Author's Note: I just wanted to thank everybody who leaves me reviews. I normally reply to each message directly, but since I've had a few guests leaving me notes, I'd just like them to know they're equally appreciated! It's a big encouragement to know there's people out there enjoying what I write!
Chapter Twenty Eight
"What are you doing, James?" Albus asked angrily, getting up and running to where the blond was still fallen. "Are you okay, Scorp?" He asked, kneeling beside him.
"Yeah, don't worry." He replied with a faint smile, rubbing the spot where his head hit the wall.
They got up and turned to the other boy watching them almost in shock, but were interrupted before they could say anything.
"Stay away from my brother, Malfoy." He threatened, hatred bleeding through his voice, his wand still pointed at them.
"What the hell, James?" Albus was almost yelling at him now, and he put himself between the other two, to protect his friend. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What are you doing, Al? With... With that-"
"Al-" Scorpius called, but the brunet interrupted him, without looking away from the brown eyes staring as intensely at him as he was at them.
"No, Scorp, I'm not going to pretend to be nice. You've crossed the line here, James! What were you thinking? What are you even doing here in the first place? Were you following me? Spying on me?"
"It's nothing like that! I saw you two running off, and it looked like you were up to something, so I thought-"
"Up to something? Since when are we up to something? We're not you-"
"No, Al, seriously. I don't think I'm that well after all." He said with a faint voice, touching the boy's shoulder with one hand, and an alarmed Albus turned around just in time to see the blond bring his bloody hand forward and faint.
He grabbed Scorpius the best he could to avoid him collapsing into the ground, ending up on his knees from the weight he was sustaining. His heart started racing and he tried to think about what to do. Part of him just wanted to yell at his brother for what he'd caused, how he'd acted, and another just wanted to beg for help, for him to do something about the boy passed out in his arms. He hesitated for a moment, looking at Scorpius's face, even paler than usual, before moving his eyes to a James who seemed ready to flight.
"Oh, no you don't!" Albus said angrily at the boy. "You come here and help me take him to the Hospital Wing, James! Right now!"
The older Potter seemed again to be a little in shock, though this time at the thought of having injured, possibly seriously, another student, and what consequences it might bring to him. So almost absent-mindedly he did what he was told, and the two brunets put one of Scorpius's arms around their necks and slowly carried him to Madam Pomfrey. As soon as they entered the room, the old healer ordered them to leave the blond in one of the beds, and while she ran diagnostic spells on him, she also ordered James to stay put - he seemed to have recovered from the accident and was ready to bolt.
Albus watched the healer work in tense silence for long minutes, casting spells and administering potions, until she finally sighed and turned to them, almost smiling.
"He'll be okay." She said at last, and the youngest Potter let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"W-What happened?" He asked hesitantly.
"I should be the one asking that, young man." She said severely.
"He, hm, hit his head." James said before his brother had the chance.
"And how did that happen?" She raised a suspicious eyebrow. She'd seen plenty of injuries in her time, and though the students never seemed to realize it, magic left clear traces.
"James did it." Albus was faster this time, his anger towards the other boy very evident in his tone .
"W-What he means, Madam Pomfrey, is that, hm, I, I saw them, and thought... Well, I thought they were fighting, and that I should, you know, split them up before they got hurt. I guess I overdid it a little." He faked an embarrassed smile.
"Is it so, Mr. Potter?" She turned to Albus, who wasn't exactly sure how to reply. He desperately wanted to tell the truth, but at the same time, James was still his brother, and he still had, weak as it might be, the impulse to protect him.
"W-What happened to Scorpius, Madam Pomfrey?" He decided changing the subject would be the best approach.
The old healer sighed. "He's had a minor concussion from the impact. He'll be fine with some rest, and I have some potions to speed up his recovery. So, the two of you, out." She concluded, pushing them towards the door.
"C-can't I stay with him? I promise I won't make a sound!" Albus pleaded.
