Friday December 3rd 2021:

Roger-free at their house's table, Albus and Scorpius laughed and constantly added to their breakfast plates as they exchanged cheerful small talk. While they still had to deal with other bullies, Scorpius and Albus were blinded by joy from Roger leaving. The small talk between the two however was not as frequent as Scorpius' conversations with his new admirers.

"Oi, Scorpius!"

To break up the fanclub was Rose standing there at the table dressed in her Quidditch robes.

"You're changed already?" Scorpius asked.

"Well, I am the captain now. Must be punctual," Rose said. "Speaking of which, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I have been up for hours thinking of strategies for my team today, so I'll be really out of it for tutoring. You will help, won't you? Dealing with a lot of other fifth years today."

"Err — yeah. Of course—"

"Brilliant. See you around," Rose said.

"We'll miss ya, Rose," Dominic added to the already ended conversation.

"I know you will," Rose said, smirking. "Bye, Dominic."

Dominic smiled and soon noticed that Scorpius and Albus were giving him questionable looks. "What?"

Instead of answering that question, Albus slanted himself towards Scorpius to whisper, "You didn't sound like you had everything under control for what Rose assigned you to do."

"I'll be alright," Scorpius said, with conviction.

"Are you sure about that?" Albus asked. "I haven't seen you pick up a book of any kind in forever."

"Obviously he's been too busy. Besides, he doesn't need it," a fellow Slytherin boy said. "He's already one of the smartest blokes in the school."

"You're definitely right about that, Jerry, but Albus always means well," Scorpius said, tousling Al's hair like James often did to him.

Albus frowned, but with a smirk. Why did he have to have a crush on such a prat?

Just a few seconds later, the Slytherins were once again met with another Gryffindor approaching them, this intruder being Lily.

Recurrently, the bullies would tell her to sod off in a mocking manner, but from the aftermath each time, they knew not to harass her out of all the Potters.

"Albus. I need to talk to you," Lily demanded. Albus didn't like the sound of that urgent tone.

"What is it?" the boys asked together.

"It's James. I'm a little worried about him," Lily expressed. "I think the loss of house points has gotten to him. I told him we've moved on, but he won't listen."

"What do you want us to do?" Albus said.

"Whatever you can do," Lily said.

Lily didn't say anything else, and just left.

Typically Scorpius would be the more eager one to help, but he was too preoccupied conversing with his admirers.

"Guess I'll try. Coming with me?" Albus asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'll catch up with you," Scorpius said, unfocused.

Hesitant, Albus departed and decided to drop in on James' convenient spot when he was distressed: the Trophy Room. To his dismay from the wasted travelling, he wasn't there.

His travelling extended from corridor to corridor until he at last moseyed on outside and heeded his brother's voice; he was in one of the spots Albus preferred to be when he was outside: underneath the beech tree by the lake. Sitting next to him was Cora.

"What are you doing out here?" James asked Cora. From that question, it was unmistakable that he just got there.

Albus couldn't make out what Cora was saying from the distance he was at, but judging from James saying, "Yeah. They haven't got over what I did either,"Albus assumed that he was talking about the loss of his house points, but going by Lily's word, he was lying.

James plucked out a tiny foursquare package from his pant's pocket and chewed on something from inside. Once he did, he opened his mouth, and out came the sound of a lion's mighty roar. Albus knew what they were, they were Animal Crackers, making you sound of whatever type of animal you have eaten.

Cora laughed charmingly.

"Make you feel any better?" James asked.

"A little, yeah," Cora admitted.

"I remembered you loved wild animals like I do." For some reason James' voice softened while saying the concluding three words of his sentence.

"I'm happy you remembered."

"Would you like some?" James requested, his mouth full.

Cora didn't seem to mind the impolite manners.

"Sure. Why not?"

Albus was startled with how James acted around Cora. He was calm and not being inappropriate (minus speaking with his mouth full).

"So, is your boyfriend on your side?" James asked, trying everything in his power to not sound bitter or hopeful.

"No," Cora replied, fiddling with the lion animal cracker in her hand. "In fact, he broke up with me because of what I did."

"Excuse my language but, what a dick!" James said, rubbing the Ravenclaw's back. He took a moment to do a celebratory fistbump when he made sure Cora wasn't looking, and Albus shook his head with a titter from James' enthusiasm.

"That is a fair term to use," Cora said, laughing.

Finally remembering why he was there in the first place, Albus emerged from behind the trees. James scowled at him as if he were interrupting something important.

"Hello, Albus," Cora greeted softly.

"What do you want?" James grumbled.

"Rude," Albus said. "Cora, I'm just going to borrow my brother here for a moment."

"Sure," Cora said.

James lazily lifted himself from the ground, and Albus led his irked sibling to a nearby tree. "So, how have you been holding up lately?"

It was obvious that James was still bothered by being pulled away from Cora, especially when he heard her roaring like a lion in the background like he was a minute ago. "I'm fine, I guess. Kind of hoping for my house to win the Quidditch Cup so we could win back all those points."

"You really care about those points, huh?" Albus said.

"It's our house's pride. Of course I care," James defended.

"They are just points. It's not a big deal, James."

