Title: Love is a better teacher than duty.
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 3,333.
Pairing(s): Harry/Scorpius, Harry/Ginny
Warnings: (include spoilers where applicable) male/male sex, infidelity, age disparity (Harry(46)/Scorpius(20), therefore a 26 year age gap).
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Harry Potter's birthday was a day to celebrate and a day to remember. Well, Albus would never forget the day he found out his father was having an affair with his best friend, behind his mother's back.
Author/Artist's Notes: I know I asked you whether you liked creature fics and in case you were expecting one I thought I'd let you know that I decided against that route. Simply because I didn't want there to be an excuse, an easy way out, for Harry and Scorpius, they weren't fucking because they were compelled they simply wanted to. And I wanted to write the fall out. I hope you enjoy nonetheless.
The title is an Einstein quote.
I've tweaked this since it was beta'd so any mistakes are my own.
Beta'd by prettyhairs
Albus was a quiet boy, well he was a man now at twenty, but he was underestimated amongst his peers and family. Except his dad. Harry Potter was Head Auror and he hadn't got there on his name alone, he'd worked hard and risen through the ranks to the top because he was the best.
Harry Potter was a big family man as well, he loved his wife and three children. Or so Albus had thought. His world was crashing down around his ears as he saw his father and best friend.
Scorpius Malfoy was bent over the mahogany desk in the study, trousers around his ankles while draped across his back with hips moving in hard, frantic thrusts was Albus' father. Harry was panting harshly across Scorpius' pale neck as Albus' best friend arched his back, one hand coming off the desk to grab at the messy black hair and bring their lips together.
Stifling a gasp Albus felt tears burning his eyes but he couldn't look away. The way they were kissing was nothing like Albus had ever seen, his parents had never kissed like that, when he thought about it Albus realised that they hadn't kissed each other since Lily was ten.
Tears dripped down his face and Albus hastily wiped them away as he turned from his dad and best friend, making his way outside to where the party was taking place.
"Al!"
Albus turned to see Scorpius running out of the house with a drink in his hand, had Albus been outside that long? Long enough for Scorpius to freshen up after his sex- Albus shook his head to dispel the thought.
"Hey Scorp" he smiled weakly.
"You alright?" Scorpius' eyes were filled with concern but Al wasn't looking at him, he was looking at Harry as he came out of the house a happy grin on his face. Scorpius frowned "What are you looking at?" he swivelled round and saw Harry just in front of the back door.
Harry nodded his head in polite indifference at Scorpius and he winked at Al, who smiled wanly before turning to look at Scorpius who was already looking at him.
Flinging an arm over Al's shoulders Scorpius pulled him closer "Come on, mate, buck up. It's your old man's birthday."
"Old is right" Al said, almost viciously hoping that it would make Scorpius rethink whatever he was doing with Harry.
Laughter bubbled out of Scorpius as he said "He's not that old Al, he's only forty-six!"
"He's the same age as your dad" Al ground out through gritted teeth and Scorpius finally dropped his smile and drew his arm away looking into Al's green eyes and frowning.
"What is the matter, Al? You're acting weird."
Taking a deep breath Al hissed "Weird? As in just found out my pet kneazle died weird? Or just found out that my dad's fucking my best friend behind my mother's back weird?"
Scorpius took a step back and his mouth dropped open.
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself? You're not denying it!" Al shouted, his voice had risen as he spoke and family had started to turn to watch them.
"Calm down, Al."
"Calm down? You want me to calm down? You're such a fucker!" Al screamed, his voice hysterical, and he lurched forward swinging his fist. Scorpius fell down clutching at his eye, Al knew that he'd let himself be hit as Scorpius could have easily dodged the blow.
"Al!" Ginny reprimanded as Harry helped Scorpius off the ground. His fingers gently touched the red and purpling bruise, which was already forming, causing Scorpius to flinch.
"I should go" Scorpius muttered, shifting away from Harry.
"Don't you want to go with him dad?" Al asked scathingly. "Make sure he's okay."
