Disclaimer: All of the characters and associations of the Harry Potter realm belong to J. K. Rowling and all other copyright holders. Sadly, I am not included in these aforementioned institutions and merely borrow such settings as a playground for my own creativity.
A/N: Thank you everyone who took the time to review! Without further ado...
Skeletons and Monuments : Chapter Two
Albus found that the days passed by with uncharacteristic haste the rest of the week. He had spent much of his free time writing the essays for Professor Chang, only after completing them coming upon the idea that perhaps Malfoy had purposely given him false information. Everything the blonde had said about Felix Felicis could be checked for accuracy with both the library as well as his cousin Rose, who had an uncanny ability to just about everything without having to study it, but not much could be said towards knowing if the potion was actually Felix Felicis or not. It would be much to like a cunning Slytherin to hide a lie behind a path of truths. Albus had gotten so desperate to make sure that the other boy wasn't lying he tried to convince Rose to sneak into the Potions classroom after hours. On the principle that she was a good, rule abiding Gryffindor, Rose declined. This left Albus where he was now- nervously entering the dungeon classroom with two parchments that could quite possibly land him detention for the rest of the school year if he was wrong.
The first thing Albus noticed was that once again Scorpius was occupying the far corner of the room. Surprised, Albus quickly recovered, realizing that the other boy would obviously be there again as the potion needed exact timing to be tended to- or so he had been told. This time, Albus took the first seat on the opposite side of the room, for then the only way he could see his classmate was to drastically turn his head to the right. He was determined to not give the blonde even the slightest bit of attention tonight. He had been coerced into working together with him last time and Albus was sure that he couldn't extend his civilities much pas that. He shook his mess of black hair at the guilty notion that he hadn't actually been pleasant at all despite the other's kindness, as if the movement would dislodge the treacherous idea.
"Do you have the assignments?" Professor Chang's voice sounded from Scorpius's corner, and Albus stiffened at already having to break his vow to look in that direction. Instead of turning towards his professor, a move that would either go unnoticed or earn him even more suffering, he dropped his gaze to his bag as he began to ruffle through the compartments.
"Yes, I have both parchments for you. Here," Albus offered, placing them both on the table in front of him hesitantly. When he thought she'd ask him to bring it to her, he was surprised as she came towards him, scooping them off of the desk. Albus looked up, watching her as she eagerly scanned the paper, face darkening as she read along. Brief panic washed through Albus, realizing that his fear the blonde had tricked him was well seeded.
Green eyes flashed murderously, seeking out Malfoy. The dangerous gleam faltered for a brief moment when he realized that gray eyes were silently watching him. Albus narrowed his eyes further, trying to express his threats of what was to come. He was so overheated that he didn't register that Scorpius's face flickered with confusion before throwing up a stony mask.
"I see you manage to figure out what potion Mr. Malfoy was brewing," Chang muttered, rolling up both parchments. "Although I would assume you had unlikely help." Albus brought his attention back to his teacher, astounded at the comment. He flicked his gaze back to Scorpius in time to catch a small smile from the blonde before returning his full attention to the obviously annoyed professor in front of him.
Albus smirked, realizing that Chang had thought he would be unable to come up with the correct answer. She must have recognized the animosity between the two boys and attempted to play against it. It was that and the idea that her star student would never betray his secrets that had given her what she thought to be the upper hand. She shot a nasty glare at Scorpius, who quickly began to busy himself in his work, unaccustomed to such hostility from the Potions Master.
"Not really, it was an easy assignment," Albus quipped suddenly. His smirk grew as he drew her attention off of the other boy and onto Albus once more. He had successfully saved Scorpius some unwanted anger and also insulted her discipline abilities in one line. Not that he cared whether or not Scorpius was at the receiving end of the woman's lashes.
