Scorpius,
It's your twentieth birthday, love! I do hope that you have a lovely day planned for yourself – that you and your father and those you love will celebrate this milestone in whatever way you see fit. It's springtime – as I've watched you grow I've always thought it fitting that you were a spring child – so take some time to smell the flowers for me today.
It was easy for me to picture you at your graduation, but I must confess that it is difficult for me as I write this to picture you as little as two years after. Where will you be? Will you still be living at home with your father? Will you be living halfway across the globe? What will you be doing?
I do know that as you enter the third decade of your life that you will be doing amazing things and it is my hope that you're surrounded by people as beautiful as you are. As I write this, I can hear you down the hall talking with your father about a book you've just finished (I do not know which one – I cannot possibly keep up with your voracious reading habits), and I hope that you have carried that same enthusiasm with you into adulthood.
I love you, my beautiful boy. Happy Birthday.
Love,
Astoria
Scorpius sighed as he looked down at the letter. Draco had given it to him before he left after visiting his son for lunch. They'd eaten at the Leaky Cauldron and visited Scorpius' favorite bakery to pick out his birthday cake for the evening. Draco had slipped him the letter on his way out the door, unable to stay and watch Scorpius read it.
"It's between you and your mother," he'd said kindly. "It's not my place to know what's in it."
Now, Scorpius sat at his desk, now on the third floor of the archive. His office was small and cramped, but it was his, and he was one of the few junior historians afforded his own space.
He was very grateful for that privacy as he sniffed and dried his eyes, looking at his mother's signature. Astoria had always had immaculate handwriting – beautiful with smooth curls and lines. Her hand had clearly been shaking as she wrote this, and Scorpius knew the day it had been written. He remembered talking to his father as they walked down the hallway to his mother's study where the found her at her desk wrapped in a crimson robe and smiling.
It was 'Enchanted Encounters,' Scorpius thought. I was telling him about 'Enchanted Encounters,' and then you asked me to read you one of the stories.
He folded the letter carefully and slid it back into its envelope, remembering how Astoria had fallen asleep with her hand in his and her head resting against the window of her study while he read.
Draco came back in the evening, intent on spending as much time as he could with his son on his birthday. Dania had to check in on some patients, so he was eager to return home where Ainsley was looking after Orion.
"Are you ready to go?" Draco asked impatiently from the doorway of Scorpius' office. A glorified closet, he thought but held his tongue. Scorpius had been so excited about his promotion, and Draco didn't want to ruin it by pointing out that his Hogwarts wardrobe had nearly been larger. He wondered if a sizable donation would get his son a larger office…
Scorpius looked up from the book he was scribbling in, frantically trying to finish whatever he was working on.
"Just give me one minute," Scorpius muttered, engrossed in his work.
At the very least he's enjoying himself more, Draco thought. He lazily walked his fingers across the stacks of books and papers on his son's desk.
"What are these for?" Draco inquired, looking at a few volumes on ancient artefacts from Egyptian wizards.
"It's for that lecture series," Scorpius said with barely a glance up. "I told you about it."
"You did," Draco agreed. He pointed to a stack of parchment and folios teetering on the edge of Scorpius' desk.
"And those?" Draco asked. "They're going to fall."
Scorpius scooped the pile up.
"Just a personal project," Scorpius said, tucking them into a corner on his bookshelf. "Something I'm exploring for later. Are you ready to go?"
Scorpius rose to his feet before exchanging his robes for a jacket – Albus' jacket, Draco realized. He stopped himself from commenting on how terrible it looked with his jumper vest because that meant acknowledging that his son wore jumper vests at all.
Despite his questionable attire, Draco smiled at his son with pride. Scorpius' birthdays always got to him. His son was strong, intelligent and handsome – everything Draco had wanted to be at his age. Everything he'd never been given the chance to be or enjoy.
"Of course," Draco said. "To the Floo connection?"
"Sure," Scorpius agreed. "And don't think I don't know what you're doing."
Draco frowned at him.
"What do you mean?"
"You're distracting me," Scorpius said. "You don't want me to be sad because Albus isn't here."
Draco's face shifted in contrition as Scorpius checked his stack of mail one more time – likely for a letter from his boyfriend. Albus wrote nearly every day after the dragon incident, and Scorpius had been increasingly anxious (and nearly insufferable) in his silence.
"Somewhat guilty," he confessed. Scorpius gave him Astoria's warm smile. Draco forgave him instantly.
"I appreciate it," Scorpius said. Draco ushered him from his office, tugging the door closed behind them.
The Malfoys rarely used the smaller formal dining room of the manor, but with the Potters and Weasleys coming and going to offer birthday wishes to Scorpius, they hadn't had much of choice. Scorpius found himself sitting next to Ainsley at the long dining table with a chess board in front of them an Orion nestled into the crook of his arm.
"Your move," Scorpius said, reclining in the seat. He was terrible at chess despite Albus' best efforts to help him. Nearby, Hermione gave him a look of pity and understanding.
While Ainsley considered her next move, Scorpius looked down at his brother, sleeping soundly wrapped in a cashmere blanket. It was too soon to tell, but Scorpius was sure he'd gotten the Malfoy eyes, and he was very pleased.
"You're going to be a handsome little wizard, aren't you?" Scorpius whispered to him. Orion only shifted in response, his tiny hand grasping at some of his blanket's fringe. Zar rested his massive head on Scorpius' knee, sniffing the blanket. The dog had calmed down considerably in the last few months as he moved closer to canine adulthood and, thanks to Albus and Draco's efforts, was remarkably well-trained. Scorpius scratched behind his ears and was rewarded with Zar's happiest expression – closed eyes and a lolling tongue.
Across the table, Harry, Draco, and Ginny were engaged in a heated discussion about the future of Britain's pureblood families and Scorpius promptly tuned them out. He'd had a long enough day without listening to his father talk about 'integration' and 'outreach.'
"Are you certain there wasn't a letter from Albus?" Scorpius asked as Dania passed him. Each hour without word from Albus had him growing more and more anxious – enough that he was finding concentration difficult. With a sympathetic smile, she shook her head.