"He'll be asleep until the morning, Mr. Potter. You can visit him then." She said strictly as they reached the door and she closed them out.
Albus sighed, turning to his brother. "Happy now?" He asked with a tired voice. "You finally did it. Finally hurt him."
"I..." He cleared his throat, uneasy. "It was all your fault anyway. If you hadn't... been doing that-"
"It was none of your business, James!"
"What you mean, none of my business? You're my brother! Or did you forget that already?"
"I-" He started, letting out a frustrated sound. Sometimes James was impossible to talk to. "Just because you're my brother, it doesn't mean you're in charge of my life, James."
"Well, I'm in charge of guiding you, and evidently you've gone off track-"
"Why? Because I'm friends with a Malfoy? Because I'm a Slytherin? Or because..." He swallowed hard, trying to undo the lump on his throat. He'd never said it out loud before. "Because we're together?"
"Together? Don't make me laugh, Albus." He said sarcastically. "Whatever you're doing with him, I'm sure it's just... I don't know, a game, a phase or whatever. If you want to really be with someone, I'll be more than glad to introduce you to plenty of girls, who are far more interesting than that weasel."
"You know, James, it's a shame you see things like that." He said in a low, very controlled voice. "I really miss what we used to have, but you evidently can't accept that I've changed, and I'm afraid unless you do, we won't get along. And now things have changed again, like it or not. Scorpius is my boyfriend now, and if you do anything, anything at all to him, James, I swear I'll never forgive you."
"Well, break up with him, then. Get away from him, and I'll leave him alone." He threatened.
"No, James. You're not telling me what to do, and you're not blackmailing me."
"I'll tell mom and dad, then." A tone of despair was evident in his voice. He knew he was losing the argument, and he hated to lose.
Albus took a deep breath. From the moment he saw James standing there, he knew it was a very real possibility, and wasn't too sure just how far he was willing to go to protect their secret.
James smiled, feeling more confident. "Break up with him or I'll tell mom and dad, Albus."
"You know what? Tell them, James. If you must, go ahead. But it won't change how I feel about Scorp. It'll only change how I feel about you." He replied quietly before walking away, trembling slightly at the weight of his own decision. It was only a matter of hours now before he got a howler from his mother, and the whole school found out. Hopefully his family wouldn't disown him for that.
Dinner that night was very tense, and Albus wasn't able to sleep more than a couple of frequently interrupted hours. He was at the infirmary door even before breakfast was served, and after pacing around for several minutes, he decided to go ahead, entering the room as silently as he could. He was halfway to Scorpius's bed, thinking he'd done a good job sneaking in, when he saw Madam Pomfrey coming out of her room and let out a defeated sigh.
"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Potter?" She asked severely in a whisper.
"You said-"
"Morning, Mr. Potter! Now shoo! You come back after you've eaten, and if Mr. Malfoy is awake, maybe we can discuss it then."
"But-"
"No buts! Out!" She replied, pushing him towards the door.
He stuck a tongue out, but complied with the order he'd been given. He sat alone in the Great Hall for almost half an hour until breakfast began being served, and he played with his food for a long time, trying not very successfully to push something down. He finally got tired of waiting and returned to the Hospital Wing, to find the healer tending to some patients. She sighed when she saw him, telling him with gestures to go ahead and wait by Scorpius's bed, where the boy still slept.
After a couple of minutes, Madam Pomfrey disappeared into her office again, and after looking around to make sure the other patients were asleep, Albus reached for the blond's hand, caressing it softly and putting a lot of effort into not saying anything. He was just sleeping, he insisted with himself, and he needs to rest. He was already looking better, he thought, not as pale as the day before. His lips were already very red again, and seemingly in response to his observing, the sleeping boy parted them, making the brunet smile to himself.
He almost jumped in place, letting go of the hand he was holding, as the old healer entered his field of vision.
"Don't worry about it, dear." She said with a kind smile. "I worked out you were... More than friends a while ago, you know. And I don't mind it."
"R-really?" He asked hesitantly.
