Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Note: The sorta Founders story Helena tells Albus might seem a little out of place unless you know my habit of bringing aspects of other stories into new ones. Though in this case I'm not expecting anyone but Rensei-chan to get it lol. So this is for you!

Story Time

The water poured out of the showerhead, steaming up the space even as it ran over the two intertwined bodies beneath it, both men too consumed with thoughts of getting closer to care about the water that washed over their flesh. The hot water was nothing in comparison to the heat the two lovers were generating between them anyway, both would think later that it was a wonder the water hadn't sizzled and evaporated on contact with them. But for the moment they were too busy moving their hands possessively over each other's torsos, their mouths mating and refusing to part longer than the moment necessary to take in a gasp of air before returning to possess once more.

And when he couldn't take it anymore Albus drew back for the last time and untangled their bodies, turning and bracing his hands against the wet tile. Not giving a damn how he looked or sounded as he begged for Scorpius to take him, Albus spread his legs further apart as he arched his ass up towards his lover beseechingly.

Moving in close Scorpius made reassuring sounds as he nuzzled their cheeks together from behind, loving the rasp of the stubble Albus had yet to shave off. While he did that he gently slid fingers down to make sure the other man was still loose enough from their morning's lovemaking to take him, knowing that once he was inside his lover he wouldn't be able to hold back.

They'd had their slow, drawn out morning sex already. He'd used up all his control then.

As their pleasurable groans mixed together Scorpius's fingers made a thorough exploration before withdrawing, the Slytherin judging Albus up to taking him once more.

"Scorpius…please."

"Don't worry, Luv." Scorpius assured him, wickedness rolling off every syllable. "We'll both be coming shortly."

Moaning his pleasure at just the thought, Albus continued to do so as he felt Scorpius work his erection inside of him, making him arch his back in consuming need to take more. To take everything Scorpius had to offer him and give back just as much.

Once he was buried deep inside his man as far as he could go Scorpius waited just long enough to confirm that it wasn't too much for Albus to handle before he got down to the business of bringing them both to climax as quickly as possible, thrusting in and out with powerful strokes that brought them closer and closer to the goal.

Loving the feel of the man's fingers digging into his hips as Scorpius controlled the pace Albus tilted his head back and let his lover have him completely, his cries of pleasure getting more drawn out and demanding as the minutes ticked off and the thrusts came harder and less controlled.

Moaning when he felt his lover pull out completely Albus had only enough time to open his mouth to complain the loss when he was whipped around so that his back was now to the wall, Scorpius jerking one of his legs up. And understanding Albus arched as he wrapped the leg around Scorpius's waist, shifting his position so that his lover could slid inside him once more to finish what they'd started, neither lasting long after that as they stared into each other eyes.

And collapsing against the cool tile when he was spent, Albus closed his eyes on a long purr of pleasure, hardly aware of the water that continued to pour down their joined bodies. Scorpius was keeping him in place with his own, sated body, and that suited him just fine.

A morning didn't start any better than this.

)

Sitting back in his chair that afternoon as he waited for his friend to arrive Albus was prepared to grovel if necessary. He'd been an ass and was man enough to admit it. Helena didn't have many people she was comfortable spending time with, much less individuals she considered a friend. And he'd been a lousy friend to her by getting so caught up in his relationship with Scorpius that he'd come perilously close to forgetting all about her unless he saw her. It wouldn't even surprise him if she refused the invitation for a visit that he'd asked Cynna to pass on for him. If there was one thing Helena knew how to do above all else it was hold a grudge like nobody's business.

But if she did intend to show up it would be precisely on the dot, which meant two more minutes, Albus noted, after consulting his pocket watch.

How she would react when he explained why he'd been behaving the way he had…well that might send her out the door even faster than his own bad manners.

He'd discussed it with Scorpius earlier, about telling Helena about their relationship since there was no way she wouldn't see through him if he gave her half truths. His Slytherin wasn't terribly keen on the idea, Scorpius thought her the type who would immediately go running to the Headmaster with the news since it broke the rules, however largely unwritten those rules happened to be. But he'd agreed to allow it anyway, for him.

Helena was indeed a stickler for such things, but Albus was betting, hoping, that she cared enough about him to keep his confidence. And if she betrayed that trust then she wasn't a true friend, now was she?

And right on schedule she came through the wall minutes later, coming over to him without a smile of greeting, but coming none the less. "Good afternoon, Albus."

"Good afternoon, Helena. I'm glad you could make it."

