Conversations and Embarrassment

"Come on Scorp. You need to help me in the Potions essay!" Rose said dragging me along as soon as we got out of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Al was jogging along to try and keep up with our fast pace.

"Why can't I help too Rose?" he asked, "I'm better at Potions than Scorp."

"Yeah right. Come on Al we all know that you can't brew a potion to save your life." Rose laughed, "Just fuck off."

"Fine then." Al huffed, "Be like that, just don't expect me to be there when you get a Troll in Potions because Scorp doesn't even know what a bezoar is!"

"Ok, see you then Al!" Rose said happily.

"Traitor." Al spat at me as I continued to walk with Rose.

"Hey, where are you dragging me?" I asked.

"Room of Requirement." She replied. We finally arrived and the room had changed from last time. Now there was just a roaring fire and two sofas facing one another.

"Now, to sort out your boy troubles." Rose said.

"Yeah right." I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that. And my cousin may be selfish, cunning and manipulative but that doesn't mean he's heartless." Rose said.

"Hey, first don't knock those things, they just so happen to be my best qualities. Second of all Al may not be heartless but he's not a poof like me. He's straight." I sighed, thinking of how his hair was so cute today and how hard it was to resist ruffling it up.

"Oh come on Scorp when was the last time you saw him with a girl?"

"That's not the point; maybe he's not at a point to go into a relationship yet. He's kissed plenty of girls."

"You mean when we played spin the bottle. Are you forgetting the fact that you kissed various girls as well Scorp?"

"Two girls Rose. And Al told me something rather interesting for a matter of fact, do you fancy me?"

Rose blushed deeply her cheeks turning the same colour as her red hair and her ears also going red. "Are you trying to get off this topic Scorp, because it's not working? Oh and warn Al that next time you see him I'm going to kill him."

"You're not denying it, so you do fancy me! Really?" I asked in utter disbelief that Al had been right. Rose fancied me? It was hard to get my head around.

"Shut up Scorp." Rose exclaimed.

"Sorry Rose. I was being insensitive. I do really like you as a friend. I think you're really pretty." I said, blushing as deeply as Rose had.

"No need to apologise. Your gay, whatever I'll find someone else, you can't help that." She said but she looked close to tears.

"If I were straight you'd be the first person that I'd go out with!" I exclaimed but it seemed to make things worse as she burst into tears. I didn't really know what to do if a girl was crying so I did the only thing I could think of and went over to sit with her. She put her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. I felt the warm wet tears pouring onto my shirt. I didn't like it but I just awkwardly put my arms around her.

"I'm sorry." She cried. "It's just that I've always been fond of you and I thought that everything would work just like it does in fairy tales. But I guess life doesn't work like that. Sorry. Sorry."

"Shh, it's ok Rose, I'm here. Don't worry. You'll find a nice guy someday but I guess for now we'll both be victims of unrequited love but we can get through this together." I said, having no idea to handle a situation like this. She looked up at me and moved her face closer to mine. I didn't know what she was doing but I got an idea when she placed her lips against mine. I was possibly more uncomfortable than the kiss with Domi, as she nibbled on my lips and tried to get me to kiss back. I couldn't though, it was too weird, though I couldn't pull away either. After all none of this would happen if it wasn't for me being gay.

She pulled away looking almost as shocked as I felt. "Oh Merlin. I'm so sorry; I was just being selfish and. I shouldn't have sorry!" she managed to gasp as the tears spilled down.

"No, don't worry. Everyone's selfish sometimes." I said. The next bit was hard but I was a good liar, even if it still made me feel bad, "and besides I liked it."

"I have to leave. Sorry Scorp." She ran out and I was left in the room. I felt like crying too. I knew how Rose felt. Completely helpless, like the world was crushing her. Longing to have something that she could never. I loved Al so much it hurt and I had to start admitting it to myself. Though never to him. I wasn't going to risk our friendship over it, because he'd never love me back.

It was the Saturday after the awkward conversation that I had had with Rose. I was sitting, well lying really on the grassy sides of the lake with Al. His hair seemed to being turning more auburn than jet black like usual and I loved it like this. I thought two more weeks till the OWLs. The thought made my stomach twist uncomfortably. The fact that I wasn't a kid anymore. I was sixteen and about to do OWLs in eleven subjects, which was a lot but I was determined to do well! Al lay beside me looking up at the blue sky as the sun shined brightly which was extremely unusual for the Scottish moors, it usual just poured with ran so I wasn't complaining. It meant I could run further as the days grew longer.

