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Closer To You

Louis struggled in the Slytherin's grasp, but there was nothing he could do. The other man's grip on his fists was unyielding, though he was pretty sure he wouldn't have bruises later despite the delicacy of his skin. The bastard was being very careful with him, blocking his attacks without retaliating in any way which only made him madder. He'd almost prefer the Slytherin taking a swipe at him, so that he could easily ignore the little voice in the back of his mind that said he was behaving like a grumpy toddler to Rorake's mature adult.

When all his struggling did nothing but wear him out Louis finally sagged in defeat against the Slytherin's broad chest. "Every time I see you now I end up exhausted, pissed off, or both." The Gryffindor muttered against the man's shoulder as he leaned his forehead there for support. "You're just too damn big for me to take down."

Rorake chuckled, and sensing that the blonde had cooled down temper wise Rorake moved one arm around the Gryffindor's waist since the tantrum had obviously worn the other man right out. "First time I've had a man in my arms who told me he wished I was smaller."

Blinking in surprise at the Slytherin's statement Louis couldn't help but look down towards the other man's crotch. Against his will the Gryffindor was once again reminded of that now annoying saying about a man's thumbs indicating the size of his penis. And the annoying Rorake Goyle's hands were huge, which automatically forced his stupid, treacherous mind to think about things he shouldn't be thinking, dammit!

That the blonde had suddenly gone quiet couldn't possible be good for him, Rorake mused, fairly sure he didn't want to know what the Gryffindor was thinking about. The man's mind was probably a very, very scary place.

In the hopes of changing the direction of his thoughts Louis threw out a question that had nothing to do with his mind's speculations as to just how well endowed the Slytherin might be. "So you think Al and your evil friend have made up by now?"

"Probably. They've never been able to stay mad at each other for long."

A thought occurring to him Louis tipped his head back so that he could see the other man's face. "You aren't one of the reasons they haven't gotten naked yet, are you?"

Rorake laughed and shook his head. "I've been telling the both of them to jump each other for years."

He'd never been thrilled at the idea of Scorpius Malfoy joining their family, but Louis was far too intelligent to miss the fact that his best friend and Malfoy were two interlocking pieces of one whole. The two just fit and everyone who cared about either of them had long ago come to the conclusion that the star crossed lovers would never be as happy with someone else so they were just going to have to suck it up and bear the unwanted addition to their future family.

That the lovers themselves weren't yet lovers by choice was just one big cosmic joke on them all.

"If I didn't hate you I'd suggest we team up against them." Louis mused out loud, trying to ignore how good the other man smelled now that he wasn't trying to pummel the jerk for manhandling and making fun of him.

"Teaming up with you would not end well." Rorake agreed with a smirk. 'Entertaining, but it would not end well."

Louis had to agree.

Reaching out Rorake rubbed his knuckles over the Gryffindor's head, knowing how much this would annoy the man. "Trying to kick me in the balls. Talk about your cheap shots. You sure you aren't a girl?"

"It's only a cheap shot if there's something there to hit, Mr. Slytherin." Louis shot back sweetly, fighting back the urge to smooth down his hair since he knew the man had done it just so that he could make cracks about his vanity.

Rorake just smirked. "Hah. Very funny."

Louis smirked right back in true Weasley style. "Congratulation on having a sense of humor about your shortcomings. Very mature of you."

)

Potter was kissing up to him big time, Scorpius thought as he walked through the office door the Gryffindor was holding open for him. Not that that was any surprise since his partner was one of those people who felt terrible when they hurt the feelings of someone else without meaning to. Hell, he'd seen the other man feel bad about being mean to people who had deserved worse than what the Gryffindor had dished out. It was just one of many weird quirks his partner had that exasperated him even as he found them secretly adorable.

Closing their door behind him Albus withdrew his wand and quickly locked their office up for the night, the wards they had around their space more sophisticated than most. They were both paranoid about that sort of thing.

That done the two headed out, not surprised that they were the last of their shift to be heading home. That too was standard for them. They didn't have families or significant others to go home to so they had no reason to hurry home to their respective residences.

And both preferred the other's company to anyone else's anyway.

Feeling a little sick from all he'd eaten, the Gryffindor hadn't fought him for their shared favorites like usual as part of his groveling, Scorpius figured he'd go home and go straight to bed despite the still early hour. He was just too full to want to do anything else.

