Written for Vixray's June Oneshot Challenge on Caesar's Palace. I got a prompt; things just escalated into a 3000 word fic from there. I'm not sure if this is what it calls for, I tried to make it beautiful and it came out very romantic, but I kind of love this. I also did the bonus quote - it's just in third person.
Word Count: 3314 / Prompt: Write something beautiful. Make me cry. (Optional bonus quote being: "I saw him/her among the roses.")
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and, subsequently, anything about it.
i. The first time Albus Potter kissed Scorpius Malfoy, he was sixteen, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and playing in the final game of the Inter-School Quidditch season. Al's team, draped in white and bronze, had barely won; their Seeker clutching the Snitch in his palm like a lifeline.
There was wind as an open taste in Al's mouth, ecstasy tingling his nerves and adrenaline in his veins. Yet when he touched down, Al stood as still as a stone in a rushing river. People were roaring around him, the cheers of his team filling his head. He let himself breathe for a moment. He gave himself a moment of clarity, a moment to just feel the happiness from his win.
Then Scorpius was there, a hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on his face.
"Congratulations," he said, smirking. He was bathed in sunlight, his eyes quicksilver. This - the touching, smiling, open glow - was something so different from his usual cool control and apathy. It was only made so much more outstanding since Scorpius had been playing on the opposing team, the losing team, and looked like he had won. "Your team did well." (You did well.)
Al leaned forward and kissed him.
Scorpius tasted like mint chocolate and something right. He kissed Al back.
ii. "What's your favorite candy, Scorp?" Al asked as they entered Honeydukes. It was Third Year, snowing in early December and they were cold. The shop was warm and golden, full of people, smelling of chocolate, peppermint and everything sweet. They shook snow off their cloaks and scarves, the little flakes leaving wet imprints on their outerwear; knit hats and gloves damp, staining their hands with melted snow.
"I prefer chocolate," Scorpius said evasively. He leaned in to a display of chocolate houses with tiny twinkling candy bulbs and peppermint stick decor. The sign read that it was a brand new Honeydukes Special Treat, houses varying from plain chocolate to mint chocolate to hazelnut chocolate.
A chocolate dog woofed on another display. The sign read "Peppermint Bark" and Al was distracted by the pun for a second. "What kind of chocolate then? White? Nutty?"
"Mint chocolate. I'm not nearly as addicted to it as you are to licorice wands." Al froze, a hand hovering above a new pack and half-turned over his shoulder to smile at Scorpius and laugh. "Junkie."
"So you've told me. Quidditch junkie, candy junkie, Slytherin color junkie...," he remarked, laughing as he turned around, candy in hand. Scorpius looked at him with both brows raised.
"I just envy those long hours you spent hand-decorating your room Slytherin green and silver. It must have been such fun spending a week sleeping in your brother's room because of the paint fumes."
"Aw, come off it, Scorpius." Al cringed. He remembered having to sleep with protective spells around his Muggle sleeping bag and being careful when waking up. There hadn't been room for grogginess with James, the twat. "Bad memories. At least I learned how to do a really good Bat-Bogey hex."
Scorpius looked at him, his face bored, and his shoulders rose and fell in a silent sigh. Al leaned over and locked arms with him, tugging the blond along.
"Come on. Let's go stock up on food."
"Junkie."
Al bought Scorpius a bunch of mint chocolate houses and a Peppermint Bark dog-chocolate. The day before Christmas, Scorpius sent him three packs of licorice wands and a slab of Honeydukes' finest chocolate with a note saying "Learn good taste."
iii. Another time Albus Potter kissed Scorpius Malfoy, it was technically Scorpius who kissed him first and it was in front of their parents. Their relationship had been a mainly a secret, hidden like away like something precious. Despite their public first kiss, few people had actually paid enough attention to them to realize it was Al and Scorpius that were making out. Rose Weasley knew - of course she did, she was Rose Weasley, she practically ruled the school in messy braids and glasses - as did Marcus and William Nott, Lucy Weasley, Blake Finnegan and Elias Zabini.
Platform 9 3/4 was full of colors, magic and people. There was cool brick behind Scorpius's back and Al pressed against him, burrowing into his quiet strength and warmth. Al was just perpetually cold. This was something regular and normal in their relationship, already occurring long before their romance had begun.
