A/N: I love all my readers and reviewers so so much so I'm giving you a little gift- a breakup in this chapter! And please keep reviewing :D

Chapter 11:

"Albus," Scorpius said, holding up a slip of parchment at lunch. "Do you know who this is from?"

"The Gringotts Official Giveaway," Zims said in his poshest wireless announcer's voice. "And now you, Scorpius Malfoy are even richer than you were before-tell us lad, what will you spend the money on?"

Zims stuck a potatoey spoon in Scor's face, and Scorpius batted it away. "No, I haven't entered that giveaway-no one ever wins the lottery, plus we're too young."

"Plus it's from Louis Weasley, if I'm Declan Banning," Declan stated firmly.

"Then you're a hippogriff's uncle," Lily said-she was sitting at their table this afternoon. "It's from Mum and Dad, isn't it, Scorpius?"

"Yes," Scorpius said tilting his head to look at her. "However did you know? Did your parents tell you that they were going to write me?"

"No," Lily beamed. "Just a lucky guess-and besides; girls are smarter than boys, aren't they?"

Albus threw a roll at her head, which she neatly dodged. "What's it say in the letter, then, Scorpius?"

"Your parents," Scorpius said oddly. "Have invited me for Yule-without knowing the particular care they're going to have to take with my illness. Did you write them, Albus?"

"No," Albus grinned, "But isn't that wonderful, Scor?"

Scorpius nodded blankly. "I think I'm going to go upstairs, I probably forgot a book, or something-"

"Scor," Albus said, "Wait-"

But it was no use. Scorpius was out of the Great Hall faster than a kneazle after a toy ball. And Louis threw his napkin over his food and chased right after him. Albus glared at Louis' shadow, hating him even more now that he had given his tacit blessing to that-that-fiasco. Albus was so sure that one day Louis was going to hurt Scorpius and Albus was going to have to be the one to pick up the pieces-not that Scor would listen, oh no! Every other word out of his mouth was Louis this and Louis and I that. It was treacle-sweet, it was-

"You're brooding," Lily said. "Why didn't you go after Scorpius if you wanted to see why he was upset?"

"Louis Weasley," Albus grumbled.

Lily laughed. "I'm sure you're still Scor's favorite, Al."

"You make me sound like a bitter old ex," Albus mumbled to his berry crumble.

"That's what you are," Zims teased. "Old Woe is Me Potter, you think that you would have gotten thrown over for Louis Weasley when the truth of the tale is you threw Scor over first for Caro Finnegan."

Everyone turned around to look at Caroline at her friends at the Gryffindor table, so Albus turned around too and waved at her. Caroline smiled and waved back, and went back to eating merrily.

The bell pinged signaling the changing of classes and so Albus said goodbye to Lily and walked down the hall with Zims and Declan. All along the hall students had hung holly haphazardly, and the spellotape or sticking charms that they used never seemed to hold so whenever Albus got back to his dorms and took a shower he was forever shaking out pine needles from his vests. Along one wall someone had hung a stock photograph of a witch and wizard kissing under the mistletoe and written It's not too late-to find a date for the Yule Ball!

"Who put those up?" Albus rolled his eyes. "Slytherins as a prank?"

"Ashamed to say it was an in-House project," Declan sighed. "Some second year Hufflepuffs thought the castle wasn't festive enough-and they read about dance posters in Muggle Studies."

"Bloody dances," Zims kicked his feet as he walked-slowly, it was to Divination. "Jenny turned me down twice this week, even though I know she doesn't have a date, and Eliza Turpin decided to go with Al's brother over me, even though we had that magical night under the bleachers."

"Which you told Declan about, which meant the whole school knew before sunrise," Albus reminded him while Declan tried to swat him with a heavy roll of parchment.

"Well then," Declan said, a little viciously. "Since you're the one with the date; what are you going to do about Caroline?"

"Caro?" Albus said.

"Yeah, Al," Zims said eagerly. "Have you asked her yet? What are you going to do about flowers-and your robes-and her robes?"

"I haven't the foggiest," Albus said, feeling very much like a man who's head had been submerged under water for too long and now could no longer get his bearings. He had to ask Caroline to the dance even though they had been dating since the beginning of the year? And flowers? And dress robes?

"Better off asking Scor," Declan said, a little bitterly since he seemed to be the only one out of their circle with no prospects for the immediate future. "He'd know more about these things, I reckon."

"Scorpius isn't going," Albus said, a little too sharply. Both his friends looked at him as though he was barking-well he wasn't.

"We know that, you lunatic," Zims replied, climbing up to Divination. "It's just that Scor's, you know-"

"What?" Albus hissed. "Gay?"

"That, too," Zims said awkwardly. "But obviously happier than you right now."

With that Zims opened the door to the classroom. Professor Thornfree had all the desks against the back of the room, and everyone was sitting happily in groups, except for Scorpius, who was obviously waiting for Zims, Declan and Albus to arrive.

"Since we completed our Horoscope and birth charts," Professor Thornfree began. "We will once again begin lectures. Open your texts to page 368 please, and lets begin."

