Disclaimer: Everything related to Harry Potter is property of J.K Rowling, including the characters and places. I do not own anything. Everything presented here is just for fun!

A/N: Longer chapter, I hope you don't get bored! but I had to put many things in this one. As always if you find any misspelling or otherwise please let me know.

Chapter 10

The End

Albus started walking faster while crossing the Slytherin Common Room, ignoring the heads turning to look at him with worry. His body seemed to be moving by itself, looking for a place drop and be able to think. His expression was of absolute terror, but he wasn't scared, just really confused.

Before realizing, he was already walking out of the castle and heading towards the lake. The cold air of November hit him hard while he wandered around the lake looking for a tree where he could let himself fall. It wasn't completely dark yet, the sky was dyed in dark blue and black, with gentle touches of orange just over the horizon. Some stars were already shining up in the sky, and while Albus sat down against a tree and in front of the lake, his eyes darted to the turquoise blue star glimmering just over the lake. It was the brightest star of them all, and it always made him feel better.

The confusion and desperation slowly started decreasing, giving space to his more rational side, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

He visualized Scorpius in his mind, trying to remember everything that had happened. Albus wasn't sure anymore if what he felt for Scorpius was just friendship, because the events that took place in the last half hour pointed towards much deeper and darker feelings.

Putting his emotions into perspective, he could undeniably say that he had liked it, that much was clear, and there was no point denying it. But the level of arousal and excitement that he had felt was something he never expected.

"But I like girls..." he whispered to himself, crossing his hands around his chest and covering them from the cold wintry air.

"Do you?..." responded a tiny voice in his head, with a tone that was compassionate yet determined. He had never liked a boy before, but come to think of it, he had never liked a girl before either. Emily was the only person he had dated, and to be honest he had never really fancied her. At least not in a sexual way. Kissing Emily had never felt the way kissing Scorpius had. The knot he felt in his stomach; the uncontainable desire to have more and more; the pleasure that overwhelmed and overflowed him, clouding all his senses; and the electricity that travelled down his spine with each movement of their tongues, were things that Emily had never managed to make him feel. And this realization made him feel quite uncomfortable and worried. He had never questioned his sexuality; he never felt like it was necessary because he assumed that dating a girl was what he was supposed to do. Because after all that was what Albus always did: What he was supposed to do.

But on the other hand, maybe, just maybe, that kiss had been just something unexpected. It took him by surprise and that's why his body reacted so intensely. It wasn't any deeper than that, just a new experience and that's all.

"Bullshit, you loved it and you know it." said the tiny voice in his head with more strength than before. Albus shut his eyes tightly and tried to ignore the voice. He had other things to worry about, like Quidditch and the next match. He didn't have time to ponder these kinds of questions. he'd have enough time later, and meanwhile he'd just be more careful with Scorpius. At least until he could figure out what he truly felt.

When Albus came back to the dormitories, the sky was already completely dark, and Scorpius was the only one inside the room. He was seating with his legs crossed, reading the same Potions book. As soon as he saw Albus, his expression froze, but he managed to regain his neutral facade immediately. He looked at Albus carefully.

"Do you...do you want to continue with the treatment?" Scorpius asked, closing the book in his hands.

"No...I" Albus walked straight to his own bed with haste. "I think I'll do it myself tonight, if that's alright with you." he said, incapable of looking at Scorpius.

"Oh...Alright then...the potions are there" said Scorpius pointing at two flasks on top of the bedside table. "And that's the cream, remember to... rub it in circular motions..." he trailed off, looking sad and worried. He put the Potions book on the table and slipped under the covers of his bed quickly.

Albus grabbed the flasks and the cream and for the first time did everything alone. He then took off his shirt and stepped into his bed without saying another word.

The room went completely silent for a couple of seconds.

"Al..." Scorpius finally said in the darkness of the room, before Albus could fall asleep.

"Yeah?" Asked Albus. Scorpius stayed silent for a while.

"It was only a kiss, it didn't mean anything...Don't worry about it...it won't happen again" he said finally. Albus' body tensed at the mention of the kiss, but quickly he relaxed again. The words that Scorpius pronounced were like medicine to his troubled mind. He was right, it was nothing, it didn't mean anything. It was Scorpius after all, the boy who's eyes made him feel secure and safe. Who he trusted now, who was his friend.

