Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters get in.

Somewhat Heated Discussion

Heading into the greenhouse Albus smiled as always by the sights and smells of the place, remembering his time as a student among the treacherous plants as he tried to fake interest in the subject. He'd always done fairly well in the class, his father's friend seeing to that, but plants or staying still had never been his thing. He preferred to be outdoors whenever possible, the greenhouse inherently wrong to him because the flora suggested he was outside when he really wasn't.

Yue didn't care for the place either, the feline reminding him of that fact by hissing at a leafy vine that had been creeping closer to its head.

"Okay, okay, let's find Neville, then, shall we?"

Wandering deeper into the greenhouse Albus and Yue found the other man happily surrounded by his plants and dirt, some replanting going on from the looks of things. "Hey there."

"Ah, Al, hello." Looking up from what he was doing Neville smiled at them. "And Yue as well, I see. What brings you two by?"

"Yue found this and brought it to me. I think it's yours." Pulling the watch chain out of his robe pocket Albus handed it over, delighted at the grateful smile that crossed his friend's face. He wasn't surprised to hear that the man hadn't even realized it was missing, Neville had been losing things for as long as his family had known him.

Putting the chain into his own pocket Neville came over to give the kneazle a good ear rub to show his thanks, smiling when the creature draped itself over Albus's shoulder so that it could concentrate on enjoying the attention.

Amused by the purring Neville smiled and then turned his attention to his friend's son. "So I saw you chatting with Malfoy the other day. I was surprised."

"Yeah, he has a pet now too, a mostly kneazle named Snow. He and Yue are friends."

Personally he saw himself as the unfortunate feline thrust into the role of babysitter, but Yue couldn't exactly argue his exact role in Snow's life at the moment.

"Well I suppose spending time with you could only do him some good." Neville rolled his eyes, recalling well the joys of teaching the Malfoy's latest heir. Ironically enough the Slytherin had been one of his best students academic wise, one needed plants to create potions after all, but personality wise he'd often caught himself wishing that the Devil's Snare would get ahold of the smart mouthed prat and teach him some respect.

Chuckling, he remembered how the two had gotten along back when he and Malfoy were students, Albus gave Neville a pat on the shoulder. "I doubt this is the start of a beautiful friendship between him and I so don't get your hopes up there. Not even I have the skills to loosen him up permanently." Temporarily, maybe, Albus thought wickedly, his mind enjoying the double entrée.

"Yeah, that stick up his arse is probably permanent."

He would have agreed, Albus acknowledged with a secretive smile, but he'd been up the Slytherin's beautifully tight ass and could attest to the fact that he'd been the only thing making the man yell and beg for more.

"I didn't realize you Gryffindors found my ass so interesting."

Not bothering to look in the direction of the eyes boring into his back, it would annoy the blonde more if he didn't, Albus just grinned at Neville as he responded to the barbed comment. "Well you do have a prime one, Malfoy."

Making a choking sound Neville went from embarrassment to utterly horrified beyond words in a split second, stammering out a statement that Albus was to never say such a thing in his presence again. He knew that both men were gay after all, and the mental images were nightmare inducing. Maybe even worse than his usual nightmares, which was saying something!

Aware of the Slytherin on an instinctual level Albus moved out of the man's way when he came striding over, all but shoving a piece of parchment in Neville's still horrified face.

"I need all that by tomorrow. Are you able to supply me or do I need to procured them elsewhere?"

Taking the paper from him Neville quickly read over the contents, glad for something to take his mind off the images that had been scarring his brain moments before. Plus Albus and Scorpius were staring into each other's eyes now in a way that was really creeping him the hell out, Yue giving him a pitying look which just made it that much worse. Not that anything would ever happen between them of course, Neville assured himself quite frantically, that would never, ever, happen. Albus had much better taste than that and Malfoy was a Malfoy. There was just no way.

"Well? Do you have what I need?"

"Don't take that tone with him, Malfoy." Albus ordered, subtly shifting so that he was half shielding the older man with his body as he started glaring too.

"Or you'll what, Potter? Sic your shoulder warmer there on me?" Scorpius returned, motioning towards Yue with a jerk of his chin.

Yue's insulted hiss overlapped Albus's response, which was to point out that the man's own pet could barely keep someone's hand warm, much less a shoulder blade. And while he might trust Yue to cover his back in a serious fight he certainly didn't need his kneazle to help him face off against a Malfoy.

"Insulting my family is not wise."

"Insulting Yue isn't either."

Shoving the parchment paper in Scorpius's face, turnabout was only fair, Neville announced that he could supply the Slytherin with everything that he needed and would personally deliver them to the potions storage room before the end of the day. If that was all he really needed to get back to his conversation with Albus thank you very much, the dismissal clear.

