PART II
"I can't do this!"
Severus raised an eyebrow at his shouting pupil, and Albus subsided.
"I'm sorry, Severus. I'm just frustrated. I don't know what I'm supposed to do at this point..."
Severus hovered next to him, peering over his shoulder to see what he was working on. "If you were to stir the potion with a silver ladle at this point, what would occur?"
"The grey should fade away to black, right?" Albus sat at an old and dusty desk in the middle of the Shrieking Shack. Parchment and potions books were spread out across the desktop in front of him.
Severus nodded and watched his student include the information in his notes. He had been helping Albus Potter study for his potions N.E.W.T. since the boy had been released from St. Mungo's after a month of recovery. Even though he had been working with him for almost three weeks, his new looks still startled Severus.
Thick, black-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose and the boy's hair was just as messy as his father's ever was. With the new scar on his forehead and his bright green eyes, Al looked exactly like his father as a teenager. It was disconcerting to say the least.
He forced his thoughts away from other, far more feminine family members whom Albus had inherited the features from. "Do not forget to add the dried pixie wings immediately after the potion darkens. The point of the potion is to keep cancer from metastasizing. If the pixie wings get too hot their effects are negated completely, and the potion will not make it through the body's immune system to the cancerous site." Albus seemed to space out and the vacuous look on his face brought Ronald Weasley to mind. Apparently, the boy had managed to inherit some of his mother's genes as well. "Albus, what are the general effects of pixie wings in medicinal potions?" he barked at him.
The boy started, and the hand holding his quill shuddered. "Pixie wings suppress the natural auto-immune system response and act as an anti-inflammatory and an anti-histamine," he answered quickly.
The answer was correct, but the boy's attention was still not focused on Severus. "Is something wrong?"
Albus picked his quill up from the page and dipped it in his inkwell, his eyes following its movement instead of looking at Severus. "No, everything is fine." He removed the quill from the ink, but his hand jerked and knocked the whole inkwell over. "Bugger."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Language, please." The boy clumsily spelled away the mess. "And do stop lying to me, Albus Potter. I don't appreciate being told falsehoods."
"Why do you call me Albus? And why don't you call me Albus Severus if you are saying my whole name?" Severus knew he was trying to change the subject, but he followed the tangent for a moment anyway.
"Albus Dumbledore was a great man who deserves to have his memory carried on in other people. Your name will always serve as a reminder that he was a good man whom others loved. I, on the other hand, have never considered myself worthy of having anyone named after me." He rather felt like he was laying himself open for ridicule by telling Albus that, but he was fond of the boy. Too fond, if truth were to be told. He had never been one for human contact when he was alive, but he found that death was far too lonely when one was a ghost trapped in a shack. Even the Hogwarts ghosts still refused to enter the shack.
Albus was the only person who ever visited him. The Malfoy kid had stopped coming after the kidnapping and Harry dropped by once a year on his death day for a hello. It was a lonely existence, and it had brought him to the point where he told his secrets to an eighteen-year-old.
Albus fiddled with the quill and then looked up at him, Lily's eyes piercing Severus. "You are worthy of being remembered. I'm proud to say I'm named after you. You were the greatest wizard to come out of Slytherin since Voldemort corrupted it."
Damn it. That was the real reason he adored the boy. For all the brashness he had inherited from his father and mother, he also had his grandmother's kindness. Harry had been too much like James; he never saw Lily in him except when the "Boy Who Lived" had turned Lily's eyes on him. Those eyes had made Occlumency lessons a painful experience for both of them. Harry's snooping into his Pensieve had merely served as an excuse to end the lessons and escape his eyes.
"I am worthy of very little and I am definitely not a great wizard. Perhaps I am not an evil one, but I am not great."
The silly boy's smile even looked like hers. "You are great. You're an amazing potions master. Without you, Dad would never have survived long enough to win the war. You're a hero."
Severus frowned at the boy. "If you insist. However, you have not succeeded in evading my question. Is something wrong?"
Albus sighed and then blurted out, "I still haven't seen my friends since the kidnapping. Scorpius is the only one who came to see me in St. Mungo's, and I haven't seen him in weeks since he has detention still. I don't know everyone is going to react to seeing me when I visit with them on the next Hogsmeade weekend, and I'm just worried."
Ah, to be a teenager. Such simple concerns. "They will think you look more like your father and that they've missed you terribly." The boy had opted to finish his seventh year from home and had various tutors helping him with his subjects. The other children at Hogwarts probably thought Albus was odd for doing so, but Severus would not be the one to point it out to him.
"I know that much." Albus's fingers drifted across the scar on his forehead. "I'm afraid they are going to hate me for being gay. The ones that didn't already know, at least."
Not so simple after all. "In my day, you would have been tied to a pole and whipped." Albus's hand flew to his chest and Severus felt awful. How could he have forgotten the boy's experience? "I apologise. I did not mean to bring up painful memories. And the world is a much different place now. There are so many Muggle-born students attending Hogwarts that I am sure your generation does not share the homophobic ideas of mine."
He fiddled with the quill again. "I hope so." Severus resisted the urge to pluck the feather from his hands. Couldn't the boy resist the urge to fidget for a minute?
"Are you going to back away from your convictions if they prove not to agree with them?"
"No! Of course not."
"Good. Do not let other people convince you that your ideals are wrong." Severus had done that, and look where it got him: trapped in a shack for all of eternity. Severus didn't want the boy to follow the same path he had and spend his life yearning for a love he could not have.
Albus shook his head. "I won't. I'm gay and I'm comfortable with that. If the wizarding world isn't then that is not my problem."
"You have given up on your fight for homosexual rights then?" Severus was surprised. He had fought for his Slytherin Pride campaign for years before things had finally improved. He hadn't approved of the boy's Gryffindor style of fighting, but he was proud of his ambitions.
"I haven't given up; I've just decided not to care if people don't like me. Aunt Hermione is helping me work with the Wizengamot to draft possible laws for them to vote on. Most of them agree that gays should no longer be persecuted, but I can't seem to get any of them to agree to allow us to marry." Severus's own prejudices against homosexuals, ingrained in him from the time he was born, made him want to agree with the Wizengamot on that one, but he held his tongue.
"I am certain you will convince them to come to some kind of compromise. Is your father behind the idea?" Albus nodded. "Then you have nothing to worry about. If the Boy Who Lived supports something, surely the entire wizarding world will come to support it as well."
He paused to judge Albus's feelings for a moment and decided to speak his mind. "Your new looks could make it easier to sway the public's opinion as well. If they see pictures of you, they will remember what your father looked like when he was your age. Which will, of course, remind them that he destroyed Voldemort at your age and make them feel grateful towards him and, in conjunction, you. A few well handled press releases could have most of the wizarding world on your side in a matter of months."
Sighing, Albus said, "I know, and the idea appeals to me because it would turn Goyle's attack into something beneficial. I don't want people to support this because Dad does though. I want them to support it because it's a good thing."
"You sound like a Gryffindor. Are you positive you were meant to be a Slytherin?"
Surprisingly, Albus laughed. "I couldn't have been a Gryffindor even if I wanted to. The hat sorted me into Slytherin only a few seconds after it touched my head. I didn't even get to fight with it like my dad."
That was new information. "Your father fought to be placed in Gryffindor?"
"The hat wanted to place him in Slytherin."
They both laughed at that. The snake house would have eaten Harry Potter alive.
"You do have your Slytherin tendencies, I suppose. Like your ability to manipulate a conversation." He quirked an eyebrow at Albus. "How are you doing? And by that I mean, how have you handled the kidnapping?"