"Write to me this summer."
"The alternatives being?" Scorpius drawled, arching a brow and looking down in cool amusement. Al snorted.
"I barge into your house at five in the bloody morning looking for you."
"I'm up by four-thirty."
"Arse," Al laughed, tipping his head back. His hair was stark black, his skin tanned from Quidditch and his smile and eyes bright. Anyone could see the two were lovely together - Scorpius pale, blond and statuesque and Al tanner, darker and broader. But Scorpius's eyes were only on Al and his self-control slipped. Al brought that out in him - made Scorpius more open.
So he let himself kiss Al. It was barely a kiss, really more of a peck. A brush of lips. Just a gossamer touch that lasted less than a heartbeat. When Scorpius pulled away, there was no stomach-swooping or heart-flipping. None of the electricity that caused wildfires or burning storms. The atmosphere between them was calm and steady, tingling with emotion yet still. It was the embers after a roaring fire, the happiness spreading after the thrill of a looping roller-coaster. Scorpius wondered if this was what love felt like and Al wondered what he would do without him.
"Al?" Harry Potter sounded, rather justifiably, alarmed and Al turned his head to meet the wide eyes of his father. Flanking him was his mother and Scorpius's parents, Draco and Astoria Malfoy. "When - what - Scorpius?"
Beside Al, Scorpius had stiffened and drawn away, holding himself ramrod straight. His face had gone blank with indifference and Al physically pushed away. The cat was out of the bag now. He was never one to lie, only evade if needed, and when he told the truth he didn't mince it.
"We're seeing each other," Al told them. He shrugged and tried for an easy smile. "As in we're basically - we're dating."
Draco Malfoy groaned and rubbed at his face. "Damnit, I owe you a new perfume," he told his wife. Astoria beamed at them and Scorpius raised an eyebrow.
"You knew," was all he said, his voice toneless. It wasn't a question and something inside of him tightened, then unfurled at his mother's smile, his father's exasperation born out of wary fondness instead of severe irritation or even anger.
"We guessed," Astoria informed him. She stepped forward, long hair rippling like a waterfall down her back. She extended a hand toward Al. "We've met, but not quite as my son's boyfriend. You should treat him well." Her cheerful voice made it sound like it was a suggestion when it wasn't. Al rose to the challenge and met her hand halfway.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Malfoy."
Draco groaned again, "Stop encouraging her. Honestly."
The Potters still looked rather slack-jawed and Scorpius's insides were warming with amusement and affection.
iv. The summer after Fifth Year found Al and Scorpius tangled together on Al's bed in late mid-August. They were both shirtless and burrowed beneath covers, warm skin pressed against warm skin. Scorpius was in black silk pants; Al dressed in pumpkin-printed flannel pajama bottoms and feeling lazy.
Al was already waking up slowly, his mind drowsy and lips parted slightly, when he heard the door creak open ominously.
"Is that another bloke in your brother's bed, James?" he heard. Ah, it was James and his friends who were sleeping over. Trying to creep in to play a prank on him, no doubt. "Is Al bent?"
Bi, Al mentally corrected, I'm bisexual.
"Merlin's pants, who's in there with him?"
"Al's bi," James said, irritation pressing into his voice. "The bloke who's in there's Malfoy, his friend. Come on, Ryan, you've seen them around at school."
"Well, yeah, but this close -?" Al supposed they did seem rather like they were sleeping together - in a way more than just literally. His head was tucked beneath Scorpius's chin, sprawled on top of him and soaking in his warmth. There were strong arms wrapped around his waist, their outline most likely visible beneath the emerald covers.
"They're not dating, come off it. Let's just do this."
"Do what, lads?" Al asked. He untangled himself and sat up, watching with vindictive amusement as James's friends all took a step back. "Morning to you all, by the way." He smiled like he was an angel and James looked at him like he was the devil.
Beside him, Scorpius faked sleep. He was a super light sleeper, a feather touch or shift against him could make him wake, and he'd probably been up since the door opened. Maybe even when the shuffling of feet neared the door.
