Sunday November 15th 2020:

Scorpius hurriedly crammed his textbooks into his bag while Albus was doing the same but in the opposite pace and manner, gawking over at his friend, abashed.

"Okay, Scorp, I know you're all for learning and what not, but what exactly are you so happy about?" Albus interrogated.

"I'm practising my Quidditch skills after class!" Scorpius said joyfully. "Because I've been pulling through detention and doing so well in classes, Professor McGonagall said I could get some official training with Bert Macmillan — Will be like my first tryout!"

"So I wasn't dreaming that," Albus said.

"Dreaming what?" Scorpius asked, still smiling ear to ear.

"I just thought you saying that you actually wanted to play Quidditch eventually, and you actually asking Rose out was only something wild and unlikely that would only occur in the most nonsensical world of all: my dreams," Albus said bluntly.

Scorpius naively chuckled. "Nope. Both of those things have happened."

"Wow. I'm speechless."

"I'm sure I'll be quite the catch playing Quidditch," Scorpius said, winking.

Albus blankly stared at his friend and then facepalmed. "You just had to, didn't you?"

"Come on, that was a good one," Scorpius protested, clearly offended by the lack of praise for his brilliant joke.

"Sure," Albus said sarcastically, throwing his bag of textbooks over his shoulder.

Along their route to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom from their dormitory, Albus and Scorpius spotted Dominique, Fred, and Lucy Weasley along with two other Gryffindor girls crowding around Lily. On her shoulder sat a Pygmy Puff. Being interested in any magical critter shape and form, Albus affiliated with the crowd, Scorpius bringing up the rear.

"What is that, Lil?" Albus asked, admiring the magenta Puff's cute appearance and nature.

"Only the cutest critter ever," Fred replied in his feminine voice.

"It's a Pygmy Puff. I named her Cloud, because she's as soft as one! Wanna hold her?" Lily requested, not even waiting for a response as she nuzzled it into her brother's neck.

"Awww, I was gonna ask to hold her," Lucy whined.

"You'll get your turn," Lily affirmed bitterly.

Albus instantaneously loved the softness of the pet cuddled against the nape of his neck. Snuggling into the puffy fur, he could see what Lily meant about it being as soft as a cloud. If he knew what a cloud felt like, he imagined it would feel similar to this.

"Hey, Scorpius, Rose told me that you're trying out for Quidditch," Lily said. "Is that true?"

"She did?" the two Slytherins asked simultaneously.

"Yeah. She told me that she didn't know you had it in ya," Lily said.

Scorpius' eyes shifted to the floor, embarrassed.

Lily connected her arm to Albus' to act as a ramp for Cloud to trot back to her shoulder. "Well, I hope you make it someday. I'll be rooting for you."

"But he's in Slytherin," Dominique said.

"I will still root for you," Lily said to Scorpius, winking.

"Gee, thanks," Scorpius said gratefully.

"Of course! If only more people were actually supportive in this school and not complete gits," Lily growled, settling her hands on her hips. An uncommunicative vibe was felt from the group surrounding her, undeniably uncomfortable from the shift of demeanor. "I better be headed to class. Professor Sprout has been up my arse lately for my tardiness apparently."

Lily hugged Albus, and was fortunate enough to earn a hug back. Albus, Lily, and Scorpius all departed, setting off in different directions.

"I swear, Lily could become a super villain if she really wanted to," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed.

"Blimey, I just noticed something," Scorpius abruptly said, pulling out his seat when they entered the classroom.

"What?" Albus asked, preparing to take his own seat. Scorpius blocked him from sitting as his gaze drifted up and down the Potter's physique.

"You're getting taller. Well, not as tall as me, but still," the blond expressed, questioningly sounding thrilled.

"Yeah, well, apparently puberty does stuff to you," Albus said indifferently, finally sitting down.

"I think it looks good on you," Scorpius complimented, still neglecting his pulled out chair. Before Albus could retort, Scorpius paused. "That sounded way less bizarre in my head."

"That is just inexcusable, Scorpius. Way weirder things have come from that head of yours. Like the "new version of us," " Albus said, smirking.

According to Scorpius as of late, the new version of them involved hugging, and Albus was not exactly sure when and why Scorpius decided it was a good idea, but he was not complaining.

Scorpius chuckled and suddenly secured Albus' midriff with his lean and comforting arms. "You mean like this?"

Albus froze on the spot. Scorpius' hugs were usually pretty awkward from the tightness and odd positions of his embrace, but never has he hugged him from behind before. Surely he knew this was not the sort of position for friends to hug, and if he was aware, was it meant to be a joke? Because it was so out there? Was Scorpius expecting an amusing reaction out of him? Why was he still holding him?