Harry's eyes became cold and they narrowed as he took in his son's angry stance "I don't know what you think you mean Albus." Harry held his son's eyes until the younger looked away before Harry moved towards the house, whether to get away from the stares of the family and workmates, to get a drink or to follow Scorpius, Al didn't know and he didn't care.
*O*O*
Harry knocked on his youngest son's door and waited for the not-so-welcoming grunt before opening the door.
Lying on his bed, Al was staring at the ceiling his eyes shifted to look at Harry before he went back to his mindless gazing. Harry bit his lip when he saw the red-rimmed and bloodshot eyes.
"You know," Al started, almost conversationally, "when we grew up there were stories all over school about you and other women, but everybody knew it wasn't true. The Saviour wouldn't cheat on his wife with another woman, but more than that, my dad would never cheat on my mum. I grew up thinking he was virtuous and the epitome of good." Al looked at his father and said sarcastically "Was' being the operative term."
"Al-"
"No!" Al shouted, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "You don't get to justify yourself! You don't get to apologise, you're sick!"
Harry opened his mouth but Al vaulted off his bed to shove at his dad's chest "Get out! Get out!" Al screamed over and over hitting and pounding his fists against Harry's chest.
The door opened and Ginny gasped before demanding "What is going on! Al, stop hitting your father." She came into the room and grabbed hold of Al's upper arm dragging him away from Harry who was still standing in the same spot.
"Harry?" Ginny asked him quietly but he just turned and left the room, his eyes narrowed and his lips in a thin, harsh line.
Al's voice drifted down the passageway after him "Don't worry mum, you've still got us kids."
Anger surged through Harry and he stomped to his study, slamming the door and locking it before heading the floo and leaving the house. Stumbling out into the dark Harry fumbled for the light switch on the wall, flicking it and jumping as the light illuminated the figure on the sofa.
"Scorpius" Harry smiled.
"Hey" the younger man sat up, frowning slightly, "what are you doing here?"
Harry looked around their flat, he'd had it for years but had never used it until he had started this thing with Scorpius. It was completely muggle and the only magical object was the floo connected only to Harry's study and Scorpius' bedroom at Malfoy Manor. Something that had taken a lot of stealth for him to accomplish, much more difficult than the fidelius charm, had been.
"Al" Harry said by way of explanation.
Smiling sadly Scorpius stood and held out his hand waiting for Harry to grasp it before he led the two of them to their bedroom. Scorpius lay down on the bed, pulling Harry with him and they lay together, holding each other tightly.
Scorpius' head was resting on Harry's chest and Harry's hand was stroking the blond hair. Scorpius knew this was the moment for Harry, that the other man had to choose and as a few tears leaked from Scorpius' eyes he knew. He knew that this was goodbye.
O*O*O
Waking up, Scorpius revelled in Harry's tight embrace, turning to nuzzle at the stubble covered neck before he remembered Al. Quietly and slowly he left Harry's arms, watching his lover sleep for a few minutes before Scorpius left the room. He wrote a note which he placed on the mantle for Harry to find then Scorpius flooed to the Manor. When he landed in his room he crawled to his bed and bit his lip to prevent the sobs from escaping his mouth.
Tears flowed over his cheeks and he couldn't stop himself from crying out in loud sobs and gasps. Scorpius cried for his broken heart, for his Harry and for the end of their relationship.
*O*O*
Harry woke feeling cold. He reached out a hand for Scorpius but found the sheets the cold too, Harry frowned to himself, he usually woke when his bed partner did but with Scorpius Harry allowed his guard to fall and he trusted the blond to keep him safe.
Rising from the bed Harry tugged his shirt and waved his hand making it look un-wrinkled and he headed for the living room and Harry called out.
"Scorpius? Scor-" Harry cut himself off as he took in the piece of parchment on the mantle resting against the wall.
Hand trembling Harry picked it up and read it once. He sat heavily on the sofa and read it a second time, his eyes blurring the letters and words together and Harry dropped the letter to the floor. And as his head fell into his hands Harry let himself fall apart sobbing brokenly.
O*O*O
When Harry got back to the house the following evening, after work, he hugged Lily and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before heading to the kitchen where Ginny was sitting at the table while the dinner effectively made itself.
