Main Characters: Albus Severus Potter
Prompt: Acceptance
Setting: The Potter's house, probably when Albus is around fifteen
Acceptance
Albus Potter had gone over the words a thousand times in his head, but still, the thought of saying them aloud sent him into a wild state of panic. His breath quickened, and sweat was dripping from his brow as, once again, he turned on his heel and fled back to his bedroom.
This time, he'd made it all the way to the door of the lounge where the rest of his family were currently sat, even having rested his hand on the cool metal of the doorknob, if only for just a second.
As soon as he'd scrambled into his room, Albus threw himself to the floor and clutched at his knees. He rocked back and forth, focusing on his breathing the best he could. Eventually, his quick, panicked breaths had morphed into deep, even ones. Albus had lost count of the number of times he'd attempted to reveal his secret to his family. He'd been so sure that that time he would have finally had the courage to do it.
"I'm definitely going to do it this time," he vowed to himself for perhaps the hundredth time that day. After a few minutes of continuous rocking, whilst he considered the words he would say, Albus finally rose from where he sat huddled on his floor. Was he not a Gryffindor? Was he not placed in the very house that represented courage?
But then, why was it so hard for him? Why was he so scared?
Acceptance, he answered in his head. Would his family still accept him after he told them? It seemed unlikely.
Albus vividly recalled the great amount of pressure he'd felt before his sorting. Not only had generations of his family been in Gryffindor, but his parents had perhaps been two of the greatest Gryffindors who had ever lived. They had assured him that, if he'd been in Slytherin, they wouldn't love him less, but how could he know that it was genuine? And in this case, it wasn't just a school house he'd be in for seven years. It's something he would be for the rest of his life. If his family didn't accept him then who would?
Before he could talk himself out of it once again, Albus was on the stairs, fast approaching the same door he'd been running from all day. He stopped all too abruptly once he found himself directly in front of it. From inside the room, he could hear the soft murmur of voices. They sounded so happy, so warm. More than anything, Albus longed to be in there, laughing along with whatever they were discussing, feeling just as happy and normal as the rest of them. There was only one way to achieve that, though...
With a slow count to three, Albus felt his hand gripping the doorknob and pushing the door open with determination. His family seemed undisturbed by his entrance, and his mother's warm smile let him know that they couldn't possibly detect the seriousness of what he was about to tell them.
Albus avoided looking at James at all costs. He would be the worst to handle. His older brother was going to torment him for what he was about to reveal. He expected his father would be disappointed, maybe even ashamed of what his son was. As for Lily and his mum—it was possible they'd either be understanding or completely horrified. Which one, he wasn't certain.
"I need to tell you all something," Albus said confidently, after realising that everybody was still absorbed in whatever it was they'd been doing before. Four curious faces turned to peer at him, and he was suddenly very aware that all the attention in the room was on him.
Albus felt the sweat forming on his brow again, but this time, he wouldn't run. Ignoring the hot surge of the blood rushing to his face, he clenched his fist and held his head high.
In one quick and simple sentence, Albus Severus Potter felt the blissful relief of finally speaking the words he'd been planning for months now. And, just like that, it was as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Accepted by them or not, it didn't matter anymore. This was who he was. And this is who he would always be—nobody could change that.
So it was with great satisfaction that Albus finally told the truth about who he was, and proudly declared to the listening room of people, "I'm gay."
Author's Note: JK has never canonically confirmed Albus Severus' sexuality, but I've always loved the idea of Albus/Scorpius as a couple (even before Cursed Child!), despite being a diehard ScoRose fan, so this was just something I wanted to explore and may explore in the future. Who knows!
