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: I hope that you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. I apologize for any misspelling, and if you find something poorly written please do tell me.

Chapter 14

Spider Eggs and a Seeker

Albus shivered with cold, and along with the freezing sensation that he had been sleeping inside a bucket of ice came the merciless throbbing of his head. His brain felt too big for his skull and his whole body felt like he had just fallen from the Astronomy tower. He noticed he was sleeping shirtless on his own bed. He didn't remember how or when he got there in the first place, failing to remember how the night had ended. He let out a low groan as he slowly rubbed his eyes before opening them. He looked to the side and saw Scorpius on the other bed looking at him.

"Stop staring, you're being creepy" he muttered, covering his whole body under the sheets.

"I can't help it, you're shirtless. How do you feel?" asked Scorpius, who looked far too composed compared to Albus.

"Like crap, if you must know." Albus replied. Then he poked his head out from under the bed covers, "Did I cause any trouble last night? I can't remember much" he asked, looking worried.

"No, don't worry, you behaved just fine." replied Scorpius, standing up to walk to his trunk so he could get ready for the day. "In fact, you came to bed all by yourself, which is a massive achievement considering how drunk you were."

"Sorry..." whispered Albus, feeling ashamed. But Scorpius looked at him fondly and chuckled.

"You were quite fun actually, a lot more...outgoing, I like it. Now hurry and get up so we can have some breakfast." and with that he walked out of the room.

Albus laid in bed for a while. He felt like absolute shit, and he just wanted to sleep through this hangover, but it was impossible now that he felt so cold. But just a second later he remembered that he was dating Scorpius, and just after that, he remembered the Quidditch game, and suddenly the headache felt insignificant compared to the wave of excitement that flooded him. It made him want to go out and get on his broomstick and dash across the air. He started grinning like crazy and it took all of his willpower not to scream his excitement out, so instead he threw the bed covers to the side and stood up in one jump, only to regret that decision when his head felt like it was about to explode.

After that he slowly walked to the bathrooms. Maybe a hot shower would help.

"Hey Potter, great game yesterday!" a boy yelled at Albus, who was dragging himself into the Great Hall.

"Yeah, thanks..." he replied absently, without looking at the unknown student.

"Wow, are you practicing for the Living Dead contest or what?" asked Tom as he saw Albus walk towards him and Scorpius, who were sitting together at the Slytherin table. Albus just ignored him and dropped to the bench beside Scorpius.

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Scorpius.

"Do I need to answer?" asked Albus, resting his elbows on the table, unable to eat anything, but incredibly thirsty.

"Here, have some juice, it'll sort you out" said Tom, passing him a goblet full of Pumpkin juice.

Albus drank just a little bit and immediately started feeling better. But at that very moment Lance Feder, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, approached hastily with a shocked expression, looking like he had barely slept at all.

"Potter, we've got an emergency" he said, without even greeting them. "Meyer's just given up his Seeker position."

"What?" yelled Albus and Tom immediately.

"Talked to me this morning, the git. His mam told him off for not getting good grades. He's saying he's got to focus on his NEWTs and all, innit."

Dylan Meyer was Slytherin's 7th Year Seeker. He had been in that position for the last 4 years.

"So what're we gonna do?" asked Albus quickly.

"I spoke to professor Vector just now and she told me we've gotta find another Seeker before next sunday. 'plenty of raw talent in our house' she said, the old hag." Lance said, looking seriously distressed. "Thinks it's a bloody joke..."

"I can take the position!" called Tom, raising and waving his hand excitedly.

"No, you can't. You wouldn't catch the snitch if it flapped it's wings all over your face." replied Albus.

"Oh, someone's a bit arsey" replied Tom, crossing him arms.

"Oh, you reckon?" shot back Albus.

"Alright, I better go. Potter, I need you to find a decent Seeker as soon as possible. I'm counting on you mate, yeah? This is life or death situation lads, we're under Hufflepuff by about 100 points, so we can't screw this one up." Lance said as he stood up. He nodded at them and started walking away. He crossed path with Henric Heavyway, who was walking towards them to join them.

"So Lance told you about Meyer."

Albus nodded solemnly, beginning to feel the headaches once more.

"A right twat, he is. What was he thinking? to leave the team now!"

"Well, he's in 7th year," reasoned Albus, drinking more juice. "This is his last chance to get some good grades so he can...you know, do something with his life. Barely anyone's playing Quidditch by 7th year." he placed the goblet on the table. "I think I'ma go get some more sleep, perhaps 'till tomorrow. I'm knackered."

"What? NO!" said Tom hurriedly. "We need you tonight, we can't go without you!"

"Tonight? What're you talking about?" asked Albus.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten what day today is. Second sunday of the month, Al. The egg hunt!"

Albus' face suddenly lit with excitement as he heard those words.

