Chapter Four

"Scorp.." Albus whined, hauling himself onto one of the sofa's in the Slytherin dungeon. "Scorp.. I'm injuredd." Albus dragged the word on, wanting a little sympathy from his best friend. He'd been out at quidditch training in the dark and the cold for the fourth time this week, so was feeling grateful that it was a Friday night.

"Igor working you hard again?" Scorpius smiled, even though he didn't look up from his book. He was reading about the unusual cures of magi-pox. His legs were resting over the arm of the chair, which was barely big enough for two people, even though Albus insisted on squishing into it most evenings.

"So hard. We've just had a three hour training session on a Friday night. Higgs got knocked out within the first hour, hopefully he'll be back from the hospital wing soon. Goyle didn't even stop the session for him to be stretchered off!" Albus was slobbed against Scorpius, nudging at the book Scorpius was reading with his head. "Are you listening?"

"Mhm. Training-friday-higgs-hospital. Oh woe is me, I hate training and quidditch and all the injuries, even though I signed up for all of this." Scorpius quickly mocked Albus, slipping his book mark between the pages and resting the book on the table in front of him. "I'm sorry Albus, now you have my full attention."

"Hmph, don't want it anymore." Albus pretended to sulk, sticking his bottom lip out. Scorpius went to tickle Albus, until he realised that Matt was approaching them, and they didn't need anymore evidence for Matt to suspect them of being a couple. Scorpius quickly moved himself so he was sat up right, gently pushing Albus off of him as he did.

"Hey, any word from Higgs?" Albus asked, taking off his quidditch boots slowly, much to the disgust of two sixth years studying near them.

"Higgs? Wasn't he at training with you?" Matt raised an eyebrow, clearly oblivious to the evenings events.

Scorpius quickly glanced to Albus, willing him to go gently with the information he had. "He's unconscious in the hospital wing." Albus blurted out, doing the opposite of what Scorpius had wanted.

"Is he alright? Merlin, what happened out there?" Matt looked around, hoping to find Goyle in the common room. Matt and Higgs were more like brothers than friends, having grown up in the same village, and attending the same school before Hogwarts, they bonded quickly over both of them being from wizarding backgrounds in a muggle community. It was no surprise when the two of them were both put in Slytherin together.

"He had a bit of a collision with a post, then dropped to the ground at a pretty rapid pace, his broom stayed with him the whole way down. Quite impressive really that the broom survived."

"Yes, but Higgs? I really don't want to have to write to his Mum, 'ooh sorry Mrs Higgs, but your son is dead.'"

Scorpius smiled, "Oh stop being so dramatic, he's not dead. Higgs will probably have some bruising or breaks, and a minor concussion. Even muggles can deal with that."

"So there's no point me going down there?"

"Look, it's nearly 11. He'll be asleep, even if Pomfrey would let you visit. Let's all get some sleep and visit him in the morning." Scorpius patted Matt on the back, picked up his text books from the floor and walking down the stone steps into the fifth year dorms. They were both oblivious to Albus, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, half way through lacing his boots back up.

Albus stumbled into the dorm a little after midnight, a crick in his neck after how he had fallen asleep, and desperately in need of at least 8 more hours. Which is possibly why he stripped out of his quidditch jersey and fell onto Scorpius' bed, proceeding to curl himself around Scorpius and snuggle even closer.

"Mhm.." Albus made small little noises like a cat as he slept, purring absentmindedly until Scorpius jumped out of bed, shouting.

"Albus! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?" Scorpius was turning a deep red colour, looking around the dorm, very grateful in the knowledge that Matt had already left. "HOW DID YOU EVEN END UP HERE? THIS IS MY BED ALBUS. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR EXCUSES ARE YOU DO NOT END UP IN MY BED EVER. T-THINK ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY! ENOUGH PEOPLE ALREADY THINK WE'RE WELL uhm, uh, well." He couldn't contain his anger at the situation, nor could he explain his anger at the situation. It was all unjustified, but something inside of Scorpius had snapped and he couldn't control himself. He wasn't thinking about what he was saying.

Albus wasn't even properly awake at the start of Scorpius' rant, but by the end of it he was stood facing him, shirtless and still wearing his muddy quidditch leggings. His body was toned and athletic from all of the quidditch practices, which made Scorpius even more annoyed. But right now it was Albus' turn to retaliate.. he knew exactly what Scorpius was trying to say, he wanted to hear him say it. "Go on. Say it." He spat the words out angrily, nothing could calm him down right now.

