Chapter 16
Hogwarts has been pretty decorated with Christmas decorations in recent days. Almost everyone was happy and content. Most went home to their families, but there were still a few students who stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays.
Albus and Scorpius were just walking along the corridors. "You're going home anyway, right?" asked Albus and Scorpius nodded. "Would you have stayed here with me otherwise?"
"Yes."
A smile crept across Scorpius' face before his cheeks got a little hot.
Alaric and Jareth joined them.
"I don't really feel like going home," Jareth began and Alaric nodded. "Me too. I've even thought about just staying here."
"How would you explain that?" asked Scorpius and Alaric coughed incorrectly. "Yes, I should have thought of that."
Jareth laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "Didn't you want to look for Faye?"
"She's probably with Lily," Albus interjected and Alaric raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yes, I saw the two of them sitting together in a corner," Albus explained and a smile crept across Alaric's face before he pulled Jareth along by the arm. "You're right, I have to go to Faye."
"You saw them both?" Scorpius asked, with a grin on his face.
"They're probably saying goodbye because of the holidays. They probably won't like it at all that Alaric and Jareth are going to show up there." They both started laughing.
"Albus!"
"I'll be right back," Albus said to Scorpius, rolling his eyes and moving towards James. "Yes?"
"You're hanging out with Hawthorn and Green now too?" James crossed his arms. He couldn't believe it. First a Malfoy, and then two more.
Why?
"They just asked Scorpius and me something, that's it, James." Albus lied and James shook his head.
"That looked very familiar."
"They're not evil, James."
"So you know them both better," James concluded and Albus sighed in annoyance.
"We're in the same house! I can't really avoid them, James. Why are you suddenly interfering so much in my life? I would really prefer it if we were both back to normal. Without a prolonged argument." After his last sentence, Albus immediately turned around and headed towards Scorpius, who was already waiting for him, worried.
James frowned and watched the two of them.
Was he really interfering so much? Was he really protecting his brother so wrongly?
James' friends pulled him along, but his thoughts were so loud at the moment.
Maybe he really should think about his actions.
-
"See you next week." Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus, who immediately returned the hug. "I don't want to leave you." Albus laughed slightly and he could feel Scorpius nodding in response. "Me neither."
They both separated from each other a little, only to lose themselves in each other's eyes.
It was like the time froze.
Just for them.
It was beautiful.
Albus's breathing became a little faster due to his nervousness and Scorpius still had his right hand on Albus's back. There he let it slide gently up and down.
Albus could melt into the touch.
Scorpius' eyes wandered over Albus' face and he could have sworn that Scorpius moved his face a little closer.
Until Scorpius shook his head and frowned slightly.
Then he smiled at Albus.
Scorpius slowly moved closer and kissed Albus on the cheek. Albus' face immediately heated up and he got butterflies in his stomach. It was like a little firework, which couldn't explode.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Lily stuck her head in, behind her were Alaric, Jareth and Faye.
"We all have to say goodbye now. Our family is already waiting outside."
Albus and Scorpius nodded and moved towards the others. Lily bit her lip to suppress her smile.
She had seen exactly how Scorpius had held Albus. And how close their faces were.
"I'm really going to miss you three," Alaric explained in a slightly quieter voice. Jareth would be coming to him during the winter holidays because their families are good friends. That's why Albus, Scorpius and Lily were the only ones he didn't see.
Jareth grinned proudly and slapped him on the shoulder. "You could admit it!" The others laughed at that.
"We're missing you too," Lily added and her gaze wandered to Faye, who was already smiling at her - with a warm expression on her face.
Albus and Lily were the last of their family to leave the train. Shortly afterwards, Scorpius, Alaric, Jareth and Faye also came off the train.
Ginny noticed this and her gaze wandered back and forth between the two groups. She found this a little skeptical.
But it could also have just been a coincidence.
"Where have you two been for so long?" Fred asked and Louis folded his arms. "Sorry, we were held up," said Lily and James narrowed his eyes. "Mhm."
Bill clapped his hands. "Then we can go now!"
Albus let his eyes wander over the square again, but Scorpius was already gone.
♡
When they got home, Ginny yawned and then mumbled something about: "Far too little sleep" or something.