"Egg hunt? What is that?" asked Scorpius, suddenly feeling lost.

"Oh, It's a...sort of tradition, as it were. The second sunday of January a colony of spiders in the Forbidden Forest lay their eggs..." explained Albus.

"We reckon it has something to so with the moon." added Tom.

"So we go out at night and nick some eggs from them. And we bring them to the castle. We use them for potions." finished Albus, looking expectantly at Scorpius.

"What...kind of potions?" asked Scorpius, sounding incredulous and unsure.

"Well" said Henric. "Have you noticed that for the last couple of years during Valentines day all Gryffindor girls wake up with this mysterious skin rash?" he grinned.

"You were the ones behind it?" asked Scorpius in shock. "Why?"

"Wow, don't be such a ponce, Malfoy." said Henric, "We're Slytherins, and they're Gryffindors. That's what we do mate, it's hardly advanced Arithmancy."

"Actually, it's more the adventure of going in the forest and getting the eggs. It's quite fun. This time you can come with us, if you like" said Albus, with inviting eyes.

"And why didn't you ever tell me this? I'm Slytherin too, I'll have you know." said Scorpius.

"Well, you never asked..." Albus shrugged, uncertain. "Besides, you never seemed too keen to spend time with us. It's not that we didn't want you there." he finished, sounding apologetic.

"I feel like I should be offended" said Scorpius.

"It's the truth, Malfoy." replied Henric. "In fact, I've hardly ever heard your voice. I really cannot understand how you became friends with Albus. I mean he's always keeping everything to himself, and you hardly ever open your mouth. What'd you even do when you two are alone?"

Scorpius and Albus looked at each other at the same time, and both chuckled. Henric lifted an eyebrow, but his questioning expression was left unanswered.

"Well...I'm not so sure I want to be part of your little expedition." Said Scorpius, now serious again.

"Oh, c'mon Scorp, where's your Slytherin spirit? Besides I need you there. I won't go if you don't go with me." pleaded Albus, giving him puppy eyes. "Pleaseeee..."

Scorpius considered it for a moment, until he felt Albus' hand grab his under the table. He squeezed briefly and then interlocked their fingers slowly, hidden from the sight of everyone around them. Scorpius chuckled.

"Alright, I'll go."

"I'm not so sure about this, Al" said Scorpius in a small voice.

The night had fallen and they were all feigning sleep while they waited for the signal to get moving. Scorpius was on Albus' bed, waiting for the moment to come.

"C'mon Scorp, it'll be fun!" replied Albus, smiling at him.

Scorpius didn't really mind that they took house points from him, or detention. But actively doing something against the rules wasn't something he felt comfortable with.

"What if we get caught?" he whispered.

"Scorp," Albus said, clearing his throat. "When was the last time you did something risky? or fun? You have the freedom to do so without that many consequences. If I get caught the whole country will know. But I must take the risk, because sometimes it's worth it!. It's stepping into the unknown!"

Scorpius stayed silent, looking at Albus' green eyes looking back at him. Stepping into the unknown...the abyss of uncertainty. That's what he had never done. He avoided the unknown; he blamed and cursed the world for giving him a destiny, yet he never dared to do something about it. Because he always thought this was how everything was supposed to be. And as anxiety and confusion filled his brain, the door opened with a creak and a voice called them.

"Alright, let's go."

They all stood up silently and walked towards the exit to the Common Room.

Albus led the way, turning and dashing through the castle corridors with the faint light of his wand pointing his father's Marauder's Map. He was followed close behind by Henric and Augustus; behind them walked Scorpius, almost tiptoeing; and covering the rear went Tom and Andrew. They all walked quietly until they reached the school grounds, lit only by the moonlight. The six boys sprinted their way to the forbidden forest and regrouped under a tall tree.

"Alright," said Henric, with an authoritative voice. "Me and Schelden will go into the nest, and nick the eggs. Potter, you're in charge of the bag" he said, passing Albus a small bag, enchanted with an extension charm. "Tom and Crabbe will stay here, in charge of the exit strategy."

"Stay with me." Albus whispered in Scorpius' ear before the boy could ask any questions.

They walked into the thick darkness of the forest. Henric and Augustus quickly went out of sight, making their way between huge trees and roots. Scorpius walked slowly beside Albus, carefully avoiding the twigs scattered on the ground. The sound of the tiniest move echoed through the darkness, making Scorpius peer constantly at every corner.

"So they get the eggs, and give them to you?" asked Scorpius very softly, careful not to disturb the eery silence of the woods. "Why didn't they just take the bag with them?"

"Well, It's better this way, because they can throw the eggs at me, so they have time to escape. The spiders only follow the smell of the eggs. They're quite dumb." replied Albus, looking forward, apparently searching for something.