"I can't. You know what I'm thinking." Scorpius couldn't even look at Albus now, his earlier anger had bubbled down and he was left with a feeling of regret, sitting heavily on his chest - there were millions of ways he could have treated the situation, yet he did this… He'd opened his big mouth and lost his temper, just like his grandfather.

"FINE. I'll say it for you!" Albus took a deep breath, he hadn't imagined it would come out like this, but sometimes things happened for a reason. "You were going to say that enough people already think we're GAY. Well you know what Scorpius, I AM." And as soon as he said it, he grabbed his henley shirt and jeans and walked out of the dorm. He could feel his blood boiling under his skin as he got changed in the bathroom, then walked through the common room into the brisk October air of the castle corridors.

Scorpius was slumped on the hard stone flooring, his back leant against Albus' four poster. His breathing was erratic, much like his heart rate. He'd tried a few charms to calm himself down, ones that his therapist had taught him when his mother died - none of them were working. "You fucking twat." Scorpius grabbed onto a dormant bludger and threw it against the wall: it missed and smashed into a glass light box. The swirling ball of light slipped into a potion and slowly trickled down the wall, the glass already in shards at his feet. "You're an idiot Scorpius." He mumbled to himself, rolling his head onto his knees and trying to forget that the one person he needed the most in this world would probably never speak to him again.. the one person who he cared for the most.. maybe even the one person he loved the most.

"Harry! Are you home?" Ginny called out as she walked through the front door of their house, glancing down at the floor to see one of her cats stretching and walking up towards her. There was no reply from Harry, but Albus walked from the kitchen into view. He wasn't wearing his robes, but he had one of his old, softened Grandma Molly sweaters on, slightly tatty around the cuffs but still a clear emerald colour. His face was a little puffy, and his eyes were burning red as if he'd been crying.

"Hi Mum." He mumbled, his shoulders looked like they were carrying the weight of the world. Ginny couldn't start to know about what had happened, but millions of thoughts were running wild in her head right now.

"Albus.. Love, what are you doing here?" She quickly moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, she was still wearing her thick over coat and scarf, but Albus managed to get his arms around her and bury his face in her neck. She smelt like home, like everything he knew. He didn't even realise how much he needed her until he was there, being held tight.

"Me and Scorpius got in a fight.." he mumbled into her clothing, anyone else would have had no idea what the youngest Potter boy had said, but Ginny knew her kids inside and out. She finally let him go so that they could talk properly, ushering him over to one of the big sofa's.

"What about?" She shrugged her coat off, and untangled her scarf, pointing her wand at the fireplace to get it to spring into life. Albus still hadn't answered her question at this point, so Ginny changed the subject slightly. "How did you get here? I know you can't apparate."

"I, um, got the password for McGonnogall's office from James, and well, I snuck in and I used her fireplace to floo here." Albus mumbled quickly, not wanting to get into trouble, or get James into trouble. "But you can't tell James off, he uh, wanted to help me. And it's almost the holidays anyway.. I know I said I was going to stay at Hogwarts instead of coming home for the week, like most people.. but I just really had to come home."

"Hey Gin! You home yet?" Harry called out as he stepped through the front door, being similarly greeted by the cat. He looked around into the living room to then see his youngest boy and wife sat on the sofa, deep in conversation. They both looked up at him, Albus with a tear stained face, and Ginny with worry etched all over hers. "What's happened?" Harry asked worriedly, hurrying over to the two of them. "Are you okay Al?"

"He's had a fight with Scorpius.." Ginny whispered, rubbing Albus' back.

"Oh no mate.. What about?" Harry tried his best to think of anything the two boys could have been fighting about, they always seemed so at ease in each other's company whenever he saw them. He couldn't imagine them arguing.

"Well, I guess, um. I should tell you guys. Lily and James know, so you two should as well. I just um.. I" Albus was tripping over his words left right and centre, avoiding his parent's gaze yet trying to make them understand how hard this conversation was going to be. Ginny and Harry exchanged worried looks, trying to engage in some sort of telepathic communication.

"Whatever it is we'll still love you, nothing is going to change Al." Harry squeezed Albus' knee, recently in the past year Harry had noticed how much his son had grown up, but right now, he looked exactly like he did when he was scared on the platform.

"Yeah, you're still going to be our boy, cheeky and intelligent, brave and loving. Whatever you tell us now you'll still be all of those things to us." Ginny chimed in, backing her husband up.

"Mum.. Dad.. Well, I'm uh, Merlin, I'm gay." Once the words were out of Albus' mouth you could visibly see the tension release from his shoulders. He looked up at his parents faces finally, relieved to see that they weren't scowling, or embarrassed. They were smiling. They were happy for him. His mum enveloped him in a big hug, one that would rival Molly Weasley.

