A/N: Please enjoy and review!

Title: Matchmaker, matchmaker

Summery: Albus Potter, matchmaker supreme, decides to challenge himself to bring his two best friends, Rose and Scorpius together. It's a wonder what a little courage can do...

Word count: 1,457

Characters: Albus P., Rose W., Scorpius W.

Genres: Drama, Romance, Humour

There were many amusing things in life. Albus was very much aware of it and enjoyed being amused immensely. For example, it was exceedingly amusing to play matchmaker. After all, he had been the one to bring Teddy and Victoire together two Christmases ago, or Molly and Sophia last summer, or Lorcan and Alex at their graduating ball. His mother had noticed his matchmaking tendency as called him a "meddling old woman" to which he retorted "You shouldn't have named me Albus then".

However, this year Albus had decided to take on a bigger challenge: his two best friends. It had been the most amusing thing so far, seeing them dance around each other. Scorpius and Rose' friendship was something quite particular. Ever since the end of Fourth Year when they discovered they both ridiculously loved Elemental Magic, a particular branch of Alchemy, which was absolutely preposterous given the fact that you couldn't even take Alchemy before Sixth Year. Obviously, they had become best friends. Albus was happy to have his own two friends get along.

Then at the beginning of Sixth Year, this year, Albus had decided that the pair of them would be perfect for each other and had began his matchmaking business: a little rumour here, a little rumour there and voilà! Both of them ridiculously in love with each other. It had amused Albus very much indeed to see them piece everything together and the look of realisation on their faces was priceless when Albus gently prompted the confession out of them. The only down-side was that it made spending time with the two together very awkward.

Which explained why he was now on the edge of the Quidditch pitch, a cold Saturday morning in December after a Slytherin victory against Ravenclaw while Scorpius Malfoy was flocked with a bunch of fangirls and his dearest cousin simmered with jealousy next to him.

"Why are there so many girls around him?" she muttered into her scarf – a Slytherin scarf, Scorpius' naturally – and glared at the girls around Scorpius. "There wasn't anyone around me two weeks ago when we beat Hufflepuff."

Albus said nothing and only smiled knowingly to himself. He had been in this exact spot with Scorpius last week, him simmering with jealousy as a bunch of boys had flocked Rose, while he muttered into his scarf – a Gryffindor scarf, lovingly hand-knitted by Rose naturally – but he wasn't going to tell Rose any of that.

"Rose, darling, your jealousy is showing," Albus taunted.

"I have no idea what you mean," she sniffed.

Albus rolled his eyes. "You know, you should tell him."

"Tell him what, pray tell, dear cousin?"

"That you are madly in love with him and you desperately want to kiss him."

Rose blushed and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Albus!" she whispered-shrieked, "I told you that in utter confidence. Don't go around saying it!"

He smirked. "But it's true, isn't it?"

"Doesn't mean I'm ever going to do that!" she huffed and buried her face into Scorpius' scarf again.

They spent a moment in silence. Albus watched as Rose pretended not to be looking at their best friend and retained the urge to cackle. Scorpius was now showing the Snitch he had just caught to a bunch of his fans as they oohed and aahed. Rose snorted, disbelieving, but Albus knew that Rose would be admiring that very Snitch later that evening when it would just be the three of them.

"Not being very Gryffindor, are we?" Albus asked. He was determined to take this matchmaking to the end. Goading his dear cousin was very Slytherin, very cruel but excessively necessary if this was ever going to happen. Thankfully, she took the bait.

"What do you mean, not very Gryffindor?"

Rose was stubbornly attached to her House values. She would fight tooth and nail to defend Gryffindor. "Well, I'm just saying, not very courageous of you…" Albus prompted delicately.

"Courageous to do what?" Rose demanded.

"Ask him out, of course!"

Rose spluttered, blushed, pushed her hair back, spluttered again. "What, no! It's not that I'm not courageous…"

"Oh, is it?"

"No, it's just that- that-"

"Pray tell?"

"Dad, and, and, his father, and the others-" she grasped at excuses.

"Rose, don't use your family as an excuse."

Cue more blushing, more stammering. "What! You expect me to do this here, with all of these people?" she stated, gesturing at the Quidditch pitch.

Apart from the flock of fans around Scorpius, the only Slytherin players also had their fair share of attention. Dozens upon dozens of people were slowly moving out of the bleachers, in one huge massive crowd. Indeed, it was probably not the best place to declare one's undying love, but on the other hand, it would probably amuse Albus exceedingly.

