The house smelt exactly like home in the morning time when Albus walked through the front door. It had never stopped seeming normal, even when everything else in the world felt wrong. Which felt wrong in itself really, even to this day.

"Morning, Mum," Albus sighed as he stepped into the kitchen. Gently, he leaned up on his toes to press a kiss to his mother's temple. Despite looking so much like his father, he still hadn't inherited his height. He was the shortest in the family now.

She turned with a half-smile herself, echoing back, "Good morning, chicken." Ginny looked just as she always did these days – a bit hollow and smiles never meeting her eyes. Albus was sure if he was still hurting, she had to have it much worse. But they never talked about it. They never talked about Lily anymore. They never talked about much of importance anymore…. "There's still some eggs left, if you're hungry."

More than eager, Albus helped himself to what remained of breakfast. "Dad leave already?" he asked around a slice of toast.

Ginny nodded while checking her watch. She almost looked nervous. Like she might be sitting on a question too awkward to ask. "He's out meeting with investors today." Albus' stomach turned a bit and he suddenly found it difficult to swallow his mouthful of eggs. His dad had a slightly delusional idea to start a broomstick safety campaign. If he was out looking for backing, it meant he was finally ready to put his plan into action. Which was fine, if that was how he needed to cope. But Albus was certain it would make no difference. Lily would still be dead and it would still be due to careless circumstances.

"Where were you last night, chicken?"

Blinking away his tears, Albus pointedly avoided his mother's gaze. "I stayed at Scorpius'." It felt incredibly wrong lying to her after everything, but he also definitely wasn't comfortable telling her that particular truth. "I swear I told you I was going to…."

Of course, being his mother, she could see right through it. He could see it on her face. But she said not a word about it and merely muttered a disapproval for him spending the night at that particular home.

"Mum, we're not dating any longer. You have nothing to worry about." Albus' cheeks were red and he was more than ready to leave this conversation. This was more than they had talked in months, which hurt of course. But this hurt, too – just in a different way. "Look, I just came home to change clothes. We're going shopping for our school things. I have to meet Scor at Diagon Alley in about ten minutes, so…."

"Oh. You're shopping with him…. I guess I didn't really realize last year was my, well, last year."

It was all overwhelming. Albus was crawling in his skin. After his night with the stranger, he was already feeling a bit shell-shocked. And now this. Now his mother, who couldn't speak to him about his sister in even normal conversation, was pulling some sort of guilt trip over her dead body. A guilt trip that was most definitely working. Clearing his throat, Albus swallowed his last bite and kissed her temple once more. "You can come with, Mum. Scorpius won't mind." Scorpius really wouldn't mind. He was always rather fond of Ginny, not having a mother himself. Not that he'd ever said it in so many words.

But Albus…. Albus minded a bit. After last night he was itching to spend time alone with his friend. And itching to tell him as much. He had almost entirely made up his mind to air his feelings. Just get it out of the way before their last year started. A terrible idea, really, but the secrets were almost eating him alive. And as nice as last night was, he so desperately wanted Scorpius back in the place of the stranger.

Reminding himself once again that Scorpius deserved better, Albus linked arms with his mother and steered her towards the stairs. "You just have to promise me we can get ice cream, per tradition. Deal?"

Ginny's smile very nearly came across as convincing when she agreed with a teary-eyed "Deal."