"You're such a piece of shit Al." A voice cursed as strong arms came from behind to envelop me.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I whispered back into the dark corridor. "Scorpius, let go of me now."

"No. Damn it Albus why would you do that?" He asked drunkenly, the smell of alcohol rolling off of him. I tried to free myself but he had me held too tightly. "Couldn't you tell how much I wanted to apologize? Couldn't you see how much it meant to me? You fought so hard against me… I was giving that duel everything i had. You didn't have to win… and you drew so much attention to yourself too."

"This is none of your business. Please, get off of me. Why are you even following me anyway?"

"Because I'm furious with you."

I rolled my eyes until the feel of his breath on my neck set my hairs bristling. Goose bumps erupted along my skin as the awareness of his presence against me set in. I managed to turn myself around in his grip so that we were facing each other.

"Let go of me or I'll call the guards. This isn't funny." I whispered, fuming. The corridors were eerily quiet in their dark gloom. Only the glares of those ancient faces, painted in enchanted oil onto grand canvases, were here to observe us.

"Go ahead then, call the guards. I don't care." He spat back at me. "At this point what do I have to lose? Goddess preserve me, how did you learn to duel like that anyway?"

"I could ask the same about you? You nearly beat me Scorpius." I was annoyed at his reply about the guards. He had dared me to turn him in. I couldn't bluff again with him if I ever wanted him to take me seriously.

"Training with my boss Arcanis himself, he's taken a shine to me."

My eyes widened at the sheer luck of that. The most powerful man alive was Scors tutor? My master had so many games going at once it seemed. I should be careful never to underestimate Arcanis again.

"Of course you'd be so lucky."

"Don't try and... hic... change the subject on me Al."

"I'm not, you're the one who's seen fit to assault me in the middle of the night over my beating you in that duel."

"Because you're a royal prat. Why won't you… let me… just apologize?" He continued drunkenly. "I hate this so much. I'm always cold without you. The blue scale burns at me... every day we're apart I feel a creeping frozen chill crawling up my bones. It was the hottest day of the year last week and yet I almost froze completely over. You know the feeling I'm describing don't you?" He asked, shocking me to know he had experienced the same painful episodes I had.

He leaned forward onto me to steady himself and I let him just rest there in silence as the minutes elapsed. His head was pressed face down into my shoulder and I had to physically resist the urge to wrap him in my arms.

I began to blush when he brought his arms back up to do what I could not.

"If you don't give me a chance to tell you… how… hic… sorry I am… I'm going to go to Hermione… I'll tell her about the soul prints… damned the consequences to me or my family… hic…" he whispered angrily. Before I could reply he began nuzzling affectionately into my shoulder as though he were a small fluffy creature trying to burrow into me.

"You wouldn't do that to yourself. Or your dad." I replied nervously, hoping I was right about that. Somewhere a pang resounded in my heart as the impact of his resignation settled in. He sounds... like a lover who's lost all hope.

"Just like I wouldn't cast aside my best friend in the world? Call him a freak and destroy the best thing i've ever had in my life?" He asked. My whole body stilled in response to the words. "I will do whatever I have to do to get you back in my life."

A ray of soft silver had flooded through an open window to land on us. The heat swelled in my cheeks, tinging my skin rosy pink in the shadow gloom of moonlight. If only he knew what I really needed from him.

"Al? Are you ok?" A small voice squeaked from deep within the shifting shadows. Scorpius released me with a jolt as we both spun to address the young Valois boy standing there in the dark.

"He's fine, cousin… Al got lost on his way… back to his room. I was just helping… him… find it." Scorpius spoke haltingly, the alcohol clearly weighing heavy on his consciousness.

I had stayed a whole week here in the palace with Cyril. He knew I would not have gotten myself lost the way Scorpius had suggested. The angelic blond stood there hesitantly, observing the two of us in our fully grown bodies. He had caught us in a sort of half embrace and doubtless wondered what had been going on.

"Cyr… it's ok. It's as Scorpius suggested… he's merely helping me find my way." I offered, causing the boys eyes to contract and open in confusion. "I'll be alright Cyr. Promise." I added as an afterthought.

"I see… well goodnight then… to both of you… don't hesitate to call for assistance if you should have any more trouble... navigating." The young blonde explained before disappearing into a passage disguised as a wall.

"Helping me find my way? Do you think you will even be able to get yourself back like this?" I asked Scorpius as he began to wobble precariously. He shook his head and I felt the need to help steady him. "Let's just get you into bed. We can talk in the morning if you're that determined." I offered, feeling somewhat bad for him. I began to lead us back to my room, navigating the dark passageways and gilded halls towards the Peverell apartments.

"I guess... you really do hate me after all… why else would you claw victory out of our duel like that? You lied when you said you could never hate me…its obvious now."

"Don't be a fool. I had to win that duel you idiot. It wasn't because I didn't want to let you apologize. Bet or no bet. I was always supposed to perform like that… whoever my opponent would have been."

He stopped in shock to stare sleepily at me. "You what? Why would you want to draw so much attention to yourself if not out of anger towards me?" He asked as though I were the idiot.

"Master Arcanis suggested it was the only thing for me to do." I whispered back grumpily.

"Master? thats not... but… how? and… still you… trust me with this secret? Until this… hic… moment… I had no idea you and I served the same mentor? How… how can this be?"

I sighed to myself, not knowing if revealing that had been my wisest move.

