Friday July 22nd 2022:
The clock on Albus' bedside table stroked twelve, which meant that it was officially Scorpius' sixteenth birthday. Albus – who was wide awake next to the sleeping Malfoy in his bed – smiled to himself. In terms of physical characteristics, Scorpius appeared the same way he did from the first moment Albus initially saw him, but with only the smallest of changes due to age. In fact, he was envious of him for those changes. The blond grew taller and taller, barely had any extra hair on his body, and he did not seem to stink as much when he would sweat; he was practically perfect. Not to mention how deep his voice was.
Any human being, whether male, female, agender, Muggle, or magician would be lucky to have someone like him, although Albus preferred not to think about that. What he did prefer to think about was the Malfoy's rumpled platinum locks. Despite being that way since that one Quidditch match, it still appeared as silky and soft since the moment he met him. The only way to be sure was if he ran his fingers through his hair, which Scorpius would never let him do. He briefly wondered how Scorpius would look utterly naked sweating that beautiful sweat after each match. The concept alone cautioned him of why he never reflected on Scorpius' features too much: it aroused him. He didn't need to check to know that within his pyjama pants was a stimulated erection. What didn't help his predicament was the view of Scorpius' eyes fluttering open and looking at him.
"Hey, you're still up too?"
"Um, yeah. How long have you been up?" Albus asked, thankful that it was both dark and there was a blanket concealing him so Scorpius would not notice his " problem."
"Since we got into bed," Scorpius said. "Seriously? You looked so asleep." "You were watching me sleep?"
"N-No, I mean –"
"I'm only kidding," Scorpius said, patting Albus' arm. As if touching his arm wasn't enough, Scorpius did his usual long stretch with a suggestive groan while doing so.
"Happy birthday by the way." "Thanks."
"Just one sec. I have to use the loo," Albus said, leaving his bed in a heartbeat. He swore he said that lie without ever thinking before saying it. All he knew for sure was that it was essential for him to ditch this room.
Scorpius watched Albus departing the room, hoping he was alright.
Albus' solution to his problem was to simply walk it off, but he concluded that it would be best to be in a location where nobody could haphazardly walk in on him. The unoccupied guest room would be the ideal place to do that. It was spacious enough and nobody would enter. He proceeded with his first solution by wandering around the empty corridor, but thanks to Scorpius' suggestive yawn and touch, he was stiffer than before. While roaming around and focusing on how hard he was, he wondered if Scorpius would be the submissive or dominant type in bed. The first few years of knowing Scorpius he would have speculated submissive in a second, but Scorpius has grown to have gained quite enough confidence to the point of being cocky. If he was the dominant type, then what would be his first move?
"Dammit," Albus muttered under his breath as he realised he wasn't fixing his situation but making it worse. He had to go with the riskier alternative: to enter the guest bedroom. Cautiously, he made it inside the relatively empty room and laid down on the bed, but not before shutting the door behind him. He was plausibly going to regret this very soon, but he had to do something. Therefore, without further ado, he slipped his pants down to his knees and began working not his actual magic, but rather his metaphorical magic.
Meanwhile in Albus' room, Scorpius was curious about what was going on. His friend was in the loo for many minutes now. Was he ill? Did he fall asleep on the toilet? Going with his instincts, he left the bed and was on his way to check up on Albus.
The density of Albus' breathing drowned out the noise of crickets chirping outside, and he lay there on the guest bed as he waited for his breathing rate to simmer. He felt wicked. There have been times where he had pleasured himself with Scorpius often appearing in a mental image, but never before has Scorpius been his primary focus during the activity. The absolute worst part was the fact that he was just in the next room! Was it wrong for him to do that? Should he have had more control? Should he even be thinking of his friend in such a way?
"Albus?"
Albus' upper body bolted upwards from the bed. He forgot all about the excuse he made up. He rapidly cleaned himself up and hauled his pyjama pants back up.
The loo's door was open and there was nobody inside, as well as no light. Scorpius was dazed, but mostly concerned. "Perhaps he went downstairs for a snack…"
"Hey," Albus greeted. It sure was awkward for him to be looking at his friend after what he was just fantasising.
Scorpius nearly screamed in alarm but settled when he was aware of the voice coming from the very person he was concerned for. "Bloody hell. Didn't expect to see you there. Weren't you in the loo?" Scorpius trembled.
"Errr – I already went. I was just looking for something," Albus stuttered, wanting to slap himself from how dense he sounded.
"Oh, ok. I was getting kind of worried."
"Aww, you're sweet," Albus baby-talked, prodding Scorpius' nose. "I try."
Albus followed Scorpius back into his room with his foregoing mental images still lingering with him.
XXX
Accepting the letter about their guest staying over for the night, Harry was happy to make the young Malfoy some French toast for breakfast, and Scorpius was happy to receive them. He was officially sixteen-years- old and has been a close friend of the Potter's for years, but he still couldn't keep his ecstatic grin from his face every time Harry Potter spoke or did anything for him. Albus would ordinarily find that behavior over his famous father to be provoking, but for Scorpius he found it to be charming.
Ensuing Harry's reading of the Prophet at the breakfast table, he departed to get ready for work, and so Lily borrowed it from him. Scorpius eagerly waited to read it next.
"Hey, Lily. Being my birthday and all, can I take a look at that?" Scorpius required.
"Ah, you're one of those people, huh? Think you can do whatever you want just because it is your birthday?" Lily drawled, her tone oddly somber.
"No, I was just – I didn't mean it that way. I mean, if you don't want to..."