Albus closed his eyes as he felt the potions slowly work in his body. Everything would be alright.

The next day dawned cold and cloudy, and Albus spent almost the entire day mounted on his broomstick, flying around the pitch to get back into shape. He didn't feel any awkwardness towards Scorpius anymore, as they had breakfast together and studied a bit of Charms before the Quidditch practice. It was almost completely thanks to Scorpius' ability to make everything seem irrelevant. Scorpius had a way to get to him like no else.

By nightfall they walked together to the dormitories talking about the Charms homework, and once they reached their beds, Scorpius automatically started working on the Potions. They talked about girls, and their families, and Quidditch until Scorpius finally finished the potions and the cream. He then gave the flasks to Albus, but he hesitated when he grabbed the cream. He looked at Albus but didn't say a word. Finally he sighed and handed the small bowl to Albus. But the boy hesitated too. The idea of Scorpius massaging his head had suddenly become rather awkward, and it made his mouth go dry. Be he was determined to make this work; he wanted them to be just like before, so he didn't receive the bowl. "Would you mind doing it tonight?" he asked instead, trying to keep calm and sound nonchalant.

Scorpius' face didn't change. He looked serious, but inside he was hating Albus. The boy made everything so difficult.

"Why?" Scorpius asked, dropping his hands slowly.

"I...I didn't like it when I applied it to myself. My hands got all sticky and oily." replied Albus, sounding very unconvincing.

Scorpius frowned and twitched his lips looking annoyed, but obliged. He grabbed a bit of cream and divided it evenly between his hands. He then proceeded to start massaging Albus' temples with it, slowly and tenderly, while making sure he didn't make eye contact.

"So umm...how was Quidditch today?" asked Scorpius, watching Albus' sides carefully.

"Great! I think I'm back in full shape, and professor Vector said our next match will be soon, so I'm excited" Albus said rising his hands in the air to make a triumphant gesture. But when he lay his hands down again, one of his hands came to rest on Scorpius' knee. Albus didn't notice, trapped in his own thoughts, but Scorpius flinched and felt a rush of heat travel to his groin. This was proving to be much more difficult than he expected. He couldn't just ignore the feelings he had for Albus, he couldn't just pretend that they were friends, and as lust and anger blended together in his mind, he finished hastily and jumped from Albus' side and stepping into his own bed.

"err...'night?" said Albus, a bit confused by Scorpius' sudden behavior. But Scorpius didn't answer. Albus ignored it and took off his shirt, drifting away to sleep quickly like every night.

Scorpius woke up in the middle of the night. The room was cold and dark, and for a while he didn't know what had awoken him. He stood silent for a while, with his eyes open and his head still resting on his pillow. Suddenly he heard someone whispering.

"S..." came a voice from outside his curtains. He realized it sounded more like a choke than a whisper

"Scor..Scorp..." he bolted upwards when he realized the voice was calling his name. And he could recognize that voice, even if it sounded husky and silent. It was Albus.

Scorpius slid his curtains open and through the light coming from the window he could see Albus' silhouette moving in erratic and aggressive motions, laying on his back.

"Sc...S..." came his voice again. Scorpius body turned cold with fear as he jumped out of his bed and walked next to Albus. The boy wasn't sleeping, his eyes were wide open, but Scorpius noted they didn't look at all like Albus' usual colour. Even in the dead of night he could see that Albus' eyes were as black as coal. They looked dark and lifeless and completely lost. The boy panted and moved a bit like he was having a heart attack. The fear grew inside Scorpius when he touched Albus and realized the boy was incredibly warm. His hand stumbled upon many things trying to find his wand by the bedside table, dropping down everything on it's way until he finally found it.

"L...L...Lumus!" he muttered, stuttering and having difficulty to speak. His mouth was dry and his desperation clouded his judgement.