Albus shuddered lightly, his whole body tensing and releasing rapidly. He just laughed though. "Well, you've seen my shakes. I tend to shudder anytime I get stressed or have to face something I don't like." He finally set the quill down then; his hand was quivering too hard to hold it. "The memories give me panic attacks. If anyone touches me with a wand or tries to hold me down in any way, I flash back to the torture and flip out. I'm still half blind, though the healers managed to restore some of my eyesight." His hand fluttered to his chest and then up to his forehead. "I'm covered with ugly scars too."
"All of us have our scars. Some are visible like your father's. Others are only mental, but they can be equally grotesque." Severus carried both kinds of scars.
Albus shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's not like I go parading around naked or anything. Knowing they are there just makes the memories that much harder to banish."
Severus was glad to see that his tremors were slowly stopping. "Have you tried any therapy to overcome the memories?"
"I tried pensieve therapy, but it left me feeling too disjointed." Severus understood that. He had only used a pensieve when necessity required him to. When one removed their memories, they still retained the knowledge that those memories were missing. Being unable to access them had frustrated Severus. There were also studies that showed that permanent removal of even a small memory could drive someone to madness. Albus Dumbledore, for all of his greatness, had lost touch with reality towards the end of his life. Severus had a personal theory that he had used his pensieve too much.
"What about the Muggle style of therapy? Psychiatry?" Surely, there was something out there to help him. Severus was afraid that the boy would crack soon under the pressure of trying to handle such traumatising memories without any outside help.
"No, I couldn't handle talking about the memories. The psychiatrist just labeled me with something called post-traumatic stress disorder and gave me pills that made it worse. The healers at St. Mungo's have me on an anti-anxiety potion though, and it seems to be helping." He held his hand up; it was hardly shaking. "I can discuss it now and my physical reactions are weaker and easier to control. Aunt Hermione wants me to give a press conference in a few months if I improve enough to talk about it in front of everyone."
Ms. Granger, now Mrs. Weasley Severus supposed, had always had a good head on her shoulders. "That sounds like a very wise idea. I suggest you give it as soon as you can handle it. The media is fickle. If you wait too long, your kidnapping and recovery will no longer be important enough to make headlines."
Albus offered him a smile. It was weak, but sincere. Perhaps the boy would be alright after all. "I know, Severus. And I appreciate your advice. Unfortunately, the thought of standing before a roomful of reporters makes me want to throw up."
Al wanted to throw up. He hadn't even eaten any breakfast, but his stomach still felt like it was full of pixies fluttering to escape. He stared out at the large crowd and swallowed hard. He couldn't see clearly enough to count properly, but there were at least twenty reporters there, plus some photographers. It looked like every major newspaper in the wizarding world had decided to send their representative to the meeting. Luckily for the reporters, and unluckily for Al, the conference was being held in a room in the Ministry built for just that purpose and there was plenty of room for everyone.
Why had he ever agreed to do a press conference? Severus had been on his case for weeks after their conversation, pushing him to make a statement, but Al could easily have said no. Then his aunt Hermione got in on the argument and began to nag Al. He finally caved and agreed to do it, but he regretted the decision.
His aunt Hermione squeezed his shoulder. "You can do it. Good luck!" Then she pushed him up to the platform.
It was time to begin the press conference. "Good morning." He took a few seconds to breathe and let the photographers snap pictures. "I would like to thank you all for joining me this morning. I will start out by giving an official statement as to what happened almost six months ago. I was kidnapped from Hogsmeade when I illicitly snuck out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"I was kidnapped by Terence Higgs who was paid by Gregory Goyle. He left me with Goyle and did not participate in the ensuing events, thus his punishment was based upon the fact that he had kidnapped an adult. He is in Azkaban right now and is not scheduled to be released for two more years." The thought of Higgs being let out of jail didn't really frighten Al. He had been kind to Al, or at least kind for a kidnapper. Not that Al was looking forward to running into him on Diagon Alley someday.
"Gregory Goyle is also in Azkaban on charges of accessory to kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and use of an Unforgivable. He received a life sentence in Azkaban without chance of parole. After Higgs left me with Goyle, I spent hours undergoing intense torture. I was partially blinded with a potion and scarred with a cursed dagger, as I'm sure you can all see." He gestured to his forehead and saw all the heads in the audience nod. A few flashbulbs went off and Al knew that the resulting pictures would probably be on front pages around the world tomorrow. "I was also subjected to many painful spells." He couldn't describe the torture any more. Just the memories of Sectumsepra made him start shaking. "Then I was rescued by a squad of Aurors and taken to St. Mungo's Hospital. Since then I have been in recovery from the experience. I will begin taking questions now." He took a deep breath and began to worry about what questions they would ask him.
He had taken a double dose of anti-anxiety potion and Aunt Hermione had cast a Cheering Charm on him before he entered the room, but the sudden movement of reporters' hands being thrust into the air startled him and he began to shudder. He balled his hands up into fists, hoping that the cameras wouldn't capture his terror for the world to see.
His attempts to hide his anxiety obviously didn't work. The first question asked during the press conference was, "Mr. Potter, why are you shaking?"
Al tried to smile and spoke as firmly as he could. "Prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse--" whispers began to run through the crowd as he named an Unforgivable curse "--has weakened my muscle control. Stress makes me shudder uncontrollably."
A brown-haired woman in the front of the crowd waved her arm in the air madly until she was called on. "Goyle cast an Unforgivable on you?"
"That is correct." Al could feel the curse burning through him and chose to focus on the reporters instead of the memory. It worked; the phantom pain subsided.
Al did not like the direction the questions were going in. The memories were beginning to encroach on him. He was thankful when someone shouted out, "Mr. Potter, are you gay?"
"I am gay, and I am proud of that." This was a safer topic. Al stood a much better chance of making it through the conference in one piece with questions about gay rights.
"Was that why Goyle had you kidnapped?"
That wasn't a safe question, but Albus did his best to answer it. "Goyle has not explained all of his reasons for choosing to kidnap me, but that was one factor, yes."
"Why are you willing to be so open about you sexuality when it could lead to people hurting you?"
"I've been hurt. Slowly, I am working my way through that. I have people around me supporting me in this. Other people are persecuted by their family members and ostracized by society. They have no one to support them. People continue to hurt them, all because they love someone. I want to help these people." He fastened his eyes on a reporter directly in front of him, one of the few he could see clearly and one known for supporting Muggleborns and lambasting homosexuals. "If a pureblood loved a Muggle, would you torture them to the brink of death?"
"I… No!" The reporter seemed outraged by his question.
"Then why should anyone torture me just because I'm in love a man?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Al blanched. He had phrased that very badly.
"Who are you in love with, Mr. Potter?"
It was too late to pretend he had never said anything. Still, Al knew Scorpius had barely come to terms with the fact that his father knew he was gay. There was no way he could tell them the truth. "I refuse to name the man I love. He is uncomfortable with the idea of wizarding society knowing he is bisexual."
"You're in love with a bisexual? Surely you must be afraid he will leave you for a woman."
Al wanted to sigh, but he refrained. The world was far too small-minded. Why couldn't they understand that a gay man would be as distraught to lose his lover to a man as to a woman?
"I would be upset if anyone I was dating left me for someone else." He saw a few hands go up into the air after that statement and spoke before anyone could ask him a question. "I refuse to answer any more questions about him, on the basis of protecting his privacy."
"Mr. Potter, will you tell us more about your experiences during the kidnapping? You mentioned painful spells being cast on you; what were they?"
Sectumsepra. Al could hear Goyle's whisper in his ear. His heart began pounding and he took a moment to steady himself. "The spells used were Sectumsepra, which is a cutting curse, and the Cruciatus Curse."
"How did you feel when Goyle cursed you?"
How had he felt? All he could remember was pain that filled every part of him. He found himself falling into his memories. No, there had been feelings. "Fear. Anger. Anxiety."
