28AN: Oh my god! An update! Thank you all for sticking with me through my slow, slow, slow updates. Hopefully my current stress level (I hate you, AP Physics) doesn't affect the quality of my writing! Please read and review, whether it's lovely compliments and happiness from lovely reviewers such as myprofoundfantasy and simplysimpre or flames from disgruntled readers who think it's really Al and Lena who should be making out in a secluded hallway (I'm sorry to break it to you, but that will not happen in this story. This is not Faking It *cough cough* worst season finale ever *cough cough*). Reviews are happy rainbows and Jake Gyllenhaal wearing a "I was a gay cowboy before it was cool" T-shirt (side note: I was watching Nashville with my family and somebody on the show said "Gay cowboys don't sell" and I just went "Brokeback…" *cries* *I wish I could quit you*).
ANYWAY… Let's get back to fanfiction homosexuality instead of canon sexuality (although hello it would be canon if the great J.K. Rowling would just admit the feels between our boys).
Big, happy things happen (THANK MERLIN FINALLY) in this VERY LONG chapter. Yay!
Chapter 11
….Three Months Later…
Al stared at his boyfriend, and then at his breakfast plate. It was a weird contortion of eggs on a plate with toast. They seemed to be cut into some sort of shape, but he had no idea what it was supposed to be.
"Do you like it?"
Al didn't know what to say. "Uh, sure, but I dunno what it is."
The dark-haired boy looked somewhat hurt. "Babe, it's supposed to be a Snitch!"
"Ah," Al said. "Thanks, Dan. I like it."
Dan pecked him quickly on the cheek. "It's for your game today, your first game. It's supposed to be good luck. I heard your dad's friends did it for him, too."
"We're playing your House. Why are you wishing me good luck?"
Dan sank into the bench beside Al dramatically in a shockingly good imitation of Scorpius. "Because, Al Potter, you're my boyfriend. See?" He gestured down at himself. Al realized he was wearing a Ravenclaw tie, instead of his normal red and gold Gryffindor one.
"Oh," said Al. Even after three months, he sometimes had no idea how to act around a public boyfriend. "Thanks." He smiled at Dan and shoved a spoonful of eggs into his mouth.
And then Scorpius showed up, holding his girlfriend Lena's hand. They had a relationship that was pretty much universally considered weird. In public, they were awkwardly affectionate. Well, Lena was, but Scorpius wasn't, at least since the day of the kiss three months ago. "Hey," he said to Al. "Dan," he nodded as an afterthought.
"Excited for the game?" Al smiled, snatching his gaze back from Scorpius's uniform. Scorpius nodded, stealing a bite of Al's toast before putting it back at Al's screeching glare. "Mine," Al said, narrowing his eyes before letting a laugh escape.
Lena shifted her weight to her other foot. "Scorpius," she said, "you should be eating something if you're planning on saving any goals."
"Yes, mum," Scorpius laughed. Lena's smile didn't reach her eyes. It never did these days. "Al, promise me you'll catch the Snitch."
"That's the goal, Scorpius," Al said tiredly. They had had this conversation many times… and yet somehow neither he nor Scorpius had gotten tired of it. He smiled briefly at Scorpius. "Now do what Lena says. Eggs or something, not that fruity shite you've been eating every day."
Scorpius froze. "Excuse—oh. You meant… never mind."
"What?" Al stared at the blond boy who was suddenly angry and red-faced.
"Never mind, Al." Scorpius's voice was hard. "Leave it alone," he said when Al opened his mouth.
Dan's and Lena's eyes flashed back between the two of them.
Scorpius ate his eggs.
-o-
"He passes it to Thomas… and Thomas scores! In Quidditch that is, can't say for otherwise—"
"Ryan Rosenthall!"
"Sorry, Professor, won't happen again. 10 points to Gryffindor, now Ravenclaw's got the Quaffle. I must say, that should have been an easy save, seems like Malfoy's mind's elsewhere, possibly up in the clouds. Whether that's purely figurative or actually with Al Potter, I won't say, but rumour has it the two did get into a fight this morning, yelling and—"
"Rosenthall! Please focus on the game."
