Disclaimer: I only own the original characters and the storyline. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
The next morning, when he got up, Al knew something was wrong. The insistent pecking at his window made him look towards it and what he saw made his eyes widen.
At least a dozen owls sat perched near his windowsill and he could see others flying down to the mail flap on the front door. A little wary, he got up off his bed and moved toward his window. His hands were on the latch to open it when his bedroom door slammed open, startling him.
"Don't open it, Al!"
It was Lily, her red hair in disarray, her eyes wild with worry and concern, "You didn't open it, did you?"
Al frowned, befuddled, "The window? No, I didn't. Not yet, anyway."
Lily sagged against his door, relief evident on her face, "Oh good. Mum is calling you down for breakfast."
Al didn't move, "Lils, what's going on?"
Lily's face flushed with colour, "I can't explain, Al. Just please go down. Scor is also waiting for you."
Al's eyes turned hard and his jaw tightened. In one quick movement, he unlatched his window. The birds flew in, feathers scattering everywhere as they tried to deliver their packages and leave as quickly as possible. Once they were all gone, Al sorted through the mail, growing more and more confused as he saw names of prominent wizards and witches in the community, most of whom he had never met.
"What in the wizarding world?" He mumbled, picking up one particular envelope. The name on it read neatly, 'Narcissa Malfoy'. He looked away from the envelope to Lily's pale face, "Why is Scorpius's grandmother writing me?"
Lily opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Al turned his attention back to the envelope in his hand, opening it so he could read the correspondence. Nothing could have prepared him for the words that attacked him.
Dear Mr Potter,
It has come to my notice that you and my grandson have been spending a lot of time in one another's company. I also heard that for reasons I don't and will never understand, my son has not protested to this. Well, if he will not, then I shall in his stead.
Mr Potter, the Malfoy family is one that is proud of its roots and beginnings, this is true. But it is also a family that is moving towards change and a new public image. One my grandson has been hugely successful in creating thus far.
My son never saw the advantage of Scorpius being sorted into Gryffindor, but I am nothing if not an opportunist. With Slytherin having earned the reputation it had over the years, a new house seemed the perfect first step towards a new image for us Malfoys. This image was further strengthened when he befriended your family and began spending time at your home.
What you are doing, Mr Potter, is undoing every bit of good my grandson has achieved over the past sixteen years. It is bad enough that everyone in the wizarding world now knows he chose to keep company with you for a time, but that can be easily forgotten if you were to end this charade now. Stop letting Scorpius's name be dragged through mud along with yours. Stop making it so his future is ruined. Just stop. Our family has no need for a person such as you in it. Not when we are trying to recreate ourselves.
I hope you understand this is not personal. Even if you were a wonderful boy, it would be my duty to ensure you and your poisonous reputation stay far away from my family.
Let Scorpius go.
With regards,
Narcissa Malfoy
Al felt his knees begin to give way and steeled himself to remain upright. He walked slowly over to his bed and sank down onto it, staring at the letter all the while. The three pieces of parchment were quite literally his worst nightmare. Ever since he and Scorpius had begun dating, this was what he had worried about.
He let the pages drop to the floor and covered his face with his hands, taking in slow, deep breaths. Unbidden, Scorpius's words from almost a week ago came back to him.
"Al, listen to me carefully, alright? I've spent the better part of my life half in love with you and regardless of what anyone else says, you loving me is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're painfully gorgeous and smart and sexy as sin and I thank Merlin every day that you never came out in Hogwarts before we got together because I honestly don't know if you would have noticed me amidst your several admirers."
Breathing became a little easier then and the haze of hurt, confusion and anger cleared a bit.
"You are wonderful and incredibly strong. Don't forget that, love."
Al opened his eyes, grateful for the fact that they were still dry. He looked to the doorway to find his sister still frozen there, noticing something he had missed before. In one hand, she held a crumpled part of that day's Daily Prophet.
"I need to see that." He said quietly, holding his hand out to her.
Wordlessly, she gave it to him. She hesitated for a moment then sighed, "I'm going to go get Scor."