Lily cracked up. "I'm only kidding. Here." She shoved the front page in his face and giggled to herself. Scorpius laughed back and started reading.
Albus did not understand their excitement or appeal of the Prophet, he found it to be so discouraging. When Scorpius skimmed through the first headline he came across, Albus was soon proved to be right.
"Another murderer on the loose," Scorpius said gravely.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Lily said. "They'll lock him up eventually." "Yeah, because it's so easy to do that," Albus retorted.
"You can't say it's nothing," Scorpius argued to the youngest Potter.
"There are tons of psychopaths out there, and they get stopped eventually," Lily said.
"That's not true!" Scorpius snapped.
Albus heard Scorpius snap before in the five and a half year lifespan of their friendship, but never have Scorpius and Lily ever gotten into a disagreement before. He did not concur with Lily's logic, but he thought it would be safe to not take sides.
"Yes it is!" Lily barked. "Relax, birthday boy. It's not another Voldemort we have to worry about or anything."
That seemed to snap in Scorpius and he shot up from his seat.
"Okay, first off, one of those serial killers could very well become another Voldemort. And second, just plain murderers are just as bad!"
Lily was as taken aback as Albus was at that moment, but it changed instantly when she punched Scorpius in the arm. "You didn't need to yell at me."
"Well you didn't need to punch me!" Scorpius said, caressing his sore arm.
Lily gritted her teeth and marched away so fast that her long flaming hair looked like it could slap somebody in the face as rough as her own hand did.
Acting like Albus was absent from the room, Scorpius dove into his satchel bag and drew out one of his many books from it. On the front cover read 'The Boy Who Lived', and Albus wanted to question what he was reading that for, but he was almost intimidated to.
"Honestly, is she forgetting that he started off as Tom Riddle?" Scorpius ultimately spoke, which gave Albus a jolt. "According to this book, even before murdering James and Lily Potter he was responsible for so much death!"
"I agree with you, Scorpius. But--"
"Yes. I know most of these criminals end up in Azkaban but one: they get away with a lot of killing before that happens. And second, some of those people get away scot-free. And don't get me started on the Muggle laws."
"Scorpius!"
Scorpius stopped, slightly trembling.
"Sorry, but you read the Prophet all of the time, and you never reacted like this before. Why now?" Albus questioned.
Scorpius hugged himself, not having the capability to make eye contact with his concerned friend. "I suppose I'm just fed up. So many people die, or worse, get tortured."
Scorpius' grief over his mother was inescapable, and Albus knew this. After Astoria Malfoy's passing, Scorpius would be easily triggered by certain words or actions that would revive his feelings of loss, and after Gerald's own funeral, those repressed feelings began to multiply.
Albus walked over to Scorpius and draped his arm around his shoulders. "It's terrible."
Scorpius calmed down and held Albus' own shoulder. "Gerald didn't deserve what happened to him."
"No, he didn't," Albus said, feeling as if Scorpius' own overwhelmed emotions passed on to him.
Albus' silence was evident to Scorpius so he unhesitatingly changed his state of mind. "Sorry, I didn't mean to – let's forget about it."
"We'll make a vow then," Albus said. "A vow?"
"Not an Unbreakable Vow, I'm hoping," said a distinguishable voice, startling the boys. "I couldn't help but overhear you mentioning Voldemort, Scorpius--"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter! I –"
Harry scoffed and lifted his hand in a halting motion. "I am beyond used to it by this point. But I suggest if you had any questions about my oh so famous story, you would ask me. Books can only tell you so much and romanticise things. Don't tell Hermione I've just said something negative about books."
"Ask you directly about your legacy? Wow. I-I mean, thanks for the suggestion," Scorpius said. Keeping his cool was challenging.
"You two need to be careful." "With what?" Albus asked.
"I recognised your scheming tone when talking about a vow, Albus," Harry said.
"You're right about the scheming thing, but it's not bad," Albus defended.
"What is it then?"
Albus knew that his father would not leave him without an answer, so he obeyed and centralized on Scorpius again. "Right now we'll promise each other that we'll find a way to help others. I already told you that I want a job involving helping creatures, so maybe you could get a job helping people. And for the time being we could just do volunteering or something."
"That actually sounds... like a good idea ," Scorpius said.
"That's a right thing to do," Harry said, "but in the meantime, I have to ask that both of you don't get into trouble unless it's a requirement for your future jobs and if entirely needed."
"Umm, weren't you, Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Ron known for being the trio of troublemakers back in Hogwarts," Albus pointed out.
"Yes. And there were lots of times we were close to dying. Not to mention risking the lives of others. The older we got, the more we realized and regretted those choices." Albus didn't speak, and Scorpius nodded. "Can you boys make me that promise?"
"Yes," the teens replied, both said at different times and in different attitudes. "Son, can you clear the table, please?" Harry requested out of the blue.
"Why me?"
"Because the last few times you ate you forgot to put your dish away, and you're not the birthday boy, so, hop to it, trooper," Harry teased.
Albus groaned but did what was requested of him.
With Albus temporarily being distracted, Harry approached Scorpius and whispered, "Keep an eye on him. You're the only person he would actually listen to."
"If only that were true, Mr. Potte – Harry," Scorpius also whispered. "But I promise I will do my best."
"Thanks, take care of yourself." Harry ruffled Scorpus' hair.
When Harry bid farewell to both teens to leave for work, Scorpius wore the goofiest fanboy grin on his face.
"So, do we have a deal?" Albus asked.
