Disclaimer: all characters, places etc., are the property of J.K. Rowling.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: *drumroll* ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you... Chapter 10! This chapter was ridiculously hard for me to write. I needed to have all of these scenes and all of this dialogue and it was just so awkward because I'm much better at writing short chapters than long chapters. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, but I'm anxious to see if you guys are too :P Even if you don't like it though, at least it furthers the plot a little. So without further ado, here is the chapter, I hope you enjoy it and please leave a review if you can!

Chapter 10: Jealousy

The first Hogsmeade visit of the year took place the Saturday after Halloween, and to say that the students were excited would be an understatement. Everyone in third year and above was itching to get out of the castle for a while. Lily Potter was among the most eager, mostly because this would be her first visit to the village. Albus approached the Gryffindor table on the morning of the Hogsmeade visit and found Lily chatting excitedly with their cousin Hugo.

"I can't wait to get to Honeydukes," she said gleefully, her eyes alight with anticipation. "James said that they have barrels of sweets that are taller than me!"

"Twice your size," James cut in, spying Albus and grinning. "Right, Al?"

"That's right," Albus nodded, squeezing himself between Lily and Hugo. "Filled with Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizbees and Pepper Imps. All your favourites, Lily."

Her eyes were round. "Wow," she whispered, looking pleased. "I'm going there first."

"A wise choice, little sister," James said, nodding solemnly. "You have to get there early to get the good stuff."

"Where are you going, James?" Hugo asked, looking up at James with wide eyes. Hugo had always idolized James. Albus found it highly entertaining.

"Weasley's, of course," James said, biting into a piece of toast with relish. "I have to make good use of my family discount, don't I?" Hugo and Lily laughed while Albus and James shared a knowing grin. Their favourite place to shop was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the popular joke shop chain owned by none other than their uncle George. Whenever there was a Hogsmeade visit, James and Albus made sure to stock up on supplies.

"Make sure you say hi to uncle George for me," Albus said, reaching out and grabbing a piece of bacon from Lily's plate. James dropped his toast and swore loudly, prompting gasps and giggles from Lily and Hugo.

"You're not coming?" James demanded. "Why not?"

Albus sighed. The truth was, he would have loved to go to Hogsmeade with James. In fact, he would have loved if the entire visit could be the way it always was – spending hours in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with James and Scorpius, stopping in for a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, emptying their moneybags in Honeydukes. Unfortunately, Albus had made the rather rash decision of inviting Genevieve to go to the village with him – and since she was sort of his girlfriend now, there was no way that he could get out of it.

"Genevieve probably won't want to tag along with my big brother," Albus said, avoiding James's eyes.

"Oh, of course," James said, his tone changing and his eyes glittering dangerously. "I forgot. You're going with Genevieve."

Albus squared his shoulders defensively. "And?"

"Nothing," James shrugged. "I suppose you'll be spending the day in Madam Puddifoot's?"

Albus felt his face grow red. "I don't see how it's any of your business," he said hotly, sliding off the bench. Lily and Hugo had fallen silent and were watching James and Albus with bated breath. "I'll see you later. Have fun, Lily. You too, Hugo."

He strode toward the Slytherin table, fuming. He should have known that James would be annoyed. After all, their visits to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had been a tradition since Albus had been a third year. Even so, Albus didn't think he deserved his brother's sarcasm. James had always been a snarky type of person, but over the past week, more and more of his barbed comments had been directed at Albus. Al wasn't stupid. He knew it was because of Genevieve. He just didn't understand why James was so disapproving of her, though.

Then again, James hadn't been the only one to have a negative reaction to Albus's new... relationship. Lily had been positively outraged, but at least she had kept her opinions to herself – after an initial outburst, of course. And then there was Scorpius.

Albus had expected Scorpius to be furious or jealous, but he hardly seemed to care. If he did, then he was a very good actor, because on the outside, he was perfectly calm and composed. Albus could see him now, seated beside Darren Pucey, chatting amiably. Albus was suddenly overcome by a strong urge to join them and have everything like it had been the week before, when Pucey had been panicking about the Ball and Albus hadn't known that Scorpius liked him.

He was just making his move when he felt a pair of slim arms wrap around his waist and a sharp, pointed chin digging into his shoulder. The familiar scent of cherry shampoo assailed him and he turned, meeting Genevieve's twinkling eyes with a smile.

