Albus Potter and the Cunning Plan
Chapter fourteen
Pairing(s): Albus/Scorpius (will become, but later when they're older), other minor ones (past, present, and future); this means there is going to be both slash and het in my story, but the het is mostly background.
Rating: PG-13 (will go up in later chapters)
Warnings: slight language, some minor canon is ignored; minor angst and some violence, about what you might find in the average HP book. A few OC's, but they're needed for the storytelling and plot. Also, POV is normally through Albus, but at times it will deviate to someone else.
Alcohol, drugs, and sex only mentioned in some chapters.
Summary: Albus stays with the Malfoys in Malfoy Manor for a few days during the rest of his break; he gets more gifts, and a few surprises.
Notes: More plot bits in here, and I know that normally the Summoning Charm isn't learned until Year Four, but Albus and Scorpius aren't mediocre when it comes to casting certain spells. They're both rather good at Charms, Quidditch, and Potions. It's the other classes they need to work at in order to get better. Whenever Albus has some difficulty in learning a new (Charm) spell, it is mostly from nerves, not that he isn't capable.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, etc. But the original characters in here are mine. Don't use them without my permission.
.-.
Manor, Manners, and Manual
.-.
Albus yawned as he trooped down the stairs with only his magical box that Aunt Hermione had given him for Christmas. He'd decided the moment they got home from the Weasley's that afternoon that he was going to use it instead of his suitcase, which would have been too bulky for a few days visit.
Even though Al was anxious about going to Malfoy Manor, it was nothing compared to the way Scorpius looked. He had all his stuff packed, including the Christmas presents he'd got from Al and Al's parents. He kept pacing the front of the fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. It was funny in a way, Al thought, because Scorpius looked like one of those expecting fathers.
Dad was waiting in the living room, but he wasn't pacing. He looked much calmer than either of them, sitting in his armchair and reading the Daily Prophet. Mum opted to stay in the kitchen, claiming she had some cleaning to finish. Al thought she just didn't want to see Scorpius' dad.
Finally, ten minutes after six, the Alarm Charm sounded and the fireplace flared to life. Scorpius jumped in surprise; Dad stood from his chair, setting his paper aside; and Albus tried to look as nonchalant as possible.
Draco Malfoy came spinning out of the fireplace, but instead of almost falling flat on his face, like Al sometimes did, Draco stepped out gracefully, hardly a speck of soot on him. He brushed off the invisible dirt from his robes before regarding the man of the house.
"Potter," he drawled. Draco then straightened his bright green tie. His whole ensemble screamed taste and wealth, and it could mean that Draco had just been to some fancy do for work or pleasure and not that he was trying to rub his riches in their faces. His hair was also nearly impeccable, most of it tied back with a dark green ribbon. His expression was eerily like Lucius Malfoy's, but his eyes held no actual hate… more like boredom or weariness.
"Malfoy," Dad replied kindly. "Er, good evening. Happy Christmas."
Mr Malfoy raised an eyebrow, obviously a bit surprised by Harry's statement. "Yes. Happy Christmas…. Is your son ready, then?"
"I'm ready, sir," Al said, clutching his box in a sweaty hand. "Unless you'd like to stay a while and chat."
"No time, I'm afraid," Mr Malfoy said. "We must go straight away. I'm sorry for the quick visit, Potter," he said, turning to Harry, "but I cannot stay. I only came to make sure that everything was in order, and to help my son and yours if they needed it."
"How very thoughtful of you," Dad said. "Would you like me to come over to yours to pick up Al when it's time?"
"No need," Mr Malfoy said. "He could either Floo home by himself, which I'm sure he can do without holding his father's hand, or he could stay the duration of the break and I could drop him off at King's Cross at the same time I drop off my son."
Dad frowned, obviously not liking the quip about having to hold his own son's hand in order to do something as simple as using the Floo Network, but he held his tongue. It must have been from years of practice and patience in order for Dad to do it. Al wondered what Dad would have done or said if he and Mr Malfoy were still in school.
"Well," Dad finally said, "I would like my son home for at least a day or two before he has to go back to Hogwarts. But I guess it's up to him." Harry then brought his gaze to his son.
"Oh," Al said when he realized they were waiting for him to decide. "Er, I wouldn't mind staying at the Manor for the duration, but didn't you and Mum want me to stay for the last day of the break before we went back to Hogwarts?"
"I believe so…" Dad said, trying to recall. "But it's really up to you… is that all you're bringing?" he said suddenly, nodding at the metal box in Al's hand.
