Okay, so I decided to end your pain, if any of you were in pain that is. lol. Many thanks to Lex who betaed this for me (I know, unexpected right?). lol.

Chapter 5: Catherine and Henry

"Albus!" Scorpius cried out again before he thumped hard three more times against the now sealed wall panel. His heart felt like it was seizing in his chest as he thought for a second about what it would feel like to lose Albus Potter altogether; what if he never came back? What if he couldn't open the door again?

I need help, he thought.

Scorpius sprinted out of the room and down the corridor towards the common area, kitchen and dining room. "Hello?" he called as he ran through the empty rooms. "Hello? Professors?"

The place was deserted and he had no idea where to look next. The others had been working in separate parts of the manor, but he had no idea where. As he glanced down at his wristwatch he realised Albus had been alone now for five minutes and left in that tunnel by himself for at least ten. A fresh wave of panic washed over Scorpius and he searched for help again, but it was in vain, there was no one around. He was going to have to rescue Albus by himself.

He sprinted back to the study he'd spent most of his time in so far and dived to his knees in front of the wall panel. "Albus?" he called out again, hoping once more for a response from him. "Albus, if you can hear me I'm going to get you out! Don't worry okay?" he said, hoping it was true. "What do I do? What do I do?" he whispered to himself, mentally running through anything he could think of to reopen that secret door.

"Calm down, Scorpius," he told himself firmly. "Think."

They'd opened the door already, so logically he should be able to do it again. Albus had discovered the password, but it wasn't working anymore. "The letters!" he exclaimed, scrambling up the loose pieces of parchment still on the desk, picking out the letter Albus had read to him, the one that had opened the door. After making a silent plea to Merlin or the Fates or any higher being that might be listening and in a position to help, Scorpius began to read the words that composed this heartfelt love letter. They were beautiful, just as Albus had said.

"My dearest Catherine," Scorpius read, "for as long as I breathe I will remain by your side to care for you and keep you safe," and the letter was signed, "Your Guiding Star in the Heavens." The wall shifted slightly and Scorpius gasped from the shock of it.

"Your guiding star," Scorpius repeated leaning into the wall panel and it snapped open, sliding over the top of the panel to its right, just as it had done before. "ALBUS!" Scorpius shouted into the dark tunnel, but again there was no response. Darkness infected the tunnel and Scorpius' heart rate increased again as he realised he was still alone in his rescue of his new friend; he would have to go in after him without any help.

"Albus! If you can hear me, please answer!" Scorpius cried out, begging the Gryffindor to confirm that he was still alive and healthy. Nothing. "Oh, crap," he sighed, wondering if the fearsome monster he'd conjured in his imagination – the one that lay at the end of this tunnel, the one that had most likely eaten Albus – would eat him too.

He pulled his wand out from his robes and lit the tip so that he could see into the tunnel. It was not until the wall panel shut forcefully behind him that he realised nobody else knew they were there. Shit. If they couldn't get out… No. He wouldn't think about it.

"If you're not already dead Albus Potter, I'm going to fucking kill you for this," he whispered to himself as he continued to crawl forward towards the small glow of light Albus mentioned seeing before he disappeared.

It took him a few minutes to reach the end of the passage, it wasn't particularly long, Scorpius just wanted to take his time to think of all the things he would never see again and all the things he would miss out on doing since he'd decided to throw his life away on a boy who didn't even love him back. The dark tunnel opened out into a bright room. It was lavishly decorated with a large bed that had light drapes flowing elegantly over the top for privacy. There was a small bookshelf with only a few books gracing its shelves and a long loveseat where he imagined the books were at one time read by two lovers snuggled into each other. Finally, over in the far corner stood a large white dresser with a mirror he thought four people might comfortably use, and, mercifully, in front of that mirror stood Albus Potter curiously inspecting the range of perfumes collected on the dresser top.

"Albus," Scorpius said stepping further into the room and Albus' gaze turned to meet him.

"Henry!" Albus exclaimed excitedly as he set his eyes on Scorpius. For a brief moment, barely even a full second, Scorpius was confused about why Albus had called him Henry, but, just as suddenly the name was no longer strange; it felt familiar, comfortable, as the spirit of another forcefully took over his body.

