They're after you. Albus was sure that this could only mean one thing. The Knights had somehow worked out who he was. How they did that was beyond him, but Greengrass wouldn't have risked his cover if there weren't any true danger. "How?"

"A month ago, when Hornby and Lucius Malfoy were arrested for conspiracy, even though they were released because of lack of evidence, that tipped them off that there was someone on the inside. The first thing they did was look at anyone new in town, and who should burst onto the social scene than the perfect little pure-blood girl. It didn't take them long to make the connection."

"Shit," Albus said. His invitation hadn't been a plot for gossip; it had been a trap, and who knew when they were going to strike. "I need to get out of here." But then he remembered what Greengrass had said about why he wanted to talk. "What does this have to do with Scorpius?"

Greengrass's tone said under no uncertain terms that he thought Albus was far too slow on the uptake. "Scorpius's disagreement with the Knights' values and views is well documented. And then when they make the connection between him and their suspected mole, what does your ever-so-keen mind tell you about what they're going to think next?"

"They think he's in on it." Albus didn't need an answer to know that he'd finally caught on to what he was being told. Had it not been such a ridiculously dangerous situation, he would have laughed at the fact that he was capable of hurting Scorpius even after they hadn't seen one another in nearly two months. "What do you want me to do about it? He won't even talk to me."

"Merlin, Potter. For someone with your genetics and resume, you are a complete idiot. You need to take him somewhere and hide, and don't take 'no' for an answer!"

Of course, Greengrass was right. Albus needed to disappear. Scorpius needed to disappear. It would only make sense for them to do so together. All he needed was some way to do it without being caught and without being noticed. "I need help."

"Well, that's bloody obvious." Lowering his Disillusionment Charm, Greengrass said, "Don't go to the Ministry, because they have someone on the inside, and you can't be sure who that is. You stay here, and stay invisible. I'll have him come out here. Body-bind him, turn him into a cat — whatever you have to do — but get him out of here!" He started to walk away but mouthed over his shoulder, "Trust no one." With that, he was gone.

Albus racked his brain for the kindest of detention spells, but fieldwork had never been his speciality. It looked like it was going to be a Body-bind and a Silencing Charm. When the time came, it went off without a hitch. As soon as they were off the grounds, Albus Apparated both of them to the first place he could think of where no one would look for either of them, and that was at his own flat, which had not been lived in for months. It smelt of disuse and slightly of mould, but he had a feeling that he wasn't going to notice it once Scorpius was released.

With a flick of his wand, Albus cast a non-verbal 'Finite Incantatem', allowing Scorpius to start the rant that had no doubt been burning to get out. He did not disappoint.

"What in the name of Merlin is this about?! Where am I, and… what's that smell?" His nose crinkled at the dingy air.

Jabbing his finger at the sofa, Albus said, "Sit down and shut up! I'm going to tell you everything, but let me bloody talk."

Not used to hearing such forcefulness from the normally amenable 'Melinda', Scorpius complied, glaring at 'her' the whole time. "Fine. I'll listen to your lies again, but these ones had better be less ridiculous than the last."

Not likely, Albus thought dryly. "Now, this is going to sound bizarre, but I promise you that this is the absolute truth." When Scorpius raised a brow but didn't speak, he knew that his new charge would finally shut up long enough to confess. "My name isn't Melinda Macmillan. I'm an undercover Magical Law Enforcement officer, trying find out what the Knights of Walpurgis are up to."

Scorpius scoffed. "That would be my luck, wouldn't it? What, am I going to Azkaban now because I'm a Malfoy?"

"No," Albus said quickly, annoyed with Scorpius for blaming himself for everything under the sun once again. "You're here because your life is in danger."

"Lovely. And just why is that?"

"Because of me," Albus said, his insides shrivelling at saying it aloud. "The Knights are after you because they figured out that I was passing along information." Borrowing Greengrass's words, he said, "Your disagreement with the Knights' views and values is well-documented. It didn't take them long to equate your different point of view with you being an accomplice to their new-found mole."

Pushing himself off the sofa, Scorpius began briskly pacing, nearly pulling his hair by the roots with his fingers. "And here I thought not being one of them would keep me out of trouble. Fat lot of good that did." He stopped, staring at the ceiling as if he was trying to make it all make sense in his head. Finally, he asked, "Then who are you really?"

Albus was not looking forward to this. Scorpius could have any number of reactions, from disgust to hatred to misery. "My name is Albus Potter."