"Really." She smiled again. "But now, if you don't mind stepping back so I can work on him?"
"Oh, hm, sure." He smiled embarrassed.
She ran spells on him and administered another potion, but the boy continued to sleep. Albus was determined not to leave the room without at least talking to the blond, but time was passing fast and nothing happened.
"I understand you want to be here when he wakes up, son, but I can't let you be late for class." She said kindly after treating the last patient, walking their way.
"But Madam Pomfrey-"
"I promise you he'll be fine, okay? He just needs to rest."
"O-okay." He said reluctantly with a nod, letting go of Scorpius's hand and walking out the door.
He was barely able to pay attention to any of his morning classes, but by the time he returned to the Hospital Wing, the blond was well awake and chatting to a first-year in the bed beside him. He sighed, relieved, when he saw him from the door, and had to try really hard not to run to his bed and jump on him. He still needed to rest, after all.
"How are you?" He asked, standing at the foot of the bed, his heart pounding in his chest.
"I'm fine, Al. Don't worry." He smiled honestly, and the brunet felt his body relax, even though he knew, rationally, that there was nothing to worry about.
"As if I could." He muttered with smile.
"I was just telling Michael here that it's not so bad to fall from a broom, right, Al? He's had an accident in his flying lessons and broke an arm."
"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will have you cured in no time." Albus smiled.
Michael nodded. "She already fixed my arm, but it's hurting a lot, so she said I'll have to stay here another night."
"Are you only learning to ride it this year?" Albus asked, sitting on the end of the blond's bed. The little boy nodded. "It's not as easy as it seems, right?"
"I remember falling a few times when I got my first broom." Scorpius said with a smile.
"Did you?" Albus raised his eyebrows, surprised. The other boy nodded. "Well, we'd never have thought that about Slytherin's seeker, would we?"
"You're a seeker?" The boy's eyes seemed to shine with the information.
"You bet. Are you interested in Quidditch?"
Michael nodded vehemently. "I wanted to try for the team some time, but now..."
"Don't worry about it. All you have to do is practice a lot, and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time." Scorpius smiled encouragingly.
"What stupid ideas are you putting into my student's head, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a smile, as she walked their way.
"Nothing stupid, I promise." He smiled back.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm great! Can I go now?"
She rolled her eyes. "What happened to you was very serious, young man. I'm keeping you for another night, and not a word about it." She added as he opened his mouth to complain. "And if you behave, I'll let you out tomorrow." She added as she walked away.
"Well, it could be worse." The blond said with a shrug, and they smiled at each other.
Scorpius was indeed released the following morning (unfortunately, in time to go to class), but was forbidden to do any physical activity - namely, attend Quidditch practice - for another two weeks, pending another evaluation of his progress.
For a few days after his argument with James, Albus expect nervously to receive a howler from his mother, forbidding him (uselessly) to even be around Scorpius, and was surprised and even a little confused when none came. But there was no surprise or confusion when the blond began tripping frequently on the hallways, have his belongings flying around the castle (when they didn't disappear) and other incidents for which no responsible could be found. The only constant was James laughing several feet away.
They tried ignoring it at first, and both boys became very good at casting minor defensive spells wandlessly and nonverbally (it did pay off to study hard, after all, they found out), but it only seemed to anger the older Potter even more. After acting from behind the curtains for over a month - and very rarely being caught -, James got tired of that game and started attacking Scorpius more directly, hitting him with minor hexes whenever there were no professors around.
"Enough, isn't it, James?" Albus asked one afternoon, after they'd defended themselves from yet another attack. "No matter how much you try, it changes nothing, so leave us alone already!"
"I'm giving you a chance to change your mind, Albus. I'm trying to help you. But if you won't let me, I'm left with no other choice." He replied equally angry, the rest of the students in the hall stopping to watch them.
"No, James, that's not your choice. The only choice you have it to accept that you can't control me and start acting like a real brother and support my decisions!"