"It has everything in it," Al reminded. "Undetectable Extension Charm, remember?"
"Oh, right," Dad said. "That aunt of yours thinks of everything, doesn't she?"
Al could see Dad hesitating, as if wondering if asking Al to return for his last day of break might seem selfish. Albus had thought on it, and actually maybe he should return. Besides, he might get a little homesick while at the Malfoy's.
"I'll come back, Dad," Al finally decided. "That is… if you want me to, but I won't be offended if you—"
"No, that's great, actually," Dad said. "Yeah, I'd like you to come back for the last day of your break."
Al grinned, a little embarrassed, but before any more could be said from anyone, the fireplace roared to life again. Dad, Al, Scorpius, and even Mr Malfoy jumped back in some alarm. The noise from the Alarm Charm had sounded too, moments before the flames leaped up. Then, out spun a teenager with dark hair. Everyone was still somewhat shocked by his presence that nobody moved to catch him, and the boy fell flat on his face.
James came thundering down the stairs at the sound of the alarm and only paused at the bottom for a second before moving forward to help his friend up.
"Kevin, you're finally here," he said.
Kevin Mars brushed the soot from his robes best he could after James helped him to his feet, along with his bag full of overnight things. "I would've been here a lot sooner if it wasn't for Mum. She can nag even Professor McGonagall into the grave, I swear."
Then he stopped short when he realized there were others standing around in the room. "Oh, um… excuse us…"
James and Kevin Mars quickly left the room, feet noisy on the stairway as they fled to James' room.
"Another one of yours you'd forgot to mention?" Draco said teasingly to Harry.
Harry shook his head, almost smiling. "No, he's James's best friend. Well, one of them. I'm actually glad that he picked Kevin to come over instead of Gareth… anyway, back to what we were doing…"
"Yes. I was just leaving," Draco said. "Along with your sprog and mine. Come along now, the pair of you. Astoria is waiting to greet you, young Potter, and she's anxious to see you again, Scorpius."
Scorpius stepped up to Harry. "Thanks for your hospitality and kindness, Mr Potter. And thank you for the gifts; it was most kind of you."
"Don't mention it, Scorpius," Dad said, grinning. He patted Scorpius on the shoulder in almost a parental manner. "Albus, behave yourself now."
Al gave Dad a big hug. He made sure to let go quicker than usual, because he was too embarrassed to show too much attachment in front of Mr Malfoy. "I promise, Dad. I'll send an owl, if you like."
"Only if you need to," Dad insisted. "I'm sure I can trust Mr Malfoy to keep you safe."
"Don't fret, Potter," Draco said, taking a handful of Harry's Floo Powder. "I won't harm him. Scorpius would flay me alive if I did." He tossed the Floo into the fire and it turned green. "All right, let's go."
With one last farewell, Albus stepped into the green flames with Scorpius, and they were whisked away in a flaming green tornado.
.-.
Malfoy Manor was grandiose, luxurious, majestic, and all those other words that describe large, rich mansions.
The moment Scorpius and Albus stepped out of the fireplace, Mrs Malfoy pulled Scorpius into her arms and held him close as if he'd been aboard for years and not just a few miles away for a couple days.
"I missed you so, my darling boy," she sighed. "How are you? Are you all right?" she fired off questions about his stay at the Potters, his health, his feelings, et cetera. Albus stood to the side of the hearth, trying to brush the soot off his robes best he could.
While Astoria was busy babying her son, Al looked around. The drawing room seemed a lot bigger than the Slytherin common room, and surprisingly brighter. There was a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, many paintings and portraits along the walls (in which the subjects in many of them muttered to each other or tried to get a better look at the newcomer with a pince-nez), and when he looked back at the fireplace he could see it was made of ornate marble, and there was a great gilded mirror over it. Every piece of furniture screamed taste and elegance and wealth. Al tried not to be too impressed.
Scorpius, meanwhile, was struggling to get out of his mother's hold. His face was burning as he turned his head away from his mother's frantic kisses, but she still rained them all over his cheeks and forehead. As Albus moved closer, hoping to save his friend from his embarrassment by addressing himself, Mr Malfoy finally came spinning out of the green flames. He was just as impeccable when he'd come out of the Potter fireplace.
"Astoria, please," Draco said, almost amused, but he kept a straight face. "Don't smother the poor boy. Let him breathe."
"Be quiet, Draco," Astoria said tersely. "You don't know what it's like to be a mother who misses her only son. You have work to keep your mind occupied most days. What do I have? Nothing!" She kept her arms wound around Scorpius's upper body, as if protecting him from some snarling beast, and although Scorpius was red in the face he wasn't exactly struggling to get free either.