Al nodded, that was probably a good idea. He didn't know when this calm façade of his would break, but when it did he'd need Scorpius to help him pick up the pieces. In the meanwhile, he scanned the article in the paper. It was exactly what he had expected after Narcissa Malfoy's letter. It gave a rather scathing summary of all that was said about him when he was first sorted into Slytherin and then proceeded to say that he now had even more power over the wizarding world because he had seduced the heir of the Malfoy family. The bit that cut Al the most though, was the end of the article. The paragraph that made it clear why Scorpius's grandmother had written to him in such a hurry.
Scorpius Malfoy, the first Gryffindor Malfoy, seemed to have a promising future ahead of him. A quidditch star, rumour has it he would have had his pick of professional teams in his seventh year. Well, it is doubtful that this is still the case. Albus Potter is known throughout Hogwarts as someone who keeps to himself, someone no one wants to make an enemy of. Justin Smith, an ex-boyfriend of Malfoy, told us he thought Potter already had his hooks deep in the Malfoy heir. 'Scorpius actually threatened me recently. He never would have done something like that before. It's all Potter's fault.' Smith said. Someone ought to tell Mr Malfoy that he needs to rethink his choice of partner if he wants to ensure he has some semblance of a good life once he's out of Hogwarts.
Al tossed the paper to the side, groaning as he raked his fingers through his already disheveled hair, "Fuck." He breathed, his body trembling slightly from his effort to hold in his emotions.
"Al."
He didn't look up, he couldn't. Instead he just asked in a slightly strained, husky voice, "Do you honestly still want me?"
"Yes." The answer was immediate and firm, "Merlin, yes. I love you." Scorpius's voice sounded as weighed down with emotion as his own and that made the knot in Al's gut loosen slightly.
He heard Scorpius begin to move towards him and he immediately shot out one hand, signalling for him to stop.
"Al." Scorpius sounded tortured now.
"I'm not going to walk away from us." Al assured him, still not looking at him instead looking at pile of envelopes on his study desk, "I know that isn't going to fix this. I just…I don't know how to fix this. Not when I'm the problem."
"You are not a problem." Scorpius said fiercely.
Al let out a bitter chuckle, "Did Lily tell you that your grandmother wrote to me?"
"No." Scorpius sounded wary now, "What did she say?"
"You should read for yourself." Al said, picking up the letter he had dropped and holding it out to the Gryffindor, finally looking him in the eye.
Scorpius's grey eyes searched his face for a long moment before he nodded, stepping forward to take the letter. He came to sit across from Al on the bed, far enough away so they still didn't touch, and then began to read.
Al watched his face as emotions flew across it. Surprise, astonishment, disbelief, then anger. Once he was done reading, Scorpius calmly drew out his wand, muttering a spell so the parchment lit up in flame and became a pile of ash on Al's bedroom floor. He turned to Al then, grey eyes filled with pain, "I'm sorry."
Al's eyebrows drew together in confusion, but he said nothing. He only studied Scorpius's face. "She isn't wrong, you know. I'm already making things difficult for you. Maybe you don't care now, but two years of this, ten years of this? You're bound to get sick of it. If there was ever a time to walk away, Scorpius, it would be now."
"I'm not going to walk away!" Scorpius cried, exasperated, reaching for Al, "I just—" He stopped himself short, holding Al's gaze, "Please. Let me touch you."
Al hesitated for a moment before moving forward and touching his lips to the corner of Scorpius's mouth. The Gryffindor drew in a sharp breath and grabbed his boyfriend's face, holding him still and then proceeding to kiss him senseless. Al whimpered, melting into Scorpius's demanding kisses, allowing himself to be pushed back onto the bed with his boyfriend's comfortable weight on top of him.
Scorpius seemed to have one goal. To possess. He stole Al's breath from him and then continued on his way to mark his territory. His intent was clear; he wanted everyone including Al to know that the Slytherin belonged to him. Nothing anyone said could change that.
Al drew in a breath when Scorpius's lips, teeth and tongue finally left his mouth. They made their journey along his jaw and then down his neck; Al keened softly as Scorpius bit into a particularly sensitive part of his neck. The Gryffindor's hands in the mean time pulled Al's shirt off him and tossed it across the room, before moving to finger his nipples and slide down his treasure trail.
"Scor." Al breathed, arching up off the bed as Scorpius's lips closed around one of his nipples.
