Written for "The Millennials Ruin Everything Challenge" over on HPFT. Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.
"Don't you think it's weird though, Al? I mean, it's fascinating too, but if you think about it us wizards really are behind with the times."
Albus' forehead repeatedly met the desk in response. He adored Scorpius, he honestly did, but there were some days he had to try really hard not to wring his neck. They were in their usual corner of the library attempting to plow through essays that felt more like theses for their different N.E.W.T. electives. Albus was currently one-third of the way through a lengthy novel consisting of twelve rolls of parchment on the three heads of Runespoors, and which in particular would be the most useful in certain wizarding situations. Failing miserably, however, because his boyfriend kept distracting him by thinking aloud and constantly wanting Albus' opinion on his own research.
"Scorpius, can we not do this right now?" he groaned into the wood.
His boyfriend was raving over his Muggle Studies project, which involved comparing the current wizarding way of life to current Muggle ways of life. To Scorpius Malfoy, comparing involved actively seeking out Muggle-borns around Hogwarts and interviewing them, owling Albus' Grandad Weasley virtually non-stop, and burying himself in library book after library book. He was also a proud member of the brand new SMILE club (Students for Magical-Muggle Interrelations, Learning and Equality), which met every Tuesday evening before his Prefect rounds.
"What, the homework?" Scorpius asked, looking up from the page he was currently reading concerning the British Muggle Government, fondly admiring the mess of black hair in his line of vision.
He and Albus Potter had been fast friends since their first ever train ride to Hogwarts, solidifying further upon them both being sorted into Slytherin House. Their friendship had seen its fair share of trials over the years but had also led them both to the realization that lines had blurred faster than either of them had anticipated. And one day, completely naturally, they blissfully blended together.
It wasn't uncommon for Albus and Scorpius to end up on the same bed late at night, chatting away before one of them headed back to their own bed to sleep.
That night was different, however, for there was something more in the air between them, and it wasn't down to the effect of the Potter family's eggnog. Rather than sitting opposite each other cross-legged or slouched against the pillows, laughing and joking or conversing about Quidditch, that night they were just laid facing one another. Neither of them was really bothered about the conversation for they were too busy getting lost in the emerald green or stormy grey eyes of the young man in front of them.
Scorpius traced Albus' freckles with his eyes, his face lit by the moonlight streaming softly through the window, memorizing every single one. They pooled closely over his nose and under his eyes and became more widespread across his cheekbones. One hand was under his head beneath the pillow, the other lay limply in front of his chest. Albus Potter was beautiful, and he was falling in love with him.
Albus chewed his lip briefly before moving his own hand that was between them and slowly, gently entwining their fingers together. He'd known for a while that his feelings for Scorpius went way beyond platonic. The way he'd catch sneaky glances of Scorpius dressing or undressing from his Quidditch uniform, the way his heart would accelerate at the sight of Scorpius fresh from the shower, his hair mussed from being towel-dried. The way he would feel his cheeks blush furiously when their hands would brush past each other in Potions, the way he looked at no one else but his best friend. Scorpius was breath-taking, and he was falling in love with him.
There was no conscious decision made. Albus freed his hand that was currently entwined with the blonde's before him, moving it slowly to rest on Scorpius' cheek. Running a thumb over the delicate porcelain skin that glowed in the moonlight, Albus focused back on his favourite grey eyes, searching for a protest or refusal. But there wasn't one, only an intense desire that made his heart jump. In that moment, they both knew.
They had fallen for each other.
Albus broke, wanting to be as close as possible to the pale, nerdy boy that had stolen his heart, wanting to show how much he loved every fibre of him. He surged forward, their lips meeting in a sweet, gentle but firm kiss that spoke so many words without a single utterance. They had both been burying their feelings for the other, afraid of what might happen, afraid of ruining the special connection they had.
Scorpius responded eagerly, smiling into Albus' lips, left hand burying itself into jet black hair. It was everything he'd hoped for. He lost himself in the feel of Albus, his senses going wild. At some point, Albus moved them and Scorpius followed, not willing to break apart just yet. The middle Potter was now sat with his back against the headboard, pillows forgotten, Scorpius plonked comfortably between his legs as their mouths still connected, the kisses becoming even more intense. The pale blonde was quite sure he could die of happiness right there, the electricity and fireworks erupting between them were sensational. Warm, soft hands wandered beneath his shirt and he reciprocated with as much enthusiasm.