"Oh, I don't know what it's like?" Draco snorted. "I am only his father. Obviously I have no idea what it feels like to miss your only son."
"Obviously," Astoria said, but her serious demeanor was slipping. She nearly smiled. "Finally, we're getting somewhere."
"Yes," Mr Malfoy said as he went straight for the most comfortable armchair in the room. "We are getting to your way. Obviously that is the way it is around here, even though I'm the master of the house."
"Your agreements are worrying," Astoria said. Albus stood there and waited to be greeted, but he was clearly being ignored in favor of sniping with her husband. "Is there something on your mind?"
"There is always something on my mind," Mr Malfoy said. He took up the Daily Prophet and quickly went to a certain section of it, as if double checking something. "Whether or not I wish to share it is another matter."
"Oh, and here comes the sarcasm…"
"Pardon me," Albus tried, his voice accidentally cracking. He cleared his throat. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but, er…"
"Oh!" Astoria gasped, finally noticing Al. "I'm so sorry, young Potter. I didn't mean to ignore you. I just missed Scorpius terribly, and then my husband had to start in with his twaddle…"
"I beg your pardon?" Draco said, peering over the top of the Prophet.
"It's fine," Al said quickly. "Really. Um, I just want to know if Scorpius can show me to his room now so I can rest a bit. The day's been really tiring…"
"Oh, but you won't need to stay in Scorpius's room," Astoria said. "We've got rooms to spare, so that you don't have to share. I had Zowie make a room up for you, straight across from Scorpius' room."
"Zowie?" Al asked.
"Our house-elf," Scorpius quickly answered.
"But," Al stammered. "I want to share a room with Scorpius…"
Scorpius blushed brightly, but only Al seemed to have noticed.
"I understand you'd want to spend some time with your friend," Astoria said softly. "You're very welcome to be in his room with him if you wish, but when it is time for bed you must go to your own room. If you need anything at all, just call Zowie. She'll get you whatever you want."
Albus wanted to argue the point, because from what he had noticed about their house, being huge and all, there was no doubt that Scorpius's bedroom was big enough to fit him in. Having a huge room all to himself felt a bit, well… selfish, and a little scary. He'd never slept in such a large house before, in a large room, all by himself.
It wasn't his first sleepover, of course. His first was when he'd stayed over at Rose's place. Their house was close to the size of his, and had a comfortable atmosphere. The room Rose had, which he'd shared for a while until they both got too old (and their parents grew too nervous), was about the size of his own, but with more closet space. And a bigger desk and bookshelf. Rose's place was like a second home to him; he was so used to being there that sleeping over was no problem.
But here, at this new place, which was huge and rich, was a tad daunting. He would feel better if he stayed in Scorpius's room, but he didn't want to seem ungrateful, or argumentative.
"All right," he said. "Thanks, Mrs Malfoy."
"You're very welcome," she said. "Now then," she said to the room at large, "isn't there something we should be doing?"
Draco looked over the top of his paper again. "Besides growing old?"
"Presents, dear!" Astoria said, sounding almost exasperated. "It's Christmas, is it not? We must hand out the gifts."
In all his excitement for coming here, Al had completely forgotten about the whole gift giving ordeal.
"Oh, right," Mr Malfoy said, sounding bored. "It's that time of the year again, isn't it? Joy."
It was then that Albus noticed the Malfoys' Christmas tree. It was much, much larger than any tree he'd seen. It was probably about as big as the tree at Hogwarts, and just as decorative. Mrs Malfoy led them over to it, Mr Malfoy grudgingly following. He was acting as if he didn't care for the holiday, but Al had a sneaky suspicion it was just for show.
They sat, cross-legged, around the tree. All around the bottom were a ton of presents. They all looked to be addressed to Scorpius, which didn't surprising him much.
"Let's give Albus his first, since he's the guest," Astoria said.
Al's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. "Seriously? You all got me something?"
"Yes, well…" Mr Malfoy said, sounding a little embarrassed, "when Scorpius bought you something it only seemed right that we get you something as well. Apparently, your father got Scorpius a few gifts, if I'm not mistaken. It's only fair."
"Indeed, dear," Mrs Malfoy said. "So, here are your presents," she handed three neatly wrapped boxes over to Al. "I do hope you like them."
"Wow, thank you!" Al beamed. He tried to open the parcels carefully, wanting to look more dignified than he felt. He unwrapped the one from Scorpius first. He was too curious about it to leave it for last.
