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hiddenonhere · 7 years

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Scorbus One Shot - Admitting Feelings

Pairing: Albus X Scorpius Words: 2K Genre: Fluff ---

It was quieter upstairs on the second floor, nestled into the hidden window seat. Here, Albus couldn’t hear the sounds of the many people that traipsed around his house like it was their own. Their speech seemed muted somehow, the noise dulled so much that it almost felt like they were in separate worlds. He pressed his toes against the thick woollen rug that draped across his body wishing with all his might that Christmas would be over. It wasn’t that he was opposed to the principle: no, in theory it was fine, but there was only so long he could go before the constant rush of people began to make his head hurt.

Downstairs he knew James would be telling some outlandish story, with the rest of the Potter’s and Weasley’s hanging onto every word like a drug. James had a knack for capturing and retaining people’s attention. Albus on the other hand, had one for repelling it. He supposed it was an air of indifference and a general feeling of being uncomfortable when the eyes switched to him, but it didn’t stop him from being a tad jealous of his brother’s easy charm.

‘Al?’ A curious voice queried pulling the heavy drapes that separated him from the landing aside.

‘Rose.’ The boy answered coolly, fixing his cousin with a pointed stare. ‘What do you want?’ His words were sharp, precise.

But the other girl held her own, running one hand through her messy curls. ‘Everyone’s wondering where you ran off to. James and Teddy have disappeared too; we were thinking you might be together.’

Albus shot her a look filled with mirth. ‘Unlikely. Now why are you really here?’

‘Just come downstairs,’ she pleaded, shifting from one foot to the next, ‘there’s someone here to see you.’

At this Albus’ stomach gave a swift churn. There was only one person he wanted to see and the chances of Scorpius showing up on his doorstep on Christmas day were slim to none. He knew for a fact that his best friend was probably engaging in small talk and gorging on expensive meats hundreds of miles away. At this he felt a sadness run through his body which was only consoled when he reminded himself that only two weeks separated him from Scorpius.

‘Fine.’ He muttered, ‘Who’s here anyway?’

‘You’ll see.’ Rose replied smugly, stepping aside to allow him to get up.

With a last curious glance at his cousin Albus dropped the heavy blanket on the window seat and began to make his way downstairs. Something in his chest tightened, an anticipation that he couldn’t quite explain was filling his body thick and fast.

‘Go to your dad’s study.’ Rose said with a half-smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘Happy Christmas Al.’

Harry Potter’s study was at the end of a corridor hidden behind a heavy door disguised in plain sight as a bookshelf. He claimed it was because the constant noise of having three teenagers put him off his work but Albus guessed it was more likely to do with the fact that his father needed somewhere to escape to. For once Albus was grateful, he didn’t want prying eyes watching him, not tonight.

He pawed his way nervously along the dimly lit corridor towards the door that he rarely entered. The lights were dimmed and it seemed impossibly silent, the chatter and general life that filled the rest of the house was nowhere to be seen. Pushing the bookshelf aside a little further he stepped into what appeared to be a deserted room. The fire flickered gently, causing the room to be bathed in a warm half-light, but aside from that it appeared entirely devoid of life.

‘Hello?’ Albus called out, feeling incredibly stupid. If this was Rose’s idea of a joke he would-

‘Hi.’ Said a quiet voice from behind him.

Albus jumped, knocking into a set of wonky looking shelves. Something hard and pointed rammed itself into his back making a loud clanging as it did so. But he was too preoccupied with the other boy, who stood so sheepishly behind the door he’d just walked through.

Scorpius Malfoy had grown, he decided. But unlike Teddy who carried it off with an air of ungainly quirkiness, Scorpius seemed lithe, like someone who wasn’t intimidated by the amount of space their body took up. Albus couldn’t relate.

‘Hi.’ He replied, tripping over the word. Of all the things he’d expected this Christmas to be, it had certainly taken a turn for the better.

But Scorpius was still standing a few metres away, making no attempt to close the gap between them. He looked faintly bamboozled, as though the sight of Albus wasn’t what he was expecting.

‘Are you ok?’ Albus asked his best friend, his initial elation changing to increasing concern.

Scorpius shook his head, ‘Yeah, no I’m fine, I just didn’t expect you to be here.’

‘This is my house?’ The other boy was confused.

A strange half laugh, half choke escaped from his lips. ‘Yeah I know, I just… This is weird, I’m being weird, sorry.’

At that Albus broke the space between them in two quick strides, pulling his best friend into a crushing hug that smelt faintly like peppermint. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’ He muttered into Scorpius’ shoulder.

His friend squeezed back, his breath tickling at the hairs on Albus’ neck. ‘I’m glad I’m here too.’