Not too much later, needing to remind his body to breathe before he passed out, Scorpius broke the kiss. Cupping Albus' face, breathing heavily but smiling blissfully, he brought their foreheads together. Albus looped his hands to rest around his neck before snorting softly and starting to giggle. Scorpius joined in, pressing a short peck to his lips.
That had been on Christmas Eve at the Potters almost eleven months ago. They'd kept their relationship on the down-low while they enjoyed exploring their new adventure together and only in June did they become public to the masses. The courage had hit Scorpius out of nowhere. The morning after their Potions O.W.L., in full view of fellow students, Scorpius had cupped Albus' face tenderly in his hands and kissed him. There were bouts of applause, catcalls and wolf whistles, some students clapping them on the back as they passed. The news spread like wildfire and by the last week of term before summer, younger students were high-fiving them in the corridors, and even most older students stopped their bullying attempts.
"I would say yes, let's stop the homework, but you'd throttle me with my own textbook," Albus deadpanned before raising his head and rubbing a hand over his face. "I actually meant your rambling on about your project. It's great and all, and you know I love you, but I can barely concentrate on the uses of Runespoor venom from its right head when you're talking my ear off about the ground-breaking charm some twenty-six-year-old Israeli witch discovered, meaning Muggle-borns can now use electronic devices."
The blond raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you understood that?" Usually, non-magical things went right over the middle Potter's head, unlike his little sister. Scorpius tutored Lily Potter and her fourth year Muggle Studies classmates often, and they had some very fun discussions. Lily was also part of SMILE, that, and a campaigning society to set the Giant Squid free.
Albus gave him a dry look. "Yes, Scorpius, hence why I am unable to decipher whether Runespoor venom can be used for healing potions or as a raising agent in bread!"
"I'm very sure Runespoor venom is not used in healing potions, Albus. Their three heads tend to attack each other which is why they don't usually live very long. The venom also dries out quickly once the right head is severed so it's really not much use at all anyway."
Albus' forehead greeted the desk again.
"Al-bear, you're going to give yourself a headache."
"For someone incredibly smart, you can be rather dim-witted sometimes. Right, fuck it," he declared, beginning to pack away his things. "Let's go back to the common room."
"Cuddles?" Scorpius asked softly, taking his boyfriend's hand across the table. When Al was stressed there was no point making him carry on without a break. Care of Magical Creatures was his best subject anyway so even if they neglected to do any more of their essays that day, it wouldn't matter too much. Besides, Scorpius wanted the closeness too.
Albus took a deep breath, relaxing and nodding, grateful that his best friend knew him so well. The thought of just being close to Scorpius, being held in his arms, even just for an hour, was enough to brighten his mood. "Cuddles."
###
The following morning, as Albus headed to the owlery to send a letter to his Aunt Luna about the Runespoors, Scorpius made his way through the grounds down to the lake. It was a mild mid-November Sunday. The sky was overcast but a winter-white, meaning snow was imminently looming, and there was a slight chill in the air which Scorpius welcomed.
After confining themselves to the library and then the dorm for most of the previous day, it was quite refreshing to just enjoy the fresh air. Winter was Scorpius' favourite season. The spring and summer sun didn't agree with his pale complexion, and he would need to seek out shade beneath the trees whilst outside. Albus favoured Autumn, the warm colours, the transition from summer to winter, and the mild temperatures.
For Scorpius, it was the magic of Winter. Knowing Christmas was coming, the guarantee of snow at Hogwarts, the decorations around the castle, swamping himself under layers of jumpers, scarves, and slipper socks. Back home in Wiltshire, they might have one day of snow then it would vanish, or the flakes that fell wouldn't even settle on the ground. At Hogwarts, up in the Scottish Highlands, they had several feet of snow every year and it only served to add to the atmosphere of the wizarding school. Scorpius recalled snowball fights with the Weasleys; walking across the grounds, the glorious crunch of fresh powder beneath their feet; watching excitedly from classrooms as the first snow of the year fell. Another few days maybe and it would all begin again.