Al didn't understand what it was at first, but then recognized the round knobs and the buttons at the top.
"It's a personal wizard wireless," Scorpius said. "It has all the features one needs out of it, besides being able to tune in to all the wizard programs. There's a recording charm on it, so that you can record songs and talk shows if you like, and a built-in karaoke microphone so you can sing along to your favorite songs."
"Brilliant," Albus said, his face hurting so much from how wide his smile was. "Thank you, Scorp!" In his happiness, he forgot they were being watched and hugged Scorpius tightly. Scorpius went bright red, again.
"Y-you're welcome," Scorpius said nervously.
Someone cleared their throat next to them, and Albus pulled away from Scorpius, his cheeks pinking too.
Next, he opened the gift from Mrs Malfoy. It was a pack of self-warming, accommodatingly-fitted underwear (with pictures of Snitches or snakes on them). And he was pleased to find that they were silk. Cotton would have been nice too, but he already had a couple of cotton underpants from his Mum last year.
"Thanks, Mrs Malfoy," he said.
"Think nothing of it," she said. "Anything for my son's best friend."
He wondered if she meant that.
Finally, the present from Mr Malfoy. It felt heavier than the other two. He slowly opened it, a little worried about just what it was that Scorpius's father would think was worth buying for him, the son of Harry Potter.
It was a book. Al was starting to see a trend here, but he wasn't complaining; he liked books (thanks to Rose). So really, he wasn't going to object to getting another book for Christmas, especially one from Mr Malfoy. He was actually delighted with his present. The book had a black cover, and it was a little worn and frayed at some of the ends, like it was used but had been taken care of to the best of the last owner's ability. It made Albus wonder for a second if the book had been Mr Malfoy's.
The title on the cover, in gold lettering, read Why the Dark Arts Are Misinterpreted So Often and How to Best Use Them. He couldn't read the name of the author, because it was in such loopy handwriting, and in a strange font, so he didn't even try to decipher it.
He'd had plenty of warnings about the Dark Arts from his parents and other family members, but no one could blame him for being curious. Right? Besides, it wasn't like he was going to throw the book back at Mr Malfoy and shout at him for giving him something that his family would obviously have kittens over. He would probably need to hide it somehow… which he thought of right away: his magic box Aunt Hermione gave him! There's no way anyone would be able to look inside for it unless they knew the secret spell to open it (and he'd already memorized it and had destroyed the piece of paper that had the spell written on it).
Finally, after staring at it for a few moments, he looked up to see Mr Malfoy watching him. His face was almost neutral, if not for the fact that he had that odd, wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Well, young Potter?" Mr Malfoy said. "Do you like it?"
"I—I don't know what to say…"
"I know your parents would probably want to send me to Azkaban for giving you something like this, but I'm hoping that they won't know I gave you it. I would very much appreciate it if you could keep it our little secret."
"Of course, sir," Al said. "I was contemplating on where to hide it, and I think I know just the place where they will never suspect."
"Excellent," Mr Malfoy said, smiling. "Then we'll just say that I didn't get you anything this year. I'm sure they'd think nothing of it. Unless you think I should get you another gift so you could claim it as your gift from me instead."
Another gift would be great, Al thought, but he didn't want to sound greedy either. So he settled for saying, "Well, if you don't mind, sir, then it's fine with me."
"Very well," Mr Malfoy said. "Tomorrow before work I'll pop down to the shops and get you another gift… one that won't have your parents wishing to hex me into oblivion."
That sounded fair to Al. After all, hadn't he just had a talk with Dad about the whole Dark Arts thing? He'd promised to not get too deep into it, and that was what he planned to do. He just wanted to read up on it, study it, and try understanding it, other than dismissing it as just plain evil and not worth his time.
Scorpius was then able to delve into his gifts. He got so many things from his parents and grandparents that Albus couldn't keep up with it all. It was almost like Scorpius was getting birthday presents as well as Christmas. Scorpius got a few more books, one from his father and two from his grandfather. He got some new robes and other assorted clothing and shoes from his parents, a broom servicing kit, a few magical toys and figurines, a new wizard chess set, a pack of non-explodable balloons, a few new quills and inkwells, and a large box full of Chocolate Frogs.
"We're sorry that your grandparents couldn't be here today," Astoria told Scorpius. "They're still on holiday in France. But they send their love."
"That's all right," Scorpius said. "I understand. I'm sure I'll see them another time."
"You will," Mr Malfoy promised. "Now, it's getting late. You should both get ready for bed. Scorpius, have you eaten dinner?"