Scorpius eventually came to himself. "Yes, but I don't know what I want to be. I don't really think I'd want to be an Auror or anything."
"You could be a Healer?" Albus said.
Scorpius considered the suggestion. "I wouldn't mind that. Erika wants to be a Healer."
"I know," Albus said. No doubt Scorpius picked up on his annoyance. He liked Erika, but her and Scorpius have been chummy chummy for a while now, and he could not help but worry about the possibilities of them dating.
"Oh, I know I already told you that. But just I mean that if she thinks it's a good idea, so do I," Scorpius said.
Before Albus said anything, there was a tapping at the Potter's parlour's window. The tapping was from a snow owl's beak and inside the beak was a letter. Scorpius opened the half-shut window. "Hi, Dexter. You got a letter for me?" When he reached for the letter, Dexter moved his beak away and ruffled his feathers. "What are you on about, Mr. Cranky? Is it because I slept over here for the night without letting you know?"
Dexter just stared at Scorpius intently.
"It was a last minute thing. But, I'm sorry. Next time I'll try my best to let you know." Dexter slowly dropped the letter without breaking eye contact with his owner. "Thanks, boy." Scorpius traced the owl's pure-white, fluffy feathers and head with Dexter enjoying every second of it.
"That's funny because we were just talking about Erika!" Scorpius said to Albus with much enthusiasm.
"Why? Is that letter from Erika? How do you know?" Albus asked.
"I know this musk-scented sealing wax from anywhere," Scorpius said, unfolding the letter.
Albus waited impatiently as Scorpius read what was written, but he was pleased that Scorpius' mood improved from several minutes ago. He did not know if it was because of his own suggestions or the letter from Erika, but either way he was glad. Even if it was effortful to shake off his jealousy.
"She's able to make it!" Scorpius realised quite soon that he was talking to himself more than anybody else so he turned to Albus. "To my party for tonight, I mean."
"That's good. It will be nice to see another friendly face there." Albus meant what he said, but the very few parties he's ever attended had at least one couple snogging up a storm somewhere in a private spot, or sometimes, out in the open. Shivers crawled over his skin from not only the thought in general, but the concept of Scorpius and Erika being one of those couples.
The clock revealed on its display that it was 1:00 PM, leaving Albus to feel disheartened. "Your dad should be here any minute."
The pair comprehended that when Draco Malfoy scheduled a time, he stuck with it.
"With all the magic in this universe, I wish there was a spell to freeze time," Scorpius said.
"I should write a list of all the spells that should be created," Albus said. "Unless we had a Time-Turner--"
"Albus, no," Scorpius said like a disapproving but cautious parent.
"What? I'm kidding."
Scorpius shook his head. "Well, before I leave, I should go apologise to Lily."
"Alright, but I'm warning you, she's really stubborn when it comes to going along with an apology. For future reference, never bring up things that are negative to her," Albus said.
"But she was the one reading it."
"She reads the Daily Prophet for other kinds of stories," Albus said. "Fine, fine."
Albus tended to both owls in the house –who were fighting over treats — and Scorpius set off for his quest for apology.
As expected, Lily's bedroom door was shut, but it was not locked. Scorpius followed through with his manners and still knocked.
"Who is it?" Lily asked, huffy. "It's Scorpius."
Seconds later, Lily opened the door and stood guarding the room behind her. It was apparent that she was crying because of her smudged and flushed complexion. "About time you came to apologise." She finally let Scorpius in, and he rolled his eyes at that remark.
"Well, I am. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
Lily reflected on Scorpius' words and their prior argument for a little while. "I agree. But I forgive you."
"You still didn't need to punch me though."
"Whatever," Lily said. "Let's move on like it never happened, alright?"
Albus was not joking regarding Lily's stubbornness, but Scorpius did not have the time or energy to argue any further. "Alright."
"Not exactly a good thing to have going on your birthday either," Lily said as she hugged him firmly. "But hey, brothers and sisters argue often. And it makes sense since you will most likely be my brother-in-law eventually."
"Exact – wait, what?" Scorpius asked, his mind slowly catching up on what was just said. "Never mind. We're good," Lily said. "I'll let you get back to Albus."
"I actually have to leave soon for my party. Are you certain you don't want to come?" "As hard as it may be to believe, I'm not one for parties. I know, bonkers, isn't it?"
"I suppose a little bit, yes," Scorpius said, fondly smirking.
The redhead strolled over to her dressing table, and Scorpius jumped off of the bed from the presence of an unknown and unperceivable voice of a woman.
"My goodness, child! Your hair is a mess!"
"Yes yes, I know," Lily grumbled. "I need to brush my hair. Now let me get to it." "What and who is that?" Scorpius asked, on edge.
"Oh, it is my mirror over here," Lily said. "We bought it at a certain furniture shop. It gives advice on appearance, hairstyles and such. Although as you can tell, it can be very straight forward. Not to mention bloody irritating."
"I heard that, young lady," the mirror said. "Honestly speaking, your hair is tangled every day. You need to take more care of it, or I must highly recommend you cut it at least shoulder len –"
"I told you, I like myself better with long hair. I looked awful with short hair," Lily said, harshly combing the knots from the bottom of her hair.
"I highly doubt that," the mirror said.
"Yeah, Lil. You didn't look bad at all," Scorpius said.
Lily didn't take the compliment well. "Not helping. You just got off my bad side."
"If your hair is not well-maintained anytime soon, it is quite imperative for you to cut it," the mirror demanded.
