Rating has gone up to M. (Upcoming chapters may have specific AO warning for depictions of sex or violence)
We walked through the dungeon corridors in silence, our joint hands taking on an entirely new meaning now. I felt my fingers absently playing with his and delighted when he returned the intimate gesture. Most students were already at the Great Hall but the ones who encountered us offered no more than curious glances our way.
As expected, the entire student body grew silent at our first appearance for dinner in the public dining hall. Although our private meals together had been a source of great privilege to me, It was apparent how strange they all found it that we'd taken so long to reemerge after the reapers attack. It was partly my fault but Al had made no effort to see any of his friends during the weeks that had since passed.
Thankfully I spied Aurora and Melody nearby at the slytherin table, saving us from a long walk to the far end of the ravenclaw table where the scamander twins sat.
"Al!" Aurora shot rising from her seat to embrace my brunette in a fierce hug. The room returned quickly to their meals at that. Still I had the sense that they were all gossiping about him.
"Nice to see you Aurora. I figured it was about time I brought the snake to see you."
"I'm sorry Rory, I just wasn't feeling quite ready." Al offered in the way of apology.
"Don't worry about it silly. I'm just glad to see you. Nice to see you too Scor…"
"You two know each other?" Al asked, curious at our choice of words.
"Our parents know each other fairly well so we've met a few times outside of school." I offered absently as explanation.
"My mom and Draco dated briefly. A couple of separate times actually." Aurora corrected.
"I hadn't realized that..." Al replied, sitting down in between the beautiful black haired girl and myself. Melody Macmillan sat across from us.
"Hi Al, it's really nice to see you back up and around. We were worried you'd been taken hostage or something." The blond girl had reached a hand across the table to squeeze als.
"Hey to you too Melody. It wasn't Scor's fault though. I really didn't feel ready to see anyone until now."
I watched the girls exchange a glance at Als use of my nickname.
"Who are your friends Aurora?" an attractive seventh year hufflepuff boy inquired from Auroras left. They had been in heated conversation until Al and I had showed up in the hall to distract them.
"I'm done with you now. You may go." Aurora waived dismissively without so much as a glance towards him. He got up and came to shake my hand, ignoring the dismissal entirely.
"I'm Max Macmillan, Melody's brother." He offered introducing himself first to me and then to Al. "I'll see you later Rory." He added coolly before departing.
"When did that start?" Al inquired mischievously, happy to have a topic of conversation other than the state of his eyes to engage in.
"Melody was not happy about it. He kept pursuing me and she never bothered to tell him tha tshe and I had… you know."
Melody blushed at that, causing a small shock of surprise.
"You two? I thought you were best friends?" I inquired curiously.
"We are. Best friends who sometimes… you know… shag." Aurora waived a hand as though her implication had been obvious. Whether out of embarrassment or disinterest Melody didn't look up from her phone at Auroras revelation. "Her brother is now after me which I think he would find a little gross if he knew we had slept together."
The blond slytherin was texting furiously into her eye phone, whether to distract herself from her friends immodesty or because there was some even juicier drama going on at another table.
"He's nice enough. You could do worse Rory. And he's fucking fit if I'm allowed to say that about my brother."
"Gross. You're not." Rory laughed. She looked at me suspiciously before speaking her next thought. "So… how did this ones dad… you know… take the news…"
Aurora queried suggestively. I watched shocked for the second time as I examined the blush now forming on my boyfriends face.
"Rory!" Al squeaked in embarrassment. She expected me not to have a clue what she was talking about. To her credit it had taken me several moments to comprehend what she had even meant.
Realization finally hit me as I grasped her implication.
"Great Merlins Beard! Is that what you confided in my dad about that night?" I squawked in utter surprise. Albus's hands shot towards my face trying to find and cover my mouth. He had missed and barely avoided hitting me in the eye. "You told that to my dad and not yet to yours?"
Melody did look up from her phone at that, sharing a smirk with her raven haired companion.
"How does he know your secret pray tell?" Rory asked as though she'd discovered a tender gourmet morsel.
I realized then that I may have just inadvertently outed myself to these two slytherins.
Albus leaned over to Rory to whisper carefully in her ear. "We just shared our first kiss like ten minutes ago… can you maybe leave off the topic... please?" I barely heard him say. "And it's still a secret for whatever that's worth. I mean it."
Her eyes lit up gleefully in tender delight. Without a moments delay she pulled out her own eye phone and began texting, her thumbs moving lightening like over the keys. Melodys device pinged furiously and I couldn't help but laugh. There was a nervous edge to my laughter though. I was suddenly afraid that anyone else but Al and James might know my secret. Oh great
Speak of the devil…
"Jamie! Fuck" I cursed aloud without thinking as the older Potter boy approached our end of the table. His hair was wind swept handsomely as though he had just come from playing several hours of quidditch.
"Scor, Al, Melody." The elder Potter greeted, sitting himself down next to Rory's blonde friend. She rolled her eyes at his arrival. "I have barely seen you guys all month."