"Yes, Father," Scorpius said. "It was all very delicious, too. Mrs Potter makes really good pumpkin pie, and the turkey was very tender."
"Well, then… good," Mr Malfoy said slowly. "As long as you're fed and watered."
Albus helped Scorpius haul his stuff up to his room, which was located on the second floor. He was slightly winded from all the stairs they had to climb. When they reached Scorpius's bedroom door, it opened automatically as if it had some sort of detection charm placed on it. Al had to admit that it was quite handy, especially since their hands were full.
"Let's just dump everything on the sofa," Scorpius said.
"Sofa?" Al said. Once he'd put everything down on the sofa he looked around. Scorpius's room was nearly as big as the Slytherin dorm room, but slightly wider, and much sunnier. The main colour theme seemed to be green, but there was also a few other colours besides, like black, deep blue, crimson red, and silver. He had a huge walk in closet; his own bathroom with a large bath and shower; a queen-sized bed with a headboard adorned with a few items (most of them probably magic in origin); a handful of posters on the walls, including some Quidditch posters; and an animal cage in one of the corners which had four owls, two peacocks, two lovebirds, and a falcon.
"Blimey," Al said, turning around in the middle of the room. "Your room is just… it's brilliant!"
"Thanks," Scorpius said, blushing.
"So, where do you keep the BMW and pet dragon?"
"Very funny," Scorpius said, smirking. "And by 'BMW' I'm guessing you mean some sort of expensive automobile."
"Well, yeah. Don't your parents own a car?"
"Not really…" Scorpius sat down on his bed, but Al preferred to stay standing for now, his brain still taking everything in. "Father and I either use the Floo Network to get to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, or we borrow a Ministry vehicle. For my first trip to King's Cross we used a Ministry vehicle, which was a stretch limo."
"Figures," Al snorted. "You know, your room is big enough to allow me in here. I don't understand why I have to have my own room."
Scorpius lay back on his bed, bouncing slightly and not caring if he was messing up his hair. He was usually like this when tired and ready to crawl under the bed sheets. "It's just tradition," he finally said. "Don't worry about it, all right? It's not because my parents don't trust you."
"That's good to know," Al said. Carefully, he sat on the bed next to Scorpius. "So then, uh… what should we do tomorrow?"
Scorpius sat up on his elbows. "Oh, I want to show you the grounds. We've got our own Quidditch pitch… although it isn't as big as the one at Hogwarts, but close. We've got more birds than the ones I have here in my room, which are mine, by the way, like albino peacocks and birds of paradise. We've also got a swimming pool, a tennis court, and a petting zoo."
Al laughed about the last part. "What? You're joking!"
"Not joking," Scorpius said. "You want to feed the camel or llama tomorrow?"
"Are they albino?" Al snickered.
"Just the one llama…"
After talking for a while, they decided to go to bed. Scorpius could barely keep his eyes open, and Al didn't want to be rude and keep him up late. Scorpius showed him where he was staying, which was right across from him, and the guest room was almost as big as Scorpius's, except this one didn't have its own bathroom or an animal cage. Al used Scorpius's bathroom to get ready for bed, and then reluctantly went to his own room. He secretly hoped he wouldn't have to keep using it every time he came over.
.-.
It had taken Al a while to fall asleep in the strange bed, but eventually he had. He'd had a dream too, before waking up, but again he couldn't remember it. There was one part of the dream that stuck with him, and that was who was in it. Scorpius he remembered immediately, and it was probably because he was in it more often. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd seen Dad, Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Ron in it too. Oh well. If his brain didn't think it was important enough to remember, then he was just going to not worry about it.
Mr Malfoy had already been up hours ago, had breakfast, and left. Mrs Malfoy was getting ready for some important social event or party, so she would be gone for at least five hours. Zowie served him and Scorpius breakfast at the big, long dining room table. It was your typical kind of rich person's table, where one person was almost in another time zone on the opposite end. Scorpius and Albus sat together at one end so they wouldn't have to shout to hear each other.
"Do your parents leave you home alone often?" Al asked as he grabbed for his glass of pumpkin juice.
"Most times, yes. But it's all right; I'm used to it," Scorpius said while Zowie routinely cut up his eggs into bite sized pieces, as well as his sausages. "Okay, thanks, Zowie. You can go now until called for."
