for meet cutes day 14 - i ran away from home and i knocked on the wrong door but you want to take me in anyway

for 366 words - insistent

for writing club: sophie's shelf - cordyceps brain infection

361 words by gdocs


Scorpius has been walking for a few hours by this point. He doesn't know the exact location of his aunt's house, but he knows he's in the right town, at least. He saw the welcome sign a few minutes ago. He thinks he's in the right neighborhood, also, but he's not entirely sure. His family hasn't visited his aunt's house in years — she mostly comes to them now — but Scorpius has been cooped up in his parent's house for a month now, and he's sick of it.

He didn't really "run away". He's too old for that. It's more like he left. Without telling his parents where he was going, or even that he was leaving.

Whatever. He's an adult. He's allowed to visit his aunt.

As he walks down the street, he sees a house that looks like how he remembers his aunt's house to look like. He goes up to it, and he wonders what he looks like right now. Probably awful. The air is humid, and he's sweating more than he would like to be.

He rings the doorbell, and it doesn't take long for someone to fling open the door. It also doesn't take long for Scorpius to realize that it's not his aunt.

"Hello?" the person says. The guy looks around his age, with messy brown hair and deep green eyes.

"This isn't Daphne's house, is it?" Scorpius asks, already knowing the answer. He's disappointed.

"No, but," the person says with a frown, "would you like to come in? You look exhausted."

"No, thank you," Scorpius replies, even though he is exhausted. He doesn't know where to go now.

"Are you sure?" the guy asks. Scorpius shakes his head. "Please? Just for a cup of water?"

Scorpius denies the offer again as he racks his brain for what his aunt's house looks like.

"Please," the person says. Scorpius hesitates, and he probably shouldn't say yes, but the guy seems insistent.

"Okay," he finally says.

"I'm Albus, by the way," he says as he leads Scorpius in.

"I'm Scorpius," he replies, and maybe this'll be a fine place to stay while he avoids his parents.