Bound by fate

Chapter 15 - Birthday

Albus has never looked forward to his birthday. Okay, that's a bit of a lie. He was happy on his eleventh birthday, but not after that. The whole family would be coming over, which made Albus nervous when he realized he would be the center of attention again.

He turns 14.

Everyone tells him that everything changes at 14 and that it is therefore a very important, big birthday.

Albus doesn't believe that. He thinks it's just a birthday like any other.

He lies on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His fingers play with the hem of his shirt; soon he'll see Scorpius again. Thank Merlin. It's been far too long since he last saw him.

He bites his lip as the thought of Scorpius's lips suddenly pops into his head. The nervousness that arises from this sudden change of thought wraps around Albus's body like a warm hug.

He's never thought about his lips, has he? He doesn't remember, but he doesn't believe it.

He can't get the thought out of his head so quickly. He even considers just banging his head against the wall, hoping that will stop him from thinking about it.

Luckily for him—or unluckily—depends on how you look at it—there are two knocks on his door before it opens and Ginny pokes her head in. She has a smile on her lips. "Are you coming down?"

Albus nods quickly, and Ginny disappears again. He stays lying there for a few seconds before finally bringing himself to stand up. It's so hot in his room, he exhales deeply and brushes a few strands of hair from his forehead. The sun takes over the room like a wave over the sea.

He stretches for a moment, then stands up and quickly takes off his shirt, replacing it with another. After all, he doesn't want to go down to his family in his pajamas.

-

As he enters the living room, Albus forces a smile. Lily jumps up, walks over to him, and gives him a quick hug. "Mum made me do it."

Albus has to smirk. "I thought so."

"Happy birthday," Lily adds before turning back to the sofa. Someone taps Albus on the shoulder. James.

"I wish you the same, brother," says James, and Albus thanks him. "Now you're fourteen. Be careful what you think," adds James with a grin, which immediately makes Albus blush, the worst blush that has ever spread across his face.

Albus laughs a little nervously, and James grins wider.

James pats the now-embarrassed Albus on the shoulder before sitting down next to Lily and patting the one remaining empty spot on the sofa. Albus understands and makes his way to his siblings.

He's glad that he and James now have a normal sibling relationship. But he also knows that it will be tested again, at Hogwarts at the latest.

Albus gives James a quick look with a slightly sad expression before he feels two strong arms around him, a warm presence surrounding him.

"Happy birthday, my son," Harry whispers, kissing Albus on the forehead. An unfamiliar feeling wells up inside Albus, but he pushes it away. He mumbles a quick "Thank you," then Harry releases his embrace and takes a few steps back.

A smile spreads across his face, and it looks somehow genuine. Without judgment, without disappointment. Simply honest and loving.

For a slightly longer moment, Albus is stunned and then believes that Harry could see this.

His expression changes for a brief moment before becoming affectionate again, pressing a kiss on Ginny's lips as she makes her way to the front door. "Yes, yes, I love you too," Ginny laughs, then reaches for the doorknob to open it.

"So, where is my grandson?" Molly's voice rings out, and Albus is busy trying to figure out how to get out of here as quickly as possible without anyone noticing.

"Merlin, you're already fourteen! You're a real teenager!" Molly beams, putting a few packages to the side before her hug envelops Albus's body. She squeezes him tightly, and Albus returns it, reluctantly. He just doesn't like hugs.

"Mum," Ginny says, a little more sternly. Everyone in the family knows how Albus feels about physical contact.

"Oh yes, sorry," Molly smiles, giving Albus a kiss on the cheek before picking up the packages again. "They won't be available until this evening." Then she turns around and places them on an empty dresser.

Albus feels uncomfortable under all the stares when his entire family gathers. Everyone is there, naturally loud as always, and Albus tries to fit in somehow.

The fact that he and Rose are not sitting next to each other and are not spending any time alone together does not go unnoticed this evening like Albus hoped.

Hermione's expression is filled with concern as she glances alternately at Albus and Rose, occasionally whispering to Ginny, Harry, and Ron, who also look increasingly worried.

Albus's right side is now free, as James has moved over to Fred on the other sofa, and Ginny immediately takes advantage of this opportunity. "Albus, darling?" Her voice is very quiet, as if this conversation were meant for just the two of them.

"Yes?" Albus narrows his eyes slightly, a dread rising in his stomach, sending a wave of nausea through his body. He tucks his hands under his thighs, worry gnawing at his chest as he slowly realizes what Ginny is probably trying to say.

"Um, what, what's going on with you and Rose? You're not sitting next to each other, you're not talking." Ginny unconsciously bites her lip as her worry grows in her mind. Rose and he got along so well, what could possibly have happened that all the trust they've built up over the past few years could just be thrown away like that?

"Mum, it's nothing serious," Albus replies, his voice coming out harsher than he intended. Almost cutting through the air.

The next second, Ginny raises her eyebrows and Albus feels more than just under observation.

