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With Matheus, Aurora, Lorcan, Lysander, Rosie, Louis, Max and Melody, we made ten, a nice gathering of my closest friends. I wouldn't have wished for it any other way.
"I hope you two are ready!" cried Aurora as we exited the magical lift, moving deliberately to stand before the entrance to the Hero's Beacon. I chanced a furtive glance over to my blond idiot and smiled to see him looking as equally happy. It was provocatively strange to look around and see the smiling portraits of my family and friends. I saw pictures of my mum and dad, my grandparents, aunts and uncles. My eyes scanned around the room methodically watching the faces get older and older, until new faces began appearing in the portraits altogether. First Victoire and Dominique, then James... I kept looking until I saw a new portrait I hadn't yet noticed in the tower. In the corner, hidden from sight beneath a carved wooden table lay a portrait of two sleeping boys in a train compartment. One was blond and another brunette. Me and Scor.
"We got special permission for tonight but everybody needs to drink this before we go in," Max offered beaming, setting me down gently before a table of goblets.
"Wait, you didn't tell us about this part Max. What are you playing at?" Aurora was eyeing Max skeptically but I already knew what was happening.
"No way Max!" I squealed looking at the silvery liquid I knew to be an aging potion. There was no way they'd convinced Aunt Mini to let us do this. It was miraculous that they'd been granted permission for it and not detention for suggesting it.
"Come on Albus, as long as you take care of our clothes," Max offered encouragingly, picking up two goblets and handing me one. We intertwined our arms and downed the contents of the goblets in a single swift swig. I smiled and quickly drew my wand, altering our clothes to fit our changing forms as the twisting warmth wormed its way through my body. Everyone stood speechless as we grew taller and our features became more defined. My muscles were thrumming and my mind was buzzing. I was nearly an adult yet without the wisdom and experiences needed to forge my mental maturity.
Aurora was the first to fox whistle. When I turned sideways to examine myself I caught Rose blushing at Max while Melody was staring wide eyed at me. It was all I could do to keep from choking when Scorpius guzzled down his own potion. He had transformed into the most exquisite creature I'd ever seen. it gave me goosebumps to watch him. Aurora took hers excitedly with Louis and had to physically close my mouth when she realized I'd been staring a little too long at Scor. I managed artfully to alter everybody's clothing, watching in wonderment as the potions took effect.
"Whoa," I offered looking at Aurora and Louis. Everyone had downed their respective drinks in a fit of stupor and delight , examining each other entirely with marvel and shock. Was this really what we would look like years from now?
"Alright, alright. Enough of this, we have some drinking to do!" cried Max as he opened the way into the enormous living quarters. I was nearly brought to tears when I realized what lengths they'd run to prepare for our return. Arabic silks of every color and hue had been draped to hang ethereally about the room. A thousand plush plump pillows with patterns as perfectly elaborate as they were beautiful lay lustrously around us. They were no doubt to serve as seats for us to lounge on while we ate and drank.
There was a long elder dining table that had been moved in amidst the pillows so that we might feast. Upon it was a mountain of food and wine. There were exotic fresh fruits piled high in shining bowls, succulent cuts of meat dripping red with rich ruby sauce. There were gilded carafes and crystal decanters with every color liquid imaginable. The cups were of cut sapphire, crafted with silky strands of silver spun threadlike through and around the glass. A feast, just for us.
"Here you two, come sit. You both are our honored guests after all," shot Max, bowing with an exaggerated flourish for me while pulling out my chair. Louis sat down across from me and next to Aurora, Max took up the seat to my left and Scor of course sat down to my right so that he could be across from Rory. There was wine and rosé, cognac and champagne. Liqueurs made of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries. There was even a bottle of some cloudberry spirit as old as Byzantium itself, its label was in gilded calligraphic Faeric. "Flædthèr dürst"
"Tonight we're old enough to drink." Shot Max raising a glass. "So we drink! To Al and Scorpius!"