Tossing the paper onto the nearby table Scorpius sneered. "I'll leave that with you. Your memory was less than stellar when you were a student here, now that old age has set in…I'd rather you not forget something."

Thanking the powers that be that the Slytherin was no longer his student, thus requiring him to be civil, Neville turned his head to look at Albus. "Why did Harry have to save his father from The Room of Requirement again?"

"Everyone makes mistakes?"

"And that is precisely what you both are." Was Scorpius's final word on the matter before turning around and heading back the way he'd come, his face getting darker as he heard the two men rating his exit line behind him.

Gryffindors. Oh how he hated them.

)

At the request of the Head Master all the teachers remained in the Great Hall after the final meal of the day was over, bringing them up to date on some issues he thought they needed to be aware of before wishing them all a good night. On the positive side the whole 'meeting' had only taken fifteen minutes, but on the negative side it meant that all the teachers left the room at the same time and insured that Albus and Scorpius had to walk back to their rooms together or look like a baby in the eyes of the other.

Since he was stuck walking with the man anyway, and they were almost home so to speak, Albus figured it was as good a time as any to reinforce what he'd said earlier. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to be a little more respectful of Neville. He has enough to deal with without you making your relationship worse."

"Relationship." Scorpius repeated, the idea of having any kind of relationship with the Herbology teacher making him faintly nauseated.

"You know what I mean. You need what he grows in the greenhouses for your potions classes. And yes he is obligated to supply you with everything he can to cut back on school costs, but he always comes through for you when he can and a little thanks once in a while wouldn't kill you."

Rather than answer Scorpius just gave Albus a look that was meant to remind the other man that it wasn't in his nature to be nice to people and that by being civil to the older man he was in fact treating the other professor better than he did a great many of the people who would soon be living in the school once again.

Making an exasperated sound Albus shook his head. "If I didn't have intimate knowledge of it I'd think you really did have a huge broomstick up your ass."

A hiss that would have done Yue proud crossed Scorpius lips. "The next time I hear you bring my ass into a conversation I'm going to personally see to it that you can't sit on yours for a very long time."

"Being mean to someone I consider family is not a good way to try and get into my trousers, Malfoy." Albus drawled out with a smirk. "Not that you'd have access to my ass even if we did get naked again."

"You only topped me before because I was drunk!"

"Ah, ah, nice try but no. My memories of that night might be a little hazy on some points, but I remember quite clearly how vocal you were about how much you LOVED having me shag your ass. In fact, I distinctly remember you nearly busting my eardrums with your demands that I take you as hard and deep as I possibly could. But if your memory's a little rusty there I'd be happy to get you a Pensieve and show you."

Cheeks flaming with color Scorpius sputtered as he repeated the fact that he'd been drunk and nothing he'd said or done while under the influence counted.

Finding the blush spreading over those knife edge cheekbones ridiculously sexy for some reason Albus moved to stand in front of the other man, reaching out to grab Scorpius's chin so that he could force him to meet his eyes. "You know what I think? I think you actually want to be topped but are too much of a Malfoy to admit it. That's why you have an even worse dating record than my cousin Fred."

"No one has a worse dating record than your cousin!"

"He's managed to stay friends with at least some of them, which is probably more than you can say."

"If I liked them well enough to be friends I wouldn't dump in the first place, you stupid prat."

When Albus just smirked at him Scorpius belatedly realized that he hadn't objected to the Gryffindor's first statement, which had actually been more insult than the comparison to Fred Weasley. "Quit smirking at me like that. And I don't want to be topped, are you mental? If you really did remember that night you'd remember I fought to top too!" Of course he'd lost, but he had tried, dammit.

"So you're saying that I'm special, Malfoy?"

"If your 'special' refers to someone with mental or behavioral problems then yes, Potter, you're VERY special."

Laughing in delight Albus had to admit that he was rather enjoying this. He'd never understood why James got such a kick out of riling the Slytherin up whenever the opportunity presented itself but he sort of got it now. Scorpius Malfoy was actually pretty funny and adorable when he was wound up enough to lose his head. Not that James would ever think that about Malfoy, his brother and the other man got along about as well as two wet, starving cats tied up together in a bag, but still…

Jabbing the man in the chest with his finger Scorpius demanded that the man stop laughing or else.

"Or else what?" Albus managed to get out, just chuckling and grinning like an idiot now. "You lost your last fight with me, remember?"

"For the last time you only won because I was more pissed than you!"