"Good morning," she said, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips. Albus kissed her back and then pulled away, noting with a frown that James was glaring at them from the Gryffindor table.

What is his problem? Albus wondered.

"We should go," Genevieve said, tugging on his arm. "Everybody else is lining up in the Entrance Hall." Sure enough, the other students were leaving their spots at the house tables and going to the Entrance Hall, where Professor Longbottom would see them off to the village. Albus reached down to take Genevieve's hand and led her out of the Great Hall.

Students were milling about the Entrance Hall, talking excitedly and counting their money. Albus spotted Lily and Hugo with a crowd of third years, and James standing with his friends Wyatt and Blake. Albus studiously avoided James's gaze and tightened his grip on Genevieve's hand.

Albus's mind was whirring during the short walk to Hogsmeade. He jumped randomly from one thought to another – Genevieve, James, Scorpius. Each one of them had a question mark over their name. Each one came with questions that Albus didn't want to answer. He was finally provided with a distraction when he and Genevieve arrived in Hogsmeade, and she immediately tugged him over to the Post Office.

"I have to send an owl to my parents," she explained. "I don't have one of my own."

He admired the owls while Genevieve made her transaction. When she was finished, they headed for Scrivenshaft's to stock up on quills. They wandered from shop to shop, holding hands. Albus thought that it was pleasant, if a little boring. Genevieve didn't joke around like James, and she wasn't funny like Scorpius, but she was fun to talk to and she didn't argue with him like Rose did.

Overall, the morning was turning out better than he'd thought it would.

He spotted familiar faces as he and Genevieve moved from shop to shop – Lily and Hugo in Honeydukes, looking happier than he'd ever seen them, Rose in Potage's Cauldron Shop, admiring a self-stirring cauldron, Scorpius and Pucey in Dervish and Banges getting a Sneakoscope repaired. He studiously avoided Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, afraid of running into James.

It was just past one o'clock when Genevieve squealed and grabbed Albus's arm, pointing in the direction of a small store with gaudy, frilly decorations in the window and a hanging sign which read Madam Puddifoot's.

"Let's get a coffee," Genevieve said, looking up at Albus with big brown eyes.

"Wouldn't you prefer a Butterbeer? We could go to the Three Broomsticks," Albus said, eyeing Madam Puddifoot's with distaste. His dad had told him a story about a disastrous date he'd once had in the tea shop, and Albus didn't have any desire to follow in his father's footsteps. He didn't like coffee, anyway. He would much rather go to the Three Broomsticks and order a foaming mug of hot Butterbeer.

"But the Three Broomsticks is always so crowded," Genevieve pouted, inching closer to him. "Madam Puddifoot's is much cosier... and quieter... and more romantic." She leaned up and nipped at his ear. Albus started slightly and stepped away from her, suddenly very aware that they were on a crowded street in the middle of Hogsmeade.

"Alright," he hissed, "just don't do that again."

She squealed and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the door. Albus looked around furtively, hoping that no-one had spotted them. He would never live it down if James found out that he'd gone to Madam Puddifoot's.

The interior of the shop was decorated in harsh pinks, purples and whites. Albus looked at it in horror. It looked like Lily's bedroom back at home – entirely too frilly and girly for words. Genevieve gave a little sigh and tugged him over to a table by the window. A lacy white cloth covered the table. Albus lifted it gingerly between his thumb and his forefinger, wondering who Madam Puddifoot had hired to decorate her shop. He hoped that she hadn't paid them, whoever they were.

A pink menu stood in the centre of the table, edged with gold and with curly, undecipherable lettering. Genevieve scanned it quickly and then motioned for the waitress, who wandered over with a bored look in her eye.

"We'll have two coffees," Genevieve said, "and two slices of chocolate gateaux, please." The waitress nodded, snapped her gum and disappeared.

Albus drummed his fingers on the table and looked out the window while Genevieve chattered away about Madam Puddifoot's chocolate gateaux. A heavy rain had started to pound against the glass pane. He spotted Scorpius and Pucey running past the window, accompanied, surprisingly enough, by James. His chest tightened at the sight of the three boys, running through the rain towards the Three Broomsticks. He had a sudden desire to stand, leave Madam Puddifoot's and race after them, but the coffee had arrived and Genevieve was urging him to try the chocolate cake. There was nothing he could do.

