Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her world.

A/N: Disappointed with the flow of reviews lately. If your reading this, please, just leave a review. It doesn't take long. It's not difficult. It's not like I expect an essay; just one or two words to tell me what you think. Seriously. If you're not enjoying it, tell me. If you think I need improvement, tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Title: Family Genes
Genre: Family/Romance
Rating: K+
Warning: N/A
Pairing/Character: Albus, Scorpius, Lily, Rose
Word Count: 598

Albus stared across the Great Hall, head in his hands, lost in daydream. His eyes were glued to a certain blond Slytherin, and that pointed face filled his every thought. His fantasies, however, were interrupted when a hand waved in front of his face, drawing his attention away from the other boy. He looked to his left to see his little sister, Lily, looking at him impatiently.

"Have you listened to a word I said?" the girl snapped.

"No." Honesty was the best policy, so their father said.

"Scorpius again?" Albus knew she knew the answer, and so he merely rolled his eyes. Lily and Rose were the only people who knew about his feelings towards Malfoy and, after the initial shock, they were fine with it. In fact, they supported it. Scorpius, unlike his father, was an alright bloke, and so they saw no reason to resent Albus's feelings. "If you like him so much, why don't you just ask him out?"

"It's not that easy," Albus said, a faint pink blush gracing his cheeks. "and keep your voice down."

It clicked in Lily's mind almost instantly and her jaw dropped. "You've never asked a guy out before?"

Albus's blush deepened. "Not on a real date, no. Just as friends."

"I don't understand," Lily said, shaking her head in mock-shock. "James has a pole up his backside and you're as shy as kitten in the same room as a wailing baby. Am I the only one in this family who's inherited the take-a-chance gene?"

At this point, Rose sat down opposite them, swiping an apple. "Probably," she began, taking a bite on the apple and talking through it. "because if I remember my biology correctly, it's attached to the can't-mind-my-own-business gene."

While Lily stuck her tongue out at her cousin, Albus smiled. "Thanks, Rose."

"Any time. Oh, and if you need a confidence boost … I've had it confirmed by a very reliable source that a certain Scorpius Malfoy is bisexual."

Albus's eyes widened. "What? What reliable source?"

"The teen himself," Rose said, shrugging. "Simple, fifteen minute Truth Potion. Works a charm."

Suddenly, Lily nudged Albus and muttered, "Now's your chance. Look!"

Albus looked up to see Scorpius walking towards the Great Hall. Alone. With a shove from Lily and a "Good luck!" from Rose, Albus was forced from his seat and towards Scorpius. Completely red in the face from embarrassment, he jogged to catch up with Scorpius, taking hold of his arm gently and pulling him around.

"Hi," Albus said, unsure of where to begin.

Scorpius stared at him in silent expectancy.

"I was just w-wondering if you, uhm, if you, if you, uh … would let me borrow your Potions notes. I, uhm, misplaced mine." Albus yelled at himself internally for chickening out.

Scorpius seemed disappointed, but he hid it fairly well. "Yeah, that's fine. They're in my dorm. I'll give them to you later, yeah?"

"Yeah. Okay … Bye."

As Scorpius gave a small smile and walked away, Albus groaned and kicked the wall in anger. He had been so close. The words had been on the tip of his tongue … and he'd chickened out.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, he chanted angrily, storming out the Great Hall. He was gutless.

"You've never asked a guy out before?" ~ "Not on a real date, no." ~ "I don't understand. Am I the only one in this family who's inherited the take-a-chance gene?" ~ "Probably, because if I remember my biology correctly, it's attached to the can't-mind-my-own-business gene." - Charmed.

A/N: We can't always have happy endings, right? (:

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