Music I listened to while writing : Sally's Song - Fiona Apple

Chapitre 17 : Invisible

A Friday for Albus...

Four days had already passed.

There was a bitter taste in his mouth that followed him wherever he went. He wondered why he was still counting the days.It was over, that's what he had decided. And he was right, he was sure of it.

He looked at the training schedule. A full week where his team spent their evenings on the Quidditch pitch in preparation for tomorrow's match. Only one more practice was left before Saturday.

And Scorpius had missed all the others.

He found himself in the Gryffindor common room. He was hiding in a way, even if he refused to admit it. He spent a ridiculously long time watching Hugo play and win chess matches against opponents whose names were listed on the scoreboards on the common room wall.

Yes, they had even made a scoreboard! Anyone could try their luck against young Weasley by writing their name in one of the slots specifying the date and time of the "battle." According to this board, Hugo had been undefeated since the start of the term.

"Is something wrong with Malfoy?" his cousin asked while moving his knight, causing his opponent, a Ravenclaw, to grimace when the piece beheaded his queen.

"What do you mean?"

"We don't see you together anymore."

"Nothing in particular."

Albus bit his lip while keeping his eyes on the chessboard.

"We didn't have much in common after all."

"Ah." Red locks fell over his eyes as he observed the pieces, a technique so no one could predict his next move.

"I'll admit, I prefer it that way." He ignored Albus's surprised look and continued, "You two were so inseparable, I was worried you'd invite him for the holidays."

"I hadn't thought about it. And I don't see how it's any of your business."

Hugo shrugged.
"It wouldn't have been great for our parents. It's like bringing home a puppy from a rabid dog, into a house where people have been bitten, just because you think it's cute."

"That doesn't mean the puppy has rabies."

"No, but seeing it reminds people of being bitten."

Albus grumbled disdainfully. He was surprised he hadn't heard more remarks like that from his family, at least from the ones at Hogwarts. No one else in his family knew, and if they did, it wasn't because of him. He had never mentioned Scorpius in his letters.

"You get what I mean," Hugo continued, focused on the game. "They wouldn't have said anything and probably would've welcomed him. But that doesn't mean seeing him wouldn't bring back bad memories. Personally, the less my mom thinks about the war, the better I feel."

"So, you're the selfish one."
Hugo shrugged again.
"Everyone's selfish. Checkmate, Gary!"

The king's head rolled to the ground.

Albus looked at his watch. He had to meet Katie in front of the Ravenclaw common room. Outside the door, because he wasn't sure he could solve the riddle to get in. For the past four days, he'd spent most of his time with Katie. Which meant he was avoiding the Slytherin dungeons and the person staying there.

He arrived at the Ravenclaw tower and spotted the tall, slender girl waiting for him by the entrance. Elegant as usual, tall and slim. Despite himself, Albus slowed his pace, almost wishing she wouldn't see him. But it was too late. Her large, brown eyes were already on him, and a warm smile greeted him. He returned her smile before walking over. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. He held her waist, hiding his hesitation.

She, on the other hand, never hesitated! Her movements were confident and bold.

From their very first kiss, their difference in experience had been obvious. She was two years older than him. She had already had relationships. And she was very much a woman. He didn't know what to do with her, with her body. He felt clumsy around her skin. And the more awkward he was, the more captivated she seemed.

She answered the stone eagle's riddle (Albus hadn't even understood the question), and the common room door opened. They walked hand in hand through the large blue room, ignoring the giggles of some teenage girls as they passed.

To Albus's great surprise, Katie led him to the dormitories. He was about to protest. Boys couldn't enter the girls' dorms, a spell prevented them from doing so. But Davies took him into a different room, a boy's dorm judging by the mess.

"What are we…?"

"Michael said we could use his bed."

Albus wanted to ask who Michael was when he was pushed onto a bed.

Katie climbed on top of him, straddling him with a radiant smile.