"Albus, not in that tone. Especially not if I actually want to help you." Her voice is cool and controlled, as if untouched by any maternal emotion. There's no hint of warmth or love in her words, and her words come out in such a cold tone that they don't suggest any kind of closeness.

Albus tries to pull back a little, his eyes turning to the floor. "I'm...I'm sorry. Rose and I only argued at Hogwarts. A few times." There's no sympathy in Albus' voice; it's so cold it almost sounds creepy.

Ginny leans away a little. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest, she tilts her head, and she has a very nasty, stern look on her face.

"Excuse me? A few times?" Ginny doesn't manage to speak again until she's taken a deep breath and collected her thoughts.

"If I find out it's because of Malfoy's son, then this can't go on. Don't take this the wrong way, I want you to be happy, or at least feel comfortable around your Slytherin housemates. But you can't put your family last, you can't not stick with Rose. It doesn't work like this." At the end of her statement, her voice naturally indicates that the topic is over for her, and she stands up again, probably to go to the other adults.

Reflexively, Albus closes his eyes and breathes deeply through his nose. His chest tightens painfully, and suddenly he can feel that damned aching back again as Rosier throws him against the wall, pushes him against it, threatens him, threatens his friends. Puts his life in danger.

He can understand Ginny's point of view, yes, sort of.

But his family has no idea how bad the Slytherin house can be.

You need friends you can trust, friends you like, to be able to survive.

》♡《

Albus is more than happy that at 10 p.m. he finally managed to escape from his family's clutches and hide in his room.

With a loud sigh, he falls face first onto the bed. He doesn't even bother to change his clothes; he lacks the strength to do so.

Just as he's about to close his eyes and let the dream world envelop him, he hears a strange noise at his window. It almost sounds like an object being thrown against it, but the chances are too high that it could have been more than just a coincidence, so Albus decides to ignore it.

But when he hears it a second time, and then even a third time, he raises his head, frowning, and imagines he can decipher a stone in the faint light of the moon.

Okay, stones certainly don't just fly against the window. Especially not if the window is a bit higher.

A thought occurs to Albus and his heart skips a beat, but he quickly banishes it to the darkest corner of his mind. After a few seconds of waiting and hesitation, he finally pulls himself to his feet and, nervous as hell, walks toward his window.

With trembling hands, he grasps the window handle and quietly opens it. He narrows his eyes and hisses when the window makes the slightest noise, remaining completely silent for a few seconds to see if anyone heard it. But there are no footsteps.

He breathes a sigh of relief and opens the window completely. He gathers all his courage and looks out the window. The first thing he sees is the huge tree stretching out in front of his window.

Then he looks down and he can see a familiar blond head.

His familiar blond hair.

He would recognize him anywhere.

His heart starts beating much too fast.

"Oh by Merlin," comes out of Albus's mouth, causing Scorpius to grin slightly.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but it's really cold down here right now, even though it's summer, so would you be so kind as to invite me to your room?" Scorpius grins, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, which makes Albus laugh a little and feel much more comfortable than he has all day.

Albus's heart is beating like crazy as he still can't believe that Scorpius is with him.

Albus turns around briefly to make sure the door is closed before leaning out the window and holding out his hand.

Otherwise, Scorpius wouldn't be able to get in here without causing a stir.

Albus tries not to let his hands shake too much, for fear that Scorpius will notice and then ask questions.

"It's best to climb onto this one branch. That's the easiest way into the room," Albus explains quickly, and Scorpius nods. He does as he's told.

"How do you know that for sure?" Scorpius asks, climbing onto the branch, trying to find his balance, and then reaching out for Albus' hand.

When their hands touch, an electric shock runs through Albus's entire body and he has to really concentrate on holding on to Scorpius.

"I'll explain when you get inside," Albus replies dryly, and Scorpius nods again. There's something understanding in his eyes.

Then Albus effortlessly pulls Scorpius into the room, it's a bit too loud for the night as they both fall back into the room together.

They both hold their breath and listen to the sounds in the house, but all they can hear is Albus's family laughing downstairs.

Albus thinks he won't survive tonight.

No.

He is sure.

If anyone notices that Scorpius is here, it won't end well for either of them. He's certain of that. And he knows Scorpius knows that too.

Albus looks Scorpius in the eye for the first time since the beginning of the summer holidays. Has he become even more handsome? How is that possible?

Oh, how his eyes look in the moonlight, his cheekbones, his face in general, his lips...

Oh yeah, his lips...

"Al?" Scorpius tilts his head slightly and watches as Albus flinches at the mention of the nickname, jolting back to reality.

Okay, enough daydreaming.

"Oh, um, sorry," Albus fiddles with an invisible thread on his shirt, hoping to ease his nervousness. He scratches the back of his head, and Scorpius gets a slight, beautiful smile on his face. "It's alright."

"What are you doing here? You didn't even write," Albus says, genuine curiosity in his voice. He thought his best friend would be the first to wish him a happy birthday.

"This was supposed to be a surprise. I thought it would be nice if it were personal," Scorpius begins, and Albus slowly understands. He probably would have done it exactly the same way. If only Malfoy Manor weren't so huge.

