Sensitive

It was cold, brisk winter day as a man and his two sons walked through the snow that covered the ground of Diagon Alley. They were hurrying toward the Leaky Cauldron, eager to get out of the cold after an agonizing two hours of attempting to shop for Christmas presents for the boys' mother and sister, when a voice called out in surprise.

"Harry Potter?"

Albus's father stopped suddenly, his hand landing Albus's shoulder and causing him to come to a halt as well. James kept walking for a few feet before realizing his father and brother weren't with him.

"I can't believe I'm running into you!" a man Albus had never seen before exclaimed, shaking Harry's hand vigorously. Harry gave him a polite smile that indicated he had never before met this man either.

The man suddenly took noticed of Albus and James standing there.

"Oh, are these your children?" he asked, turning and bending over slightly to peer into Albus's face. Albus stepped back warily, and his father squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Yes," Harry said, and Albus could hear the undercurrent of impatience in his voice. "This is Albus, and that's James."

"You look just like your dad, you do," the man said to Albus with a grin, as though he hadn't already known that. He just stared.

The man's grin faltered slightly, but he continued talking as though Albus's silence were an invitation to do so. "You must be getting close to Hogwarts age, eh?"

"I'm a third year," he replied coldly. The man looked mildly surprised for a moment, but got over it quickly.

"Ah, third year! A great time, in my opinion. I bet you're getting into all sorts of mischief in Hogsmeade. I know how those Gryffindors are," he chuckled.

"I'm in Slytherin," Albus said, glowering at the man.

"Oh! Well, that's a good house too," the man said, looking thoroughly embarrassed. He turned and suddenly took notice of James standing there blowing into his hands to keep them warm.

"I'll bet you're a Gryffindor though," he said with a wink. James smiled uncertainly.

"Yeah."

"On the Quidditch team?"

James shifted his weight. "Uh-huh. I'm Seeker."

"Seeker! Like your dad. Ah, doesn't get much better than that, does it?"

"I guess not. I really like it anyway."

"Ever wish you were more like your big brother?" the man asked, nudging Albus slightly with an indulgent grin on his face. Albus bristled angrily.

"No," he spat. He resisted the urge to tell the man he was the best Chaser Slytherin had seen in decades and was favored to be Captain as soon as next year.

"Sir, it's been lovely chatting, but we really must be going," Harry said, quickly intervening before the scene became uglier than it had already gotten.

"Of course!" the man said, unperturbed. "The great Harry Potter must be a very busy man."

"Yes. Let's go, boys," Harry said, grabbing Albus's elbow and steering him down the street. He glanced back to see the man watching them go with a look of awe on his face.

"Who was that?" James asked.

"No idea," Harry answered.

Albus was still seething as they entered the Leaky Cauldron. He was used to people telling him how much he looked like his father, used to people comparing him and James, even used to them asking if were a Seeker like his father, but he hated it when they commented on his being in Slytherin. The man had only made himself more detestable by suggesting Albus would ever in any way want to be nothing more than a carbon copy of his older brother.

"Al, calm down," Harry said, still holding tight to his elbow.

"Dad, that man-"

"I know. He was an idiot. Sometimes all you can do is look past the stupid things people say and move on."

Albus gritted his teeth angrily, but allowed the subject to drop as James led the way to the fireplace so they could Floo home.

"Albus!" He looked up at the sound of his mother's voice and smiled when she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly, allowing the embrace to last longer than normal.

He'd never admit it, but he really missed his mum sometimes.

"How was shopping?" she asked as he and James began peeling off layers of scarves, cloaks and sweaters.

"Don't ask," Harry warned as Albus's face soured. Ginny Potter looked at her younger son in concern.

"Did something happen?"

"Just some idiot who insulted Al," James said nonchalantly.

"What?"

"He didn't mean to," Harry explained. "This man unintentionally said some things that Al took a bit of offense to-"

"He insinuated that I should be more like James."

"Oh, dear," Ginny said. Albus shrugged stiffly.

"It's fine," he said, though his tone suggested otherwise. "Why wouldn't I want to be a perfect little Gryffindor?"

"Hey," James said, sounding wounded.

"Oh don't start this again," Harry said in exasperation. "We are going to put this all behind us, alright? Albus, why don't you take these-" he shoved the shopping bags into Albus's arms "and go wrap them for me?"

"Why do I have to-?"

"Because I said so. Now, go."

Albus sighed in annoyance as he left the kitchen. James looked back and forth between his parents for a moment before following him.

"Was it really that bad?" Ginny asked softly.

"You know how sensitive he is," Harry reminded her. "He hates being compared to James at the best of times, and the man made it even worse by assuming he was in Gryffindor and then asking him if he ever wanted to be more like his brother."

"Yeah, I can see how that might upset him."

"I'm fine," Albus's angry voice came floating into the kitchen from the sitting room. "And I am not sensitive."