/ an: hey guys, just a few things before the chapter – I want to thank the three reviewers who've definitely boosted my confidence for this story & give links to Polyvore sets!
Guest: thank you for being the first reviewer and writing something so lovely c:
gr8rockstarrox: I'm sorry, I don't ship Scorily! If the fic wasn't an Albus/OC, Scorbus would be the other pairing if that helps haha – thank you, I'll try and make Hogsmeade as much fun as possible c:
anon: thank you so much for reviewing and because it was such a great review, I'll add more of Albus' POV c:
So I know that you can't link to anything outside of FF so just copy-paste these after the homepage link of Polyvore after erasing the /cgi/home:
Iris: pygwygi_iris/set?id=195608143
Arizona: pygwygi_arizona/set?id=195608208
Rose: pygwygi_rose/set?id=195608238
/ trigger warnings: obscene language and hints of mature themes /
Chapter Two
Finally, the first Hogsmeade trip.
Albus had been waiting for this for a month and a half – he hated being cooped up in the castle constantly. Yes, he played Quidditch and could easily go practice on the pitch, and yes he could go visit Hagrid or even just walk around the Black Lake; however, nothing was able to compare to the feeling of striding down the village of Hogsmeade, already feeling the warmth of butterbeer dripping down his throat or the knowing smile creeping up on his face when they would visit the Shrieking Shack and mutters of ghosts and ghouls met his ears. But most of all, he couldn't wait to just chill out and not have teachers down his throat about NEWT's, (which were just under two years away so why did he have to care so much right now?), and get away from the family drama that seemed to follow him - no matter how much he tried to stray away from it - not to mention the fact that, plainly, he could hang out with his best friend.
And yet, before he could even do that, he managed to get dragged into said unavoidable family drama.
"He's a scumbag, Lil!"
"You don't know that, Roxy!"
"I bloody well do, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you how much of a smarmy little shit he is!"
"He is slimy, Lily."
"Oh come on, Lucy - like you would know!"
"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"
It seemed that Kyle Lucien, a fifth year Ravenclaw, had asked Albus' little sister out to Hogsmeade and Roxanne and Lucy were having none of it. Albus remembered back in his fourth year - Roxanne and Lucy's third - the same boy had taken Roxanne out on her first date only to steal her first kiss and then proceeded to never owl or talk to her again. He was notorious for this and as he got older, his physical actions delved deeper than just a kiss when it came to stealing firsts from girls. Albus knew how much it hurt Roxanne - he was pretty sure that it was that particular moment when she felt her first heartbreak that she became the headstrong take-no-shit Slytherin she was today. However, after that, Roxanne became cynical and he'd be damned if he let some self-righteous arse define the rest of his little sister's romantic life like he did his cousin.
So when he caught his three family members having a full blown argument on the day of the Hogsmeade trip in the middle of the Great Hall with everyone, (including the teachers), about who Lily was to and not to date, he couldn't help but intervene.
"It means that you have absolutely no say in this seeming as you have no experience with anyone much less Kyle," Albus was shocked that these mean words would come out of Lily's mouth so harshly - she'd never had a bad word to say about anyone let alone any members of her family. Roxanne put an arm around her fellow Slytherin cousin as Lucy held back tears.
"Guys," Albus strode towards the three girls, "what the Hell's happening right now? Fighting over a boy? Really?"
"We're not fighting over a boy," Roxanne scoffed as she gave her younger cousin a scathing look, "Believe me, the day I'd fight someone over a boy - never mind it being Kyle Lucien - is the day you and Iris confess your love for each other."
"So never," Albus deadpanned though a little confused - but he chose not to dwell on it, "And that's not even the point."
"Well then if you're so wise, Al," Lily crossed her arms, her eyebrows raising and a humourless expression on her face, "what is the point?"
"The point is, Lily," he paused before gasping out quickly, "there's no Universe in which you'll be going on a date with Kyle fucking Lucien."