"Sorry, Professor, but you do have to admit that neither is having his best game… Oh, and Ravenclaw scores! Brilliant move by Marie Ellis and Kate Stevenson, I heard it's called the Mercury-Taryen Flip, very impressive. They're apparently being recruited… sorry Professor… oh and Josh stole the Quaffle back, good thing too because Malfoy can't save anything today—" Rosenthall was dancing away from the Quidditch professor "Sorry, it's what the people want to hear—ooh, I think Potter's seen the Snitch, like his father and uncle Charlie Weasley he is I've heard, boy flies through the air, but he's not on his game tonight… and he's lost it… Gryffindor scores, it's now 120-20 Ravenclaw, no thanks to Malfoy, he might as well not even be in front of the posts, he hasn't saved either of the two shots. Potter better catch the Snitch soon or this game is going to go on forever, I don't think that the other Seeker, what's his name? Tavers? Oh, sorry, Travors, he hasn't even seen it yet… yes! Ravenclaw's got the Quaffle! Brilliant flyer, Marie Ellis is. She really should go professional, professor—"
"Ryan Rosenthall!"
"Even you have to admit she's incredible, professor, and she scores! 130 points for Ravenclaw, Gryffindor is being roasted alive, brilliant playing! Down with the lions, sorry professor, can't ignore my House loyalties—Slytherin's far superior to the others, by the way, no relation to this but—sorry professor, won't happen again!"
He dodged the professor's furious glare. "Rosenthall, hand it over, now!"
"Can't really imagine why they keep letting me do this. I suppose I'm the closest they've got to the legendary Lee Jordan, that boy was brilliant, my aspiration even though he was in Gryffindor, Slytherin at heart I've always said! Ravenclaw scores! Soon it won't matter who catches the Snitch, might be like Krum's World Cup game… ooh, and Gryffindor scores! 140-30 now. Beautiful shot by them, for once, don't actually know who shot it, some boy with dark hair, James Potter maybe—"
"Kathy Smith is female!"
"Sorry, girl with dark hair. Can't really expect me to see that, she's got short hair! Looks like James Potter actually. Odd." A second of silence from the microphone, broken by the continuous excited murmur in the crowd. Suddenly, it roars again. "Ravenclaw scores again! Ooh, nice steal from Gryffindor by Ellis again, and she passes to Stevenson, and it's a goal! James really should go professional, she's reminiscent of Krum, I swear, professor I used a big word, it's academic so it's okay, and oh, finally, Malfoy makes a save, although it was headed to the outside of the hoops… I dunno if it counts as a save then, but Amberson has the Quaffle and does Potter see the Snitch? Doesn't seem like it, he's circling again and Ravenclaw scores! Beautiful goal by Josh Amberson, 160-30, people! Ravenclaw really is crushing these dirty cheating lions, I think the Gryffindor Chasers have barely touched the Quaffle and their Keeper certainly hasn't, although Ravenclaw's hasn't either… Stevenson intercepts the Quaffle! Gorgeous pass back to James, and oh! Varr's hit that Beater! The bloke missed! Terribly embarrassing for him, now Gryffindor's out of a player, I think the medical teams are going out there now people, don't worry, he'll be fine… and Ravenclaw scored twice in that confusion! What's the score now? 170-30?"
"Pay attention, Rosenthall, it's 180-30!"
"180-30! Travors better catch the Snitch quick, he can only tie now and oh, he's seen the Snitch! Potter sees it too but he's too far away, he's too late, he'll never make it in time, he's stretching out and Stevenson scores again and Travors catches the Snitch! RAVENCLAW WINS! TAKE THAT, GRYFFINDOR! YOU FILTHY LIONS!" The professor snatched the microphone away but his voice was still audible "We've won! Ravenclaws won! Take down the lions, the righteous prissy lions, Slytherin will beat you next, we'll take you down..."
On the field, the Ravenclaw team landed and walked to their changing room, anger coming off of Charlie Danzer like steam off his back. "Meeting," he growled, pointing two fingers at Al and Scorpius. "Now."
