Publicity
Chapter Four
Easter break had arrived. Almost everyone was thrilled to be going back home. But Albus was worried. Word of his and Scorpius's relationship spread fast. They both were bombarded by questions from everyone.
Albus was bound and determined to spend the last day of school together with Scorpius. The following morning, they would be on the train headed for home. And with the aid of the Invisibility Cloak, Scorpius and Albus opted to skip classes to spend their time in an abandoned classroom on the second floor.
Albus sat atop the teacher's desk, and Scorpius stood in front of him. They rested their foreheads together, ran their hands over and under each other's clothing, and occasionally kissed. It was scarce for either boy to speak.
"What's wrong, Albus?"
"I'm just jittery. I feel like Moaning Myrtle is going to sneak in here any second now and spy on us."
Scorpius smiled. "She won't leave her dear plumbing."
Albus pressed his lips to Scorpius's temple, then buried his face in the warm neck.
"That's not what's bothering you though. Not really." Scorpius frowned, rubbing Albus's back.
"Do you have to go home?" Albus murmured.
Scorpius caught his train of thought immediately. "My dad's not going to do anything to me, Albus. I swear to you, there's no need to worry."
"Why don't I believe you?"
Scorpius didn't reply. He pressed his hand against Albus's lower back. He glided his fingertips into Albus's trousers and underwear. Albus tensed slightly. Scorpius sighed, able to tell that Albus didn't really want to do anything. Scorpius knew it wouldn't be hard at all to get Albus aroused, but he removed his hands anyway. He gave Albus's bum a little squeeze before roaming his hands up Albus's back.
They stayed like that until Albus's cousin Rose burst into the room. She clutched an old bit of parchment in her hand and was doubled over breathing heavily.
"I hate you two," she huffed. "You have no idea what I had to go though to get James to let me have this stupid map."
Albus smiled at her. "If it was James who had it, I'm not sure I want to know." She scowled at him as if it was his fault.
"Well, I hope you two aren't doing anything you're not supposed to be doing, because Professor McGonagall asked me to locate Scorpius." Rose looked directly at him now. "She says she needs to see you in her office."
"I didn't do anything!" Scorpius looked at Albus, appalled. Albus just shrugged.
"Go," Albus said. "I'll wait here for you to come back."
"I won't be long," Scorpius promised. He looked to Rose. "Could you stay here with him?"
She nodded. But when half an hour had passed, she glanced to Albus. "Hey, Al. I have to finish packing, and I'm sort of hungry. Do you mind if I go ahead and leave?"
Albus chuckled. "Go and ahead, Rosie. Despite what that arsehole thinks, I can take care of myself."
Rose smiled. "He's not an arsehole. He's really sweet on you." She hugged her cousin, then left.
When Scorpius didn't return much later, Albus stood. He shoved his dad's cloak into his pocket and stalked out of the room.
His lips were pursed and he only had one thing on his mind. He had been meaning to have a chat with Duncan but hadn't seen the boy anywhere.
Within a few minutes, Albus found himself on the third floor of the castle. He didn't look long because he spotted Duncan traveling down the corridor towards Hufflepuff.
"Duncan!"
Duncan turned and Albus ran to him. As soon as Duncan realized who it was, he winced. Albus barely had reached Duncan before slamming his fist into the boy's face. The back of Duncan's head banged against the wall. He groaned and slid down the wall a little.
"Who do you think you are?" Albus demanded. "You swore!"
Albus raised his fist to punch Duncan again, but Duncan held out a hand. "I wasn't the one who tipped off the Daily Prophet!"
Albus clenched his jaw. "Then who was it?"
"Well, if I tell you, I don't want you going to beat them up either."
Albus screamed. "Who was it?"
"My best friend! She's the one who talked me into telling you I liked you in the first place. She asked me how it went, and I told her you were taken. I didn't think she'd go and run her mouth."
Albus stared at Duncan for a moment. He was curled into a ball on the floor and was crying. He seemed so vulnerable, and Albus had been about to beat him up. He was about to punish him like he was sure Draco Malfoy would punish Scorpius. Albus suddenly felt sick. He uncurled his fist.
"Look, I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault."
Albus turned on his heel and ran to his dorm. He slept the rest of the day through. When he woke up, he cried. Then he slept until morning.
xXx
Scorpius was a little surprised when he was called to the headmistress's office. He walked in nonchalantly. He wondered if he was going to get detention for skipping classes or receive a lecture for making out in the Great Hall. But surely, Albus would be here with him for either of those.
What he saw when he entered the circular office made him bite his tongue. His father was standing like a stone by the fireplace. His hair had grown out some more since Scorpius last saw him. He remembered when his father kept his hair cut short and chastised his son for keeping his hair messy. Draco had dark rings under his eyes, and Scorpius briefly wondered if the man was sober.
By now, the Daily Prophet had made sure pictures of Scorpius and his boyfriend were all anyone saw anymore. And at the sight of his father, Scorpius's stomach dropped to the floor. He hated himself for the sudden fright.
"I'm bringing you home early, son," was all Draco said before turning to the fireplace. He tossed some floo powder into the fire and stepped inside. "Malfoy Manor."
Scorpius turned to the Headmistress. Her lips were pressed into a thin, disapproving line. But she nodded her head, and said, "Your things will brought to your house later tonight by a house elf."
Scorpius sighed. He took a pinch of floo powder from a bowl on McGonagall's desk and threw it into the fire. He stepped in and announced his destination.
When he stopped spinning and twirling, Scorpius fell out of the fire and into the elegant sitting room of the Manor. He started to dust the soot off him. But a smack to the face sent him to the floor.
"How dare you," his father spit, "spoil the name of Malfoy?"
Scorpius glared. "I'm not the one who spoils it, Father." He doubled over as felt a kick to his ribs. Well, he thought, Father's wearing his new dragon-hide boots today.
Draco squatted down in front of his son and grabbed the neck of his robes. He pulled tight until Scorpius couldn't breathe. Scorpius could smell the firewhiskey. "I was pressured my entire life to keep the name of Malfoy in good graces of the wizarding world. And here you are ruining everything I've worked hard to achieve."
He backhanded Scorpius again. "And to top it off, you look just like me. You took my face and you took my name, and you disgraced both. I am ashamed to call you my son."
Draco let go of Scorpius's robes, but then grabbed his face. He applied hard pressure to the back of his clone's jaw. He could see the pain and hatred in the boy's eyes. "When you go back to Hogwarts, you will go and say there was a mistake. Say that someone must have used Polyjuice Potion or something like that. Break up with your fucking whore, and claim no part in this little charade of yours."
Scorpius mustered as much strength as he could and spat in the man's face. Draco wiped the saliva of his face and grabbed the blonde hair before him. He jerked Scorpius's head up, then punched him in the stomach.
The youth gagged. "Do as I say, Scorpius. Or you are no son of mine." Draco slung his son to the floor and stood to leave.
Scorpius lay on the carpet for just a moment before looking up at the image he hoped to never become. "I'll go back to Hogwarts, Father. And the first thing I'll do is go to Albus. But I won't break up with him. I'll fuck him into the ground. Because you've got it wrong. You are the one who is no father of mine."
But Draco didn't hear him. Or if he did, he pretended not to. He just walked out of the room.