Al let him continue 'sleeping'. He rather wished his friend chose to 'wake up' as well - Al would enjoy watching James burn under Scorpius's cold gaze.
v. When Al realized he was in love with Scorpius, it was on some miscellaneous day they were visiting Narcissa Malfoy's French home. It was the summer after they'd graduated Hogwarts - Al was the newest member of the Puddlemere United team and Scorpius was training to become a Mind Healer. Narcissa was inside to give them privacy, the House Elves (paid, because Hermione Granger-Weasley did not fuck around) cooking them a large brunch.
Al walked outside and sought out Scorpius in Narcissa's prized garden. It beat the Manor's herb and floral garden - Narcissa's highly-regarded flowers were spider mum sprays with delicate petals, roses in rainbow colors, African violets, lilies of every kind, glowing hibiscuses and irises. Turning away from the door leading to the patio, he saw him among the roses.
Scorpius's hair was silver in the late morning sun, glinting as he examined a single blue rose. He was tall and fair, dressed in sweeping ruby robes that outlined his broad shoulders, the straight strength of his back. His face wasn't unaffected and cool, but something blank and serene. There was a light to his eyes that told Al he was happy, speaking more than even the soft smile on his lips.
Al thought that if he ever got a Soul Bond with him, he wouldn't even need the link to tell if Scorpius was genuinely happy or not. Then he realized that he was thinking about getting a Soul Bond with Scorpius. A Soul Bond with his best friend, his boyfriend. The idea didn't startle him as much as it probably should have - it didn't scare him at all, in fact.
He let himself think for a moment, really think about what Scorpius meant to him. Of course he knew - Scorpius was his heart, his best friend, his boyfriend. Scorpius meant a lot to him - he was who Al went to if he needed help, if he wanted to enjoy nice company. He was the one who woke Al up in the mornings, who had the best Christmas gifts for Al, who wrote minimalist yet sincere messages in pretty writing that made him feel like warm, light honey had been spilled on him. He was the first person Al had told about making Puddlemere United, yelling all over the school for him. Al thought about sleeping next to Scorpius, arms wrapped around each other. About eventually coming home to their newly-leased flat and yet - wasn't it only a year ago when he'd been in Romania and Scorpius in France? When they reunited, Al falling into him with Scorpius's arms gripping him tight, it had felt right - like a part of him filling that he hadn't realized was missing. Maybe it wasn't coming home to Scorpius, maybe it was that a part of being home was being with Scorpius.
"Al?" Scorpius said and Al turned to look at him, sun-bathed and shining. There were shadows highlighting the sharpness of his cheekbones and jawline. It made him look older, but the softness of his face made him younger.
"Hey," Al smiled. He walked forwards, falling into his arms like he did when he came back from Romania. When he pulled away there was a smile on Scorpius's face again and it suddenly struck Al that he loved Scorpius. "What would you say if I told you that I love you?"
"That you're slow on the uptake," Scorpius drawled. His voice was dry and Al snorted, squeezing his shoulder.
"I love you," he grinned, laughing and shaking his hair out of his eyes. Scorpius pushed it back and arched an eyebrow.
"You're slow on the uptake."
"In this situation, I think that's rather alright."
"I love you too."
They kissed in the roses and Al felt the rose in Scorpius's hand pressing against his back gently, brushing his neck. There was a hand in his hair and lips that tasted like mint chocolate against his own. There was something right settling in his stomach, a warm feeling spreading at Scorpius's touch. It tasted like home and love and sunlight.
vi. They got married just before September came, in London. The weather was warm and breezy, filled with sun and promises. Both men were dressed in traditional Wizarding marriage robes - white and black, clasped with gold that matched their wedding bands. The service was minimalist and small.
They were already Soul Bonded by the time it occurred. They didn't need to be Soul Bonded but it let Al reach out to Scorpius, let Scorpius know what Al was injured during Quidditch first.
The Wedding Minister made them speak their vows, touch their wands to each others and whisper whatever promises they wanted to make.
"I love you," Scorpius told him, his voice barely breaking Al's ears. "I'll protect you as much as I can."
Al smiled and looked him in the eye. His eyes were so green, their only focus Scorpius. "I love you too. I'll stand by you."