"You're supposed to be giving advice, not demands or judging me," Lily said. "Don't make me take you back to the shop."
The enchanted mirror hushed. "Coconut or simple olive oil is best used to remove tangles," it ultimately said.
"That's more like it."
"You tell her," Scorpius chuckled.
Lily smiled with confidence. "Scorpius, is it true that you fancy Erika – what's her name from Slytherin? You know, the girl you usually spend time with?"
Lily's abrupt tone startled Scorpius, but not as much as what she was saying. "Who told you that?'
"Rose," Lily responded. "Keep in mind. she's usually good at keeping secrets, but I guess this secret infuriated her so much that she needed to tell someone."
"Why would she be infuriated?"
"Isn't it obvious? Do you not realise who is really right for you?'
That question left Scorpius to be adrift in his own thoughts, her voice echoing in his mind... "Are you two alright now?" Albus asked, entering the bedroom.
"Yeah, we're good," Lily said. "Good timing actually, bro. Scorp here needs to tell you something."
"I do?" Scorpius asked.
"Yes you do," Lily said, severely staring the blond down. Scorpius understood.
The sixteen-year-olds walked downstairs in silence. Up until Scorpius broke it with a question he was dying to ask. "Albus, is it true?"
"What is?"
"That Rose has feelings for me again?"
Albus needed to stop mid-walk from the surprise question. "Rose? Where did all of this come from?"
"Lil told me. Well, perhaps not in those words. But she told me that Rose was upset when she found out that I—" Suddenly the blond remembered that he hadn't told Albus about his crush on Erika. "Let's just say she doesn't like the idea of me pining for somebody else."
Albus nearly protested, but he recalled Rose's unforeseen anger from that day in Hogsmeade when she stated she wanted to talk to Scorpius alone. "That's... odd. I thought she was okay with the way things are between you two. Not to mention, she didn't seem too crushed after the breakup."
"I know. I mean, I don't blame her for fancying another go with me," Scorpius bragged. "But it was just so sudden."
"Maybe Lily meant she was angry because she doesn't have a boyfriend or girlfriend? I mean, with what happened with Polly and then you."
"Could be. But Lil said that I should notice who "really" likes me."
Albus gulped. What if Lily was referring to him? He was aware of Lily knowing exactly what was going on with his feelings for Scorpius. "Maybe she meant somebody else?" He did not control himself when saying those words, and he instantaneously wished that he could take them back.
"Who?"
"I don't know," Albus mumbled after another moment's silence.
XXX
Malfoy Manor was even more spacious than Albus could have imagined. All his years of knowing Scorpius, he had never been to his place. Scorpius always described his place as lonely and dark, but he didn't know what he was talking about, but that's probably because it was currently in party mode.
Colorful streamers and glittering crystal chandeliers hung from the thirty-feet high ceilings; the brilliant shimmers from the crystals' reflections flickering vibrant silver and golden lights on the marble floors. Singing as a guest of honor were the Weird Sisters. The acoustics of the band's instruments – particularly the drums and bass guitar – rattled the walls and chandeliers, resulting in the brilliant shimmers already reflecting from the crystals to dance among the dark purple walls and the cheering, dancing party guests.
Albus was as distant from the crowds of dancing, twirling, and jumping party animals as possible. The only purpose for being in this exact room was to pick out snacks and punch from the refreshments table. He performed these actions as fast as possible so he could avoid the chaos. Approaching him was Dominic, and Al was relieved out of all people to talk to him it was a welcomed, familiar face.
"WOTCHER, ALBUS!" Dominic said over the booming noises in the room. "SURROUNDED BY TONS OF PEOPLE IN ONE ROOM. YOU MUST BE IN HELL!"
"Kind of you to notice!" Albus said, amused. "THE THINGS YOU DO FOR YOUR MATE, HUH?"
"Honestly!"
Joining the small, isolated group was the birthday boy himself, but it was short-lived when he led Albus away so hastily that the punch in the brunet's hand spilled. "What's going on?"
Scorpius continued to lead his friend, but this time up the stairs. He stopped when they arrived in his bedroom – which was less colorful and noisy in comparison to downstairs.
"Erika is here," Scorpius unnecessarily whispered.
"Um, yeah. You did invite her. Since when was she so threatening?"
"She's not. Just my situation. I mean, look at me!"
Albus examined his friend from top to bottom. "You look... really good." Fortunately he halted himself midpoint from saying something more questionable.
"See? You hesitated!"
"No! I –"
Scorpius opened his wardrobe, so Albus just waited by laying in his bed. He could not believe that he was actually laying in Scorpius' bed. It was a large and irresistibly soft queen-sized bed with a silken mattress and pillows. The blanket was a quilt knitted with contrasting patterns and shades. But the best part of it all, was the bed containing that indescribable Scorpius scent. He could not help himself from wondering if Scorpius felt the same way being on his bed. "Wait, what am I even doing here if you are picking out your own clothes?" Albus suddenly asked, lifting his head from the bed.
"I'm not sure actually," Scorpius said, stopping his search to think. "I'll get back to you on that."
"Hmmph." Albus' head flopped back down on the bed, and this time his thoughts moved onto the bedroom itself. Just like the rest of the Manor, it was widely proportioned, yet he presumed it would likely be one of the smallest rooms. Scorpius stirring with hangers and the distant blaring music playing was what Albus could hear while doing his observations. The room was not nearly as lively as Scorpius was, but it still contained distinguishable hints that the room belonged to him. The walls were painted eggplant-purple just like the Drawing Room, but these walls consisted of stickers of twinkles and light – resembling the enchanted ceiling of stars Albus had back home.
