Author's Note: This isn't my favorite chapter, but there was nothing specific I could think to change so...here it is.

-SQ

Disclaimer: My situation, Jo's world.

Chapter Fifteen: Quidditch of Course

When Scorpius woke the next morning his first coherent thought was Sweet Merlin, I kissed a boy! I kissed a boy, I kissed a boy, I kissed a boy...

He sat up and glanced toward the other bed, where Albus was lying, still asleep.

I kissed Albus, he thought. I kissed my best friend...I kissed a boy! And, sweet Merlin, I want to do it again.

Scorpius was no stranger to kissing; he'd had his first kiss with Amelia Boot behind the suit of armor outside the History of Magic classroom back in his first year. Anthony Quirke had dared him to. Since then he had had numerous girlfriends. Albus and Rose had always come first though. Girlfriends came and went, but best friends were forever.

What if Albus and I date and then break up? He thought. Then I'll lose him. Then, Hold on, back up, 'What if Albus and I date'?

He rubbed his forehead. How had he completely missed this? How could he just suddenly start feeling this way about Albus? About a boy! Albus has always meant the world to him, of course he had, but just when had those feelings started to be more than platonic? Had he felt this way before Albus had told him he loved him? He must have in some way, they couldn't have just come out of the blue, things didn't work like that. Had he ever had romantic feelings toward another boy before? Scorpius just didn't know. He'd never even thought about being gay before. No, that was a lie, he had once...

Scorpius was twelve years old. He had grown a whole inch in the last month, he would be starting at his second year at Hogwarts in the fall, and he was just beginning to take a real interest in what boys and girls did together. He was walking with his mother through the park when a couple caught his eye. This wasn't unusual; there were many couples in the park and lately most of them had been catching Scorpius's eye. What was different about this couple is that they were both men. One of the men had wrapped his arms around the other one, pressing him into the trunk of a tree. The second man laced his fingers through his partner's hair and pulled his lips down to meet his own. Scorpius watched, fascinated. Two men could kiss each other? What would it be like to kiss another boy?

Scorpius's mother broke through his musings.

"Scorpius! Stop watching that disgusting display!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the kissing couple. "This is a public park where children play, I should file a complaint! Men do not kiss other men, it is vulgar and wrong and unnatural. Men belong with women and women with men, and one day you will marry a beautiful woman. Do you understand, Scorpius?"

"Yes mother."

Of course, Scorpius had never seen what was so bad about men being interested in other men, and his growing suspicion that Albus was gay had never bothered him, but it wasn't really difficult to guess why he had never even considered questioning his own sexuality. Straight had always been the only option available to him.

Scorpius looked back over at Albus and felt his stomach buzz and his face go warm. There was no denying it, one kiss and he already had it bad for the other boy. His mother was not going to like this.

Scorpius stood and stretched, glancing at the clock. It was ten o'clock. He pulled on a shirt and jeans and went over to the sleeping boy in the other bed.

"Albus Severus?" He touched Albus's shoulder softly. "Albus Severus, wake up."

Albus rolled over and blinked drowsily at him.

"Hi."

"Hi," said Scorpius, smiling down at his friend.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," said Scorpius. "I don't think I quite have all my strength back yet, but I don't feel sick anymore."

Albus sat up. "That's great, Scor, that's really great."

"Listen, Albus Severus, I've been thinking, and—"

Albus held up his hand. "I know. And you don't think that anything can ever work between us because you just don't swing that way. I understand."

"Albus Severus, let me finish. I've been thinking and I realized that there's a part of me that my subconscious has been suppressing for a long time. When I was twelve my mother told me that men belonged with women and women with men and that I would grow up to marry a beautiful woman. End of story. It was right after I'd seen two men kissing and was wondering what it would be like to kiss another boy. All my girlfriends have always been expendable. I've liked them well enough, sure, but they always took second place to you and Rose. You've always been the most important person in my life, since I was eleven years old and met you on the Hogwarts Express; I could just never see past the law that my mother laid down to see what the implications of that were."

"Scorpius, are you trying to tell me that you like me?"

"No," said Scorpius. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you."

For a second Albus just sat there as though he were in shock, then he burst into tears.

