Chapter 19
Some people are just bad.
But some people will get treated so badly until they become dark.
And only some of them can see the light.
"It's getting worse. Worse and worse." Ron threw the Daily Prophet on the table. Hermione looked up at him, Ginny was sitting next to her. They were just engaged in a conversation.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, frowning, worried.
♡
The Slytherin common room was relatively quiet. Either the students were studying or they were talking very quietly.
Saturday was only used for sleeping.
Albus and Scorpius planned to go to Hogsmeade later. After all, they couldn't do it before the winter holidays.
They considered asking Alaric and Jareth if they wanted to come with them. But they weren't sure.
Somehow Albus and Scorpius wanted to spend time alone together, but neither of them dared to bring it up.
For whatever reason.
Scorpius was helping Albus finish his essay for Charms. They also had to write an essay in History of Magic, but they hadn't started it yet. Luckily it wasn't due until Thursday, so it wasn't that bad.
"I'll just say I lost the paper," said Albus, putting the quill down and leaning back on the sofa. Scorpius shook his head, sighed. Then he playfully slapped Albus on the shoulder before leaning forward, picking up the quill and starting to write.
Albus grinned and tilted his head. "Won't that be noticed? I mean, because of the writing?"
Scorpius shook his head again. "Even if it is, it doesn't matter. It's finished, that's all that matters."
Albus just watched Scorpius.
After a while, Albus let his gaze wander around the common room. He noticed how suspiciously quiet the other students were and suddenly he felt really uncomfortable in his seat. And out of place.
After a brief hesitation, he nudged Scorpius, who only turned to him when he took the note from his hand.
"Hm?"
"Shall we go out?"
Albus stood up immediately when Scorpius nodded in response. Scorpius followed Albus and together they entered the corridors.
"Didn't you find the atmosphere in there a bit strange?" Albus asked and Scorpius nodded, it was almost impossible to tell and Albus had to really try to make sure he had nodded at all.
-
There was a lot going on in Hogsmeade. Really a lot going on.
"Hey, isn't that your family up there?" Scorpius asked and Albus's gaze immediately flew to where Scorpius was pointing.
And yes. It was them.
"It looks like they're questioning people..." said Albus and Scorpius nodded before looking worriedly at Albus, who returned his gaze.
"Has something happened again?" Scorpius frowned. Albus sighed.
"It looks like it. Let's go another way. Then we won't run into them."
Scorpius agreed to the suggestion and Albus pulled him along.
But Ginny had already recognized the two of them.
"I'll be right back, Hermione."
-
"I'm really scared, Albus," whispered Scorpius and Albus waited a moment before nodding and tenderly placing his hands on Scorpius' cheeks. His heart fluttered and he gently moved his fingers and stroked.
"I know, me too, Scorp." Albus' voice was barely audible. A smile formed on Scorpius' face and he nodded almost visibly.
Someone cleared their throat and the two immediately distanced themselves from each other. Albus' cheeks turned red when he realized that his mother was standing there. Scorpius scratched the back of his head and wanted to sink into the ground.
"Did I disturb you?" Ginny grinned a little and Albus coughed. "What? No."
Scorpius shook his head in response and Ginny nodded slowly.
"Is everything okay?" Albus asked and looked at his mother, who visibly hesitated and slowly shook her head. "But I don't want to tell you. Not yet," Ginny murmured before opening her arms. Albus hesitated briefly before walking over to Ginny and falling into her arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around her son and closed her eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath and then exhaling. Her gaze fell on Scorpius and she frowned. "Come here." She kept her left arm around Albus and put her right arm around Scorpius.
She had only just realized that he no longer had a mother.
And that hurt her heart.
"Is Dad still extremely angry with me?" Albus asked quietly as the three of them broke away from the hug.
"A little. But it will definitely be okay. I'm sure of it," Ginny explained, looking at the two boys in front of her.
"So, do you have any specific plans in Hogsmeade?" she asked, looking at Scorpius because she wanted him to give her an answer.
"Um, no, not really. We're just making up for the day today because Hogsmeade was forbidden before the winter holidays," Scorpius explained in detail and Ginny began to smile a little.
"Albus, Scorpius! Do you know why there are so many people in Hogsmeade today?"
Lily's voice rang out and Ginny furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Lily called Scorpius by name?
