Slowly The Sick Tree Dies. Slowly The New One Grows. Give Both Of Them Time.
Summer creeps up on him slowly.
Third year almost seemed to have flown away, since James had focused only on Scorpius and had almost forgotten about changing seasons.
Truth is Scorpius... Scorpius is wonderful.
He doesn't have a passion for poetry the way James does, but he enjoys it enough to listen to James rant about it for hours, to actually help him with his analysis and his self written works.
He shyly asks once if James wants to watch a movie with him and the DVD he pulls out of his robe surprises him quite a bit. It's not only a muggle movie, it's an old princess cartoon for children. The movie is called Anastasia and James enjoys it, loves it even.
They talk about it once the credits roll and try to find out more about the family the story is based on, creating theories about what actually happened to them. Scorpius introduces him to coffee and James laughs the way he hasn't in a long time as he listens to the blonde’s angry rant about why coffee is so much better than tea and how, “really its a crime that the school doesn't cater any and- James stop laughing- ”.
They often walk. James discovers the other one’s love for exploring, simply taking a path through the woods, no plan, no rush, just enjoying what is around him.
And Scorpius read almost as much as him. For every poetry collection passing through James’ hands there is a scientific research paper passing Scorpius’.
Many areas of research interests the boy, whether physical, chemical, historical, philosophical or artistical. Anything that can teach him about something new the pale boy reads. Nothing as much as medical papers though. Anything related to the medical field interests the blond, with art being a close second, and through him James learns about things such as gravity, human anatomy and why humans are actually made of stars.
Together they read, and write, learn and explore.
James has never been so at peace.
The constant whispers and sounds he hears have finally stopped. The ground under his feet has ceased to spin and the wind is less cold on his face. James is peaceful. And happy.
For the first time in a long time he wakes up with a smile, exited to see what chemical reaction or art style Scorpius will introduce to him today.
“Really it’s absurd that people think-“
The trees are blooming and the sunrays dance on the reflection of the lake.
“-that it has always been this way, when in reality-“
The sky is clear, baby blue, not grey and cloudy as James had started to prefer it. Grey like someone’s eyes-
“-are you even listening to me?”
The question pulls James out of his line of thought.
Scorp is looking at him with an annoyed gaze, clearly waiting for an explanation.
“Sorry Scorp, I got lost in thought, tell me again why it’s stupid that people associate the colour pink with girls and blue with boys.”
But something in the other one’s gaze changes then, taken aback almost.
“W-What did you say?” the blond asks unsure.
“That I was lost int thought but-“
“No before that” he interrupts “you, you said… you called me Scorp.”
Oh
Oh
He had, hadn’t he?
“Well,” he starts unsure “is that a problem?”
“NO! No, it’s just… it took me by surprise, that’s all. But it’s ok, I- I like it.” He finishes with a small smile.
“Alright then,” he says “you were saying?”
“Oh right!” the blond, Scorp, perks up “it’s absolutely ridiculous, since in the 19th Century it was actually the opposite, you see blue was considered-“
James smiles.
Yes, he really is happy.
Third year ends and fourth year begins. The leaves turn brown once again and James can’t remember the last time he had felt so at ease with himself. He spend less time with his shallow acquaintances from Gryffindor and more with his new friend. Ironic how history always finds a way to repeat itself, though James thinks he much more prefers his relationship with Scorp to the one their fathers had. Yet it still made him wonder, how things would have been different if maybe their fathers had given each other a chance. Then maybe they too, would have found a kindred spirit in each other.
But James knows such notions are useless. He is not his father. His father is not him. James can only thank each and every star for giving him Scorp.