"Albus Severus! Merlin, what's wrong?"

Albus just continued to sob.

Scorpius gripped Albus's shoulders. "Albus Severus!"

Albus buried his face in Scorpius's chest for the second time in as many days. Blond hair showed from under Scorpius's half-buttoned button-up. It was soft and silky on Albus's cheek.

"Did I say something wrong, Albus Severus?" asked Scorpius.

"No," sobbed Albus. "No. Say it again, please say it again. I want to know that my ears weren't playing tricks on me."

"I love you, Albus Severus," said Scorpius, wrapping his arms firmly around Albus's shoulders. "Please don't cry. I love you."

Albus raised his head from Scorpius's chest. "I'm sorry, Scor, I'm such a wimp sometimes."

Scorpius shook his head. "Never. You're not a wimp, you're just...sensitive."

"And that doesn't make me a wimp?"

"Of course not." He bent his head to nuzzle Albus's neck.

Albus gasped. "Merlin help you, Scorpius Malfoy, if you're toying with me."

"I wouldn't toy with you Albus Severus." He pulled back. "But what if this doesn't work? What happens if we break up?"

Albus shook his head. "Stop worrying about hypotheticals. Worrying is my job. Besides, we can only break up if we're officially together." He raised his eyebrows at Scorpius.

"My mother..."

Albus touched Scorpius's cheek. "Now that it's been turned on again, do you really think you could ignore this part of you?"

"No," said Scorpius. "You're right. And I wouldn't want to. I feel more with you than I ever did with any of those girls." He slid his arms around Albus's waist. "I'm tired of playing her games. I love you, and to hell with everything else."

He leaned forward until he had Albus pinned to the bed beneath him. Their chests were pressed together as they kissed and they could feel each other's heartbeats beginning to accelerate. Albus tenderly stroked Scorpius's hair as Scorpius marveled at the difference between Albus and all of the girls he'd kissed. Albus was so much more...present. Solid and sure; his very masculinity was making Scorpius feel heady.

"This is a lot different than kissing a girl," he managed huskily.

Albus moaned but gently pushed Scorpius away. "No further, not right now. You'll tire yourself out." Scorpius was already panting. "You said yourself you wanted to take it slowly. One step at a time." He kissed the blond softly. "I'm not in any rush."

"You're right," said Scorpius. "At least one of us has some sense. "I just...I've been repressing these emotions for so long."

"So have I," said Albus. "But right now it's enough to know you feel the same way about me as I feel about you. It's more than I could have ever hoped for."

"I do," Scorpius assured him, kissing the top of his head.

"You know," said Albus, leaning back from Scorpius to look into his face, "I always thought it would be you and Rose."

"Rose?" said Scorpius in surprise.

"Yeah," said Albus. "I mean, you're best friends, you're always bickering, you're both leaders, both intelligent. My uncle Ron even warned Rosie not to get too friendly with you before we got on the train in our first year because Grandpa Weasley would 'never forgive her if she married a pureblood'"

Scorpius laughed. "I've never once thought about Rose that way, and I've dated most of the girls in our year."

"Really?"

"Really I've never thought about Rose that way or really I've dated most of the girls in our year?"

Albus rolled his eyes and smacked Scorpius's arm. "I know how many girls you've dated. You've really never thought about Rosie that way?"

"Not once," Scorpius assured him.

"Good," said Albus, "because I don't know how I could ever compete with her."

It was Scorpius turn to smack his friend. "Stop it with the inferiority. You are every inch Rose's equal. You just have different strengths, that's all."

Albus blushed.

"Rose and I wouldn't complement each other at all, we're too similar. Opposites attract, remember?"

Albus smiled. "Well, we certainly look the part," he said, indicating Scorpius pale blond locks and his own midnight ones. He stood and offered Scorpius his hands, which he took.

"It's high time for some breakfast. And then maybe we can take a walk, start working on restoring your strength. There's something very important you're going to be needing it for in the future."

"And what would that be?" said Scorpius, raising an eyebrow.

"Quidditch of course," said Albus innocently. "What did you think I meant?"

AN: Still enjoying it? I hope so. Scor's parents come back tomorrow (in the story) evening, which happens in the next chapter.

-SQ