"I see. As you appear to be too superior for my assignments, I'm sure you'll be relieved to know you won't be subjected to any tonight. An unfortunate third year exploded his potion earlier yesterday and he spent last night cleaning the supplies. You can thank him for sparing you from menial work as well. I'll alert you when your detention has been filled." With that, she turned sharply on her heel, clenching the parchment as she retreated to her office. She offered Scorpius a small nod before exiting, indicating that she harbored no ill will against him for Albus's success with her assignment. Albus exhaled as the office door closed behind his teacher. A bout of triumph built in his chest as having escaped any meticulous activities that night. All he had to do was sit out the next three hours and he'd be home free.
Albus turned around, leaning back so that the potions desk supported his upper body. Closing his eyes, he let himself relax in the cool basement air. When he had first entered Hogwarts, he had been terrified of being trapped in the dungeons as he had spent most of his childhood outside. With such a large family and an array of cousins and siblings his age, the outdoors was the only place that could withstand their games and pranks. He found that within a few weeks, the damp air of the underground wasn't nearly as musky or oppressing as he thought.
It was true that he still loved venturing outside, as the wind caressing his face as he stood on the Quidditch pitch could not be matched by anything. Yet while the outdoors served to energize him, the dungeon air was crisp and inviting. As the only Potter to be placed in the Slytherin house, as Lily ended up in Ravenclaw, he was sure that none of his siblings would understand this love of the most intriguing parts of Hogwarts. Albus was also sure that neither of them knew the secrets of the school like he did, as much of the tricks of the castle above ground were common knowledge but the dungeons offered a spectrum on hidden treasures that people never paid much mind to discover.
Letting his mind wander, Albus quickly became uncomfortable in the position he chose. Spinning around so he was facing the table, he learned heavily on his elbows. Muscles itching to moves, that position didn't last either, as Albus switched to slouching deeply. Scorpius watched from across the room as the dark haired boy fidgeted around the desk. He repressed a laugh at the antics. This was the first time that he had ever seen Albus so unkempt and the stark difference was enough to give him a good laugh.
The Potter boy was usually nothing less than the dynamic, yet frigid self-proclaimed King of Slytherin. He might have only been a fifth year, but between his surname, charisma, and cunning, the raven-haired boy definitely upheld the position. That and the fact that he was the captain of the Quidditch team didn't hurt his popularity as well. Well, Scorpius mused, it was more status than popularity. Their Common Room was dictated by the feats of your actions and sharp tongue, and Albus had assimilated quite a bit of followers because of his proclivity in these matters. Even if someone went to challenge the King, they were sure to either fall victim to his spat venom or the whiplash of one of his cronies. Scorpius had been subjected to both in earlier years, but when they realized he never made an attempt to climb in their little social ladder, he became a lame target.
Although, when it came down to it, Scorpius was positive that he could be colder and just as effortlessly witty as the other boy. He just never understood the motivation behind their little games, as in the end they were all in Slytherin and while its dark characteristics were erased by the current Hogwarts regime, the house name either earned you power or cost you a position as house loyalty extended despite your standing once you left the school as the rest of the Wizarding world seemed to scorn these alumni.
The one profession that favored Slytherins above the rest was potions, which thankfully was Scopius's passion as he was sure that with his last name on top of being a Slytherin would bar him from any other opportunities in the Wizarding community of the United Kingdom as well as much of Western Europe. It was the downside to having such a prolific surname; the scope of people who knew your dirty laundry was far greater than the regular wizarding family. The effect of the last name "Potter" must have an opposite effect, Scorpius mused to himself, glancing over at the raven-haired boy who had once again flopped into a new position. Remembering the conversation he had overheard about Albus's desire to play Quidditch professional, Scorpius wondered if being a Potter was enough to place on any team with or without talent.