"Catherine!" Henry answered, sighing with relief at the sight of his lover.

Catherine crossed the room in a very unladylike manner so as to be in Henry's arms that much sooner. She didn't care if it was inappropriate for a lady to fling herself at a man, or to kiss him or hug him first – she didn't care because this wasn't just any man, this was her Henry. She jumped into his arms so that he might catch her around the waist and pull her close to him as he loved to do when they were alone like this. She held him close with her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his for the first time in what felt like forever, when really it had only been two days. It was so difficult being so close to him and yet never being allowed to touch him or even look at him the way she wanted to. Henry's father was growing more suspicious of them by the day, she thought, and she knew they would have to see each other less frequently and for shorter periods of time, at least until he left for London next week.

She moved her lips against his delicately, tasting him innocently, but desperately yearning for more. She felt his kisses burn in her stomach and she could only be grateful she washed her own undergarments since they were sticky after nearly every private rendezvous. Henry was so clever to make this room for the two of them; she couldn't imagine how he did it, or what she had done to deserve the love of such a powerful wizard.

"I've missed you, Darling," Henry whispered to her sweetly and she melted into him once more, letting him plunder her mouth as he liked.

Scorpius felt like he'd just opened his eyes, like he was just waking up to a new morning, except he wasn't. He didn't really have time to recall what had happened because something much more important was happening; he was kissing Albus Potter. He was surprised to find that Albus tasted as sweet as he looked and he wondered if the boy didn't have a secret stash of treats somewhere that he indulged in to have his mouth taste so sugary. The Gryffindor pressed up against him and moved his tongue gently against the other as if enjoying Scorpius' mouth just as much as the Slytherin was enjoying his.

Scorpius couldn't believe this was happening, he was kissing Albus Potter, this had only ever happened in his dreams before and he found it was so much better in reality. He moaned his desire into Albus' mouth and tried to deepen the kiss only to find himself empty handed and stumbling backwards.

Albus stared at him wide-eyed from across the other side of the room. "Oh my god," he gasped, touching his fingertips gently to his abused lips.

"You kissed me," Scorpius smirked for a moment until he realised that wasn't quite true. They had kissed definitely, but he wasn't himself the whole time and he remembered thinking that Albus was somebody else too.

"No I didn't!" Albus exclaimed, as if worried about being accused of kissing Scorpius; it took Scorpius a few moments to remember why kissing him might be a problem – the boyfriend.

"Yes, you did," Scorpius teased.

"I didn't!" Albus protested again and Scorpius just smirked. "What did you call me?" he asked quietly as though deep in thought.

"Catherine," he replied. "And you called me 'Henry'." That fact made the hairs on the back of Scorpius' neck stand at attention and shot unpleasant shivers down his spine. "Albus I think we should get out of here, there's something wrong with this room."

Albus glanced around the room one last time before nodding and leading the way back out through the tunnel. Scorpius followed wondering what they would do if the door refused to open again, but he needn't have worried, they were allowed to pass back through without reciting a password and were instantly admitted back into the study. Albus quietly crossed the floor and stood a good distance from Scorpius, clearly lost somewhere in his head. Scorpius had never wished he could read minds more than he did right at that moment, what he would have done to know what Albus was thinking right then… He just watched him, wondering what he should say.

"What just happened?" Albus asked softly after a time, his back still towards Scorpius.

"I was someone else and so were you," Scorpius replied, just as softly. The silence of the room didn't require them to speak any louder. "Do you think it was real?"

"It felt real," Albus breathed, finally turning to face his new Slytherin friend.

"Wow," Scorpius sighed, frowning nervously.

"They're in love," Albus stated, finally allowing his face to break into a large grin. "Did you feel it?"

Scorpius nearly recoiled at the excitement and delight shining in Albus' eyes; how could he feel that way about what had just happened? Didn't he understand? "What?" he gasped in shock.

"Didn't you feel their love?" he asked again. "It was amazing."

"Are you kidding? It scared the shit out of me," Scorpius stated.

"Scared you?" Albus sounded shocked at this. "I thought it was wonderful! Didn't you feel how in love they were? Wasn't it just exhilarating holding someone you loved that much?"

"I don't think you realise what just happened," Scorpius retorted seriously.