For hours we made merry, drinking and dining to our hearts content. The twins told tales of all that we'd missed while we were away. Louis pried me with countless questions about my life outside of school, trying to make sure I had indeed been cured. Aurora tried repeatedly to inquire about the attack on the manor; giving up eventually when I'd offered to explain why our parents had allowed us to come back. Max and Melody spoke to me about quidditch and classes while Rosy couldn't stop elaborating on our supposed committee work. It had all sounded inordinately complex. Maddy was his usual shy self. He rarely spoke and only did so to respond to questions asked of him or if Aurora had slapped him over the head. He merely ate and drank in moderation, taking in every word of our tales with measured eagerness. Max told me story upon story, joke after joke, until I'd lost complete track of time. In all honesty I had been desperately trying not to look at Scor. Finally, when the clock struck twelve, Aurora got up, dragging Louis and Maddy with her. She bid us good night and soon everyone had said their farewells too.
SPOV
"So you were very friendly with Max tonight." I offered with a sly smile on my face, pulling the decorative pillows down from the bed.
"What? I... Why? Are you jealous?" Al returned curiously, missing my implication entirely. "Because, you know, you'll always have a special place in my heart you blue eyed twit." Al added mockingly, sticking his tongue out humorously for emphasis. I don't know what made me nearly grab him then. He merely helped me pull off the remaining covers and fluff pillows to make room for us on the bed.
"So how do i look?" I asked humorously.
"Are you joking?" He had the most quizzically sarcastic expression I'd ever seen. I had been joking but now I wanted to know
"No, what do I look like?"
"You're... actually kind of hot Scor." He offered shyly looking down to the floor. He must have been acting.
"Oh leave off Al. You don't need to be such a shit all the time."
"I'm serious! Merlin! I can't believe you haven't seen yourself like this yet. We are getting up and you are going to look into the mirror now." Al offered leaping up and bounding towards the bathroom.
"Al! Ugh... I just want to relax. My head is still swimming from the wine." He ran back into the room and pulled me onto my feet, covering my eyes with his hands. I could feel him leading me to the mirror. "Huff! You have much too much energy." I watched as his hands left my face and the reflection came into focus. Misty fire. My face. I was Iron, flowers, stars, frosted lake water. I was light, pure light. He was, even more perfect than me.
"Wow." I offered in my stupor.
"Yup."
"We look like we could be in a magazine."
"You look like you could be in a magazine, or rather on the cover of one." Al said chuckling. He was staring at me with a smile on his face. I wished I could be as carefree as him sometimes. His eyes shifted to my lips as they sometimes did in that weird way. He was biting down gently onto his own lower lip as though… he looked almost like he was resisting the urge to... I shook that thought from my mind. It wasn't possible. I hadn't consumed enough alcohol for that. Or maybe I had and I was imagining things.
"Well I think I'll have myself a nice bath. I'll join you in bed when I'm done." Al shot pouring himself another glass of wine and turning the water on. Bright liquid exploded from every faucet, each of a different color and temperature. The running water sounded more like song than it did noise. It might be nice to have a bath.
"I guess I'll join you instead. We can't have you drowning yourself in there."
"Erm... but I... um..." Al stumbled as I started to undress. "Scor. What are you doing?" He looked petrified by the time I was down to my underwear. I couldn't tell if he was blushing or if he simply had had too much alcohol. He looked me up and down a little worriedly.
"Whats wrong with you then? We've bathed together before. Shouldn't be too much of a shock." I offered towards Al as I slipped the last of my clothes. Al had to look away at that. He had been acting strangely the entire dinner. He had been so consumed with speaking to Max. It was almost as though he couldn't bring himself to even look at me.
"Um... Scor. I was hoping to bathe by myself. I..."
"I promise I won't look Al, just hurry up and get in, or at least bring me the champagne. I'm going to drink a bit more then go find Aurora. She was so hot." I walked over to the speakers and began scrolling through Al's Eye Pod. "Bloodstream by Stateless, haven't heard this one yet."
"It's not bad. I have better though. Play it if you want." he offered as I hit select.
"Oh blast it all. Come on Al, you're too slow."