"Thank you!" Roxanne grinned as she spread her arms out with a victorious look on her face. Lucy smirked at the semblance of rage that surrounded Lily as Albus said this.
"You do know that you can't actually physically stop me, right?"
"You do know that I can actually physically punch the git in the mouth, right?"
"Who are we punching in the mouth?" Iris had appeared along with Rose and James, both of whom looked just as interested as Iris was. I mean, who wouldn't be with the sight they were at that particular moment - Albus ready to throw his fists in any direction, Lucy who looked a little scared at his actions to say the least, Roxanne with her positively triumphant demeanour and Lily with her very red, very angry face. Not to mention the noise they were making, especially with Albus' resounding voice in a reverberant room such as the Great Hall which had astounding acoustics.
"Kyle Lucien," the four chorused.
"Why?" the three newcomers synchronised.
"Because he's a fuckboy."
"Because he asked Lily out on a date."
"Because he actually likes me."
"Because he's an unhinged sex-zealot with little to no self-control."
"That's stretching it a bit," Iris scrunched her face at the exaggeration, "don't you think, Rox?"
"I think she got it spot on, personally," James voiced, giving Lily a stern look as if he were about to give her a telling-off, "Come on, Lily, don't be so naïve. You were there second after Luce when that arse broke Roxy's heart - granted you would've been third if the first thing Fred did after hearing about what happened was to go see his baby sister instead of putting Lucien in the Hospital Wing - but that's beside the point."
"He's no good for you, Lil," Rose placed a comforting hand on her younger cousin's arm who merely shrugged it off.
"How do any of you know what - or who, for that matter - is good for me or not, huh?" Lily shook her head and stormed off to the Hufflepuff common room.
"I'm done trying to help her," Roxanne laughed humourlessly, "She doesn't want our help then she's having none of it."
"She can go cry to you guys when he breaks her heart," Lucy stalked off with Roxanne after saying, "because we'll have no sympathy."
Albus couldn't help but agree a little with his Slytherin cousins - they had all warned her of what was to come but did Lily listen? No. But it wasn't like Albus wasn't going to comfort her and support her decisions - even if they were moronic ones to which he would voice his opinion of and see where she goes from there. The four left standing all looked at each other worriedly before heading to the Gryffindor table to discuss what had just happened.
"We can't let her do this," James shook his head before saying, "No - we can't let him do this to her."
"We have to stop this," Albus agreed with his older brother, "She's making a huge mistake with this one."
"Exactly," Rose spoke up, "It's her mistake - it's hers to make."
"I'm sorry, did I just hear you right?" James looked at Rose, disbelief and astonishment written all over his face, "You want your baby cousin to be perved on by some prick who can't keep his hands to himself?"
"She's not saying that, James," Iris rolled her eyes, "Don't be so melodramatic."
"I'm not being melodramatic."
"What exactly are you both saying then?" Albus raised his eyebrows at Rose and Iris - he was rather confused to say the least.
"You can't keep her hidden from the brutalities of this world forever," Iris responded.
Upon seeing the still-confused faces of her cousins, Rose clarified, "She can't go through life without making mistakes. And we know you want to protect her but the world doesn't work that way - if she doesn't do it now, then it'll happen in the future and its inevitable and unavoidable."
"And it hurts like a bitch," Iris continued, "but you know then to not go for the infamous player of the school."
"And you would know this how?" Albus asked - he didn't have any recollection of Iris dating anyone, so what could she say about this?
"Lyall Ives, he was a sixth year when we were in fourth," Iris explained, "same ages as Lily and that bloody Kyle Lucien."
"How'd that work out for you?" James asked sceptically.
"Pretty well seeming as I haven't had my heartbroken since I was fourteen," Iris smiled triumphantly.
"Come on, guys," Rose rolled her eyes at the two boys with a smile, "Look at Iris - and Roxanne for that matter. They're both headstrong and make calculating decisions, maybe Lily will turn out like them from this."
"I'd rather not have our little sister become a cold hearted bitch," James said with a joking smile forming on his face.