There were portraits hanging up of all the elements of the Malfoy's life that clearly meant the most to him. Three of these portraits were of him and his parents at different ages. Only one of them displayed Astoria alone with Scorpius, and the photograph was framed on his bedside table. Enfant Scorpius was smiling an adorable smile with Astoria holding him in her arms. Albus was overwhelmed with expeditious sadness, so he glanced someplace else.
There were bookshelves (standing aside the History of Magic book was a portrait of Bathilda Bagshot,) and a marble mantelpiece which appeared to be Hogwarts themed. On the wall just above the mantelpiece was a photo of the Hogwarts castle, on each side of the portrait were his acceptance letter in frame, and his O.W.L..s results. Directly upon the mantelpiece was a photo of the two of them together. Albus grinned. The photo was taken during their first morning at Hogwarts. Scorpius' arm was around Albus' shoulders and they were both smiling in front of the castle. Dominic was kind enough to take the picture. Speaking of which, Albus felt bad for Dominic downstairs, possibly muddled or anxious concerning their disappearance.
Scorpius finally picked out a plain old black suit (identical to what he chose to wear for his first day of Hogwarts.) Albus was disappointed from no removal of the shirt Scorpius was already wearing.
"This ensemble says that I'm sophisticated and intelligent, but deep down I am also a fun bloke," Scorpius said, putting on an act of satisfaction.
Albus laughed. "That or you were too lazy to take off your shirt or replace it."
"I sure hope not," Scorpius said.
"Since when did you care so much about how Erika saw you?" Albus asked, anxious for the potential answer he would get.
Scorpius held his arm, sweating. "She has... specific taste?"
"In a friend's clothing?"
"Y-Yes."
"Whatever you say."
They returned to the main party downstairs, and Erika was standing by the doorway. It was evident she chose not to be any closer to the wild social gathering inside; which Albus related to. However, if he did not know of Erika being a kind person, he could have sworn the opposite from the aloof display she put on with her crossed arms and frown. Seeing Scorpius, her stance changed. Scorpius' face lit up and flushed.
"Scorpius! There you are!" Erika said. "Hi, Albus."
"Hey. Good to see you," Albus said.
"Nice suit, Scorpius," Erika said.
"Oh, why thank you," Scorpius said, adjusting his tie and collar. "You too. I mean, dress! Your dress! It's nice."
"You can't fool me with that, Scorpius. I look terrible. My thighs are so big."
"What's wrong with a curvy lady?" Erika looked uncomfortable. "I mean, you look good. I'll just stop now."
"Maybe you just need a break," Erika said. "I never thought that one of the most popular boys at Hogwarts would be so... awkward."
Scorpius and Albus laughed to themselves, wishing Erika would have seen how he used to be. "I don't mind, I just mean you might want to work on it a bit," Erika said.
Scorpius nodded, trying not to mess anything up again by talking.
"Smooth," Albus whispered.
Scorpius nudged Albus with his elbow.
"I think I'll be having a go at one of the games you have set up in the other room," Erika said.
"Going to have a try that too! Ladies first," Scorpius said, extending his arm out.
"Such a gentleman," Erika said, staring at the party boy as she walked past him; she was lucky she didn't fall or bump into anything or anyone.
"So. Do you want to try yourself?' Scorpius asked.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind a go," Albus said.
In the parlour of the mansion, the guests went onto separate activities. Centre of the room was a cauldron. At the cauldron were six people – including Scorpius, Albus, Dominic, and Erika. All of the players bowed their heads into the cauldron filled with floating apples. Dominic's lips would continually come in contact with an apple, but each one would slip out back into the water.
Beginner's luck was with Scorpius when he bit into the first apple. The remainder of them were swept up by the other players whenever he would try. One of his attempts he nearly wanted to do that on purpose, so his lips could possibly come in contact with Erika's. He did not go through with it because he did not want to risk his lips touching another. Well, with Albus he would not be so opposed. After all, they have kissed before, and his lips were also plump and warm. Albus used his lips just as well.
Moments later, Scorpius came to himself when noticing he was just standing still, not even ducking his head into the cauldron. He was glad that everybody nearby were blindfolded so they could not witness him awkwardly stand there with his hands tied.
Albus had a lucky streak, but the last apple he bit into fell out the moment he elevated his head. Erika had hits and misses, but one sprayed her in the face from the stem of the poison apple of the bunch.
Other games in the room were Exploding Snap, Gobstones, and Pin-the-tail. It was not an easy game with the donkey constantly moving or fooling the pinner into thinking they've won.
Once the Weird Sisters concluded their show and packed up, some of the guests set up radio channels to listen to.
To conclude the event, Draco supervised everybody outside. A handful of the guests flew on their brooms with the tall hedges blocking the view of any Muggle. Albus remained on the ground level, but he enjoyed watching Scorpius – who was again with Erika. Scorpius had always been so graceful with his flying, it was like seeing an eagle soar in the sky.
"Quite shocking you have not found it yet."
Albus tilted his head upwards to get a better look at who was speaking to him. "Sorry, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco smirked. "Just Draco would suffice, and you should be honoured. You are one of the very few people who can."
"Really? Why?"
"You make my son happy. I could ask for nothing better than that. Astoria felt the same." Draco lamented the second he mentioned his wife. "Speaking of which, I was referring to your very own treat bag. With you being his closest friend, he made sure to make its whereabouts somewhere not only obvious, but special. Have you been in his bedroom today?"