"Don't repeat that to anyone. Its one of my most closely guarded secrets."

"You still trust me… So why? How can you be so cruel…" he cursed, tears forming in his eyes. I'd never seen him so upset.

We reached my door and I had to fumble for the key in my pocket. After a minute of struggling beneath his sagging weight I managed to slip the ornate stick of metal into its equally ornate keyhole. I heard the click of the complicated tumblers release and pushed open the door to my decadent chambers.

We stumbled into the room and he managed to sit himself down on the bed, drooping under the influence of drink. I undid my Dracorian mail, a gift he had given me, which left me in a white dress shirt beneath. I watched him slip off his own sapphire top and undo the achromantula dueling pants next. The blond creature slipped off the expensive clothing to reveal an under layer of form fitted stretchy material that reminded me of muggle workout pants. His soft chest was bare, exposing the taught abs and honed chest muscles.

"You want to apologize that badly? Even if I tell you there's no chance for you to fix us?" I asked again, shocked by how much he needed what he had pleaded for. The tears were still wet on his cheeks as I observed the handsome princeling.

"Yes… although I refuse... to believe that there's no chance."

"Then drink this…" I ordered cruelly, grabbing a decanter of brandy that I'd spied laying out on a decorative tray in my lavish room. I watched the elegant gesture I'd made as I proffered the object with petty venom to my former friend. Slytherin venom, i thought, catching a glimpse of my beautiful features in the mirror.

"but Al… I'm so drunk already… I can't…"

"Drink it… all of it… I don't want you to remember this discussion in the morning."

"But… that's dangerous… I could..."

He stopped protesting when he saw my expression, reaching instead for the decanter in my hand. Scorpius unstoppered it bravely and paused only a moment before putting it to his lips. "If I do this... you'll let me apologize tomorrow? You swear?"

I smirked cruelly again. "It can't hurt your chances Malfoy. If you can even remember this promise."

He scowled and reached over towards the nightstand by the bed. I was surprised to watch him grab a pen, writing thick heated strokes onto his naked arm.

"He swore to let you apologize in the morning. Do not hesitate to make him listen."

Then he forced the bottle angrily to his mouth and began to chug the fiery amber liquid with reckless abandon. My eyes could not help but burst widely, not expecting him to have obeyed me.

"Scorpius… that's enough… hey… I said to stop!" I barked as I watched him continue. I bolted to grab the decanter from him when still he failed to cease gulping. I had to wrestle the expensive container from his grasp as he fought against me. "You'll kill yourself if you continue!" I cursed, putting the carved crystal receptacle back onto its tray.

"Happy now!" He shot coughing, tears falling fast from his eyes again. "What else do you want me to do? What will it take? Come on then!"

I walked up to him and wrapped his face in my hands before leaning in to seize his lips. To my surprise he didn't resist, merely met my tender eagerness with delicate kisses of his own. Just like that we were transported elsewhere.

Two boys in a field of endless flowers... laughter and promises ringing out through the golden trees of memory... his hand is locked in mine... two boys laughing... two boys crying... his hand running through my hair... two boys holding each other as rain falls heavy in cold sheets of grey... His hand tracing the lines of my face...

More kisses and more still.

All that I fear means nothing... All that I am counts for naught... If i'm without him.

He merely laughed the moment the wonderful session had passed.

"What if I want you? To myself?" I asked, grabbing his face by his lower jaw. I forced him to look up at me.

"You're in love with me? Hic… is that what this is about? Are you stupid? Hic…" he asked half cackling. "Just because… hic… I think you're ridiculously beautiful… just because you find me equally… hic… attractive… you think that's a basis for us being together?" He continued to laugh.

"Forget it Scorpius… you still think i'm joking don't you?"

"I think… I can barely… see straight… and that… whatever your real reason… for not wanting to forgive me… its dumb…"

"Thanks…"

"Get undressed… and get into bed…" He ordered as he wobbled unsteadily. "I'm going to collapse in a minute…"

When I didn't move he stood to reach for my shirt, unbuttoning it gently until it hung open from my shoulders. He continued to slip his tights off to reveal the microfiber trunks i knew too well. I pulled my own pants off and slipped into bed next to him as he'd commanded.

To my shock he brought his arm around my body to pull me close against him. I felt his soft skin dance against mine and dizzied at the contact. I felt the heat of the muscles in his twenty year old frame almost burn me. I felt the outline of his groin where I fit like a spoon against him. I was so aware of his presence that I could almost feel the intoxicating effects of the alcohol in his system. I was about to speak when he whispered what I was thinking.

"I missed this terribly."

I turned in his arms so that I was facing him. His eyes were closed but his arm only pulled me closer to him. I had to put my hand against his chest to keep a tiny amount of distance from us. His eyes flitted open at that to gaze at me drunkenly.

"You really… think i'm beautiful Scor?"

"Even more so when you call me Scor…" He whispered smiling, brushing the hair from my face. I blushed in his arms, we were so unbelievably close. It was breathtakingly spectacular to get to see him in this form. I realized he felt the same about me.

"You won't remember this tomorrow."

"Probably not. But i'll wake up next to you... and I'll… have the note to tell me I have a second chance at earning your forgiveness. All in all… this weekend is looking like a… win for me."

"Scorpius?" I asked hesitantly. He hummed drowsily back at me.

"If I weren't joking… if I were really in love with you? Could you manage that? Could our friendship survive it?" There was no answer. He was fast asleep.