"Albus Potter," Scorpius said contemplatively. "Say, aren't you…" His eyes bulged as he made the mental connection to a name he hadn't heard in almost fifteen years. "Please tell me you're joking, because there is no way you're that Albus Potter. He's about four inches taller, and he definitely doesn't have tits like yours."

Well, derision was better than most of the alternatives in terms of reaction. He could work with that. "I'll be changing back in about an hour." Albus popped his spare Polyjuice pill from his bracelet and held it up for Scorpius to see. "This is the newest innovation in reconnaissance. It's Polyjuice potion, but it's refined to last longer and can be turned into powder and therefore into a pill."

Scorpius took the pill and stared at it. "You mean…this is Melinda? This is all she was? A chunk of dried potion?" He looked saddened by the idea. "She didn't even exist."

"She existed, Scorpius. Melinda has always been me. Sure, basic information is different, but everything she was, everything she was to you, is still alive. I know it's hard to accept, but—"

"Hard to accept?" From the ashes of melancholy arose ire, which made Albus wince. "You're trying to tell me that it's hard to accept? I had sex with a man! You tricked me, Potter. You violated me!" Scorpius scrubbed his face with his hands, seemingly desperate to erase some invisible stain. "This can't even be happening."

Considering the emotional blow that it was to both of them, Albus was actually happy that Scorpius was angry. He could deal with that. "Look, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, but I had no other options."

Eyes darkening, Scorpius glared at Albus. "So I'm just collateral damage then? Some pawn in your twisted little game with an organisation that I have nothing to do with?"

"Not anymore!" Albus retorted, desperate to make his case. "Yes, Melinda was a lie, but everything else was real. It literally made me sick sometimes, knowing what I was doing to you. You'll probably never believe it, but it's the truth. I'd swear to it on Veritaserum if you asked me to."

"Are you saying…"

Albus took a deep breath, hoping he had the bollocks to just get it out. "Yes, that's what I'm saying. I don't know how or why, but somewhere in this whole mess of shit, I fell in love with you. It wasn't her, and it never was. When I said it to you that night, I meant it, and may lightning strike me dead right now if I lied." Almost challengingly, Albus spread his arms wide, as if daring the heavens to call him a liar.

Scorpius flopped back onto the couch, trying not to look at Albus. "But you're not gay. You dated girls back in school, and weren't you seeing that ugly wench Wendy Smith about a year ago?"

"She wasn't ugly," Albus said defensively. "She was just… different. Plus, she was definitely not as ugly as Amanda Porter." Ignoring Scorpius's glare, he continued. "And no, I wasn't gay. I don't even think I am now. I react the same way to beautiful women as you do. I just… I don't want them, I want you." Something else occurred to him. "Wait a minute. How do you know so much about me? I barely knew your name from school. I don't think I'd even talked to you before."

Shaking his head like he was addressing an idiot, Scorpius said, "You're a Potter. Everyone who wants to be anyone knows your business better than you do. How the hell do you not know that by now?"

"Then I suppose that makes us even."

"No, it certainly does not. You know everything about me, not just what the society pages say."

Was that an invitation, or was that simply an observation? Albus decided to test the waters. "Ashley Crane."

"What?" Scorpius was genuinely baffled.

"Ashley Crane was my first. It was the end of our seventh-year, and N.E.W.T.s had just finished. She was hot, and I really wanted to lose my virginity before James, because he was always bragging that he was better with the ladies because he played Quidditch. Not only did I beat him to it, he had to settle for Helen Markle just to catch up. Now we're even." Albus couldn't believe that he had just confessed to all of that. It was definitely not a point of pride so much as a character defining moment — or lack of character.

Casting Albus a sideways glance, Scorpius said, "Ashley Crane? Yeah, she was hot." Looking back down at his hands, Scorpius asked, "What do you want from me? What is it that I'm supposed to do?"

Flopping down next to Scorpius, Albus said, "I don't know. It's not like I have the right to, anyway. You're too good for someone like me."

"Probably."

The atmosphere was very tense between them. Scorpius was uncomfortable with their proximity, and Albus was starting to feel the effects of wearing uncomfortable clothing for an extended period. At last, he snapped. "I fucking hate this!"

"How do you think I feel?" Scorpius said, misinterpreting Albus's frustration.