"Shhh..Al...Shh...w..wait" he mumbled, trying to calm Albus down with his shaking hand, he ran towards his own bed and crouched, trying to find the medicine book that he kept hidden under the bed. He finally found it and opened it on the Mandrose treatment chapter. His hands moved aggressively through the words, shaking more than ever, while Albus made choking sounds on his bed. Scorpius read through the words, trying to find a way to stop what he knew was an overflow of blood because of the treatment. In his terror he ripped the page off the book and walked with it to sit next to Albus. He reached under Albus' bed a took the black bag that Albus hid under his own bed. He found some dry Mandrake roots and a clean bowl. He put the roots in the bowl and conjured an Aquamenti spell to moist them. His shaking hand grabbed the roots and put them in Albus' mouth, trying his best not to give in to panic.

"Come on, Al...Just...eat them...please!" he begged, and Albus obliged, he couldn't stop moving, but opened his mouth and swallowed with difficulty.

"Oh please...please..." mumbled Scorpius. He ripped a piece of his own white shirt and soaked it in the water. Then he wrapped it around Albus' head while he conjured a spell that was mentioned in the page that he held in his hand.

"C..C'mon Al...please!" Scorpius' words sounding weak in the cold room. His voiced cracked as he grabbed Albus by the chest and tried to make him sit, hugging him tightly against his own body. He felt like he was about to cry, the lump in his throat making it hard to speak.

"Al..." he whispered. Albus still moved aggressively and his wide dark eyes frightened Scorpius, who started massaging Albus' temples to reduce the overflow.

Slowly Albus' body started relaxing and his eyes started closing. Scorpius didn't know whether this was good or terrible, but as he noticed that the boy's body started to cool down, he sighed heavily with immense relief. He held Albus in his arms tight for a couple of seconds, while the terror drained from his body, leaving him with exhaustion. he felt weak and tired, so he lay Albus on the bed again, and put his own head on Albus' chest.

"I'll just stay here for a while, and then I'll go back to bed" he thought, worried that Albus may suffer another attack. This Mandrose treatment had been a terrible idea, and he didn't want to relive this disastrous situation again. His arms still wrapped around Albus' body loosened a bit as exhaustion took over him completely. Albus' chest was so comfortable and his smell made Scorpius feel more and more relaxed, until he finally slip away in sleep, surrendering to fatigue, with his head resting on Albus' strong chest that moved slowly and normally again.

Albus woke up in the morning feeling his head throbbing. He also felt a weight to his left, and a nice smell. He looked to his side and found a head with beautiful blond hair resting on his shoulder. The hair reached his own face and tickled his nose. He recognized Scorpius immediately, and as soon as he did, he also remembered what happened last night. He remember bits of the night, like waking up in the middle of the night with his head vibrating and feeling like it was about to explode. He remembered trying to call Scorpius and also the boy giving him some kind of food. He knew something really bad had happened, and thanked that Scorpius had been there to help him. Somehow it didn't feel strange at all to have Scorpius' body laying next to him like this, so he wrapped his own arms around the boy in an act of fondness. It felt good, and he didn't know why, but he also didn't want to think too much about it. He just lay in bed for a while, waiting for Scorpius to wake up, the proximity of the boy making his body warm and comfortable.

"Potter, honestly, will you ever wake–" came Henric's angry voice as he slid Albus' curtains open suddenly. He lost his voice and his mouth dropped to the ground as he found Albus laying next to Scorpius, shirtless and hugging him. They both looked flushed and tired, and Scorpius' shirt was completely torn.

"Oh... My... God" was all he said, unable to dart his eyes away from Albus and Scorpius. Albus realized what he was thinking and embarrassment and terror filled his body.

"You...him...WHAT?" shouted Henric, as his surprised face broke into a huge smirk, and he started laughing uncontrollably. The sound of his mad burst of laughter awoke Scorpius and Albus jumped out of the bed, grabbing Henric by the shirt.

"It's not what you think! Listen." he said frantically.

"Oh, Potter, this is gold! Wait till everyone hears about this! This is absolute gold!" said Henric, while laughing incredibly hard. Albus' body filled with terror, knowing that Henric would tell everyone what he thought he saw, whatever that was.

"No...listen, if you tell ANYONE I swear..." said Albus, grabbing Henric tightly by the shirt with his most threatening voice.

