Christmas

Albus was definitely in love with Scorpius Malfoy, and he probably had been for a while, without knowing it. Just like Frida had said.

Al knew now, because he couldn't resist peeking at his former friend, he couldn't stop thinking about him, and the image of Scorpius naked had haunted his wanking fantasies ever since Al walked in on him that day.

Wonderful! Now, he had realized that he couldn't live the rest of his life without love after all, and he had fallen in love with a boy, a boy who hated him and refused to talk to him. Great!

This was maddening. At first, Al kept everything to himself. He didn't even talk to Rose about it, and for a while she let him keep his secret. However, when Christmas came that year, Rose decided that enough was enough.

The Potters had celebrated the holyday in Ron and Hermione's house this year. Albus and Rose were in Rose's room. Al had always thought that it looked like a combination of library, bedroom and atelier. Painting had always been Rose's favourite hobby, and also one of the few things she was really horrible at.

That's one of the many reasons why Al admired his cousin. She was the kind of person who wanted to be the best at everything, and nothing in the world could ever make her give up, even if she failed a thousand times over. And when she failed, she smiled, said that failure is the mother of success and tried again.

"Okay, Albus. You've been miserable for too long, now," she said. "You have to tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on."

"I know something's wrong, Al. I know that you and Malfoy had some sort of fight, but this isn't just about losing a friend. I know you well enough to understand that."

"I don't want to talk about it," Al whispered and buried his face in Rose's pillow. Was he going to cry as well, now?

"Perhaps talking about it helps," Rose said comforting.

"I couldn't give up on love after all," Al sighed.

"Of course you couldn't," Rose replied with a smile. She took the pillow away from his face and hugged him. Then she dried his tears with the palm of her hand. "So you're in love?"

It sounded really stupid when she said it like that, and Al realised that he had been quite naïve to think that he'd never fall in love. He felt pathetic now, but he knew Rose didn't care. She would never stop being his friend, and she wouldn't laugh when he told her who he was in love with.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he said. "I'm in love with Malfoy."

"And what are you gonna do about it? The two of you seem to be on bad terms these days."

"I won't do anything about it, Rose. I'm sure I'll fall in love with someone else one day."

"Al," she said, and hugged him again. "My dear Al. You really are hopeless when it comes to these things."

Christmas break always felt too short. When they returned to school, the ground was covered in almost untouched snow. It was white and sparkling, beautiful and cold. It reminded Al of Scorpius Malfoy's skin. Naked skin.

No! He shouldn't be thinking about that.

The first day after the break they had double Charms. Al's house had charms with the Gryffindors this year; therefore Al could pair up with Rose. The Charms teacher was Professor Twinkle, head of Slytherin House. She was Al's favourite teacher, beautiful, clever, strict and just.

Professor Twinkle also looked a bit like Frida and Eirian. She had pale, smooth skin, like Eirian, but also freckles like Frida. Her hair, however, was long, blonde and curly. She dressed like an elf; an angel of the forest or something. Green clothes with several layers of thin fabric. She moved and acted very gracefully, was always calm, but also scary at times, when the students behaved badly.

"Al, are you paying attention?" Rose hissed quietly, interrupting Al's line of thought.

"Sorry, no," Al admitted. What were they learning about? Something Rose had taught him last year, wasn't it? "Are we still on page 153?"

"I was saying," Rose whispered. "Maybe you should talk to him about it. Tell him how you feel."

"What?"

"Tell Malfoy the truth."

"I can't see why that would make anything better, Rose," Al sighed.

"But at least you'll be doing something about this hopeless situation. Yes, he might turn you down, but even that has to be better than moping around all the time without knowing. And then you can move on."

"Why do you even care, Rose? This is none of your business," Al said, a bit too loudly. Twinkle started walking towards their desk.

"Do you need help with the assignment, students? Or are you perhaps finished already?"

Rose gave her a charming smile, and showed perfectly how to summon a pillow from the other end of the classroom.

"Good, miss Weasley. You can start reading about the Depuslo Charm, then," Twinkle said and walked over to check on someone else.

"Of course it's my business," Rose continued, as if their conversation never had been interrupted. "You're my cousin, but also my best friend, Al. And I know you feel the same way about me. Imagine that I acted like you do. Imagine that I suddenly became really depressed about something and refused to tell you what it was all about, and that I planned to just sulk and do nothing. Wouldn't you do everything you could to help me?"

Wow. Had he really acted that badly? Al thought he'd been cheerful and happy around others, even though he was sad when he was alone.

"It is my business because I care about you, Al," she said with a smile. "I guess telling Malfoy how you feel could be a little stupid, but what about dating? Try to find someone new, who might like you back."

"Great idea, Rose, except for the fact that I'm gay – probably – and I don't know anyone else who is."

"You might not know, but Gordon does. A guy who plays on the Ravenclaw team. He's not open about it, but he and Gordon are very close – a bit like you and me. We could make it a double date."

"Rose…" Al said. "That's very considerate of you, but I think I'll pass. I promise that I will sort this out somehow, just let me do it myself. And if I change my mind, I promise to come to you right away."

"Okay," she said and patted him on the back. "I'll trust that for now."

Rose was obviously not the only one who had noticed that Al was acting differently, because one day something very strange happened. During the past few years Al had learned that whenever the twins where involved, something odd was bound to happen, but this was perhaps the weirdest incident yet.

Al had known the twins for three and a half year now and only once had he heard Eirian speak. And at that time she had been in some sort trance, as if something powerful, angry and ancient had taken control over her body. That's why Al was so shocked when Eirian approached him in the hallway outside the Slytherin House and demanded to have a few words with him.

Her voice was hoarse, rough and deep.

"I know what's going on between you and Malfoy," she said calmly. "I know that you used to be friends, but that you had a fight earlier this school year. My sister knows it too."

Al didn't know what to say. First of all because he was too shocked by Eirian's sudden change in behaviour, but also because he could think of no good answer. Of course they knew. Al had always had the feeling that they had some sort of psychic powers.

"And I'm sure that you know how my sister feels about Scorpius Malfoy," Eirian continued, not bothering to wait for any answers from Al. "Now that the two of you are on such bad terms, she has gained hope again. She hopes that he might actually feel the same about her, but I know that he will turn her down."

"How can you be so sure about that?" Al asked. "You shouldn't just make her give up without trying."

Eirian glared at him. Her glare spoke for her. 'Says who?'

What she said was: "I know that Malfoy will turn her down, and I can't bear to see her hurt. I'm sure you know what I mean."

Al nodded. He remembered the incident with Matt Flint very well, and Eirian probably knew that Al had seen it. Eirian stared at the floor, sort of embarrassed.

"I have a selfish reason as well," she said quietly. "I can't bear to share her with someone else. If she finds herself a boyfriend, what am I to do? I need her, Albus. I need to have her to myself for a little while longer. So please make up with Malfoy again."

"I can't do that, Eirian. He won't talk to me, I'm sure you know that."

"You'll find a way," she said before she walked away and left Al alone in the empty corridor.