Music for writing : Formidable - Stromae (Orchestral Cover - Mert Dizdar)
When they arrived in the dining room, the debate was in full swing about whether to open presents at midnight or wait until the morning. Everyone was sharing their own traditions, even though none of the children present were still young enough to believe in Santa Claus.
Scorpius took his place at the table next to Albus and returned his smile, though without much conviction. A few minutes later, Hugo entered the room and shot Scorpius a dark look before sitting down.
"Is everything okay?" Albus asked, having noticed the hostile exchange.
"We'll talk about it later," Scorpius murmured.
The air felt stifling, saturated. The voices around him were a blur, and the people at the table seemed to exist in a world separate from his own, unreachable. Suddenly, he felt the urge to escape. It was as if a veil covered him like a second skin, and shame clung to him again. He felt exposed and weak, as if his own body were unclean. He wished Albus knew nothing. Forgetting was hard when the memory was reflected in someone else's eyes.
Albus looked at him, concerned, but Scorpius had no words to reassure him, so he just smiled. He couldn't touch his plate and listened absently to the conversations around him.
On Teddy's suggestion, it was decided to organize a nighttime Quidditch match in the snow. Everyone searched for coats, gloves, and scarves to head to the family Quidditch field. Hermione and Fleur went out to light dozens of white torches that floated up into the sky, providing enough light for the impromptu match. Chairs and blankets were brought out, though a warming charm was quickly cast.
James and Harry opened the garage and pulled out brooms for the players: Nimbus, Comets, Firebolts... the latest models, of course.
"If I'd known we were going to play, I would've skipped the yule log," Charlie grinned as he took the broom Harry handed him.
James was already in the air with Dominique. The former Ravenclaw player performed a few moves to "stretch her broom."
"It's like paragliding, really," Evan Dursley said, shrugging, eyes fixed on the two players.
"It goes a bit faster," Teddy said, taking his broom. "Wanna try?"
He straddled the broom and motioned for Evan to sit behind him. The boy obliged, wrapping his arms around Teddy's waist.
"I'd hold on tighter if I were you," Teddy warned, winking at the Potter-Weasley children, and without waiting, he shot into the sky.
Arthur and his wife hurried out of the house.
"What was that scream?" Molly asked, rushing over to the group of spectators.
"Teddy took Evan for a ride on the broom," Lily giggled, pointing to the sky where a barely visible streak was flying, a scream trailing behind it.
"Doing loops like that will make him sick," Molly said.
"It'll serve him right," Albus said, watching Teddy's acrobatics. He turned to Scorpius and noticed he was staring at the ground, indifferent to what was happening around him.
Teddy returned to the ground and dropped off a pale Evan, who nearly stumbled off the broom as he got down. He stood bent over, hands on his knees.
"Paragliding, huh?" Amanda teased at her brother's defeated look.
"Why don't you try it instead of being so smug!" he shot back with a glare.
"No, thanks."
"With the motorbike, I thought you liked speed," Teddy teased, clearly proud of himself, winking at the others.
"I prefer solid ground," Evan said, holding his stomach.
"Who's playing?" Teddy asked, giving Evan a playful pat on the back, which nearly made him retch.
A few hands went up, and Albus frowned when he noticed Scorpius's hand wasn't among them.
"You're not playing?" he asked, realizing Scorpius hadn't even heard the question.
The boy startled, snapping out of his trance. He shook his head. "I'm not feeling it," he finally said, his voice weak.
"Shame," said a voice behind him.
Scorpius turned to see Harry Potter approaching with a broom in hand.
"I was going to be the Seeker for the other team. I get why you'd want to bow out," Harry said with a teasing smile.
Scorpius could hardly believe it: Harry Potter was challenging him to a game and calling him a coward. Harry's smile softened the provocation, and Scorpius understood it was his way of encouraging—or rather, forcing—him to play. He looked up at the players already in the air. He didn't feel like playing, but he did want to fly.