"No, dear," Dania said. "I already checked, remember?"
"Oh… right."
It wasn't until Ainsley nudged him under the table and offered to take Orion that Scorpius realized it was his turn. His king was in check. Again. He sighed dramatically and rested his head against his palm. Would he ever be able to win a chess match?
Reluctantly, he surrendered the baby to better focus.
Ainsley's prideful expression as she cuddled Orion didn't help matters. He grabbed his fork and picked at his nearby cake absently, considering his next move. If only he hadn't lost that knight…
Scorpius grumbled under his breath about chess being an aggravating game, trying desperately to tune out the movement around him, absently scratching behind Zar's ears. He tapped a finger against his cheek impatiently, looking for any move that would lead to a slightly less embarrassing loss.
It wasn't until the room had gone suspiciously quiet that Scorpius looked up from the board. Across the table, Ginny's gaze was fixed on the doorway.
"Sorry I'm late."
He followed her line of sight down the table and across the room where Albus – Albus – was standing in the doorway, dropping a duffle bag on the floor and freeing his black hair from a sock cap, shaking it free with a smug grin on his face.
"Albus?" Scorpius asked in disbelief, a chill washing down his shoulders to his fingertips. In his periphery, Draco sipped his wine calmly, observing.
"Happy Birthday?" Albus said with measured uncertainty and a shrug. He wore in a familiar blue jumper that had taken damage in the last few months –a burn on the sleeve and the neck frayed. His skin was well beyond sunburned – he was tan and even a bit freckly – an absolute mess from traveling and Scorpius had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
It took a minute for Scorpius to regain his senses, and in that time Zar wiggled free from his place at Scorpius' feet and bounded down the length of the room, barking in delight.
Scorpius realized what was happening far too late, shoving himself back from the table.
"Zar, no!" he cried, but the dog was too far away already, preparing to leap at Albus and send his cane flying and both of them to the floor. Scorpius could only watch in horror, reaching for his wand.
But Albus laughed and bent down as Zar flew at him and caught him around the middle, lifting all 30-plus kilograms of black and white fur off the ground, steady and beaming. Scorpius watched in confusion as Zar's pink tongue lapped at Albus' face. The dog whined in excitement, squirming and licking at Albus' cheeks and forehead with both front paws resting on his human's shoulders.
"Albus?" Harry asked, setting his Butterbeer down. Scorpius stared, open-mouthed.
"Hey, buddy," Albus said to Zar, hugging him tightly. His weight was firmly set on his right leg, but he was upright. Stable. Standing and entirely unfazed as he measured Scorpius' reaction, his eyes flickering towards his parents on the other side of the room. Scorpius watched, his heart in his throat, as Albus bent, letting Zar slide to the ground where the dog pressed his body against Albus' legs and licked at his hand.
"Albus, where's your cane?" Ginny said gently. Albus looked at Scorpius for a second longer before looking at his mother, wiping at his face.
"When you're Harry Potter's son and you're thrust into a group of experienced rehabilitation specialists from around the world, you wind up being everyone's pet project," Albus said slowly. He looked from his mother to his father who was slowly setting his drink down on the table.
"It's not… perfect. I still have a limp," Albus continued. "But it's also not killing me anymore."
Albus took a few steps towards Scorpius – his limp nearly unperceivable – who stood still in surprise and shock, his eyes flickering from Albus' dirty shoes to his face.
"Scorp?" Albus said uncertainly. As Scorpius' surprise broke, he felt the tightness in his throat loosen as feeling rushed back to his fingertips and turned into something else entirely, spreading down to his stomach and up to his ears. Feeling returned in full force. He moved toward Albus and wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his face against his boyfriend's neck wordlessly with a small whimper he hoped no one else heard.
"That's more like it," Albus chuckled, muffled against Scorpius' shoulder. Scorpius ignored the muted sounds of the other's greetings as Albus' family pressed in on them. The world narrowed into only the smell that existed at the juncture of Albus' neck and shoulders and he felt Albus' hands pressing into his back, holding him close and nearly tight enough to hurt.
"Why are you here?" Scorpius asked, muffled against Albus' neck. The rough fabric of his jumper rubbed against Scorpius' cheek and he made a mental note to dispose of it as soon as possible – not that he intended to allow Albus to wear it for very long once they got home.
"It's your birthday," Albus said softly, as though the answer was as plain as day. "I'd gone too long without seeing you, so I moved some things around and asked for a few favors so I could be here for a day."
"A day?" Scorpius asked, scandalized and pulling back a bit. He could feel the others' eyes on his back, waiting for their turn with Albus. They were going to have to wait a moment longer. "Only a day?"
Albus nodded, his hand sliding over Scorpius' back. Scorpius fought back a shiver and reminded himself that there were other people in the room.
"I'll have to leave Sunday morning," Albus said. Scorpius sighed and pressed his forehead against Albus' – a simple gesture they'd always found comfort in. Something so familiar that, for a breath, Scorpius felt Albus had never left.
"This is the best present," Scorpius said. "Is this why you weren't writing?"
"I didn't get a chance before I left and it took almost two days to get here. Connections and then Floo connections… I'm sorry. I know I worried you. I didn't realize how many days it had been until I was already on the way."
He got only a moment to breathe before Albus kissed him – too little and too brief and just enough to be frustrating – and released him to greet his family.
Ginny had her arms around Albus within seconds, and Scorpius was more than a bit concerned that her grip was going to kill his boyfriend before he got a chance to talk with him. She was laughing, and Scorpius was sure he saw tears in her eyes as she released him to Harry, who embraced Albus with such enthusiasm that he nearly knocked his glasses own to the floor.
Scorpius leaned back onto the table, reluctantly giving them space and watching the way Albus moved from person to person, greeting Draco and Hermione, his steps imperfect but sure-footed despite Zar's best efforts. The dog kept winding himself between everyone's legs trying to get closer to Albus, gently licking and nipping at his fingertips whenever they were within reach.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected," Draco said, leaning beside Scorpius as Ainsley greeted Albus. Scorpius glanced at him. Draco had Orion safely nestled in the crook of his arm and a glass of wine casually dangling from his other hand.