Albus's mind was as far away from such topics as possible. He had come to realize just how long a few hours could be, as he was sure that the agonizing few minutes that had passed had been enchanted to last twice as long. The only thoughts occupying his mind were everything he rather be doing and that he should most definitely not look over at the blonde across the room. The latter seemed more and more appealing as the time passed, if just for the reason that Albus had a tendency to enjoy doing things he was told not to- even if the person instructing against it was himself. Sparing a miniscule glimpse, one that Albus justified by saying that he wasn't sure if he was still there as he was so quiet, he noticed that Malfoy's lips were downturned firmly and his brows knit. Obviously not the potion he was thinking about, as he was now robotically stirring it and even Albus could do that without concentration, the raven haired boy found himself curious at what was going on inside his rival's mind. This too he justified for being absolutely bored and isolated unfairly.
Albus swiveled his chair around again, scowl crossing his face at the unwanted interest in the boy he was happy to ignore or even torment a few days ago. This lasted for a few moments before Albus decided that if he was going to be stuck in the potions lab for the rest of his Saturday night, he might as well not punish himself further by not speaking to the only other living being inhabiting the room. Even if it happened to be Scorpius Malfoy, disgusting offspring of bigoted purebloods. As long as Albus kept himself sane, it was worth the slight tarnishing of his beliefs.
Scorpius was drawn out of his reverie when a farm unceremoniously plopped itself down on a stool in front of him. Glancing up from his potion he found Albus Potter sitting in front of him, hunched forward casually although avoiding any eye contact with the other. Surprised by the turn of events, Scorpius decided to ignore the intrusion on his personal space. The silence he enjoyed while working on his potions didn't last much longer, as Albus took no time in interrogating Scorpius.
"So why are you making liquid luck?"
"I told you, I can't tell you that," Scorpius shot back smoothly. Albus's eyes narrowed, suspicious of the other's motives.
"You know that brewing it for personal gain is illegal, right?"
"Yes, I'm quite aware of all aspects of my potion, thanks. I do believe it was me who characterized Felix Felicis for you a few days ago." Albus quickly shut up, realizing that Scorpius was right on that matter. Still not thoroughly convinced on the blonde's motives, Albus watched each move carefully as if it would suddenly give something away. Scorpius felt Albus's eyes search him and sighed. "Plus, I was asked by Professor Chang. It isn't as if I'm brewing this on my own, she allowed me to brew it in her place in order for me to practice on my level. If a teacher at Hogwarts was supposed to brew it for a cause, surely the cause is good."
Albus was at least satisfied with this answer, but did not hesitate from continuing his questioning. Despite the fact he was inept in the art of potion making, it did intrigue him how one could create a complicated substance with a certain effect from such mundane ingredients. Or maybe it was the fact that he was incapable of doing this on even a basic level that intrigued him to the art. After all, Albus Potter excelled at everything.
"Why are you using such a small cauldron?" Albus asked, curiosity evident despite his attempt to sound casual. Scorpius let a small smile find its way to his lips, amused at the uncharacteristic treatment. Even with the previous insinuation, it was obvious that Albus had taken some interest in him. Or at least his potion.
"Did you manage to somehow not retain any information about Felix Felicis despite those parchments? Its toxic in large amounts, so potioneers typically only brew enough for the task at hand with enough to store in case of post-cooling contamination. That and the fact this is an extremely difficult potion to make. It is more manageable on a smaller scale," Scorpius lectured with a slight tease, voice betraying his excitement on the matter.
Despite his intrigue, Albus couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy actually wasting their time making sure that every some-odd stroke went counter-clockwise or chopping up livers into miniscule dices to they wouldn't have an effect on the consistency of the potion. The thought of displaced livers was enough to set Albus against the science that Scorpius exuded passion for. It must be a sick kink of purebloods to enjoy he arcane and gore, he deduced. Yet his cousin Rose also seemed to enjoy the subject to the point his Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione installed a basement in their house for the sole purpose of her having a potions lab. Maybe it was just an affinity for the lonely. Albus snorted at this last thought, noticing how both Scorpius and Rose didn't seem to quite fit with their peers. Solidifying his theory, Albus raised his gaze in challenge to the inquisitive gray stare. Scorpius just shrugged impassively, not caring whether or not he got the cause of Albus's odd behavior. Even with the King of Slytherin having a change of heart towards Scorpius for the moment, the latter was less than inclined to take interest in the boy. For their five years in school, Scorpius had learned how fickle Slytherin politics could be. All he cared about was missing his backstroke.
