The door to the slytherin common room opened awkwardly as Lily and Harry emerged helping a wounded Al up the stairs behind it. "Easy does it Lily." Harry was supporting his son from his left side while Lily tried less successfully to support his right.

"What happened?!" I cursed, bolting to push Lily out of the way. I steadied Albus and helped him over to the bed where his father and I deposited him gently on its edge.

"I stuck my hand in the wrong container. The mandragora need pill bugs to grow properly... I stuck my hand into the blast beetle container instead." Al offered quietly.

"Blast beetle bites burn something fierce and cause extreme dizziness and sometimes delirium." Harry started. "Although he only seems to be exhibiting the first two symptoms."

"Oh Albus! Your arm!" I shot when I saw the nasty white blisters all over his right appendage. "Is there nothing madam pomfrey can do?"

"Apparently not. At least not for the pain" Lily quipped. "She gave us a cream he needs to administer so those marks won't scar but apparently blast beetle blisters are resistant to pain relieving potions."

"What about muggle pain killers?" I asked.

"I keep telling Poppy to stock up on them. They can sometimes work in a pinch" Harry offered. Clearly Poppy had had other ideas.

"I was going to bring him to dinner in the great hall later but I guess that will have to wait." I examined the brunette as his head swayed back and forth. It seemed like he was quite out of it. "Oh and Lily, I meant to ask at some point. Who are his closest friends would you say? I was hoping to invite some of the slytherins he knows to come see him. It might do him good." I added.

Lily openly burst out laughing… directly at my face. "What friends?" She cackled loudly. Slytherin bitch. "Only I ever really hang out with him. Most of the snakes respect him but only because he's terribly dangerous." Harry looked sideways at lily as though he couldn't quite get her.

"He must have some friends though? He's actually kind of nice when you get to know him" I offered.

"I may be in excruciating pain and dizzy out of my mind but I'm still right here..." Albus offered angrily. Nobody enjoyed being talked about as though they weren't even there.

"So then who are your friends big brother?" Lily teased giggling to herself. He smirked at her. "You're lucky I can't see you or I'd give you a good rictumsempra"

"Come to think of it there is that group of ravenclaws you're always hanging around with…" She mused aloud. "And a couple of those older slytherins. That seventh year Aurora and her friend."

"Aurora? The gorgeous Parkinson girl?" I asked curiously?

"Yeah and her friend Melody Macmillan" Lily added. Another gorgeous seventh year. "Oh come to think of it here are some letters people wrote wishing you well. I must have forgotten to give them to you. Two are from Aurora and Melody and two from those Ravenclaw twins. Lunas boys." She had the most devious grin on her face I'd ever seen when she produced a small packet of white envelopes. This time Albus did not look amused. He bolted his hand outwards trying to grab at the letters but he wasn't even close. She grabbed his arm where the blisters were and he howled. Even lily looked like she realized she'd taken it took far. "Sorry Al, I forgot it was that arm" she offered apologetically releasing the limb.

My distaste was so great that I actually jabbed lily in the side of the ribs with my wand before yanking the letters away from her. She yowled at being poked like that. I could tell my wand had given her a good shock too.

"Five points from slytherin." Harry shot, sighing. This wasn't new behavior for her I guess.

"Lighten up it was just a joke. I was going to give them to him eventually. I'm not a complete bitch." She barked. "Al! There was a reason I didn't give them to you. If you haven't guessed at it yet then you're an idiot."

"Yeah? To make me think nobody cared?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Do I come off as that simple to you all? Really?" She looked like poison flowed in her veins but Al had said she was one of his best friends and closest family members. "Think harder twit." She spat, walking back towards the slytherin dorms, Ignoring her dad and me completely.

"Oh... wait… actually dad... don't take the points away... I understand what she was doing." He looked like he was blushing but I couldn't tell.

"Are you sure Al?" Harry asked quietly. Al nodded, cradling his wounded arm. "Ok then. Scor would you make sure he applies that balm as directed so he doesn't scar?"

"Of course Harry." I offered smiling. My favorite teacher and my best friends father. He had always been a kind man.

"By the way. I heard from Draco what you're up to. Did he already award you some points for it?" The green eyed man asked seriously.

"Erm yes. I got twenty five points from my father earlier." I offered sheepishly.

"Ok good. Otherwise I would have done it. Anyway… thanks again Scor. See you later Al" Harry finished, placing a hand on Als head. He departed but from the lake side exit. I went to the window and saw as a broom took off from the deck.