Upon reaching the path in front of the lake, he veered off slightly to head towards his usual place beneath the tallest oak tree. To his surprise, however, there was already someone sitting there. She was most likely a first year, he figured, even without noticing her head didn't come up to the lichen that normally sat at his shoulder. She looked young, her brunette hair in wavy pigtails and her pink coat looked just a smidge too big for her.
What also drew Scorpius' attention was what she was looking at. She was obviously reading, her eyes were moving back and forth and there was a thoughtful expression on her face. Homework maybe, but on what looked like a placemat?
"Hi!" Scorpius chirped. The poor girl jumped a mile, the small thin thing flying out of her hands and planting itself on the grass several metres away. "Oh, I'm sorry! Silly me, I didn't mean to scare you!" he said, bending down to scoop up what seemed to be something the size of a Muggle movie case. He didn't give it back to her immediately though, his curiosity got the better of him and he turned the item over in his hands.
It was obviously Muggle. Black and slender, with some sort of leather covering on it, no doubt to protect it. The side that was lit up, was glass and there were words all across it. Like a book, only not possibly a book. Scorpius frowned. Why would this girl want to read just one page of words over and over again? Then he mentally shook himself. He was being so rude! He handed the device back to her, and she responded with a mumbled thanks.
"Shall we start over? I'm Scorpius, and you are?"
"Mais," she replied shyly.
"Lovely to meet you, Mais! Is that short for anything? Do you mind if I sit down here too?" he said very fast. Then he took a breath and grinned when she chuckled at him and signaled for him to sit. "Sorry, I'm not very good at not making a complete fool of myself around people."
She laughed louder at that. "Me neither, I'm very shy. I get all fidgety around people and don't talk much. That's why I'm out here, it's nicer. There are always people wanting to talk to me in my common room. I mean, don't get me wrong, it is really nice, but I can get a bit overwhelmed. I come down here for air more often than not, my House can get claustrophobic."
"You're a Hufflepuff," he stated warmly.
Mais nodded and smiled. "How did you know?"
"Badgers live underground so that's how they styled your house. I'm in Slytherin and we're under the lake. It can be weird without natural daylight in the dorms. Can I ask what you're reading?"
She shifted slightly away from him at that. "Oh! It's nothing."
"Are you kidding me? You're using a Muggle device inside Hogwarts grounds! It's amazing!"
She completely relaxed this time. Her whole demeanor changed and she sat up straighter. "I didn't actually think it would work, but it's an important tie to home, you know? I only read it once a month, else the battery will die and I can't charge it until I'm back home."
"That is a massive flaw."
"It is, but I mean, I'm pretty lucky to even be able to use it at all, so… No doubt another charm to be able to keep these things charged up all the time will emerge soon."
He shifted closer to her conspiratorially. "Don't laugh at me, Mais, but I am actually studying this kind of thing for my N.E.W.T. Muggle Studies project. How wizarding life and Muggle life both differ and interchange. I would love for you to tell me all about this one page you keep reading, and your home, and your family!"
"First of all, it's not just one page, Scorpius. This is called a Kindle and it stores many books at once without the need to carry lots around with you. See?" she said, swiping the device a few times to show the pages turning, before tapping a few more times and bringing up a list of books. Scorpius thought his mind was going to explode. "At the moment I'm reading this novel about this German girl in the Second Muggle War who really wants to learn to read."
"Wait, The Book Thief?"
"You know it?" she exclaimed, practically knocking Scorpius over she moved so fast. She clutched onto his arm and was looking up at him in awe.
"Sure. Liesel Meminger, stole books back from the Nazis and also hid Max in her house? It's my mother's favourite."
"Yes! I would kiss you but I also know you don't swing that way."
"Wait, what?" he laughed, completely taken aback by that.
"I sort of know who you are, Scorpius. You're dating Albus Potter, right? Lily's brother."
"Right. How do you know Lily?"
