A/N: Good God, it's been ages since I updated this one. But I had a craving... This chapter has been sitting mostly written for far too long. Why not finish it?! So here it is. It's a bit short and a bit...lacking in action. But it's at least posted. And now I can start working on the next one! So pleasepleaseplease review and let me know what you honestly think! Whatever it is that you think. Thanks and enjoy the read!

"I...I don't understand," Albus said quietly. He took a step closer to the blonde man, a frown upon his lips. "It's just a wand, right? Maybe it doesn't work well for him because it didn't choose him."

"No." Scorpius ran his fingers over the soft elder wood, smiling fondly. "No, it is because he had not yet mastered it as he believes."

Puzzlement only grew deeper on Al's face. "How do you master a wand?"

Scorpius' limited patience drew to an end. He sighed, rolling his eyes, and used a degrading tone to further his explanation. "Did your father tell you nothing?" The blank look in those green eyes answered without words. "Well...yes, I suppose he'd want to keep this a secret. It's quite tempting. Quite dangerous."

"Scorpius, wh-"

"Did your parents ever read you The Tale of the Three Brothers?" Scorpius asked hastily.

It took Albus a moment to recount the story. A child's bedtime read, really. Something he hadn't thought about since he was rather young. His palate for reading had matured fast.

But, yes, he did in fact remember the story in the end. It was about cheating death. He recalled this most of all because his father grew angry whenever James would lust for that possibility. He'd thought it quite strange.

"The wand made from elder... The first brother's gift from Death, right?" Albus snorted, looking again at the wand the other held. "That's just a silly nursery rhyme."

The look Scorpius gave Al made him question that fact. "The Deathly Hallows are real, Albus. And your father mastered them all. He still has the Cloak of Invisibility. I'm sure you've seen it. Probably used it. The Resurrection Stone... Well, nobody knows where it is, really. But it's been rumored he had it at one point.

"As for the Elder Wand... He mastered it from my father, supposedly. Which was how he was able to defeat the Dark Lord the last time. Complicated story; not sure how much you've heard. But in the end, it comes down to this name on that random Snitch. And I bet that's who is the current master of it. Though he probably has no idea..."

For a moment, Albus only stood there, staring at Scorpius. He then shook his head slowly. "So...what does this mean for you? Tom doesn't have it, so...goal accomplished, right?"

The look of anger that crossed Scorpius' lips quelled any other nationalizations Al had. "You said it yourself – I. Can. Beat. Him. I will beat him, Albus. And I will be the strongest wizard in England. Hell, maybe the entirety of Europe! We could be kings, Albus..." A far-off, dazed glint clouded his eyes a moment. But he soon composed himself, brushing dirt from his clothes. "But right now we need to come up with a game plan. And we can't stay here. Not out in the open."

Albus again viewed their surroundings. He cleared his throat before asking weakly, "And where are we exactly?"

"Just outside of Wiltshire. The Malfoy Manor is not far from here. But it's not safe there, either. It's one of the first places they'll check."

There was a perplexity to Scorpius that had Al worrying quite a bit. He'd always seemed so...cool. So calm and collected. Seeing that cluelessness in his demeanor was very unsettling. "S-Scor? Um...I think I know where we can go. It's Unplottable and no one, living anyway, outside of the family knows its location. It's the place where, uh..." He drifted off, painful memories resurfacing as he tried to slam walls up against them.

Scorpius was no help against them. "The place where I killed your father?" Al nodded, turning away while he choked back tears. "Yes...I noticed that. That sure made things difficult that night."

"Can we not talk about this, please?" Albus snapped, hands closing tightly over his ears.

Keeping silent, Scorpius stared at Albus. He was either confused or ashamed. Maybe a little of both. Whatever it was, he didn't push the topic any longer.

Albus' emotions calmed with the silence. He took deep, cleansing breaths to attempt to clear the memories from his mind. "Let's just...go. Hopefully we'll find my family there as well." Words could not express how much he longed to see all of them. Alive.

"You know the location." With a raised brow, Scorpius offered his hand. And when they joined together, hurled through space by apparation, the warmth they gave one another was indescribable. It was reassuring in ways condolences never could be.

The two young men landed on the doorstep to number 12 Grimmauld Place with absolute precision. A good thing because when Albus glanced over his shoulder, he was met with the sight of a half dozen Death Eaters. He gasped, hugging closer to the door. "Don't step off the stoop," he worried in a hushed voice, turning the doorknob frantically. It turned easier than he'd anticipated, causing him to stumble forward a step.