He accepted the broom being offered and smiled. "My father will be delighted to hear I beat you, Mr. Potter."
Harry burst out laughing, then shrugged. "Okay. But if I win, you have to call me Harry."
He held out his hand to the boy. Scorpius shook his head, smiling hesitantly, then shook the offered hand.
At that moment, Ginny Weasley came out of the house, her dress replaced with jeans and tall boots.
"Damn, Mom's playing..." Albus groaned.
Lily appeared behind them. "Mom's going to destroy you. She's going to take out all her stress on you guys."
"I think she's right," Rose said, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck.
The teams were formed: Harry (Seeker), Ginny, Angelina (Chasers), Ron (Keeper), Fred, and Charlie (Beaters) against James, Albus, Scorpius, Louis, Dominique, and Teddy. James, usually a Chaser, declined the position and took the role of Keeper. Albus and Teddy took their places as Chasers in the center of the field, while Dominique and Louis positioned themselves as Beaters in the back.
Albus muttered that Louis flew as fast as a turkey, but admitted that Charlie wasn't much better on a broom—strange for a man who worked with dragons.
A Golden Snitch was released, its wings gleaming in the dark. Percy released the Bludgers and a white Quaffle, and the match began. After 10 minutes, Albus and Teddy were gasping for air in the cold, struggling to keep up with Ginny, who sped just above the ground, the Quaffle under her arm.
As Teddy reached out to grab it, Angelina swooped in on his side, and Ginny passed her the ball. She sped toward the hoops, and just as James swooped in to block her, she dropped the Quaffle into Ginny's waiting hand, who had appeared just under her broom. The ball sailed through the open hoop.
"I can't believe it, they're beating us!" shouted Teddy.
"Take it easy, Mum," Albus protested, watching his mother relentlessly going back on the attack. "We're still your sons!"
"No room for sentimentality with me!" the redhead retorted as she returned to the center of the pitch. "If you want the Quaffle, come and get it!"
Hovering above the players, Harry and Scorpius were waiting for the Golden Snitch to make its appearance while watching the match below.
"She's ruthless," Scorpius commented, watching Ginny Weasley zoom toward her son to snatch the Quaffle from him.
"Quidditch is sacred in this family," Harry said, looking at his wife with admiration and a fond smile. "You'd have a better chance if James were playing Chaser. He's not cut out to be Keeper." Scorpius resisted the urge to explain that the two brothers couldn't be on the same team right now. "If you're cold," Harry continued, "I can cast another warming charm."
Scorpius shook his head. He was cold, but it helped him think clearly, which he needed right now. The wind whipped at their faces, and a few snowflakes began to fall around them. Harry's hair was blown back by the wind, and Scorpius caught a glimpse of the famous scar on his forehead, that legendary lightning bolt. He suddenly grasped the magnitude of the man hovering beside him, this war hero who had welcomed him into his home with such humility and kindness.
"Mr. Potter," Scorpius began softly, "I wanted to thank you for inviting me and for letting me stay a little longer… given the circumstances. I know it helps my father too."
"You don't have to thank me. I'm glad you accepted the invitation. And Albus is happy you're here; that's enough for me."
Scorpius smiled, feeling a bit more at ease.
"So, where's this Golden Snitch? I'm getting bored!" Harry said with a stretch, kicking his legs on the broom.
The snow began to fall heavier, and Scorpius wondered if it would be possible to spot the Snitch. He got his answer a few seconds later when the tiny ball zipped past his head. Without thinking, he darted after it, closely followed by Harry Potter, just inches behind. The chase intensified as the Snitch led them toward the ground, weaving through the other players. A Bludger whizzed past Scorpius's head, nearly knocking him off balance. Harry took advantage of the moment, stretching his arm forward. But Scorpius, lighter and faster, pushed his broom to full speed, overtaking Harry's.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted another Bludger heading their way and muttered to Scorpius, "Here's some advice: hold tight to your broom."