She was still wearing her uniform, a skirt and a blouse. Albus thought of the thin layers separating him from the girl's skin: black stockings and a little underwear. He could feel the warmth of her thighs.

She gazed at him for a moment, smiling, then bit her lip. Slowly, she unbuttoned her blouse, one button at a time, while watching the boy between her legs. Wide-eyed, Albus remained frozen, his throat dry as heat overtook him.

The fabric slipped from her shoulders, revealing purple lace underwear. Without giving Albus time to admire her, she unclasped her bra.

Albus felt his breath catch. He averted his gaze for a second out of modesty, but quickly returned it to Katie, raising his hands towards her chest. The girl encouraged him, grabbing his palms to place them on her breasts. At the touch, Albus sighed and lifted his hips, intensifying their body contact.

"Are you ready?"

"Why? …I mean I…," Albus stammered.

"For the match?" she laughed.

"Oh, the match," the boy gulped, his eyes still fixed on the breasts in his hands. "Yeah, I think so."

She smiled, pressing on the hands that held her breasts, massaging them.

"I figured you needed some time to relax," she sighed, playful and full of promise.

Albus swallowed hard and nodded, his breath short.

She swayed her hips, eliciting a groan from the boy who felt his pants grow tight. She noticed it too, and smiled again. Her eyes darkened. Pulling back slightly on the body she was straddling, keeping the boy's hands on her breasts, she slid her fingers down Albus's chest, stopping at his pants, massaging the member twisted by the fabric, through the clothes.

Albus moaned, almost letting go of Katie's breasts, but quickly took them back in hand.

The girl opened his pants and pushed the underwear aside. Albus licked his lower lip, panting, watching the Ravenclaw's reaction to his member. He didn't miss the tremble of her lips or her satisfied smile. Reassured, Albus glanced down at his exposed lower half. Katie ran her fingers along the length of his sex without taking hold of it, and Albus's hips rose off the mattress to meet her hand. She teased him, once or twice, squeezing her thighs so the boy couldn't lift his hips, holding him captive.

"Katie!" Albus breathed, almost pleading. Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead.

When she took his member in her hand, Albus released her chest, his eyes rolling back. He pulled her toward him by the hips, while her hand tightened around his sex, stroking it gently, pressing her fingers on the engorged skin, her thumb brushing over the tip.

Digging his fingers into the girl's hips, then sliding them down her thighs, Albus threw his head back, his groans growing deeper, and his hips lifted to intensify Katie's movements.

Ecstasy surged in burning waves, and his hips moved more erratically, disordered by pleasure. Katie squeezed tighter, pressing her thumb harder under his shaft, gliding over the frenulum. Albus suddenly opened his eyes, trembling, and with a groan, he ejaculated, his gaze fixed on his own sex and the hand where his seed began to bead.

Panting, he looked at Katie, her red lips slightly parted and her eyes gleaming. He sat up, lifted her abruptly, and flipped her onto the bed. Still feverish, he kissed her mouth and cheeks, moved down to her throat, then her breasts, moving from one to the other, gently nibbling before returning to her lips, aroused by Katie's moans that grew louder with each caress. His hand slid over her hips and slipped under her skirt.

Surprised, Albus lifted himself up, leaning on his elbows above her body.

'I can wait,' she murmured, her cheeks flushed.

'Wait?'

'Wait until tomorrow night, after the match.'

Albus looked at her, his gaze meeting hers.

Did he understand what she was insinuating? She wanted to sleep with him? Tomorrow night? She smiled again, confident as always, biting the inside of her lip.

'Okay,' he murmured.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Albus ran his fingers through her hair, intensifying the kiss. His heart began to calm, and he left her lips, moving down her body. He rested his head against her breasts, enjoying their softness and warmth.

She embraced him, and they stayed like that.

She woke him, saying that the sixth-year classes had ended. Albus concluded that Michael was a sixth-year. He put his pants back on and watched her get dressed, biting his lip as he admired her silhouette. Tomorrow, he would have that body. It was both terrifying and incredibly exciting, and he realized he was grinning like an idiot.