"Come, I wanna show you something" he said suddenly, holding Scorpius' hand. They turned right and started walking forward. The trees grew close together here and the darkness became more suffocating by the second. Scorpius could hear mysterious noises coming from unknown sources, until they came to a clearing, surrounded by huge trees and illuminated by the pale glow of the moon. Albus just stood there for a while, admiring the place in a sort of thoughtful expression.

"This is were You-Know-Who...killed my dad." whispered Albus, with a solemn tone and so softly that Scorpius could barely hear. "But then he came back from the dead. Brilliant huh?" he finished, the corner of his mouth twisted into a smile.

"It's...extremely creepy, Al." replied Scorpius, barely able to produce words. The energy in that place was incredibly strong, and it made Scorpius' hair stand on end. A cold shiver rushed through his spine and he tightened the grip on Albus' hand. Albus gently twisted his fingers to interlock them with Scorpius'. They looked at each other and Scorpius felt the familiar knot in his stomach that appeared every time Albus looked at him like that.

"This is one of my favourite places in the world." said Albus. "The forest, I mean." he clarified.

"It's...dangerous" reasoned Scorpius.

"It is, and it doesn't matter who you are, because everything here is huge, and it makes you feel so...tiny." replied Albus. "Out there," he said, pointing with his arm at some random direction, "everyone thinks I'm this important person. But I'm really not. I'm nothing, really. And this place reminds me of that. It keeps me grounded." He sighed, and absently noticed that he was talking about such personal feelings, without a hint of shame, or fear.

"Here...I see how small I am under the stars; under these huge trees. And it reminds me of the possibilities: that this world is massive, and there's so much to be, and to do." he trailed off, this time he seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Scorpius wanted to say so many things, but he didn't say any. He wanted to say "I love you", just like the other day, because he really lovedlovedloved him, he loved how true he was to himself, how brave and eloquent and perfect he was. But that was, as Albus had said, stepping into the unknown. And as much as he wanted to be brave as Al, he wasn't. Saying those words could ruin this moment, that in his eyes was perfect. Because Albus was being so honest, and he didn't want to ruin that. So he stayed silent, like he had always done, for his whole life.

Albus sighed and looked at him, smiling. "Thanks, Scorp."

"For what?"

"For...listening. And for making me talk. I never realized how much I needed it." Albus replied. He looked genuinely content, like poison had been drained from his body.

"You're welcome" replied Scorpius, happy with himself. He shifted to the side and hugged Albus tightly, their bodies fitting perfectly together. He let his body communicate what he didn't dare speak. They stayed like this, for a minute or two, just holding onto each other.

"We should go back." said Albus after a while, slowly lifting his head from Scorpius' shoulder. He turned around and started walking back, holding Scorpius' hand firmly in his own.

They walked back through the same road they came from, lighting the way with Albus' wand. After a couple of minutes of walking, they came to the conclusion that they were completely lost.

"Alright, calm down." said Albus, as soon as he noticed Scorpius starting to get anxious and scared. "We just need to...err...cast a–"

"Shhh" Scorpius cut him off, pressing his finger to his lips and then pointing towards the darkness.

"What?" replied Albus in a whisper, peering into the place Scorpius pointed.

"I just heard..." Scorpius said, and just then Albus heard it too, a very soft noise that drew closer and closer by the second.

"Do you hear it?"

"Yeah" whispered Albus, standing perfectly still, trying to make out what the noise was.

Suddenly, along with the increasing noise came a vibration of the ground. The gentle vibrations became stronger and stronger and the undefined noise became clearly the sound of a man screaming.

"Is that..."

"Henric?" finished Albus, peering into the dark, feeling his heart beat faster until it was hammering under his ribcage. He held his breath and suddenly the light coming from his wand revealed the figure of a man running at full speed towards them. And just a couple of steps behind, a horde of giant spiders–hundreds of them–, dashing through the darkness in a furious pursuit, trying to catch Henric in their massive pincers.

"RUUUUUNNN!" shouted Henric, and as he did, Albus and Scorpius turned around and broke into a mad run, followed by the army of spiders that made the ground tremble with their legs. They could barely see anything, blindly avoiding the trees that grew ahead of them with Albus' wandlight waving and pointing everywhere. Scorpius' heart was hammering, his mind blind with panic and adrenaline. He felt someone grab his hand and push him to take a left, then right, and left again, and suddenly he was running hand in hand with Albus through a long road mostly clear of trees and roots, feeling the spiders barely touching his back.

They sprinted but suddenly Albus fell to the ground, his foot tangled in an overgrown root that sprouted from the dark ground. He let go of Scorpius hand and Scorpius had already taken a couple of steps before realizing Albus had fallen. He stopped dead and turned around, reaching for Albus.

