Authors' Note: Yes, yes, long wait, why? Honestly, after being so insanely busy last term, Al was extraordinarily lazy over break. She watched a lot of Law and Order SVU and NCIS and played a lot of Sims. And ate a lot of cookies. Sorry. Her brain needed to un-fry. And now there are classes again. But, as always, we'll do our best.

-Al & Scor

Disclaimers are really hard to think of after a while. They all mean the same thing though: We don't bloody own Harry Potter

Chapter Fourteen: I Am Gay, Albus

After the tryouts Scorpius was planning on talking to Myrtle again; he felt he owned her that.

He walked down the second floor corridors. Suddenly James Potter stepped out from behind a pillar, tucking an old-looking piece of parchment into his breast pocket as he did so.

"Malfoy."

Scorpius turned. "Potter... What do you want?" His gray eyes landed on the piece of parchment.

James leaned against the pillar, crossing his arms. "How were tryouts?"

The blonde took a step back. "Sorry, Potter but I fail to see why that is any of your concern, not to be rude or anything."

James snorted. "'Not to be rude or anything,'" he mocked. "Yeah, that's a good one, coming from a Malfoy. It's my brother's concern, and my brother is my concern. We're a close family, you know? We look out for one another. Make sure none of us makes any mistakes."

Scorpius gave a forced smile; James, in truth, made him very uncomfortable after the incident in the middle of his third year. "Well, why do you ask me then? I am sure it would be much better to just simply ask Al."

James muttered darkly in a voice too low for Scorpius to make out.

"Pardon me, Potter; I didn't hear you," said Scorpius, trying to remain calm; it took a lot of effort.

"Albus isn't talking to me right now," said James grudgingly.

"I wonder why..." Scorpius murmured

"Why," snarled James, "is that you've gone and poisoned him against me!"

"You…aren't very nice to him, you know. Albus is caring, nice, always thinking about others. You are...very selfish, Potter." Scorpius made sure he could get down the corridor if James got too mad

James snorted. "You have a lot to learn if you think Albus is all nice all the time. My brother is a Slytherin. And so are you. Don't think I'll forget it." He gave Scorpius a hard shove in the chest. "I'll be watching you, Malfag. I don't like you and I don't trust you. So watch your step." He shoved the younger boy once more and then strode past him, leaving Scorpius alone in the corridor.

The Slytherin looked after him as he disappeared. Just marvelous... James Potter was now going to make his life hard again, wasn't he? And that nickname, it stung every time he heard it—maybe because it was true?

*****UTS*****

Scorpius had been so happy at receiving a letter from his father. But his has happiness turned into sadness as the blonde read the contents of the letter. His parents had been invited to visit a friend in France for the holidays, so now, unless he wished to spend his holiday with his grandparents, he would have to be all alone for two weeks, something he really didn't want to be. He supposed staying at Hogwarts would be better than going home if no one else was going to be there; it would be so lonely in Malfoy Manor.

Albus looked over his orange juice at Scorpius and noticed his crestfallen expression. "Hey Scor, what's up?

"It seems like I am staying here over the holidays."

"What?" said Albus. "Why? I thought you were going home."

"So did I, but my parents are going to France. It seems they forgot about it. "He sighed. "It's fine. I guess I'll just stay here."

"What?" exclaimed Albus again. "No! I—just a second." He leapt up ran over to the Hufflepuff table, leaving Scorpius staring after him in confusion.

A minute later he returned with Lily in tow. "Come on, Scor, let's talk in the corridor."

"O-okay…" the blonde nodded and got up from the table, following the two Potter siblings

When then got into the corridor where they could talk without having to shout above everyone else's conversations and clattering cutlery, Albus turned to Scorpius and said, "We'd like to invite you to spend the Christmas holidays with us."

Scorpius looked as though he was going to faint. "You…you what?" The blonde blinked in surprise

"Are you deaf, silly?" asked Lily. "He said we want you to stay with us during the holidays!"

"I…I heard it, I just couldn't believe it. And I want to, but…" he trailed off.

"But what?" said Albus. "I'm sure it'll be fine with my parents. There're so many people around during the holidays anyway, what's one more? And if you're worried about James, don't be. He wouldn't dare do anything with Mum and my aunts around."

"No, Al, it's not that. I—I have something I need to tell you."

Just then Montague walked out of the Great Hall. "Hey look, it's the faggot duo of faggotness! What's up faggots?"