When she simply gave him a politely questioning look Albus knew that he was, indeed, in the dog house in her books currently.

"I've been a jerk. A colossal, humongous jerk and you have every right to be peeved at me. I'd be beyond peeved at me and I'd say how angry I'd be but that would require me using language you don't approve of. I'm so very, very sorry I haven't been spending time with you. It wasn't deliberate, I hope you believe that. I just got so caught up in myself and other things that I didn't realize how narrow my world had gotten until yesterday. And I don't know what to say or do to make it up to you but being that you're female I'm sure you can come up with something easily."

Just the faintest quirking of lips betrayed a hint of amusement on her part. "It's not your work here at school that's consumed you. I know what that's like, my mother was that way. Something else has happened, the something that was bothering you when you were still talking to me."

"I think I've fallen in love with someone."

Silence greeted his blunt statement, Helena simply staring at him as she absorbed and considered that. She knew Albus very well after all, and knew he wouldn't say such a thing unless he meant it. And in her heart of hearts hadn't she suspected that that was what she'd glimpsed a time or two in the man's eyes when she'd seen him look at a certain blonde? She just hadn't wanted to see it, knowing what the implications were. What the price to be paid would be.

"Professor Malfoy."

"You…you knew?"

Her shoulders moved in the slightest of shrugs. "A solid guess based on logical reasoning. It would have to be someone here at Hogwarts, otherwise you'd be pining for that person, which you haven't been doing. You'd be disgusted with yourself if it was a student, and the other professors are by and large far too old to interest you and vice versa. Professor Malfoy has made his interest subtly apparent over the years and you've been spending a great deal of time with him recently. So logically he must be the one."

Albus had to grin. "You reminded me of Hugo just now. It always amazes me, how the two of you can think of so much, make connections so quickly and concisely simultaneously. I wish my brain worked like that."

Since nothing pleased her so much as compliments about her intelligence Helena preened a little before turning her attention to more important things. "You do realize the consequences if you are in love with him?"

"Yes." His gaze was direct and certain about his choices. "Are you against it?"

Helena inclined her head. "Because you're both men?" When he nodded she nodded in turn, well aware that currently homosexuality was viewed much as it had been when she'd still been alive. "It is true that I was born in a time when that was not…spoken of. A sin that no one admitted existed, much less admitted to practicing. And I was raised that way…until I learned something that changed my mind." The story was somewhat relevant, so she told it now as those who it was about wouldn't mind. "I'm the only one in this plane of existence who knows of this. The Baron was not…terribly observant when it came to the feelings of others.

The families of the schools founders were like a big family in many ways, especially when many of us came to live here to teach and help our parents with the running of it. Godric's second son was named Eames, and he was a truly charming rogue. Rather like your Uncle Bill, actually. All the women were a little in love with him, myself included. Not romantically, not really, but he just had a way about him that endeared him to everyone he encountered. His best friend from childhood was Salazar's youngest boy Arthur. They were inseparable and did everything together, though their personalities were quite different. Arthur was quiet and cool, very intelligent and logical." Here she paused, lost in memories of what had been, happier times before the darkness. But she could think of such things later, Helena reminded herself, getting back to the tale she had to tell. "I would say most didn't realize when their friendship deepened into love, they were very good at hiding it. Had to be, back then. Arthur left the school when his father did for his mother's sake, he was her favorite and she was ill at that time. Arthur said he tried to make his father see reason, but a year or so after the Slytherins left Hogwarts he came back, disinherited and forbidden to ever return to his family home. He moved into Eames's rooms, which had a second bedroom, but I knew better than to think that anyone slept in it."

This was all news to Albus, though he'd never really researched the founding families. He also couldn't help but wonder out loud why it wasn't known that a son of Gryffindor and Slytherin had been best friends. That would have been allowed at least, and maybe their houses would have gotten along better if it had been stressed that the second generation of each had been able to get along.

A rare grin crossed Helena's face. "Oh they fought as often as their houses did. They drove each other crazy at times without even trying."

"But they loved each other."

The grin she'd been wearing seconds before twisted into something sad and more than a little wistful. "Their love was the stuff written about in poems and ballads, performed and longed for by every sighing teenage girl that's ever entered these walls." Her gaze sharpened then, met his with fierce promise in their milky depths. "Real love is to be cherished and protected, Albus. And I will protect your love, just as I protected theirs. You have my word."

Albus got to his feet after a poignant pause, walking over and then reaching out a hand towards her, palm flat. In response Helena reached out and placed her hand against his, just slightly merging the two.