"Surprisingly, I did learn a few things. For example, this happens to be a high-class potion. How exactly do you even know how to brew it properly?" Albus retorted. Scorpius seemed to take a moment to decide on his answer before shrugging.
"Professor Chang helped a bit, but my father is very keen on potioneering. As he could never get his license in it, I became his protégé practically from the womb. We have a lab at home twice this size, fully stocked you know," Scorpius added the last line with pride. Scorpius's eyes widened, realizing exactly to whom he referenced his father. Both turned their attention off of the other, allowing the conversation to lapse into an awkward silence. Scorpius found himself repressing a frown, having had actually enjoyed conversing with the other boy. Albus recovered the use of his vocal chords first.
"You didn't have to tell me what you were brewing," he muttered.
"I know." The dismissive answer irritated Albus. He had been wondering for the past few days exactly why he had been in the other boy's good graces enough to tell him the answers to his detention assignment and with that brushing off, it did nothing to quell the gnawing at his mind. Losing his ability to remain collected, Albus snapped.
"Yeah, well forget it in the future. I don't need hand outs from the likes of you," Albus practically growled.
Scorpius remained silent. This wasn't the first time that Albus had called him, in a roundabout way, son of a Death Eater. True, he had become accustomed to it but it was tiring to have to stand behind the faults of his father when his father had been but a scared boy of his own age. It was unfair yet Scorpius also understood that few things were fair. While talking to Potter had been enjoyable for the time, he should have seen that it wouldn't last. Albus pulled off being cold and calculating too well for it just o be an act for the common room. Maybe he was just faking his amiability to boost his status.
At that moment, Scorpius acknowledge the fact that he really did deserve the title of King of Slytherin as Albus Potter was most definitely the snakiest person he had ever met- one moment he could be hypnotizing you and the next his venom was coursing through your being. Despite the obvious discomfort on both parties, Albus didn't make a move to leave Scorpius alone. His presence quickly became unwanted, irritating Scorpius. Unfortunately, Albus didn't pick up on his lack of welcome.
"How can you stand being cooped up in here on a Saturday night?" he sighed exasperatedly, ignoring the fact he had just bitten the blonde's head off. He was still the only possible conversation partner and Albus was sure that his detention was far from over and he wasn't ready to resign himself to suffering in silence.
"Usually, I take this as my time to unwind and get some peace and quiet," Scorpius hinted, although the jibe seemed to go above Albus's head.
"The guys have some firewhisky back in the dorm. Ya know, in pre-celebration for the game net weekend," Scorpius snorted, finding amusement in the way his peers found any excuse to get belligerently drunk. "They shouldn't be able to give school-related punishments on the weekend. It's supposed to be our break from the education system!"
"Actually, it's our time to practice and apply the theories learned in our classes outside of a structured environment to secure our comprehension of the topics. The free time it permits encourages students to learn the responsibility of balancing learning and prior commitments with a social life," Scorpius admonished, exaggerating his dedication to his studies. He enjoyed spending times with his friends and escaping the drag of the week as much as any other student, but he couldn't help but antagonize the other boy. Albus stared at him in horror, making it worthwhile. Scorpius decided to add the icing to the cake. "I believe that for the month of May they should extend classes, especially for upperclassmen who have OWLs and NEWTs to attend to. All social events should be canceled in the name of preparing students for their future."
"But it's the end of the Quidditch season!" Scorpius smirked, refusing to respond. Albus seemed utterly fluster and the blonde was quite content with himself to be able to throw him off his game just by pushing his buttons. "Surely, you have something better to be doing than hanging out in a dingy dungeon tonight," insisted Albus.