"Yes, Master Scorpius," Zowie squeaked. She was actually rather cute, for a house-elf. Her ears were huge and bat-like, her eyes were as large as tennis balls, and her nose was almost normal looking, almost human-sized but slightly bigger. Her fingers were long and thin, and the outfit she wore was a tea towel that was wrapped around her body like a little toga. It had the Malfoy coat of arms embroidered on it. She left in a small cloud of gold dust, creating a similar sound to when witches and wizards Apparated.
"No wonder you're so spoiled," Al teased.
"Shut up and eat your toast," Scorpius said, almost sounding irritated but he covered it up with an eye roll. "Or I won't show you our petting zoo."
When they finished eating, they didn't go to the petting zoo first, but the aviary. Albus adored the albino peacocks, which ate out of his hand when Scorpius gave him some bird feed. They were special peacocks, he told Al; they were designed as both a warning and a defense system. If someone tried to approach the place without invitation first, the peacocks would give a warning cry which could be heard, magically, within the manor—then they would attack the intruder. It was no wonder the Ministry had to set up a meeting with the Malfoys first before coming over, or they'd have to contend with some really dangerous dandies.
"It wasn't like this before, of course," Scorpius explained. "When Grandfather owned the place, the peacocks were just decoration and a show of wealth. Father made them more efficient this way, and practical. Father is no fool; he wasn't about to have just any old riffraff come wandering up the drive willy-nilly… what's so funny?"
Albus got his giggles under control. "Er, nothing…"
Scorpius sighed. "It's because I said 'willy', isn't it?"
"Yep," Albus smiled.
"You're so immature, Potter."
"If I'm immature then you're deprived."
"Uncouth ruffian," Scorpius shot back.
"Supercilious snob."
"Weasley." Scorpius said it as if it were a bad thing, which Albus could actually concur at the moment.
"Inbred!"
"Lion in snake's clothing."
"Oi, that was low!" Albus tried to get him into a headlock, but Scorpius danced away and ran toward the family Quidditch pitch. Albus gave chase. "Get back here, you—you fairy light!"
Scorpius laughed and looked over his shoulder. "What the hell, Al?"
"You heard m—look out!"
Scorpius nearly collided with a goal post, but in his swerving to avoid it, it had given Al a chance to grab Scorpius around the waist and they tumbled to the ground. It would have been considered a perfect tackle if Al had been playing rugby.
"Oi, watch the hair," Scorpius complained as they rolled across the grass. "No, my brand new robes! I'll get grass stains now, you Neanderthal!"
Albus pinned him on his back, keeping his thighs tightly on either side of Scorpius's legs so that he couldn't wiggle free. While Scorpius tried to sit up to push Al off, Al took the opportunity to take his wand from his robe pocket and tossed it across the pitch. Scorpius gaped when he saw it, and then turned beet red. Before he could do or say anything though, Albus pushed him back down and pinned his hands above his head.
"Now, what was that about being a lion in snake's clothing?" Al said.
"You have the gall to say that after you just pounced on me like a mad lioness?"
Albus lowered his face. "Don't make me do it, Scorp."
Scorpius's eyes widened, feeling a little scared for his life now. "Do what exactly? What do you have planned, you fiend?"
Al chuckled. "My brother used to do this to me—" He made a hacking sound in the back of his throat, as if gathering up all his snot and saliva.
"Don't you dare!" Scorpius gasped. He struggled, trying to free his grip from Al's, but Al was still stronger.
Al had only been joking, really. He wouldn't actually do anything too cruel to Scorpius. He wasn't his brother. Still, he liked watching the panicky look in Scorpius's eyes. It was a power rush. He lowered his face even further, and Scorpius shut his eyes and turned his head as if getting ready to be slimed by Al spit…
Then Al tickled him. Scorpius screamed as if he were being flayed alive. He found all of Scorpius's ticklish spots, including around his neck.
"Stop, stop!" Scorpius pleaded. "OK, I give up! I give, I give—Uncle, uncle!"
Albus stopped and stood up. Scorpius stayed curled on the grass, catching his breath. Al bent down to help him to his feet.
"Come on, you big wuss. You're fine."
Scorpius jerked away from Al's hand. "Go away," he pouted. "You're mean."
"Oh, stop it. I didn't really hurt you. Besides, you need someone to take you down a few pegs or you'll get too bigheaded."
"Shut up," Scorpius growled. He stubbornly stayed curled up on the ground, grass stains or no grass stains. "I'm going to stay here until you say you're sorry."
"You're such a brat," Al sighed. "Seriously, is this why your family never has more than one kid, because they know that more than one of you would cause them an aneurism?"
"Go away."