"I'm getting fucking sick of making the same point again and again." Scorpius said, his voice like silk, an almost sinister edge to it, "You're mine."
When Scorpius made to pull off his boyfriend's boxers, Al resisted. "What now?" Scorpius muttered, his eyes narrowed and glinting dangerously as they met Al's dazed green gaze.
"Door. Shut the fucking door." Al managed in between breaths.
A wicked grin curved Scorpius's lips as he had the door shut and lock itself with a flick of his wand. He then threw the wand aside dived right back into what he had been doing before. Al's boxers winded up on the floor near the wand. Scorpius then continued on his journey, kissing, nipping and biting the insides of Al's thighs before slowly moving upward, parting Al's legs as he went.
"Scor?"
The question in his boyfriend's tone and the waver in his voice was what made Scorpius look up to meet his gaze. He smirked, before pushing Al's legs further apart, mouthing the two round balls below Al's stiff erection. Al, for his part, moaned loudly, his doubt, hesitation and confusion gone. He enjoyed the way Scorpius worshipped his body, basking in the now familiar, overwhelming sensations. And that's when Scorpius did something different.
Al's eyes shot open as his breath left him in a short gasp, "Scor…what?"
Scorpius didn't respond though, instead, he pried Al's cheeks further apart and speared him with his tongue drawing a shudder from his boyfriend. He continued his assault until Al was desperate and panting, his hands fisting his sheets. "OhMerlinOhMerlinOhMerlin! Fuck!" He whimpered, arching up into his boyfriend's ministrations, "Scor, please. Now. I want you now."
Scorpius lifted his head now, sliding up his boyfriend's body to kiss him, allowing Al to taste himself. Al broke the kiss, his hands tugging urgently at Scorpius's clothes, "You're still dressed!" He whined, frustrated.
Scorpius chuckled, "Patience."
"My parents could decide to come up at any minute." Al reminded him, satisfied to lie still now that Scorpius was doing away with his clothing.
Scorpius laughed outright, shucking his jeans and boxers off and to the side, "Do you really think I'd have the guts to fuck you with your parents downstairs and awake?"
Al blinked, "They're not home?"
Scorpius's eyes narrowed, "I'm doing something wrong if you're actually able to think about your parents whereabouts right now." He pressed his fingers to Al's mouth, and the question that had been asked was forgotten for the time being. When Scorpius finally pressed his fingers to Al's wet entrance, Al was more than ready. The pain startled him, making his erection flag, but he assured Scorpius he was fine and focused on the feeling of being almost too full. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant either.
A second finger, then a third entered him, and as the Gryffindor moved them about, stretching him, Scorpius touched a spot that made Al gasp and arch to impale himself further. Scorpius noticed his reaction and a wicked grin curved his lips. From that moment, with every stretch Scorpius touched that spot and in minutes he had Al a quivering, writhing mess of want and need.
"Please." Al begged, not even ashamed of himself, "Please, please, please."
"Please what?" Scorpius asked, golden hair loose, grey eyes focused on his boyfriend.
Al lifted one hand to move some of the golden hair behind Scorpius's right ear, fingering the snake earring when he did, "Please fuck me."
Scorpius's breath left him and it took him a moment to start breathing again. Slowly, he pressed against Al's entrance, and after a token resistance, he slipped in. He closed his eyes as he felt the tight, hot channel close around his erection inch by inch. He watched Al's face, seeing some pain reflected in his expression, but mostly awe. He pushed the last inch in and aimed for Al's prostrate, drawing a whimper from his boyfriend. He waited, completely inside Al, marvelling that his dream had actually become a reality. Al was his, wholly and completely. When Al's breathing evened out, he began to move.
What started out as a slow, measured movement quickly became frenzied activity. Scorpius hooked Al's legs on his shoulders and began to move faster and thrust harder. Al, under him, wore an expression of pure ecstasy, keening Scorpius's name as he begged for more. Neither of them lasted very long. Hell, Scorpius was surprised he had even lasted longer than Al, though not by much. He had wanted Al so much and for so long!
Al tried to catch his breath, wincing slightly as Scorpius pulled out and moved to lie on his side. The sense of belonging he had felt when Scorpius was inside him was indescribable. He'd known at that moment that there was nothing wrong about him and Scorpius. No, everything about them was right. So fucking right.