His heart was racing. He couldn't move. There was too much pain. He gasped for breath. Flashbulbs began going off around him and brought him back to the conference. He knew there was still time left before the conference was scheduled to end, but he couldn't handle even a few more minutes of pressure. He could feel the memories lurking at the surface of his mind.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to have to end this conference." His aunt Hermione escorted him from the room before any of the reporters could protest. Al was grateful to escape. Once he was out of the room it became easier to breathe.
His mum and dad were outside waiting for him. Ginny swept him up into a hug and pressed a kiss to his temple. "I'm proud of you. That took a lot of courage."
Harry hugged him next, a big bear hug that made Al feel like a little kid, safe in his father's arms. "I'm proud too. It was really ambitious of you to do this so soon after everything."
His father had always understood his Slytherin motivations best.
"Thanks." He was grateful for his family's support.
He was amazed to see the next person who hugged him.
"Uncle Charlie!"
"Hello there, Alby." He pulled Al into the crook of one arm and gave him a noogie. "I had to come and say thank you. What you did was courageous and ambitious, but it was also encouraging."
Al pulled away from his favorite uncle. "Encouraging? How was it encouraging?"
"Your fight is turning the wizarding world on its head and giving people like me the urge to fight for my rights."
Slowly Al comprehended what he was saying. "You're gay too?"
Charlie grinned. "I'm as bent as a bronze Galleon."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Al was slightly offended that no one had informed him.
Charlie reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "I've never told anyone in the family before."
Ginny nodded. "We've always suspected, I think, but Charlie's never been able to talk about it before."
"Then why talk about it now?"
"Because of you." Charlie's gaze was serious. "I've always lived in terror of my family finding out and disowning me. Great big bloody Gryffindor that I am, I couldn't tell the people who loved me who I really was. My nephew the Slytherin though, he told the whole world he was gay."
"Not the whole world. Just the wizarding part of it." Al grinned at his uncle. He had always idolised the man and knowing that he was gay wouldn't change that. If anything, Al felt closer to him.
Ron joined them then and assured them that the press conference had ended well. He had been able to field all of the reporters remaining questions and calm them down after Al's panic attack.
Al was glad, but worn out. "May I go home now? I'm afraid I won't be able to stand up for much longer."
Ginny nodded. "Of course, I'll just--"
"Actually," Charlie interrupted her, "I'd like to take Al to meet someone. He wanted to be here today to say thank you too, but he couldn't get off of work."
"How's Norbert, Charlie? Hagrid was wondering about him the other day." Al wondered at his random subject change, but the glint in his father's eye told him the question was important.
"She's doing just fine. In fact, I left James in charge of her when I decided to Floo over today. Though, I could have sworn I told Hagrid that Norbert was actually Norberta at Bill and Fleur's wedding..." Charlie looked confused at the change in subject as well.
Harry smiled then. "You did. I just had to make sure it was you." He patted Al on the shoulder. "Better to be safe than sorry. Of course you can take Al with you."
Hermione spoke up. "Honestly, Harry, asking a random question is the silliest way of making sure that Charlie is really Charlie."
"If it was good enough for Dumbledore, it's good enough for me."
"Now that your father is certain I am myself, let's get going. My friend will be on break in a few minutes and I want to try to catch him." Charlie's loud voice interrupted Harry and Hermione's budding fight. Everyone gave Al another hug and congratulated him on doing well at the press conference. Then Al and Charlie headed out of the Ministry.
Once they had passed the Ministries anti-apparition wards, Charlie wrapped Al up into another hug and Side-Along Apparated him.
He was surprised when they appeared in the Shrieking Shack. So was Severus.
"Albus? What are you doing here?"
"Just cutting through!" Charlie pulled Al over to the passageway to Hogwarts.
"Sorry!" Al called behind him. He could hear Severus muttering about "Gryffindor Weasley spawn" as they moved out of hearing and had to suppress a giggle.
"We're almost there now." Charlie sped up as they cleared the Whomping Willow and Al rushed to keep up.
The fact that they were at Hogwarts had not gone unnoticed by Al. He began going over the people he knew that could possibly be gay. Professor Flitwick? Professor Zeller? Hagrid?
Al was expecting to go up to the main castle and he was surprised when Charlie turned towards the greenhouses instead. Why were they meeting someone out there?
He got his answer when Charlie pushed open the door to Greenhouse Three and ran to hug Professor Longbottom. Al was stunned. Of all the people in Hogwarts, he had never expected Neville Longbottom to be gay.
Neville pushed Charlie away from himself, blushing madly. "Charlie, no, not in the greenhouse. People can see us! It is made of glass, you know."
Charlie just offered him a grin and gestured towards Al. "I brought Al along like you wanted. How much time do you have before your next class?"
Neville cast a quick Tempus and smiled. "We have a good thirty minutes before any kids start showing up. I'm right in the middle of a planning period." He placed a few tools he had been working with back where they belonged and then led the way to his office.
When Neville told them to have a seat, Al picked the chair farthest from the door and watched as Charlie flopped into a largish armchair and pulled Neville into his lap. "Not in front of Al, please."
Charlie frowned and wrapped his arms around the other man. "But I've missed you. And you know Al's gay too. He doesn't care."
Al might have been gay, but the part of him that was a teenager was grateful to see Neville rise and move to his own chair. Adults simply weren't supposed to cuddle in front of kids. It made Al feel a bit squeamish.
"Are you two together then?" Blushing at his own words, Al's eyes moved back and forth between the two men.
Neville blushed too, and nodded. "Ever since I finished my Herbology Mastership. We had met before, but when I traveled to Romania to study some rare plants that only grow when nourished by dragon feces, we clicked."
Al was flummoxed. "But… that was ages ago, right? Why doesn't anyone know about you two? I keep hearing rumors that you are engaged to Hannah Abbot."
Charlie nodded at Neville. "That's partially his fault. He isn't ready to come out to anyone yet. I had the hardest time getting him to open up to me when we first met."
Neville reached out and grabbed Charlie's hand. "He's right. It is because of me that we are keeping our relationship quiet. Hannah is the only one who knows about it, and I'm afraid she likes to make jokes that she's the only woman for me since she knows I'll never date a woman."
"We forgive her though because she lets Neville Floo through to Romania from the Leaky Cauldron and never tells anyone." Charlie intertwined his fingers with Neville's and shot him a sincere smile.
The thought that Scorpius and he could have been like that someday flashed through his mind and he smiled. That was his reason for fighting: Scorpius. He missed his boyfriend like crazy…
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Charlie's lingering smile disappeared. "Because we don't want you to end up like us. We've been together for almost fifteen years now and only one person knows about us. We never see each other except on rare occasions when we can sneak to meet each other somewhere. Our relationship consists of long letters sent back and forth.
"We lived through a war. We saw what it was like for people to be persecuted for what they were. The tortures people dealt to Muggleborns… it wasn't long ago that homosexuals were equally persecuted.
"The two of us are supposed to be bold, daring Gryffindors, but we've been too bloody afraid of getting hurt to even risk telling the people around us who we truly are. Most of the wizarding world lives in the past, especially pureblood families like ours.
"We are telling you this because we want you to know that you are doing a wonderful thing. There are people like us all over the wizarding world living secret lives because they are afraid. You are offering all of us the chance to be able to live without fear."
Al had not thought about it that way before. When he had begun researching the laws about homosexuals, he had only been thinking about allowing them to marry, thinking about himself and Scorpius. While he had realised there were other homosexuals in the wizarding world, he had never met them and thus hadn't thought to consider how his campaign would affect them. He had done the same thing when he began his fight for Slytherin Pride. He hadn't considered the fact that other Slytherins might not want to be championed. All he had thought about was that he hated seeing his house humiliated, and himself along with it.