They kissed - a real one, firm and pressing and something precious - while audience members let crystals fall from their eyes. Astoria's knuckles were white, manicured fingers buried in her unused handkerchief and her face was proud. Draco's expression was sculpted into something trying indifference and looking more like deep love and relef. Harry and Ginny gripped each other and thanked Merlin that their little boy had grown to be the great person he was, that he had a happy present and future and was in love.
Their friends all cheered and clapped. Marcus hugged Scorpius tight for the first time in over a year and Elias tapped out an old code saying 'Good for you; I'm glad' on his shoulder. Scorpius gave him an uncaring, breezy look and tapped out 'Thank you; I'm glad for you too', tilting his head to Callista. Al got swarmed by his cousins - a smiling Rose, smirking Dominique, sweet Victoire - and his unrelated friends - Ryan Thomas who told him 'Ever since Fifth Year, I knew something was up', Blake Finnegan who clapped him on the shoulder, the twin grins of Lorcan and Lysander Schamander. Teddy Lupin hugged both of them fiercely and told them in hushed tones how he was glad that they were both in love.
Scorpius rolled his eyes and simply told him, "There are Northern Lights, waterfalls and a black sand beach in Iceland for your engagement photos with James. The rave about our wedding should die in about a month. Reserve a hotel tomorrow."
Their cake was four-tiered mint chocolate with vanilla icing, decorated with delicate sugar flowers that opened and closed and licorice wands that shot sparks. After serving themselves, Narcissa Malfoy got the first piece, Andromeda Tonks got the second. The sisters looked at them with solemn, proud faces and their gift to them was a gorgeous, antique grandfather clock - a family heirloom. Draco and Astoria gave them a stunning Italian glass table. Harry and Ginny were funding their honeymoon to Costa Rica.
Al laughed like he had no cares. He had so many things to care about and he loved that. Scorpius - open, smiling, glowing - reminded him of that time in Sixth Year when they'd first kissed. Scorpius had encouraged and supported Al throughout his life, been one of the first time to see Al as Al, not as Albus Potter. He'd waited for him when Al had traveled for Quidditch, he'd gone to his games and had taken care of Al after. Scorpius had shown his affection through letters left in his bag on trips away, how he left the candy and food Al liked out on the kitchen counter on random days, brought flowers home and arranged them atop the bedside table on Al's side of the bed. Al laughed and leaned over, embracing his husband.
Scorpius looked over at Al, who was in mid-laugh, and knew that marrying his best friends would be one of the greatest decisions of his life. Years of work to overcome prejudice aimed towards the children of Dark Wizards, over people who had no choice but to be forced into the Dark Lord's side, had been aided by Al always being by his side. Al, who was always straight with him, not mincing words but not hurting with them. Al, who loved flying, shared with Scorpius little things and moments he thought Scorpius would like. Al, who made him feel real. Now, a successful Mind Healer, he knew with perfect clarity how much he loved Al. Scorpius let himself smile softly and opened his arms welcome the embrace of his husband.
This was how their relationship worked - they valued each other and themselves, appreciated each other's love and didn't take it for granted. They respected each other's decisions, knew what they needed. If Al needed some downtime but didn't want to be alone, Scorpius would sit by him quietly or play piano in the background. If Scorpius became wound tightly, stressed by prejudiced comments, work and the effort of apathy, Al would hum songs (Italian songs, French melodies without lyrics, snippets of Wizarding symphonies) and sit by him until he relaxed.
The first time Albus Potter kissed Scorpius Malfoy he was sixteen, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and playing in the final game of the Inter-School Quidditch season. When Al realized he was in love with Scorpius, it was on some miscellaneous day they were visiting Narcissa Malfoy's French home.
The first time Scorpius Malfoy kissed Albus Potter he was sixteen, Slytherin Prefect and playing in the final game of the Inter-School Quidditch season. When Scorpius realized he was in love with Al, it was soon after their parents found out about their relationship and he thought "this is going to be okay."
They were born into a prejudiced, post-war world with silver spoons in their mouths. They were projected into the media, suggested to become enemies. They looked like Light and Dark, fought with snarls and bladed words, loved with careful hands and sincere smiles. They became friends in First Year, a couple in Sixth Year. They got married just before September came, in London.
P.S. The title of this fic is from Troye Sivan's song "Youth" which I also don't own.