Walking side by side Albus didn't want to make things worse, but figured that it had to be brought up and it would probably be best if he were the one to do it. Unfortunately. "I have a date with Santana tomorrow." Again, unfortunately.

"Where and when?"

Knowing better than to argue Albus gave the Slytherin the information he wanted.

Looking sideways at the other man Scorpius couldn't stop himself from being a bit nasty still. "You aren't going to try to wiggle out of giving me the info?"

"Would I have told you I had a date if I didn't also intend to let you know the details?" Albus countered with a knowing look in his eyes. "You're smart enough to know I'd probably be seeing him this weekend and this will save you from a boring weekend spent tailing me."

"Thanks for that." Was the Slytherin's sarcastic reply. "Anyway, with the information your brainiac cousin gave us, I'm starting to get an idea of how to yank the Spanish bastard's chain a little. We need to get him to make a move."

Albus did not like the sound of that. "What kind of idea?"

"He doesn't like me. Not hard to figure out why, now that we know what makes him tick. He probably assumes that I'm just like my family and that I'm using my position within our government to protect myself and my ilk from facing justice for whatever crimes he thinks we're all still committing. He probably sees my association with you as particularly bad because our closeness would indicate I have some sway over you and therefore would be using you and your family to further my own self interests."

"Because you're so charming." Albus drawled out, rolling his eyes. "Of course I'd be helpless to resist your handsome face, gorgeous body, and unbelievably appealing personality. I'm practically wound around your bloody finger."

"You think my body is gorgeous?"

Rolling his eyes again Albus had to grin. "I was being sarcastic. And I've seen better."

"Them's fighting words." The Slytherin drawled out, elbowing the man lightly in the side. "But as I was saying, I think I know how we can use Santana's hatred towards me to find out more about him. You have your date tomorrow, I show up, horn in, and make it clear that I don't want him around you. He in turn will see me as a threat and maybe we'll get lucky and he'll be stupid enough to try and take a shot for me."

Albus's eyes narrowed and darkened. "You think I'll let you use yourself as bait? What, is this my punishment for not telling you what I suspected about Santana beforehand?"

"Please, I can come up with loads of better punishments than that. And I won't be bait. I'm not the bait type. I'll be the thorn in his side that hopefully he'll be dumb enough to try and pull out. And when that happens I'll prick the prick and see that he's the one left bleeding. On his way to lock up of course." Scorpius added with a deliberately exaggerated look of innocence. "And before you ride off on your high horse let me remind you that you've been using yourself as bait, dumbass, so that argument's off. You might think he won't harm you, but you couldn't have been completely sure of that either."

Crossing his arms in front of him Albus stopped walking. "So what, you're going to play the jealous partner? You really think that will send him after you? He's not an idiot, Scorpius. Any sentient being knows you aren't the type they want hunting for them."

"I was thinking more of the jealous, wannabe lover role, actually." Scorpius didn't bother to comment on the other part since he completely agreed that only an idiot would fail to realize he wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. Santana had already proved himself to be that stupid after all, thinking he could mess with Albus and get away with it while under his watch. "People are always saying we give off the lover vibes anyway, might as well take advantage of that. If he thinks I'm dangerous just as partner, imagine how much more of a threat I'll be in his eyes if he thinks I might soon be in bed with your family?"

"So I'm to play the role of the man you're secretly in love with?" Albus asked his partner, his face unreadable as he hid his thoughts on the matter. "Too good for you, so you suffer in silence, pining for me day after day, hating every man that tries to steal me away from you while banging your little boy toys in a desperate attempt to get over me."

Scorpius's face was just as unreadable. "That would work well enough I suppose. And you can be the heartless ass who daily tramples over my heart without a clue, flirting away without any consideration for my feelings."

A raised eyebrow was all the expression Albus would allow himself as the man's insinuations danced in his head, blazing a trail to form new ideas and possibilities. They weren't being serious of course, not really, but still…

"I can be an ass, but I've never been told I'm heartless before."

"Completely, and utterly heartless, that's you."

"If the guy I'm playing is heartless than what does that make you? In love with me but not having the guts to come out and say it, using stupid boy bimbos that you're not at all interested in. That sounds pretty heartless to me."

Scorpius's lips twitched.

"I guess that's what makes us such compatible partners. We both treat each other's feelings without any consideration." Albus replied softly, no bite in his words. In fact, there were whiffs of self deprecation in them as he continued. "Though you'd think we'd like the idea of the other being bait a lot more, if we were the heartless people we'd be pretending to be instead of two people who would do anything for the other."