"Not that. This—" Albus reached down back of his dress to un-do the hooks of his bra, "—damned thing is driving me spare." He managed to work it free without exposing himself, subsequently chucking the offensive item across the room. "I hate being a girl. I want to eat whatever I want, scratch my bollocks when I feel like, and drink sodding beer instead of that damned poof juice!"

The cast-off garment captivated Scorpius. He stared at it for quite some time, and after a while, a tear slipped down his cheek. "This really is all happening, isn't it?"

Albus felt his annoyance with his undergarments disappear. Scorpius looked so bereft, like he had just seen someone he loved die. And, in a way, he had. Albus vowed to himself that no matter what, he would never, ever become Melinda again, even if it got him sacked. There was just too much caught up in that person that he had to try to shut out of his mind, because it was rapidly becoming obvious that Scorpius would never love him like he loved her. "Yeah," he said finally. "I know you'll probably never believe it, but being with you made it worth it."

Again, there was a period of silence. Scorpius stared at the floor, while Albus lolled his head back, glaring daggers at the ceiling. There was so much that Albus wanted to say, but he didn't really host the illusion that Scorpius wanted to hear it. But that didn't mean that watching the person he loved brood in abject misery didn't tear his heart from his chest.

Quietly, Albus got up and wandered into his bedroom to change before he transformed back into himself. The only thing he had that would stay on the slender female curves was a pair of pyjama bottoms and an undershirt. He would need his glasses, as well, but his regular pair was at the hotel. All he had was a more 'stylish' pair, which Lily had given him for his thirtieth birthday in an effort to smarten him up. Considering how much he actually cared about rot like that, they had never even been worn.

His reflection amused him. The over-sized clothing made him look like he was about to make the walk of shame after an overnight shag. Hopefully, though, it would be the last time he would see that hated brown hair and the loathsome brown eyes that weren't his. If Scorpius never loved him back, then so be it, but it was preferable to living in this shell of deceit, no matter how happy it had made him to have that little bit of time.

Almost without warning, pain gripped Albus. He knew it was his true form coming back. Normally, he slept through the process and didn't really feel it, apart from a slew of weird dreams, but this time, he didn't have that option. It felt like his bones were being disconnected at the joints and his skin was too slow to accommodate. As much as he tried not to, he cried out.

In the far reaches of his consciousness, he heard the door open and an arm wrapping around his shoulders to keep him from hitting the floor. That arm guided Albus to the edge of the bed, where he laid down, eyes squeezed shut, as his body became his own again. He had expected Scorpius to leave after that, but he had stayed, hand on Albus's shoulder.

When the tide of agony ebbed, Albus opened his eyes. Once again, everything was a blur without his glasses. He ran his hands down his face, feeling a day's worth of stubble. Heartened, he went further down, finding that his chest was no longer inflated and that, even lower, his proper genitalia was normal once more. He sighed in relief. The pain was gone, and so was Melinda. This was who he would be for the rest of his life, and he was happy to be there.

He felt Scorpius put his glasses into his hand, and he blindly shoved them onto his face. Now that his vision was clear, Albus looked over to his probably uncomfortable companion and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks."

Instead of the robotically polite 'You're welcome' Albus had expected, Scorpius said, "I believe you, Potter. I think you're being honest when you said how you feel. I don't even think I'm angry about being lied to anymore, because I know why you did it. I would probably have done the same in your place. It's just that… I don't know if I can feel the same about you."

"I know," Albus said. "I'm not going to ask you — and I wouldn't have the right anyway — but I just wanted you to know that not a second went by that your feelings being hurt didn't bother me. I hope you know that."

Scorpius nodded, then looked down at his hands, which were clenched in his lap. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I loved her. I've never loved anyone before, and I think I'll miss her every day, or at least until I'm too old and barmy to remember."

Albus knew how that felt all too well. He touched Scorpius's forearm, who flinched at the contact but didn't pull away. "I did that to you, and I'm sorry. Really, I am."

After a while, Scorpius asked, "Potter, tell me something. When did you know? What made you decide?"

It was hard for Albus to think about, but considering everything, Scorpius deserved to know. "I knew I wanted to shag you the moment we sat on the couch, but I realised I loved you when you looked down at me with that look in your eye, like I was the only person in the world who mattered. It was then when I knew that my reaction to you wasn't just some freak side effect of having a woman's body to contend with." He almost didn't dare ask, but Albus wanted to know. "You?"