"Twenty five points! What did you do to win twenty five points? From your father no less." Albus was beyond shocked. I came over to the bedside and carefully rolled up his sleeve. I looked down at the jar of cream madame pomfrey had left for him. "Apply once an hour three times before bed and once in the morning until blisters subside".

I opened the jar and dipped my hand into the creamy ointment.

"Oh just this project I'm working on for Flitwick" I lied, delicately applying the balm to his arm. He winced loudly as my fingers made contact. I waved my wand over the ointment and cast a silent frost spell. The substance immediately became cool to the touch. The next time my hand made contact he didn't seem to recoil as much.

"Mmm. That feels nice actually. It still burns but not so much now that it's cool."

"Are you still dizzy? Any delirium?" I inquired?

"Mmm" he hummed letting his head fall on my shoulder before wincing again. "Maybe a little." I looked forward at the mirror watching the way his chest moved as he breathed. I examined his face and head where it connected to my shoulder. His eyes opened and I almost started at the sight of the reflection of his green orbs in the mirror. I managed not to flinch, but only just barely. He can't see you Scorpius.

"You're working on the web theory aren't you? There's no way that's not what everyone is hiding. I'm a genius, remember." Al offered groggily. He had guessed it so fast.

"Maybe I am. What of it?"

"You really are a stupid lion. The divination interpretation and dads cryptic mention of a charms project gave it away. Now draco awards you twenty five points? Not likely those are just for looking after me."

"And?"

"Well my question is the same as yesterday… why?" Albus asked sadly. How many times had he asked this of me.

"Why? What do you mean why?" I blurted out the question more aggressively than I'd intended.

"So you won't have to look after me for as long?" He guessed. "Is that it? The sooner I'm better the sooner you can be back to your normal life?" Al mocked.

I stopped applying the ointment at that, pulling forcefully away from him in disgust. He almost toppled into the empty space where i had just sat.

"Sometimes Al... I think Lily is right. You're the idiot." I offered getting up and heading to my room downstairs. I wanted to leave him alone for that. In the darkness that was his new home.

How could he not see why I would want to help him? He was a sweet and complex boy fraught with layers and intrigue. He burned out his eyes as a blood price to save me from the reaper. I couldn't devote a couple years of the life he had saved to try and return him to normal? What kind of person would I be then?

I started to read the notes father had left me when I guess I had lost track of time. Hours had slipped by before I heard a soft knock on my door. I leapt up at the sound. I realized he must have had to carefully descend the steps if he needed something, risking another injury to himself in the process. He slipped the door open and stood forlorn by its entrance.

"Sorry if I upset you Scorpius... but I think I'm supposed to apply that cream another few times before bed... you walked off with it and I didn't want to disturb you." He seemed impossibly weak and small in that moment, not at all like the wizard I'd fought along side in the forest.

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess I did walk off with it. Here Let me apply it." I offered patting the bed. "Damn and I was supposed to take you to see Lilith tonight too." I had completely forgotten.

"No, it's better we didn't go. She would have thought my injury a result of your carelessness rather than mine... that would not have been good." He whispered darkly. "We'll go another night."

I waited for him to sit down but he didn't.

"The cream?" He asked again, extending his hand towards me.

"I said I'd do it. Just sit down."

"I don't want to trouble you… Besides I can do it myself." His breath was labored and he looked flushed. He was in pain. He looked dizzy and judging by the sweat on his forehead, feverish too.

"Please sit down Al. It's no trouble I promise." I had spoken softly in as sweat a tone as possible, again patting the space next to me on the small bed. The bed upstairs was much larger and more comfortable than the one in this staff room. He relented at last and sat, his back facing me. I rolled up his pajama arm to reveal the white blisters dotting the damaged limb. Surprisingly they looked a little better already.

We sat in silence as I delicately applied the ointment. I massaged the substance into his arm for longer than I needed to but he neither winced nor objected.

"There, that should do it" I offered screwing the lid back onto the jar.

I watched him groan as his uninjured hand came up squeeze the back of his neck.

"They said I fell when the beetles bit me. Fainted like weakling… I must have hit my back or something because I'm stiff as anything." Al complained groggily. Automatically my hands moved to the boys soft neck, beginning to squeeze and knead the skin above the muscles.

"Where does it hurt most?" I asked softly. If I had whispered I hadn't meant to.

"Oh… Scor. You don't have to do that. Honest." He protested weakly. He sounded like a complete Slytherin. it wasn't a real objection. It sounded more like 'well actually a little to your right would be nice'

I grinned at that as I continued to squeeze above the fabric. His silk pajama top was a little large for him and the collar revealed much of his soft neck and shoulders.