As the Bludger approached, Harry caught it with one hand and launched it at the tip of Scorpius's broom, slightly deflecting the boy's trajectory. With the rebound and a perfectly calculated angle, the Bludger hit the Golden Snitch, sending it straight into Harry Potter's outstretched hand.
On the ground, Percy blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match. All the players descended, Harry holding the Snitch aloft. Albus and Teddy looked exhausted. Scorpius landed last, disappointed. His teammates were just as dejected; the adults hadn't given them any chance at victory.
As Scorpius was taking off his gloves, Harry Potter approached him and tossed him the Golden Snitch.
"We had a deal, didn't we?" Harry asked innocently. Scorpius acknowledged his defeat.
"Well played… Harry," he muttered under his breath, and Potter ruffled his hair as if he were five years old.
"I thought we were going to have a friendly game! That was a slaughter!" Albus grumbled, brushing snow from his messy black hair. "If that's what the Christmas spirit is, I could do without it…"
He continued to grumble, and Scorpius found his sulking rather endearing. He would have hugged him if there weren't so many people watching.
Midnight struck, and glasses were filled with champagne and sparkling pumpkin juice for a toast under the falling snow. They returned inside, where the table had been cleared and cups of hot chocolate awaited them. The adults moved to the living room for coffee and brandy.
The younger ones were starting to doze off in the living room, waiting for their parents to take them home. Albus slipped away to take a shower.
Sitting on the couch, Scorpius clutched the warm cup Teddy had handed him before sitting beside him.
They chatted about various things before Teddy brought up Scorpius's first months at Hogwarts.
"Is this the professor asking?" Scorpius asked, studying the young man.
"Or the cousin?" Teddy offered with a smile. "I haven't spread any rumors, but it seems like this year's been rough for you and Dorian Nott."
Scorpius licked his lips, hoping Teddy was only referring to their time in the hospital and other "unpleasant" incidents.
"You mean with the other students? Yeah, it was tough at first, but things have gotten better. Quidditch helps a lot. It's given us a way to fit in more."
"That's good, that's good."
Teddy hesitated for a moment.
"Is there something else you wanted to ask me?" Scorpius prompted.
"I spoke with Professor McGonagall not too long ago," Teddy began, and Scorpius looked away. "You're an excellent student, except in Transfiguration. It's very close to my Charms class, where you excel, and we can't figure out why you're struggling in Transfiguration. You're really falling behind. And we've noticed that you don't put any effort into that subject—your homework is practically an exact copy of Albus's."
"I don't know what to tell you, Teddy."
"We can arrange some tutoring if you think it would help."
"I'm not going to tutoring," Scorpius cut him off. "Look, I can pass my OWLs with a T in Transfiguration as long as I get Outstanding in everything else, right?"
Teddy frowned, scrutinizing the boy. "Yes, obviously."
"Then I don't see the problem, Teddy."
"You could be top of your year, Scorpius; you have the ability, and that's important for your future. Just… try to make an effort, okay?"
Scorpius wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. "I'll try," he finally said without much conviction.
"Well, I guess that's better than nothing," Teddy concluded with a smile.
Albus appeared in the living room, his hair wet and cheeks flushed from a too-hot shower. He flopped onto the couch between Teddy and Scorpius, asking what they'd been talking about while he was gone.
"I was telling Scorpius to make a little more effort in Transfiguration next term," Teddy said bluntly. "And it would be helpful if you stopped giving him all your homework. Can I count on you?"
Scorpius saw Albus's face lose its color for a moment before he replied with a smile, "I'll keep giving him my Transfiguration homework if I can get his Arithmancy notes," with such ease that Scorpius felt a cold, creeping anger rise within him. He clenched his teeth, turning his gaze away.
As the night wore on, the first Weasleys said their goodnights and either went home or took up the guest rooms on the third floor. The house gradually emptied, and Scorpius and Albus slipped away to bed.