The rain began as Scorpius and Pucey were leaving Honeydukes – they'd been stocking up on Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizbees, just like they did every time they visited the village. They had spent longer in the shop than they'd planned, amused at Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley's utter fascination with the store. By the time they'd gotten tired of watching Lily and Hugo exclaim over the sweets, the sky had opened up.

"Where do you want to go?" Pucey asked, hiking his robes up to cover his head. "The Hog's Head? The Three Broomsticks? Or we could go back inside and eat until the rain clears up."

Scorpius shook his head. "The Three Broomsticks," he said, raising his voice to combat the increasing rain. He started for the pub, Pucey by his side. A moment later, James Potter appeared beside them. James raised his hands to his mouth and cupped them.

"Butterbeer?" he shouted. His words were almost lost among the wind that had whipped up, but Scorpius heard. He nodded and the three boys broke into a run, heading for the safe warmth of the inn.

The Three Broomsticks was crowded when they arrived – apparently they were not the only Hogwarts students seeking shelter from the rain. Pucey spotted Hestia Aarons at a table in the middle of the room with her friends and muttered something that sounded like, "Be right back." Hestia and Pucey had spent the first few hours of the trip together and then split off with their friends – clearly, Pucey hadn't had enough of her company.

James volunteered to get the drinks and Scorpius went to find a table. He managed to snag one in a cosy corner and drummed his fingers on the table while he waited for James to return. After a few minutes, the dark-haired boy reappeared with two foaming tankards of hot Butterbeer. He slid one over to Scorpius and then took a deep drag from his own mug, letting out a satisfied groan as it touched his lips.

"There's nothing like a hot Butterbeer in the middle of a storm," James said appreciatively, smacking his lips.

Scorpius made a noise of agreements and sipped at his own drink. "Where's Pucey?"

James rolled his eyes. "He's busy," he said, jerking his head in Hestia's direction. Pucey had his arm wrapped around the fourth year's shoulder and he was whispering in her ear. "I don't think he'll be joining us."

"Girls," Scorpius said, mimicking James and rolling his eyes. He lifted his tankard to his lips once more and drank deeply, wondering if Albus and Genevieve were locked in a similar position. He felt queasy thinking about it.

"Girls," James agreed, his eyes flickering to Scorpius's. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, right, Scorpius?"

The blond blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Just that you're in love with my brother," James said casually. Scorpius's eyes widened and he choked on his Butterbeer. James leaned across the table and banged him harshly on the back. He waited for Scorpius to compose himself before shooting him an angelic smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius lied, avoiding James's eyes. He could feel his cheeks growing red and hoped that James wouldn't notice.

James laughed. "Don't deny it," he said, wagging his finger in Scorpius's direction. Scorpius opened his mouth, ready to deny it for all he was worth – and then something stopped him. He deflated slightly and wrapped his hands around his tankard, trying to absorb some of the warmth from the drink. He let out a miserable sigh.

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious," James shrugged. "To me, anyway – clearly not to Albus."

"James," Scorpius said desperately, fixing the oldest Potter with an intense stare. "How did you know?"

James sighed and drained the last of his Butterbeer. "You're always together," he pointed out. "You're always finding excuses to touch him. You've never shown any interest in any girls – and don't try to use Rose as an excuse here, because I know that you don't think of her that way – but you fawn over Albus like a lovesick puppy. Not to mention that since he started going out with Genevieve you've been avoiding him like the plague."

Scorpius moaned and slumped down on the table. "Does anybody else know?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Lily," James said. "Lysander, too. They thought that you guys were going out until this whole mess with Genevieve happened."

"Do they hate me? Do you?" Scorpius whispered. James blinked.

"Hate you? Don't be dumb, Malfoy. Lily loves you – she was crushed when she found out that Al was going out with Genevieve. Lysander's disappointed. And I'm just wondering when you're going to have the balls to admit how you feel and tell Albus so that he can put Genevieve Thomas in his past."

"He already knows," Scorpius muttered. James swore under his breath.

"He does?"

Scorpius told him about the Halloween Ball and how things had gone downhill from there. James was a good listener – he gasped at all the right parts and knew when he was supposed to stay silent. By the time Scorpius had finished the story, his face was stony and his jaw was set.

"He's in denial," he decided. "That's all."