'Will you meet me after practice?' she asked, turning around.

Albus barely had time to lift his eyes from her backside, which he had been observing intently.

He hesitated.

'Practice might run late. Curfew will probably be over.'

'Try to make it to the common room. You're allowed to be out after curfew the night before a match, you know.'

Albus nodded. He knew that. But he didn't want to spend this pre-match night with her. It was selfish and impolite, but it was the truth.

'And besides, I could give you a tip or two for tomorrow, from one captain to another,' she said with a wink.

Albus didn't know why that comment made him angry. He was a captain too and her opponent. He didn't need her advice.

'Listen, Katie, don't take this the wrong way. But I'd rather be alone tonight.'

She shrugged, still warm.

'As you wish.'

Potter stood there, surprised. The girl seemed indifferent to his rejection.

'You're easy to talk to.'

She seemed pleased. But Albus wasn't sure he had given her a compliment. He muttered an excuse about a meeting with Rose for an assignment and left the Ravenclaw common room.

He did need to study, it was true, but alone, without her. He didn't understand why. She was sweet, lively, radiant, full of plans. She never doubted herself. She was strong, solid, probably what he needed.

But he knew she wasn't what he wanted. The person who's right for you isn't always the one who deserves your love.

That would be too easy. Sometimes, we love the love that hurts.

When he reached the Slytherin dorm, he was relieved to find it empty. He curled up on his bed, a book raised above his head, unable to follow the words. His gaze kept shifting to Scorpius's bed.

Sighing, frustrated, he dropped his book and stood. He approached the bed and reached out toward the pillow but stopped himself. What did he want to do? Hold it, smell Scorpius's scent on the sheets? Pathetic!

He looked at the nightstand. Potions, the ones the boy had been taking since his stay in the infirmary. Gently, Albus opened the small drawer, cursing himself for what he was about to do. Inside were only letters, many letters. It seemed they all bore the Malfoy seal. Albus shut the drawer, shaking his head, ashamed. He had been searching for words, intimate letters, but he had no right to Scorpius. He wanted to know who had touched him, who had made love to him.

Nausea rose in his throat, and the familiar, unbearable cramp spread through his stomach, a dull ache that intensified with each heartbeat.

He grabbed a bag and filled it. He would study in the library again today.

Albus followed Carlson to the Great Hall for dinner. They had been debating strategy the whole way. Linz was confident, which was exactly what a captain needed.

Albus felt more at ease; the prospect of the final practice filled all his senses and mind. And he didn't fear seeing Scorpius at the Slytherin table. He spent his time with Dorian and Nicolas at the Gryffindor table. That was the case again today. He tensed when he saw the boy, but didn't linger.

Potter didn't like how easily Scorpius had returned to his routine and balance. He had wanted to see him suffer. Albus felt hideous and disgusting for wishing that. But damn it, he had the right!

He still wondered who the boy was that Scorpius had been meeting in secret all that time. It didn't matter anymore, but he wanted to know. He had been thinking about it for four days, turning every possibility over in his head, but he had no answer. Of course, he had suspected Dorian, but if that were the case, neither of them would have hidden it. Beyond that, there was nothing.

Scorpius didn't associate with anyone.

As he sat down, Albus watched them from the corner of his eye. Dorian was putting food on Malfoy's half-full plate, while Scorpius made a disgusted face, as if he couldn't eat anymore. Probably preparing for the match. Oh, not for the victory! If Scorpius had wanted the team to win, he would have participated in practices. No. But Draco Malfoy would be present, and the boy wanted to gain a few pounds before seeing his father.

Scorpius seemed tired, very tired, but he wasn't defeated, as if nothing had happened between them.

Albus frowned when he noticed Scorpius's hands were red, and he was holding his utensils in an odd way, as if his fingers hurt. On one of his wrists, Albus spotted a large bruise.