"Yeah, why?" Draco winked.
"What? I'm surprised I didn't notice! I guess I was just too distracted."
"It's his bed, isn't it?"
"What?" Albus stammered as if being caught.
"Well, I assumed it was because of the bed's comfort."
"Oh, yeah. It's... comfortable," Albus said, tempted to face palm from the delivery of his statement.
"Remember, you can visit whenever you wish."
Albus smiled and was about to thank him until a blaring shriek echoing throughout the Malfoy home prevented him.
The guests scattered around in panic and blocked their eardrums.
"Dad, what's going on?" Scorpius asked, safely landing his broom on the ground.
"It is the intruder alarm! Son, stay here with the others, you hear me?" Draco said.
"An intruder?" Scorpius and Erika panicked together.
"What do we do, Scorpius?" a party guest asked.
"Like my father said, we stay here. That's all we can do for now," Scorpius said. "Albus, maybe we should—" Albus was nowhere in sight. "Albus? Albus!"
It didn't take long for Scorpius to lose his calm disposition. "Has anyone seen Albus?"
"Knowing my pain in the arse cousin, Albus most likely ran in after Mr. Malfoy," Rose said. Despite her annoyance, she was just as concerned.
"Sadly, that sounds like something he would do," Scorpius grumbled. "Dammit, Albus! I know you're going to lecture me, Rose, but I'm going after him." Scorpius withdrew his wand.
"You honestly thought I would lecture you about this? That's hilarious," Rose said, withdrawing her own.
The duo ensured to be silent as they sprinted into the house with their wands concealed in their pockets in the circumstances of somebody disarming them.
"Are you kidding me? Scorpius and Rose left too?" Dominic said. "Honestly! It's so dangerous! Mr. Malfoy told us to stay put," Erika said. "It is dangerous! I am going in there to bring them back," Dominic said.
"You are going in too?" Erika said. "Come on! I'm certain Mr. Malfoy is going to tell them to go back anyway."
"I know, but in case they don't find him in time."
"I still think it's foolish. I'm staying here with the others," Erika said, crossing her arms.
"Good idea," Dominic said, running in despite Erika's protests.
Inside the manor, Rose and Scorpius reached the peak of the marble staircase. As soon as they heard a voice from behind them they spun around and bellowed different defensive spells. The mysterious being behind them protected himself with a brief magic barrier.
"Dominic? What are you doing here?" Scorpius whispered.
"Impressive. You reacted quickly with that Shielding Spell," Rose said.
"Thanks, but I'm here to bring you guys back. One way or another," Dominic said, stepping forward.
"Scorpius!" Draco said from nearby. "I told you and your friends to stay—"
"Draco!" Albus warned, pointing behind the older Malfoy. He could not react in time so Albus disarmed the intruder. The disguised man dodged the attack and disappeared.
"Where did he go?" Rose asked.
"He camouflaged himself; with the Disillusionment Charm! Albus said.
"We know what the camouflage spell is called, Albus," Rose said.
"Now is not the time, Rose!" Dominic said as he jumped in front of her and used his shielding power again against the camouflaged intruder's attacks. In spite of his advantage for sneaking, his wand was still visible.
"Phew, thanks," Rose said, breathing deeply.
"Children, find a safe place to hide! I will deal with him. You all shouldn't be here in the first place," Draco said.
Flickering lights of contrasting colours wisped in the air, most missing their intended target with certain spells smashing house-objects in the vicinity. At a close shave, Draco dodged the recent attack made by the intruder, and was in further luck when emerging from one of the fireplaces downstairs were four Auror officers. Spell-casting quickly evolved into more intense attacks and action with the Auror's help. The teens could only gawk, unable to take their eyes away. Their temptation for joining in was greater than ever – save for Dominic.
"Come on, you lot. Let's go! It's five against one; he's clearly outnumbered," Dominic said, waiting for his friends to follow.
"You're correct, but nine against one is even better," Rose said, smirking mischievously.
"You said it! Sorry, Dominic," Scorpius said.
The action settled when the criminal had vanished, but there was no wand in sight. "Now where did he go?" Albus asked, frantically searching all around him.
"He must have Disapparated," Rose said.
"There is an Anti-Disapparition jinx in my home! Now I will only say this one more time, find a safe place to hide!" Draco said.
A particular Auror of the bunch unexpectedly appeared to be dazed and a strange aura encompassed his eyes. He turned to another officer in utter relaxation and stunned them.
"He must be bewitched!" Scorpius said.
Rose desperately scanned the corridor and spotted a wand peeking out from behind a table. "There he is!"
"Mobilicorpus!" Scorpius hissed. The camouflaged man levitated into the air and was revealed the instant he was not against any wall to disguise himself with.
"FLIPENDO!" the man shouted.
Scorpius flew backwards into the air and dropped on the floor. "Scorpius!" Draco and Albus yelped together.
"Bombarda Maxima!"
The walls around the area imploded; the collision pushing everyone back with great force, and they struggled to stand back up.
Judging by the sudden smoke around them, the intruder used the Fumos spell.
Draco groaned, his knees buckling as he attempted to lift himself up. His first instinct was to search the smoke for his son, and thankfully he found him easily, safe and sound.
Two of the Aurors rushed off to track down the burglar, and with difficulty, Albus hoisted himself from the floor to follow them.
Scorpius grunted. "Is everyone alright?"
Dominic, Rose, and one of the remaining, injured Aurors sounded off.