As soon as they stepped into the room, Albus pressed Scorpius against the door, pinning his body against his. He cupped Scorpius's face in his hands and kissed him.
"I've been thinking about this all night," he murmured against his skin before capturing his lips again. But this time, Scorpius placed both hands on his chest and pushed him back, holding him at arm's length.
"What's wrong?" Albus asked, taking his wrists and caressing them with his thumbs.
"There's something I need to talk to you about," Scorpius said quietly, pulling his hands away. He moved to sit on the bed, hands clasped together, head bowed.
"I hit Hugo earlier, in the bathroom."
Surprised, Albus sat down beside him on the bed but said nothing, so Scorpius continued, "I didn't mean to, but… he said something."
He looked up at Albus. "He saw you in the library before the holidays, and you were looking up a word."
Albus's heart began to race, and his ears buzzed with the sound of his blood pumping. He looked away. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Scorpius watching his every reaction, scrutinizing every muscle that twitched. Albus avoided his gaze now, swallowing hard.
Scorpius pressed, "Pygmalionism. Does that mean anything to you?" Albus said nothing. "It's not a very common word. I don't see how you would've heard it by chance…"
More silence. Scorpius bit the inside of his lip to keep it from trembling.
"Albus… did Dorian tell you something?"
Potter felt fear tightening around him, twisting his insides. His throat was so dry that he couldn't form any words. He felt trapped.
Finally, he nodded stiffly. Coward.
He saw tears form in Scorpius's eyes before he shut them tightly to stop them from falling. His lip pressed into a pale line as his entire body began to tremble.
"How could he…" Scorpius finally said, his voice shaking.
He stood up, putting his hands on his hips and taking several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "I'll deal with him when I get back," he said coldly. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Albus shook his head, wringing his hands.
"No. No, no, no," he repeated, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Nowhat?" Scorpius asked, and Albus stood up, finally daring to meet his gaze.
"I lied. Dorian didn't tell me anything. Not a thing."
"Then how…?"
"I stole the vial from your bag."
Scorpius froze, his body stiff.
"You did what…?"
"I thought you were hiding something from me about James or someone else. I couldn't help myself, so…"
A blow landed. A hard slap with the back of the hand. Albus's first reaction was anger, swelling inside him as he raised a hand to his stinging lip. But when he saw Scorpius's eyes, filled with tears, the anger dissolved. These weren't just tears of sadness. Scorpius was hurt and disappointed, and he looked at Albus with sorrow and disgust, as though his mere sight was tearing him apart.
Without a word, Scorpius turned away and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Albus asked, desperate.
"I can't stay here."
He threw open the door, but when he stepped into the hallway, he saw Harry Potter leaving the bathroom, heading toward his bedroom at the other end of the hall.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"Is everything alright?" Harry asked.
Scorpius was aware that his appearance likely betrayed his agitation. But he couldn't explain anything, certainly not to Harry Potter, so he decided to lie.
"I just wanted to go to the bathroom."
Harry Potter didn't believe a word, and Scorpius knew it, but the man simply nodded with a smile and didn't press the matter.
"You're not planning on sneaking out in the middle of the night, are you?"
Scorpius shook his head, forcing a polite smile despite his trembling body.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," the boy repeated automatically.
The door at the end of the hall closed, and the hallway returned to darkness.
From the doorway of his room, Albus whispered for him to come back. Scorpius couldn't bear it.
There was a door next to Albus's.
Scorpius shot a dark look at Potter, ignoring the way his mouth fell open, and opened the door.
James was lying on the bed, his left ankle crossed over his right, a book in his hand, frozen.
"I need to sleep here tonight."
A silence. James blinked several times, his face betraying no emotion.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I can't stay with your brother, and I can't leave in the middle of the night without having to explain."
"It's still not a good idea."
"I'm telling you, I can't stay in Albus's room!"
James jumped up, throwing the book he'd been holding to the floor. He stormed over to Scorpius, towering over him, furious.
"I don't care, get out!"