"That's what I thought," Scorpius said gloomily, draining the last few drops of his Butterbeer. "But he's with Genevieve, so there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to hope that he's happy with her."

"Bullshit," James retorted.

"Excuse me?" Scorpius said, raising his eyebrows.

"I said that's bullshit," James clarified. "You said it yourself – Albus called Genevieve crazy. He said he didn't like her. I'm willing to bet every single one of my mum's Quidditch trophies that the only reason he asked her out was because he realized how he felt about you and it scared him."

"Why, though?" Scorpius wondered aloud. "It's not like being gay is a big deal these days. No-one would care."

James sighed. "It's not a big deal for you, Scorpius," he said heavily. "Your family name doesn't mean anything anymore – er, no offense. But Albus is a Potter. You don't understand the weight that name carries."

"Don't I?" Scorpius said hotly. "My family name may not command the respect that it did before the war, but that doesn't mean I blend into the background. It's just that the coin's flipped. People judge me instead of respecting me. It's the same thing."

"It's not," James said. "If you screw up, it doesn't matter, because that's what everyone expects. If Albus screws up... it's a big deal."

A silence settled over the table. Scorpius mulled over James's words, suddenly seeing Albus's situation in a new light. James had a point – Albus was a Potter. He wasn't just any other wizard. His parents were Harry and Ginny Potter, famous warriors. His mother was one of the most popular Quidditch players in England. His father wasn't just one of the most respected Aurors in the country, he was a living legend. The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One.

He'd never thought about how much pressure Albus must be under to live up to their expectations.

"Alright," Scorpius said. "You've got a point. But I meant what I said. There's nothing I can do."

"Make him jealous," James said bluntly.

"What?" Scorpius replied, taken aback.

"Make. Him. Jealous," James repeated, speaking slowly and clearly. "Look, Scorpius, I don't normally agree with guys who try to break up relationships. But what Albus and Genevieve have isn't a real relationship. It's fake. Besides that, I'm his older brother – I know him better than anyone else. I can tell that he cares about you and what you just told me proves it. You and Albus belong together and the best way for you to catch his attention is to make him realize what he's missing out on."

"How am I supposed to do that?" the Slytherin asked, dumbfounded.

"That's for you to figure out," James said mysteriously. "I'll see you later, Malfoy."

When she returned to the castle after the Hogsmeade trip, Rose was soaked to the skin. She'd been so busy in Potage's that she hadn't noticed the storm brewing outside, and by the time she had noticed, it was too late. She'd had to walk back to the castle alone in the pouring rain.

When she finally arrived, she'd missed dinner and even the puddings had been cleared away. So Rose headed for the Ravenclaw common room feeling rather crabby and sorry for herself, feelings which only deepened when she spotted Albus and Genevieve snogging outside the library.

Why does Genevieve get to have all the fun? Rose wondered. Why can't it be my turn for once? Why don't I get to kiss my boyfriend? Oh, that's right. I don't have one. I scared him away.

She thought of Scorpius and felt her bad mood worsen. She hadn't talked to him since the Halloween Ball. And really, this was all his fault. Before Scorpius, Rose hadn't had any interest in the boys at Hogwarts. They were all too loud and brash and suggestive. Scorpius was different though. He was quiet and sensitive, and he didn't make inappropriate jokes. He treated Rose like a real person, not a conquest. That was what she liked about him.

"Why did he have to be so nice?" she muttered under her breath, ascending the spiral staircase that led to Ravenclaw tower. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

"Who's stupid?"

Rose's head jerked up and her blue eyes met stunning grey ones. Standing at the top of the staircase was none other than Scorpius Malfoy, wearing an apologetic grin.

"Nobody," Rose replied, halting in her tracks and leaning against the wall. "What are you doing here?"

Scorpius took a deep breath and took Rose's hands. He tugged at them until she allowed him to pull her into a sitting position on the top step. He didn't, however, let go of her hands. She tried not to think about what that meant and focused instead on his eyes.

"I owe you an apology," he said honestly. "I've been unfair to you, and you didn't deserve it."

"Is this about the Ball?" Rose said uncertainly.

"Yes," Scorpius replied. "But... not just that. I lied to you and I led you on, Rose. I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to the Ball because... I don't like you that way."

Rose's breath caught and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Well, she thought dumbly, at least he's being honest with me.

