it would go away eventually. Of course, he had believed his feelings were special and he would love her forever. But nowadays when he had talked to her in the library or in the Great Hall or in class, the tingling feeling and the rush of excitement had lessened. He did like spending time with her, but maybe it was just that. Or he maybe he would feel different when he just saw her again, he told himself.
The person who constantly filled his thoughts, was another member of the Weasley family.
Albus.
But it was only natural, wasn't it? He was his best friend, who he basically spent every moment of every day with, when they were at school. So, it was not unusual to miss him.
His father had begged him to not owl Albus once a day, while they were on vacation so they could enjoy their time together. But still every night, Scorpius found himself writing a letter to his best friend about what he did that day. He didn't send them right away, but sent two together. So, technically he held his promise to his father and only sent Albus two letters every other day. And it always got him an eyeroll from his father and a secretive laugh from his grandmother.
...
Albus was bored as he sat on a bench in the garden outside the Burrow and watched his siblings and cousins play Quidditch. Rose and James were, of course, the stars of the game, and the main part of the game was played by them.
"Why don't you join them, honey?", his grandmother asked him when she came back from her kitchen to bring the kids some refreshments.
"No, thanks, I suck at Quidditch. And I don't like it that much, too. Besides, I don't think there is any space left on the playfield with both James' and Rose's egos there.", he joked.
His grandmother rolled his eyes at them and told him to be nice to his brother and cousin, but then let him be.
Albus just couldn't help it, but he wanted to get back to Hogwarts and wished the Summer break would finally be over. He usually loved it and didn't want to be at Hogwarts. But since last year, everything looked better. It was not that he was suddenly popular, but there were more people talking to him normally and nicely, since they learned he helped in fighting off Voldemort's daughter. They didn't know the whole story, but it was all the gossip was about after the arrest of her had been made public and at the same time he and Scorpius had been in detention for the rest of the school year.
And what he missed most, was not being around people who would never really know him. No, he missed his best friend Scorpius. Due to his friend's vacation in France the whole summer, they would see each other the whole time, not even when it was time to get the school supplies for the new year. And Scorpius constant letters only made him miss his friend more. All the fun he was having and Albus was just hanging out at home and waiting for summer to be over.
"Admit it, he is your boyfriend." The voice of his cousin Dominique got him out of his thoughts.
When he looked up, he saw her standing with Rose, who was laughing at her.
"Don't be ridiculous! He is not.", Rose giggled, what was really unlike her.
Lily joined in on the teasing. "Oh please, I heard you talking about how smart he is and that he shouldn't play Quidditch because he would make all the girls fall for him. Admit it, Rosie, you think Scorpius is hot."
At those words, Albus eyes widened in shock. Rose couldn't really have a thing for Scorpius. The others were probably just talking nonsense.
But then he watched Rose blush to this implication and walk off with a sly smile, without giving an answer.
"Sweety, are you alright?", his mother came up to ask Albus. He just halfheartedly nodded and tried to put on a smile for her. But deep down, for a reason he didn't know, anger was bubbling inside of him.
...
"Honey, what's the rush?", Ginny asked her younger son in amusement as he hurried through King's Cross Station towards platform 9 ¾ .
"I just don't want to be late and let the other's take all the good seats.", he brushed the question off.
When they were finally there and Ginny and Harry wanted to say their good-byes to their children, Albus was the first to run off. His eyes desperately scanned the platform for the one person he wanted to see.
And finally, he saw the blonde teenage boy he had been looking for.
He ignored his cousins who greeted him and went straight to his best friend. Once Scorpius saw Albus stalk towards him, he left his father's side and met Albus half way.
Ignoring all the confused looks and all the whispers, the boys pulled each other in for a long hug.
They didn't notice that their parents came to them, looking at the boys.
Ginny couldn't suppress a big smile and shot a knowing look at the boys. But Harry and Draco just stood there and eyed their sons in confusion.
As the two finally pulled away from each other, Albus just shrugged and declared: "We do that now." Then, the two boys left their parents again to tell each other all about their summer.