"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much," Iris laughed as the four made their way to the carriages for their trip to Hogsmeade.
James said his goodbyes and went off with his seventh year mates and Scorpius finally joined them after James' departure. Albus, Rose and Iris filled Scorpius in on what had happened in the Great Hall and surprisingly, he agreed that Lily was free to make her own decisions and if she didn't make mistakes now then she'd only be dodging the inevitable until it caught up to her.
"How romantic would it be if Lily was that one special girl to Lucien's bad boy-ness and he changed for her?" Rose smiled with a far look in her eyes as she voiced this in the carriage on the way to Hogsmeade. Albus, Iris and Scorpius looked at her as though she was in need of Madam Lennie's help in the Hospital Wing.
"Crap like that doesn't exist in real life, Rosie," Scorpius rolled his eyes, "It's all in books and films and creates a false sense of what life could be like and would be like if you went for the so-called bad boys but it just ends in tears and binging on food that isn't good for you."
"But look at Elliot Maine and Jessica Hayes in James' year," Rose replied determinedly, "They've been dating a year now and she had one of the worst reputations before Elliot."
"She still does, Rose," Scorpius countered, half-laughing, "She cheats on him every chance she gets - which is a lot. She's always in the common room with a different boy and Maine knows this but he thinks he can be the one to change her but she's just a bitch with no remorse when it comes to this."
Before Rose could argue back, Iris spoke up with an amused smile as she looked at the two, "Face it, Rose - things in films don't exist in real life. Bad boys and girls turning good before they turn thirty and realising they've wasted their whole lives fucking about? Doesn't happen. Falling in love with your best friend after years of sibling love? Doesn't happen. Seeing a stranger across the room and knowing full-well that they are 'the one'? Doesn't happen. Whatever cliché plot line you can come up with, you name it; it doesn't happen."
"Well," Rose said in a high voice, "falling in love with your best friend can happen."
"It's a bit weird," Albus shrugged, "Like, imagine me and Iris - how bloody weird would that be?"
"Gross," Iris laughed along with Albus, "I don't even want to imagine."
Scorpius and Rose looked at each other with smiles that didn't quite meet their eyes - they were smiles that said this is going to be harder than it looks.
For the rest of the ride, Albus couldn't help but wonder. He wondered about how this had been the third time in the last two days that someone had mentioned thinga about him and Iris - first Scorpius when he asked if the pair were going to Hogsmeade together, then Roxanne with the little comment earlier and now Rose mentioning falling for your best friend, not to mention the odd looks from Posleymalderson. This was a strange occurrence for Albus; he for once wasn't being the oblivious one, he was putting the pieces together and, to be honest, he was a little anxious to discover what was going on.
"It kills me how different our fashion sense is."
Iris, Albus, Rose and Scorpius were finally in the Three Broomsticks pub, sipping on butterbeers when Arizona sat down next to her sister with the four along with her friends.
"Then why are you sitting with us?" Iris looked at Arizona with a questioning look on her face.
"What's wrong with me sitting with my twin sister and her buddies?" Arizona asked playfully, placing her chin in her hand as she rested her elbow on the table.
"There's nothing wrong with it, per se," Scorpius said stiffly - he wasn't a fan of Arizona and her friends, "It's just unheard of."
"Seriously though, Iris," Arizona said, a mock-scolding tone in her voice, "It actually hurts to look at you in your clothes."
"I don't really seek for your approval in the wardrobe department, Ari," Iris laughed with a roll of her eyes, "Nor any department for that matter."
"I guess the grunge look kind of suits you," she replied, pursing her lips, "I just wish you'd let me dress you."
Iris merely scoffed and took a sip of her butterbeer. She didn't think that what she was wearing was that bad. She wore a black tie front T-shirt, black jeans, black Chelsea boots with a heel and a military green bomber jacket. Okay, maybe it was a bit grunge, especially with the dark lipstick - but it was her style and she wasn't Arizona. Her sister wore beaded chiffon burgundy blouse, a dark denim skirt, light brown ankle booties and a light cream trench coat.