"What is going on here?" Professor Williamson asked, making his way through the crowd.
"It's nothing, Professor." Scorpius stepped forward while the two brunets continued to exchange hateful looks. "They had a minor disagreement, but we're already leaving, right, Al?" He asked, pulling the boy by the arm.
"Is that so?" The professor raised a very justifiably suspicious eyebrow.
"Yes, Professor." Jordan quickly agreed, pulling James the other way.
"Very well, then. Off you go." He turned to the other students watching. "And all of you, there's nothing to see here! Go mind your own businesses!" He ordered, and in no time everybody was gone.
Scorpius dragged his boyfriend to their common room, where they both sat by the fire. "Why do you keep defending him?" Albus asked, frustrated. "Even after all he's done to you?"
"Because he's your brother, Al. And the two of you need to get along."
"But that's between him and me. It's got nothing to do with you. You don't have to take any of it."
"No, Al. You're fighting about me, which makes me a part of it. And if I fight back, he'll feel even more threatened."
"You're too good, Scorp." He said with a smile, cursing everybody around that kept him from kissing the boy.
"I'm just trying to help. You're lucky to have siblings, and I refuse to stand between you." They smiled at each other again. "But that's enough of that. We still have to finish that essay for tomorrow, and the two for Friday."
"Uh, don't remind me." He complained, making a face, and Scorpius laughed.
For the rest of the week, there was no sign of James anywhere, and they were beginning to believe the argument had had some effect after all. As many other students, they decided to spend the sunny Saturday afternoon outdoors, and as they walked to their spot by the lake, they ran into Frankie, who invited them to join him and his sister under a tree near the Forbidden Forest. After sharing a quick glance, they agreed, and the three talked and laughed all the way to where Gabby and her boyfriend were sitting.
Between working on their homework and chatting, it turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon for all of them. With the sun about to set, they were considering packing their things to return to the castle when James showed up, followed by Jordan and three other Gryffindor boys, all older than him.
"Hi there, little brother." He said with a smirk.
"What do you want, James?" Albus replied already reaching for his wand. Scorpius's hand on his forearm made him stop, and he saw the boy shake his head slowly before leaving the object in his pocket.
"Me? Nothing." James replied, getting his attention again. "But you see, the thing is, I made a promise to these guys." He pointed to the boys behind him. "And they want me to fulfill it." The seventh-years nodded.
"And what does that have to do with us, James?"
"You? Nothing, Frankie. So if you and Gabby and... Whoever that is want to leave, we won't stop you."
"What do you want, James?" Albus repeated.
"I've got this spell, you see. Fred taught me a while ago, so it took me some practice to get it right, isn't it, Jordan? " The boy nodded. "And, well... I promised them they'd get to see Malfoy in his underwear." And before any of them could react, the older Potter had pulled out his wand. "Levicorpus!"
Scorpius suddenly found himself upside down, and with another flick of James's wand, he was trying to hold his pants in place with his hands as best as he could, while the brunet and his friends laughed loudly. Before anybody could do anything - Albus was ready to drop his wand and punch his brother in the face -, Snape's voice came raging towards them.
"Oh, no, you don't, Potter!" And on the next second, James had flown a few feet back and Scorpius was returned easily to the ground. "What do you think you're doing, Potter?" He demanded angrily, marching towards the boy still on the ground. "And you!" He said, turning to the boys trying to flee and tying them with magical bonds. "Two weeks of detention for each of you for encouraging that barbaric act. With me personally." They heard the boys groan, foreseeing the pain it would cause. Without cutting them loose, he turned to James. "And you, Potter..." He said slowly, clearly enjoying the moment.
"I-It was only a joke, Professor! I-I-"
"A joke? A joke? No, Potter. It was far worse than that. It was..." He smirked. "Very serious. And so you can understand it, you'll be serving a month of detention with me."
"But professor-"
"A month and a half, then, Potter."
