After the official ceremony came to a close, everyone crowded around the new members to congratulate them.
Orin pumped Al's hand up and down and slapped him on the shoulder. "Knew you wouldn't give up, mate. Welcome to the crazy train!"
"Thanks," Al said, "and thanks for sponsoring me. Man, I had no idea you were in on it."
"That was sort of the point," Orin told him and threw him a wink.
Malcolm stepped up next. "Congratulations, Albus." He made to shake Al's hand, but Albus hugged him instead, careful to keep it brotherly, but affectionate. Mac held on just a little longer than expected, but he did let go. "So, I guess I'll be primarily responsible for getting your training up to snuff. You have years to catch up on, in only a few months."
Al grimaced. "Don't tell me you expect me to wake up at four in the morning like you do for runs?"
Mac grinned. "Abso-fucking-lutely, mate. Welcome to the Skulls."
More people moved in, and it was a blur of handshakes, hugs, and well wishes. Al's Aunt Hermione hugged him, extremely enthusiastic that he'd "finally made it," in her words.
"So, why doesn't my dad know about this?" he put it to her. "He's head of the Auror Department. You'd think he'd know."
Hermione grinned at him. "Who do you think helped found this organization, Albus?"
Al's knees nearly gave out. "You mean to tell me that he… you… the two of you set me up?"
She had the good grace to actually be embarrassed; Al could feel it. "Well, you've always been rather shy about joining other groups, haven't you? And the thing is Harry was worried you'd flounder around after graduation with no idea as to what you wanted to do. I suggested the Skulls as a jumping off point." She fondly ruffled his hair. "You've got a set of special talents I'm told by your friend, Malcolm. Perhaps we can help you develop them. Win-win, right?"
"I'll kill him," he groused. "I agonized over this whole Juvenile Death Eaters-In-Training lie he had going for months!"
Professor Longbottom shouldered his way up through the crowd. "Yeah, Harry can come up with some creative zingers when he wants. Should've heard what he used on me to get me to be the academic sponsor of this little club of his."
"Actually, that one was mine," his aunt admitted with a wince.
His teacher rolled his eyes. "Should've known. Congrats, Al. Glad you decided to pick your own path and ended up here with us."
"Thanks, Professor," he offered.
The two moved off to speak with the other new members, knowing they'd catch up later, as their families were close friends.
Al turned…
… to find Scorpius standing behind him, patiently waiting.
"Congratulations," he offered, stepping closer.
"Thanks," Al murmured, feeling Malfoy's heat radiating between them, seeing the lustful glow about the man's whole body. The sexual tension vibrated between them.
Scorpius bent his head to Al's ear and whispered, "I've decided that Malfoys don't do regrets well. As for 'what if?' scenarios… What if you were to follow me out and down to my dorm room right now?"
"Will you drop me after?" he whispered back.
Malfoy chuckled, and the sound made Albus iron-hard in his pants. "Depends on how good you are at it."
Al was very careful, when he reached out and squeezed Scorpius' hand.
"For you, I'll give it my all."
X~~~~~X Epilogue… Two Years Later
Albus nibbled on the edge of his white-feathered quill, trying to concentrate on writing this bloody letter to his father, but couldn't manage to get down a single coherent thought, as Mac whinged on in his ear about his latest problem.
"Can you believe it?" his best friend griped. "Your wanking cousin has given me an ultimatum: it's him or the spider."
Al sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to get anything done so long as Malcolm had an issue that needed solving. "Well, you have to admit: it's creepy having a bonsai-bred Acromantula as a familiar. Besides, you know Hugo hates arachnids, just like his dad. Why didn't you get a Kneazle or a Bat from Mister Hagrid's Pet Emporium instead? Less mess, less chance of freaking out your lover, and they're cooler."
Malcolm folded his arms and gave a stubborn look. "But Snyder is so cute!"
"Yeah, now, when he's still a baby the size of your palm, and all fluffy white," Al pointed out. "But miniature or not, in five years, he'll be as big as a dog, with no hair, a black body, spindly legs, and pincers that can take your fingers off. You have to see how freaky that is. Personally, I don't blame Hugo. I'd kill Scor if he dared buy something like that and expected me to live with it."
"Speaking of which," Mac did an abrupt about-face in his emotions, "how are you two doing? Is your tiff over yet, or do I have to send you both into opposite corners for a time-out?"
Al shrugged. "He apologized, we're good again. It's his grandfather always sniping at him for not settling down with some pureblood witch," he explained. "It winds him up. Someday, I'd love to pop that old man in the mouth for how he twists Scor around."
Mac gave him a sly smile. "Bet that make-up sex was goooooood, though. You two were mad at each other for, what, a week?"
Al flushed hot at the memory of being tied to the bed and begging for release. "Um, yeah, so… this thing with Hu. What are you going to do?"
Malcolm stood up and stretched, shoving Al's shoulder in a playful gesture. "What do you think I'm going to do? If my Go-Go doesn't like the fucking spider, I find it a new home." He tsk'd. "Shame though. I was really becoming attached to the little guy."