As soon as the groaning died down and everyone had fallen into a good lecture stupor Albus passed Scorpius a note.

Why were you mad before?

Scorpius picked the note up off the floor and wrote underneath his parchment on a bit of an edge so that it seemed as though he was taking diligent notes. With a covert cough he ripped the edge off and passed it to Albus as soon as Professor Thornfree turned his back.

I was cross you hadn't invited me yourself, Al. Plus I kind of had made plans for the hols-but its okay now, everything's worked itself out.

Albus had the sinking suspicion that Louis was behind all of this, and it was a feeling he hated-it made his stomach twist and swirl as though he was going to be sick all over his text. Without taking half as much care as Scorpius had with his note, Albus yanked off a shred and scribbled off a reply.

Does this have something do to with L ?

Y, Scorpius wrote back. Father gave me permission to go to France with L this Yule. But since I'll be staying at Godric's Hollow, they'll be no need-L. can visit and I can meet your parents and L's.

Albus crumpled the note is his hand. Again everything came back to Louis lately-and now Louis was going to be stinking up his Yule hols and stealing away his time with Scorpius, as if he had any lately; Scorpius was always running off to find time to be with Louis. They were always reading ridiculous poetry, or laughing with his stuck-up Slytherin mates, or even bringing him around Hufflepuff as he had the rudeness to do last week-

Scorpius smiled at him across the room and Albus grinned back. What could he do? As everyone said, Scorpius was happy, and Albus had a girlfriend. And really, he had no reason to be so jealous in the first place-he wasn't even gay.

"Will you go with me to the Yule Ball?" Albus asked Caroline as they walked together to Potions the next day.

Caroline bumped into his hand and Albus took it courteously.

"You don't have to ask me," Caroline grinned. "We're going out-I've already got my dress, it's really pretty; Mum saved up for it and it cost a hundred galleons and Dad said I could wear Gran's pearls for the night. What do you think of that?"

Albus didn't really know; he didn't have an opinion of dresses and pearls, or of Healer Finnegan's wife's money. So instead he tugged on Caro's pretty pony of shiny brown hair and rushed away, forgetting for a moment that he was a prefect.

With a laugh Caroline followed him down the hall and the caught up with each other in a laughing little hug before making sure to be on time for Potions.

"Do I look alright?" Albus asked Scorpius for at least the fiftieth time.

Scorpius looked up from his book casually, a little too casually.

"You look really good, Al," Scorpius said, as though he had something caught in his throat. He cleared it. "Really good."

Albus looked at himself in the mirror again. Of course the mirror had complimented him three times except for telling him that he needed to run a brush through his hair (which he had it just didn't seem to lay flat, ever). Wearing dress robes made him feel like a kid playing dress up in his dad's closet again but apparently this was what one wore-even though it was poncy. Albus made a face at his reflection.

"Nervous?" Scorpius laughed.

"Just a bit," Albus shrugged. "Can't be too hard-the dancing bit. Just swaying side to side, right?"

"I wouldn't know," Scorpius said wistfully, turning another page in his book.

"Oh," Albus said, feeling like a berk. "I'm sorry mate."

"Really," Scorpius looked out the window as though to cover his expression. "It's fine. I didn't want to go to the dance anyway, so it's alright that I'm not going."

"Telling tall tales," Albus scoffed. "I'll have a dance for you-wish me luck, Scor."

Scorpius looked at him lingeringly with an unreadable expression. "I wish you more than luck, Al."

Caroline was waiting for Albus by the huge double doors of the Great Hall. She was wearing bright blue robes with bare arms with a rather silly train and she wasn't really wearing her gran's pearls-she had wrapped them around one wrist in a way that looked sort of clunky and odd. Albus liked her better without the red lipstick and bare arms, the way she sort of grinned with her bare lips and her ponytail everyday. She sort of looked silly now-like a little girl playing at a cinema star.

"You look nice," Albus lied. It seemed the sort of compliment that Caro was waiting for and he couldn't not tell her-it'd only be too mean.

Caroline grinned-there was a bit of red lipstick on her teeth. "Thanks Albus! Molly Cartwright helped me with my hair; we spent ever so long getting the spell right and my neck fell asleep, isn't that stupid? I thought about taking my hair down and just wearing it in a pony but Ava Wallace started making fun-she was taking the piss and saying just because I have two brothers I shouldn't always look like a bloke. Do you think that's true, Albus?"

Albus snapped to attention upon hearing his name. "No," he said. Caro really didn't look like a boy, even if she could take a joke and belch just as good as the next bloke. Besides, her hair was long.

Caroline grinned, taking his arm. "Do you want to dance?"

Albus shrugged. "Guess so."

The dancing was harder than Albus had anticipated. There were far more steps than it seemed and everyone but him seemed to know them-perhaps they all belonged to a secret society of dancers but certain Hufflepuffs weren't allowed to join. For example, Zims, that traitor, was dancing the Hogwarts Hop with great ease while Albus was constantly forgetting when to turn and when to side step. It was making everyone lose their place and Caro laugh.