"Happy birthday, Al."

The nickname makes Albus's heart beat faster, even faster than before. He can't help but smile, and it makes him happy. It makes him happy.

"Thank you, Scorp," Albus replies quietly, somehow making the moment and the exchange of words seem more intimate.

"I should probably go before your family finds out," Scorpius says quickly, becoming visibly nervous and turning to the window.

Albus nods understandingly and agrees, even though he would like Scorpius to stay with him longer.

But then he looks out into the very dark night and makes a very stupid decision. One of the stupidest decisions he's probably ever made.

Albus grabs Scorpius's forearm. Scorpius stops and looks over his shoulder at Albus. A confused expression on his face.

Albus takes a deep breath. His nervousness is at an all-time high.

"You, you can't fly all the way back home in the middle of the night," Albus begins hesitantly, and Scorpius nods slowly.

"I know. When I came to you, it was still light. I didn't think about it that it would be dark. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea," says Scorpius, his words slowly drawing out. "Then what do you think I should do?"

Albus swallows. He can feel his heart in his lungs. It's a dumb idea. 

Dumb.

Idea.

But brilliant.

"Stay here. With me."

A few seconds pass, during which Scorpius and Albus just stare at each other stupidly. "But your parents. Your family," Scorpius adds after a long silence. Albus swallows again.

He would regret it so much. Shit.

"I'll lock the door. And tomorrow, when we wake up, you'll just disappear. At least then it'll be light. Your father won't notice that you're not in your room, will he?" Albus comes up with the idea, and he's even surprised at himself. His voice is a little bit to high for his usually voice tone, he even scares himself with it but he can't do anything about it.

Judging by Scorpius's look, he is only surprised by Albus's way of thinking. Albus thinks, that Scorpius didn't realize the high pitch of his tone.

"Um, no, my father doesn't look into my room at night," Scorpius replies, continuing after a few seconds of pausing. "That would be a good idea, Albus. I'll stay."

The moment the words were spoken, a genuine, happy smile formed on Albus' face.

Scorpius looks around the room, and Albus watches. He finds it cute how Scorpius's eyes scan his room. This is his first time here, too.

"Albus?" Scorpius clears his throat, visibly nervous. Albus meets Scorpius's eyes, who is looking everywhere but not even looking at Albus. "Do you have a shirt and pants for me? I've been dressed all day, and I didn't expect to be staying over at your place." At the end, Scorpius laughs a little, and that immediately lightens the mood.

The next second, Albus is already at his wardrobe, taking a random shirt and pair of pants out of the closet, and turning around to throw them at Scorpius. Scorpius successfully grabs Albus's clothes and then looks at him questioningly.

Albus immediately understands that look. That's what happens when you only hang out with each other for three bloody years.

"There's my bathroom. You can change there," Albus explains a little too quickly, stuttering slightly at the end. He can tell Scorpius is about to say something, but then lets it go and disappears into the bathroom.

Albus still can't quite grasp the idea that Scorpius would be sleeping at his house tonight. It sounds like a dream, one of the dreams he experiences most often during his sleep.

But this is reality.

The reality.

This isn't some dream or some hangover game; it's real. Bloody real.

His nervousness creeps barely perceptibly into his veins, clings to his ribs, wraps itself around his heart, his pounding heart.

He will experience this.

His body jerks barely noticeably as the bathroom door closes and he hears footsteps behind him. Scorpius is so close that he can hear him exhale through his nose, as if he's been holding his breath.

"So," Scorpius's voice is kept quiet so no one can hear him being here, but it's still loud enough for Albus to understand everything without any problems.

"How was your birthday?"

At that moment, Albus decides to lie. "It was okay." A cold draft blows through his room, but it's not that which gives him goosebumps; it's Scorpius taking a few more steps closer to him.

In the next second, Albus slowly turns around, worried that he might otherwise ruin this moment.

Scorpius looks at him askance, not believing him. Shit. Albus hates how well Scorpius knows him.

"Should we drop the subject?" asks Scorpius, his voice soft and causing a pleasant, loving feeling near Albus's heart.

"I would like that, yes," Albus replies, his words dragging on, he actually wants to say more, but he decides against it.

It's okay the way it is now.

They talk late into the night until they find themselves on the bed, snuggled up in blankets, their heads on the same pillow.

Inside, Albus feels like he's about to suffocate or explode, as Albus' side is pressed against Scorpius'. They also have to share a blanket because it would be noticeable if Albus suddenly needed two blankets in his room.

Albus' skin burns as if it were on fire. He can perfectly feel Scorpius' arm pressing against his, and it's driving him bloody, damn crazy.

They've never been this close before. They've hugged occasionally in the past, but they've never slept under a blanket together. This is new.

"Good night, Albus," Scorpius whispers into the darkness.

Albus has to close his eyes completely for a moment and fill his lungs with air before he dares to say anything, hoping that his voice doesn't sound too high, or too scratchy, or even too nervous.

"Good night, Scorpius."