"Harry" she smiled, rising from her seat to greet him with a hug or a kiss, Harry didn't know. He just drew the pieces of parchment from his bag and dropped them onto the table in front of her.
"What's this?" She asked, a smile on her face hiding her confusion as she sank back down and looked at the parchment.
Ginny's smile dropped from her face and she paled. "You've filed for divorce?"
"We've not been happy for a long time, Gin. I've had enough of pretending, we had this conversation years ago and those excuses don't hold up anymore. Lily's out of Hogwarts, all of them are adults; it's no reason to keep this going."
"I am your wife" she hissed.
"Not anymore. You can have the house, and whatever money we've made over the years and saved will be split in half." He leaned on the table and bent into her face "You will not even begin to think about asking for the Potter or the Black vaults. They go to the children."
Tears pooled in her brown eyes and she asked "Who is she?"
Harry merely snorted.
"You've been fucking her for a while, Harry, I think I deserve to know her name."
"Like you told me the names of all your lovers over the past seven years?" Harry retorted, sadistically enjoying the way Ginny paled even more.
"I have a flat I'll be staying at. I'll tell the children if they want to know where to find me."
"And what if I want to find you?"
"Owl me." Harry said, his voice hard before he stalked out of the kitchen and into the living room where his three children were sitting huddled together, wide eyed and fearful.
"Dad?" Lily asked quietly. "Are you really leaving?"
"Yes, Lil, I'm really going."
James didn't say anything just glared at Harry before standing and sneering at his father "We should be with mum." He looked to his other siblings but neither moved so he stormed through to the kitchen and to his mother.
"Where will you go?" Lily asked.
Harry looked at Al "Do you want to know?"
Al nodded and Harry drew his two youngest children closer and whispered "If you need me, floo from my study to one-twenty-four, Fairview Terrace. Or apparate to the park we go to some times and Fairview Terrace is just off that, walk until you find one-twenty-four and don't forget it's a muggle neighbourhood."
Both children nodded and Harry held onto them for a second longer before getting up and heading to the study. Just before he flooed out the door opened and closed behind Albus.
"What about Scorp?"
"He left" Harry sighed.
"Is it true? About mum and others for years?"
"Do you really want to know?" Harry asked gently and when Al nodded he said "Yes. She's been cheating on me for seven years, for me Scorpius was the first. But I went and fell in love with him, one thing your mum didn't do."
"Okay." Al nodded and Harry hesitated a moment longer before he grabbed a handful of floo powder, "Can I come with you?"
"Sure" Harry smiled. "Follow me through."
The two Potter's arrived at the flat and Harry said "The kitchen is just there, as you can see. Bathroom's on the left, your bedroom's first on the right and our- my room is at the end of the hall. I'm going to hit the hay, alright. Help yourself to anything."
"Okay" Al said and watched as his devastated and heartbroken dad headed to his room. Harry paused in the doorway and turned around.
"Al?"
"Yeah dad?"
"Thank you."
Al smiled "I-" Al had lost his anger and sense of betrayal since he'd seen Harry and Scorpius in the study and was able to realise just how unhappy his dad had been with his mum. After learning about her infidelity a few minutes ago Al wasn't nearly as hurt and he had to understand why.
Seeing that his dad was waiting for him to continue Al settled for "I love you dad", glad that it got Harry to smile at him broadly.
"I love you too, son."
They shared another smile before Harry headed into his room. Staring at his dad's closed bedroom door Al thought about how much closer he was to Harry than Ginny, and the first time he'd been able to bring Scorpius over during the summer before their final year at Hogwarts, how Scorpius had an instant rapport with Harry. His dad had been more relaxed than Al had ever seen him those few days that Scorpius had stayed, but when Scorpius had gone back to the Manor Harry had gone back to being his usual self.
It was the first time that Al had been able to see that his dad wasn't happy. That he probably had never been anything more than content in a very long time, but being a teenaged boy he'd brushed it off and thought nothing more about it. Until now. Scorpius made his dad happy, that was what Al kept coming back to in his mind.