"You knew," Scorpius accused. "Of course you knew."
Draco only smiled and sipped his wine. Scorpius wanted to be angry with him, but it was difficult with Albus smiling over Ainsley's shoulder at him. He knew that look well. It was one of relief – like when Albus came home after a long day or when he found out he hadn't failed a big potions exam.
"This must be Orion," Albus said, noticing the bundle in Draco's arms for the first time. Draco nodded as Orion, disturbed by all the commotion, began fussing about in his blanket. Albus took the baby from Draco's arms carefully, cradling him with an expression so open and awestruck that Scorpius ached. He shoved his hands in his pockets so he'd keep them to himself.
"He looks like you," Albus said to Scorpius, grinning from under the curtain of hair that had fallen forward. He was in desperate need of a haircut, but for once Scorpius didn't mind. "Well, he looks like both of you," Albus added to Draco.
"He has Dania's nose," Draco said as his wife joined them. He pulled her close and she rested her head against his shoulder. "And he very clearly has her hands."
"Thank Merlin," Scorpius said. "No bony knuckles."
Albus was whispering to the infant, introducing himself as if Orion could understand him. Scorpius caught Ginny and Harry watching him closely, contentedly holding each other's hands.
Albus turned and swayed as he soothed the baby and Scorpius felt a nervous twitch begin in his hands. Fortunately, Albus noticed a moment later and took mercy on him.
"I think he wants his mum," Albus said as Orion began making noises indicative of impending tears. Dania took him carefully and cradled him against her chest.
Scorpius took Albus' hand as soon as it was free and drew him close, unsatisfied until Albus was pressed against his side.
"Where are Lily and James?" Albus asked.
"Lily was working late and James…"
"I think he had dinner with a friend," Ainsley supplied. "But I'm sure he'd be right here if he knew."
Scorpius felt a familiar thrill as Harry drew his wand, wordlessly conjuring his Patronus. The brilliant, near-opaque stag formed in front of him, glowing and bright, and turned to Harry, awaiting its message. Harry told the stag to find James and Lily, and it bounded off toward the window, splitting into two iterations of itself just before it disappeared through the pane.
"I never get tired of that," Scorpius said. Harry grinned sheepishly and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Did you ever manage it?" Albus asked. "A Patronus?"
Scorpius shook his head, looking down at his boyfriend, nearly nose-to-nose. Now he wondered which was worse – watching Albus with everyone else and being unable to touch him, or having him pressed against his side and being unable to do everything he wanted. Scorpius settled for the latter and held Albus to his side where he nestled into Scorpius' shoulder for a moment.
Maybe this memory would be happy enough, he thought.
The others had a lot of questions – what was Brazil like? How was the Castelobruxo Preserve? Did he like the people he was there with? They skirted the issue of the dragon attack and Scorpius tuned them out, letting Albus give the others all the answers he'd already given in his lengthier letters, choosing instead to focus on Albus.
When Albus had left for Brazil, Scorpius had known it would be difficult to adjust – that there would be a space beside him that no one could fill. He'd thought that, as the weeks went on, the void would be easier to bear, but found instead that it only grew. It frightened him sometimes how much he needed Albus to feel safe and content and how the company and love of others was great, but insufficient without the complement of Albus' presence, and when he'd panicked briefly that Albus had been hurt or worse…
Scorpius watched as Albus talked, his eyes bright. He counted the freckles on Albus' nose and cheeks, imagining constellations in them. He studied the small mole just behind his ear, hidden by a wave of dark hair. It was so small and insignificant that no one else would notice unless they were aware of it, but with Albus so close it was all he could focus on – this small mark that he was sure only he could see.
When Pokey and Pike came through a few moments later to remove plates and inconspicuously sweep crumbs from the tablecloth, Scorpius gestured Pike over.
"Yes, Master Scorpius?" Pike asked. A small smile played at her thin lips and Scorpius couldn't help grinning at her. Pike had seemed more at ease lately, and Scorpius was glad to see some of her anxiousness wash away.
"Do you think you could get me some coffee when you get the chance?"
Pike nodded and took off – Scorpius assumed to do just that. Albus, momentarily freed from the discussion, gave him a quizzical look.
"You never drink coffee in the evening," Albus said. "Don't tell me you've changed all your habits while I've been gone. You're so particular and I can't relearn everything."
Scorpius gave him a mocking sneer before smiling at him.
"I'm not planning on getting much sleep tonight," Scorpius said, quiet enough that no one could hear.
Albus smirked.
"Oh really?" he asked. "Are we going to stay up all night talking? Or are you at a particularly good part of your book?"
Scorpius gave him a dry look, and Albus' smirk broke into a grin. With their backs to the others, Albus chose to slide his hand into the back pocket of Scorpius' trousers. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to ignore the look on Albus' face.
"Okay," Albus said. "Is it too much to ask that we get out of here soon? I know I need to see my family, but I'd like to have you all to myself –"
Scorpius didn't get the chance to agree. Lily entered the room with James close behind, brushing soot from his shoulder. Albus let Scorpius go, grinning ear-to-ear as he stepped away to greet his siblings. Scorpius fought hard to contain the patented Malfoy-pout and shoved his hands back in his pockets as Lily threw her arms around her brother's neck, her shoulder length hair swaying with the motion.
"Albus!"
"I think you're Lily," Albus said, "but Lily has longer hair, so I'm confused."
Lily held him at arm's length with a scowl.
"People are allowed to change things," Lily said to him. She shook her hair back and held her head high. "Besides, I wanted something different."
James took his turn to embrace his brother, who looked supremely uncomfortable with his sister's change.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Because none of you can keep a secret," Albus said. He pointed from James to Ainsley. "And I know you tell her everything."
James looked as if he were ready to protest, but the look on Ainsley's face plainly said that Albus was right – James did tell her everything.