His quirky, Weasley sense of humor still in play, Albus moved closer and tipped his head slightly to the side, deliberately stopping just a breath away from the other man's lips. "You know, Malfoy, I'm getting a little tired of you insisting that I won because you were pissed that night. Especially when we both know you're jonesing for another go."

Putting his hands between them Scorpius tried to shove the Gryffindor away, surprised and a little turned on by the fact that the other man wasn't moving. Potter was even stronger than he looked, and dammit, retreating was out of the question.

"Get out of my face, Potter."

"I'd say make me, but you've just made it clear you aren't up to that."

The sound Scorpius made was perilously close to a growl, mortifying him.

Instead of backing down Albus closes the minuscule gap between them and sealed their lips together to stifle any more sound effects. For good measure he lifted one hand to cup the back of Scorpius's head to keep him where he wanted him, wrapping his free arm around the other man's waist for good measure.

Shock at the unexpected maneuver, they didn't have alcohol to blame this time around, Scorpius's ability to think rationally was short circuited by the extremely thorough tasting Albus's tongue was making of his mouth, the man's skill undeniable…though he would deny it until his dying breath in reality later. And while there was some small portion of his brain that said he really did need to stop this, especially since he was letting the Gryffindor control the snogging completely, it wasn't until he felt a hand rubbing one of his ass cheeks quite suggestively that enough common sense kicked in for him to bite down hard on the tongue that had been teasing his own.

Pulling his head back, the taste of his own blood in his mouth, Albus stared into the stormy grey eyes shooting lightning bolts in his direction and couldn't help but smile a little just to push the Slytherin that much further.

"You know, Malfoy…you taste a hell of a lot better without alcohol on your breath."

Letting go of the now sputtering Slytherin Albus didn't quite know what to make of the fact that he really wanted to snog the man more. Wanted to do a lot more to and with him, actually. Those weren't good wants to have, especially when the blonde had just made his willingness to draw blood very clear.

"If you ever try to do something like that again I'll….I'll…"

"Let me know what you think of something."

Walking towards his door without another word Albus had just enough time to open it before he felt hands touch his back, pushing him across the threshold and into the hallway. Stumbling forward Albus had just enough time to regain his momentum and spin around before the door slammed shut behind Scorpius.

Huh. Things just got even more interesting.

)

Shaking his head in disgust Yue stood in his hallway with his tail swinging back and forth in disapproval as he listened to the sounds of raised voices coming from the parlor. He supposed he could sleep in the parlor again once the argument no doubt moved from that room to the bedroom, because that was definitely where this argument was going in the very near future, but in the back of Yue's mind was the knowledge that Snow would be all alone if Malfoy slept over again and that needed to be dealt with first. Snow had mentioned that he'd been a little scared the night Malfoy hadn't come back to their room, Hogwarts still a strange place that intimidated the furball unless someone was with him. At the very least he should probably go over and reassure him that nothing bad had happened to the Slytherin and that the assehole who would probably be rolling around naked with his person very shortly wasn't staying away because he was mad or anything.

Heaving a sigh Yue knew he had to be the only responsible one since their people certainly weren't, the kneazle abandoning his intent to wait the fight out as he headed back towards the front door instead, passing through it easily.

Crossing the hall he considered knocking on the solid part before entering, which would be the polite thing to do. But Snow was pretty young and possibly asleep already, Yue weighed in, and if he didn't have to wake the feline up and have to deal with him….

The question was solved when Snow's head appeared through his own magical cat door, his little white head looking more than a little weird since it gave the feline the appearance of being one of those poor dead creatures who got their equally dead heads mounted on walls like trophies. "Hi, Yue!"

Lips twitching, he would not laugh, Yue nodded. "Snow."

"Did you come over to see me?" Snow asked, utterly delighted by the idea.

"Yes. I thought you should know your person might not be coming home tonight. He and my person are…otherwise engaged."

"Oh. I thought they didn't like each other very much."

Apparently they made exceptions when it came to drunk or angry making out slash sex, Yue thought to himself while he gave the excuse that the two could get along occasionally and tonight seemed to be one of those nights.

Snow didn't really understand but humans were really weird sometimes so he shrugged that off. He was glad Yue had come over to tell him that his person wasn't coming home tonight, he'd been waiting and waiting by the door for him after all. He didn't like the idea that he was going to have to be all alone though, he hated being by himself.

With that in mind Snow asked if Yue wanted to come in and see his rooms. His person wasn't around to object after all, and maybe they could play for a while until he got too sleepy to care that he'd be all by himself later.

Unable to say no when he was on the receiving end of Snow's pleading big eyes, which reminded the kneazle of Hugo Weasley in their power, Yue agreed to stay for a while.

It was better than listening to their people mate after all.