Scorpius didn't back down, defiant.
"I just need a place to sleep. I'm not asking you to sleep with me!"
"That's the last thing we need! The answer is still no, now get out!"
"You owe me this, James."
Potter grabbed his arm, squeezing it painfully.
"I don't owe you anything. My brother won't speak to me, my best friend can hardly look me in the eyes, my best player wants to leave my team, and my father looks at me sideways whenever I'm in the same room as you. I'm paying for it, Scorpius, every single day. I'm waiting patiently for things to settle, and you in my damn room isn't helping at all. So get out of here, damn it!"
That was when Scorpius broke down, bursting into tears.
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" James groaned, throwing his arms in the air before running his hands through his hair. Exasperated, he looked at the boy falling apart in front of him. "Damn it, you've done it all now!" he said, shoving Scorpius before storming out of the room.
Once in the dark hallway, James wondered if Lily would let him sleep with her, even though he hadn't done that since he was seven. But she would want an explanation, and that was best avoided. James sighed, turned left, and opened the door at the end of the hall.
Sitting on the bed, Albus lifted his head in surprise, but when he saw his brother, he let out a disappointed groan.
"I'm guessing it's not me you were waiting for."
"What are you doing here?"
James raised an eyebrow.
"Would you rather I went back to my room? My bed's occupied, in case you didn't know."
Albus buried his head in his hands, and James continued as he walked around the bed:
"I tried to make him leave, but then he started crying. Just like you did when you were a kid, with the sobs, hiccups, and snot and everything. Even I didn't make him cry like that."
"Shut up, James. Just shut up."
James stretched out on the bed, his arms behind his head. Albus looked surprised, ready to yell at his brother to get lost, but where would he go? He reconsidered. Of course, James was going to spend the night in his room.
He eventually lay down beside him. They stayed like that for a while, silent, side by side.
"Everything's different now," Albus said, staring at the ceiling. "I remember looking at this ceiling like this. It was in August, before all this. Things weren't this bad."
James nodded, murmuring in agreement, his mouth closed.
"How can he hide out in your room after everything that happened?" Albus asked.
James inhaled as if to answer but then paused, reconsidering.
"It was over when you caught us. We'd crossed several lines. We said everything there was to say. Or so I thought… When he came into my room, he said: 'You owe me this, James'. I wonder how many more times I'm going to hear that."
"Do you regret what you did?"
James sighed, his face clouding with thought as if the question were too complicated.
"Did he tell you we'd met before? Before Hogwarts?"
"He mentioned it once. But I didn't really pay attention; it didn't seem important at the time."
"It didn't go well. In the end, I wanted revenge. But the person I wanted to hurt didn't exist. And by the time I realized that, it was too late. So, I took what I could since I'd already ruined everything."
Albus nodded silently, staring at the ceiling for a while. His throat tightened.
"I ruined everything too."
James turned to look at his brother.
"What happened?"
Albus covered his face with his hands, pressing on his eyelids to stop the tears from falling.
"I think if I tell you, I'll lose him for good." He paused, breathing. He needed to talk. "He gave a memory to Nott. I thought it was about you, and I was… jealous. I wanted to know, so I stole the vial and found a Pensieve. But it had nothing to do with you—or me, for that matter. He hates me because I didn't trust him and because I found out something horrible when I should've waited for him to tell me, when he was ready."
"Did someone abuse him?"
Albus turned to him, stunned.
"Besides me?" James added in a low voice.
"How… how do you know that?"
James sighed and turned his head back to the ceiling. He tapped his chest with his hand.
"That would explain a lot," he finally said.
Albus turned off the bedside lamp. He probably wouldn't sleep, but he might as well try to rest.
Nothing could be done tonight. Scorpius couldn't bear his presence right now, and Albus had no excuse to offer him. His jealousy had driven his actions. It was the poison infecting them both.
James's voice reached him in the dark.
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"The answer to your question. Yes, I regret what I did."
End of Chapter 31
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