"You know the only time she lets you dress her is if she's going on a date or if there's some fancy ball," Arizona's friend Isabelle Weydon laughed and then scooted closer to Scorpius who she had sat beside - she was practically obsessed with the Malfoy boy and he couldn't have felt any more opposite.
"At least Rose dresses somewhat normally," Kathy Morris put in, kind of judging what Rose had worn that day which consisted of a patterned A-line green, grey, black and white dress, a black denim jacket and wedges of the same green on her dress.
"I think Iris looks great just the way she is," Zach Mason spoke up, a small smile on his face. He was sat at the end of the table and made eye-contact with Iris who's cheeks heated up at the compliment. Iris thanked him while Arizona rolled her eyes - Zach had always had a mini crush on her twin sister and if Iris turned around and started liking him then it would come in between the plan to get her and Albus together. But then she noticed the small frown Albus had painted so slightly on his face and Arizona thought that maybe this would be the perfect way to get Albus jealous and for him to admit his feelings for Iris.
"I don't like him," Albus muttered to Scorpius as the rest of the crew chatted away. "He's shady."
"Maybe it's because he's showing interest in Iris and she's showing it back," Scorpius suggested as he heard Iris laugh at something Zach had said.
"No," Albus shook his head, "I just think there's something off about him, I don't know what it is."
"It's called jealousy," Rose inputted as she joined their conversation instead of the Ravenclaw's plus Iris, "People generally feel it when the person they like is flirting with someone else."
"I'm not jealous," Albus exclaimed with a shake of the head, "it's like when I want to stop Lily from making stupid decisions like she did with Kyle Lucien - it's brotherly."
"Whatever you say, Al," Scorpius shrugged with a simper.
"Seriously," Albus lowered his voice so that Iris couldn't hear - which was a difficult feat for Albus with his naturally loud voice, "What's with everyone recently? I know I'm obtuse but I'm not an idiot."
"There's nothing going on," Rose denied and then, "We just want you to be happy."
"I am happy," Albus said with a confused look on his face - something which was becoming a frequent thing for him. He looked around the table and noticed that two people were missing; "Where did Iris go?"
"She went to Honeydukes with Zach," Arizona answered with a taunting tone and a tight smile. "Like a date."
"A date? With him?" Albus remarked, "Since when does Iris date?"
"Since third year when Ronnie Wilks took her out on her first date," Kathy answered as if Albus was five years old, "Do you not pay attention to your best friend's personal life?"
"Do you not remember her boyfriend last year?" Isabelle questioned and laughed as Albus shook his head, "She went out with Damon Kingsley for five months, how do you not remember this?"
"To be fair," Rose interjected, "Iris isn't one to display her affections so publicly."
"How many boyfriends has she had?" Albus asked curiously.
"Three," Isabelle answered, "But, that's only if you count Uriah Reese."
"Why wouldn't you count Reese?" Albus was scared to hear the answer.
"They didn't exactly date," Arizona said in a light tone, "But they did things people who date do."
He couldn't believe his ears - since when was Iris so romantically - and (sexually) involved with boys? When had this happened? How did he not know about it? Why hadn't she told him? Since when did they not tell each other things? Albus had so many questions.
"So you all knew about this," Albus started, "and I didn't?"
"It wasn't a secret, Al," Scorpius shrugged.
"How did I not see that my honorary sister was active?" Albus asked himself.
"Sister?" Kathy laughed, "You're telling us that you're not in love with Iris?"
"No!" Albus stood up as he exclaimed this, "Why does everyone think I like Iris like that? Is it not possible for two people of the opposite sex to be friends without there being a stigma?"
"We're not saying that," Rose disclosed, "It's just the way you two are."
"Well it's not," Albus shook his head and left the Three Broomsticks with his friends and the Ravenclaws calling after him.