"No," Al said. "And it was only a bit of teasing—it wasn't meant to be taken so seriously. Come on, let's get our brooms and do a bit of flying."
"No," Scorpius said stubbornly.
"We can play Catch the Snitch," he coaxed. "If your dad has one we could use anyway."
"No."
Albus sighed, exasperated. "Don't make me force you." He took out his wand.
"Can't do magic outside of school," Scorpius reminded him weakly.
"That's only when—oh, never mind." Albus put his wand away. He then remembered he'd tossed Scorpius's wand and went to retrieve it. Maybe if Scorpius had his wand again he'd be back to his old haughty self. He stopped and studied it, trying to determine what kind of wood it was. It felt really good in his hands, vibrating low as if purring.
"Its vine wood," Scorpius said, finally getting to his feet.
"What?" Al said.
"You want to know what kind of wood my wand's made out of," Scorpius said as he straightened out his robes and hair. "It's vine."
"Oh," Al said, going back to studying it. He had a feeling they'd suddenly come to a truce of some kind. He decided not to worry how and counted it as a good thing. At least Scorpius wasn't stubbornly staying on the ground and moping anymore. "Mine's pine," he said after a moment.
"Vine and pine," Scorpius said, and then actually laughed. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that our wands are compatible…"
Albus grinned. "You mean that they might work for both of us?"
Scorpius shrugged and blushed. "Maybe."
"What's the core?" Al asked, swishing Scorpius's wand around. It was actually making a few red sparks.
"Phoenix feather," Scorpius said softly.
"You're kidding! I always thought you'd have dragon heartstring." Surprisingly, Scorpius's wand was still acting up, even as he held it. Scorpius eyed it for a moment, just as confused, but then Al returned it to him.
"I always thought I would too," Scorpius said. "So what's your wand's core?"
Albus took his own wand out. Small sparks flew from it too, as if happy its owner remembered it still existed. "Dragon heartstring," Al said, grinning.
"Really? Can I see it?"
Al let Scorpius hold his wand. It, too, reacted as if still in Al's hands.
"Wow, it feels good, actually. Like I could… well…"
"Do perfect spells with it?" Al finished. "Yeah, that's how I felt with yours."
"You don't suppose…" Scorpius aimed Al's wand at the far end of the pitch, where the Malfoys kept their racing brooms, old and new. "Accio broomstick!"
Within seconds, Scorpius's broom came zooming toward them. It stopped just about the right height for him to mount.
"Blimey!" Al said, eyes goggling. "I wonder… could I-?"
"Be my guest," Scorpius said, handing his wand over.
The Vine wand felt good in his grip. He thought about what spell to try, and then decided to do the same thing as Scorpius… with a slight change.
"Accio peacock!"
One of the albino peacocks, the one Al had been feeding, flew through the air and landed in front of him. The peacock didn't seem too ruffled about what just happened—it had only squawked a bit from the landing and then went back to preening its white feathers.
"This is too weird," Al said. "I wonder what else we could do with each other's wands."
"Probably nearly everything," Scorpius said. "Unless you try something my wand doesn't approve of."
"I don't see why not," Al said. "Well, should we have a go on our brooms then?"
"Once you Summon yours, yeah."
Al did, and with Scorpius's wand. Smiling, they exchanged wands again so that they had their own, and raced each other around the pitch. Scorpius won more races, simply because he had the better broom, but Al didn't mind. He was having too much fun.
After a game of Catch the Snitch, which ended in a tie, they went to the petting zoo. Albus got to feed a few of the animals, but mostly he just looked at them (some were quite rare). When that excitement was over, they went back inside and went straight for Scorpius's bedroom. They had their lunches there, thanks to Zowie, and talked some more. Before they knew it, it was almost dinner time. Mrs Malfoy returned from her social event just in time to tell Zowie what to make.
Just as dinner was ready, Mr Malfoy returned from work. Instead of looking exhausted, which Al was used to seeing on his father's face, Mr Malfoy looked rather pleased, as if his day had gone smoother than he'd expected. As they sat at one end of the long dinner table, Mr Malfoy handed Albus an unmarked box.
"Sorry it isn't wrapped," he said. "But it's only a substitute present and not worth the extra flimflam."
"That's all right, sir," Al said. "Er, should I open it now or later?"
"Why don't you wait until after dinner?" Mrs Malfoy said.