"Sorry James, we were really busy figuring out how to navigate." To my surprise it had been Al who apologized to his brother. Startling even him.
"That's alright… Albus. How're you doing?"
"Great, I think Scor might even have time to return to quidditch practice. If I can get down a couple more routines that is." Al offered on my behalf. He hadn't consulted me before making the odd suggestion… Why was he trying to make nice with James for me? I was still supremely angry at his brother for trying to pawn off the adorable boy on someone else.
"That's amazing Al. I can't wait to get Scor back out onto the pitch."
James was looking over hopefully at me.
"Well we will see. I still have a lot of coursework to catch up on." I deflected easily. "That aside... You never told me James. You two. How was your date?" I asked. We were sitting at the Slytherin table after all. I thought I might try out this whole snake business. Rory's expression turned to obvious shock when she noticed the way Melody and James shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"You never!" Rory howled, laughing hysterically at the idea of it.
"I thought it went swimmingly." James smiled as he spoke.
"Do I have to get tested for something now? Am i likely to have gotten fleas from the mangy Lion?" Rory protested to Melody in mock distaste. Now it was James's turn to share a surprised look with Melody and I.
"Wait I'm sorry. Who dated who?" Al asked softly. We all turned to him confused, realizing stupidly why Al had obviously missed what was going on. When I had said 'how was your date' he had no idea who I had motioned to.
"I just revealed to Aurora that James had had a secret date with sweet Melody here, oh, what was it, a couple weeks ago now. Naturally Rory just alluded to James that she and Melody… well you know… also sometimes... fool around… hence why she would have to get tested for fleas from James. She was teasing my fellow Gryffindor."
Rory continued to cackle maniacally although James and Melody didn't look nearly as amused.
'Slytherins are so fucking weird' I thought to myself. Albus smirked at my explanation and I guess he was just happy not to be at the center of gossip for a change.
"Speaking of dating… Scor… I have some valuable info on an eligible sixth year who is according to my intel currently available. To be discussed later of course." James shot knowingly, changing the subject.
I got very nervous at James's suggestion. Everyone around me except James now knew my secret involvement with his brother. One mistake could easily ruin our quiet return to school society—
"—NO! You mean there are more than two gay sixth years at Hogwarts?" Rory shot jokingly, a scandalized hand raised to clutch at her non existent pearls. "How ever will we cope with the drama of it all?"
She stopped for a moment then, realizing suddenly she'd made a huge mistake. She was trying to inject a bit of witty banter before stopping to consider the repercussions. When I had said it was a secret she hadn't stopped to wonder if that included Al's brother. Now she understood he was not in on it.
"I'm sorry?" James inquired confused. He looked at me for explanation, as though I were daft for sharing with these slytherins my darkest secret. "Scor? Wait who's the second…" Understanding grew on his face when he saw Albus pull his hand away from mine under the table. A look of disgust clouded darkly over his entire face at that.
"No fucking way. My little brother?" James started furiously. "Al he's my best friend… what the fuck is wrong with you?!"
Melody put a hand on James's arm and shook her head. "Not like this James." she whispered to him.
"Is this how you got him to look after you? You probably gave him some kind of potion didn't you?"
James never acted this way unless his brother was involved. He was never suspicious or mistrusting of anyone. I couldn't believe how strained their relationship was for it to cause such a reaction. Al brought out a side of his brother that I couldn't stand. I had no idea what in their history had led to this.
My brunette started to cry softly and all of a sudden everyone froze in surprise. They knew how powerful this kid was. Nobody had ever seen him shed a single tear in public before now.
"I told you this wouldn't work Scor… didn't I? I told you to leave me to someone else…" Al stammered defeatedly. "Melody… could you take me to the infirmary… I don't feel very well all of a sudden." He shot rising from his seat. Melody stood up too, working her way around the end of the table to reach Al and help him navigate.
"Thats alright, I'll take you Al."
I offered trying to grab my Slytherin's hand.
He recoiled as I reached for him.
"James can have you if he wants you so badly." He spat.
I grabbed Melodys arm gently instead to prevent them from leaving.
"You're a fucking git James. You know if you ruin this for me I will never speak to you again right?" I cursed at my friend who I barely recognized anymore. Other Slytherin's looked up from their meals at the scene unfolding, not sure what was going on.
"He's not right for you Scor. How can you not see that?" The older Potter argued, he didn't care that Albus was right there.
"He's your brother! How can you even say that about him?"
"Because I know Albus."
"And I know him too. I love him alright." I spat quietly in front of the five of us. They were all surprised by my admission. "Albus… please don't go. This changes nothing. At least if you need to leave let me take you."
James's face sickened at the way I spoke to his brother.
"He's dosed you Scor, there's no way he hasn't mate." James argued getting up from the table. "Oi, brother. I am going take you to the infirmary. And we're going to have a nice long chat along the way."
"Fine and then I never want to speak to you again."
Why would Al go with him now?
I watched helplessly as James pulled Al away and out of the hall.