"Al, you know we love you so much. How would you being gay change any of that? Some of your Mum and me's friends are gay, and happily married, with children. No one's going to look at you differently, or treat you differently because you love boys. Times have changed." Harry was always good at imparting a little advice and wisdom that made his children feel more accepted, like they belonged wherever they wanted to. He did for them what he wished someone could have done for him - what he knew his parents would have done if they could have.

"Is that why you and Scorpius were fighting..?" Ginny had finally let Albus go, yet was still holding his hands tight.

"Well yeah. Basically. I don't even really know what happened.. but he made me feel like I was wrong.. that it was wrong to be.. who I am, me." The tears were welling up in Albus' eyes again, and he couldn't do anything to stop them. Every time he thought about what Scorpius had said, he felt a new wave of emotion hit him.

Harry got up from where he was kneeling and walked to the kitchen, making tea for the three of them. Once the brews were finished he brought Albus and Ginny's in, handing them both the two big mugs. Albus instinctively wrapped his hands around the ceramic, instantly feeling grateful for his parents and their unconditional love.

"Maybe Scorpius is dealing with some of his own problems too.. It wasn't right for him to unload onto you, but you know Scorpius isn't normally like that. Is he?" Ginny thought he knew Scorpius quite well, considering the amount of time he had spent at their house over the years. But perhaps things were different at Hogwarts.

Albus sniffed, wiping away the tears from his eyes. "Yeah you're right.. He's never snapped like that before.. we hardly ever fight."

"See.. Why don't you stay here until the winter term starts? It's the weekend tomorrow and then it's the half term week anyway, so you won't have missed any school.. That'll give you time to sort your head out.."

Harry nodded, agreeing with her wife. "I'll owl McGonnogall."

"Thanks babe. Now, are you hungry Al?" Ginny got up, she wasn't much of a good cook, she was the baker in the house, but for her boy she was sure she could figure something out.

"I think I'll wait until Dad's done.. You know, I'm gay but I still have my taste buds.." Albus offered a cheeky smile to his Mum. She laughed, overwhelmingly grateful that Albus was already at the cracking jokes stage of his difficult news. Ginny could rest easy now, knowing that he would recover quickly.

"JAMES! JAMES! JAAAMES! OH FOR DUMBLEDORE'S SAKE JAMES POTTER TURN AROUND RIGHT NOW AND TELL ME WHERE ALBUS IS!" Lily screamed, running up to him and his friends in the common room. Mae was sat in the corner, reviewing her potions notes, laughing to herself.

"Woah woah woah. Lulu. Calm down." James pushed his chair back and stood in front of his sister, with his hands up in the stereotypical 'innocent' position. "Now say all of that slowly, and quietly."

"I would like to know where our brother is. You know, dark hair, pale, always hanging around with Scorpius. About this tall." She sarcastically gestured to his height, just a little less than James' but a lot more than hers.

"I think you answered that question with your statement." James smirked slightly, catching Mae's eye.

"Noooo." Lily dragged out the word whilst rolling her eyes, earning her a few laughs from the boys sat at the table. James caught onto this, and kicked his nearest friend as if to say 'don't add to her ego'. "I just saw Scorpius at breakfast, and he wasn't with Albus. So I asked him where Albus was and he said he didn't know."

"So.."

"And that Albus didn't go back to the dorm last night." Lily muttered seriously, raising her eyebrows at James. "So.." She mocked his tone, "Do you understand how serious this is?"

"Shit. BOLLOCKS." James ran his fingers through his hair and began to run through the common room and out of the door. "LILY!"

"WHAT?" Lily went running after him, "Where the hell is Albus?"

He was running quickly through the grounds now, running to one of the only places and people who he knew could help them - he was running down to Neville's greenhouse. Once they'd reached the large structure he banged his tightened fist against the pane, ignoring Lily's incessant questioning as to where Albus was.

"I'm coming! Hold your horses I'm coming!" Neville slipped the key into the lock and opened the old door up.

"Neville, can you get in contact with Mum or Dad?" Oliver asked, his breathing ragged from the sprint down to the greenhouse. Lily was stood beside him, clutching at her chest.

"Of course yeah but first, tell me what's wrong. Are you both okay? And Albus?" Neville took his gloves from his hand, and placed them down on the work bench.

"Well we're fine. But Albus.. He could be dead for all I know."