Scorpius meant for this to be a joke, though he was not exactly thinking straight when he decided to go for it, so he was also at a loss for what joke he was trying to aim for. All he could focus on was how warm Albus' neck felt against his, and how he felt the rise and fall of Albus' breaths much more at this angle holding his stomach rather than his back.

The lofty Slytherin's relaxed breaths drew into Albus' ear from their nearness; sending sensual shivers down Albus' neck, and to his horror, down to his nether regions. He felt the slightest twitch against his trousers, and a small devious part of his mind wanted Scorpius' hands to slide down just a little bit lower... wait, no! He should not be having thoughts like that, not about his friend.

Albus was oh so relieved that they were at the back of the class, so they did not attract any onlookers.

"I —" Scorpius started, unsure of how to continue.

"If you were trying to make things less awkward —"

"— then I failed spectacularly?"

"Yup."

Scorpius belatedly detached his arms and took his seat next to Albus and patted his back, both of the teens unaware of their disappointment in the warmth of their bodies parting.

XXX

Gathered around the Quidditch pitch was the experienced Slytherin team. Scorpius stood out amongst the crowd of Slytherins with his less bulky build and enthusiastically curious attitude.

Bert Macmillan described every obstacle, every rule, and every maneuver to their potential newcomer as the experienced players flew into the air, dodging or hitting every ball Bert mentioned.

The feeling of nerve wracking dread hit Albus' emotional state almost as hard as one of those Bludgers would if they would ever pummel Scorpius' delicate body to the ground.

"What are you so nervous about?" Lily questioned Albus. Lily was perfectly content in sitting on one of the benches of the empty stands, whereas Albus was standing beside her, gripping the rails in front of them as he attentively observed the team passing off Quaffles to each other, one of the Chasers having a near miss encounter with one of the hurtling Bludgers.

"Have you seen this game?" Albus spat.

"Well, yeah. What about it?" Lily asked.

"Well, why don't you play this game?"

"Err, first off, I'm not into sports, and second, it's practically suicide."

"Exactly!"

"What? The suicide thing or the not into sports thing?"

"Both!"

Scorpius started mounting his own broom.

"He'll be fine! Scorpius is one smart cookie. He can use his intelligence for accuracy," Lily said.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that," Albus disagreed.

"Come on, if a nerd like Rose can play this game, then so can he."

Albus was impending to gripe with that comment, but Scorpius was already skyrocketing high in the air. He swore his heart accelerated just as high as Scorpius did on his broom.

"Whoo! Yeah! You can do it, Scorpius!" Lily hollered, hopping up and down and clapping her hands together.

"You don't have to yell. We're not in a crowd right now," Albus said, covering his ears.

"No, but he's up in the air. He won't hear us if we speak at our normal volume, you dolt," Lily corrected. "Whooo! Yeah!"

Scorpius was actually excellent with his positioning, but not so much when one of the Bludgers bolted after him at an alarming speed.

Albus flinched every time Scorpius had to swipe past the other players in the arena, or every time that deadly weapon of a ball would move towards him. Lily only reacted with more encouraging cheers, each more strenuous to the ears than the last. Albus attempted his share, but they came out more pleading and anxious if anything.

What seemed like forever to wait, the timer was up and Albus released a much needed breath as if surfacing from being underwater too long. The weight boosted from his shoulders, but the remains of the agile state of his body felt so weightless that he felt as if he might faint.

"A decent attempt. Just need to work on your balance and you're set," Bert said to Scorpius, wrestling the Bludger back into their place. "Definitely come back for tryouts next year."

"Yes!" Scorpius exhilarated, grappling his broom and sprinting over to his friends exiting from the stands.

"Ha! I knew you could do it!" Lily cheered. "Unlike Albus over here."

"Oi!" Albus said.

"You alright there, mate? You look as if you were the one flying up there!" Scorpius laughed. Al sneered playfully and Lily spouted out a titter. "Come on! I gotta tell Rose."

"Oh goodie," Albus remarked, scornfully. Rose may have made amends with Scorpius in the past month, but Albus' own relationship with her remained rocky.

Brushing off that inflection, Scorpius excitedly walked on ahead with the Potters catching up to him.

"I don't really get it. Didn't you used to love Quidditch?" Lily asked Albus.

"When I was eight," Albus rectified.

"Ah, yes. Silly me. That was decades ago," the youngest Potter joked.

"Oh, shut it," Albus whispered.

Lily grinned, solely satisfied with her own little quip.