"Anything for each other, huh? Could I have that in writing?" Scorpius asked as he reached out and pretended to adjust the other man's collar.

Reaching up the Gryffindor wrapped his fingers around the other man's wrist, giving it a light squeeze. "Yeah, you can, if you like. Though I trust you enough not to need it spelled out in writing."

"Hmm." Smiling a little Scorpius nodded. "Fair enough. Now let's get you home so that you can get your beauty sleep. Wouldn't want you to scare Santana off by letting him see how ugly you look after an all nighter."

"You look worse."

"That's a matter of opinion."

Albus smirked. "I have pictures to prove it."

"So do I."

The two looked at each other and smiled in tandem, falling back into step as they walked down the street together with familiar, constant ease.

)

The next day Scorpius stood outside the restaurant as he waited for the other two to arrive, staying out of sight so that it wouldn't be obvious what he was doing or why. It would certainly end his week with a bang if he were to be arrested or suspected of stalking his partner. And man but he was tired, the Slytherin thought as he rubbed a hand over his face, wishing he could just wipe away the urge to go back to bed. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, unable to forget what his partner had said about how he'd be a heartless coward if the scenario they'd worked out for this little operation were real.

Was he a heartless coward?

He was halfway in love with Albus Potter after all. He had been for years.

If asked he couldn't have told anyone when he'd started, it had been so gradual and under his radar that he hadn't even realized that he'd started to fall. And he'd never said anything for the simple fact that the Gryffindor hadn't just wormed his way into his heart, but into his very being, to the point where he couldn't imagine living without the other man. To the point where he couldn't bear the idea of them not being close. And they were so close that he understood perfectly why people so often mistook them for lovers. If not for that closeness he probably would have done something really stupid by now, Scorpius silently admitted to himself as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Albus loved him, just not the way he wished the Gryffindor to love him. There had always been a sexual attraction between them, but they'd always drawn lines there because they both had the sense to know that a failed relationship in that department would permanently scar or even break the unique bond they both treasured. And he just wasn't willing to risk losing the man who was quite possibly the love of his life because the man didn't love him the way he wanted the Gryffindor to. Because it went without saying that if they crossed their lines his partner would know how he really felt about him, and that too would change the nature and closeness of their bond.

Was he a heartless coward for not telling the other man how he felt? He didn't think so. But Rory had told him more than once he was wrong not to give the Gryffindor the words. And now that Albus had said what he'd said…he didn't know what to do.

Especially since he'd decided that he wouldn't let himself fall all the way in love with the man unless the Gryffindor fell first.

And speaking of the man who made his life so complicated and eventful, here he was now.

Lips curving as he recognized the shirt the other man was wearing, one he'd given him, Scorpius figured that his partner had done it deliberately. Nice touch, he'd give him that.

Walking up the steps the Gryffindor made no move to acknowledge his partner or indicate he even knew he was there. Looking well groomed and handsome, the shirt matching his eyes perfectly, Albus made a minute adjustment to his jacket, covertly stealing a glance in the Slytherin's direction. Damn but he was looking fine tonight, Albus thought with a brief flicker of appreciation before he reached out to grasp the door knob for the restaurant.

Stepping into the lobby area Albus shrugged out of his jacket as he walked over to the coat closet. Absently he wondered if the Slytherin had decided to dress with him in mind, then dismissed the idea as stupid. Wishful thinking on his part.

Not that it would be in his best interest for his partner to realize how easily the Slytherin could manipulate him. Scorpius had been sarcastic the day before, but the man hadn't been that far off about the power he had over him, even if his partner didn't know it. Nobody manipulated you like your loved ones after all, Albus thought wryly as he walked up to the hostess, giving her Santana's name for the reservation. Of course he was only half in love with his idiot partner, he refused to be more than that. He refused to be in love with a man, any man, who didn't love him in return. That was happily ever after suicide.

And if the Slytherin didn't have the sense to fall in love with him then he wasn't good enough for him.

Probably.

Oh but he hoped so.

Because even ten more years of being half in love with his partner, without his feelings being returned, would drive him to do something incredibly stupid and life altering.

Like tie the Slytherin to his bed and screw the man's brains out until the man agreed to love and marry him.

Especially since as the years went by that idea was starting to sound better and better.