"You're moving funny," Lily noted, looking Albus over as James gave him some space. "Why are you moving funny?"
"It's the opposite of him moving funny," Scorpius said. "Look."
Albus stood awkwardly as Lily and James regarded him.
"Is your leg better?" James asked after a moment. Albus nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"It's a long story," Albus said. "I'll explain later, I promise."
"What happened with the dragon?" Lily asked quickly when she found an opening. Clearly, she'd been waiting.
Scorpius cringed and watched Albus' face turn from happiness to something reluctant and pained. Leave it to Lily to break the ice in the most uncomfortable way possible.
"Exactly what the papers said, I'm sure," Albus said cautiously. He glanced over his shoulder nervously at Scorpius as everyone stood around him, quiet and waiting. Whether he was looking for support or not, Scorpius was at his side instantly, ready to offer it anyway.
Albus looked from face to face for a moment while they all waited for him to speak and Scorpius slid his arm around Albus' shoulders, giving him space but grounding him at the same time. Albus leaned into the contact, seemingly grateful.
"We had an adult Opaleye at the preserve," Albus explained. "It was injured by some rogue hunters, and when their law enforcement caught them, they brought the dragon to Castelorbuxo. We were rehabilitating it, and it was pretty mild mannered –"
"Yeah, sounds like it," Lilly scoffed. Ginny slapped her arm.
"We never did figure out what happened, but one evening it went berserk. The records we kept were burned, but it's possible that someone missed a feeding or treatment. It broke free from the wards we had around its paddock and tore into the village."
Everyone stared at Albus, and Scorpius wasn't sure when he'd last seen his boyfriend so uncomfortable. He gave Albus' side a small squeeze and Albus shrugged.
"That's all there is to it," Albus said. "We tried to contain it before it destroyed the rest of the village, but it kept fighting and… well, I'm not sure who actually killed it. It may very well have been me. We spent the next week cleaning up the mess."
"Al…" Harry started, but swallowed, clearly looking for the right words. "I'm sorry. That's not what you expected when you went there."
"Before that it was great," Albus said. "And I think everyone's just dedicated to helping the beasts that survived and making sure something like this doesn't happen again. And that they keep the preserve open."
"You're not going to stay longer, are you?" Scorpius asked. Albus shook his head and looked down.
"No. They asked us to and some are, but once my time in the program is up, I'm going to come straight home."
Scorpius felt about as relieved as Harry and Ginny looked.
"Well, that sounds awful," Lily said. "You should just stay here where you're safe."
"Just because something isn't as safe as being at home doesn't mean you shouldn't do it," Albus countered. "Besides, I want to finish the certification."
James sighed and rubbed his face as Ainsley slipped to his side. It looked natural to Scorpius – the way she wrapped her arms around his waist, her head reaching just below the top of his shoulder. She didn't grin into his embrace – it just looked comfortable, like the way he felt when he lay his head against Albus' lap while they were reading.
"I wish you wouldn't," James said. "You scared the hell out of us."
"Frankly, I'm used to it," Ginny said with a defeated shrug. "It runs in the family."
"That's sadly accurate," Hermione agreed.
They fell into friendly banter, and Albus started filling Lily and James in on all the creatures he'd worked with since he left. After a few minutes, the group migrated into the sitting room where Scorpius and Albus sat on the sofa with Dania and Ginny, letting Draco lean against the mantle and leaving Lily, Harry James and Ainsley to sit on the floor.
Despite having enough space, Albus crowded Scorpius into the corner of the couch, pressing against his side and putting pressure on the dark bruise that still lingered. Scorpius cringed, once again cursing the dangers that lurked in his father's attic, but said nothing lest Albus move away, and when Albus draped his arm around his shoulders, Scorpius melted into his side, feeling fully at home.
It was late when everyone started to yawn and began heading home. Albus seemed happy to receive hugs from each of his family members, and Scorpius wasn't sure who grinned more when Albus hugged his sister hard enough to lift her off the floor like he used to – Lily, Ginny or himself.
"I'm exhausted," Albus told Harry as his parents got ready to depart, bending down as he talked to scratch behind Zar's ears. "I just want to sleep in my own bed."
"Yeah, I bet he does," muttered Ainsley, appearing at Scorpius' arm and grinning sideways at him. He elbowed her gently in the ribs.
"Shut up."
"I'm just saying," she continued. "I know how incorrigible those Potter boys can be."
"Please stop," Scorpius whined. The last thing he wanted to think about was what Ainsley and James did in their spare time.
"Does Albus have a thing for back rubs too? Because James –"
"I am literally begging you," Scorpius interrupted. Ainsley laughed at his discomfort. "I have never wanted someone to stop talking so much in my life."
Ainsley smirked, clearly pleased with herself as James, lingering for a moment after his parents and sister left, came over to see her.
"Can I come by for lunch tomorrow?" he asked her, earning an enthusiastic nod. "I guess we're having dinner at my parents' place tomorrow for Albus. You'll come, right?"
"Of course," Ainsley agreed. Scorpius watched as James, a good six inches taller than her, enveloped his cousin in his arms. He was afraid for a moment she'd disappear and looked away quickly, feeling as if he were intruding on something private.
"Are you ready to go?" Albus asked. His smile was bright but his eyes betrayed how tired he was. Scorpius held out his hand, quickly summoning Albus' bag from its corner, wincing as a sudden pain shot across his temple.
"Absolutely," Scorpius said. He hugged both Draco and Dania goodbye quickly, lingering only to give Orion a kiss on the forehead before meeting Albus at the fireplace.
"So we'll see you tomorrow?" Scorpius asked them, attaching Zar's leash.
"Of course," Draco said.
Scorpius barely had a chance to bid them a good night before Albus threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace and tugged him into the flames.
Albus had wanted to spend time with his family in his brief visit home. He did. He loved them and they were important and he wanted very much to catch up on everything that was going on in their lives.