"And you do?" Albus scoffed, his eyes burning just like they did when they first argued.

"Yes, more than you do, clearly," Scorpius argued.

"Then enlighten me, O Wise One," Albus remarked sarcastically.

"If they were real-" Scorpius began, before Albus interrupted him.

"They were! Love like that can't be fabricated."

"Fine then," Scorpius conceded. "There are spirits in that room that took over our bodies. They possessed us, Albus."

"And if this house hasn't been disturbed for two hundred years, those spirits are at least that old. This is amazing. For a moment we were people that lived centuries ago," Albus said as though in awe of the idea that what they had felt in there was centuries old.

"I don't think you understand, they controlled us," Scorpius insisted.

"I know that!" Albus snapped. "I felt it too, but nothing happened!"

"Possession is like mind control," Scorpius hissed fiercely. He was starting to worry that Albus wasn't taking this seriously enough. "You loose your consciousness, like Imperius. There's a reason its illegal!"

"Yeah, only so someone can't force you to do something you don't want to!"

"And what do you think just happened?" Scorpius asked him firmly.

"Nothing bad happened!" Albus told him again.

"Are you saying you wanted to kiss me?" Scorpius challenged him taking a step forward.

"I – No, I'm not saying that," Albus breathed, suddenly bashful as a beautiful blush coloured his cheeks. "But perhaps it wasn't the worst thing. I mean it wasn't bad mind control, not like what you're talking about, not like what happened during the war."

"Yes and we were very lucky to be released when we were, before anything bad could happen," Scorpius replied, refusing to budge on his stance, but he wasn't as harsh as before in the wake of Albus' rosy cheeks.

"Stop acting like we were possessed by the Bloody Baron, they're two lovers for Heaven's sake, not serial killers," Albus teased.

"You don't know that," Scorpius insisted. "You feel them for a second, in one moment, and you think you know these people? You don't. What does it matter anyway, its not like we're going back in there, right?" Albus didn't reply. "Right?"

Choosing not to answer Scorpius Albus quickly threw a question back at him. "I understand what you're trying to say, but you should at least try and understand what I'm saying?" Albus sighed, like he was trying his best not to get angry.

"I understand you don't completely grasp the seriousness of what just happened," he replied evenly.

"I grasp it just fine, but I think in this particular situation you're overreacting," Albus accused.

"Overreacting!?" Scorpius gasped. Albus Potter was a very worrying young man and he wondered what he was getting himself into fancying this boy who was likely to get him killed one day. He was not meant to be brave, he was too smart for that – he was a Slytherin after all – but Albus, he was so much the idiotic Gryffindor it had taken him by surprise, it probably shouldn't have, but it did.

"Yes," Albus said firmly with a single sharp nod of his head. "Just listen for a moment. I think the spirit of Henry is the man who previously used this office and Catherine was his lover. Catherine's name came up in some of those love letters so I think it's a pretty safe bet that he was the last person to use this office."

Albus paced the room as he spoke as though he was thinking out loud to himself as much as talking to Scorpius. The pacing made Scorpius nervous because he could see now just how absorbed Albus was with what just happened, he would never be able to change his mind – stubbornness was a Gryffindor trait as well.

"Henry and Catherine had to hide their love for some reason, otherwise why would they have a secret room? I bet they used to meet there to be together," Albus continued. "They've died obviously, but their spirits felt young, don't you think?"

Scorpius had been concentrating on watching Albus walk back and forth while thinking of the many reasons why a couple would hide their love and the possible consequences for that; none of them were good. It took him a moment to realise Albus was staring at him awaiting his response. "Er, yeah, I guess," he shrugged, not really wanting to encourage the Gryffindor any further.

"So why did they die so young?" Albus asked, but it was obvious he wasn't expecting an answer; he knew there was none Scorpius could give. "Why did they have to hide their love?"

"Why do you even care?" Scorpius huffed. "Can't we just count this as a lucky escape and leave those spirits to themselves?"

"I just want to feel that way again," he said quietly. "I want to feel that love again, that need. Didn't you think it was the most incredible thing?"

Scorpius smiled, despite the worry he felt at Albus' reaction to this serious moment. "Yes, it was incredible," he said softly, not just talking about the love Henry felt for Catherine.