"I--I never realised it was that big of a deal. I just wanted to be able to marry the boy I love."
Neville nodded. "We figured that was why you started working for our rights, so we just wanted to let you know what the impact of your work was. And that it's appreciated."
"Most of us still aren't ready to come forward and speak out with you, but there are probably hundreds of wizards rooting for you in silence. I am so proud of you for giving that press conference. You've been to hell and back and you are still fighting," Charlie said.
"It's nothing really. I don't want to let the kidnapping rule my life. If I step back now, then I'm giving Goyle exactly what he wanted. I refuse to do that." Al shrugged. "It's just like falling off a broom: they look frightening afterwards, but only until you ride one again. I can remember the pain, but I refuse to let that rule my life."
"You're still stronger than I am. I've never been physically hurt because of my feelings, but I'm still afraid to speak my mind." Charlie's face was serious. "That ends right now though. I'm going to come out and support you and the movement. I'm hoping other's will follow my lead."
Neville released Charlie's hand and cast Tempus. "Darn, I need to get back to the classroom." He stood and moved closer to Al. "I'm going to finish the school year before I come out, but I want you to know that I will support you." Al stood as well and was surprised when his old professor pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for what you are doing."
Charlie pushed himself up from his chair. "Oi! What about me?"
"Wait your turn, you prick." Neville released Al and embraced Charlie.
"You know you like my prick," Charlie murmured. Al heard it anyway.
Both he and Neville flushed. "Hush!" Neville protested as he pulled away. "Will I see you later?" Charlie nodded. "All right. Goodbye, Al."
"Bye." Neville bustled out of the room and Charlie and Al followed. They waved goodbye to each other as they headed off in different directions, and then Al and Charlie were alone.
The walk back to the Willow was quiet until Al decided to ask about something that had been bothering him. "Why did Professor Longbottom say he was going to finish out the school year before he came out?"
Charlie sighed. "A lot of parents are going to be upset when they find out that a homosexual has been teaching their children. He knows the Headmistress is going to have to fire him, and he doesn't want to leave her in a lurch with no one to replace him. She'll probably be able to find a new Herbology teacher over the summer though, so he's ready to come out as soon as exams are over."
Al knew that was the reality of being gay in the wizarding world, but Charlie's words still upset him. "That isn't fair."
"I know it isn't, and that's why I am going to help you work to change the laws." Charlie paused to pick up a stick for the Willow's knot. "Now, let's go bother Snape."
"I do want to tell him about the press conference. He'll be pleased that I actually went through with it." Al pushed away his more depressing emotions and tried to recall how happy he had felt when the press conference went well.
"Is that the paper, love?" Charlie asked as he entered the kitchen.
Neville rolled his eyes. "No, it's a Screechsnap. Of course it's the paper."
Charlie chuckled and brushed a kiss against Neville's cheek. "And a good morning to you too!"
Neville sighed and put down the paper he was holding. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little upset. The Wizengamot just passed a law to repeal the law that says that homosexuals cannot work in the Ministry. Discrimination against gays in other job sectors is still legal though."
Charlie grabbed a coffee mug and filled it from the carafe on the counter. "I know you miss Hogwarts, but I can't say I'm sorry you resigned." Neville glared at him as he settled next to him at the table. "I've missed you."
Neville's glare softened. "I'm glad that we can spend this time together, really, it's just... Hogwarts is my home. It's been my home for years. I hate that these parents think I can't be a good teacher just because I'm gay!"
"It will change. You know that. Every day we get closer to our goal of being treated like everyone else. You'll get your job back someday. Sinistra said that Professor Sprout was happy to come out of retirement for a little while to help. She even promised not to hire a permanent replacement for at least three years," said Charlie, gulping down his coffee.
"What if three years isn't long enough? What if we never see this happen? What if we die before our rights are given to us?" Neville sounded a bit panicked, and Charlie reached out to grasp his hand.
"I don't know about you, but I'm planning to live to be one-hundred and fifty or older. I really hope we've secured our rights by then!"
Neville stuck out his tongue in annoyance, and Charlie took advantage of the movement, pulling him in close to give him a kiss. Neville jerked away, spluttering, and Charlie grinned.
"Don't worry about it too much, okay? I hear the potion for ulcers is incredibly disgusting. I heard something about bull bile..."
Neville laughed and smiled back at him. "All right. I'll try to shake it off."
Charlie nodded and grabbed up the paper. "Now then, let's see... Al's mentioned in the paper three times today, homosexuals were insulted, oh... eight times, and Slytherins were insulted once. This was really a very good news day!"
Neville snorted. "I'm going to have to kill your nephew for teaching you that. Do you have any idea how annoying it is?"
"You do realise he's going to be your nephew too?"
Neville looked at him for a moment and then blanched. "I never even thought about that..."
"Yep, the moment we are bonded you will forever be related to the Weasleys." Charlie watched his lover's face contort.
"Merlin, I'm going to have George as a brother." Neville groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Do you know how many Canary Creams he and Fred fed me when they were still at Hogwarts? Not to mention the Puking Pastilles prototypes. Madam Pomfrey thought I was dying when I couldn't stop throwing up."
"Don't worry! I'll make sure Ron keeps tabs on him during the bonding ceremony."
Neville panicked then. "No! We can't invite him to the ceremony!"
Charlie frowned at Neville. "He's my brother." Then he smirked. "Besides, I think the person you should really be worried about is my mother."
"Oh, Merlin's arse! I'm going to have a mother-in-law."
"This is what you wanted, right? To be treated like a normal person. Normal people tend to have mother-in-laws."
Neville stared at him. "Shut up."
"Come on, my family isn't that bad, is it?"
Neville shuddered. "I lived in mortal terror of eating for five years at Hogwarts if Fred and George were in the room. Your mother killed Bellatrix Lestrange. Percy is the Minister of Magic, Bill and Fleur break curses, Teddy, Ron, and Harry are Aurors, and Hermione has always scared me a little bit." He smiled. "You're worth it though. I'd bond with you even if your father was Snape."
Charlie grimaced. "Oh, ew. I just had the mental image of Snape and my mother... and, just, ew. Thank you for that."
Neville's cheeky "You're welcome!" was interrupted by the arrival of an owl at the window. Charlie made a face at it, and Neville rolled his eyes at Charlie before moving to the window to take the mail. He looked at the recipient's name and then tossed it to Charlie. "Yours!"
Charlie tore open the envelope, and grinned when he saw the signature at the bottom. "Al wrote us a letter!" He skimmed over it, reading bits aloud. "He made a speech for the Wizengamot last Thursday, and he wants to know if we saw that he was only insulted in the paper once yesterday, which I did see, and then he said that he can't wait for our bonding, but we should be careful because people are going to freak out about it."
Neville snorted. "Obviously. I don't care though. I just want to be bonded."
"He says that he and Scorpius are still dating happily, and that he thinks Scorpius might be getting close to coming out, but Scorpius is still freaked out about what his grandparents would say." Charlie paused for a moment to skim the next line and frowned. "Oh... Al's also going to be visiting us at ten o'clock today." He looked up from the letter at Neville. "What time is it now?"
Neville cast a quick Tempus. "Two minutes till ten."
Charlie really wished his nephew would give them a little more notice before his visits. He stood and poured a cup of coffee, strode to the fireplace, and watched as Al Flooed in. He handed the cup to Al. "And just what are you doing in Romania?"
Al grinned. "I just heard about your bonding from Grandma Molly! She's very excited that you're letting her plan the ceremony, by the way."
Charlie sniggered as Neville let out a squawk and cried, "We never said that!"
"Anyway, I wanted to come and thank you. Even though bonding isn't illegal, most people choose not to bond because the Ministry won't legalise the bonds of a gay couple. You guys are going to be an inspiration for others."