So he did. Dinner at the Malfoy's was, unsurprisingly, extravagant. There was sliced turkey in gravy (possibly what was leftover from the Christmas turkey, but Al didn't think it was polite to ask), a couple bowls of differently prepared mashed potatoes, chipolatas, buttered peas, cranberries, crumpets, cherry pie, and a pitcher filled with pumpkin juice. Albus couldn't eat everything, even though he tried, but it didn't seem to bother Mr and Mrs Malfoy. They were probably used to not having everything devoured in one sitting. When they finished eating, and Al and Scorpius were yawning from the fill of food, Zowie brought Draco and Astoria each a wine glass filled with their favorite after dinner wine.
"Another excellent meal," Mr Malfoy said, sighing and leaning back in his chair. He swirled his wine. "Thank you, Zowie."
Zowie beamed and bowed low. "You're welcome, Master! I shall now do the washing up if it pleases Master."
"It does," Mr Malfoy said. "Off with you now."
Zowie then disappeared, along with the dirty dishes. It made Al wish his own family owned a house-elf.
.-.
Up in Scorpius's room, Albus was finally able to open his second present from Mr Malfoy. He was dying with curiosity, so he didn't care if he ripped a bit of the box's lid while prying it open.
It was a… spinning top?
"What is this?" Al asked. He set it down on the Scorpius's desk. It lay still and silent.
"Oh, that's a Sneakoscope," Scorpius said. "It's supposed to light up and spin if there's anyone untrustworthy around. Looks like you have nothing to worry about."
Al put his Sneakoscope into his metal box. He almost closed it when he remembered the actual gift Mr Malfoy got him. With a quick wave of his wand, the Summoned book flew up and out of the metal container. Al shut the lid and opened the book to the table of contents.
"You're lucky to get that book," Scorpius said. "It was one of the first ones Father got for me when my reading skills were up to par."
Albus settled back on one side of Scorpius's bed and scanned the names of each chapter. Chapter one was entitled: What Are the Dark Arts? Albus guessed the first part explained about the Dark Arts in more detail than what one would learn in school. Chapter two was called The Practical Side to the Dark Arts. That chapter must have examples and ways in which one would use a Dark spell in every day life and its purpose. Chapter three was: Could A Dark Spell Be Considered Neutral? He could pretty much guess what that chapter was about.
Chapter four was called: When Is the Right Time to Use a Dark Spell? That was self-explanatory too. Albus continued to scan down the list—chapter seven was entitled Using A Dark Spell Doesn't Make You Evil (Evil Lives in the Hearts of Men, Not the Brain!). He might want to read that one during break.
It looked like it had thirteen chapters, plus the index and table of contents. He was a little anxious to get started in the reading, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his time at Scorpius's place with his nose in a book. If Rose were there, that was probably what she'd do, but he wasn't Rose.
He tapped his magic box, muttered the spell to open it, and then put the book back inside. It shrunk and fell in, making a soft thump noise when it finally landed on the rest of the stuff inside.
"That's quite handy," Scorpius said as he watched. "I wonder if Father could get me something similar."
Albus secretly hoped not. He wanted to own at least a few things that Scorpius didn't—or couldn't—have. His Invisibility Cloak was one of them. His magical box should be another.
"Okay, boys," Mrs Malfoy said by the door, "time for bed now."
He wanted to object, but he knew he couldn't behave in such a horrible manner while staying at the Malfoy's. So, he gathered all his stuff and prepared himself to go across the hall into the room where he was staying. He still felt it wasn't fair, but at least he was able to be there.
"Well, good night, Scorp."
"Yes… good-night, Al."
Hours later, after Al had gone into a thankfully dreamless sleep, he was woken by a sudden shift in the bed. Al opened his eyes, strangely not alarmed or scared, and saw someone else getting into bed with him. He sat up, grabbed his wand from the nightstand, and muttered, "Lumos."
Scorpius shielded his eyes with his arm. "Oi, turn that light off. It's too bright…"
"Unlike you," Al said in a hoarse voice. "What are you doing?"
"I thought that was obvious."
"Okay, let me rephrase that. Why are you in my bed?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Scorpius grumbled, turning over. "Can't we discuss it in the morning?"
"Why not discuss it now?"
"Because I'm tired. Now, good night, Al."
"Scorpius!" Al hissed. He shook Scorpius's shoulder. "Come on, you can't—what if your parents find out? Didn't they have some sort of reason—moronic as it is—for having us in separate rooms?"
Scorpius merely grumbled something inaudible and his breathing rose and fell more slowly. Albus had a horrible feeling that Scorpius was already asleep.
He was too tired to argue about it anyway. So, griping about idiotic Malfoys and their waking up of peoples, he lay back down and went back to sleep.
TBC