"I want to know why they're there," Albus declared. "It's not normal is it, for spirits to hang around in this world? They should have moved on and if they didn't, they should have left an imprint like Nick or the Baron, right?"

"You know, I don't know a hell of a lot about the afterlife… that stuff sort of freaks me out a little bit," Scorpius admitted with a frown.

"I don't know that much myself, but I think Rose questioned Nearly Headless Nick about that sort of stuff when her Pa Granger died last year," Albus mused. "But I don't know if I want to tell her about anything yet."

"Let's not tell anyone, let's just forget about it then," Scorpius suggested. He loved the idea of kissing Albus again but he wanted to do it on his own terms, not through some lovesick ghost.

"I want to learn more about them first," Albus continued as though Scorpius hadn't said anything. "Aren't you curious about who they were? Why they had to keep their love a secret?"

"Not in the least, Albus, they're dead," Scorpius huffed. "You should focus on finding love like that for yourself if you're so keen on feeling that way again, focus on the living, you never know what's right in front of you."

"Do you think if I owl the owners of the house, they'll know about the family who lived here last? Perhaps they have a family tree, we can see if there's a Henry and if he married someone named Catherine," Albus said, thinking out loud and moving around the desk towards the drawers. His eyes glowed with excitement as the thrill of a mystery gripped him tightly.

"You're going to make me do this, aren't you?" Scorpius sighed, sounding as though he had been beaten and defeated.

"I can't make you do anything," Albus smirked as he rifled through the desk drawers looking for clues on Catherine and Henry. "But I sure would appreciate the help, who else will save me if my curiosity gets the better of me again? I hear it kills."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and began helping Albus look over the aged parchment locked away in the desk drawers looking for information on the two lovers, disregarding the brittle old quills and dry ink pots they found amongst it all.

Albus lay still in his bed later that night, he could feel the crispness of the sheets that encircled him, and he wondered if Scorpius was lying awake too. After everything that had happened that day he wouldn't be surprised. He certainly couldn't sleep. His mind was buzzing so much he was surprised his thoughts didn't pierce the quiet darkness around him so that everyone could hear them.

He was thinking about Catherine and Henry, who they were and why they were forced to love in secret. After inspecting the drawers of the study Albus deduced that the large room belonged to his Henry, it made sense after all, he could guard the entrance to the room best if it was in his study. But Catherine was a mystery, he didn't know who she was, there were no clues about her. Albus remembered getting the feeling they were hiding things from Henry's father more than anyone else, but no reasons why.

Albus didn't know why his thoughts were so stuck on these spirits; he just knew he needed to help them. He felt like they weren't together, even though they haunted the same room, they still weren't together and it felt wrong, especially now that he knew how deeply they felt for each other. Scorpius thought he was crazy, he thought these ghosts were dangerous, but Albus knew that just because they were dead, it didn't mean they weren't still real people with real feelings. He couldn't just forget about them.

And then, of course, there was Scorpius.

Scorpius.

They'd kissed and it was wonderful, better than he could have ever imagined and he'd gotten lost in it, even after he'd come back to himself. Scorpius had moaned into his mouth and it brought the reality of the situation crashing back down to Earth. He was kissing Scorpius! The straight, pureblood son of his father's childhood enemy. The most beautiful boy he'd ever seen.

The confusing part was that Scorpius didn't really seem to care and that notion had him staring wide-eyed into the darkness long after he should have been asleep. How could a straight boy not mind being thoroughly kissed by a gay boy?

The only thing Albus could think of was that Scorpius may not be as straight as he first thought. The idea that Scorpius may reciprocate Albus' feelings, even in a small way, had a storm of butterflies flapping about in his stomach.

Albus turned his head to gaze over at where he knew Scorpius was sleeping, or at least pretending to, but the inky black night prevented him from seeing the Slytherin's form.

Albus turned back, mildly disappointed. The boy he liked might just like him back. What was he supposed to do now?

Okay, so I hope that wasn't too confusing. The possession part I mean... I sort of imagined it more like the Angel/Angelus switch were the spirits' consciousness takes over completely. Albus and Scorpius will remember what happened, but they have no conscious thought while they are possessed.

So tell me what you think now you all have the crux of the story...