Charlie shrugged. "That's not really why we are doing it. We just decided that since everyone knows about us anyway, we should be bonded. We've wanted to do it for years."
"Still, I'm excited. Percy said he'll support you publicly, and I know Dad and Aunt Hermione will support you, so it's going to be a major thing in the media." Al paused to take a deep breath. "And, you know, I'm really happy for you too. I know bonding isn't as close as a marriage, but I'm glad you're going to do it anyway."
Charlie laughed and pulled him into a hug. "Yeah, we're pretty happy about it too. But we won't be content until we are properly wed, so you'd better get your butt in gear and get the Wizengamot to pass an amendment for gay marriage."
Al shrugged off Charlie's arms with a laugh. "I will. One of the reasons I came to visit was because I wanted to ask you in person if I could talk about your bonding to the media. I won't tell them any private information about the ceremony, but I would like to tell them that you are bonding even though the Ministry will not recognise it."
"It's fine with me." Charlie looked over at his lover. "Nev, are you okay with that?"
"Um..." Neville's eyes shifted back and forth between Charlie and Al. "I don't suppose it's that big of a deal. The media will find out anyway..."
Al let out a whoop. "Thank you!"
Neville rolled his eyes. "Hush, you hooligan."
Al just chuckled. "Anyway, I have to get home." He handed the coffee cup back to Charlie. "Scorpius is waiting for me." They all said goodbye, and then Al Flooed away as suddenly as he had come.
Neville moved next to him, and grasped his hand. "Your nephew is a really good kid."
Charlie entwined his fingers with Neville's. "Our nephew is going to do big things."
Looking out at the crowd, Al still wanted to throw up, but he knew the feeling would pass. It had been nine months since the kidnapping, eight months since he was released from St. Mungo's, and six months since his very first press conference. He'd done more than forty press conferences since then, and he remembered each and every one of them because each and every one was a milestone.
Al's watch vibrated lightly, and Al knew it was time to begin. Al treasured the watch, which was a gift from his uncle George. He could set alarms on it so he wouldn't have to ask about time and betray the fact that his sight was horrible. Al could also tap it with his wand and the time would be announced aloud. His vision was still too weak to read normal clocks from a distance or the small hands on a watch, so George had created the watch just for Al. His whole family had been incredibly supportive since the kidnapping.
Al cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, and stepped up to the podium. "Good afternoon. I'm glad to see all of you here today. I'm going to begin by making a statement, and then I will open the floor up for questions." The first thing he had learned was the proper way to run a press conference. It had only taken him three conferences to learn that.
"I wanted to speak to you today about homosexual rights. The Wizengamot has been truly progressive in giving homosexuals rights and protections under the laws. Homosexuals are no longer barred from the Ministry. Homosexual acts are no longer illegal. The Ministry no longer has the right to require homosexuals to register as if they were a dangerous animal. Homosexuals can foster children, and a law is in the works to allow them to adopt these children. These are all incredible steps in the right direction."
He paused for a moment, letting it sink in. Severus taught him the best way to work a crowd around his tenth or eleventh press conference, and he had been doing it ever since. "However," he said loudly, "they are just that. Steps. We have still not made it all the way to equality. Homosexuals are not protected from discrimination. We can be fired from our jobs, evicted from our houses, and shown out of restaurants and stores, for no reason besides our sexuality."
He looked out at the crowd, focusing on heads. He couldn't make out all the details of their faces, but he could tell men from women, blondes from brunettes, and photographers from writers. By looking towards their heads, Al seemed to be making eye contact with them. He learned during his twentieth press conference that this led to him getting a more favourable article in the paper.
"Most importantly, we cannot marry the ones we love. We are human beings too. We fall in love. We get out hearts broken. We discover that one person who knows us like no one else. Those of us that find that person want to marry him or her. We want to have a chance to feel permanently connected to our love. That chance, that right isn't given to us though."
Al paused again, glancing over the crowd, trying to judge what people were thinking. It was hard to pick out emotions when he could not see clear facial features, but he could see shoulders slumping here and there, and one female reporter had pulled out a handkerchief, though Al couldn't tell whether she was using it to blow her nose or wipe away tears.
Finally convinced that he had gotten through to at least a couple of them, Al continued. "My uncle and his partner have been together for over fifteen years. They adore each other, but they lived in separate countries because of their jobs. In those fifteen years, only one person had been told that they were dating, and they saw each other once or twice a year, mainly communicating by letter. They never even told their families that they were gay, let alone dating someone.
"They finally came out to their families, their friends, and the world this year to support the fight for homosexual rights. After fifteen years, they can finally share their love with others, and they have a lot of love to share. In two months, they will be bonding, even though this is an empty ceremony for them. A bonding is a magical spell that records the names of the two being bonded in a large book in the Ministry. This book is centuries old. The spell on the book has been manipulated to only record the names of a male-female bonded couple. Even though my uncle and his love will be bound, the book will not record this binding for future generations.
"Is this fair?" Al asked. "I do not think so. I do not think it is fair that all my uncle has the right to do is create a false bonding with his love. I know that they would love to get married someday, but not only would a marriage ceremony be empty for them, it would be illegal." He took a deep breath, and stared out into the crowd. "I ask you again, is this fair?" He swept his gaze over the crowd. "I will take questions now."
Al still could not handle this part very well. After forty press conferences, he knew how to deal with almost everything. He understood how to work the crowd. He could prepare a speech and construct it so that he could speak without coming across touchy subjects, but he could not prepare for all of the questions he would get. This part was always a tossup. Sometimes Al came out of it unscathed, and other times he had to end the conference due to a panic attack triggered by too intrusive questions.
Al forced himself to focus on the crowd instead of touchy memories. The reporters began clambering for the chance to ask a question. Al nodded in the vague direction of one waving arm.
"Mr. Potter, when and where will this bonding take place?"
Al smiled serenely. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that." As if he would tell these jackals anything about the ceremony. They would descend into the bonding like a hoard of vultures, disrupting everything with their questions and flashbulbs.
A shout came from the back of the room. "There really has been amazing progress towards equality for homosexuals in a very short amount of time. Is there a reason why you are pushing to get these laws passed so quickly?"
"I have no specific reason beyond the fact that I do not believe there is any reason to wait. Homosexuals are still living in hiding because they fear losing their jobs or houses. It isn't humane to allow people to suffer while we deliberate over laws." Not to mention the fact that the sooner the laws were passed, the sooner Neville and Charlie could really marry, and he and Scorpius could come out as a couple. Al wished his lover were less reticent about telling the public about their relationship.
Al saw a report near the front raise her hand. He smiled in her direction.
She glanced down at her notebook, and then up at Al. "Will Auror Potter and Minister Weasley be attending the bonding and supporting these new laws?"
"Of course!" Al said, surprised they even had to ask. "The Weasley family is very excited about the bonding ceremony; and the Minister, the head of the Aurors, the subhead of the Aurors, and the head of Magical Law Enforcement are all firmly for the new laws."
"Is your whole family supportive of this then?" the same woman asked.
"They are. My Uncle George is even selling rainbow coloured wands, candies and clothing at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. The Gaily Gay Gummies even turn you rainbow coloured when you eat them."
Hands were rising again, and Al nodded in the opposite direction than last time. He regretted the decision almost immediately.
"Are you still in love with a man, Mr. Potter?"
Al held back a sigh. He had not once gotten through a press conference without fielding a question about Scorpius.
"Yes, I am still in love with the same man," said Al.
"And who is it?"
This time Al didn't bother to hold back his sigh. "As I have stated in all of my previous interviews, I refuse to name him until he is ready to come forward on his own."
"And he is."