"Calm down...calm down Potter" said Henric, trying to suppress his laughter. "I'm not telling anyone...not for free at least. And this story is worth Millions, I tell you." he said, freeing himself from Albus' grip and walking out of the room, but before he left, he turned around.

"Oh, by the way, it's almost time to go to class, so get ready both of you, lovebirds." he said, stifling a giggle, and with that he turned around and left.

Scorpius started going through his clothes without looking at Albus. He knew the boy would be fuming and stressed during the whole day thinking about what Henric might say.

"Hey...don't worry, it's not like we were actually doing anything, right?" he said finally, trying to calm Albus down. But Albus didn't respond. He just put on his clothes and left the room heading towards the Great Hall, leaving Scorpius alone in the room.

Albus sat next to Tom, who was seating next to Henric. The level of stress Albus was feeling now was unnatural. He couldn't stand watching Henric open his mouth, fearing what he might say. He poured some porridge into his bowl and started eating while Tom talked to him about a dream he had last night.

"Hey, Bletch, guess what I saw earlier today..." said Henric, smirking while looking from Tom to Albus. Albus' body tensed and he looked at him dangerously, but tried to remain calm and put a spoonful of porridge in his mouth.

"I found Potter and Malfoy shagging in my old bed!" Henric said, looking at Tom. Albus choked on the porridge and started coughing.

"What?" asked Tom, half amused.

"Yeah, Potter and Malfoy, they were– Ouch" said Henric as Albus kicked him under the table. This made Tom even more suspicious.

"Really, Al?"

"No!" shouted Albus, trying to control himself.

"Well, then explain why you were all cuddly and hugging, and shirtless. Oh and let's not forget Scorpius' completely destroyed shirt. Merlin Potter, I didn't know you were so aggressive in bed!" said Henric, with a teasing tone and a malevolent smirk.

"So you didn't see them actually shag?" asked Tom, more interested than ever in the subject. Albus was feeling completely appalled.

"Well, technically no. It was minutes after, I suppose. They were all flushed, and looked really tired, but Potter had a huge smile on his face, like his eyes were shining. And he was hugging Malfoy, who was sleeping on Albus' chest. Like a married couple!" said Henric.

"Shut up!" shouted Albus, now starting to get really angry.

"So it's true?" asked Tom, now looking at Albus.

"Well...no...I mean yes, we fell asleep on the same bed, but...it's not what you think!" He said.

"Then what were you doing? Why was he on your bed?" pressed Tom, looking confused.

"We..." Albus remembered that nobody knew about the treatment, and it was dangerous to tell anyone about it. "We...forget it, you wouldn't understand." he said finally.

"Please, Henric...I swear to you that we didn't do anything, but please don't say anything. I'll give you anything. You can have the bed back if you want." pleaded Albus, applying his knowledge of Slytherins to buy Henric's silence. Henric thought about it.

"I want to keep your bed, Potter, forever." he said finally. Albus looked confused at such a tiny request.

"And that's it? you just want to keep that bed forever? and you'll keep the secret?"

"yeah...at least until someone offers me what I think this story is worth, and that's a lot of galleons. I like the position of this new bed, and I prefer being next to Bletch than Malfoy to be honest." Albus looked at him with suspicion, but finally extended his arm to shake hands. He knew Tom wouldn't say anything, because they were friends, and even if he didn't trust him, he knew Tom wouldn't talk if Albus didn't want him to.

"What happened last night?" Albus asked Scorpius during lunch that same day.

"I think you had an overflow of blood, because the potions couldn't find injuries, so the blood stayed in your head. We warned you that the treatment was dangerous. You could have died there." Said Scorpius, eyeing Albus worriedly.

"But I didn't, so don't fret" replied Albus, who felt better and far more relaxed than a couple of hours ago.f

"Yeah, and it means that your E.D.E is completely healed now. So it's The End of the treatment. We should have a toast over that." replied Scorpius, smiling at Albus.

"Really? So I'm healed now? The treatment's over?" Asked Albus with excitement.

"Yeah, I suppose. That's the only explanation to your episode last night. So no more potions or creams." replied Scorpius.

They ate lunch together and after that they went to Transfiguration classes, still ignoring the strength that pulled them together and made their bodies shiver at every touch