"Get inside, idjits." The growl was accompanied by strong hands yanking them into the house. The instant Albus recognized his brother's face, he launched himself forward. His hug was crushing, even to the other's more hulking frame. He completely set aside the fight they had they last time the two had been in a room along together. In the end, it had all been about James trying to protect his younger brother. And what matter more right now was the fact that they were both alive. They could set the quarrel aside for the moment – or Albus was sure he could. "Get off," James protested, but there was a sentimental quality to his tone.

"Do I get a hug, Albus?"

"Mum?" With the door closed behind him, Albus felt safe enough to envelope himself inside Ginny's arms. He couldn't get enough of feeling her so close – warm and alive. She felt like home. He could easily forget everything bad that had happened with her as well while embracing her like this. "Did everyone get out okay?" he whispered, looking up into her eyes filled with happy tears.

"Yes." Ginny's eyes slowly landed on Scorpius, repeating her affirmation. "Thank you. I...I don't know if you realize how grateful I am – we all are – for what you did."

Scorpius' eyes widened as he nervously scanned the entryway. He couldn't look directly at any of the other three people, a harsh frown etched into the lines of his face.

"Doesn't it seem the least bit suspicious to you, Mum? He brings back the bastard, and then turns against him? How can you trust that?" Maybe deep down James was thankful for having his life saved. But he was the voice of reason. He had to be as it was an issue that needed addressing. "Not to mention, half a week ago he killed Dad! Are we just forgetting that?!"

Slowly, Scorpius looked up at the dark-haired, bulky man. Behind the anger bubbling on his face was a hint of scorn. He stepped closer to James, never blinking or averting his gaze. "Since I was a child, I was raised to think a certain way. My dear mother brainwashed me. I did whatever she told me to do. That included killing her and my unborn sibling. I was raised to believe Lord Voldemort was my sovereign god. I was to do all that was in my power to bring him back to life.

"But he killed my father," Scorpius snapped as James gave a soft snort. "Just as I killed yours, I'm aware. It's opened up my eyes a little bit; caused me to stop and figure things out. And now I'm starting to think...obedience isn't quite worth it. So why don't you stop questioning my damn motives and be appreciative that your brother gave me a chance to redeem myself by saving all of your asses."

No one could find the voice to speak after he had finished. They didn't quite know what to say back. Albus gently slipped his fingers between Scorpius' pale ones, smiling reassuringly at everyone. Once they got over their differences, they could begin to focus on putting their enemy back to rest.

"Alby! Alby!" Remi, all grins, came running through the hall towards Albus. Her mother trailed behind her, attempting to quiet her shrieks of excitement. "Alby, you made it home!" She enclosed her arms tightly around him, squeezing with all her might. But as she whispered up at him, her tone was softer and pitying. "I sorry about your daddy... Mummy says he's playin' Quidd'ch in the clouds. I think that nice. Sounds very nice." For such a small girl, she really was wise. It brought tears straight to Albus' eyes. He wiped them away with a sad smile, leaning down to kiss the child's cheeks softly.

He had no words. Honestly, this child had just rendered him speechless and, for a moment, very happy.

"Boys, I'll bet you're very hungry. Probably tired? Why don't you go on upstairs and rest. I'll call you when I finish making dinner." Ginny's hands were gentle as she pulled Albus and Scorpius away from everyone else. Their feet were very soon on the bottom step, leading upstairs.

The two climbed, side by side, staying silent and trying just to make it all the way without either falling apart. The reunion downstairs had made Albus feel vulnerable and light-headed. He knew he would pass out from holding in these feelings, but he just couldn't allow himself to break in front of those people. Those people may have been his family, but he was determined to show them that he was strong. No longer was he the naïve, studious boy they had known for all of his life. The stakes were too high – he couldn't afford to be that person anymore. His heart was absolutely pulverized from his father's death and every reminder was like another crushing blow. But he had to try as hard as he could to keep those feelings private right now. People needed to be able to count on him. He wanted more than anything for his family to see him in this new light.

As for Scorpius, he wasn't all too accustomed to feeling much of anything. He didn't exactly know what to do with all of these emotions raging through him. For most of his life, he repressed any sort of resemblance to feeling. It was safer that way with the legacy that had been laid out for him from practically birth. His mother had taught him that to laugh, to cry, to love, to long was to fail. The only thing he was allowed to feel was the deep drive in his belly to succeed. But a desire to win was not what he was feeling right now. There was something…else stirring in his heart. A sadness he couldn't even make an understanding of. He was sure at any moment, this sentiment was going to rupture and completely consume him.