But he'd spent the entire journey back to Britain thinking about seeing Scorpius, and even though he knew he'd be walking into a gathering of other people, he was still very disappointed that he hadn't been able to orchestrate even a few minutes alone with his boyfriend.
So, when he stepped out of the fireplace and into their sitting room, Albus was immediately relieved. Scorpius unhooked Zar's leash, letting the dog bound off to seize his favorite bone from the floor. With a wave of his wand, Albus lit one of the lanterns across the room, giving himself just enough light to see that the only change in the room was a small scattering of papers and notes on the coffee table.
Albus threw his things into one of the chairs and got halfway through shrugging out of his jacket when he found himself being thoroughly captured and kissed.
At first, Albus laughed against his boyfriend's mouth, blindly negotiating himself out of his sleeves and tossing the jacket away, hoping it landed somewhere other than the floor where Zar would assume it was his. Now freed, he raised his hands to the warmth of Scorpius' neck, sliding them beneath the collar of his shirt and earning him a brief, needy moan from his boyfriend.
"I've missed you," Scorpius muttered between kisses. "So much."
"I missed you too."
"And you can walk."
"Mostly."
Scorpius pulled back, dragging Albus a few steps so he could sit on the arm of the couch and pull Albus close. Without their families around, Scorpius was dissolving into a clingy mess, looking nearly as desperate as Albus felt. Now lowered a few inches, he buried his face in Albus' chest, pulling him close. Albus hummed in contentment, smoothing down Scorpius' hair and cradling the back of his head while Scorpius caught his breath.
"You can walk," Scorpius repeated. "How?"
"Different healing techniques. There's a witch from Mongolia in our group who has a particular kind of training at the intersection of curse breaking and healing. And the Brazilian wizard who died in the Opaleye attack was very, very good with potions. Between the two of them…"
Albus trailed off as Scorpius' hand roamed down his previously sore leg. Where the used to be a constant, dull pain (and a sharp one when he did something exceptionally stupid), there was now just stiff muscles and the occasional twinge – enough to disrupt his gait, but never enough to ruin his day.
"But you're okay?"
"I'm much better," Albus assured him, gently raking Scorpius' hair back from his face. "It was a bit… painful while they tested out different things. I couldn't walk at all one day. But finally, it started to work. I wanted to tell you but I needed to know it would hold."
Scorpius looked up at him, his chin resting against the center of Albus' chest. His eyes were watery beneath his glasses, and Albus carefully removed the frames from his face, setting them aside. Scorpius blinked a few times to adjust but didn't seem to mind.
"You're all blurry," Scorpius said.
"That's fine."
Albus leaned down to kiss him again with a hand cupping Scorpius' jaw. He'd thought of this many times when he missed home – what it would be like to return and have Scorpius waiting. He'd found himself struggling to remember what their kitchen smelled like or the exact temperature of his boyfriend's skin first thing in the morning – things he'd often taken for granted and hadn't committed to memory.
He ran his hands over Scorpius' shoulders and then his sides, every part of him happy to be where he belonged again if only for a day until Scorpius jolted a bit under his hands.
"What's wrong?" Albus asked.
"Nothing. Just a bruise," Scorpius said, pulling up his jumper vest and shirt to reveal a patch of blue and green skin over his hip. "I walked into a table in dad's attic. It's not a big deal."
Albus ran his thumb over the stretch of skin carefully, frowning.
"It looks bad. Did you take something for it?"
"It's fine," Scorpius replied and seized Albus' face between his hands and kissed him again before he could question further. It was an effective distraction technique that he'd figured out early in their relationship. Albus didn't mind.
After a few moments, Scorpius started tugging Albus' jumper free, sliding both hands up and over his back. It was more contact than Albus had enjoyed in months and his breath caught in his throat.
"What's this?" Scorpius asked against his lips, feeling over a rough patch of skin on the back of Albus' right shoulder.
"That? Oh. Heh."
Albus tugged his jumper over his head and tossed it over the back of the couch before turning just a bit so Scorpius could see the scar. The small ridge of scar tissue was visible in the low light, as were the markings over it.
"I got into a minor scuffle with an adolescent hippogriff," Albus explained. "Not a big deal, but a few days later at Stephen's birthday party, I had a bit too much to drink and it had just finished healing."
"And drunk-Albus thought this was a good idea?"
"Well, drunk-Albus missed you quite a bit," Albus said, blushing. "And apparently sober-Albus wouldn't shut up about you and Riya took out her kit. One thing led to another."
Scorpius ran his fingers over the scar. The line it had created served for the base of the tattoo, and Scorpius clearly recognized it immediately as a simple but stylized version of the constellation he'd been named after. Albus looked at him over his shoulder, appraising his reaction and was pleased to see the amused smile that crept across his face.
"I'm not sure if this is funny or sweet."
"Can we go with sweet?"
"Let's go with sweet," Scorpius agreed, tugging Albus back around by the cord of the amulet around his neck – an old gift that Albus kept with him nearly at all times. He pressed his lips to Albus' neck – something Albus could rarely stay coherent through even under normal circumstances, and having been separated from his better half for months on end was far from standard.
Albus was about five seconds from completely losing all coherent thought when Scorpius, whose leg was wrapped around the back of his thighs and hands were roaming all across his exposed back, went still and pulled back to look at him. Albus groaned in protest.
"Seriously, though," Scorpius said. "That's permanent."
"So is this."
Scorpius shut up immediately, his jaw tight and a bit of moisture clinging to his blonde eyelashes. He wasn't crying. Nor was he about to cry. Scorpius just had the unfortunate habit of getting teary when he was emotional about anything – something Albus was endlessly grateful for. It was a cue he couldn't ignore, not unlike the nervous twitch he had in his neck that told Scorpius when he was annoyed or frustrated.
Scorpius raked his hand through Albus' hair, pushing it back from his face. It had grown out, falling shaggy around his temples and neck, looking more like his father's from his early post-Hogwarts years than Albus was comfortable with, but if it meant Scorpius kept twisting it around his fingers…
"I love you," Scorpius said.
