A/N: Wow thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews! I was so happy with the comments, and someone guessed a major plot point so shh, you know who you are! I especially want to sent a cookie or ten to ShazzaBlack for enjoying my pseudo-wizard slang. I want to make my stories sound as authentic as possible, and when people notice it really makes me feel so happy. Enjoy guys and keep reviewing!
Chapter 14:
Scorpius fell asleep around four in the morning, exhausted, in a heap on Albus' bed. Albus couldn't though; he was too keyed up. Part of himself was so bloody annoyed at Louis Weasley; he owned Scorpius so much more than just breaking it off with him in a letter - they had been seeing each other for nearly two years, for the gods' sake! And then the other part, the meaner part, was secretly thrilled - if- and this was a big if - Scorpius and Louis didn't get back together, he and Scorpius might have a shot.
Albus bit his lip.
He pulled out a piece of parchment.
Dear Mr. Malfoy, Albus wrote.
Last night Scorpius came to stay with me and my family. I know he would need some items for his 'condition'. Please conceal them appropriately as my mum and brother and sister do not know of his 'illness'.
Best, Albus Severus Potter.
Albus wasn't sure where to send the letter, so he sent one copy to Malfoy Manor and one care of his office at the Ministry. Surely Mr. Malfoy would be at least at one of the addresses during the day, Albus hoped; and that way he wouldn't have to worry about his son. Merlin knew Albus didn't want to witness a scene between his father and Draco Malfoy, MP.
Albus watched the sun rise over the clouds. Soon his mum would be rising to make her first cuppa and to put on the morning news for their dad before he left to work. Everyone would be living their lives as though nothing were wrong, but the injustice of what happened to Scorpius still rankled Albus. Scorpius deserved an explanation. And Louis Weasley had been getting away with this sort of tripe all of his life - Albus was going to get the truth out of him-or make him pay.
Albus Floo'd right into Aunt Fleur's kitchen but no one was home. The entire house was dark. That was strange-Aunt Fleur was always baking something or the other from scratch or puttering around with her awful old kneazle. Not even Uncle Bill was up, and Albus had waited a bit longer until it was an appropriate hour to call on them in case they were having a lie in.
A sound came from upstairs and Albus looked at the foot of the stairs curiously. It was Louis - and he looked miserable, his skin was sallow and his hair was lank and dingy, as though he hadn't washed it in days.
"So," Louis drawled without his usual flair. "You've come. I wondered how long it would take him to go to you."
"You've a lot of nerve," Albus cried. "He's over at my house, crying for you! Why did you pull something like that? What sort of game was it?"
Louis just sighed. He sounded old and tired, as though he was a weary traveler who only wanted to get into bed and rest. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Albus Potter. The things that go on between Veela and their mates are not to be understood by paltry wizards. Your blood is a mere nothing, just as useless as saying lumos without a wand-you have no power, no prestige - and yet because of your last name you think you can come in here and demand things of me-"
"He's your mate," Albus gasped. "Scorpius is your bloody mate and you threw him over! What in the hades is wrong with you! You must be mad!"
"I did not throw him over," Louis hissed, his Gallic accent even more pronounced, "As you so cleverly put it. I could not throw him over. Ever. I love him more than myself - to much to my detriment, at times."
"What?" Albus asked, completely blown away. "He's crying for you at home, you can apparate, go after him -"
"I can not go after him," Louis tossed his hair back smoothly. "If Scorpius rebels against the bond then there is nothing I can do but watch both of our lives go down in flames as a sacrifice to his infatuation for -" Louis paused as though he was measuring what he was saying and to whom. "An infatuation for a creature that does not deserve him and can not deserve him."
"But," Albus said, confused. "Can you not fight for him? Tell the other bloke off?"
Louis grinned, very much like a shark before it would bite off a Muggle's leg. "But I have, Albus. Haven't you ever wondered why I've always hated you so much? Teased you and chased you and tormented you? Now you know. I hate you more than any living thing on this earth, and I will go to my grave hating you because you have taken from me the only thing that can make me happy - my life's companion. My mate. I do not know why my mate has chosen a nothing like you over me, but believe me, I am watching you, Albus Potter. Always."
Albus swallowed and moved to the Floo quickly, leaving the cottage before Louis could make a move.
Albus was home before he was missed - he could smell the fry up - eggs and rashers, and fried tomatoes. Scorpius was still under his sheets, burrowed like a little baby caterpillar, only a few strands of his blond hair was peeking through. Albus ached to brush his fingers through those strands and cuddle in close to Scorpius' blanketed figure.
Albus tried to make sense of what Louis had told him. Could it be true - that Louis' old childhood rivalry with him had been some sort of premonition that Scorpius was his mate? It could be possible, but how had Scorpius turned Louis down for Albus anyway? He and Albus had never had never done anything beside friendship - they had never been anything but the best of mates. Albus didn't know what to believe, but what he did know was that Louis was capable of anything, including using Scorpius and then discarding him later. This mate story could all be just another of his tales.
Albus looked at his desk. There was a small brown parcel along with a note on very fine stationary.
Dear Mr. Potter, it read
We are very grateful to you for letting us know the whereabouts of Scorpius. Please give him the contents of this parcel when he awakens. I would also like to extend to you my invitation to spend some of your summer holidays at my home.
Please let me know if this is amenable by return owl.
Yours most sincerely,
Narcissa Lucretia Malfoy
Albus nearly screamed. A letter from Mrs. Malfoy - the famous Mrs. Malfoy who defied Voldemort and saved Dad's life! And she had actually written to Albus herself, thanking him for doing something and asking him to come to Malfoy Manor. Albus rushed down to the kitchens, clutching the letter in his hands.
Mum looked at him. "What's that then, Al? Letter from a girl?"
