Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the plot and original characters.

Unexpected Realizations

He was not a nature person. In fact, he'd go so far as to say that anyone who deliberately went walking into a forest for no other reason than to enjoy the scenery could do with a round of shock spells at St. Mungos. It completely baffled him as to the appeal of dirt, foliage and the possibility of meeting potentially dangerous creatures. That he was willingly doing so was that much more baffling, but Scorpius assured himself that he wasn't going insane since he wasn't in the Forbidden Forest to enjoy the sights, but to make sure that the man happily walking beside him came out of said forest in one piece.

And what they were currently doing was more enjoyable than their earlier lunch, Scorpius silently admitted, since the eyes that spotted them from their various hiding places were quick to look away, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

They were alone now too, or as alone as one could be in a forest full of wildlife.

Albus was more himself too, far more relaxed than the Gryffindor had been earlier. He'd known it would be bad, but he'd never really been physical close to the other man when the Chosen One's middle child was on the hot seat. His favorite member of the Potter family did not handle it nearly as well as his siblings did, but then his siblings were overly self confident and sure of themselves and their place within the top of the Wizarding World hierarchy.

Their brother didn't think he belonged there but had been born into it.

But their watchers hadn't been aware of the effect they had had on the Gryffindor, Scorpius was willing to bet most didn't. Albus was just that good unless you really paid attention to him and didn't just see what you expected to see when you looked at the man. People so rarely really looked, not wanting to take responsibility for the hurts their words or actions could so easily inflict upon someone, intended or not.

Stopping when the other man stopped Scorpius watched the man carefully use his knife to take some clippings from a plant he didn't recognize, the Gryffindor putting what he'd taken into a bag so that it wouldn't be cross contaminated with the other pieces of flora he'd already collected in their search for dragon's teeth. The plant hadn't been growing where Albus had expected it to be so they were on a bit of a wild goose chase at the moment, hoping to run into a cluster of the plants.

Straightening the shoulder strap of his satchel as he stood up again Albus gave the Slytherin a questioning look. "Are you bored? I know this isn't your sort of thing, and we've been at it for almost an hour."

"I'm not bored. I have nowhere else I'd rather be."

Even knowing that the Slytherin probably hadn't meant that the way he'd like to take it Albus smiled shyly, unaware that his pleasure in the other man's company was in his eyes.

Which was why he was still tromping around in the stupid forest, Scorpius thought wryly as he followed the Gryffindor deeper into the underbrush.

Ten minutes later they discovered what they were looking for, and after collecting all they might possibly need of the plant the two men headed back towards the castle, both coming to a stop when they heard a sound that was a mixture of pain and annoyance.

"What was that?" Frowning, Scorpius could tell where the sound was coming from but not what was making it.

"It's coming from that way." And without waiting for the Slytherin to weigh in on what they should do Albus took off in the direction of the sound, his only thought to aid whatever it was that was in pain and needed his help.

Cursing the Potter tendency to risk their well being without thinking Scorpius hurried after him, breathing a sigh of relief when he caught sight of the creature Albus was bending down to help, the Gryffindor speaking softly as he slowly edged a hand towards the leg that the young Thestral had gotten stuck in between a rock and thick tree root. Definitely not a harmless little herbivore, but Hagrid had the creatures too well trained for it to attack without cause. The creature was used to being around people after all, and Albus had been trained like the rest of his family to love and respect the animals of the forest by Hagrid.

Listening to the Gryffindor tell the horse like creature all about how he'd recently gotten his foot stuck in a similar situation and how he understood just how frustrating and embarrassing it was Scorpius couldn't help but smile as he watched the exchange, his wand still at the ready in case the creature misunderstood what Albus was trying to do. He didn't think it would though, it had calmed down under the soothing touch and voice, and there was trust in the beast's eyes as it watched the Gryffindor carefully work its leg out, knowing how important it was to be careful with the limb.

Carefully setting the leg down Albus checked for lasting injury and didn't see anything. Pleased he slowly got to his feet and then backed away, watching the Thestral as it slowly started to move, obviously testing its leg for weakness and not finding any. They'd arrived soon enough that the animal hadn't had time to really injure himself in his bid to escape.

Turning to look at Scorpius Albus's face lit up. "I think he'll be just fine."

The Gryffindor's head turned back to watch the creature trot back the way it had been headed, but Scorpius didn't even notice. His brain had short circuited and now that it was regenerating there was one, irrefutable fact stamped upon his psyche, one that he'd likely been blocking up until that point in the hopes of self preservation.

He was in love with Albus Potter.