"Puh-lease, everyone knows the Potters, even me. Plus, Lily is the President of the FGS. The Free the Giant Squid club," she elaborated at Scorpius' questioning look.
"Ah, of course."
She smiled thoughtfully. "My heart isn't in the campaigning exactly, but they're a good bunch of students. A good, small, bunch."
Their eager conversation continued, Mais telling Scorpius more about her family. She was indeed a Muggle-born first year and the eldest of four siblings. She had two younger brothers, Toby and Rex, and a younger sister, Luca. Her name wasn't short for anything, but she and her siblings were all named after characters from a fictional universe, something called Star Wars. Evidently, it meant a lot to Mais, as she went into a rambling state about spaceships and planets.
"To quote my Uncle Ron: Blimey, there are two of them!"
"Hi, Albus!" both students chirped together. Albus was so surprised he was fixed to the spot blinking for several long seconds.
"Okay, not weird at all," he eventually said, sitting down beside Scorpius and lacing their fingers together. Scorpius gave them a squeeze and Albus planted a kiss on his temple. "Who's our new friend?"
"This is Mais Jackson. She's got this Kindling thing that is so not a book but it has books on it. Albus, there's fifteen whole books on that thing without pages! No pages! Sadly no nice new book smell either, but you just swipe and tap and then you can read a book! Merlin, could you imagine if every student had one of these? It would put libraries and Flourish & Blotts out of business!"
"Sorry about him, Mais, he gets a little overexcited at Muggle things," Albus said, chuckling.
"That's okay! I could probably help you with your project, Scorpius if you wanted? I could tell you lots of differences I've noticed in the few months I've been here at Hogwarts. It's taken a bit of getting used to, that's for sure."
"You would honestly be a lifesaver, Mais!" Albus responded for him. If Mais would let Scorpius ramble to her and they concentrated on his project together, it would ease up Albus' own study time for his Care of Magical Creatures essay.
Scorpius nudged him lightly. "Hey! I am that bad of a study partner?"
"No, you know that! But maybe with our different elective projects, it might be better for both our sanities if we get on with them separately."
"Fair enough, only because I love you," Scorpius conceded, leaning in to peck Albus on the lips. Thinking back to how stressed Albus had been the previous day, it was probably for the best.
"You two are so cute!" Mais cooed and both boys blushed furiously. "My eldest cousin on my dad's side is gay, he goes to this parade every year called Pride with his boyfriend. I think it's awesome that you're both out and don't care what anyone says or thinks."
"I'm actually bi, but I definitely appreciate you being an ally," Albus interjected as Scorpius nodded and smiled his thanks.
"Oh don't worry, I think I'm bi too, have you seen that new Chaser for the Harpies? Demelza Robins Jr? She is smoking!"
Scorpius rolled his eyes affectionately as his boyfriend laughed and flushed. Albus Potter's first crush was also on a Quidditch player, Brazilian Chaser Gonçalo Flores. His attention was drawn back to Mais again as she reached inside her bag and brought out an actual book with metal spirals up the side and a long cylindrical thing that almost looked like a quill except there were no feathers. She opened the book to a blank page and clicked the non-quill and began to write.
"Hold up, what's this?" the blond asked.
"Honestly, Scorpius, even I know that one. It's called a pen, my Aunt Hermione uses them sometimes. Her parents refuse to use parchment and quill."
"I forget your Auntie is Minister for Magic! I'd still argue her parents probably have a point though. Ink is so messy and smudges way too easily, then you have to wait for it to dry, it's so - so dull! And don't get me started on quills. Yes, they look pretty, but they tickle your hands and they are awfully hard to write with. Give me pens and exercise books any day."
"Why would books need to exercise?"
Both Mais and Albus burst out laughing then. Scorpius blushed, aware he'd said something rather silly. Mais resumed writing, and they made plans to meet up during their spare time during the week, including the SMILE club which Mais was eager to tag along to.
A few days later at breakfast, Scorpius received a package by owl post. It was a small plastic case wrapped in brown paper, inside which were a selection of biro pens and two rainbow badges. He looked over at the Hufflepuff table, caught Mais' eye and beamed at her.