"LILY. Albus is not dead. For Merlin's sake! Neville, uh, Professor, uh. Dumbledore!" James ran his fingers through his hair, agitated was not the word to describe him right now - he was worried and anxious and frustrated and he couldn't, for the first time ever, properly get his words out. "We don't know where Albus is, and he didn't go back to his dorm last night. But I know that a couple of weeks ago I may have mentioned McGonnogall's password to him by accident and I'm hoping that he's just snuck up there and flooed home but I don't know."

"Why didn't you ever mention the password to me by mistake?!" Lily piped up, quick to pipe back down when James looked at her with harsh steely eyes.

"Buggar, right okay. Don't worry you two, I'll see if your parents have their floo grate active." Neville seemed to disappear once he'd walked round the corner to where his office resided, and then the two Potters heard the creak of a staircase.

"You think Albus will be okay, don't you Jamie?" Lily whispered, looking up at her older brother. James sighed and realised that, as annoying as Lily could be, she was still only twelve years older and now for the second time in her short life her brother had gone missing. He wrapped his strong arms around her petite body and held her to his chest, quietly whispering to her.

"He's probably just at home.. He won't be in trouble again, don't worry Lulu.."

They'd been stood like that for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a matter of minutes, when Neville re-emerged.

"Any news?" James quickly broke away from Lily, but held on tight to her hand. "Was their grate active?"

"Is Albus safe?" Lily spoke up, finally finding her voice. It quavered slightly, though.

"I'm sorry guys, I couldn't get hold of them. I'm not on duty today, so I'll get down to Hogsmeade and apparate to their place. Would you like me to involve McGonnogall..?"

"No no. He could just get in trouble. Mum and Dad will know what to do if he's not with them.. Right. Neville, we'll go wait in the common room, let us know as soon as you find out. Please."

"No! I want to go! We have to find Albus, Jamie!" Lily stomped one of her feet down on the hard stone flooring, her hands automatically on her hips.

"Lulu, we have to let Neville go. He won't be long." James looked to Neville for moral support.

"I'll be two hours, max." Neville gave Lily a quick hug, and patted James' back before he set off with his coat and gloves out of the grounds away from Hogwarts.

"I will not do my school work whilst I wait to find out if my brother has been kidnapped or not!" Lily stomped her foot again for the second time in that hour, impatient to find out where Albus was.

"Fine. Look, I only suggested it as I thought it would help pass the time. Aster and Carrie are over there, why don't you go vent to them instead." James suggested, before slumping onto the sofa that Lily had just stroppily jumped up from. It wasn't long before James heard footsteps coming towards him, and with his eagerness to hear from Neville he quickly sat up, his eyes springing open. "Oh. It's you."

"That's not your usual tone, Potter." Mae smiled, letting her hair out of it's bobble. "Room for a little one?"

James moved aside on the sofa and let Mae sit down, she curled her legs up and leant against the arm, facing him.

"Is it your brother.. Albus?"

"Yeah.."

"Is he in some sort of trouble?"

"I don't think so. Well I hope he isn't. I don't know."

Mae sighed, biting her lip. "I saw Lily have a go at you earlier, she's just like your mum when she's angry eh?"

James laughed a little, thinking back to the first time that James tried to get one of the cats onto a broom with him. Merlin, she screamed that day. "Yeah. They're two peas in a pod." He mumbled, playing with the hem of his sweatshirt. "Wait. How do you know my mum?"

"Uh, she used to play with my mum. I would go to the pitch with them, and I remember once that I lost a bludger.. a rogue one.. Your mum thought it was one of the ball boys and started getting angry with them.. Then my mum pointed out that it was me.. five year old me."

"No way! You faced the wrath of Ginny Potter at a young age and lived to tell the tale!" James grinned, the first real smile in a while.

"Slightly scarred, but I'm still alive." Mae's face said it all as soon as she uttered the word alive, her mind wandered back to her mum, darting through the trees on her broom.. her brothers and her dad up front, Mae wrapped tightly around her mum on her broom.

"Did your mum retire too?"

"She died." Mae nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, she got cancer. They didn't know until stage four. Lung cancer. St. Mungos did all they could.. But it was too aggressive by then, and it had spread."

"Fucking hell." Oliver whispered, he reached forward to touch Mae, to rub her knee, her shoulder, squeeze her hand - anything. He felt helpless.

She quickly retracted, getting up off of the sofa nimbly. "Don't. It was five years ago.. I'm not ready for the whole pity party thing quite yet. Try again in five more years?"

"Mae.. Come on, I'm sor-" She was gone before James could finish his sentence, she'd run for her dormitory, quickly followed by Amy.