Lily was about to say something again when she stopped abruptly and looked back and forth between the three of them. "Oh, oops." A little nervously, she started playing with her hands before grimacing for a moment. Then she grinned happily. "Hey, Mum!" She ran to Ginny and threw herself into her arms. Ginny laughed and the two of them separated after that.
"You know Scorpius?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.
Albus, Scorpius and Lily all looked at each other nervously. Finally, Lily nodded. "But not that long."
Ginny put her hand on Lily's shoulder, sighed, then nodded. "Is there anything else I should know?"
Lily's grin widened and she looked at Albus before opening her mouth. "Yeeeees! Alb-"
Lily cried out briefly when Albus put his right arm around her and pressed his left hand over her mouth. "Lily!"
Ginny and Scorpius watched the scenario before the two looked at each other in confusion. Scorpius then shrugged.
"Something I should know?" Scorpius asked with a provocative undertone and Albus shrugged. "Maybe." A grin formed on both faces.
Lily groaned in annoyance and Ginny looked at her. "They do that all the time," Lily whispered to Ginny, who was now even more confused.
"What do they do all the time?"
"Flirting."
Lily waited for Ginny's reaction, but Ginny hadn't heard Lily's sentence. Her gaze was directed at something else entirely and her face twisted. "See you, my children. We'll talk next time, okay Lily?" She kissed Lily and Albus on the hair. As a farewell, she put her hand on Scorpius' shoulder and smiled slightly before she left.
Then Albus slowly turned his head to Lily and whispered in her ear. "You can be glad that Mum didn't hear the word flirting."
In response, Lily laughed and looked at her brother maliciously. "I must be annoying you somehow."
Albus rolled his eyes and Scorpius smiled.
♡
"Hey, Faye and Lily told us that Lily wanted to really embarrass both of you in front of Mrs. Potter, but she didn't manage it. I would have loved to see that happen," Alaric chatted and Scorpius shook his head. The Slytherin common room was almost completely empty.
"To be honest, I didn't even hear what Lily said."
Jareth slapped his forehead after Scorpius' sentence.
"Yeah, thank Merlin..." whispered Albus and he and Scorpius sat down next to Alaric and Jareth. Alaric couldn't help but smile.
He thought that he and Jareth should slowly come up with a plan to make it even harder for Albus and Scorpius to ignore their feelings.
However, Alaric thought that Jareth didn't really believe that the two were in love.
Although Alaric was 100 percent sure. But somehow Jareth wasn't, Alaric found that ridiculous. He had given Jareth so many examples, and yet...
"Hey, have you finished the History of Magic essay?" asked Jareth and now Albus shook his head. "It's not due until Thursday anyway, is it?"
Then Alaric blinked - twice.
Jareth put his head in his hands and groaned. "This can't be true!"
Alaric coughed. "You idiots. That's on the old timetable, we all have a new one. History of Magic is now on Monday."
Albus froze and Scorpius frowned. "Are you lying to us now?"
"Then what subject did we do the essay for today?" Albus frowned.
"Charms," Scorpius replied. And then there was silence.
Before Alaric and Jareth burst into laughter. Alaric couldn't even make a sound, he was just a laughing face.
"Charms and History of Magic have been switched. From now on, Charms will take place on Thursdays instead of History of Magic," Jareth explained, gasping. "You've read the entire timetable wrong."
The lovebirds exchanged a look. "It happens," Albus said, before he had to bite his cheek to stop himself from laughing.
Alaric and Jareth stayed with Albus and Scorpius for about half an hour before the two made their way to their dorm.
Now only Albus and Scorpius were left in the common room.
"What did Lily want to tell your mother earlier?" asked Scorpius, but he had hesitated at the beginning of his sentence.
"Um, something about me. Nothing important. It was embarrassing." Albus said and Scorpius nodded - but he didn't believe him at all.
Albus started to play nervously with his fingers before he felt Scorpius' hand rest on his. Albus opened his hands and Scorpius intertwined their fingers.
Albus got butterflies in his stomach.
Then Scorpius swallowed the lump of his nervousness before moving a little closer to Albus. Now the sides of their bodies were completely pressed together and Albus thought that he had never felt anything so pleasant.
It felt like his feelings were not the only ones he felt. Like his feelings were double.
What was that?
He looked over at Scorpius, who was of course very close now. Albus knew for some reason that Scorpius was just as nervous as he was.
He watched him for a while before letting his gaze wander back to the fireplace.
His feelings were twice as strong at the moment and that somehow scared him.