"It would certainly be very courageous of you."

Rose huffed, seemed to want to say something, hesitated then finally: "But what if he says no? What if I'm friend-zoned? Oh Sweet Merlin, it's going to be so awkward."

Albus rolled his eyes. "You'll never know if you don't try." He wasn't about to tell her that Scorpius definitely reciprocated her feelings. So much that he had even written a speech (yes, a speech!) to tell her his feelings, but unfortunately had never worked up the guts to actually commit to the act.

"Ugh, fine!" Rose said but made absolutely no move from her spot, where it seemed like she was firmly stuck too.

"Why are you still here?" Albus asked his unmoving cousin.

Rose glared at him. Albus secretly smirked. She took a step forward, took another step forward, turned, turned back, took another step, turned back and started to walk back towards Albus and repeated the same dance a couple of times.

Albus tried to control a chuckle that was threatening to escape. Was she trying to imitate the nuptial dances of the birds in the Amazon forest? If so, it had definitely attracted the attention of a certain blond Slytherin, not that he mentioned it to Rose.

"Rose!" Albus said.

"What?" A look of pure dilemma was painted on her face.

"Quit stalling! Do it! Ruck up that courage!" he ordered.

Rose blushed and did her little dance once again.

Oh well. This called for the hard way. "Well, if you don't do anything, it sure looks like Simona Richardson is going to do it for you," he stated.

Rose whipped round to get a better look at what was happening. Simona had indeed stepped a little too close to Scorpius, and though they weren't that close to them, he could imagine her batting her eyelashes. "How dare she!" Rose exclaimed, jealousy clear in her eyes.

"She hasn't done anything wrong, has she? He's not yours."

Rose steeled her face. "Screw courage. I'll get what I can take."

His dear cousin stormed off, marching decisively towards Scorpius. She had finally found that courage he had been looking for. Albus knew perfectly well it was there, it's just that it generally took a bit of prompting to come out. She stomped up, and the girls surrounding Scorpius scattered. Albus completely understood them, if a flaming orange menace (yes, Rose had unfortunately inherited the worst kind of red hair on the planet. Come to think of it, it would probably be best described as pumpkin, especially as it was tied in a messy bun at the top of her head) started charging towards him, he would have left immediately.

Albus watched, amused, as Rose pushed Simona out of the way – the other girl almost tripped on her heels – proceeded to grab Scorpius' shoulders, who gave her a goofy smile. She said something, which obviously provoked a reaction in Scorpius and the people closest to them, before kissing him right there and then in a most decisive manner.

One of the girls actually screamed.

It seemed like every single person in the stadium now had their eyes fixed on the couple. But they were completely oblivious to the shock/surprise/amusement around them, completely lost in one another. Jaws had indeed dropped and eyes were popping out of their sockets. It was all extremely funny an Albus was more than amused.

A loud whistle broke them apart and Rose emerged with an absolutely triumphant smile on her face, Scorpius a slightly confused but immensely pleased one on his. Oh Sweet Merlin, why did his friends have to be so tacky?

Matchmaking accomplished! Albus started to wonder if he had not just committed a grave mistake, and would now be third-wheeling for the rest of his life as his two best friends began to walk back to him, hand in hand. It was a wonder what a little courage could do.

FOR HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

House: Ravenclaw

Assignment #8: Elemental magic: Task #1: Write a fic including one of the above mental archetypes as a word. Must have a significant meaning to the fic. Courage

All aboard: 10) amused

Gobstones: black stone – courage – 16) Quidditch pitch – 9) drama – 19) orange

Founder says: Rowena says 1) Why are you still here?

Cliché away: 1) A is in love with their best friend 13) C plays matchmaker for A and B

Fortnightlies: Folding Fun: Paper: 2) Romance

Writing club:

Show time: 11) funny

Elizabeth's empire: 2) best friends

Bex's basement: 2) somewhere crowded

Angel's Archives: 7) Scorpius Malfoy

Film festival: 15) tacky

Marvel appreciation X) first kiss

Lyric alley: 5) I'll get what I can take

Autumn seasonal:

UN: 118) first kiss

24th November: Evolution day: relationship evolving

Pizza: 19) Mutual pining

Pet peeves: 6) make you feel uncomfortable

Chemistry: 81) triumphant

Games: 13) putting pieces together

Colour: 10) pumpkin

Flower: 15) "You'll never know if you don't try!"