Albus smiled. He didn't need to be reminded, but it was so lovely to hear instead of imagining his voice as he read the words scrawled at the end of a letter.
"I love you too," Albus responded. "Now can we go upstairs where I can take this damn vest off you?"
Scorpius grinned and nodded, but instead of standing he tugged Albus back down and kissed him again.
It was a long time before they got upstairs.
Scorpius woke up late in the morning, dozing off several times before finally coming to full consciousness. It was easy to ignore the sunlight coming in from the window with Albus stretched out beside him on his stomach, the sheets pushed halfway down his back.
He grabbed his watch from the side table to check the time. Scorpius rarely slept until ten o'clock these days, but they'd stayed awake well into the morning. He smiled at the thought before rolling over to look at Albus, who was sound asleep.
Scorpius made no secret that sleepy-Albus was one of his favorite versions of his boyfriend. Half-asleep Albus was only somewhat coherent and soft and Scorpius loved the things he'd say and never remember, but there was something to be said for sleeping-Albus and the way he rarely snored even though his mouth was always open just a bit and how relaxed his face looked.
Albus had gotten the best parts of both his genetics in Scorpius' opinion. He'd fallen somewhere between Harry's thin build and Charlie's strength and had inherited Ginny's clear skin and ability to freckle. But it was his eyes that always did Scorpius in – the way they always showed whatever Albus was feeling or thinking with such intensity. Though they looked just like Harry's, the way Albus looked at things was entirely his own.
Scorpius traced over the eighteen stars and connecting lines of Albus' tattoo with his fingertips.
Graffias, Antares, Shaula, Scorpius thought, touching each major star. Lesath, U Scorpii.
Permanent. Permanent. Permanent.
Scorpius stared at him, grateful and in awe that Albus traveled for what would amount to three days just to see him for one until Albus finally stirred, rolling onto his back, and opened his eyes.
"Good morning," Scorpius whispered. Albus turned toward the sound of his voice, grappling at the sheets until he found Scorpius' arm.
"'Morning," Albus muttered. Scorpius grinned and pushed his dark hair back from his face.
Scorpius muttered, trying to preserve the stillness as long as possible. "It's late."
"I know."
Albus closed his eyes again as he stretched out on his back, ligaments, and joints crackling as he moved. As he settled, Scorpius watched the rise and fall of Albus' chest and saw a thin tan line where the cord of his old amulet typically lay. He'd seen it briefly the night before and seeing that Albus still wore it had its usual effect on Scorpius – an immediate surge of affection and nostalgia.
Albus' thumb moved idly over the rough, faded scars on Scorpius' wrist.
"I guess we both have plenty of scars," Scorpius commented. Albus hummed in agreement, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"It's okay," Albus breathed. "It reminds us of where we've been."
Scorpius slid his cold toes under Albus' bare calf, his fingers playing nervously over his ribs, counting them down towards his abdomen and then walking back up his chest, his intention becoming blissfully clear with each passing second.
"Hey, Albus?"
"Yeah?"
"Marry me?"
It came out half like a question and half like a request, and Scorpius wasn't sure which it was. Youth or not Scorpius had made his decision a long time ago. He'd stay with Albus the rest of his life if he could – however long or brief a time that might be – and he knew Albus would do the same, but a day of wondering if Albus was alive or dead halfway around the world had offered some perspective that Scorpius wasn't willing to let fade into memory.
Albus' eyes snapped open. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before his head fell to the side. He stared at Scorpius. The lines of his face were a bit blurry, but he was close enough that Scorpius could see the surprise on his face.
"Marry me," Scorpius repeated. Time slowed down, giving him room to think. He should have prepared a speech or some kind of monologue. He could usually wax poetic about the things he loved about Albus all day long, but now that Albus was staring at him, he found himself vulnerable and wordless.
Albus could say no. There were a million reasons why he might, and while Albus took his sweet time studying Scorpius' face, they started to form a list in Scorpius' mind, from most obscure to increasingly evident –
"Yes."
It wasn't until Albus spoke that Scorpius realized only a few seconds of silence had passed. Albus was beaming at him – the brilliant grin he saved for the happiest of occasions, like meeting a new member of the family, getting a puppy, or graduating. It was his Christmas grin and his birthday smile turned up a few notches.
"Yes?"
"Yes."
Scorpius stared at Albus' face, torn between staying still to look at him and smothering him with affection. The latter won out and Albus met him in the middle, closing the space between. Scorpius felt Albus' arms close around him – Albus' hand in his hair, the other splayed across his back, cradling him and clutching him close as he laughed.
"I was wondering when – or if I should just do it. I didn't know -"
"Right? Are there rules? Are we supposed to get rings?"
"I don't know!"
Scorpius laughed, pushing Albus onto his back. He was still grinning – Scorpius wondered when he last saw so many of Albus' teeth – with his big eyes very much awake. He pushed Scorpius' hair back from his face, holding it out of the way as he looked up at him.
"I love you," Scorpius said. "I love you so much, and you make me so happy. I don't want to ever do anything without you."
"I've already said yes," Albus laughed. "No need to keep convincing me."
Scorpius bowed his head against Albus' shoulder, grinning ear-to-ear as he considered his luck that Albus Potter, the best friend he'd ever had and the only person he'd ever loved, would want to marry him.
"I love you too," Albus whispered, kissing Scorpius' temple. "I knew we'd wind up here."
"I knew we would too."
"We have to tell our parents."
Scorpius hummed, his mouth quirked into an uneven smile as he looked down at his fiancé.
Fiancé, Scorpius thought. Sounds so grown up.
"Later," he muttered, dipping down to kiss a trail down Albus' neck and shoulders, making his skin tingle all the way down to his fingertips. "I'm busy."
Scorpius let Albus go for only as much time as they needed to get dressed, and even then he didn't seem happy about it. He held onto Albus' hand as they walked down the stairs, kept his hand on Albus' back as he greeted Zar, stayed close to his side while they ate and talked and had his arm looped through Albus' as they used the Floo network to get to the Potters' home in the evening.