"I'm going to inherit one of the largest fortunes on the planet remember… I don't have to do anything if i don't want to."

He chuckled at that. After a few minutes I dared to move my hands to his actual skin, adjusting the top so that it revealed as much of his upper back as it could. He hummed again as I'd discovered he did sometimes. I worked away at his muscles relishing every second that my hands were in contact with Als softness.

For the first time since meeting him the smell of something incredibly fragrant wafted from his neck and hair.

I inhaled curiously a few times and started when he gasped. He must have noticed I was smelling him.

"Can you smell that?" He asked sounding mortified. It was cute how often he found himself embarrassed by being around me.

"It smells incredible. Why are you worried?" I inquired with a chuckle.

"Because It's not a product… its aura…" he answered shyly. "Only Lily or my Mom has really noticed it." He answered sheepishly. "That's how I know that's what you picked up on…"

"I knew I saw a faint magical aura coming off of you the other day. Why be embarrassed? Only the most powerful wizard alive exhibit those no?"

Maybe I didn't know enough about the subject to guess at his embarrassment.

"I… I don't know… it just… it just seems rather personal…" he stuttered. When had he gotten so shy? It appeared to me as though there was something more he wanted to add but he just remained quiet.

"Well how was that?" I asked patting him with both hands to indicate I was done.

"That was amazing Scor, thank you." He turned towards me with a grin and pretended to reach for his pocket. "Now how much do I owe you?"

"Piss off, you couldn't afford me if I was actually charging." I joked.

He yawned and I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand.

"Merlin Al, it's midnight. We have so much to do tomorrow. Shall we call it a night soon?"

"Mmmh" he hummed again. He often looked as though he were keeping his thoughts half shielded from me.

Just when I thought he wasn't going to answer he said the strangest thing.

"You read to me, you apply my medicine, you help me get around… you massage my injuries… now you're researching a cure for me… Scor… you will let me know if there's anything I can do for you during this whole thing? Won't you?" He was trying to make eye contact as he spoke but could only search emptily along the direction of my face. "I don't want it to feel like you're a nurse. You're helping me out. It's not your full time job you know. If you want an afternoon with friends… if you want to go sit by the black lake or walk around the grounds or go flying or something…"

"I'll think about it Al. Thank you." I offered as response. Not knowing what else to say. Was I being selfish? Or selfless? What was the real reason I felt so protective of him? I could feel myself drawn to him, even now, even though he wasn't the strong boy he'd been before the accident. I was almost happy to help him in this intimate way. Was that wrong? I asked myself examining his beautiful lips. 'Incredibly handsome' he had said.

Just then the intrusive image of him on his knees in the bathroom came back to me… I'm not a Slytherin! Damn it! That's not what this is about! I cursed aloud in my mind.

"Why don't I read a chapter of the golden compass and we can just crash down here tonight? I'm too lazy to help you back upstairs if that's alright."

"Sure, I don't mind" he offered.

I moved all of his and fathers notes off of the duvet and grabbed the book from my nightstand.

He crawled up the bed on the left side as I cracked the story open to our last page.

"Oh, I'd forgotten how much smaller it is down here." Al stated blankly, still a little groggy from the blast beetle toxins. "Do you mind?" He added looking in my direction.

"Not really. You?" I returned.

"Mm mm" he nodded in the negative. It was the cutest gesture I'd seen him make yet.

We slipped under the covers then, our legs grazing each other shyly. There wasn't enough room to properly avoid contact.

"You're really soft Al. Has anyone ever told you that?" I asked stupidly without thinking. Once the words left my mouth I felt how silly they had sounded.

"That's weird, I actually thought the same. You're really soft too." He answered shyly.

"I never really noticed touch before, to be honest. Sight is so primary. I'm actually noticing all these subtle sounds and tactile sensations I never paid attention to before." He added, daring to slide his leg against mine.

"That kind of tickles Al." I didn't know what else to say. He chuckled lightly before apologizing.

"Sorry. Where did we leave off again Scor? What chapter was it?"

I read him two chapters before switching off the light and turning over to fall asleep.

A few minutes in the darkness and i felt Al roll over to face me. He whispered softly in case i'd already fallen asleep… "I can't smell it myself Scor… would you mind describing it to me?"

I guessed that if the light had been on i would have noticed him blushing.

"There's notes of amber… moss… maybe tonka… sandalwood… and something citrus like yuzu…" I inhaled gently trying to discern what else i could smell. "Honeysuckle and musk maybe… Its really unique…" I added.

"Oh… thanks Scor… Sleep well."

"Goodnight Al…"

In the morning when I woke, he was gone.