"AL, I SWEAR TO GOD, IF WE DIE BECAUSE OF YOUR CLUMSINESS..." but as he tried to disentangle Albus' feet, he saw the army of spiders again, this time closer to Henric, about to jump over him.

"THE BAG!" Henric shouted, in a desperate tone.

"Scorp, the BAG, THE– THE BAG!" yelled Albus, giving the bag to Scorpius with trembling arms.

"But...I Can't!" tried to reply Scorpius, but before he knew it, Henric was throwing eggs towards him at maximum speed. He got up and in a mad rush of adrenaline caught the first one in mid air; and the second one; and the third in a perfectly firm grip. Eggs the size of a Snitch, and not a single one fell to the ground. And once all ten eggs were safely put in the bag, Henric threw himself to the ground and curled, but not a single spider stopped, they passed over him without even noticing his presence, just focused on Scorpius.

Scorpius kneeled once again to break the root that was trapping Albus' foot, but Albus was in a completely different planet this time. He was watching Scorpius in an awe-struck, almost idolizing expression.

"You're a natural Seeker!" he said, forgetting completely about the hundreds of Spiders that drew closer each passing second.

"Can we talk about this later?" yelled Scorpius, finally succeeding in breaking the root so Albus could escape.

"But you're...You're–"

"SHUT UP AND RUN!" yelled Scorpius, grabbing Albus by the hand and breaking once again into a mad run. They turned right and Scorpius could see the edge of the forest, cold breeze hit him and hope reignited in him. He quickened the pace, jumping over roots and rocks, the end of the forest nearer and nearer. But at that same time he could hear the sound of angry spiders closer than ever. The first spiders started moving their pincers, and one of them actually got to rip a part of Albus' robe. It drove Scorpius into a mad frenzy of desperation, completely sure that they would all die right there and then.

"Crabbe, NOW!" screamed Albus suddenly, and as soon as the words were uttered, the sound of two people casting a severing charm pierced the sky.

"Diffindo!" yelled Andrew and Tom at the same time, and a second later two huge trees fell to the ground just behind Albus and Scorpius, who thanks to the distraction managed to close the distance and cross the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They ran for a long time, still holding hands, reaching almost the door to the castle before fully stopping, panting loudly and desperately. Behind them ran Augustus, Tom, Andrew and Henric, all bruised and dirty, but alive.

"Can they come out here?" asked Scorpius, barely able to say a word, completely exhausted.

"Nah, they don't come out of the forest." said Augustus simply.

"Wooooooooohaaaaa!" yelled Henric pumping his fist in the air, celebrating his victory. then he turned around to look at Albus and Scorpius. "You are sooo gay Malfoy, why the fuck are you holding Albus' hand?" he laughed.

Scorpius immediately blushed and tried to let go of Albus' hand, but Albus wouldn't let him. He held their hands together tightly, about to say something, but just then Tom stepped in.

"Oh, Henric, you mean you don't want me to kiss you? Oh well, I suppose I'd do with a hug, come here." Tom said, opening his arms to wrap Henric into a hug.

"Get away from me you freak!" Henric yelled, walking backwards and running in circles, escaping from Tom.

They all laughed at Tom, following Henric with his arms open, until they saw Hagrid's hut light turn on.

"We better get inside the castle." said Albus, and soon enough they all headed towards their common room, walking quietly through the castle corridors but unable to shake off the excitement of such an adventure.

Before Scorpius could drift off to sleep that night, he heard Albus' curtain sliding, and then a weight on his own bed. Suddenly he saw Albus getting comfortable under the covers beside him.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey." replied Scorpius shyly, butterflies fluttering inside him.

"Did you like the adventure?" asked Albus, with expectant eyes, glowing green and bright.

"It was...alright, I'm not doing it again though." replied Scorpius. The adventure had been genuinely great, but it was perhaps too much adrenaline for him. At least for now.

"Why didn't you tell me you were such a good Seeker?" asked Albus suddenly, like he had waited a lifetime long to ask it.

"I'm...I'm not–"

"Yeah you are. I saw you catching those eggs. You're an excellent Seeker." replied Albus, sounding too sure of himself. "And let me tell you, tomorrow I'm making you the team's Seeker."

"Al, I...I don't" Scorpius stuttered, unsure of his own abilities. Surely Albus was mistaken, and he didn't want to disappoint him. He really didn't believe he was any good at this.

"Please, Scorp. I'm begging you. Just give it a chance." Albus begged, holding Scorpius' hand under the covers. "I know you're great. I trust you more than anyone."

"Al, you shouldn't–"

"Please..."

Scorpius felt scared. But it was so hard saying no to Albus, not when his emerald green eyes looked at him with such glow, begging him. He just couldn't say no.

"Alight I'll...I'll try." he said, and the smile Albus gave him after that was definitely worth it. And he would be the best seeker in the world if it meant that he could see that smile for the rest of his life.