How it had happened, when it had happened he couldn't say. All that he knew was that that smile, directed at him, had completely knocked every other thought from his head but that.

That loving the other man was not in his life plan and would never work didn't seem to matter.

His heart had apparently not had the sense to discuss the matter with him brain before deciding.

That he desired the man he knew. That he enjoyed the Gryffindor's company he knew. Why the hell his heart thought they would be a good match was so beyond him that his brain threatened to blow up a second time.

Albus was a Potter. The son of Harry Potter. Earlier had just been a small sampling of how people would feel about him becoming a permanent fixture in the Gryffindor's life. And that was just them appearing to be on friendly terms. No one would ever accept him as Albus's lover, there were a number of people he could think of off the top of his head who would see him dead first. Not to mention the fact that the other man felt like a social outcast and misfit already without coming out as gay too. And that was assuming that the man wasn't just a little bi curious and would ever be interested in permanently taking another male as his lover. Him as a lover. He hadn't even gotten into the man's bed yet and it could be sheer arrogance on his part to think he eventually would. The fact that he was fairly sure that he'd come to mean something to the Gryffindor didn't negate the fact that he certainly wasn't the sort of person Albus Potter would want to fall in love with. Could fall in love with. He wasn't exactly Mr. Popular himself.

In fact it was probably safe to say that in comparison to him Albus was one of the most popular, desirable men in the Wizarding World.

Shit. How could he be so stupid?

)

Having covered the spot where the Thestral had caught its leg with branches, just in case, Albus dusted off his hands and then turned back to look at Scorpius, concern immediately flashing across his face as he took in the Slytherin's pale, rather sick looking expression. The man had been fine a minute ago, Albus thought as he hurried to stand in front of his lover, reaching up to tenderly cup the Slytherin's drawn face between his hands. "Scorpius? Do you feel sick?"

"A little." Was his honest reply.

Concerned, Albus placed a hand across the Slytherin's brow and his other against his own forehead to compare temperatures, finding Scorpius's a little higher than his own but not to a dangerous degree. Feeling the man's throat he found no signs of inflammation, though the blonde's pulse was noticeable up. His eyes were a bit glassy, Albus noted, wondering if perhaps the Slytherin was having an allergic reaction to something they'd brushed up against while walking. "Are you allergic to anything?"

Shaking his head, wishing it was that easy to clear his thoughts, Scorpius forced himself to don his usual mask of indifference, hiding behind it so that the other man wouldn't see the truth he wanted to hide from the both of them. "I'll be fine. But we should head back."

Nodding in immediate agreement Albus wrapped an arm around the Slytherin's waist for support, not sure what to think when the other man flinched a little at his touch.

Trying to think of something to distract the Slytherin with Albus blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Who did you see die?"

Scorpius blinked, it taking a moment for his very turbulent mind to figure out what the hell the other man was talking about. "My maternal great grandmother." And since he wanted a distraction as much as the Gryffindor Scorpius posed the question as well, since obviously Albus had had no problem seeing the Thestral either.

"When I was twelve I went with my parents to visit one of my dad's men who'd been injured the day before. The man in the bed next to him suffered an unexpected brain aneurism while we were there. He was dead before we even realized what had happened to him. His name was Jasper Hummel."

"You remember his name? I thought you didn't know him."

"I didn't, at the time, but I found out. The man died while I was in the same room with him, learning his name and who he was was the least I could do."

Albus wasn't at all sure what to make of the look that answer earned him. "What?"

"You're just so…you."

"And that's…a bad thing?"

Scorpius face said it even before he did. "At this particular moment yes, yes it is."

"Oh."

For the rest of the walk through the forest and up to the castle neither of them spoke.

)

By Wednesday morning Albus had accepted that his ass had been dumped. Not that they'd actually been technically going out, so maybe he couldn't even say that he'd been dumped. It was probably more accurate to say that it had been made abundantly clear to him that the Slytherin had never seen him as anything but a very temporary indulgence. Whether he would have held onto the other man longer if he'd allowed himself to be talked into having sex earlier floated through his mind more than a million times, but in the long run the Gryffindor told himself that that was probably for the best.

He might have just been a piece of ass to the Slytherin, but at least the blonde bastard had never had said ass.

And really, what had he expected, Albus scowled himself as he lay in bed, trying to convince himself to haul his miserable ass out of bed. Had he thought that he was special? That the Slytherin's interest in him had been about more than just sex? Was he really that stupid?

Yes. Yes he was.

Big surprise. The anger he felt towards Scorpius and himself gave Albus enough energy to get out of bed, discarding his pajamas along the way as he headed towards the shower.

