Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

Note: Original character cameo just for my own amusement, not a crossover of any sort. Also sorry this is a bit filler and took so long, having problems with this one.

Decisions Made

Stepping out of the house a half an hour later Scorpius and Albus's full attention was on the envelope currently burning a figurative hole in the Gryffindor's pocket. Apparently their victim had left behind a manila envelope in the family bank vault, which had instructions written on it to turn the contents over to the Aurors in charge of his case if he were to die of seemingly natural causes without prior warning of a fatal condition. The widow had found the addition to her husband's vault the day before and had not opened the envelope, requesting that they wait until they had left the house to open it themselves. She didn't know what information lay within it and she didn't want to know. It was obvious to both men that she'd spooked herself good and Albus's reassurances hadn't calmed her down in the slightest.

The two Aurors headed to Scorpius's place since his was closest, and making a beeline for the parlor the two sat down on his couch, Albus having to concentrate on what he was doing so as not to rip the envelope apart in his eagerness to see what was waiting for them inside.

Seconds later, staring down at the single piece of parchment before them, both men cursed as they discovered that it was in code. It just figured with the way things were going, they decided, currently not liking their victim at all.

After they'd both studied it for a good twenty minutes Albus stated the obvious. "Looks like we'll have to enlist Hugo's help again. This is so not our area of expertise. I'll drop it off at his place before I go to my parents' place for dinner tonight and hopefully he'll be able to make heads or tails of it ASAP. Given that our main suspect is from Spain there's even the chance it will be in Spanish, which neither of us speaks so he'll have to translate that on top of everything else."

"The way our luck is going it will be a dead language not even your brainiac cousins have heard of." Was Scorpius dark opinion on the matter.

Albus's lips twitched as he reached out to pat the Slytherin's shoulder, tensing too when he felt the muscles coiling under his fingers in reaction to his touch. Turning his head to meet Scorpius's gaze Albus stared at him, his eyes full of questions as he instinctively dug his fingers in, massaging the tense muscles there as he tried to work them out, like he was trying to work what was going on behind the other man's deceptively calm eyes. "Scorpius?"

"What?"

Now that they had that taken care of the case as much as they could for the moment Albus screwed up his courage and then turned so that he could face Scorpius better as he asked the question that hadn't stopped turning around in his head since he'd learned that he'd forgotten telling the Slytherin something the night before, something important.

"Are you going to tell me now what I said last night?"

Shifting in turn so that they were closer too Scorpius had already decided not to bullshit or hedge around the issue. "You said that you love me."

Eyes widening the Gryffindor felt every drop of color leave his face. He'd said what? What the hell? No way he had…he tended to talk when he was drifting off. His siblings had ribbed him about that fact plenty when they were kids. In fact, now that he thought about it, he'd gotten nailed by his mother for a prank he'd pulled on James once because she'd asked him if he'd done it while he was half asleep.

And though his mind was screaming at him to pussyfoot around things and pass off his love confession as the love of partners, friends or even brothers, Albus dismissed the copouts. The look in Scorpius's eyes made it clear that if he lied or gave the Slytherin half truths now…his partner would never forgive him later on if he found out the truth. Scorpius was calling him out, silently asking him to be man enough to own up to what he'd stupidly let slip the night before.

Was he man enough to fess up, Albus wondered even as his heart accepted that it was time.

"So you're angry because of my feelings for you?"

Okay, he hadn't expected him to give in that quickly, but since he had Scorpius refused to back down as his pounding heartbeat nearly deafened him. "What I want to know is if you meant it, Potter."

Reflexively crossing his arms in front of him in a protective motion Albus's stubborn Gryffindor pride was there in the proud tilt of his jaw as he refused to let his fears beat him down. The cat was out of the bag, he thought fiercely, and only an idiot tried to put a cat in a bag, especially for a second time. That was just asking to be torn to bloody shreds while you screamed bloody murder. Not that Scorpius wasn't liable to tear him to shreds very shortly, but at least it wouldn't be for lying to him.

"Yes, I meant it." And taking a deep, hopefully not too obvious breath Albus knowingly stated his feelings for the first time out loud. "I love you."

"And just why the hell is this the first I'm hearing about it?"

Briefly Albus considered stating that it was a recent thing, but again, what was the point now? "This is the first you're hearing about it because you've never said or done anything to make me think that you'd be interested in a serious, romantic relationship with me. And we're friends, best friends. That's not something I'd risk losing…though apparently my subconscious decided that wasn't the case last night."

Raising his hand Scorpius placed it against the Gryffindor's cheek, his fingers automatically stroking the skin there as he stared into the other man's eyes. "And what would you say if I told you that I'd been waiting for you to say or do something to indicate romantic interest in me?"