"It is."

"And I'm guessing nothing I could say could change your mind?"

"Nope."

"I figured."

Albus was about to leave until James stopped him.

"Wait! I wanted to give you something." James reached into his robes and put something in Albus' hand. Without looking, he knew that light, fluid-like texture from anywhere.

"Is this the--"

"Shhh!" the seventeen-year-old whispered desperately. "And yes, it is. You need it more than I do."

Albus couldn't find it in his heart to be upset with his irritating brother at the time being. "Thanks, but Dad gave it to you as a gift."

"I know, but I got this," James said with a smirk, pulling out what seemed to the normal eye a plain piece of parchment, but was in fact the Marauder's Map he acquired from his father yet again. Whether it was given or stolen, Albus didn't know. "At least until I graduate. Also, it's not like you're keeping the thing. I'm just letting you borrow it during the days you are in school. So over the holidays and after you've graduated, it's mine." He clapped Al's back and made his way back to Cora.

"Wait!" Albus said.

James rolled his eyes but listened anyway.

"When Roger stole the Cloak from you, you were seen walking out of the prefect's bathroom. What were you doing there? Taking advantage of their spacious bath tub?" Albus asked playfully.

"Naturally, but then again, it also doesn't hurt seeing a certain someone being in the bath as well," James said, winking and leaving Albus there disgusted.

Just at that moment, Scorpius exited the castle out of breath.

"There you are," Albus said.

"Sorry. So many...people...couldn't...get...away," Scorpius panted.

"It's fine. I don't think you would have made much of a difference with his stubbornness anyways."

"Oh, it didn't work?"

"Nope."

Peaking over, Scorpius said, "he doesn't seem as upset anymore."

"Yeah. One can only hope that Rosemary Jordan doesn't see this."

"Who?"

"James' girlfriend."

"Oh... yeah."

"Then again it would be worse for her to find out that her boyfriend is spying on another girl taking a bath in the prefects bathroom," Albus included, directing his thumb to point where Cora was sitting.

Scorpius appeared just as horrified as Albus until they were both disrupted by someone running up behind them.

"Scorpius, are you coming?" Erika asked, her broom in hand.

"Where?"

"To Quidditch practise. Doy."

"It doesn't start till ten minutes."

"I know, but it's best to get there early. Especially since you are pretty much our star player." Erika didn't wait for an answer and brought Scorpius with her. "Come and watch, Albus."

Albus would normally be frustrated with someone telling him to do something, but he liked Erika. It was always nice to have someone else in Slytherin who was good-hearted.

XXX

Albus sat at the stands, as confident yet apprehensive as he always was about Scorpius' flying skills. It may not have been snowing yet, but the air was crisp enough to produce condensation when people would so much as breathe. Because of these weather conditions, Albus was bundled up, his Slytherin scarf shielding his neck and most of his face.

In the chilly air, Scorpius zoomed past his teammates when seeing the Snitch, hovering low to the soil beneath. He dived, and one of their teammates (pretending to be the other team's own Seeker) streaked out towards the Snitch as well. The Snitch flanked the centre of one of the goal hoops and scooted off towards the other of the stands; its change of direction did not throw off the pretend Seeker nor Scorpius, so they both pulled their brooms around, and they were now neck and neck.

Scorpius' breathing felt burdensome against his chest as the wind lashed against his face from his speed — his fingers were so close to closing around the tiny, attempting to break free ball and he pulled his broom upwards, his fingers just inches away from the struggling ball in his hand and Albus screamed his approval, until Scorpius made the imbecilic decision to stand on his broom so he could have a better approach and...

WHAM!

A Bludger walloped the blond squarely in the back and he flew forwards off his broom, releasing an ear-piercing scream.

"SCORPIUS!"

Albus bolted as fast as lightning from the stands and was the first to hold Scorpius close to him, followed by Madam Hooch.

Everyone soaring in the sky mounted off of their brooms and crowded around their wounded player.

"What did you do that for?! Were you trying to hurt yourself?" Albus lectured to the blond like a bossy mother.

Scorpius couldn't speak from the pain jolting throughout his leg.

Horace was laughing in the background, and Albus would have given him a much more severe injury than Scorpius if he weren't preoccupied with comforting him.

"Where does it hurt?" Macmillan asked.

"M-My leg. I think it's broken," Scorpius groaned.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey," Erika said.

"At least it's not an actual match," one of the Slytherins said.

"Are you serious? That's what you're worried about?!" Albus barked.

Scorpius struggled to move.

"Oh no you don't," Albus demanded, keeping Scorpius in place.

"Sorry, MUM," Scorpius retorted.

Albus glared at him but with the slightest smirk. "You and your sarcasm lately."

"What can I say? I've been around you too long," Scorpius said softly and strangely seductively. Albus tried to hide the blush creeping on his cheeks. It didn't help when he added, "You shouldn't worry your cute little head about me. I'll be fine."

"Did you just call me cute?" Albus practically squeaked.

"Perhaps," Scorpius replied.

Albus playfully hit him.

XXX

"What is this? An autograph signing booth? Shoo! Shoo!" Madam Pomfrey commanded, shooing everyone away from the bed Scorpius was resting in like they were rats.