Albus shook his head. It wasn't his problem anymore. They shared nothing. They avoided each other perfectly, with impeccable timing. No surprise, Scorpius was nowhere to be found. Albus had stopped fearing bumping into him in the halls; the boy had become invisible.

When Albus came into the dorm, Scorpius was already asleep, or at least he kept his curtains closed. And he woke ridiculously early. Albus didn't know the exact time, but it seemed that Scorpius left the dorm around 4 a.m., maybe earlier, every morning. In class, they were always far from each other. Except in Charms, since they were partners, but even there, neither looked at the other. As a result, the project wasn't progressing, which was laughable, but Albus had no desire to speak to him.

Everyone had noticed their behavior, and no one asked questions. After all, they hadn't understood their attachment in the first place. Things balanced better this way, no doubt. But outside of those mandatory encounters, their paths never crossed.

'How long is practice tonight, Captain?' his Beater asked.

'Two hours is enough, if you do what I say.'

Linz grimaced. He was already expecting to spend the night on the field…"

The Post-Training, Match Eve

Albus was exhausted. When he entered the Slytherin common room, he fought the urge to collapse on the couch and spend the night there. He'd shower tomorrow, no matter what, he just wanted to sleep. Talk to his father and sleep. He had received a letter asking him to contact him around 11 p.m. through the Slytherin fireplace.

"Like Sirius," his father used to say, although everyone used that method of communication now.

The training had lasted two hours but felt like three in intensity.

Once again, Scorpius hadn't shown up.

Albus walked into the bathroom and stopped.

The floor was covered with blonde hair, just like the sink in front of which Scorpius stood, scissors in hand. His once long hair, which fell down his back, now barely reached his shoulders. The haircut was rough, with uneven strands.

He caught the boy's gaze in the mirror. Scorpius froze and looked away. Albus was about to leave the room but, finding it absurd, he quietly shut the door and moved toward the sink next to Scorpius.

The boy seemed surprised and moved slightly aside when Potter took his place next to him. He licked his lips, unsure, and gently set the scissors down on the ceramic edge. He was pale, almost sickly, and feverish. Bruises covered his white arms. His hands had lost their previously red appearance.

Indifferent, Albus grabbed his toothbrush and applied the paste. This was the first time they had been alone together in four days, and Potter didn't like it.

"We should meet to work on the Charms assignment," he said lazily.

"It's done. I handed it in to Lupin's office last night."

The boy's voice was hoarse, uncertain.

"Fine."

Albus brushed his teeth, ignoring the boy. He quickly stopped brushing—he didn't want to stay alone with Scorpius. He could already feel the bile rising and his anger swelling.

He drank some water and spat it out.

"Don't you want to know what object I picked?" Scorpius asked, hesitant.

"It doesn't matter." He wiped his mouth, refusing to look at the boy. "I don't need to pass Charms."

"I didn't slack off on the assignment!" Scorpius said indignantly.

"I don't care. I just wanted to hand it in so I wouldn't get detention."

Malfoy's presence was heating him up, and he didn't want to feel that anger right now. Scorpius seemed to hesitate. He wasn't looking at him.

"The match... it'll be fine, you know?"

It was just a whisper, innocent. But Albus wanted to gather the hair from the floor and shove it down his throat.

"If you cared at all, you would've shown up to the practices!"

He had shouted. Scorpius froze, his lip trembling. He was about to respond but thought better of it and left, slamming the door.

Albus wanted to follow him, wanted to push him down the stairs, against the stone wall like he had before, to see Scorpius in pain. He hated this anger that crept into his veins.

He slammed his fist into the door, furious, then turned on the cold water in the sink and splashed his face, wetting his hair. He waited to calm down, breathing in deeply, disappointed that he was still in this state, where he felt too much and forgave nothing.

He looked at his watch. 10:55 p.m.