The team changed quietly, the three Chasers uncertain whether or not to grin widely at their playing or shrink in fear of being yelled at.
Al and Scorpius sat down on the benches with Charlie towering over them. "I don't know what to say. You both need to thank your Chasers for playing the game they did. Albus," he said, turning to the green-eyed boy, "I saw the Snitch about three times, and I'm a Beater. I don't know what your problem was, but you need to shape up, and quick. We can't have a Seeker who can't focus enough to at least look for the Snitch. And as for you, Scorpius: you didn't make a single save. Not one. You touched the ball once, ONCE, in the entire game, and that was when the ball was going to the outside of the hoops. You shouldn't have even touched it then, that's the Chasers' job. Not yours, Scorpius. So I'm going to ask once: what the hell happened to you?"
Neither knew what to say, except, "I'm sorry." Al's voice was quiet and timid, so different from normal.
"Is what he said out there true?"
"What?" Scorpius said.
"Ryan Rosenthall. About the two of you getting into a fight this morning. I know you're friends but there's a lot of tension of some sort between the two of you. I couldn't care less except for when it impacts my team. Either there needs to be a change, or you're both off the team. I'll take Ovian back, but I cannot deal with this kind of stress put on the team."
"Well—" Scorpius said.
"Not exactly—"Al spoke at the same time. Al forged forward. "Not exactly. I said something, I don't know what, but it wasn't that big of a deal—"
"It wasn't," agreed Scorpius. "Misunderstanding."
"So I'll ask again, then. What the hell happened out there? And I want a frank answer."
"I dunno," Al said. "I'm sorry."
"There's something going on between you two. Like I said, I don't care except for when it affects my team. We've got the best Chasers we're ever going to get in Kate and Marie, and I'm not going to throw that away so you two can have a lovers' spat."
"It's not—" Scorpius tried.
Charlie ignored him. "What I'm saying is, the two of you are not coming to the next practice. Figure out whatever the hell is going on, and come back the next week ready to play. If you can't set aside whatever it is and play like you mean it, you're off the team."
"Charlie," Scorpius protested.
"I mean it. I'll take Ovian back. I don't care. But I am not going to tolerate this. Got it?" The tone of his voice was harsh and steady. He was serious.
"Yeah, I understand." Al bit his tongue to hold back the "sir."
Scorpius nodded.
"See you in two weeks, then. And I want to see some real changes," Charlie insisted.
"You'll see them," Scorpius promised.
Charlie turned away to change then, and Al and Scorpius walked to their lockers silently. Al's shirt was halfway over his head when Scorpius spoke. "Al…"
"Don't, Scorpius."
"Okay," Scorpius said. "But please, can we talk at some point?"
Al's voice was muffled as he worked his way out of his shirt. "Yes, Scorpius. We can talk."
"Thanks," Scorpius said. "I don't want to get booted off the team."
Al didn't respond.
-o-
Al exited the locker room and was greeted with a kiss from Dan, who had an odd expression on his face, some sort of pained smile-grimace. "You played great, babe," Dan said, holding Al close.
"I didn't, but thanks, Dan," Al said. Sometimes he wished he could talk to Dan about stuff like that, but Dan still got really uncomfortable at the discussion of Scorpius Malfoy. He couldn't tell Dan that the reason he played so poorly… was Scorpius. His best friend.
"No, babe, you played great, just because you didn't catch—"
"Charlie almost kicked me off the team, Dan." Al's voice was tired. He wished Dan could understand how he was feeling. It seemed like he and Dan were only going through the motions. Kisses here and there, comforting words, occasional hand holding. Al was tired of being around Dan.
He wished that Dan could see it.
"Hey, Scorpius," Lena said behind him. Al turned around in Dan's arms and watched as Scorpius emerged from the tent. He pecked Lena on the cheek briefly, and she smiled. "Oh, no… what's wrong? What happened? You weren't on your game today, what's wrong?"
Scorpius glanced at Al and Dan. "Not here, Lene," he said, taking her hand.