Strolling through Hogsmeade, Albus processed what they were all chatting about. He and Iris were best friends, he didn't like her as in fancy her and the same for her otherwise she wouldn't be on a spur-of-the-moment-date with Zach right now. They had known each other six years now and they'd never even thought about the possibility of them dating. It just wasn't conceivable for him to think of her as more than a sister.
As he walked past Madam Puddifoot's, he saw Lily and Kyle Lucien sharing a piece of chocolate cake. She looked happy - maybe he needed to trust her judgement more. As she had said earlier - what did any of them know what or who was good for her? As long as he didn't make her feel a fool like the rest of the girls that had fallen for his charms like Roxanne, he was okay with it. Well, not fully, but that's just him being an overprotective brother. So why didn't he feel like that after the guys had told him about all of Iris' romantic and sexual experiences; maybe it was the fact that it was such a shock. But it shouldn't be, right? Iris was a person, she was only human - she could do what she wanted. As per usual, he chose not to dwell on it and continued back to Hogwarts.
Iris didn't return from Hogsmeade until after dinner - she and Zach forgot about the time and had missed the carriages so they proceeded to walk. Upon entering the common room, she saw Rose, Arizona, Albus and Scorpius sitting by the fire. She wondered why the three non-Gryffindors were present but that thought subsided when Arizona asked how it went with Zach.
She told them all about how they had been in Honeydukes trying free samples, went to Zonko's to check out their new material that definitely could not rival Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and then visited the Shrieking Shack. It was a classic Hogsmeade date, and it couldn't have gone any better.
"He's funny and kind and smart," Iris gushed - something Albus had never witnessed of his best friend, "He's so great."
"Who?" Samuel Wiley, one of James' friends from seventh year asked.
"Zach Mason," Arizona answered.
"Top lad," he nodded and walked off to the dormitories.
"See," Iris smiled, "he's a likable guy."
"But is he lovable?" Rose asked.
"They've been on one date, Rose," Scorpius laughed, "Not like she's in love with him."
"Yet," Arizona added with a sultry smile.
Iris rolled her eyes, smiling. No, she wasn't in love with him after one date - but could she potentially see a relationship with him? Why not?
"What do you think, Al?" she asked her best friend who seemed a little out of it.
"Of Zach Mason?" he clarified, and she nodded, "I think he's rather dull."
"How is he dull?"
"He just is."
"That's not a reason."
"It's good enough for me."
"Well it isn't for me."
"Good for you."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"C'mon, Al," Scorpius intervened the staring match Albus and Iris were having, "Let's go. We'll see you all tomorrow."
After they had bid their goodbyes and the two Slytherins had left the Gryffindor common room, the three girls headed up to Rose and Arizona's dorm whom they shared with three other Gryffindor sixth year girls who weren't present at the moment. They conversed about what had just happened. Iris couldn't understand why Albus had reacted so strangely - Arizona and Rose thought he was jealous, but Iris shook that off and told them that he was probably just being an overprotective brotherly type, like he was with Lily that morning.
The thing was, was that she never really told Albus about her romantic or sexual life. If he had asked, then yes; she'd tell him whatever he wanted to know but it just never came up in conversation. However she didn't know how he hadn't heard of it all through the rumour mill - a secret never stayed a secret in Hogwarts. Another thing was that she kind of didn't want to tell Albus any of it - she didn't want something like this happening because she trusted Albus' judgement as if it were her own and if he didn't like someone, she tended to rethink what she thought about that person. It wasn't as though she let him cloud her own judgement, she merely liked having another persons opinion when it came to her own impressions of people - like with boys, she usually went to Arizona and sometimes Rose. To be perfectly honest, she didn't go to Albus with boys because she was scared he'd think less of her because of her choices - which was moronic because she knew Albus wasn't like that, and yet his actions earlier said otherwise.
She and Albus rarely fought, which was one of the things that made their friendship easy and when they did fight, it wasn't a great feeling. And so, Iris made a pact with herself that she would make up with Albus first thing in the morning when she saw him. Hell would freeze over before they fought because of a boy.