Albus didn't seem to mind one bit. If he only had a few hours left before heading back to Brazil, he needed each minute to count.
"So clingy," Scorpius teased as Albus snuggled up beside him on the couch, seeking as much socially acceptable contact as possible.
"You're the one who decided you wanted to be stuck with me forever," Albus muttered. "Don't start complaining now."
"There's still time to change my mind," Scorpius said. The smile on his face said otherwise.
"Not really," Albus countered. "Rose was right – we've been inseparable since we were kids. Might as well make it official."
Scorpius hummed as Albus stretched his legs across his lap, leaning back onto the arm of the couch. He winced a bit.
"Is your leg bothering you?"
Albus chuckled, folding Scorpius' hand in between his own.
"A bit," he admitted. "I may have… overexerted myself last night."
Scorpius blushed, thankful that Albus' parents were in the kitchen for the moment.
"And this morning," Albus added.
He hid his face against Albus' neck, grinning and embarrassed. From the other room, Scorpius heard more voices than before.
"Dad must be here," he said.
"We should tell them over dinner," Albus said, ruffling the hair at the base of Scorpius' neck. "Try not to break anything this time."
Scorpius' hand twitched at the memory of the shattered glass.
"They can fight over who gets to do the planning."
"I don't envy you," Albus admitted. "Having to deal with that until I get back."
"It'll be fun," Scorpius said, though he was trying to convince himself. "Planning a special day for us and all of our friends and family. It will be nice."
He felt Albus smile against his temple as Draco, Harry and Ginny came into the room. Ainsley followed close behind, talking to Orion.
"Dania sends her regrets," Draco said to Scorpius and Albus. "She'd already promised to visit her father tonight and he'd made plans."
"I understand," Albus said. "Are James and Lily here yet?"
"I think they're on their way," Harry said, setting a few pizza boxes down on the table. The smell reached Scorpius, reluctantly drawing him from his place tucked into Albus' side. The smell of melted cheese had that effect on him.
Albus reached for the pizza box and his hand was quickly batted away by Ginny.
"Wait for your brother and sister," she admonished. Albus pouted until she kissed his forehead on her way to her armchair, but stood her ground. "Just wait."
Scorpius rubbed his calf in consolation while Albus eyed the pizza longingly – an expression not unlike the one he'd worn last night.
"I haven't had pizza for months," he whispered desperately.
The sound of a small commotion from the other room preceded James and Lily stumbling into the room. James looked beat with a smear of dirt across his cheek and a tear in his Gringotts robe, while Lily looked positively bubbly, bouncing in.
"Hello!" she chirped.
"What's got you so excited?" Harry asked.
"I finally secured a major international contract for the shop," Lily announced. "I've been working on it for weeks."
Scorpius knew Lily was excited about her job working for Madam Malkin's expanded line of wizard wear and he was glad to see that she was succeeding. James, however, looked less than happy with whatever he'd done that day. Ainsley lay Orion in Ginny's arms before helping him clean what looked like black slime from his sleeve.
"One of the older vaults in the bank had an old curse on it," James mumbled. "Started to break down – you know how they are, needing to be refreshed every few decades. I have no idea what was in there before but it's acidic sludge now."
Draco wrinkled his nose as James pried his robe off, exposing his boots which now sported several gaping holes along the side.
"Rowle looks worse," James assured them as Ainsley started to fret over him. "I got lucky. He had to get patched up at St. Mungo's."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ainsley asked. Scorpius saw the way James smiled down at her, loving and bright, and it made him feel warm inside. She looked happy.
"I'm all right," James said. "Just need to take a shower first."
When James stepped back towards the stairs, Albus sat up. Scorpius jumped as he bumped the bruise on his side.
"Sorry," Albus said quickly. "Sorry, sorry – James, can you wait a second?"
James gave an exhausted sigh but paused, leaning onto the banister for support.
"Sure. What's up?"
Albus looked to Scorpius who shrugged. They didn't have a plan for telling their families about their engagement but then again, they hadn't had a plan for telling them they were together a few years ago.
"Well, we wanted to tell you all –"
"We decided –"
"We're getting married," Albus said finally.
Scorpius wasn't prepared when Lily launched herself at them. Albus nearly caught her, laughing as she fell across both their laps, embracing them.
"Congratulations!" she squealed. Albus let her hug him a second time, his face buried in her hair as she slid to sit on the couch next to them.
Ginny was smiling at them warmly, still holding Orion, while Harry laughed at his children's half-hugging, half-wrestling. While they offered their congratulations, kissing Albus and Scorpius' cheeks and ruffling their hair, Scorpius craned around them to see his father's face.
Draco was leaning against the hearth, watching his son closely and carefully as the Potters embraced him. Scorpius had only seen that warm smile that showed love without reservation a few times in his life, though it had been happening more frequently. It was moments like this that Draco resembled his son more than Scorpius resembled him.
"Dad?" Scorpius asked. He disentangled himself from the Potters and staggered over to Draco. "Dad, are you okay with this?"
"Of course I am," Draco said softly, raising his hands to rest on Scorpius' shoulders. They felt heavy. "How could I not be? You look so happy."
"I just… I didn't talk to you about it beforehand. It wasn't a plan, we just –"
"I know," Draco said fondly. "Remember? I did the same thing."
Scorpius thought of the story Draco had told him a long time ago – that he'd proposed to his mother in Paris impulsively when he knew the moment was right. He hadn't had a plan even though he'd been thinking of it for a while, and Scorpius supposed he'd had this in the back of his mind for a long time…
Draco drew him into a hug that seemed endless. He held onto Scorpius' shoulders for a long time while Harry and Ginny took their time fawning over Albus.
"I'm so happy for you," Draco said, quiet enough that no one else could hear.
"Even though I'm marrying a Potter?"
"As long as it's the Slytherin one, it's okay," Draco said. When he released Scorpius, he was grinning. "I know you'll take care of each other."