"The truth is," the Slytherin continued, "I like someone else. Actually, I'm kind of in love with them. And I thought it was better to tell you before things got out of hand and someone got hurt."

"You're in love with someone?" Rose said, her eyes widening. Scorpius nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh... wow. So does that mean – um, does that mean that there's no chance that you'll change your mind?"

"I won't change my mind," Scorpius said softly.

"Are you sure?" she said, knowing that she sounded desperate, but finding herself unable to care. "I could be like her. If you told me her name then I could try to be more like her–"

"Rose," he interrupted. "I won't change my mind because I'm not in love with a girl, I'm in love with a boy. I'm gay, Rosie."

"Gay?" she repeated, her voice squeaky with surprise.

"Yeah," Scorpius admitted, grinning widely, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I'm gay."

"Oh... wow," Rose said again, hardly able to believe it. "Who are you in love with? Sorry – oh, I'm sorry, Scorpius! You don't have to answer that. It's none of my business."

"Actually, it is," he replied, his face growing serious once more. "And it's just another thing that I have to apologize for. See, I actually care about you, Rose. I like to think that we're good friends, and even if I can't be with you in the way you want me to, I want to stay that way. So I don't want to hide anything from you. Especially something like this."

"It's not Hugo, is it?" Rose said, her jaw dropping. "Because I can handle the gay thing, Scorpius, but I don't think I can handle you being in love with my brother. You know he's only thirteen, right?"

Scorpius looked horrified. "No!" he said quickly. "It's not Hugo!"

"Good," she replied, looking slightly mollified. "So... who?"

Scorpius hesitated. "Albus," he blurted out, squeezing his eyes shut so that he wouldn't see her reaction.

Rose sucked in a breath. Albus, she said to herself. My cousin Albus. Scorpius is in love with my cousin Albus. Albus Potter. My best friend's boyfriend. My cousin Albus.

"Oh," she said.

"I just thought I should tell you," Scorpius said, "and apologize, because I've made a decision about what I'm going to do. And some people might get hurt, and I didn't want you to be one of them."

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked, eyeing him warily. Scorpius sighed.

"I'm going to make him jealous," he said firmly, avoiding her gaze. "I know that he's going out with Genevieve and I know she's your best friend, but please don't try to stop me, Rose. I know that he feels something for me. When we kissed at the Ball–"

"You kissed at the Ball?" Rose gasped. "But – he and Genevieve–"

"Are a lie," Scorpius finished for her. "When I went to go find Albus, we ended up kissing. I told him how I felt, and the next morning I found out he and Genevieve were together. It's a lie, Rose. He's only with her because he's scared about his feelings for me and what they mean. It's not fair to anyone. The sooner he breaks up with her, the better it is for everybody."

"He's lying to her?" Rose said, horrified at the thought of Albus using her best friend like that.

"I don't think he realizes it," Scorpius admitted. "He's not just lying to her. He's lying to himself, too."

"She really cares about him," Rose said, nibbling on her lip.

"That's sweet," Scorpius said, "but she deserves to have someone who can care about her in the same way."

He's right, Rose thought. No matter how Genevieve feels about Albus, if Scorpius is telling the truth, then they shouldn't be together.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked, nudging Scorpius with her knee.

"Well, I need to make him jealous," Scorpius said heavily. "So I guess I'll have to find someone who's willing to go out with me. I don't know how I'm going to do it, Rose. I don't want to hurt anyone."

He stood and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I guess I'd better get back to the Slytherin common room," he said, offering her a rueful smile. "I'm sorry about everything, Rose. I hope that we can be friends." He started to make his way down the steps.

Rose watched him go, trying to process all of the information she'd just received. Scorpius was nearly out of sight when she jumped to her feet.

"Wait!"

He turned back, eyebrows raised. "What's wrong, Rose?"

"I'll do it," she said breathlessly. "I'll help you make Albus jealous."

I promise Rose is going to be less annoying after this. Unless she rebels against me, which I have no power over.

Anyway, this is the longest chapter of this story yet, so I'm rewarding myself with a cookie. The reason this chapter took so long is a) the length, b) the fact that I joined Tumblr (if you wanna follow me, the link is on my profile) and c) I'm preparing for NaNoWriMo, so all of my energy is going into plotting and outlining and planning how not to break down during November.

Oh. Anyway. Review if you can ^_^