Scorpius' fan-base eventually exited the hospital wing, except for Albus.

"Mam, can I please stay here just for a few minutes? He—"

"I would expect you to say such a thing. It's impossible to separate you two," Pomfrey said gently. Then her tone was demanding again. "I will give you FIVE minutes and no more."

Albus agreed and touched Scorpius' hand. "How long will it take to heal, mam?"

"It's best for him to stay the night," Pomfrey answered, walking away to tend to her other patient.

"I think you're letting yourself get pressured, Scorp," Albus said. "Confidence is good to have and all, but having too much can be dangerous. If you keep this up, you're only going to keep hurting yourself."

Scorpius groaned as a sharp splinter-like pain travelled through his already injured leg.

"The pain should go away soon. Lily broke her arm last year when getting into a fight, and that's what she told me," Albus said. He suddenly took out something from his robes. "Here, I forgot. Rose already had the card so she gave it to me. I don't want it, but I think you're going to like it."

Scorpius held the card and gasped with a huge smile.

"Now you only have one to collect," Albus said.

"Bertie Bott!" Scorpius said. "Brilliant!"

Being as wealthy as Scorpius' family was on both sides, Albus could never grasp why Scorpius insisted on searching for every single card just like everybody else without just paying for dozens of packages all in one go with all of his money to get it all done much faster.

"Alright, your five minutes is up," Madam Pomfrey told Albus. "Go on, go on."

"Already?" Albus asked while being gently pushed towards the exit.

"See you, mate," Scorpius said.

"Feel better," Albus said.

"No need to be so demanding," Scorpius joked.

Albus left, missing his best friend already.

Scorpius felt likewise; he wasn't so good being isolated from others, notably since his mother passed away. The whole night he had to deal with being alone, but he comforted himself with memories of him and Albus first meeting on the Hogwarts Express. He remembered feeling anxious about the very concept of not making any friends, but he ended up making one, and the son of Harry Potter of all people!

He smiled enraptured, feeling blessed that they had met, and so the thoughts of Albus Severus Potter comforted him into a quick and untroubled sleep.

Time seemed to flow on tortuously for Scorpius, staying put in his hospital bed. He was painstakingly bored, hankering to get out the upcoming morning to see Albus...

"Scorpius."

Scorpius' back jolted straight upward startlingly; it was completely dark, and it was very unlikely that Madam Pomfrey would let anyone enter the hospital wing at this time of day. But he didn't really care, all he cared about was Albus being there. He also swore that he was wearing clothes in his bed a moment ago, but now he wasn't.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?" Scorpius asked.

"I wanted to see you," Albus answered, uniting with the clothless Scorpius on the bed. "That's okay, isn't it?"

"Of cou--"

Scorpius' sentence was cut short when he felt Al's sweaty hand wrap around his exposed member. He moaned spontaneously. He's wanked off before, but this was entirely different. It was the best feeling he ever experienced, and the fact that Albus Potter was doing this to him was enough to rear him off the edge.

Logically he should have asked his friend why he did that, but all he wanted to do at that very moment was to grab Albus by the back of his head and kiss him, and so he did, abandoning all logic from his head. They've only kissed once for "practise", but this time there was tongue involved, and it made the Malfoy realise how much he's missed out.

He longingly unbuttoned Al's pyjama shirt and marvelled at the sight of his body. After marvelling, he kissed his way down Albus'freckled neck as he moaned in approval. It made Scorpius hard in an instant. Even more when Albus expressed his approval in several different comments:

"Mmmm, Scorpius."

"Yeah, just like that."

"Oh God, I love you."

Everything felt perfect; Scorpius was in the moment. It's like he has been waiting all of his short-lived life for this moment, and he wasn't aware of it until now. He was on the verge of sliding Al's pants down his hips, and he was about to see what he desperately wanted to see the most...

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius' eyes shot open, flummoxed on the change of events. Albus was still sitting next to him in his bed in the hospital wing, but he had a shirt on, and his expression wasn't so much in pleasure as it was concerned. Not to mention that Scorpius himself was still wearing every bit of clothing he had on from the night before. His hardness constricting against his pyjama bottoms however was the only thing that remained.

"Are you okay? I heard you muttering and groaning," Albus said.

That's when Scorpius finally understood... It was just a dream. With that knowledge, he yanked the covers of the bed over his legs. Hopefully Albus didn't already notice.

"Yeah — err — I'm alright. Just dreaming, I suppose," Scorpius stammered.

"Good. Just wanted to tell you that you got an owl from my mum and dad. They are inviting you to come to our place for Christmas day. Your Dad could come too if he'd like," Albus said, revealing to him the unfolded letter.

"Great!" Scorpius said, briefly blotting out his uncomfortableness, taking the letter to read it himself.

"So, are you ready for breakfast?" Al asked.

"Um, I'll be there in a sec. Just gotta wash up first," Scorpius said, back to feeling awkward again.

"Okay, I'll meet you there," Albus said, hopping off the bed.

Scorpius couldn't tell if it was because of the dream or not, but he suddenly found his friend immensely attractive in every way.