Al spun around, gaping when he saw who was behind him. Nervously, he tried to cover for Scorpius's sudden speech. "Scorpius is just joking, of course. The man, who is not in this room, isn't ready." He stared at Scorpius with wide eyes. "What are you doing?" he whispered.
Scorpius just smiled at him. "I'm coming out," he said proudly.
The pressure was too much for Al. He could feel his hands beginning to shake. "Stop joking around Scorpius." He glanced at the reporters, but couldn't see anything but a blur of flashbulbs. "Stop talking!" he hissed. "You've been able to hide for almost a year now; don't blow it!"
Scorpius stepped closer to him. "Did you know I told my grandparents about us last night?"
Al shook his head, wondering what Scorpius was doing. They had kept their relationship a secret for so long, and suddenly he was practically throwing their story to the media!
"Well, my grandmother told me she had already figured it out, and my grandfather informed me that he hadn't and that I am now no longer in his will because of the fact that I am a 'disgusting, perverted anomaly'."
Suddenly the reporters didn't matter. Al stepped forward and clasped his hand around Scorpius's. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered.
Scorpius laughed. "Don't be. I'm not. I'm still in my father's will, so I'll inherit someday, and my grandmother said I'm still welcome in the Manor. I never liked Grandfather anyway."
Al squeezed his hand. "Still... what does that have to do with this?" he asked, quirking his head towards the crowd of journalists.
"Now that I've told my grandparents about us, I have nothing to hide."
"Are you sure?" Al couldn't believe that after so long Scorpius had finally decided to come out.
"I'm sure." He smirked and pulled Al into a tight hug. "And I'm ready to come out in style."
Scorpius kissed him long and deep then, and Al could hear the flashbulbs going off like mad. He didn't care though.
Al pulled away from the kiss and stepped up to the podium. His voice was slightly breathless as he grinned at the reporters and announced, "I am in love with Scorpius Malfoy."
Al had finally gotten what he truly wanted—the chance to tell the world how much he really loved Scorpius.
Lily didn't know why, but weddings and bondings always made her cry. She'd been to plenty, what with the number of older cousins she had, and she always swore she wouldn't cry and then did. She reached for the sleeve of the person next to her and used it to wipe her eyes.
"Lily!"
Lily rolled her now dry eyes at her brother. "What? My dress doesn't have any sleeves, and I could hardly see. I didn't hurt your suit."
Al glared at her. "Still! That doesn't mean you can just go around using other people's sleeves like—"
"Hush, Al." Scorpius reached over and patted Al on the head. "Focus on the ceremony, please."
Al stuck his lower lip out into a pout for a second and then broke into a smile. "I'm so happy for them!"
"Shut up!" Lily hissed at him. Charlie and Neville had just reached the platform in the middle of the room. They had chosen to arrange the audience into a circle around a raised stage and both of them had walked in at the same time from opposite sides of the room. Lily thought it was a beautiful gesture of equality.
Just thinking about it made her tear up again, but she just blinked the tears away, not wanting to interrupt the ceremony by fighting with Al. Charlie and Neville had asked Percy to be the Master of Ceremonies, and he stood in front of them on the platform. She started to space out as Percy read a long bit from a book about love and togetherness and boding.
Fighting off a yawn, Lily decided that her uncle's speeches were probably the most boring things in existence. Having lost interest in the official part of the ceremony, she began to gaze around the room.
Her aunts and uncles were all on the same side of the room as she was. In fact, more than half of the room was full of various Weasley family members. The proud matriarch of the family, Grandma Molly was in the front and centre, sobbing loudly. Charlie was the last of her children to bond or marry, and she was obviously taking it hard. Grandpa Arthur sat next to her, looking solemn. Lily wondered how comfortable he really was with the fact that Charlie was gay.
The next family she saw was Uncle George's. Aunt Angelina, Uncle George, Fred and Roxanne were all sitting in a row, watching the proceedings silently. Lily caught Uncle George and Roxanne sharing a wink, and she knew that they had something up their sleeves. Hopefully they had at least saved the prank for the reception.
"Do you, Charlie Weasley, agree to love and cherish Neville Longbottom through good times and bad times, in illness and in health, in poverty and prosperity for as long as you both shall live?" Lily focused back on the ceremony again in time to see Charlie grin sweetly at Neville.
"I do."
Lily wanted to hear Neville take his vows too, but Percy decided to go into another long monologue. She sighed and shifted her attention to her family again.
Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur were sitting with their three kids and six grandkids. Lily thought that some of the parents looked a little besieged. They were whispering madly at their children, trying to get them to stay calm. Victoire looked especially overwhelmed as she tried to feed the baby in her lap and occupy the twins next to her while Teddy took their oldest to the bathroom. Lily didn't know exactly why Teddy and Victoire had decided to have four kids so quickly, but she expected that it wasn't all their choice and that there would be more children before long. Supposedly, the "seven kids curse" ran in the family, skipping a generation or two, but always resurfacing somewhere.
Percy's wife Audrey, their two daughters, and the girls' husbands were sitting near the back of the room. Molly was due at any time, but she had desperately wanted to come to Charlie's bonding. She looked vaguely uncomfortable, but Lucy and Audrey were there to take care of her, so Lily didn't worry too much about it.
She caught her mother's eye then, and blushed when she realised how obvious it was that she hadn't been paying attention. Her mom just smiled at her though and turned back to the ceremony. Her father was sitting next to her and was very obviously not paying attention to Percy's rambling. Lily leaned to the side a bit and saw that he had his Portable-Box out and was typing in a message. Something must have been going on at the Ministry.
A look at her uncle Ron confirmed that idea. He had his Portable out too, though he sheepishly put it away when Aunt Hermione elbowed him. Lily had to laugh when Hugo likewise elbowed his sister a moment later for talking too loudly to her boyfriend.
"...for as long as you both shall live?" Finally! Lily turned back to the stage and watched Neville smile.
"I do."
"Please hold hands," Percy said as he pulled a gold ribbon from his robe. Neville and Charlie joined their right hands together, looking like they were shaking hands. Percy wound the ribbon around their wrists and between their fingers. "Iugumeterno!" The ribbon shimmered for a minute and then shrunk into two golden rings, one on each man's hand. "You have now been bonded before your family, friends, and Merlin. This bond is eternal." Percy blushed and stumbled over his next few words. "I now pronounce you... um, life partner and life partner."
Charlie laughed. "I don't want a life partner; I want a husband!"
Neville pulled him closer. "I'd say that you have one." Charlie smirked and then leaned down to kiss his new husband.
Percy began to splutter. "But... but... I didn't say you could kiss yet!" he wailed. Charlie and Neville ignored him, and everyone else started to laugh.
Neville broke the kiss, blushing and breathing harshly. "You are all welcome to adjourn to the reception next door now."
Charlie leered at Neville. "We'll be over in a while."
Lily giggled as Neville flushed even darker and tucked his head into Charlie's shoulder. Standing, she looked around the room again, watching everyone stand and stretch. Her eyes landed on Al and Scorpius next to her, and she had to smile. They had their hands entwined and were smiling sappily at each other.
"Come on you sops," she said, ruffling Al's hair. "Let's go get some food!"
Al glared up at her. "Can't you be a little more serious? The ceremony was so beautiful, and now they are bonded, and it's just so perfect and romantic and—"
Lily and Scorpius both laughed at him. "And here I thought I was the girl in this family," said Lily.
"I'm not being a girl!" Al protested. "It was just very touching!"
Scorpius smirked at him. "Al, words like 'touching,' 'beautiful,' and 'romantic' are extremely girly."
"I am a man, and you know it!"Al leaned towards Scorpius, murmuring, "You seemed to understand that last night. I didn't hear any complaints about my manliness when I—"
"Albus Severus Potter! Shut up!" Scorpius hissed. Lily's eyes widened, and she snickered.