Lily and Albus were still laughing in a tangle, and James sat nearby, removed. He seemed to be pleased but exhaustion was overtaking him. Scorpius wrinkled his nose. He'd long wished James was more open to him, but he'd been so lucky with Lily, Harry and Ginny. He supposed he couldn't have everything.
"So, Potter," Draco said. Scorpius saw Harry smirk and fold his arms.
"Malfoy."
"I suppose this will make us family now."
"We were already very distant cousins," Harry pointed out.
"Well, if you're going to be my son's father-in-law, there's going to need to be some rules," Draco said, stepping around Scorpius.
"Oh, bloody hell. Here we go," James said. Ainsley wrapped her arms around Scorpius' waist from the side. He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head affectionately as Draco and Harry stared each other down.
"Rules?" Harry said. "You know very well that the Potters don't do 'rules' very well."
Ginny rolled her eyes and looked at Scorpius. He'd spent most of the day being blissfully happy with Albus and hadn't stopped to think about what their marriage would entail beyond spending the rest of his days with Albus. This second family that he had fallen in love with – that he had spent holidays with, celebrated with and cried with – was going to become a permanent part of his life. Harry and Ginny would be his second parents. Lily would be his sister. And James…
Well, James would probably still just be an enigma, but at least he and Ainsley seemed to be happy. She deserved that much, at least.
"You can't go off getting yourself scarred up – well, any more than you already are," Draco said, pointing lazily at Harry's forehead. "Not between now and the wedding. It will ruin the photos."
"And you're going to have to wear something other than black," Lily said, popping up at Harry's side. "It's not a funeral."
"I like bla –"
"No, she's right, Draco," Albus chimed in. "No black."
Draco glared at him.
"Obviously, the wedding will be at the Manor –"
"Or The Burrow, like ours was," Harry said.
Draco looked quite unhappy. Clearly, this conversation was not going the way he'd wanted.
"The Manor has a lovely garden, and the terrace would be perfect."
"The Burrow is warm and inviting and my family is there," Ginny said, bouncing Orion who had been disturbed by all the commotion.
"Ginny, see reason –"
Albus pulled himself up from the couch, exasperated, and made his way to Scorpius' side.
"I knew this would happen," he said as they continued bickering.
"I think it's lovely," Ainsley said softly. "They already want to make it perfect for you."
"Excuse me," Scorpius said. Harry, Ginny and Draco ignored him, continuing to argue the virtues of the wide-open space surrounding Ginny's childhood home and the rose garden outside the Malfoy Manor.
"Excuse me," he tried again.
"Hey!" Albus yelled. The three parents jumped and looked at him, shocked at the sudden noise.
"It's our wedding," Scorpius said. "Don't you think we should get to decide?"
Draco and Harry exchanged perturbed glances.
"Well, have you talked about it?" Draco asked. Scorpius and Albus shook their heads.
"No, but when we do, we'll let you know."
Both Harry and Draco opened their mouths to protest, but Ginny cut them off.
"Please do," Ginny said. Harry looked like he was still ready to continue arguing, and Ginny covered his mouth with her hand. He bit her gently.
"Besides," Albus said, taking Scorpius' hand. He held onto it tight. "We haven't had time to think about it, but we'll figure it out."
Scorpius couldn't help smiling at him – at the way he so kindly told their parents to back off without making it worse. The Albus of five years ago would have been shocked, though likely not impressed. The Scorpius of today had never been more in love.
Ginny looked over to Draco. "See? They'll decide on their own."
"Don't act superior," Draco retorted. "You were ready to hex me to make your point."
"James!" Harry gasped.
James, whose actions had gone unnoticed, was quickly starting on his second slice of pizza.
"What?" he asked through a near-full mouth. Ainsley laughed and Albus, who'd been tortured by the smell of pizza he couldn't touch, dove at the box.
Somehow, watching Albus leave again wasn't as painful as the first time. Scorpius walked him outside to the pre-arranged Portkey (which he'd learned was the only reason Albus had contacted Draco before showing up) early on Sunday morning and watched as Albus crouched to say goodbye to Zar.
"I'll be back in a few weeks, buddy," he said, scratching behind the dog's ears. Zar seemed to know he was leaving again and had been melancholy for most of the morning. He whined and licked Albus' hand before Albus stood up, adjusting the bag on his back.
"Shame I couldn't find that jumper I wore home," Albus said. Scorpius looked past him innocently.
"Yeah, shame," Scorpius said. "Just take mine anyway. It's softer."
"Hmmm," Albus hummed. "It's unnecessarily soft. I have no reason to take a cashmere jumper to Brazil."
"Well, that's what I had, so…"
Albus beamed up at him, his face soft and amiable. He placed his hand against Scorpius' cheek and Scorpius could feel a slight coldness there from the thin band wrapped around his ring finger. They'd taken a late night trip to Diagon Alley and purchased two small platinum bands – placeholders until they got married.
"So everyone knows you're taken," Albus had said.
"I doubt there's any witch or wizard left in Britain who doesn't know we're together," Scorpius had answered.
Scorpius placed his hands on Albus' side, drawing him closer. He didn't want to make the same mistake as last time and leave himself regretting a cold goodbye.
"I'm going to miss you," Scorpius sighed as Albus' hand worked across his jaw.
"I'll be back before you know it," Albus promised. "And then we're going to get married."
"And then we're going to get married."
Scorpius kissed him long and slow, trying to commit every bit of it to memory. Albus had been back for all too brief a time, but it had been better than perfect. Scorpius held him close until the chime on Albus' watch went off and he sighed.
"I have to go," Albus said against his neck. "Don't get too caught up in the wedding planning until I get back."
"Don't worry," Scorpius said, releasing him. "I've got a few problems of my own to solve before I get to that."
"Problems?"
"Geek problems," Scorpius assured him quickly. "History problems. Work things."
Albus looked at him with such fondness that Scorpius wondered if he'd convinced himself to stay.
"I'll see you soon, love," Albus said again.
"See you soon."
Albus walked over to the rusted garden rake that leaned against their fence. With a last smile back at his fiancé, he grabbed the handle and disappeared.