Al watched them go, still clutched tightly by Dan's arms. Lena understood Scorpius, and Al still couldn't believe that they were really together. He watched them talking quietly as they walked away, holding hands and looking, for all the world, like a better couple than he and Dan.
"Let's go grab something to eat," Dan said, smiling at Al.
"Sure," Al sighed. "Let's go."
-o-
Lena and Scorpius walked slowly over to the castle, hands comfortable and familiar together. "What is it?" Lena prompted again. "No offense, Scorpius, but you played really poorly today."
"I know," he said. "It's Al. I don't know why, but we just seem to keep getting in each other's way. And, frankly, it's exhausting."
"Because of this morning?"
"No… it's all the time. We'll be walking to class, and he'll say something, totally offhandedly, that just sets me off, or I'll bump into him by accident and he'll just freeze up, and it's such a trial to be around him and I know he feels the same way even though we're best friends again, and I can tell his relationship with Gaither isn't going well—"
"What?" Lena interrupted. "He and Dan aren't getting along? They're like the perfect couple… sorry Scorpius. I know how you feel about him still, and I just never knew the two of you together."
"It's okay, Lena," Scorpius said.
"And I thought I was your best friend," Lena said, overdramatically offended.
"You are, Lena," Scorpius laughed, nudging her with his shoulder. "Just in a different way."
"I know," she said, squeezing his hand. "I love you, you know," she grinned.
"Love you, too, Lena," he smiled back at her.
"Just not like you love Al." They laughed. It was their little joke. The first time she had told Scorpius she loved him, he had frozen, until she smiled broadly at him and said that.
"So, do you fancy anyone lately?" Scorpius asked.
Lena frowned. "Nah, no one's really caught my fancy since you," she told him "I wish there were some decent boys in our year… who aren't gay."
"Poor straight you," Scorpius teased her.
"It's tragic," she said, laughing. "I wish—wait. You're just trying to distract me from your little hypothesis about Dan and Al."
"Fuck you… See, Dan doesn't get what Al's feeling. He doesn't seem to much care, and Al hates that. That's why we broke up, actually, because I didn't get how much Al needed to be out and I was holding him back. And now Dan's holding him back."
Lena nodded slowly. "Is that good?"
"For Al? No. For me?" He grinned. "Hell yes. I might get a second chance with him if they break up."
"Publicly?" Lena asked.
Scorpius frowned. "I dunno. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose."
"Tough bridge," Lena said. "But worth it?"
"For him? Of course."
Lena bit back her smile.
-o-
Al washed his hair slowly in the shower, letting the warm water smooth out the tension in his back from the game, from having to talk to Scorpius, and his strained relationship with Dan. After several minutes, he shut the water off and dried himself off before walking slowly through the empty corridor to his dorm, a towel wrapped around his waist. He opened the door and walked immediately over to his clothes, looking to find a comfortable pair of Muggle athletic shorts and a T-shirt to sleep in.
"Just so you know, I'm here," Scorpius said from his bed, platinum blond hair tousled and looking unfairly regal covering his grey eyes.
"Fuck," Al exclaimed, dropping the clothes he had just picked out in surprise. He whirled around. "Scorpius! What are you doing here?"
"It is my room, too, you know," the blond drawled. "Why are you naked?"
"I have a towel on."
"Half naked, then."
"I just took a shower, as you can surely see from my wet hair, genius."
Scorpius laughed softly. "I'm sorry, I thought we were asking obvious questions."
"Obvious questions, maybe," Al said, looking at him through his messy black hair and sitting down on his own bed. "But not sexual ones."
Scorpius grinned and Al promptly returned it. "Sorry."
"You're not," Al said bluntly. It wasn't a question, but the laughter in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.
"I'm not," Scorpius said.
"I know," Al responded. Why couldn't his relationship with Dan be so easy? The laughter died in his eyes. "Scorpius, we really should talk… about what's been going on. With Quidditch, and everything."
"With you… half naked?" Scorpius asked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
It worked. Al smiled briefly. "I should change, shouldn't I? But not in front of you."
"Not in front of me," Scorpius agreed. "I'll shut my eyes."
"Don't peek," Al teased.