Sighing, Al shook his head and made his way to sit on the sofa, his foot sliding on a piece of parchment. Frowning Al picked it up and, recognising the handwriting as his best mate's, hesitated to read it. But after thinking of his dad's demeanour Al wanted to find out why Scorpius had left.
Harry,
I know that having Al know about us means that it'll only be a matter of time before anyone, everyone, else does too. This is the time for you to choose, your wife and children and the life you've built together for twenty-eight years, or me. I'm under no illusions, I know you'll try to do the right thing for everyone but that will only hurt you and I can't have that.
So, I'm doing the best thing for both of us and I'm taking myself out of the equation. I love you Harry. I know we've never said it before but I think that you should know how I feel, no matter what. I love you and I wish I'd had the guts to tell you in person, though if I had I doubt I'd have been able to walk to away.
I hope you understand how hard it is for me to walk away from you, sneaking out of our flat like some two-knut whore but it had to be done, we both know I couldn't go if you were asking me to stay and we both know that if you ask, I'll come back. If you ask. I can dream, can't I? Hold on to that hope and pretend that you loved me back, but you didn't did you? Not when you have your perfect wife and the three children you have together.
I'm sorry Harry. I love you, I love you, I love you.
Forever yours, Scorpius.
The letter had splotches of dried tears on them and Al didn't know whether they'd come from Scorpius or his dad but, as he looked at the letter in his hand, Al knew that they deserved to be happy with each other. Even if it made him uncomfortable, his dad deserved to be happy, so did Scorpius, and who was Al to stop them?
*O*O*
Scorpius.
Harry pulled the pillow closer and smiled as he heard the kettle boiling in the kitchen, familiar sounds of breakfast being made while he inhaled the scent of his lover. Except it wasn't quite right, the smell was faded and when Harry heard a soft "Dad?" he knew that it wasn't Scorpius in the flat with him, it was Al.
Sighing heavily Harry rolled onto his back and fumbled for his glasses pushing them up his nose before looking at his son. "Morning Al, I'll be right out."
Al's pale face smiled wanly and he backed up into the hall and out of Harry's sight. Sitting up, he rubbed a hand over his unshaven face and through his hair before standing.
Harry had been wallowing for the past two days and today was the day he got back his life. Right after breakfast.
If it hadn't been for Al, Harry probably wouldn't have eaten a thing or drunk anything except firewhiskey. Having his son there allowed Harry to know that he wasn't alone, that even though Al was hurt and feeling betrayed he understood. And to Harry that was all he could ask for, understanding.
Once he'd sat down with his cup of tea Al handed Harry a piece of parchment and a quill.
"What's this for?"
Al looked at his dad, "Write to him. He'll come back if you ask."
Shaking his head sadly Harry clutched his tea cup and stood, "I can't ask that of him. I can't put him through all the shit that he'd have to go through being with me. I won't."
Al watched as his dad headed back to his bedroom. He pulled the parchment and quill towards him and after hesitating a moment he began to write.
*O*O*O*
Al woke with a start as stomping footsteps resounded down the hallway and he peaked out his half-open door to see Scorpius opening Harry's. "Harry?"
"Scorpius?" Harry's voice floated down to Al, "What- what are you doing here?"
"Are you really divorcing Ginny?"
Harry barked out a laugh, "Yes, I'm really divorcing her., You see, when you left you didn't let me tell you that I'd chosen you. Scorpius," Harry sighed heavily, sounding defeated "what are doing here, it's two in the morning?"
"You asked me to come" Scorpius sounded confused. "I got a letter from you saying 'come back' and I did. I have, Harry."
Al held his breath.
"Al."
"What?" Scorpius' voice was just a whisper.
"He's here, down the hall, been here all week. He must have sent it."
"Why?"
"Because he knows that I am too proud to ask myself." Harry sounded ashamed.
"Oh Harry." Scorpius' voice was soft and Al closed the door quietly cutting off their conversation, he silently thanked his dad for fitting the rooms with silencing charms.
Scorpius turned his head at the sound of the click before looking back at Harry, who was sitting up in their bed with the sheets pooled around his hips. Moving into the room Scorpius closed the door then moved to the bed where he curled up next to Harry, where he belonged.