The boy opened his mouth to protest, but sensibly shut it again. Snape still had the Gryffindor boys tied and his wand pointed at James, deciding what to do next, when Neville came running from the direction his greenhouses were.
"Professor Snape! What are you doing?" He asked alarmed, breathless from the sprint. The Potions Master sent him a deadly look, making him cower as much as he always had. But a deep breath and a look to the boys on the ground later, he decided to insist. "What is going on here?"
Snape snorted, almost outraged to be questioned, especially by that colleague. "I was on my way to your greenhouses, Professor. When I noticed these students -" He motioned with his head towards the boys on the floor, his wand permanently pointed at James. "Approaching my students and your children, and of course it could only mean trouble. Before I could get close enough, Potter there was holding Mr. Malfoy... in a humiliating position, so I was forced to... interfere."
"And the other boys?"
"Caught trying to escape punishment."
"Which has already been assigned, I presume?"
"Indeed."
"So you can..." He chose his words carefully, afraid of turning Snape's anger his way. "Release them, maybe?" Snape looked at Neville for a long minute before flickering his wand and making the bonds disappear. The boys who were tied ran as fast as they could once they were free, making Snape roll his eyes. "And Mr. Potter?"
James still hadn't said anything, for fear of having to serve detentions during his holiday.
"Very well." He said finally, putting his wand down. "Be in my office tonight at eight."
"Y-yes, professor." He stuttered before running off.
"And you, kids, you better get going as well, right? It's getting dark." He said turning to Albus and his friends, who nodded, picking up their things. "What can I help you with, Professor Snape?" He said, turning to the man with a smile that disappeared almost instantly.
"I beg your pardon?"
Neville cleared his throat. "Y-you said you were on your way to the greenhouses?"
"Ah, yes, indeed." He replied as they started walking. "I'm in short supply of some potions ingredients..." He began as Neville rushed after him.
Scorpius was a bit shaken, and Albus was very angry at his brother, but nothing compared to the rage running through James's veins. In his eyes, not only Scorpius had broken up his family and taken Albus from him, but now he would have to serve detentions every day with the Greasy Git until his last week before holiday. And he wasn't about to let the boy get away with that easily.
After Snape's interference, the boys finally got a break from James's constant picking, and fell back into their old routines. With the traditional last game of Quidditch of the season - Slytherin vs. Gryffindor - approaching fast, they spent more and more time down by the pitch, even when the team wasn't around: feeling guilty about the two weeks he wasn't able to practice, Scorpius used most of his free time trying to catch up. The last Friday before the big match, as usual, they had the last period free, and decided to take advantage of it and headed to the Quidditch Pitch.
"So, you'll be doing your usual routine today?" Albus asked with a smile, waiting for the blond to get changed.
"Probably, why?" Came the reply from the stall where Scorpius was hidden. Even though there was nobody else around, he still felt a little insecure about showing his body to the brunet.
"Nothing." He stood up as the other boy came out, kissing him softly on the lips. "I was just wondering if you don't get bored with it."
"Why, do you get bored of watching me?" He teased, gaining a light punch on the arm. "Well, you never want to help me, so what choice to I have?" He smiled jokingly, taking his broom from his locker.
"Fine. So maybe I will, then." Albus replied, watching the blond's face light up.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." He smiled, gaining a lazy kiss.
"Okay, then. Hold on. I'll get another broom." He said excited, handing his own broom to Albus.
"I'll go ahead, then." He said out loud. "We can play a little tag to warm up!"
Albus walked out of the changing room and into the field, the warm sun greeting him and blinding him for a moment. He blinked a few times to watch away the feeling before mounting on the broom and pushing it up.
Immediately he knew there was something wrong. He tried going back down, but the broom wouldn't obey him, so he held on the best he could as he was taken higher and higher up. Then, suddenly, it stopped, and he looked down, barely being able to make out the pitch on the ground, taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm.
Scorpius exited the changing room with a smile, excited, just in time to see Albus be thrown off his broom and hear the boy scream his name as he fell.