Upon consideration, he almost wished he hadn't said anything, but Scorpius was surprisingly willing to share. "I think it was when I was shopping for the necklace. I was trying to pick the one that would look the least ugly next to how beautiful Melinda was, but then when I thought about it, I knew that I didn't care about that. She could have worn gorgeous gowns or stupidly inappropriate Halloween dresses or even oversized pyjamas, and I wouldn't have felt any differently about her. She could have looked like a Hippogriff's arse end and it wouldn't have mattered to me by that point.

"So I chose the emerald, because there was something about the colour green that reminded me of her. It just seemed right, thus making my decision far simpler."

It would have been delusional at that point for Albus to think that the preference for green was in any way a reference to his eye colour. He knew that, but deep down, he really wanted Scorpius to like him in some way, even if he would never actually love him. "It was really nice. I was afraid I would lose it or ruin it, so I put it in my vault. When all of this is over, I'll give it back."

Shaking his head, Scorpius said, "No. I'd really rather never see it again. Do whatever you want; give it to your sister, that madwoman you call a cousin, or whatever. I don't care."

"Yes, you do," Albus said. He knew Scorpius well enough to know that he was indeed attached to that necklace, but he didn't want to show it. "What do you really want me to do with it?"

Scorpius regarded Albus carefully, as if gauging a potential reaction. And for good reason. "I want you to keep it. I wanted Melinda to have it, and since she isn't real — except she is, because she's you — I want her to have it. So I suppose that means you should have it."

"Okay. I'll take care of it, and that's a promise." Albus looked away, because it was right about then that Scorpius would be embarrassed that he'd asked such a thing. To shift the dynamics a bit, he said, "You're keeping the broom, I hope."

"Of course. Unless you want it back."

Albus shook his head. "I can barely fly on an old broom. Something like that would probably get me killed. Besides, I knew you played and thought you would like it."

An awkward quiet rose between them. There was a myriad of issues between them, and they were doing their level best to skirt around them. Albus was desperate to know that Scorpius felt something for him that wasn't disgust or annoyance, but he kept on bringing up things that couldn't possibly be relevant at the moment.

This time, it was Scorpius who ended the stand-off. "This is ridiculous. We're sitting here, acting like we don't even know one another. If we're going to be stuck here, it can't go on like this." He squinted and leant toward Albus. "Your eyes are green."

"So I noticed," Albus said, wondering where this was going.

Seemingly in thought, Scorpius asked, "Favourite colour?"

"Green."

"How many N.E.W.T.s?"

"Five."

"Butterbeer or pumpkin juice?"

"Neither. I prefer water."

"What is your family like?"

Now this question was far more complex. Albus considered it a minute before he responded. "They are a collection of rabble-rousing gingers who get together every holiday, only to spend most of it bickering over stupid things. I think my Aunt Hermione is the most normal of the bunch, and my Uncle Percy reminds me so much of Professor Vector that it's positively terrifying."

"No, I mean your immediate family. What is it like to have a mum and dad that aren't completely mental? Did you ever wish that you didn't have to go home for holidays."

"Sometimes. The summer my dad's godson Teddy got killed, I wanted to go back to Hogwarts because I refused to acknowledge that it happened. My parents fought a lot that year, and both of them were really different after that. That's also when my brother and I stopped getting on so well."

Scorpius stared at the floor. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's all right," Albus said. "What's done is done. After a much-needed dust-up, we're okay now. Dad'll probably never be the same, but he can talk about Teddy now, whereas after it happened, he would get all dark and moody when someone mentioned anything that might have even sounded like Teddy's name."

Appeased, Scorpius said, "They still sound nice, though, your family. I wish I'd had family that could forgive and forget. My father and grandfather will always think that they're superior because they're Malfoys and pure-blooded, and I'm not even going to start on my mother. Your family fights because they care, but mine... they don't even talk."

"I guess so," Albus said. Scorpius had never mentioned any of that before, but he was glad that he knew. It meant that he was opening up to the idea of being cordial with Albus and not just coolly civil, which was definitely a step in the right direction.

For hours after, they discussed any and every menial thing that they could think of, always steering far away from talking about their prior relationship. Albus found himself telling Scorpius things that he could scarcely bear to admit to himself. It felt good for him to become as familiar to Scorpius as Melinda had been, and after a while, he was even more so. The wall had broken, so perhaps down the line, they could be more.

But for the time being, Albus was happy. They were safe, and they were okay. Not great... just okay.