"Careful, I wouldn't want Professor Chang to hear you call it that," Scorpius snickered. "When I'm finished, I'm sure Nena and Greg will be around."
"Who?"
"Zabini and Parkinson," Scorpius explained, realizing that Albus probably knew as much of them as he knew of Scorpius. Less, probably, seeing as Albus knew enough of Scorpius to hate him. His two closest friends had just seemed to fall off of his radar due to their family's histories. Hearing the last names, Albus crinkled his nose slightly.
"Oh." The two slipped into silence again, which Scorpius was thankful for. He was counting down the minutes until he could leave his potion for the night. While he usually enjoyed tending to it even thought it had become repetitive as it was in its final assimilating stage, tonight he wished he had just let Professor Chang deal with both the Felix Felicis and the irritating Potter. As if on cue, the potion crackled under his administrations. Grinning, he gave one final backstroke before stepping back from the cauldron. Pride spread across his features, and he couldn't help but look towards his current companion to see if he noticed that the night's efforts had been successful. Green eyes were just watching him curiously, thoughts carefully hidden behind them.
As Scorpius began to clean up, Albus felt panic rise up in his throat. The smaller boy was going to leave and he'd be stuck here serving time with a teacher who despised him for who knows how long? Realizing that he had once again stepped in it with their conversation, Albus grappled for any topic that could be something neutral that wouldn't remind him of how much he disliked the blonde. Without thinking, he found himself blurting out the first thing that came to his lips.
"Do you like Quidditch?" Scorpius paused while cleaning up his counter of ingredients. Gray eyes met green, searching them for malice or something equally as negative. Albus willed himself to learn earnest. Scorpius dropped is gaze back to the mess before answering.
"I suppose I'm fond of it," he mumbled.
"Really? I've never seen you at one of the house games?" Albus almost grimaced at how untactful he could be at times. Scorpius brushed it off.
"I find the rivalries here petty. I much prefer the tactics of the Ravenclaw team, but apparently its sociably unacceptable to vote for the best team if it isn't your own house."
"Ravenclaw can sod off!"
"My point exactly," Scorpius chuckled, moving across the room to store the unused ingredients.
"No, honestly, this has nothing to do with the fact that I have the best team in the school," he supplemented the statement with a cheeky grin that Scorpius found himself rolling his eyes at with a soft smile in place. "Ravenclaw might have brains but it doesn't show in their flying ability. Who cares about strategy if you can't stay on your broom?"
"Who cares about how well you fly if you can't win a match?" Scorpius offered in return.
"I care. And I can win a match," Albus pointed out. Scorpius offered him a tentative smile, one that Albus eagerly returned. Quidditch was always easy for him to talk about. "I get that they can formulate more intricate plans that I ever could but he only team they could possibly execute them against is Hufflepuff. They fly like first years."
"But they think like professionals. Plus look at their keeper- did any of your chasers score in that game?"
"Actually, I think Nott did," Albus actually reflected on this, unsure of the validity of this statement. "But you're missing the point they scored once on us. That was because my keeper was doing loop-de-loops for some sodding bird," Albus scowled. Scorpius shook his head, setting aside the last of his supplies, heading towards Professor Chang's office. Desperate to keep Scorpius's attention and not be left alone, Albus shouted after him, "Plus we caught the snitch! We won! What do you have to say about that Malfoy, eh?" Scorpius didn't answer, knocking on the office door instead.
"Professor, I've finished for the night," Scorpius stated solemnly as the woman opened the door to her office.
"Ah already? I hadn't realized it had grown that late," she admitted. "Very well, how is it progressing?"
"It crackled as it was supposed to then went back to placidly simmering. I believe it will be extremely potent when the time comes," Scorpius reported. She nodded at him, offering one of her rare smiles.
"Glad to hear it. I shall see you tomorrow, Mr. Malfoy. Enjoy the rest of your evening," she bade him goodbye, Scorpius returning the sentiments. As he turned to leave, she seemed to remember Albus's presence. "Oh, and please being Mr. Potter with you. I'm afraid of just what he might get up to left alone in my classroom," she added with a snarl.