"You have a thing for lost causes," Albus joked. "They're attracted to you, and you just can't help yourself."
They both knew he was speaking of Hugo, who had found it difficult to stay away from Mac after their little liaison that night out by the Quidditch stands. Regardless of what he'd said about their time together as just being experimenting, Hugo had gone back for more… and more… and more. Now, a couple of years later, he and Malcolm were still unable to stay away from each other.
Sort of like he and Scorpius. Man, was his lover a sexual person. Every chance he got to corner Al alone, Al found his body bent over some piece of furniture, or slammed against a wall. Their beds at their separate residences were still very much in use, but lately, his dominant partner had a thing for doing it in semi-public places, too.
As if thinking about his boyfriend summoned the man, he felt the familiar dark heat of Scorpius approaching down the hall.
Over the years, Al had grown more comfortable with his special abilities, and had actually managed to expand them to be able to sense people coming from quite a distance off. He also was able to do so through walls and doors. Further, his ability to predict future events through dreams was something of a unique anomaly that was of great interest to the Ministry, of course. After graduation, he'd taken up the Skulls training, but that December, he'd decided that being an Auror just wasn't for him. Just as Jamie had predicted, his dad had understood when he'd explained that he had his own dreams and interests to follow, and had given him his full blessing when he'd taken the Unspeakable exam instead. He'd passed with flying colours.
Now, he used his gifts to aid the Auror Department when they had need, and he was slowly researching the mystery of his new type of magic, conducting simple experiments to see how they were affected by things like light, temperature differentials, time of day, et cetera. He was also trying to determine where his talent had originated. So far, the theory from The Brains was that Albus had somehow, through heredity, picked up a piece of residual power that the Elder Wand had left within his father, its last owner. It didn't seem to be dark magic, but it wasn't white magic either. What he could do was something altogether different – like time magic. The Department of Mysteries had adopted Rose's nomenclature for it: magical empathy pre-cognition.
Right then, his empathy was telling him that Scorpius was in the mood for a good, hard fuck. He could practically taste the man's need and arousal thrumming across the distance to entice him.
"So, Mac, now that you've solved your little dilemma, how about we talk more later?" he offered, replacing his quill in its ink pot and standing up.
Malcolm gave him a narrow-eyed stare. "He's coming, isn't he?"
Albus gave him a grin. "I hope you don't think it too unfriendly for me to request that you please leave… quickly?"
His best friend snorted. "Office sex. This should be stunning. Think I'll stay and get a front row seat. I've always wondered…"
The door slammed open. Scorpius stood framed in the entrance, dressed from head to toe in soft sable robes of the most expensive cut. His platinum hair appeared amethyst purple in the glow of his aura's lust. His intense, molten iron stare locked onto Al with sexual hunger.
"Malcolm, fuck off," he growled. "NOW."
Scorpius had never quite gotten over his jealousy issues where Mac was concerned. He liked the man, but he was also incredibly possessive. It didn't matter that Al's best friend was totally into Hugo now.
Mac cleared his throat. "I'll just… um, yeah." He headed for the exit, and moved aside as Malfoy stalked passed him. "See you later," his friend called out as he hurried away, shutting the door behind him.
Albus was consumed by the wash of sensual desire that flowed over him. He gripped the edge of his desk with anticipation. "Did you get them, then?"
Scorpius stopped inches from him, reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out two identical gold bands. He placed them very carefully on top of the letter Al had been writing to his father. "They can be your motivation when you tell him." He glanced through thick lashes at him. "You know, the thought of putting that ring on your finger has had me harder than stone all afternoon, ever since I picked them up at the jewellers. I think you need to ease my suffering."
Licking his lips, Al knew just what to do to reward his fiancé.
Reaching out, he undid Scorpius' belt, and began working the buttons on his trousers. "Just a nip…" he teased and dropped to his knees before his lover, "I've wanted to do this all week."
Malfoy gave a wicked chuckle. "Now where have I heard that before?"
Just before Al could dip his head to take the luscious, pink tip between his lips, Scorpius' hand on his cheek stopped him. He glanced up into his boyfriend's eyes.
"I love you, you know."
Albus smiled, feeling the warm, cheery, hopeful love surround him. "Goes both ways."
Two hours later, Scorpius left to return home, sated and lazy. Albus knew the feeling, but he redressed and sat down behind his desk anyway, with his quill back in his hand. As he thought about the wonderful trials that his future held for him, the words he'd needed to tell his father for so many years finally flowed out of him.
Dear Dad, ~FIN~
I have something I need to tell you, and I hope it won't change our relationship, but I don't want to hide who I am any longer…
AUTHOR'S FINAL NOTES:
So concludes this tale. No follow-up or spin-off planned. I think it's a complete story as-is.
This was my first time shipping Albus & Scorpius, so I was decidedly nervous as to the reception of them. I'm pleased to see so many fans of this couple have liked this story thus far. I hope you enjoyed it to the end!
Please review and let me know, yeah?
