Wednesday February 16th 2023:

Albus slowly ate breakfast in the Great Hall, taking one small bite at a time. He was on edge, convinced that Rita Skeeter could show up at any moment.

"Relax, mate. Your very little bit of food is getting cold," Scorpius said, tilting his head towards the scraps on Albus' gold plate.

"She shouldn't have barged in the hospital wing like that. I swear she has no respect," Erika said sharply next to Scorpius.

"I agree," Scorpius said to Erika, "but like I told you, Albus, it wasn't that bad. She seemed to get rather bored as well. I am certain she only goes with stories she finds particularly "juicy". You can just make your answers especially boring."

"This is Rita Skeeter we're talking about. If it's an article she's especially set on, she'll find a way to make it interesting," Erika said, taking a bite of her sausage from her fork.

"What were the questions she asked you again?" Albus asked.

Scorpius was not paying attention to that question. Coming up from behind Albus was a Hufflepuff bloke with Auburn hair and piercing eyes. Scorpius squinted. The Hufflepuff was getting closer and closer to Albus, but he stopped to talk to a student directly next to the right of Albus. Scorpius calmed down.

"What is it? Do you see her?" Albus panicked, turning to the right of him. "No, I just thought I saw – never mind."

Another student who was not in Slytherin made their way over to their table, but this time it was Lily. "Good luck with Skeeter, Albus. Just remember, if the article really does a number on you, it will all be forgotten in a month or so. Just like what happened with Hugo and Rose."

Albus put his fork down and his face behind his hands with a displeased groan. "Trust me on this," Lily said.

Scorpius rubbed Albus' back and Lily frowned at him suspiciously. She also rubbed Albus' back. "Good luck."

Lily rushed over to her own house's table.

"Again she didn't talk to me," Scorpius said. "Is she still upset with me?"

Albus uncovered his face. "Apparently."

Albus' breakfast was undisturbed by an unwelcome magenta-wearing, curly-haired individual, but because of his anxiety, he did not get as much nutrients as he should have. He left the Great Hall with Scorpius and Erika, but blocking their way of walking any further was that very same unwelcome individual, primed for another session.

XXX

"How did it go?" Scorpius asked, handing Albus some goggles as he stood next to him in the greenhouse. "There's already an hour of class left. Skeeter only questioned me for a few minutes."

"Albus, you can partner up with Scorpius," Professor Longbottom said. "Most of our class today was reviewing, and right now we are working with the Snargaluff. Good luck."

"Thank you, Professor Longbottom," Albus said. Most professors preferred to split the duo up in classes, but Neville knew how much they meant to each other and so he kept them together, which pleased Albus and Scorpius a great deal.

Neville smiled but then rushed over to help out a student with their arm tangled in the plant's tentacle-like vines.

"To answer your question, it must have been me who she was most interested in," Albus said worriedly, plunging a hand into the hole in the midst of the squirming plant. "She asked me so many questions, it all honestly felt like a blur. I don't even remember most of my answers."

Scorpius tore at the vines pulling at his robes and beat them back with a pair of secateurs. He helped Albus release his arm and in his hand was a throbbing pod. "Excellent work!" He handed Albus a bowl so he could place the pod inside. He swapped his enthusiasm for a more sincere tone. "Remember, make sure to keep an eye out for a beetle with curled antennae."

Albus snorted. "As if watching out for a beetle was not difficult enough. The greenhouse can be filled with bugs."

"I know, which is why it's best to keep an extra close watch."

"That will be difficult with this pod we're supposed to crush."

"Do you want to go for it first? Or would you rather me do it?"

"I could –"

"I'll do the hard work ," Scorpius volunteered. "You already retrieved the pod yourself, and you just sat through half an hour with Rita Skeeter. You deserve a little break." He did not wait for Albus' permission and just grabbed a trowel and asked Albus to hold the bowl in place.

Albus watched admiringly. Only Scorpius Malfoy could take something that requires a good amount of physical strength into something calm and mundane. Albus' gloominess did not delay long to veer its ugly head the more he watched. Over studying was an effective distraction from heartbreak, but it did not stop it.