ScorpiusAlbus

LoveHate Relationship

A/N: So now, armed with my new netbook, I think I can finally get back into the flow when I write stories, without worrying about my laptop crashing every ten minutes. Just have to not let the TV distract me now.

Zzz

The night was much more pleasant for most of them that night, Albus happy that his friend was safe, Scorpius out like a light with his lack of sleep the night before, as was Luna. Phil said he would've been, if it hadn't been for his family's unnatural habit to sleep through any sound or emotional trauma.

That morning wasn't as comfortable as the night. While everyone was chirping amongst each other, Phil was busy in his own thoughts, moving the food around his plate as it quickly got colder. So wrapped up in talking about the days plans, no one really noticed the odd attitude to his food, and passed the silence off as him getting up earlier than usual and still being tired.

"You can do whatever you like today," Dean confirmed. "There's not much to do around here, it's more time to oneself, away from the city. We've got two days left, so decide between you what you want to do."

"I will be doing some work," Luna informed. "Get it out the way while you can, yes?"

"I want to go walking again!" Kim demanded with a pout. "Can we go walking again?"

"Of course," her father said. "We can go soon if you like. Does anyone else want to come with us?"

Yuna nodded happily, and Albus shrugged in agreement.

Scorpius cringed slightly, rubbing his arm with a small shake of his head. "I think I'll rest today, thank you."

Riley whined slightly. "Is there nothing else to do? We've gone walking twice!"

"No, there's nothing much else to do. Unless you want to go to the village close by, see what it's like there. You can scope out restaurants for our meal tonight?"

The brunet grinned brightly, turning to Phil. "How about it? Shall we go to the village?"

Phil looked up, having not paid attention. "Okay?"

Albus chuckled slightly at the confused look on his cousin's face as Riley cheered. "You just agreed to go shopping with Riley?" Albus explained. Phil grimaced at his plate, enticing a laugh.

"It'll be fun!" Riley insisted. "Just the two of us, some best friend time!"

"Like a date," Scorpius added.

The dark haired boy flustered while Scorpius smirked at the distasteful scowl he was getting from the Weasley boy. Albus tried his hardest not to smile.

"Right, well, let's get ready for our walk," Dean said, getting up and patting Phil on the shoulder. "Have fun in town."

"Thanks…"

Luna smiled softly. "I can drive you into the village if you want. It's about a ten minute walk if you'd rather walk it."

"We can walk it," Riley said. "It's not far. I think I know where it is."

Satisfied with this answer, Luna retreated back to her tent to get started on her papers, and the teens slowly retreated to their own tents.

Zzz

"How about there for dinner? It looks cute," Riley said, pointing to one of the many restaurants. "What kind of food does everyone like? I forgot to ask…"

"Not spicy food."

The darker haired boy smiled brightly at his companion. "Right, not spicy food. Italian food tends to go down well with everyone, doesn't it?"

"I guess."

This had been going on for about an hour or so, after they'd gotten into the village. There were rows upon rows of restaurants and cafes and small novelty shops, but nothing that had Phil's interest. Riley was having a fair amount of fun looking in windows and wandering around aimlessly, commenting on the things they saw. He had decided their first task should be to find somewhere to eat. He was very indecisive.

"What's wrong with you?" Riley asked eventually, trying not to look irritated. "You're more moody than usual."

"I'm not moody."

Riley scowled, nodding his head. "So are."

"I'm just cold."

Riley stopped, stepping in front of his best friend and glaring up at him. "It's not 'just cold', it's more. What's wrong?"

Phil sighed and looked away from the boy, shrugging. "It's nothing."

"Tell me!"

"It's nothing, really."

"There's something!"

"It's just something your sister and Albus said."

"What did they say?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! I don't want to walk around with a moody boy, it's depressing!"

Phil flustered and returned the glare. "They were asking why I haven't asked you on a date."

Riley was caught between pride at returning the glare full force and curling into a ball. "Right. Okay," he sucked in a breath. "Why is it bothering you so much?"

"Merlin's beard, Riley, can't you just drop it?"

"Apparently not, no," Phil sighed and kicked the ground, Riley's glare softening as he put a hand on Phil's arm. "I want to know what it is, it's clearly bothering you a lot. I don't like it when you're all bothered and stuff."

Phil smirked, looking up at his friend. "You can be really cute sometimes, you know that?"

"Aha," Riley grinned, blushing lightly. "Well, I do try."

"They asked me where my 'Gryffindor courage' was."

"Your what now?"

Phil shrugged, starting to walk about. "My Gryffindor courage. Because I'm too scared to ask you out."

"Wha-why would you be scared?" Riley pressed, swallowing the lump in his throat as they continued down the street.

"Because I wouldn't want something to go wrong and to lose you," Phil admitted. "We've been good friends for years-!"

"The best!"

"-And I don't want to ask you out in case I screw it up and lose you as a friend as well as anything else," Brown eyes looked down into the oddly coloured light ones. "You're the best thing I have."

Riley looked back at him blankly, having stopped in his steps. Opening and closing his mouth several times, he frowned before stepping forward with more courage than the confession was made with. "You won't screw it up. And if you do, I won't leave you," Riley insisted. "Because you're my friend first."

Phil couldn't help the large smile that spread from cheek to cheek at that almost-confession. Riley smiled back bashfully, looking up at the other as they continued down the street, Riley slipping his hand into Phil's.

"So, come on, Mr Gryffindor," Riley encouraged, knocking his shoulder into Phil's. "Where's this confession?"

"You just got it."

"Phil!" Riley whined with a pout, stomping his foot slightly as Phil smirked. "That wasn't a confession! I want a real one!"

"Do you now?"