Finally, thank the gods, Caroline wanted to sit down.

"Do you want a drink?" Albus asked, motioning with his head to the refreshment table.

"Sure," Caroline grinned. "Messing up your steps works up a thirst."

Albus gave her a rude gesture and brought them back some punch he was almost certain was spiked with some potion or alcohol, judging by the waggling eyebrows of the Gryffindor who doled out the drinks.

Albus took a sip and coughed. "Strong."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah."

There was an awkward silence, which was odd since Caro was never one for a loss of words. Finally, she said-

"Al," Caroline took Albus' hand. "Do you want to get out of here?"

Albus did actually, very much. The Yule Ball was the most over-rated rot he had ever been to since the Divison ii Quidditch finals. Albus nodded and took Caro's hand.

Instead of leading them back to Hufflepuff or to Gryffindor, or even to sit outside on the lawn to refresh themselves in the night air, Caroline led Albus to an unused classroom just outside the Astronomy tower. The Astronomy tower was notorious for loose couples going there after hours, it was only second to the library and the Room of Requirement, a place Albus had only been once, as Dad hadn't given Albus or James the map or the cloak, calling them priceless heirlooms.

"Caroline," Albus said hesitantly. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

Caro gently led him into the classroom, as though he was a skittish horse. "Don't be silly, Al," Caroline said in a voice that attempted to sound seductive, but it only sounded as though she had a bit of a cold. "Just come here."

Albus came closer and kissed her. But it was hard-every kiss felt as though he was kissing her through the barrier of her lipstick, and it was tacky and sticky and strange. Outside of her uniform, and in the slinky blue dress, Albus didn't know where to put his arms-and he felt Caro's breasts and nipples brushing against his chest more than once-and it was strange. Albus experimentally touched one breast while kissing Caroline and she actually made a soft sound.

Albus tried again, pulling her closer-but when Caroline went for his crotch, Albus batted away her hands.

Caroline pulled away and looked at Albus almost pityingly.

"It's not going to work," Caroline said sadly. "Is it?"

"No," Albus said. "I'm sorry."

Caro nodded once. "I'm going back to the Ball-do you want to come?"

"No," Albus shook his head. "I'm going to head back to the dorms."

Albus walked slowly back to the dorms. He wasn't sure why it hadn't worked with Caroline Finnegan-she was pretty and fun and a friend of the family. Maybe that was why-she was someone he knew, someone he had grown up with. All the pieces seem to fit on parchment, but put together in real life they didn't fit. When Albus touched her there was no chemistry, no spark-it was like a bad wand that was almost repulsive. And Albus hated to think of someone as nice and kind and pretty as Caro as repulsive. But some things weren't meant to be, he guessed.

Albus walked into the dorms. He was weary and bone tired from dancing in his new dress shoes. Thank the gods everyone was out-everyone except Scorpius. Albus didn't know the odds that Scorpius was in the dorms during the night, but maybe he'd have a friendly ear to tell his breakup story to.

Oddly enough the dorm room lights were on. Albus opened the door slowly, in case Scorpius had come back from a hunt and didn't want to be disturbed when he saw-

There was a wireless on. That was the first thing Albus noticed-it was playing a soft and mournful melody which matched the soft candlelight exactly. On the beside were two glasses filled with an amber liquid Albus was sure wasn't some sort of juice, and there was clothes thrown everywhere-on the floor, on the bed, near the doorway. As if the occupants of the bed were so eager to get to their activities that they hadn't stopped to get to the bed and undress, but had basically attacked each other.

Laying on Scorpius' bed was Louis. His eyes were closed with passion, and his forehead was beaded with sweat. Albus had never seen him this close before-he had never known that Louis had freckles on his shoulders where they met his back, or that his arms had pretty strong definition. It was like seeing someone he had never known, or wished to know. Above him-straddling him was Scorpius. The duvet of the bed were tossed away and so Albus could see-could see they were moving together, under the sheet. Scorpius was moaning-and his moans were nothing like Caro's moans-they were deep and guttural and primal.

Scorpius' teeth descended. "Want-" He said, touching Louis' chest. "Need-"

"Drink," Louis cried, offering his wrist. "Oh, gods, drink-"

"Mmhmm," Scorpius took his wrist as Louis cried. Blood dribbled from his mouth crudely onto the white sheets and Louis smirked as Scorpius drank, the candlelight reflecting off of his pale blond hair.

"There," Louis said, watching Scorpius with something that could only be described as gentle calculation as he drank." There, now."

Scorpius pulled his fangs away and grinned, the sight was both oddly endearing and gruesome to Albus' view.

"Glad to be of service," Louis laughed. "So your night wasn't ruined."

"Not entirely," Scorpius beamed. "You know I want you, Weasley, don't go fishing if you don't have a net."

Louis laughed and slipped his hand underneath the bedsheets-Albus had some idea what he was doing because of his wrist motion. He ran away.

As he collapsed in front of Gryffindor's Fat Lady he wiped his sweaty face and it was only then he realized that it was not sweat on his face. It was tears streaming down his cheeks.