A shudder running through him Albus reached up and placed his hand over the Slytherin's. "Is that what you're saying?"

"That's what I'm saying."

So many different emotions welled up inside of him, Albus finding it impossible to pick which one to latch onto. Hope at the idea that maybe, just maybe his partner returned his feelings, anger that they might have been wasting time they could have spent together, exasperation at the both of them for possibly taking so long, fear that this was all a dream or would somehow blow up in their faces. And a whole bunch more he didn't even have names for.

"Dammit, why the hell didn't you make a damn move then!" Albus finally blurted out. "You're always saying you're more of a man than I am, you should have made the damn move!"

"Says the cowardly man who couldn't admit he loved me without having being asleep as an excuse." Scorpius shot back defensively.

"You're a bigger coward than I am, at least I said it regardless."

The two men glared at each other, neither wanting to accept more blame than the other for the situation they'd found themselves in. That and they were more comfortable fighting than they were confessing their feelings for each other, they both silently acknowledged.

Annoyance written all over his face Scorpius finally reached into his pocket with his free hand and retrieved the item he'd purchased before going to meet Albus at the McEntyre house. Pulling it out Scorpius slid his other hand out of the Gryffindor's grasp and then took that hand by the wrist so that he could slap the item into the other man's palm.

Staring down at the key it took Albus a moment to realize why the Slytherin would be giving him such a thing at such a time. "Your key?"

"My key. You have dinner with your family tonight and you need to get that letter to your cousin…so if you're serious about being in love with me and wanting a relationship, living together, being exclusive and all that…then come here afterwards. I'll…be waiting for you."

Closing his fingers around the key Albus studied his partner's face. "You're kicking me out because you didn't expect me to admit how I feel about you, aren't you? You hate making moves without considering all your options and plotting everything out."

Since that was hitting just a little too close to home Scorpius framed the man's face between his hands and drew Albus close for a kiss that made it absolutely, one hundred percent clear that he wanted the other man naked and under him at the first available opportunity.

Groaning low in his throat Albus snogged him right back, having to call upon all his strength not to climb into the man's lap and creatively torture the other man into telling him just how he felt about him in return.

And when the kiss finally ended it was the Gryffindor's turn to ask his partner point blank how he felt about him.

Typical Slytherin that he was, Scorpius answered that if he wanted to know that he'd have to come by later that night, as previously stated.

)

Louis walked up the laneway hoping desperately that he'd interrupt the Slytherin in the middle of the other man's dinner. Then not only would he hopefully give the man indigestion, but then he wouldn't have to share the meal he'd brought with him with the assehole he'd been stupid enough to sleep with the night before. Looking down at the basket he carried, with all his favorite foods, Louis comforted himself by reminding himself that regardless of what happened he would soon be eating the treats inside.

It didn't help.

Marching up to the man's door Louis knocked hard, taking heart when there was no response. Excellent, now he could write a biting note, leave it in the mailbox, and he wouldn't seem like a coward who couldn't face his first and last one night stand.

But even as he accepted the fact that Rorake wasn't in the house Louis couldn't quite silence the voice in the back of his mind that stated he had to at least check out the greenhouse before he assumed that the Slytherin was nowhere on the property.

So with a very put upon face the Gryffindor headed back down and then around the house, walking the short distance to towards the greenhouse with ground eating steps. Setting the basket down outside the building Louis peered through the door's window, eyes flashing furiously at the sight that greeted him.

"You son of a Slytherin!" Grasping the door handle Louis had it open in a flash, striding forward with a look on his face that was very reminiscent of his Veela ancestors. "You cheating, good for nothing Slytherin bastard! How dare you! If you think any man cheats on me and lives to tell the tale you're so mistaken that if I were to let you live you'd need to get your puny, undersized brain studied by professionals! Of course they'd have to find it first, but I'd be happy to open your head up for them!"

"Sorry, he yells a lot." Rorake told the other man as he went back to what he'd been doing, which was trying to spot the eyelash that had gotten into his friend's eye.

If the situation were different Christopher would have rolled his eyes at the situation he now found himself in. As it was he was thinking maybe they should shift their positions so that they both could see the blonde who was apparently dating his friend and wished him dead better.

"I'm going to do a lot more than…what ARE you doing?"

"Removing an eyelash."

Blinking as the man's words registered Louis's cheeks flushed bright red, utterly mortified by his own behavior. He'd sounded like a…like a….

"Yes, you were acting like a jealous lover." Rorake informed the Gryffindor, reading the other man's face easily when he glanced over to make sure that Louis was no longer on the attack. "And I wouldn't advise attacking me since Christopher here can and will flatten you like a pancake."