"Yes! I want it now!"

Phil shrugged. "I want never gets."

"Phil!"

Zzz

"I wonder how Phil and Riley are getting on," Albus mused as he walked next to his best friend, arms stuffed in his pockets as they followed the two darker skinned people in front of them. "You think bothering Phil about it worked?"

Yuna chuckled. "The members of your family have a tendency to respond to challenges. Not necessarily well, but respond never the less."

"I sure hope so, I'm getting tired of watching them go back and forth and talk about each other all the time."

"Maybe one day I will have to use that carrot on you to get you going."

"What?"

She smiled softly, shaking her head. "Nothing," she decided to change the subject. "How goes it with Scorpius?"

Albus laughed nervously, looking at the ground. "Yeah, he's wonderful."

"You seem less excited about it than you did a few weeks ago."

"It's just a bit weird," Albus admitted. "Now that I'm on a friendly speaking basis with him, it's bizarre."

"Do you not enjoy it?"

Sighing slightly, the boy shrugged. "Yeah, I do, but there's just something missing."

Yuna hummed to herself, nodding. The two continued in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps squishing into the ground ringing out and the murmurs of a conversation between father and daughter in front of them.

"I think when Phil and Riley get back, we'll be pleasantly surprised," Yuna decided happily. Albus looked up at her and couldn't help but smile at the optimistic look on her face.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I think we will."

Zzz

Fred and James were sat across from each other, elbows on their knees and fingers locked. Their matching Weasley brown eyes were locked on each other as they sat in stony silence. Rose was laid back in the chair between them, twirling her curls and reading a book.

"I don't know how much longer I can take it," James muttered, eyes starting to water. "It's just so…"

"Painful," Fred finished.

Rose rolled her eyes, slamming the book on the coffee table that sat between the three of them. The boys jumped out their skin, eyes squeezing shut.

"Rose!" Fred snapped, rubbing his eyes.

"You're such a kill joy!" James agreed.

"You're such children," Rose snapped with a frown, pulling her book back to her chest. "Staring contests, really?"

James sighed, leaning back in his seat and running a hand through his hair. "I can't focus on anything! I'm too worried about Al!"

Fred huffed, slouching against his palm. "Phil's harder than Al, but Al is so soft. He'll roll over at any sign of conflict that would bother the Thomas'."

"He's such a pussy."

"Dad should've never agreed to let him go!" James insisted. "Why did he say yes? He hates the Malfoy's just like us!"

"Your dad hates Draco Malfoy, not his son. And that was a long time ago," came a voice from the living room door. The three snapped their heads up to see Ginny Potter in the doorway, not looking impressed.

"Mum!" James exclaimed, flustering slightly. "Hey!"

"I thought I raised you better, James. If Albus wants to spend time with Scorpius then let him."

Fred scoffed. "Why would Albus want to spend time with Scorpius? He's only there because he's friends with the Thomas'."

"Fred!" Ginny warned. "Your uncle got a letter asking if it was okay for Albus to go with Scorpius and the Thomas', not just the Thomas'. They're doing a project together, aren't they?" the three teens nodded. "Maybe they buried the hatchet."

All three cringed, though Rose swallowed the lump in her throat to speak. "I suppose if that's what Al wants, he can't be that bad?" though her voice rose considerably at the end. Ginny nodded.

"Bullshit!"

"James! Mind your language!"

"That bastard was horrible to you! And to Lily! Slugs, Rose!"

Ginny went to shout at her son again, but hesitated. "He what?"

"He made Rose puke slugs!"

The girl in question groaned, sinking back into her seat. "Please don't remind me, James."

"Your uncle Ron tried that one on Malfoy," Ginny noted. "It backfired."

Fred stood, holding his head high. "We must fight back! With firepower!"

"Firepower!" James agreed in a slightly less serious voice, pumping his fist into the air. Rose shook her head, looking incredibly nervous.

Ginny huffed, pouting slightly. "Grounded."

"Wha-?"

"The both of you, grounded!" she repeated. "You clearly aren't listening. You have to accept that it's Albus' choice! And what about Rose, and Lily?" she insisted. "Do you think that would have happened to them had you not tormented Scorpius? Grow up, the pair of you! You're almost in your seventh year now!" the woman looked between the two startled boys, furious. "Go help your Gran with the chores!"

"Yes mum."

"Yes Ginny."

Rose sat where she was, a look of mild surprise, irritation and relief on her face. Ginny sat where her son had been and smiled at her niece, patting her leg. "Sometimes it's better to put family over revenge. Besides, revenge never gets you anywhere but into a deeper grave."

"Thanks, Auntie."

"It's okay sweetie."

Rose paused as the woman stood to leave the room, next question playing on the tip of her tongue. Ginny was quite proud of herself and planned to report back to her husband with good news.

"Why does Al like Scorpius all of a sudden?"

The woman stopped dead in her tracks, trying to remember what Harry said about that specific subject. She turned and smiled with a shrug. "He'll tell us when he's ready."

Rose nodded slowly, shrinking back behind her book with a new look of determination in her eyes. Ginny left, missing this look and bounced out the room. "He'll tell us when he's ready, will he?" Rose muttered to herself with a smirk. "He'll tell us when I want him to."

Zzz

Kivea: Right okay, it's not as long as the last one was, but it was actually really hard to write. I know nothing much REALLY happens in this one, it's more just to drive the plot a bit than to be a leading role. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter (and those who read it), it's nice to know that you're still reading it and these aren't wasted efforts to bring back the dead!

Thanks,

Kivea Rain

PREVIEW

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No."

"He's forbidden fruit."

"He's what now?"

"You liked him so much, because you couldn't have him."