"Now that my manliness has been agreed upon, let's head over to the reception."
Lily rolled her eyes. Honestly, Al complained that she was crass for suggesting they go eat, and then he went and did the same thing. Her brothers drove her crazy.
It was a good thing that James hadn't been able to come to the wedding. He was still on the dragon reservation in Romania, covering for Charlie so that he and Neville could go on a trip after their bonding. Lily knew that if she had to deal with both of her brothers, she would probably end up smacking one or both of them. Her family was just completely insane.
Still, she loved them. When Al had been kidnapped, Lily had been distraught. Even now, she worried about him. He was always putting himself out in the public eye, flaunting his homosexuality before people who called him a pervert or an abomination. She was afraid that some day he would really get hurt or even killed.
She watched him as they entered the reception. He flitted around the room, stopping to talk to people and greeting everyone he came across. He looked happy, but she could see him squinting to try to make out people's faces and when someone accidentally jabbed him with their finger while they were gesturing, Al froze up for a moment before laughing shakily.
Lily knew he still wasn't over the kidnapping, and he would probably never recover from it fully. She wished that he would stop putting himself at risk. Lily wasn't alone in wanting Al to be careful. Everyone in the family had gone out of their way to help Al. They escorted Al at press conferences, checked his mail for dangerous spells or potions, and kept track of him from day to day.
No one was more involved in keeping Al safe than Scorpius. He went to every press conference or interview Al did, usually hiding in a back room, but still nearby. He was just as cold and private as he had been at Hogwarts, just as undemonstrative, but he was there for Al in a way that no one else could be.
Even here, at a bonding reception, she could tell he was trying his best to protect Al. He followed Al around the room, not touching him, barely talking to him, but watching over him. Moreover, she could see that Al liked it. He would talk to a few people, smiling and happy, and something would happen and she could see a change come over him. He'd retreat into his shell, his smile dropping away as his hands began to shake. It was always his hands that started to shake first.
Scorpius was always right there though. He'd ease up behind Al, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, or just speaking softly to him until Al began to smile again. He never touched Al suddenly, and he never whispered into Al's ear. Lily was touched that Scorpius knew the things that set off her brother's panic attacks, and he avoided them at all costs.
Scorpius was exactly what Al needed. Al liked to be in-charge. He liked to rule, fight, and argue. Scorpius was just quiet and there. He seemed almost unnecessary, like a single brick in a bridge, but she thought that if Scorpius disappeared, a small part of Al would fall apart.
That wasn't quite it though. Lily looked at Scorpius, really watched him. He wasn't just there. He was bigger than that one little brick. He was the mortar of the bridge. He held it together, made it stronger. You could build a bridge without mortar if you shaped the bricks just right, but it wouldn't be as steady. It wouldn't withstand the pressures it would have to undergo.
That was Al and Scorpius. Al was the showy part of the bridge, the bricks, and Scorpius was the less noticed, but equally important part. He was Al's support in all ways. He calmed him, enflamed him, broke him, and rebuilt him. He was the speechwriter to Al's speaker, the master of intelligence to Al's battlefront soldier, the secretary to Al's Minister of Magic.
Lily settled herself into a chair at an empty table, watching them make their way around the room. Maybe she was waxing poetic. Maybe she was being stupid. Nevertheless, she thought that if Scorpius hadn't been there, then perhaps Al would not be here.
She watched a member of the Wizengamot make a comment to Al and burst into laughter. She saw a tight smile spread across his face. She noticed that his hands were beginning to shake. Then Scorpius reached out, took a hand, and squeezed it gently, one, two, three times, the age old signal for "I love you."
Then she realised that she didn't have to worry. Al could go out there and put himself at risk because he had the ultimate protection. He loved and was loved, and Lily's Dad said that nothing was stronger than love. Scorpius would protect Al from the world and from himself.
She smiled gently, swiped a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, and settled back into her chair. Now that she knew Al was safe, it was time to focus on bigger, more important things—like whether the yummy boy in the corner would be more interested in her or her cousin Hugo.
Al didn't even realise what day it was until he opened the newspaper at the breakfast table to check his word counts. He just happened to glance at the date on the front page, and then it felt like the world was collapsing in on him.
One year. It had been one whole year since he had first been kidnapped. He'd known the day was coming, but he had avoided thinking about it. The paper was shaking in his hands, and when he tried to fold it, the papers refused to lay flat. His hands didn't want to work, and Al was getting frustrated, so he finally gave up. He stood, walked over to the garbage bin, and threw the paper away. It sat there, laughing at him, so Al grabbed his bowl of porridge and dumped it on top of the paper, covering up the date, the reminder.
He couldn't cover up the memories though. He paced the kitchen, glaring at the bin each time he passed it, watching the clock the rest of the time. One minute, two minutes, three minutes—time passed so slowly. Al frowned, flicked his wand at the clock and turned it towards the wall. Then he stomped out of the kitchen to his bedroom.
Scorpius was still in bed. Leaving Hogwarts hadn't cured him of his hatred of mornings. Al stripped off the shoes and shirt he had pulled on and crawled back into bed with Scorpius. He scooted over until he was close to Scorpius, but not touching him. He wanted comfort, but the thought of touching frightened him. Al's skin was vibrating, and his scars were aching.
His breath was coming quicker every moment, puffing past his lips in little gasps. Al was shaking, his muscles tensing and releasing repeatedly. He forced himself to focus on Scorpius, watching his chest rise and fall slowly.
Sectumsempra, he heard in his ears, whispers no one else ever heard. Crucio.
Something poked him in the side. Al screamed and jumped away from the feeling, almost falling off the bed. In his terror, it took him a moment to realize it had only been Scorpius's hand.
"Al, what's wrong?" Scorpius asked, moving next to him. Al couldn't see what he was doing because his eyes were jammed shut, the darkness engulfing him and pulling him back to that dark room.
"Al?" Scorpius sounded farther away, and Al felt himself relax just a little bit. No one was going to touch him. No one was going to slice him open. No one was going to torture him.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. What's going on?" Scorpius's voice was soft and gentle, but he didn't whisper or touch Al. "Come on, you can tell me."
Scorpius was safe. Al could trust him. "It's been a year..." he gasped, his throat feeling as raw as it had when they rescued him.
"Shh, shh, it's all right. You're safe. You're all right. You aren't there anymore. You're okay." Scorpius murmured soft nonsense, caressing Al with words instead of hands.
Al began to calm down slowly. His breathing returned to normal first, and then he was able to open his eyes. He knew he was fully calm when he stopped shaking. He reached out then, and took Scorpius's hand.
"Are you all right now?" Scorpius was sitting up next to him, and he leaned over slightly to look into Al's face.
Al nodded and squeezed his hand tight. "Thank you. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot."
Scorpius snorted at him. "If you're an idiot, I'm the queen of England."
"Whatever. I just... feel a little stupid, I guess."
"You aren't stupid, Al. It's understandable that you still aren't over this. In fact, it's normal." Scorpius moved slightly and then froze. "Can I lay down next to you?"
Al sighed. "Yeah. And that's not normal. Why should you have to ask permission just to lay next to me?"
Scorpius settled against him, wrapping an arm around Al's waist. "I don't have to ask permission. I could easily touch you and freak you out, but I don't because I don't want to do that."
Al rolled his eyes. "Stop being a grammar nerd. You know what I mean. I just want to get over this."
"Why haven't you got over it already?"
Al shrugged. "I dunno."
"Do you want revenge?" Scorpius asked lightly.
"No. He's in Azkaban for the rest of his life. That's enough revenge for me."
"Do you hate him?"
Al paused. He'd never really considered it before. "I... I guess not. I mean, he was obviously crazy. I know that. I don't quite forgive him for it, but I kind of understand why he did it." Al paused again. "No, actually, I don't. I don't know why he chose me, why he reacted that way. And I want to know."