The common room was empty. Albus knelt before the flames, breathing slowly, head lowered, waiting for the familiar crackling. His father's head appeared in the embers, and the boy smiled.

"Albus?

- Hi, Dad.

- How are you?

- Fine, fine.

- You look a bit tired.

- It's the practices.

- Ah. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Albus nodded and smiled. He knew his father was worried about him, about the match. There must be heated discussions at home. Some must be chanting, "Go Lions!" Supporting the Slytherins wasn't the done thing...

"Everything okay at home?" Albus inquired, more to change the subject than out of real interest. Neither of them was very talkative.

"Yes, yes, we're fine. We're both very busy, so it's hard to see each other. It feels like living in an empty house."

"We'll be back soon. Three weeks will fly by."

"It's long for a father."

Albus nodded, even though he didn't quite understand what his father was feeling. He knew that Harry had wanted to take a break from his career to look after his children instead of Ginny. Albus had been surprised at first, but after all, before he turned eleven, his father hadn't had a family.

"You know," his father suddenly said, "before the match, go to the pitch, before the crowd arrives. When the pressure comes, remember the place when it was empty, when it was just yours. It helps. Well, it helped me during my matches."

Albus nodded again, smiling. He listened obediently as his father told him to sleep well and eat properly, the usual parental routine, and wished him a good night. His face faded away.

When he entered the dormitory, Scorpius had drawn the curtains.

Albus turned off the alarm. 6 a.m. on a Saturday—he must be a real masochist. But when stress had woken him for the third time that night, he decided to follow his father's advice and head to the Quidditch pitch.

To his right, Scorpius's bed was empty. Silently, he left the castle.

The air was fresh, lively, and the sky completely clear, allowing a glimpse of a few stars as the sun rose on the horizon. He shoved his hands into his jeans' pockets, lowering his head to shield himself from the wind.

He arrived at the pitch. His heart raced like at the start of a match, but the sight of the empty stands calmed him. He filled his lungs with cold air, slowly, looking at the six goalposts on either side of the stadium. When he returned, this place would be packed with people, noise, whistles, cheers, and harsher remarks shouted at the players. But now, nothing—just silence. Silence and the wind.

Suddenly, he heard a sharp noise coming from the sky, echoing in the air. He knew that sound well—it was the sound of a bat hitting a Bludger. He looked up, searching for where the sound came from. Two figures emerged from the sky, barely lit by the dawning light. The shapes flew fast, and Albus squinted to recognize the early players. For a moment, they passed through the morning light, and Albus recognized them.

It was Scorpius. He was sure of it.

The boy was chasing a Golden Snitch in near darkness, pursued by Dorian, who bombarded him with Bludgers. Malfoy dodged them and hit them back hard so they wouldn't strike his head.

Perplexed, Potter stood for a moment, watching them. When they descended near the ground, he backed away and walked briskly back to the castle, his mind blank.

He was no longer sure he understood. Or rather, he understood too well.

Scorpius had been training. When he went out in the morning, it was to train. The red hands were from the friction of the broomstick against his palms. The bruises on his forearms were from shielding himself from Bludgers. How had he not recognized his injuries?

The perfect timing where they avoided each other was an illusion. All this time Scorpius had been invisible at Hogwarts, he was on the pitch.

Albus quickened his pace and crossed the castle walls in long strides. He felt as though he was breathing better, even though he hadn't realized he was suffocating.

A few early risers were having breakfast in the Great Hall. Among them was James, busy analyzing a match plan. When he spotted his brother, he folded the parchment with a smile and gestured to a seat across from him, inviting him to join.

He handed him a bowl.

"Are you ready, little brother?" James asked.

Albus hesitated. Was he ready? Yes, he was. When he had woken up, he wouldn't have been sure. So why now?

Albus smiled back and nodded.

"Perfect!" James said.

End of Chapter 17

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This chapter was supposed to be released on Friday, but I was sick all week... sorry for the delay!

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