"I know your father's death is killing you on the inside."

They had reached the top floor landing, the bedroom of Albus' newest nightmare easily visible in front of them. Simultaneously, the two boys halted their steps and refused to look at one another. Their conflicting thoughts instilled shame neither wanted to face.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it," Scorpius said under his breath, loosening his grip on the other's hand and shoving off in front of him. He headed for the other bedroom, turning a blind eye to the one he'd caused the traumatizing murder in. Once inside, he looked around with an air of distaste, his lip curled as he examined the untasteful décor of the room. "Is this the only room available? The bed…. It's only a queen. And looks as if it's been here for years. Ugh, it's disgusting. We could leave…. Go somewhere else private and..." Scorpius sighed, gently testing the mattress, fingers stiff and hardly touching the fabric of the comforter like he was afraid he could catch something from it. "I can pay for a nice hotel room for us. I can guarantee your safety, Albus, if that's what you worry about. I know wards and extremely impressive curses, I assure you."

With a roll of his eyes, Albus bypassed the young Malfoy and almost threw himself onto the bed. It wasn't hard or uncomfortable – it was just what he needed. It contoured to his form and felt like absolute heaven. "Shut up, Scorpius and just…. Lie down next to me. Please. I'm exhausted and I'm guessing it's been ages since you slept. We need to be well-rested and ready for anything. Correct?"

A sigh falling from his nose, Scorpius gingerly laid down next to the other. "You think I am being overdramatic, but you'll feel differently later on. You'll see." He looked over at Albus, his eyes dull and lifeless. There was nary a spark of deviance or secrecy. The sight was almost alarming to the Potter boy. He wasn't accustomed to seeing this man so…lifeless. Gently, he stroked his lover's cheek, turning into his body. "Once you've grown comfortable with luxury, you find you can't have anything else. One day…you will know that feeling, I hope. One day we will be able to live together – the top of the world." Though his words sounded passionate, there was absolutely no energy to his voice. He didn't seem to believe his own words could come true. Or maybe he was tired of trying so hard to make the stories he told believable.

"I think that sounds lovely," Albus whispered, leaning up to gently press his lips to the corner of the other man's jaw. He shivered, a tingling feeling running through his body at the skin-to-skin contact. "Once we get you to the top. Once you defeat Riddle and end the world's new suffering…I think we could have that. But I don't need the luxury. All I need is you. I just need your love and affections to get me through. All the rest, I could honestly care less about." Breathing contentedly through his nose, he laid his head atop Scorpius' chest and closed his eyes. "But for now, in this moment, I'm content to just be here with you. I'm content to rest at your side – rest I'm sure we could both use. We'll have a lot of explaining and speaking and strategizing to do tonight and we need to be fully aware. Can we sleep for a little bit?"

There was no answer from the Albus' partner. He merely closed his eyes and continued to face up towards the ceiling. Al took this as an answer in the affirmative and took no time in falling asleep himself. He was exhausted enough that the slumber came natural to him and in a matter of seconds, he was in a blissfully dreamless sleep. There were no nightmares of Dark Lords and dead parents. No lusty, erotic visions of a night spent with this boy next him. Just…darkness.

Much too short of a while later, the door to their room eerily creaked open. Scorpius had allowed himself to relax and let his guard down. But at that small sound, he was instantly alert. Disregarding that Albus was resting on his chest, he flung himself up into a sitting position, then launched off of the bed. His wand was poised towards the intruder to the room, his eyes narrowed in the definite form of a threat.

The young girl in the doorway squeaked in fright, stepping backwards in instinct and grabbing the doorknob for safety. "I…. I was just, um…. Mum thought you might be…hungry?" She stared at the wand, her eyes wide, seriously fearing for her life. This was exactly why James didn't want her to come up here, she was sure.

"Scorpius!" Albus rushed to his lover's side, grabbing his arm and trying to force his wand down to his side. "Put that away!" He turned to force a small smile towards his sister, still fighting the much stronger man at his side for a bit of control. "Thank you, Lily. We'll be down in a minute, 'kay? You should…go?"

The girl wasted no time in bolting. Once she was gone, Albus gave up his fight as the wand was no aimed towards him. He sighed, arms going up in a sign of surrender and rolling his eyes. "You can lower your wand! I'm not going to do anything to you. You know I couldn't, anyway…. Please, Scorpius."