When would he ever learn, seriously. And okay, so maybe he'd had enough sense not to think that his relationship, if you could even call it that, with the Slytherin would be permanent. That had gone without saying. But he hadn't expected it to end this way, without any warning. But the man had made no attempt to so much as touch him since they'd left the Forbidden Forest on Saturday. He'd been nasty as hell to his students the past days which meant no reward, and Scorpius hadn't shown the least interest in improving his behavior or trying to collect kisses on the side. You'd think he'd developed dragon pox the way the man was avoiding him.

Which was probably why no one was pestering them about them having had lunch together in Hogsmeade over the weekend. At least not in person, anyway. He'd gotten some interesting letters from concerned family and friends.

And at least he could comfort himself a little by telling himself that he probably had the ill fated first date to partially thank for his present situation, so it hadn't just been him. The reactions people had had to seeing them together had probably sent a clear message to the Slytherin that Albus Potter was more trouble then he was worth.

Who could argue with that? He totally agreed.

Which sorta proved that Scorpius had been somewhat interested in him as a person and not as Harry Potter's son, Albus told himself as he braced his hands against the tiles as water poured down his body. He'd lost track of the number of girls who'd come after him over the years because they wanted to be able to brag that they'd bagged the Chosen One's son. Many a relationship had ended badly because he'd suspected that his father's celebrity status had contributed to a girl's reason for putting up with him and his quirks. James had never minded, but then his brother had eaten up the attention with a spoon. His brother had always said that even if they came after him because of who their father was he could easily charm them into wanting to stick around because of himself so what did it matter why they'd come after him in the first place.

It had always mattered to him.

Shoving back his dripping hair Albus washed his hair on autopilot, dragging himself out of the shower as soon as he was clean. Forget shaving though. He didn't care if he looked scruffy as hell.

Getting dressed without really caring what he was wearing the Gryffindor made himself stop in front of his mirror long enough to make sure that he wasn't clashing in a way that would cause Flora to have a heart attack over his fashion choices.

He'd do considering what he had to work with, Albus thought as he stared into the mirror for a moment longer, and then pasting on the fake, 'I'm just fine' smile he'd been wearing for the past few days on, he headed out the door to start another day.

)

Sitting behind his desk as he pretended to mark the homework he should have finished grading the night before Scorpius had to tell himself over and over again not to shove the pieces of parchment off the desk and say to hell with it. He might have if his room wasn't currently occupied by his fifth years, but they were and therefore saved him from the childish act that would just require him to pick them all up afterwards. That certainly wouldn't improve his mood one little bit.

Why the hell hadn't the blasted Gryffindor shaved today?

Weren't things bad enough as it was without the man looking all rumpled and sexy, reminding him of that day in the greenhouse when the Gryffindor had gone down on him and rubbed those whiskered cheeks against his-DAMMIT!

And to top it all off he didn't know what to do about Albus. He wasn't a completely insensitive jerk, he knew he was hurting the other man and himself in the process since apparently he'd fallen so far that he couldn't stand the idea of the Gryffindor in pain.

Especially when he was the cause.

But what was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to fall out of love with Albus if he didn't stay the hell away from him?

That he couldn't stand the distance was as humiliating as it was illuminating.

Oh yeah, he had it bad.

Lifting his eyes from the paper he wasn't reading Scorpius made himself scan the room and pretend that he actually was the teacher and aware of his students on some level. There was a part of him that longed to lash out at them, to take out his frustration on them so that it wouldn't keep bubbling up to choke him, but he didn't even have the energy for even that. It wouldn't help, nothing did.

His life was royally fucked.

He should have expected it to be ruined by a Potter. Wasn't that a common thread in the lives of Malfoys? He was just following a time honored family tradition.

Thanks, Father, Grandfather. Such a lovely legacy you've left me to deal with.

When it was time for class to be dismissed Scorpius was still brooding, but he was with it enough to see that they handed in their work before leaving, surprising everyone by not assigning them massive amounts of homework. None of them pointed that out and beat a hasty retreat.

Except for Cynna Porter.

Moving out from behind his desk Scorpius leaned back against it as he watched the Ravenclaw walk down the aisle to stand in front of him. "You want something?"

Drawing back her arm a little Cynna made a fist and punched her potions professor where right arm met shoulder blade.

"You're a pansy assed Hufflepuff for running away from him, Malfoy. Grow a set."

And having said her piece Cynna lowered the finger she'd wagged in his direction and turned on her heels to march out of the room, her potions teacher gaping at her back in stunned silence.