Looking at the man with eyes that weren't tinged with murderous rage Louis had to admit that the Slytherin had a point. The other man was very tall and built, even more than Rorake or his own Uncle Charlie. And when he really looked and noticed the scars decorating the man's throat, which looked like claw marks to him, Louis had to admit that the man did look like a serious badass. And though he was a pretty big badass when he was angry Louis had to admit, if only to himself, that it was probably for the best that he wasn't going to be fighting the man for Rorake. Not that he wanted the Slytherin bad enough to fight for him…but it was the principle of the thing.

"Christopher, this is Louis Weasley. Weasley, this is Christopher Worden. He doesn't talk which is probably for the best in this case. He won't talk to you that way." Rorake told Christopher, who smirked a little.

Coming to the conclusion that the scars on the man's throat had affected the man's ability to speak Louis felt a stir of pity. Not only did the man have to suffer Rorake's presence, but he couldn't yell at the Slytherin bastard on top of it. That had to seriously suck.

Amused by the two of them Christopher pulled out his ever handy pad of paper and a pencil and quickly scrawled a note for his friend stating that he was going to head out so that the two of them could fight and have their make up sex without him around to spoil the mood.

"The first is a given. The second not so likely." Rorake informed him after reading over the message.

Christopher just smiled and returned his writing tools to his pocket, looking over at Louis and nodding a polite good bye before heading out, leaving the two men alone in the greenhouse.

"What's a given?" Louis asked as soon as the door shut behind them.

"That you and I are going to fight." Smirking at the Gryffindor Rorake nodded his head in the direction of the door. "But not in here since the last thing I need is for you to throw a hissy fit with all my gardening tools around for you to use for emphasis. Besides, I haven't had dinner yet and one should never deal with you on an empty stomach. You can start up again after I've made myself a sandwich."

"What's the not so likely?" Louis asked, deliberately shifting a little so that he was somewhat blocking the Slytherin's direct path to the door.

How the blonde did amuse him, Rorake thought as he shoved his hands into his pockets, just in case he would momentarily be requiring his wand to defend himself. "The likelihood that I'll get make up sex after you get done yelling at me."

Lips immediately curving into a scowl Louis gave the Slytherin a dark look. "Yeah, I really, really wouldn't count on that, Boyo."

"I wasn't. Though if that should become part of the menu I won't complain."

"Of course you won't complain. No man in his right mind would complain about having sex with me."

Shaking his head Rorake started forward, forcing the other man backwards since he refused to be stopped. Of course the Gryffindor dug in his heels as soon as he realized what Rorake was doing, so the Slytherin solved that problem by pulling out his hands from his pockets, setting hands on either side of the man's hips and then lifting so that he was carrying the struck dumb Gryffindor towards the door.

Ah but silence where Louis Weasley was concerned was to be savored. It never lasted long.

)

Scorpius stood in his hallway that night, course of action undecided, and hating the feeling. His attempts to eat his supper had failed horribly, his mind had been too consumed with the question of whether Albus would come to him or not. So now what was he supposed to do? Drinking was out of the question on an empty stomach, and he wanted to remember every detail of tonight if his partner did show up. What if he didn't show up? Damn, damn, damn, the Slytherin thought as he once again mushed his hair terribly by rubbing his hands over it in agitation. Though fixing it did give him something to do.

And maybe a cold shower was in order.

Reaching down Scorpius grasped the hem of his shirt and lifted it up and over his head, holding the article of clothing in one hand as he turned to head for the shower. He'd have a nice, long, as cold as he could stand shower since Potter dinners tended to take a while and even if Albus was coming the man wouldn't be free to come to him for at least another hour.

Unfortunately.

The Slytherin had taken only a couple steps when a shiver of awareness went up his spine, one that had him whirling around to find the man he'd been waiting for coming towards him, breathing hard and staring at him like he'd never seen him before.

"I…I couldn't eat anything…and everyone was saying how weird I was acting and…and I couldn't wait and I left in the middle and I…Scorpius."

Hurrying forward, unable to say any more, Albus reached out and framing Scorpius's face between his hands pressed his lips against the other man's, groaning in pleasure and relief when the Slytherin's arms banded around him to keep him in place as they pressed close to the other, both knowing how the night would end.

Hands moving over the other's body, Scorpius quickly disposing of Albus's jacket and then his jumper, the clothing falling to the floor while their mouths desperately slanted over the other's, tongues dueling as they held nothing back for the first time.

They were hiding nothing now and they were eager to bare themselves to the other, both figuratively and literally.