"You know I will," Scorpius responded, shutting his eyes tightly.
Al couldn't help but wish that he would. He changed quickly, watching Scorpius not look the entire time.
"I'm done," Al said, letting his shirt drop over his well-defined torso. Scorpius opened his eyes and the two boys stared at each other awkwardly as Al sat carefully on his bed across from Scorpius. "Should we talk?" he asked.
"We should," Scorpius said, not removing his grey eyes from Al's green ones.
"Yeah," Al breathed, finally tearing his gaze away. "So… er… let's start with this morning. Why were you so mad at me? Did I do something?"
Scorpius grimaced. "No, it was stupid, really. It's not a big deal."
"You were pissed at me all day, Scorpius."
"I know." He paused. "You said that I had been eating… fruity shite. Every day."
Al looked at him for a second seriously, until his eyes started to lighten and Scorpius lips pressed together and Al cracked a grin and Scorpius bit out a giggle and suddenly, they were laughing hard together. Al rolled back on his bed, holding his stomach. "And… you thought… I meant…" he panted out, still looking up at the ceiling.
Scorpius muffled his giggles for a second. "Yes," only now realizing how completely hilarious it was. Al lifted his head, and the two boys' eyes met, and they dissolved back into laughter again.
"I meant that you had been eating apples and oranges and bananas not… blokes," Al said, propping himself up on one elbow to look at Scorpius.
"I know," Scorpius said, gasping for breath. "It just sounded really bad."
"And that's why you were mad at me all day?" Al asked, grinning.
"Yes and no," Scorpius said, sobering. "A little because of that and a little bit because we've just been so… tense around each other lately, and I don't want that, Al. I want my best friend back."
Al looked seriously at him. "Back to the way it was when we were just friends or… when we were… boyfriends?"
"Both?" Scorpius said, his voice rising like a question. His eyes darted to Al's.
"Both?" Al asked. "What does that mean?"
Scorpius frowned. "I dunno. Do you remember back, before it all got really complicated, when we were best friends, when you would put your arm around me and it would feel nice and comfortable but not awkward? And you did that later, and we could nudge each other without it getting weird even when we were boyfriends—"
"Before you started worrying everybody would find out."
"Before that, yes." Scorpius clutched his knees to his chest. "It was comfortable to be around you, Al. And I miss that. You're my best friend and…" He stopped.
"And?" Al prompted.
"I dunno," Scorpius said, looking away and blushing. "It doesn't matter."
They sat in silence, both absorbing what Scorpius had said. Scorpius studied the patters on the bedspread in front of him, and Al studied Scorpius.
"CanIsitnexttoyou?" Al asked in a rush.
"What?" Scorpius asked, looking at the dark haired boy who was already starting to stand up.
"Can I sit next to you?" he repeated, more slowly, getting to his feet. They both already knew what the answer should be, what it had to be… and what it would be.
Scorpius nodded. "Of course," he breathed, moving over to make room for Al.
Al sat tentatively next to him. They looked cautiously at each other and then quickly away, brushing shoulders. In a moment of insanity, Al put his arm around Scorpius's shoulders. "Like this?" he asked quietly, feeling the smaller boy tensed up.
Scorpius nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak. Gradually, slowly he relaxed, and then he relaxed against Al, laying his head on the other boy's shoulder. Al tightened his arm around Scorpius, missing the way his narrow shoulders felt under his arm, and the way his warmth bled into his side. He missed the brush of hair under his chin when he rested his head against Scorpius's.
"Can I ask you something?" Scorpius said, just barely loud enough for Al to hear him. He felt Al's head nod, so he took a deep breath and asked, "What's wrong with you and Dan Gaither?"
"Why don't you ever call him Dan?" Al asked in return.
"Because… because I don't know how I'm supposed to see him. I mean, he's your… boyfriend, Al, and I…" he breathed slowly. "I was that once, too."
"Oh," Al whispered.
"So? What's wrong with you and him?" Scorpius prompted again.