It was their version of a hug, and they both knew what the other sought to convey.

)

Sitting on the table with his legs dangling over the edge, Albus watched Scorpius as the Slytherin retrieved various containers from the shelves that surrounded them in the Potions storeroom. He didn't trust the old ladder the man was climbing and down, but having him hover below him while he retrieved things apparently annoyed his lover quite a lot and so he'd been ordered to sit on the table instead. So here he sat, though he remained aware and ready to leap from his spot to catch Scorpius should it be necessary.

Scorpius was torn between being amused and annoyed by the way Albus was watching him so intently. The man sucked at being subtle in this case. And since he liked the man's company too much to complain about him sticking around even after delivering the plant clippings he'd asked for Scorpius opted to distract his man by asking how the talk with the Ravenclaw ghost had gone. He was curious after all, especially since Albus had been so sure he could get Ravenclaw to give her word not to spill the beans so to speak.

Face lighting up Albus immediately launched into a retelling of how accepting Helena had been and why, curious to know if Scorpius had ever heard about the story of the Gryffindor and Slytherin sons.

Surprised by the story that unfolded Scorpius stopped what he was doing to give Albus his full attention, leaning back against the ladder. "I didn't know about any of that. As far as I knew the whole Slytherin family cut their ties with Hogwarts when Salazar left. I wonder why it isn't more widely known. You'd think the founders would have used his return to their advantage."

"Well technically he wasn't a Slytherin anymore when he returned to Hogwarts." Albus informed him, having been curious enough to look into it while he'd waited for his chance to drop in on his man. "When Arthur was thrown out of his family he was told he wasn't allowed to use the family name anymore. The Gryffindor family adopted him into theirs instead and when I looked up the Gryffindor family tree in the library he's listed there. It must have been weird for him too, since technically that would have made him and his lover brothers, but it must have been nice to, to be able to carry his name like they were a married couple."

Considering this, an idea occurred to him that had him slating Albus a sidelong glance. "If that's a subtle way of finding out how willing I would be to change my last name it's not happening. I was born a Malfoy and I'm going to die one."

Lips twitching in amusement Albus shook his head at the idea. Scorpius was most definitely a Malfoy after all. "No, I wasn't suggesting that if we…that if our relationship ended up serious enough for marriage that I'd want you to…" His voice trailed off, the embarrassment of what he'd just said getting to him as his cheeks flushed a little.

Eyes softening Scorpius stepped down the ladder and walked over to stand between Albus's legs, pleased when they widened to accommodate him as he leaned in for a brief kiss. "Albus…we can't ever get married. It takes decades to undo social hang ups and even with all your father's connections…we'd probably be old and grey before it would be legally recognized."

The disappointment Scorpius expected to see on Albus's face didn't appear, the Gryffindor just shaking his head.

"I didn't mean a wizard wedding, I know that that doesn't happen in this world. I meant a Muggle ceremony. They allow men like us to get married, and even if our government wouldn't acknowledge it the people closest to us would because they'd be there and hear the promises we'd be making to each other. And that's why people marry each other instead of just being together, isn't it? Because they want the people who matter to them to acknowledge that the two are a family and bonded to each other for life."

Staring at the man in shock, Scorpius tried to wrap his mind around what Albus was telling him. He'd had no idea that Muggles allowed such a thing. He wasn't a Muggle, but it wasn't like they were a whole other species. They could all pass for Muggles if they wanted to and his lover's family had enough ties to that world to be able to make it happen.

He could marry Albus. Put a ring on his finger and mark him as his for the rest of their lives together. Albus could be his husband. His forever in the eyes of everyone that knew or would meet them in the future.

Sensing some of what Scorpius was thinking, the man's eyes were so possessive as they stared into his, Albus smiled and leaned in for another soft, gentle kiss, which quickly heated up as Scorpius's arms came around him to hold him close as he deepened the kiss.

And when Scorpius did finally raise his head his words were straight to the point. "I want that."

The feeling that surge through him at the absolute certainty in the other man's voice, the deep love he could see in those stormy grey eyes, was so huge that Albus lost his breath as it took him over completely, wiping every thought from his mind except for one.

The knowledge of exactly what that feeling was, Albus completely sure from head to toe, mind body and soul.

"Scorpius?"

"Hmmm?"

Smiling more happily than he ever had in his entire life Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius neck as he rested his forehead against his Slytherin's.

"I love you."