"Fine, just give me a minute." Al mumbled, grabbing the bottle of champagne and two glasses. I merely rolled my eyes and had to chuckle as I lowered myself into the bath. I all but wrenched the delicate crystal cups and bottle from him, popping the cork and letting the foamy liquid pour out smoothly. I loved the way it slipped slowly down the bottle and over my hand. Al was already out of his clothes and had slid quickly into the clear bathwater by the time i'd filled up our glasses. Literally he had all but apparated into the bath. I couldn't hold back my laughter as the tub had suddenly begun to overflow with soapy bubbles upon his entrance. He wanted as much privacy as possible. I mean we were already naked.
"Here's to being back Al." I offered handing him his glass and clinking it with mine. He had of course opted to stay as far at the other end of the tub as possible, so naturally I had to drift back next to him. I took another drink and sighed deeply as the steam swirled up from the hot surface of the murky water. I was so happy. I chanced another glance at him watching as he nursed his champagne slowly and deliberately. This was a celebration, he should be drinking, I took his glass from him and finished it myself, pouring another for both of us.
"You'll regret that tomorrow Scor."
"Then let me regret it." I offered clinking our refills merrily.
He looked so soft that I couldn't help but rest myself against him. His legs, so smooth that I couldn't help but slip mine along them.
"Hmmmmm it's beyond good to be back. Wouldn't you say?"
I could feel his heart racing. It was pounding like a drum in the deep, humming his energy through his entire body and even into the tub. Words could not express how much I enjoyed that I could make him so nervous, despite how close we were as friends. I don't know whether it was the wine or my seventeen year old Slytherin mind that made me enjoy it as much as i did, but somehow I had a devious smirk upon my lips.
"A-absolutely S-scor."
I turned to stare at his cream colored skin, remembering how incredible I knew it to be. I started to twirl my fingers along his chest, feeling as the movement made him shudder shyly beneath the dance. My mind was singing with mischief. I had always been cruel, but I never thought I could be cruel to my Al. I guess I didn't know myself as well as I thought:
"Suppose I kissed you right now. What would you do?" I asked calmly with my head softly rested against his shoulder.
"What?!" Al spat frantically, he had goosebumps. I hadn't meant to be cruel. Or had I? I just. The wine and champagne made everything so wavy and nice. I wonder if Aurora is as soft as Al? I turned my head towards him, and began nibbling along his neck. He had always been so ridiculously soft.
What was I doing?
"Scor... stop. I… You're beyond drunk and I-" Al tried, shivering beneath my lips.
"I may be drunk but my seventeen year old brain is a great deal more perceptive. I... can tell that you want this-"
"Leave me alone ... Snake. In the morning we'll be five years younger and you, are so drunk you won't remember anything. I don't want to start something you aren't willing to finish, so don't you dare be cruel to me." He said sadly... What was he even talking about? My head was spinning. The warm water wasn't helping.
"What...are you, even, saying… Beautiful Aurora's too far for me to go find and you're right here so—"
"—See I rest my case. Just... Scor get off." Al said as I put my arms around his neck. "Scor. It's not fair." He whimpered watching me smile. His green eyes were so ridiculously beautiful. I pulled myself up to straddle him, looking down at his sweet face. This was a very interesting dream. It had to be a dream. I had no control of myself. My soulprint was throbbing and his eyes... Looked as though they were woven of magic.
APOV
I wanted to cry. It felt so good and neither of us would probably even remember it. Scor looked so beautiful, like an angel. What was I thinking... this was Scor... my Scor... how could he be doing any of this? I didn't want to admit that i'd gotten hard. Everything was so hazy. I couldn't take that he was on top of me, that he had such control of me. I felt terribly exposed beneath him. I watched him lean down, the smile on his face was so devious. Our lips met softly through the haze of warmth and alcohol, and my mind melted entirely beneath the weight of my emotions.
Everything after that point would forever be a shadow, a secret. I knew he wouldn't remember it anyway. Who was I kidding, I probably wouldn't either. Maybe this wasn't even happening. He was right about one thing. Aurora was beyond beautiful, but then again… to me… so was he.