Al let that thought sink in for a moment and then said, "I'm not going to ask you if you want to walk away again."
Scorpius chuckled, wrapping an arm around him and snuggling close, not minding the mess they had made of one another. "That's good. It was starting to annoy me."
Al's smile was blinding as he turned to face his lover but it soon tempered into something more reserved and guarded, "I can't imagine my life without you anymore. Just the thought…it hurts."
Scorpius tightened his grip on his boyfriend, "You don't have to, love. I'm here. I'm always going to be."
They lay in one another's arms for a while, silence reigning, until Al asked in a confused voice, "Where are my parents?"
Scorpius weighed his words then spoke carefully, "They were furious this morning when they saw the article. Your dad disapparated almost immediately to go to the Ministry and your mum went into her office to see if she could 'find the bitch who wrote the article and burn her at the stake'. Her words, not mine."
Al couldn't help a chuckle, "They're pretty amazing parents." He said, fondly.
"They are." Scorpius agreed.
Silence fell between them once more, and this time Scorpius broke it.
"My father sent me a letter this morning, after seeing the Prophet."
Al made to move away from Scorpius, but the Gryffindor held fast, tangling his legs with the Slytherin's. He rested his forehead against Al's and held his gaze; "Father said that if I dumped you over this ridiculous article, I was not a son he believed he could be proud of. He said he had quite liked you when he met you on the train, and if I wasn't planning on still bringing you home next week, to not bother coming home this year at all."
Al froze, eyes widening and filling with tears at hearing Draco Malfoy's words to Scorpius. Embarrassed, but profoundly relieved, he sniffed, fighting back his tears, "I-I didn't think I could still visit your house." He admitted in a small, trembling voice.
Scorpius sighed, "Oh, Al. I love you. I love you so much."
Al wrapped himself around the Gryffindor and held tight, drawing whatever comfort he could from the close proximity for as long as he could have it. His parents would be home soon so they would eventually have to move, but not that moment. Not that moment.
Al stared at the half-drunk glass of milk in front of him, deep in thought. He had not been able to sleep; not even with Scorpius curled up around him, holding him close. There were too many thoughts running through his mind. Too many decisions he needed to make. As soon as he had been sure his Gryffindor was fast asleep, he had extracted himself from his arms and come down to the kitchen.
"Al?" The light flickered on in the room and Al heard his father come up behind him, "You okay?"
Al considered his father's question thoughtfully, then slowly shook his head. "When you told me, six years ago, that what house I belonged to didn't matter to you and shouldn't matter to me, you didn't realise how much it would matter to the rest of the wizarding world, did you?"
Harry sighed heavily, pulling a chair and sitting beside his son, his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."
Al looked to his father in stunned surprise, "What? Dad, no! Of course not!"
"Yes. Yes it is." Harry said bitterly, "It was my fault for ever thinking my life was my own. That my children would not suffer for having me as a father."
Al, in a rare show of emotion, threw his arms around Harry Potter, hugging him tight, "Don't say that, Dad. You are the greatest father I could have ever had. James, Lily and I don't usually agree on anything but we all agree on that. It isn't your fault that people are so bloody nosy."
Harry gave a wet laugh, wrapping his arms around his son, "I'm sorry, Al. I'm so sorry they are printing such horrible things about you."
Al chuckled, pulling away slightly to show Harry his eyes were bright with tears as well, "I know, Dad. But like I said, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault."
Harry nodded, pulling away and wiping his tears away, "What are you going to do about it?"
Al paused in his action of bringing the glass of milk to his lips, and cocked an eyebrow, "What makes you think I'm going to do anything?"
Harry snorted, "Al, I've learnt to recognise your mischief-making face. You might have fooled Scorpius into thinking you were only worried about your stay at Malfoy Manor, but I know better. What are you planning?"
A small smile curved the Slytherin Potter's lips as he regarded his father thoughtfully, "Will you help me?"
"In whatever way I can." Harry promised.
Al nodded, his grin full-blown now, "I was thinking…"
A long, long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it :)
Leave a review please! I love hearing what you all think!
~Living to Laugh and Love