Hi, this chapter is really short but I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own harry potter

February break, seventh year

Albus:

I think Draco noticed that we'd been into the forbidden room because he watched us like Doloras Umbridge watches potential trouble-makers. "It's so weird having Dad follow us around everywhere," said Scorpius when we finally got a moment alone "I'm used to him being so wrapped up in his work that he forgets I'm even here." It was after dinner, and we were sitting up in Scor's room playing wizard chess. My knight ripped the head off one of his pawns. "It's awfully violent isn't it?"

Scorpius looked at me oddly. "It's chess? Of course, it's violent."

"Well, Scor, in muggle chess, the pieces don't move by themselves, let alone attack each other."

"They don't? So you just push them around with your hands?"

I nodded. "This is way more fun."

Scorpius either won the game honestly or moved one of my pieces while I was watching snowflakes drift past the window outside. I shivered. "It's cold, Scor." He pulled me in for a hug, and I wrapped my arms and legs around him. "Focillo," he said, twirling his wand. The room was suddenly much warmer. "It's unfair," I grumbled "I can't use magic without permission until August."

We lay down together in Scorpius's bed. "Albus, you're my only real friend, you know." Friend. Deep down, I knew why that hurt so much, but I wasn't prepared to admit it to myself just yet. A small part of me wanted to tell Scor I fancied him, but instead, I said, "What about Rose?"

"Well, Rose is sometimes our friend, sometimes not. It depends on her mood and who won the last Quidditch match."

I laughed because that perfectly summed up my cousin. Scorpius fell asleep quickly, but I was still very much awake. I let memories play through my mind. It was last year, and we were brewing amortentia. It wasn't the first time we'd made it, but it was the first time I'd smelt Scorpius. I'd asked Scorpius who he'd smelled, and he said Rose, but I secretly hope it was me. Of course, he'd asked me who I'd smelt, and I told him Oscar Spindle, whom I'd fancied a few months before. Rose had also mentioned that she'd seen me staring at Scorpius a fair bit.

I watched my best friend sleep; chest rising and falling with each breath. The moon had just peeked out from behind a cloud and shone through the window, illuminating Scor's pale face and hair. I must have eventually fallen asleep too because I woke up to a robin chirping cheerfully. Scorpius was already awake and leaning out the window to feed the bird. I noticed he was only wearing a tee-shirt and underpants. I silently told myself off for looking. He realised I was awake. "This is Albus," he told the bird. I decided to play along. "Good morning, Sir, what's your name?" Scorpius looked thoughtful. "I haven't given him one, but I probably should. He visits my window sometimes."

"What about Prince?" I suggested. The robin chirped, so I took that to mean he liked the name.

"Actually, we don't know it's a boy, do we. Oh well, Prince could work for a girl too, I guess."

We got dressed and headed downstairs. Draco was sitting at one end of the enormously long table, sifting through piles and piles of parchment. There was a tap and I turned around to see Hermionie's owl Crookwideon outside the window with a note in her beak. Draco got up and went outside to meet the owl. He came back in, frowning. "It looks like I'll have to go to the ministry today after all. There's been an outbreak of dragonpox." As soon as he left the room, I turned to Scorpius. "We can go back to the secret room again."

He nodded "I still have to give the diary back."

We went back up to Scorpius's room to get the diary. He opened a drawer in his desk and stared into it for a moment. "Al, it's not here!"

"Maybe you put it in a different drawer?"

"I'm sure it was this one." He checked the others anyway.

"Accio diary"

Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. "Dad must have found it."

"Speaking of your dad, I wonder if he's gone now."

We went downstairs for the second time that day. Draco had his briefcase and cloak, evidently just about to leave. "There you boys are. I probably won't be back until late tonight, I'm afraid."

We tried to look innocent and casual until he left. Then we ran upstairs again.

"Scor," I said, panting, "the muggles have these things called escalators at their supermarkets. They're like stairs, but they move by themselves. It's odd that wizards don't have them, actually, considering we could easily build them with magic."

"We could really do with one at Hogwarts!" said Scorpius.

We came to the entrance of the secret room and immediately noticed that the door handle had been changed. Actually, the whole door had. "I get the feeling Alohamora won't work on this one," I said quietly.