"It's boiling! Can't bear much more heat." Al said putting on a fake pant.

"Stop your moaning Al." I whined back at him, turning to look into his emerald eyes, "Why don't we go for a swim?"

"Cause there's a Giant Squid in there!" Al exclaimed.

"Aww, is ickle baby Potter scared of a Squidy Widdy." I said as patronisingly as I could, knowing I could manipulate him into coming into the water. It was easy.

"No. I'm not scared. How 'bout we arrange a deal my good man. I'll come it you tell me exactly what you and Rose were talking about the other day."

"No, I decline, though I may just go and have a little swim myself." I said standing up and rolling up my knee length shorts as much as I could without looking like a complete idiot. I walked down towards the shimmering blue lake and sure enough Al came running up.

"Ok, ok I'll come!" he said, rolling up his shorts as he tried to catch up with me. I smirked, I knew he was a push over; he wouldn't want to be left on his own or for me to think he was a wimp. I suppose it wasn't his fault though, he had received the Gryffindor tendencies from his siblings and parents. We arrived at the shore of the lake and I took my thin plain green t-shirt of, revealing my perfectly toned body, my abs on display to Al. He followed suit revealing his pale body that wasn't as muscley as mine yet still was attractive and made me want to kiss him.

We stood there frozen to the spot into each other's eyes, Al's wandering down to my chest, but mine still fixated on his beautiful green eyes that were shining today in the sun. "Come on then Scorp!" Al finally declared running into the water, "I'll race you."

I realised only a couple of seconds later thinking of Al's bright green eyes. My t-shirt that I had thrown on the ground was the same colour of Al's eyes. "Hey, no fair you big cheat!" I said running after him, "You had a head start!"

The water was freezing cold but still refreshing. I ran up to Al and splashed him with the cold water. He splashed me back and the cold water hit my face. This just made us both more annoyed, splashing more at each other. We ended up laughing uncontrollably and trying to push each other into the water. I managed to push him over and watched as he fell into the water with a splash. He got up and put his warm hands onto my bare chest, pushing me over. I loved the feel of his warm hands against my skin. It was like how I felt when I kissed him in his birthday.

I got back up, shivering; it was warm outside but was absolutely freezing. I stared swimming down, Al quick on my tail as I swam in front crawl around the lake, avoiding the bustle of people. I couldn't stand up so warmed up I swam back to the shallow depths of the lake. We both stood up and Al flipped his wet hair out of the way of his face. "Ah, it's freezing Scorp, can we just go inside?" Al asked shivering.

"Ok, it's not that cold!" Scorp said, "Yet I suppose we might as well."

We walked out together, Al's body dripping with water and his wet shorts sticking to his legs. I had to look away, or I wouldn't be able to resist kissing him again do we silently traipsed out to the shore. We lay back down, tired (or at least Al was) after our swim and exposure to the cold lake to dry off. I saw a familiar face come walking up towards us, it was Rose Weasley. I hadn't seen her since the chat. She looked down at my chest and blushed deeply. "Hey Scorp, I just wanted to say sorry for yesterday. I mean everything will be fine, I can sort it out." She said sweetly.

"It's ok Rose, you couldn't help it. You don't need to sort it out! I'll be okay." I replied blushing like she was.

"What are you two on about? Come on Rose, please tell me what happened. I'm begging you here!" Al complained.

"No Al!" Rose said, "But anyway Scorp, I'm off. I'm really sorry."

She left with that, Al and I on our own, drying of by this time. Al sighed and then said, "Oh, why can't you just tell me? I know she loves you."

"I'll let you into a little secret then. She does fancy me." I said, unable to keep hiding everything from Al; he was my best mate after all.

"Aww, you going to go snogging in some broom cupboard then?" Al said before starting to make kissing noises.

"You're so immature. No, Rose and I aren't going out, I've got my eyes on someone else." I said.

"Who's the girl then?" Al asked smirking.

"You seriously think I'll tell you. Anyway I'm going in; if I stay out any longer I'll become a bloody tomato." I said, getting up and going down to the Dormitory and putting on my shirt.