"What happened to the Auror under the Imperius curse?" Rose asked weakly.
"He has been stunned," the remaining Auror said.
"Wait, I didn't hear Albus. Where is he?" Scorpius asked.
"Albus?" Rose called out as quietly as possible so she would not draw unwanted attention. The fog made it difficult for anybody to see anything.
"I don't see him," Dominic said anxiously.
"Oh no," Scorpius said, on edge. "What if he's injured and we just can't see him?"
"That or--"
"He left to stop the intruder... again," Scorpius said.
"Yup," Rose said. "Either way, he needs help."
The injured Auror summoned her strength and casted the counter-spell for the Smokescreen Charm. With the fog being lifted, the group noticed Albus being absent.
"Looks like you were right yet again. Let's go," Scorpius said to Rose without hesitation.
"I am aware that it is pointless to argue with you at this point, but you are not leaving without me," Draco said, firmly holding Scorpius' shoulder.
Albus waited by the doorway of the room that contained whatever valuables the thief was after, with his wand out and ready; he was going with the element of surprise. The Aurors had already engaged in duelling with the robber; the commotion was heard from the inside. He was bound to leave the room eventually, but Albus was already tired of waiting.
The search party stumbled across Albus standing there, and Scorpius dashed over to him. "Albus," Scorpius said, relieved and discouraged at the same time.
Albus pressed his index finger to his lips to hush his friend up.
Right then and there, the intruder stepped into the doorway with a giant sack.
"Stupefy!" Albus shouted.
The man dodged the attack and performed a Severing Charm on the teen's cheek, followed by disarming him himself. Albus shouted out from the sharp, deep, stinging cut on his face.
Scorpius ran up to Albus and held his hand. That triggered everyone to attack together – even Dominic – and that was the moment when the burglar was truly outnumbered and barely had the time to dodge, shield or conceal himself. He was hit with plenty of spells at once, so he fell to the ground, unarmed, stunned, and unconscious.
Rose, Dominic, and Scorpius were all standing by Albus' side. "Are you three hurt?" Albus asked.
"Are we hurt? You're the one on the ground," Rose said, taking concern to the bleeding cut on Albus' cheek.
"Rose is right. Are you okay? That looks so painful," Scorpius said, unconsciously stroking the brunet's skin around the gash.
Albus enjoyed the gesture, so much so that he briefly forgot that he was just asked a question. "It does hurt, but I'll be fine."
An Auror passed Albus a vial containing some sort of purple liquid, which Scorpius instantly identified from class as the Wound-Cleaning Potion. When applied to Albus' cut, he hissed through his teeth as his injury stung and he held Scorpius' hand tightly. The stinging did not last long as it finally healed.
Marching towards the teens was an upset and serious Draco Malfoy with both hands on his hips. "Dad, I—"
"Come with me. All of you. Now," Draco said.
This time all of the teens listened and tagged along with Draco to the backyard.
"Oh thank goodness!" Erika said, holding her chest when seeing everyone unharmed, especially Scorpius.
"There has been an attempted burglary, but the criminal has been caught. I will be contacting all of your guardians so they can pick you up prematurely," Draco announced to the discombobulated guests. A rumble of complaints occurred among the adolescents from that statement. "Everyone back inside," Draco said. "Except for you four."
"I have to stay too? But I only went in to get them," Dominic said.
"Yet you didn't seem to leave when they refused, and you should have known that I was to do the same without your assistance."
"I'm aware, sir," Dominic grumbled, "but I couldn't risk it."
"Risk what?" Rose asked.
"For any of you to be killed, obviously," Dominic said.
"Yes, well, if all of you would have listened to my orders you would not have had to be concerned with that," Draco said. "I am going to be writing to all of your parents or guardians."
"Even mine?" Scorpius asked, over dramatically. Albus and Rose smirked.
"You need to take this seriously, Scorpius," Draco said, although Albus could swear he was an inch away from smirking as well.
"Sorry, Dad," Scorpius said.
"You're just fortunate to not be hurt," Draco said, keeping his hand on his son's shoulder for longing seconds. "Now go up to your room."
The quartet walked up the stairs in utter silence. When they entered the Malfoy's room, Scorpius sat on his bed with his head low. "I didn't mean to ruin my own party for everyone."
"Are you kidding? It was brilliant!" Rose said.
"Are you an adrenaline jockey?" Dominic asked Rose admiringly.
"Why are you blaming yourself? I was the one who ran inside first," Albus said, sitting next to the birthday boy on his luxurious, Scorpius-scented bed.
"Why did you have to do that?" Scorpius asked.
"I don't know. It was just an impulse. Like Dominic I wanted to help," Albus said. "So, I guess we all did it for the same reason," Scorpius said.
"Speak for yourselves. I knew Draco would have had it handled, but I couldn't resist the adventure," Rose said bluntly.
"You, you're something," Dominic complimented.
Rose blushed. "A little, I suppose."
"What I want to know is, what was the burglar even after? It couldn't have been money. What with Gringotts and all," Dominic said.
Scorpius looked away in embarrassment. "They were... important Malfoy heirlooms. What bothers me the most, Albus, is that we didn't stick to your dad's advice. It hasn't even been a day later and we already disobeyed him."
"Well--"
"Do not attempt to make a loophole out of what he said, mate," Scorpius said. Albus crossed his arms.
"Scorpius?"
Standing at Scorpius' bedroom door was Erika. "Oh, hey!" Scorpius said, suddenly standing up.
"We'll leave you be," Rose said, giving Scorpius a knowing look but at the same time, irritated.