"He's… I don't know, Scorpius. He doesn't really understand me. He wants to always be the one holding the door or putting his arm around me or lifting me up and he doesn't see that's not what I want. I want to be the one doing all of those things. I like doing all of those things. It makes me feel useless when I don't do that."
"It makes me feel loved," Scorpius said quietly.
"I know, Scorpius. But it's just not me." He pulled Scorpius flush against him. I miss doing stuff like this. It seems stupid, but, I don't know. I like holding my… I like holding people." He took a deep breath and continued. "And it seems like he just doesn't get me, sometimes. He didn't even notice how awful I was at Quidditch today, and it just pains me because it just never seems like he cares. He doesn't really know me. He doesn't know that I love the rain or that I hate Bertie Botts' Beans or that my favourite candy is Liquorice Snaps. It's not like you and me, Scorpius." He couldn't believe he had said that last part.
"You and me?" Scorpius asked tentatively.
"You and me," Al whispered, lifting his head to look into Scorpius's eyes.
And then suddenly Scorpius was turning his body and reaching up to Al, and Al was closing his eyes, and their lips met in a collision of noses and suddenly heavy breaths and a sense of rightness.
Al shifted his head to the right and wrapped both of his arms around the blond. Scorpius's fingers tangled in the thick locks at the base of Al's skull and his tongue teased out to taste Al's lips, and Al met with the tip of his, and then they were fighting for dominance. Al remapped Scorpius's mouth, swallowing every moan of Scorpius's as the blond straddled his best friend's hips and wrapped his arms around the familiar feel of Al's neck. Al gasped for breath before resealing their lips together, and they panted together as they kissed frantically… until Al pushed Scorpius away. "No," he breathed. "We can't, Scorpius. I… we can't."
Scorpius didn't move. "Al… I want to."
"I know," Al said, distraught. "I know. Merlin… I want… but we can't. I have a boyfriend."
Scorpius slid off of Al. "I'm sorry. I should go."
Al nodded, not looking at him as if afraid that one glance would be all he needed to grab him and remind himself of what he had missed all of these months. Scorpius moved off of the bed and walked slowly to the door. His eyes betrayed him and started tearing up before he even reached his destination. He fought the urge to wipe them away, trying to salvage the last bits of his dignity. He had just kissed Al, whom he was irrevocably in love with and whom he could never have again.
His hand was reaching out for the door handle when Al said, "wait," from right behind him. He felt Al's hand on his arm and he spun around without any more prompting from Al. He looked at the other boy pleadingly, hoping his tears weren't too obvious. He just wanted to get away. Al seized him and pulled him close, dipping down to kiss the other boy's lips firmly, fiercely, and with a desperate apology. "I'm sorry," he murmured against his lips.
"It's okay," Scorpius said, kissing him and wrapping his arms around Al's neck. "Kiss me," he begged.
Al smiled briefly before tugging the other boy even closer and resealing their lips. He ran his hands down Scorpius's slim back and around the curve of his arse, picking him up. Scorpius wrapped his legs around Al's waist, pulling himself as close to Al as possible. He had missed Al, his touch, his taste, his sounds, his everything. He had been so close to losing everything, and now… he had it all back.
Al walked back over to Scorpius's bed, without stopping the kiss. He sat Scorpius down on the bed, and the blond scooted backwards to rest his head on the pillows. Al laid down on top of him, and Scorpius spread his legs so that Al was rested comfortably between them as they kissed, tongues invading one another's mouths.
"Al… Al…" Scorpius panted against Al's lips. "Wait…" Al drew back, looking concernedly down at him. "I love you, Al," Scorpius whispered, staring into green eyes.
Al leaned down, pecking his lips. "Scorpius Malfoy… I love you," he smiled softly down at the blond.
"Don't stop," Scorpius said, pulling Al back down. "Don't stop kissing me."
AN: Ah! Yay! My boys are back together! *squeals loudly* Not so much of a cliffhanger… but there will be more to come! So let that strike fear into your hearts.
Reviews are candy and love and happiness! So review! Because reviews make me type a lot faster and that means faster updates and that means more drama and most importantly, more Al/Scorpius action. And who doesn't want that? Well, aside from Dan Gaither I mean.