"So, what do you want for dinner?" asked Harry and took the jackets from his children. "Pudding!" James replied and Harry laughed. "For dinner?"
"I'd be fine. But only once," said Ginny and turned around to go into the kitchen. "Do you want to watch a film, Albus?" Lily smiled and hopped around on her feet in turn. "Okay." "James?" "I'm in."
Aunt Hermione had got Ginny and Harry a Muggle television with a DVD player. The teenagers were a little more excited than the adults.
But on the whole, almost no one was really interested in it.
But for once in a while it was perfect.
Lily pulled Albus and James to the sofa and Harry and Ginny watched the three of them.
"Would you like to talk to Albus about it?" Harry asked as he set the table. Ginny swallowed, but then nodded after a short while.
"Yes, but not yet."
Later the food was ready and everyone ate together. Lily talked about the failures of the last Quidditch game, James talked suspiciously much about Alice Longbottom.
"Why don't you invite Alice over sometime?" asked Ginny and Harry nodded.
James blushed and everyone laughed at him. "Maybe."
"James."
"I'll do it. I just need the right time," said James and Ginny sighed. "You sound just like Harry."
"Is that a compliment?" Harry grinned and put an arm around Ginny. "It depends."
"Aaaand Lily...?" Ginny dragged out her sentence and Lily started playing with the tablecloth. "I don't like Lysander like that. But he's a good friend."
Harry was more than relieved to hear that. After all, it was his little girl talking about boys.
Ginny nodded and then stood up. "That's okay." Lily smiled at her mother. James also stood up and stretched. "I'm going to my room."
"Good night!" Harry called after James as he went up the stairs.
"Good night, sweetheart!" Ginny added and did the dishes. Sometimes she did it with magic, sometimes she did it the Muggle way.
Ginny looked over to Lily, who had just engaged Albus in conversation. She wasn't sure if she should talk to Albus now or wait a few more days.
It was already 10 p.m. and only the moon lit the kitchen. Ginny moved her fingers back and forth and leaned back on the chair. Harry sat down next to her.
"If you want to talk now, then do it. Albus is probably still awake," Harry thought and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Ginny sighed. "Maybe tomorrow will be better."
"Then come to bed. Please." Harry slowly stood up and held out his arm to her. She smiled and put her hand in his, Harry pulled her up and wrapped her in a hug. "It will all be fine. I promise you." Then he kissed her.
♡
It was Wednesday and Albus was still in his room. He was just reading the new letter from Scorpius. In the letter, he said that his family had been together since yesterday. When his grandmother first arrived, the first thing she did was spend three hours with him.
A smile crept across Albus' face.
At the end it said:
"Nice to see you soon, Al.
S.M."
But then there was a knock on the door and he quickly hid the letter under his pillow before sitting up and crossing his legs. "Come in."
Ginny closed the door behind her and nodded to Albus. Then her gaze wandered briefly around the room before she sat down on the bed next to Albus.
"Hey..."
Oh no.
He should have seen that coming.
"Hey."
Ginny cleared her throat. "So, um... your father told me about Malfoy. Why didn't you tell us?"
Albus swallowed and shrugged. "I knew in the first year what you thought of the Malfoy family. But I still thought it wouldn't be so bad - we wouldn't talk anyway."
Albus played nervously with his hands, and Ginny noticed this immediately. "Are you really not talking to each other? I mean, you share a room. I imagine that would be a bit difficult. Maybe someone needs help with homework or something..." said Ginny, and at the end she became quieter.
Albus frowned. "What do you want to hear from me?"
His mother now shrugged her shoulders too. "The truth, Albus. The others in the family may not think that far, but I do. You have to talk to each other, I can't imagine it any other way. There's no other way. If I imagine that I hadn't talked to my roommates back then - woah no, that would have been very difficult." Ginny cast a silencing charm over the room.
"Nobody has to know."
Albus furrowed his eyebrows. His heart was racing, it was so uncomfortable. He was fighting with himself at the moment.
After a little while Albus gave in and sighed. Ginny's gaze immediately wandered to Albus and became a way softer. "We talk from time to time."
Ginny opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. "Are you friends?"
Albus swallowed again. That was answer enough for Ginny.
And Albus immediately regretted it.
Why didn't he keep his mouth shut?