His head tilting to the side, the blonde surveyed the man in front of him. His head was still swimming from their short nap. It hadn't been long enough for him to fully rest and reawaken. He felt almost like he was in a dream. And then he started to remember where he was, what had happened, and what they needed to do now. It all crashed over him like a breaking wave, so hard that he had to take a step back to steady himself. His wand arm lowered at the same time as he took in a soothing breath. No apology was made for his behavior. The young man merely slipped his wand back into its safe hiding place in his forearm holster before turning to look at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was a little mussed and he made certain to get every strand back into place before turning away. "You need to tell them not to surprise me."

Another roll of his eyes had Albus stalking out of the room. His innocent and sweet sister came to get them for a well-needed meal and it was her fault his lover had rounded on her? That he had pointed a potentially deadly weapon at her? That was certainly not fair. "You tell them." He knew that it was probably a bad idea to snot off to this particular person, but he just couldn't help himself. Waking up so violently from an entirely too short nap made him a bit short-tempered and irritable. He wasn't ready to put up with Scorpius' self-righteous behavior right now.

This wasn't exactly a good idea to begin with, which he came to realize as he was walking out onto the first stair. "It would be better coming from you," Scorpius hissed and started with a vice-grip on Albus' arm. A moment later he was forcing the other up against the wall, earning a screech as he nearly lost his balance. Falling down the flight of stairs was a looming possibility as the only thing holding him there was that crushing, bruising hold on his bicep. "Then they may actually listen." The blonde raised a brow at his lover, making certain his point was getting across. He even went so far as to just barely tip the other towards the descending stairs.

Albus whimpered, closing his eyes and slowly nodding his head. He was terrified and his heart was racing a million miles a minute. There were times when knew he loved this man who was so cruel to him. And then…there were the times like this. Why did there have to be the times like this? "Fine, I'll tell them, Scorpius! Just…please…." Was it the pleading? Was that why he did this to him? Did he want to hear him beg for his life like a damsel in distress?

"Hey!"

Slowly and with vague, vacant expression, Scorpius' eyes roamed down to the bottom of the flight of stairs. He stared at the man with the wildly colored hair at the bottom with disinterest for a long moment before smirking and looking back to Albus.

"Get your fucking hands off of him. Now!"

Teddy's voice was firmer and full of more feeling than Albus had ever heard in his life. He was trembling and didn't want to open his eyes to look at the two. But he knew that his cousin would look as if he meant business. He was serious and even slightly dangerous. This was out of the norm for the man, but he wasn't all that surprised by the anger he could feel coming up from him. An anger he was so grateful for at this moment. And yet…it scared him because of what could come of it. "Teddy, please, just leave. I'd prefer not to fall down a flight of stairs today, thank you…."

It was Scorpius' turn to roll his eyes, an act that would have looked so foreign on him had Albus opened his eyes to witness it. The blonde snorted and took a step back away from the stairs, yanking Albus with him, directly into his chest. "You still have no faith in me, Albus?" he whispered menacingly into his lover's ear before letting him go entirely. "I would not have let you fall. I promise." He leaned in to give a kiss to the other's naturally tanned forehead, earning a flinch from the boy who still had his eyes closed.

"You keep your hands off of him, asshole. Got it?" Teddy roughly pushed Scorpius back, away from his 'prey' and into a wall. "Albus, open your eyes." The Potter boy complied, looking up at his cousin with a shake to his fragile being. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Albus whispered and fought the urge to tear out of the gentle hold his cousin hand on his arms. He was just trying to make sure he was unscathed in the rough exchange. He was just trying to help. But…what if he didn't really want him to? "Can we just…go downstairs, please?" He turned his green eyes to where Scorpius was still leaning against the wall, glaring daggers into the man's back. If looks could kill…. Gingerly, he stepped back out of Teddy's hold and towards Scorpius, earning a disbelieving scoff. "All of us. Together and without a fight."

Albus didn't even wait to see if his words had made any impact. He turned away without another word and headed down the stairs in rather a hurry. He just wanted to get away from all of the tension. All of the pain that could potentially come from any small exchange of words.

The walk down to the kitchen was awkward. None of the three spoke, though Albus was sure they were following him – he could hear their footsteps and angered breathing. When he entered the small, intimate room, he dumped himself into a seat at the table. He was exhausted. The little sleep they had achieved had done absolutely nothing for him. If anything, it had made things worse. And he knew this was likely to be a long night…. That prospect honestly made him want to curl up and just die right there. He would have to relive every little detail of the last few days. They would all have to talk about death and plans and his relationship with Scorpius and loads of other uncomfortable things.

And they would have to come to terms with the fact that Harry Potter was no longer here to lead the fight this time. And that it just might doom them to lose this time.