Disclaimer: Alas,I am not making money off of this fan work based on JKR's characters, and am still in desperate in funds in order to pay a professional detective to find the mind that I lost.

Summary: Rose wants to finish her essay, but how can she concentrate with Scorpius sitting next to her and being too stubborn to admit he fancies her cousin, Albus Severus?

Rating: Teen

Genres: Friendship, Romance (Al/Scorpius)

Tags: Slytherin Albus Potter, Slytherin Scorpius Malfoy, Rose Granger-Weasley, Canon Compliant with Epilogue and Cursed Child, Supportive Friend Rose Gives Advice to In-Denial Scorpius, Homosexuality, Brief Sexual Identity Crisis Issues, Happy Ending

Boys Belong in Dungeons, Not Libraries

By MinervaEvenstar

Scorpius sat down beside Rose in the Hogwarts library and said without preamble, "We did it."

Reluctantly, Rose looked away from her essay, sensing a conversation approaching which would prevent her from finishing it at the present time. "What did you and Al do this time?"

"No, no, not Al," corrected Scorpius. He wondered if everyone assumed he meant Al and himself whenever he said 'we.' The thought gave him uncomfortable feeling in his stomach even as it made him want to smile. "Me and Jasmine. We did it."

Rose emitted a disgusted noise and turned back to her work. Where did Scorpius get the idea that she cared about some black-haired, green-eyed bint he'd shagged? "That's gross. I just hope you used Protection Charms."

"Why would we need-?" The revelation clicked and he hastily clarified, "I mean we kissed, not that we did…anything else."

That was a small relief given Scorpius clearly had feelings for somebody who was decidedly NOT Jasmine Nott. Nonetheless, their lip-locking was not information Rose particularly wanted to have. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I've got to tell SOMEONE." Scorpius sounded frustrated. "Usually, this is the sort of thing a bloke tells his male best friend, but things with Al are…weird when it comes to this stuff."

At this, Rose's interest in the discussion rekindled. "And why do you think they're 'weird?'"

"I don't know. Al goes all funny when I try to talk about girls or sex with him. At first, I thought he just didn't like HER, but he doesn't seem to like me going out in general, and I don't understand why. It won't hurt our friendship; I'll always put him first. Mates before dates, right?

"I don't think he's jealous I have a girl and he doesn't. He knows no one flirts with him because he's anti-social, but he's so fantastic he could easily find a girlfriend if he wanted one." He rested his elbows on his knees and placed his forehead in his hands. "I just don't know," he repeated.

"Yes, you do." Rose put down her quill and regarded him seriously, though he wasn't looking at her. "You say Al could get a girlfriend, but would you want him to?"

"I…What kind of question is that?" he snapped defensively, still not raising his cranium.

"You get just as weird as Al does," Rose stated, ignoring Scorpius' irrelevant inquiry. "The two of you are very possessive of each other and affectionate too. That isn't normal for boys. You could argue it didn't mean anything if you felt comfortable doing it in front of other people. Instead, if I or someone else walks in on the two of you cuddling, you jump apart and blush like you've been caught snogging."

Scorpius cursed the heat flooding his cheeks at the reminder. "We just don't want anyone to tease us. Like you said, it isn't what most blokes do."

"For Merlin's sake!" Rose's angry shout caused Scorpius blond head to snap up at last. "All boys have intelligence deficiencies, but you're usually less stupid than most. Can't you just admit it?"

"Admit what?" Scorpius couldn't explain why he felt horrified at the idea of Rose answering him.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you?" Rose huffed. "Fine. You fancy Al and Al fancies you."

Scorpius whispered, "That's imposs-"

Rose was unrelenting. "You want to do things to my cousin I don't want to think about, and you certainly don't want him doing them with anyone else. He feels the same way about you, so the fact that you've gone and given your first kiss to some slag is just so horrible I can't even say it. I can't believe you…" Rose ran out of steam when she noted Scorpius appeared to be near tears. "What's wrong? You and Al are perfect for each other. You're both really nice idiots."

Scorpius' hands were shaking. "I can't….I can't be gay. I don't think there's anything wrong with others being that way, but for me…Well, I just can't. Some people already treat me as if I will become the next Dark Lord. I can't be queer on top of that."

"You pursued girls in hopes of making yourself feel attraction to them, but it didn't work, did it?" Rose was using a much more gentle voice now.

"No." The expression on Scorpius' face suggested the world was ending. "I kept thinking about Al when we did anything romantic."

"Stop doing it then. Stop trying to force yourself to be straight. You're only hurting yourself." When Scorpius didn't seem convinced, she added, "It isn't fair to others, including Jasmine and me. Why should our lives be affected by your inability to admit your sexuality?" The blond winced guiltily. Rose knew she was getting through and drove her final, strongest point home. "This is upsetting Al."

"I don't want Al to be unhappy," he murmured softly, making a small smile form on Rose's face. Scorpius' quivering hands curled into steadier fists. "Are you sure he fancies me? I always told myself he never would, so it was another reason to make myself straight."

"I'm sure. You're the person he always wants with him when he's celebrating a success or coping with a failure. Plus, whenever anyone asks him who he thinks the prettiest girls are, he always says 'my veela cousins,' and whenever anyone asks who he thinks the best-looking boy is he always says you." Her smile was wider now.

Scorpius stood up, back erect and determined. "Okay," he said, though he appeared to speaking more to himself than to Rose.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked as he headed for the exit.

"To find Al. If you're right, then I'll get to see Al be happy again before my family kills me for shaming them by being gay. If you're wrong-" he shot her a smirk "-at least I'll have the pleasure of telling everyone Rose Weasley was wrong about something."

He quickly ducked out the door, so the book she tossed at his skull missed by a few feet.

Hours later, after Rose had managed to complete her assignment, she headed down to dinner. At the Slytherin table she noted Jasmine looked distinctly resentful and dumped, and Al and Scorpius were smiling with hands touching much more than the passing of pumpkin juice warranted. It was unclear whether or not the boys were a couple, though – even if they weren't officially dating yet – at least they were taking progressive steps in the right direction.

It had been a successful day for Rose Granger-Weasley.