Please, please, please, don't hate me. I'm begging you. And please don't give up on this story. I think there's still time to fix it. I've been through so much trouble these months, and I would just kill everyone off again if I were to write, and I know that that's no excuse, but please forgive me. :(

If you are still reading this: I love you, and I sincerely hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 22

"Albus?"

Albus looked up from his Astronomy homework and smiled at the blonde. "What's up, Scorp?"

Scorpius opened his mouth, but then changed his mind and said: "Never mind. It's nothing."

"You sure? You know you can tell me everything right? I'm your best friend."

Yeah, that's the whole problem. You're my friend.

"Sorry, what?"

"Fuck, did I say that out loud. Oh, my God," Scorpius said, a look of panic in his eyes.

"Well, sort of. You mumbled something I didn't understand."

Scorpius sighed in relief.

"I was just talking to myself. Something stupid, you know."

He went back to work, not noticing Albus's hurt expression.

He had heard what Scorpius had said. But as he understood from what had happened just now, Scorpius didn't want him to know. This hurt Albus. He could've said something back. Something romantic or something. Anything, if it meant they could've gotten together.

"Hey Scorp?"

"Yeah?"

"I like you." That was easy.

Scorpius's eyes lit up. But wait. He was talking about platonic love. Dumbass.

Biting back tears, he stammered out: "I-I like you, t-too."

"No, but I mean, like like. I like like you."

Scorpius was about to say something back, when Ricky and Rose came walking up to them.

"Hey dudes," Ricky greeted, leaning down en kissing Scorpius's cheek.

Scorpius suddenly stood up. "I-I'm sorry. I-I gotta go."

And he ran off. Again.

Well, at least they didn't notice he was crying.

Or so he thought. When Albus looked at the blonde's homework, which he had forgotten in his hurry, he noticed tearstains on the parchment.

"Scorpius…" Albus whispered, with a sorrow expression.

-o-O-o-

"Hey Scorpius, can we talk?" Ricky asked Scorpius later, during dinner.

"Uhm, sure," Scorpius said, instantly becoming insecure.

He followed Ricky out into the Entrance Hall and into an empty hallway.

"So, I've been thinking... I think we should break up..." Ricky said, getting straight to the point.

Scorpius was very taken aback. He was expecting it, but not so soon.

"We don't love each other. I know it. We never did. You belong with Albus, and I need to find another way to get over Damon."

"Y-Yeah, that's right... Well, I did enjoy dating you, just so you know. If you'll excuse me, I need to go do something." He needed to cut. Sure, he knew it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help feeling like he was not good enough.

Ricky, however, knew what Scorpius planned on doing. "Scorpius, please don't. You've been clean for such a long time. Don't go back."

Scorpius turned away from his friend. "I'm sorry, Ricky. I'll try not to do it, but I do need to be alone for a while."

"That's okay. Good luck." He smiled and walked back into the library.

When he made his way to his dormitory, looking at the ground to hide his face, he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Well, hello there, Scorpius. Long time no see."

Scorpius looked up and his eyes widened in shock.

"Not you."

-o-O-O-

When Albus got to his dormitory later that evening, after having made the last changes to his essay for History of Magic, he noticed Scorpius's curtains were drawn.

"Scorpius? Are you alright? Ricky told me what happened. You need someone to talk to?" He pulled open the curtains to see Scorpius sitting on his bed.

He looked a bit like an infant. He sat there, knees pulled up to his chest, chin leaning on them and arms wrapped around them as if he was trying to protect himself. He tried to be as small as possible. His eyes were red and his face tear-stained.

He looked pathetic and it broke Albus's heart.

It always broke when he saw Scorpius cry. Such a beautiful boy didn't deserve to be this sad.

"Scorp? What's wrong?"

Scorpius looked up, as if he only now noticed Albus was there.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine. N-No, really," he added when Albus opened his mouth to say something again.

"Did Ricky hurt you so badly?"

"No. He didn't. I just... I just got very bad news, and I can't deal with it. If I were to do what this person told me to do, I'm sure that I would die."

"Then don't do what they ask of you. If you're not ready for it, don't."

"No, I need to do what they say. Even if it's just so I can accomplish at least something in my life."

Albus sat on the edge of Scorpius's bed and took the blonde's hand. After thinking for a while, he kissed it and said: "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you have accomplished so much more than you think. You stopped cutting, you started eating, you are trying to overcome your depression, you dated a lovely guy, you made great friends and that should be enough."

"No, but I want to change. And for that to work, I need to make more friends, and if I want to do that, I'm gonna have to do what they tell me to."

"Scorpius, you don't have to change. Never change. You're perfect the way you are."

"No, I'm not. Far from it," he said, bowing his head.

"Scorpius, no. You are perfect. You're smart, handsome, kind, you know how to cheer someone up, you are always there to help others. You're a great person. Just not everyone sees it, but they will soon. You just have to be yourself. You're amazing and –" he cut himself of.

"And?" Scorpius asked.

"And I love you, like I said before. And I'll keep saying it until you love me back."

"And I'll keep saying it is impossible, because I am unlovable. You're probably just imagining things."

"No, I'm not. Ever since I met you, I feel like we had some sort of connection. Before I thought it was just because we were best friends, but now I know that those feelings were ones of love."

Scorpius didn't know how to respond to that. He couldn't even be Albus's friend anymore, let alone be something more than friends.

It was silent for a while. Then Albus spoke up: "So, do you love me back?"

"I-I do..." Scorpius answered, starting to cry again. From the inside, that is. He didn't want Albus to pity him again.

"Then kiss me."

"I... Uhm... What?"

"Kiss me."

Albus slowly leaned in. His lips lightly brushed Scorpius's.

Then, in a moment of weakness, Scorpius pushed his lips to Albus's. Their lips slowly moved in sync, like they were meant to be touching each other.

It was perfect.

Until Scorpius hastily pulled back.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. This can't happen. We can't be a thing. I'm so sorry. Merlin, no. I-I gotta go. Uhm... Sorry, bye." In a fit of panic he ran out of the dormitory, leaving a very confused and heart-broken Albus behind, for probably the thousandth time.

So, they kinda kissed, but they're still not a thing. Guess who Scorpius ran into in the hallway and what is up with him now? Why can't Albius be a thing? You'll find out soon enough...

Again, I'm very sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long.