Scorpius let out a huge breath, and Al wondered if he had been waiting for that statement. "Are you sure you want to know? Are you ready to know?"
"Yes. Why?"
"My father thinks he knows why Goyle did it. He told me his thoughts about a week after you were kidnapped. I wanted to tell you, but you could hardly handle hearing his name at first. I didn't know whether you would ever be ready."
Al sat bolt upright. "I'm ready now. Tell me!" he demanded.
Scorpius shook his head. "No, I think my father should be the one to tell you. Get dressed and we'll go to the Manor to see him."
Al was out of bed and dressed before Scorpius even stood up. Scorpius raced through his morning ablutions, and then they Floo called Malfoy Manor. Draco agreed to see them, so they Flooed through into the parlour.
As they settled into the parlour chairs and poured themselves some tea, Al began to doubt himself. Maybe he wasn't ready. He wanted to know though. Still, what if it was something upsetting?
Scorpius made the decision for him, announcing their purpose for visiting.
Draco, as he had asked Al to call him months before, looked away for a minute. He took a shuddering breath and turned back to them. "What do you know about Gregory Goyle?" he asked Al.
"I... not much. He told me that—" the memories of his many words began to encroach on Al's mind, but he shoved them away, focusing on Scorpius's face instead "—my father killed his friend and that he hated gays. I don't... I don't know why he hated me so much though, why he chose me to hurt."
"He told you the reasons why he picked you. It's all because of those two things: Vincent's death and his feelings towards homosexuals—towards himself."
Al gasped. "He's gay?"
Draco nodded, absentmindedly twirling his teacup in his hand. "I think I'm one of the few people he told, and it was probably my fault that he ended up the way he did."
"Father?" Scorpius sounded confused and more than a little lost.
Drops of tea were splashing onto Draco's trousers as he continued to twirl his cup. "We were fifth years when he came out to me. I was his leader, you know? I gave him advice, and he thought he could trust me. He told me he had fallen in love with a boy, and he didn't know what to do." Draco's hand shuddered and a large splash of tea hit the floor. "I told him he was disgusting and that he needed to stop being a pervert and fall for a woman."
Scorpius made a small sound of distress, so low Al hardly heard it. "Do you still feel... like that?" he asked his father.
"No!" Draco leaned forward, and Al couldn't make out the look on his face, but he knew it was probably reassuring because Scorpius sighed lightly, almost happily. "That was what I was raised hearing. Homosexuality wasn't something done in the wizarding world. The Muggles had homosexuals though, and my father hated them more than any other Muggles. When Greg told me he was gay, I didn't know what to make of it.
"And then I betrayed him. I was so confused about it that I wrote to my father, explaining what he had said. My father told me in a reply that I had done the right thing. Then he informed Greg's father. Greg went home over winter break a little gloomy, and he came back broken. He didn't tell any of us what had happened, but he started screaming in his sleep. The whole dorm heard him begging his father not to use the Cruciatus curse again.
"When I finally confronted him about it, he broke down. His father had showed him a law in the books that said homosexuals were worthless and should be punished. Then his father used the Cruciatus on him for hours. He didn't know how his father found out, but I did. I knew it was my fault."
Draco paused to breath and then drank the rest of his tea. He set the empty cup on its saucer, and the two rattled against each other for a moment. "And then he told me something that I'll never forget. He said that he was still in love. He still loved Vincent."
Al gasped. "So when he died—!"
Draco nodded. "I watched over Greg for the next three years. He was completely in love with Vincent, and Vincent had no idea. Greg did anything and everything he could to help Vincent. After that last confession though, he refused to call it love. He said that Vincent was his best friend and left it at that. His father had broken him, destroyed him to the point that Greg hated homosexuals and hated himself. His love was practically selfless. Once, he sat outside of the dorm room door and kept everyone out for two hours so that Vincent could be alone with his girlfriend."
Al couldn't align the picture of this man with the one who had hurt him so badly. He didn't want to understand him. He didn't want to ache for him, to think about how it would feel to guard a room so that Scorpius could have sex with a girl. Al wanted to hate him, but he couldn't anymore.
"I realised then that homosexuality wasn't the terrible perversion that my father said it was. It was people. It was love. I tried to explain it to Greg, but I waited too long. We were in the middle of a war when I made the realisation, and we had grown apart. I tried to explain what I thought, but he blew me off, and a week later, Vincent was dead."
A question was weighing on the back of Al's mind. "How did... how did Vincent die?" Goyle had told him that his father had done it, but Al didn't want to believe it.
Draco laughed derisively. "He killed himself."
Al was shocked. He had not expected to hear that.
"Oh, don't look so surprised. He didn't do it on purpose. He'd never been the smartest bloke—" Draco smiled lightly "—but he was skilled with Dark spells. We were trying to find a Horcrux for the Dark Lord, and Potter and his friends showed up to stop us. We fought them, but they started to overpower us. Greg was knocked out. Vincent had the threat of his sister's death hanging over his head and he panicked. He set the Room of Requirement alight with Fiendfyre. I thought we would all die, and your father saved me. Weasley and Granger saved Greg, but Vincent was... he was too far gone. The flames swallowed the room and Vincent, and we lost the Horcrux after all."
"Then... why did Goyle say my dad killed Crabbe?"
"Greg was lost consciousness before Vincent set the fire. When he woke up and learned Vincent was dead, I think the last sane part of him broke. He refused to believe Vincent had set the fire, and he blamed Potter. He hated Potter, and he hated himself because even though Vincent was dead, Greg still loved him completely."
"Why me though? Why did he choose me for his revenge? Why not my dad?"
Draco snorted. "Greg couldn't beat your father in a duel if your father was blindfolded, gagged, and wandless, and he knew it. He would have taken revenge on your father if he could have. You though... Greg worked as an Aide to a Wizengamot member. He must have seen your stunt with the letters before almost anyone else. I think it probably infuriated him that you were Potter's son and that you had come out when Greg had been in hiding and denial for so long."
Al sighed. He stilled wanted to hate the man that had hurt him, but he really couldn't. If he had been in the same position, he might have gone a little bit insane too. Even the thought of losing Scorpius made him feel a little crazy. "Is it normal to feel bad for someone who's hurt you so badly?" he asked plaintively.
Scorpius laughed. "It's perfectly normal. It means you'll be able to get over this."
"I suppose so..."
Scorpius took Al's hand and pulled him up and over to Scorpius's lap. "Are you okay then?"
"I'm fine. I'm a little... shocked is the closest feeling, I guess, but I'm all right." He leaned his forehead against Scorpius's. He loved being this close and actually being able to see Scorpius's eyes. Right then they were sparkling happily at him.
Draco coughed, and Scorpius jumped, but Al just giggled. "While I may be... understanding of homosexuality, I'm not entirely comfortable watching you two molest each other. I'll just excuse myself." He stood and moved close enough that Al could see he was smiling. "You are a strong young man, Albus Severus. I know you'll be fine."
Al was touched by his words and he smiled back brightly. "Thank you."
Draco left the room, and Scorpius laughed loudly. "He really likes you, you know. I think it surprises him that he understands a Potter."
"I like him too. He's a lot like you." Scorpius made a face.
"Are you going to be all right?" Scorpius asked him again.
"Stop asking. I'll be fine. Look, I'm not even shaking and I've spent all of this time hearing his name and thinking about him. I can do this."
Scorpius hugged him tightly. "Don't forget about me."
Al grinned. "Right. We can do this." Scorpius was by his side, the Equality laws were on their way through the Wizengamot, and Al had made it through a whole year.
Scorpius kissed him, and Al remembered again why it was all worth it.
"We can do this," he whispered to himself.
THE END