"Rose, wait."
Rose and Albus tilted their heads.
"Just one sec, Erika." Scorpius winked and Erika nodded.
"You want to speak to me?" Rose asked when everyone else had cleared out.
"I've been meaning to ask you earlier, but it sort of slipped my mind," Scorpius said. "Rose, when you said you were okay with how things were between us, did you mean that?"
"Yes. You should know that I'm not a liar," Rose said.
"I know, and that's why I believed you. But Lily told me that you seemed upset about the whole situation with me having feelings for Erika."
"She's right. And did she tell you why?
"She just asked me if I knew who was really right for me."
"And you thought it was me she was referring to?"
"Well, yeah."
Rose sighed and shook her head. "You're brilliant, Scorpius. But at the same time, you're hopeless."
"So, it's not you, but... I don't understand. Who else could she be talking about?"
"Ok, I better leave before I facepalm myself so hard that I fall smack on the floor," Rose said, patting her friend's back. "Good luck. You will need it."
Rose made her exit, and in entered Erika. "Hey."
"H-Hi."
"Are you doing okay?" Erika asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I just feel guilty about what happened," Scorpius said.
"I do too," Erika admitted, sitting next to Scorpius. "I should have been more brave and helped you guys."
"Don't say that about yourself. You did the right thing. You didn't get into trouble that way." "You're too kind, Scorpius. Really. I just didn't want to rush in unless it was really necessary. "And there's nothing wrong with that," Scorpius said.
"I revert back to my last statement. You know, before the one I just said," Erika said. The two teens sat in awkward silence.
"I promised Harry Potter that I would help protect Albus," Scorpius said. "So, I obeyed him in that regard. But he still got himself into danger, and so did I."
"Wow. Harry Potter told you that?"
"I know right!" Scorpius said, his tone drastically changing in fanboy mode.
Erika giggled. "Before my mom picks me up, do you mind if I knit in here? It distracts me from stress."
"Of course. I would love to watch."
"It's not exactly exciting."
"You are the one knitting. You tend to make anything interesting."
Erika took notice of Scorpius' dilated pupils and his body leaning towards her in anticipation. Those displays of interest reminding her of a blissful, innocent child. "Alright. Feel free to speak, I don't get distracted too easily."
Scorpius eagerly nodded as Erika removed the necessary items she needed from her handbag.
Although Erika granted the young Malfoy permission to speak, he didn't. The delicate movements and sounds of the knitting needles lightly tapping against each other while gathering white and navy-blue yarn was hypnotic. Scorpius was not certain if it was only because of the chaos that occurred not long ago, but he was comforted from the silence and lack of true excitement; it even gave him time to think. While getting into mischief or dangerous situations was oftentimes fun for him, the more of these sorts of situations he would get into, the more he feared for people's lives. What if he would have lost his father today? Or any of his friends? Albus? His anxiety was growing and his eyes were watering.
"Thankfully, I managed to find the right treat bag before I had to leave," Erika said, snapping Scorpius out of his troublesome thoughts. "The first two I found bit me, but in different places. The first one being from a Fanged Frisbee on my finger, and the other being a Nose-Biting Teacup. You can guess where that one bit."
"Do you think all of that hustle was worth it?" Scorpius said hopefully.
"I think so. But my skin is sensitive," Erika replied, bringing attention to her pink finger and nose. "Perhaps you could kiss it better?"
Scorpius' eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
"Kidding!" Erika dismissed quickly. Scorpius did not have time to add his input when Erika continued. "Hopefully this doesn't offend you, but how did someone like you get Slytherin?"
"Not everyone is what they seem. The Sorting Hat knows best after all," Scorpius said.
"A hat knows best. Good ol' enchanted pieces of clothing," Erika said, sticking her tongue out. Scorpius laughed harder than he should have.
Erika ceased with her knitting and set the needles and yarn on her lap. "Will you be alright once everyone is gone, Scorpius?" She tenderly touched the blond's knee.
After gathering up his ability to speak properly again several seconds ensuing that gesture, Scorpius said, "Yeah. It's disappointing, but I will be fine. Besides, we can talk by the fireplace later on."
"I live in a flat. A flat without a fireplace," Erika said, embarrassed. "That's what you all here in London call an apartment, right?"
"Yes, we do. And don't worry about it. We'll send each other an owl," Scorpius said. "I'll definitely do that."
The bedroom door unexpectedly opened, followed by Draco Malfoy emerging from behind the door. "Miss Yushamor, your mother is here to pick you up."
When Draco made his leave, Scorpius frowned and lowered his head. "Have a good rest of the evening, love," he said to a disappointed Erika.
"You too," Erika said, leaving the Malfoy's bed.
With that warm spot by his side on the bed no longer being filled, Scorpius felt less secure.
Erika repeatedly turned towards Scorpius and then to the door she was supposed to exit. The instant Scorpius raised his head to see Erika, Erika was directly in front of him. To his utter surprise, she momentarily planted a kiss on his cheek.
Scorpius' feelings of lonely apprehension were replaced with whimsical delight.
Before Erika could depart, Scorpius twirled her around, and with butterflies in his stomach and not taking a single moment to think, he said, "Erika, do you want to ... I mean, will you be my girlfriend?"
Erika chuckled from the suddenness of what was happening, but she grinned widely. "If that's what you want. I would love to."
Both blushing, the two teens kissed each other with Scorpius running his hands through her long, silky hair. His birthday just got brilliant all over again, and in a way, magical.