AN. All two of you who reviewed (one of them being Caketin, who shouldn't technically count) asked me to continue, so I have done. Although two is a pitiful number of reviews… I'm sure that more than two people have read it. Anyway, this chapter is inspired by Real World, by the All-American Rejects, and MJ (an amazing person who plays an amazing Scorpius… Al and I shall take them both away in a large box and keep them forever). References to stolen ties, Al's rant and their third year are all thanks to her.

By the way, in case anyone noticed, yes I am aware that Al is now running around in one shoe. (:
And I apologise for this chapter being so short.

WARNINGS. Mentions of slash and self harm in this chapter, along with swearing (surprise, surprise).

DEDICATION. MJ, even though I doubt you'll ever read this. I love you, and Scorp (and Marley).

And, well… she knows who she is and she knows why. I'm glad you like it, doll. (;

DISCLAIMER. I don't own anything here. The characters and setting belong to JKR, and lyrics, quotes and misquotes are borrowed from Real World by the All-American Rejects.

NEON GREEN LACES AND BAD INFLUENCES
PART II (REAL WORLD)

Only once before had Albus apparated without thinking about where he was going, and it was not an experience he had planned on repeating. Now, with the darkness pulling and pushing his body in ways that couldn't be doing him any good, he was terrified. Think, Potter, think. But the weird feeling of apparating and the fear were stopping his brain from functioning properly. Come on, or you're going to splinch yourself…

Crack.

Merlin, he was never doing that again. At least he was somewhere now, and away from his family. Now all he had to do was find out where exactly he had landed himself. Looking around, Albus was sure he recognised his surroundings, and he had a horrible suspicion of where he had ended up.

It only took one albino peacock to confirm his suspicions. Oh, shit, no. Not here; anywhere but here.

The last time Albus had been here… no, he didn't even want to think about it. The memories, which had been so happy, were now horribly painful. The summer house wasn't that far away, he could see it through the trees, and if he turned around…

What he saw made him freeze, eyes wide. Al had been expecting to see Malfoy Manor when he turned, and more peacocks on the perfectly manicured lawn. What he definitely hadn't been expecting to see was the heir to the Malfoy estate himself.

Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy: taller than Al, paler too, with his blond hair tied back out of his grey-blue eyes. Al's only ex-boyfriend; and one with a surname as dubious and avoided as Al's was famous and admired.

"Potter," Scorpius' voice was cold, a tone reflected in the icy stare he fixed on Albus.

For a moment Al just stood, staring wide-eyed at the other boy. Fuck, he looks…He began to think, but stopped himself quickly. It was over between them, Al reminded himself. It had been since not long before the start of the holidays, after an argument over James, of all things, and shouting at a level which hadn't been heard between the pair of Slytherins since Albus' (rather hypocritical) rant about how oblivious Scorpius was, back in third year.

Al suddenly realised that Scorpius had spoken, and began to struggle to find an intelligent reply. He quickly gave up.

"Malfoy," he said, trying to sound like he didn't care.

Al watched as Scorpius' eyes flicked over him, lingering on his arms. His short-sleeved T-shirt made no effort to hide the criss-cross on both of his forearms: old scars, freshly healed cuts, and several very recent, still open wounds.

"When-" Scorpius started, but he didn't finish his sentence. Al thought he must have realised that he wasn't supposed to care any more.

"Third year," Al spat, spilling his deepest secret unceremoniously. "And the last week or two. Figure."

Scorpius' eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he showed no emotion.

Al's teeth found his bottom lip. Either the Malfoy honestly didn't care about him at all, or he was a damn sight better at acting than Albus was.

"Welcome to the real world, Albus. Everyone has their own way of coping with it, and if yours is to poison and damage yourself, that's your own problem. So tragic; the son of the Boy Who Lived, bringing himself to an early grave, but if that's what you want…" Scorpius shrugged, as if you add 'that's what you get'.

Al tried again to look as if he didn't care, but he was very aware of it not really working, despite his best efforts. He took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with his wand as a distraction.

Scorpius looked as if he was about to say something, but then changed his mind. The tension hung heavy in the air – Al couldn't stay any longer, but he couldn't bring himself to just leave, either.

After standing there for several moments, Scorpius eyeing him warily while Albus stared off into space, Al managed to solve his own problem. A line came to him from a song Teddy had told him and James had been one of the Metamorphmagus' favourites when he was younger.

With all emotion set aside, in a whisper say goodbye.

He looked up at Scorpius, the idea of where he was going to apparate to formed firmly in his mind.

"Goodbye." He said softly, not waiting for Scorpius' reaction before disapparating with a loud crack, his left hand gripping a stolen silver-and-green Hogwarts tie in his pocket.