"No," Albus bounced on his feet. "Mrs. Malfoy."
Mum's face went entirely serious. "Let me see it."
Mum read the letter through twice, Albus could see because of the way her eyes ran through the print, and then she nodded.
"Is Scorpius here?" Mum asked pleasantly, a bit too pleasantly.
"Oh, yeah," Albus said, buttering his toast. "His broom got thrown off course so he came and spent the night. The parcel was just his potions - he's got anemia."
Mum nodded. "You must go then," Mum said firmly. "No matter what your father says you should go to the Malfoys. Ever since the war Mrs. Malfoy has hosted the best garden parties and I don't get invited. Why? Because your father acts as though he's a man of the people instead of trying to be a part of society. I've got no friends that matter-we meet no new people, only the same old chums, I tell you when you get married, Al-"
Albus longed to tell Mum that it was looking less and less likely that he was never going to get married to a witch. Instead he took the cup of tea from her hands and nodded sympathetically. It was one parent down, and another to go before he could go and stay at Scorpius' for some of the hols.
"Hallo," James said, strolling into breakfast. "What's new?"
"Albus is going to stay at the Malfoys," Mum said. "And put on a clean shirt before Scorpius comes down, James, that one's got a stain on it."
"Aw, Mum," James whined. "The stain adds character."
"I don't care," Mum said irritably. "I need new shoes, those garden parties are usually in June - James, upstairs, and wake up Scorpius, will you? Albus, does he like eggs or pancakes better?"
"Eggs," Albus said firmly.
Lily came in from the garden, holding a bit of tin foil and a potions vial.
"What were you doing?" Albus asked.
"It's supposed to make your natural blond streaks come out," Lily said, patting her red bob. "I ordered it from the back of this teen mag, but I don't see a bit of difference. Did you go and talk to Louis, yet?"
"How do you always know everything?" Albus asked, irritated.
Scorpius came down the stairs, his blond hair shining with the streaks that poor Lily was looking for sitting in the sun all afternoon. He was wearing a very tight black t-shirt which highlighted the fact that he had a very flat stomach - Albus decided he liked this shirt almost as much as he liked Scor's old jeans. The jeans he was wearing today were cut close to his body, as well, but not as tight - although when he sat down Albus got a very nice view of his bum, which was fit just like the rest of Scor-
"Thanks for writing to Grandmother," Scorpius said, right in his ear; his breath was coppery and cool and so very inviting. "I was so starved when I woke up."
Albus crossed and uncrossed his legs, hoping for relief. "No problem," Albus smiled back. "Your grandmother wrote me a note."
"Did she?" Scorpius beamed-and Albus couldn't help but notice the tinges of red flames mixed in with the grey, and it was mesmerizing. "What did she say?"
"Oh," Albus coughed to distract himself. "She asked if I would like to stay at your place for the some of the hols."
Scorpius grasped his hand - his hand was cool, but it was firm and soft and lovely - and Albus needed to stop mooning over him over his rashers.
"You're going to come, right?" Scorpius asked, smiling into his face winningly.
"Yeah," Albus enthused, a little dully because of his distractions. "Yeah, definitely."
When Albus came out of the bathroom after taking care of his little - or increasingly big - problem, he found Scorpius sitting on his bed, staring out the window. Everything about Scorpius said miserable - the slump in his shoulders, the downcast expression, the defeatist look. Albus still wasn't exactly sure what had happened between Scorpius and Louis but it wasn't right that Scorpius - who was one of the nicest and sweetest person he knew - was suddenly miserably hollow.
"Crying again?" Albus tried to tease, but it only came out concerned.
"Nah," Scorpius tossed back. "Can't afford the blood loss."
Albus sat down beside him. "Want to talk about it?"
Scorpius turned and looked at Albus steadily. "I'm not sure I can, Al."
Albus put a hand on Scorpius' back-he could feel his spine and the movements of his inhalation and exhalation. "You could try."
"You're right," Scorpius nodded.
"When Louis started going after me," Scorpius said, his eyes fixed on nothing, as if recalling. "I was flattered; he was older than me, foreign, he was fit. It seemed like a dream, you know? And he was part-creature as well - part two creatures, and it made me feel - understood, whole, alive. Albus you can't understand what it's like to be part-creature! I feel like I'm constantly torn in two - part of me wants the most horrible, Dark, despicable things - and the other part is sweet little Scor Malfoy. Some times I'm so cross and I want to rip someone's heart out and drain their veins dry, or Zims makes a smart comment and just want to rip out his vocal chords - oh I don't know, Al! But Louis understood that, and he made me feel, like I wasn't an alien, but real."
Albus wanted to understand that-to understand what lurked underneath Scorpius and see it, and truly truly see it for himself-not just as a sympathetic best mate, but as a lover, and a soul mate. He wanted to be so much a part of Scorpius, the good and the bad, and it wasn't fair that someone as mean and cruel and little as Louis Weasley had been the one to understand him better than Albus himself.
As for the Dark things Scorpius described-Albus could no longer fear them. He knew Scorpius, knew him as well as he knew his own wand, and he knew Scor was as capable of carrying out those tasks as he was of spontaneously taking flight at this exact moment. Sure Scorpius had some Darkness in him, that was true, but many people did, and struggled with it at the same time. Albus had gotten over his fears of the vampire within Scor. He knew what he felt-and that was love.
"Did you love him?" Albus asked softly.
"Love is a very complicated thing," Scorpius said ominously, his voice hollow. "I don't think I'd wish it on anybody."
Albus put his arm around Scorpius' shoulder. "Whatever happens," he said fiercely. "We've got each other. I'll always be there for you. I promise."
Scorpius smiled. "Me too, Al. Promise."