"Cut it out, Montague!" said Albus angrily.

"Or what?" scoffed Montague. "You're going to curse me in the middle of the entrance hall? I don't think so." He walked off, laughing to himself.

"Ignore him," said Lily. "He has so few brain cells I'm surprised he can walk and attempt to insult you at the same time."

Scorpius was eyeing the floor with such intensity his gaze would surely burn a hole in the marble. "He is right," he said, very low.

"I just told you," said Lily, "he doesn't have enough brain cells to be right about anything."

"Lily…Montague is right. About me and—and the…" the blonde bit his bottom lip hard.

Albus and Lily looked at Scorpius in confusion.

"You and the what, Scor?" asked Albus.

Scorpius drew his breath thought his nose several times. "Albus…I planned to tell you eventually, but I might as well tell you now." Scorpius was pale. "I am gay, Albus. I am a fag. And that's why I am not sure if I can come over to your home for Christmas."

Albus blinked at him, at a loss for words.

Lily had no such problem. "Well of course you're gay, Scorpius. What does that have to do with the price of flying carpets in Afghanistan?"

"Eh…flying? Lily, what—?" The blonde dared a short look at his year-mate. "Albus, does…does this means we're not friends anymore?"

"Huh?" said Albus. "Why in the world would it mean that?!"

"I don't know." Scorpius was pale and was only looking at his feet.

Albus was confused. "Scor, let's back up a moment, I'm not sure I follow you. You're gay?"

The other boy drew a deep breath. "Yes..."

"And that means...you like blokes, right?"

"Yes," Scorpius nodded, blushing slightly. "That is precisely what it means."

"Like, romantically and sexually and stuff?" asked Albus.

"Yes, like all that."

Albus paused. Now that he knew for sure that Scorpius liked other blokes there were so many questions he wanted to ask him. But how was he supposed to ask them without telling Scorpius about the Angel Boy?

Albus must have been staring off into space, because Lily snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Oy! Earth to Albus!" Albus blinked. "It doesn't matter, right? That Scorpius likes blokes?"

"What?" said Albus. "Oh! No, of course not."

"What is it then?" the blonde boy asked slowly, hiding his blushing face behind his hair

"Nothing," said Albus quickly. "Just...nothing." He wasn't sure why he was so reluctant to talk to Scorpius about the Angel Boy; maybe he was afraid that Scorpius would laugh at him, or maybe he was just afraid of finding out that whoever had been in the Angel costume wasn't so special after all. It had been almost two months and Albus hadn't heard from him since; he was starting to give up hope.

"It...it doesn't look like nothing, but...I won't force you to say anything, I am not like that." Scorpius said slowly.

Something about what Scorpius had just said niggled at Albus's brain, as though it should be familiar, but there was too much going on right now for him to process it, so he pushed it aside.

"No, it's not important. Can we maybe talk about this another time? Like over the holidays while you're staying with me?"

"Oh, of course..." the blonde nodded. "Thanks by the way, I am glad I won't have to be all alone for Christmas"

Albus grinned. "Of course not! That would be beyond depressing!"

Scorpius nodded again, smiling, "I guess, I'd most likely ended up reading the homework for next term anyway"

Albus made a face while Lily laughed.

"Good luck getting your homework done at our house!" she said cheerfully.

"Thanks…" said Scorpius.

"You're welcome!" said Lily, and danced off.

Albus watched her go. "Bloody Hufflepuff."

"Don't be like that Al," Scorpius said. "Thank you, Lily," he called to the girl, "But you weren't surprised to learn that I was, you know, gay. Why? "

Lily turned back around. "Because you are, of course."

"But—" the boy gave up. Girls, he'd never understand them, in any way.

"See you soon!" sang Lily, and skipped away.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Girls, more bloody trouble than they're worth. Sometimes, Scor, I think people like you have the right idea..."

Scorpius couldn't keep himself from blushing. "Oh, well, yes, maybe, but you have Trish, or…I guess not now, but..." the boy bit his lip. "Never mind my babbling"

Albus laughed to cover up the jumble of emotions churning within him. "Come on, Scor, let's go pack our things for the holidays."

AN: Yes, yes, Al's channeling Lily from TTG, deal with it :P And sorry it's so short, when Al was editing she thought it best to save the Christmas Holidays for their own chapter.

(Side note: It's bloody weird for Al to talk about herself in the 3rd person all the time)

-Al & Scor