Albus just rolled his eyes as she turned her back, relieved that he didn't have to spend any time alone. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he offered Scorpius a half smile before following him out of the potions classroom. Albus was anxious to cross the small distance between the potions room and his dormitory, as he was sure his friends were years ahead of him in the night's festivities. He kept his pace in check once Scorpius resumed their previous conversation.
"I must admit, your record may say something for your team. Maybe if you didn't shove others off of their brooms during matches, though, I may be more inclined to acknowledge your talent." Albus snorted, both amused and annoyed at the statement.
"My teammates are just overly excited to play the game. Not different than Bulgaria in last year's World Cup," Albus reasoned.
"Ah, but they have the plays to cover up their brutality. You are just ruthless and depend on the speed of your brooms and reflexes of the riders to win games," Scorpius antagonized.
"I'll take that as a compliment to my team's flying ability," Albus turned towards the familiar wall. "Parseltongue." The wall withdrew to reveal the entrance, Scorpius clamored in first, turning around once he was in the common room to address Albus once again.
"If that's how you want to take your lack of play planning, then it surely must be a compliment," Scorpius offered a small smile to the other boy. Albus's face was drawn when he entered the common room, eyes narrowed in what could only be characterized as disgust towards Scorpius. The blonde's smile fell, noticing the change in demeanor. He then realized that many eyes were on the pair that had entered jovially together.
"Since when do you know anything about Quidditch, Malfoy?" Albus drawled, cocking an eyebrow. "Can you even ride broom?" Scorpius realized that his earlier prediction about the boy's nature was right. Green eyes pierced him like a legend African mamba that had sighted its prey. Scorpius drew himself up to his full height, channeling whatever grace he had inherited from his father.
"I should be asking you the same question, Potter, after that game against Gryffindor. Who knew your big brother inherited all the good genes? Too bad poor ickle Albus only inherited a knack for utter hopelessness at Potions," Albus hissed coldly. Albus's eyes narrowed.
"At least there were good genes to inherit in my family."
"I do believe that my academic achievements eclipse yours, unless you're admitting to your inferior breeding?" Albus paused momentarily, an uncharacteristic move. Scorpius seized this moment of speechlessness to lay the final blow. "Tongue tied? And to think one would assume the son of the great Harry Potter would actually be able to hold his own. Pity, I guess surnames don't count for everything, now do they Potter?"
With that, he turned on his heel. His eyes did a quick scan, noticing that Greg was watching the scene a safe distance away at the entrance to the dorm rooms. The Common Room was silent as eyes regarded the blonde harshly as he crossed the room, all stunned to watch their King get a verbal lashing. Albus stood stoically in the doorway, eyes unreadable to the many prying gazes that turned to him as Scorpius disappeared into the hallway of bedrooms. Albus shook his head, turning an icy glare to the nearest inhabitant.
"I do believe he was referring to your inability to maintain any control of yourself in Quidditch matches, Thatcher. Perhaps next weekend you'll be a bit more useful and actually execute a play or two," Albus snarled. The younger chaser made a small noise of anxiety before nodding vigorously, not wanting to further anger the raven-haired boy. Albus, still glowering, strode across the room to where Avery Nott was lounging on one of the couches. Smartly, his friend ignored the fact that the typically silent Malfoy had just humiliated Albus. Instead, he offered him a frothy mug from the coffee table in front of him.
"Firewhiskey?" Nott offered. Albus grunted appreciatively before greedily grabbing the proffered drink. "Celestia?" He offered again, head motioning to a blonde that was perched on the side of a brunette that Avery currently had his arm around. Albus grinned ravenously at the girl, causing he to blush. He settled back into the couch, Quidditch team falling in around the set on the couch. The rest of the night went unblemished with the typical combination of drinks and girls.