Disclaimer: JKR owns everything and everyone recognizable, I just rip them off for my own entertainment. I'm not making any money off of this.

Warnings: Slash pairing, fluff, mature content in later chapter(s).

Summary: Scorpius and Al have survived their N.E.W.T.s and ridden the Hogwarts Express to King's Cross together for the last time. Now that their Hogwarts education is complete, Al is eager to start a life with Scorpius, but Scorpius is intent on holding onto his father's ever-elusive approval. How long can Scorpius keep Al happy while simultaneously keeping his father's growing suspicions at bay? Not as long as he'd hoped, that's for certain.

A/N: I added the above summary because I realized my original summary is pretty cryptic (i.e. useless); so I hope this one gives you a better idea of what you're getting yourself into here. X) This story can be read as a prequel to my other two stories, but definitely doesn't have to be. Mad props go to my amazing beta, lynxzpanther! Thanks for reading, everyone! :D

Third week of June, The Last Night of Hogwarts Term, 2024

It was a beautiful night, indeed. So beautiful, that it was as though Mother Nature were showing off just what she could do when on her best behaviour. The day had been a little too hot, but nightfall had cooled the air to a comfortably warm temperature. The grounds of Hogwarts were serene and picturesque, sprawling out before the ancient castle like an impressionist painting. A light breeze caused the branches of the Whomping Willow to sway gently. The sky above was a velvety black, the Milky Way seeming to extend endlessly across the heavens, its countless stars mirrored on the still surface of the lake below. A falling star dropped away from its fellows occasionally, fading into nothingness at the end of its descent. It was well past Hogwarts curfew, nearly half eleven, but two figures were lying in the grass near the bank of the Black Lake nonetheless.

"Let's run away together," Al whispered into Scorpius's neck, his lips just below his ear.

Al was laying on his side, one arm and one leg draped over Scorpius, who was laying on his back in the cool grass, one arm curled under Al's shoulders, the other underneath his own head.

"Alright," Scorpius indulged his best friend of seven years, and boyfriend of seven months, in an equally soft voice. "Where shall we go?"

"I dunno yet…haven't thought that far. Somewhere far, far away though, where they'll never find us," Al replied, his whisper a little pained now. "…Somewhere where he won't be able to keep you from me."

Scorpius's arm around Al's shoulder tightened, drawing the slightly shorter boy in closer to him. Al's square, black-framed glasses were now flush to Scorpius's neck, but it wasn't uncomfortable. What was uncomfortable was the way his heart was sinking. The he Al was referring to was, of course, Scorpius's father.

"Or you could just give in and move in with me," Al continued, suggesting this impossibility for what seemed like the thousandth time.

By now, this line of conversation was as old and as frequently visited as the lake they were lounging on the bank of. Scorpius sighed.

"Al, please. You know I can't." Scorpius's voice was the one that was pained now.

"Tell me again, why not? Oh right, you're afraid if you put a toe out of line before your grandfather snuffs it, he'll disinherit you." Al's voice was bitter. He wasn't angry, he was hurt, and Scorpius knew his emotional, occasionally melodramatic boyfriend well enough to recognize this.

Al rolled over in the grass onto his other side, turning his back to Scorpius. Scorpius just sighed again. By now, he was used to Al's passive-aggressive tantrums. Thankfully, Scorpius had somehow managed to turn out to be a rather grounded, even-keel person, and where Al was concerned, he positively had the patience of a saint. The possible down side of this was that he was also a cautious and practical person; this seemed to drive Al mad, especially facing their current situation. Scorpius turned over onto his side, encircling one arm around Al and pulling him close, spooning him.

"How many times do I have to impress upon you, Albus Severus Potter, that it's got nothing to do with my obvious lust for becoming unspeakably wealthy…" Scorpius intoned in a sardonic whisper into Al's ear, "…and everything to do with the fact that, contrary to popular belief, I, personally, haven't got two Galleons to rub together? There's also the foreboding fact that my father is an arse-and-a-half, and would probably kill me, then himself, upon learning that his only son, and sole heir to the Malfoy line, is not only exceptionally gay, but also dating someone with your particular surname. I mean, he almost had a conniption when he found out we were friends. And then there's the fact that your parents are paying for the flat in London you keep so selflessly inviting me to live in with you. Just a guess, but I can't see them being too thrilled to discover that someone with my particular surname is shacked up with their son in what, for all legal intents and purposes, will be their flat."

Scorpius could only hope he had somehow proven his point this time. Al had heard him say all of this before and it was growing rather tiresome to repeat, truth be told; mostly because it was so very adorable that Al wanted to live with him so badly, and Scorpius didn't think he could stand having to pragmatically reject Al one more time without starting to hate himself. Alas, it didn't seem like Al was going to give up quite that easily…

"My parents don't care what your surname is," Al countered back, but he didn't sound bitter any longer, "and you know they already know about us, and they're fine with it."

That Al's parents knew about their relationship was fact, thanks to James's big mouth, and Al's inherent inability to tell a convincing lie. Surprisingly, though, Al confessing his sexuality and his choice of love interest to his parents in one fell swoop had not brought the world to a screeching halt, like he had imagined it would; just like his being sorted into Slytherin and befriending Scorpius Malfoy in one fell swoop had not caused his parents to place him up for adoption, as he had imagined it would some seven years ago.

"And your parents are going to have to find out sooner or later, too." Al wanted to say to Scorpius, but didn't. He wasn't angry with Scorpius, if he was honest with himself, and he certainly wasn't trying to add to his distress by rubbing in the rather miserable fact that one day Draco Malfoy would inevitably have to learn of their relationship.

"Al, honestly, babe. Tolerating something and being fine with something are two entirely different propositions. Your parents were fine with us being friends, and they tolerate us being together. However, being fine with our friendship and tolerating our relationship are both a far cry from providing us a flat in which to cohabitate." Al was wildly idealistic, in Scorpius's opinion. He usually found this trait refreshing and endearing, but occasionally, he just found it exasperating.

"I know," Al whispered sadly after a short pause, flipping over to face Scorpius in the grass. "And I'm sorry for the jibe about your grandfather…. It's just that I feel so terribly sad every time I think that tonight is going to be the last night I get to go to sleep next to you; tomorrow morning the last morning that you're the first person I see when I wake up." The combination of the dejection in Al's voice, the worry in his stunning eyes, and the moonlight causing his hair to shine deep auburn, were enough to make Scorpius's heart break a little.

"Well, don't feel terribly sad, love, because it won't be the last time. You've got another thing coming if you think I'm not clever enough to sneak in and out of the manor." Scorpius leaned his forehead against Al's and looked into his eyes. "And Al?"

"Hmm?"

"No one will ever be able to keep me away from you. I promise."

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