When they broke apart there was a flush to Scorpius’ cheeks that hadn’t been there before. His smile was nervous, like someone faintly embarrassed by his own actions. Maybe the hug had been a bit far, Albus noted, it had only been a week since he’d last seen his best friend after all.

‘So um not that I’m not glad to see you and all,’ Albus started, pawing at the ground with his foot, ‘but what are you doing here?’

At this Scorpius’ smile widened, ‘I came to wish you merry Christmas of course.’

‘And you didn’t think an owl would suffice?’

Scorpius swallowed, seeming to take a moment to breathe. ‘I took some flu powder, asked your mum of course, she said it was fine. It is fine isn’t it Albus, because I’ll go if you want me to?’

‘No!’ He almost shouted in his haste to get the word out. ‘I mean, please don’t go.’ There was silence for a beat. ‘Do you wanna take a walk or something?’

Scorpius blinked a couple of times, ‘Could we stay here, I think I need to tell you something.’

The butterflies in Albus’ stomach were back. He wasn’t sure whether it was the tone of his best friend’s voice or the thought of being alone in his father’s office with him. Either options were quite worrying.

‘Mm’kay.’ Albus said, motioning the patchwork sofa bed his dad sometimes slept on after a late night in the office. ‘Let’s sit at least, you’re making me nervous.’

The sofa sagged beneath his weight, years of his father curling up to sleep had taken their toll on the cushions and Albus was filled with the sudden realisation that his home was very different to anything Scorpius was used to. His cheeks flushed muddy pink.

But Scorpius seemed to be fighting his own internal battles, for his face was pinched tightly together, eyes a world away.

‘Earth to Scorpius?’ Albus waved a hand in front of his best friends face. ‘You there?’

Scorpius jumped, his weight shifting ever so slightly on the sofa so that their knees pressed up against one another. The room suddenly felt ten times hotter and Albus felt his breath hitch in his throat. This was Scorpius, he reminded himself, his best friend, someone he’d hugged and brushed touch with countless times. So why did his skin feel like an electric charge had ignited over its surface?

‘Yeah I’m here.’ He shook his head, eyes refusing to meet Albus’. ‘I need to tell you something. I’ve decided I don’t want to date Rose anymore.’

Albus’ brow furrowed, ‘Since when were you dating? I thought she said no every time you asked?’

‘Semantics.’ Scorpius waved his retort away, ‘I guess I mean I want to stop trying to date her.’

‘Ah, and er why did that warrant a Christmas Day visit? I mean, not that I’m not happy to see you Scorp, I am, but couldn’t you have written that in an owl?’ Albus was aware his voice sounded higher and more jagged than usual.

‘Well um you see it’s not so much the not want to date her part, more the why…’ Scorpius was stumbling over his words, even more so than usual. ‘You see… You know.’

‘I really don’t.’ Albus admitted.

‘Okay right ah um ok.’ Scorpius inhaled deeply, clutching both of his hands together and forcing himself to look at the other boy. He’d been working himself up to this moment for weeks, constantly putting it off out of fear and now here he was, alone with Albus completely making a fool out of himself. ‘I was just wondering if youwantedtogotoHogsmeadewithmesometime?’ He forced himself to meet Albus’ puzzled expression. ‘Only if you want to of course it’s no big deal if-‘

‘Scorpius, I haven’t a clue what you just said.’ Albus bit his lip.

It was so endearing the other boy almost started crying. As it were he felt hot tears burn at the back of his eyes. No, he wasn’t done yet, he’d come this far, it was time to chase after what he’d wanted for so long.

Against every fibre of his body that told him it was a bad idea, Scorpius reached across and cupped Albus’ hands within his own. He flicked his gaze upwards, staring at Albus through a haze of white blonde eyelashes.

‘I didn’t come here to tell you I didn’t like Rose anymore, I came here to ask you if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me, like not as friends, but like friend friends.’ He was doing it again, completely messing up his words. Scorpius cursed inwardly, he was ruining everything.

Something clicked within Albus, pressure and heat in his chest rising fast.

‘Oh. Oh.’ Scorpius was asking him on a date. He felt the blood begin to drum behind his ears. He liked Scorpius didn’t he? They were best friends after all. And best friends sometimes thought about each other quite a bit didn’t they? But he wasn’t in love with him… Was he?

Albus found his eyes graze over Scorpius, not just looking at him, but really taking in the way his feather light hair fell across his forehead, half covering the worried expression that clouded his features. His slender frame gave way to sharp cheekbones and a slightly perpetual pout that up until that moment Albus had never really noticed. But suddenly he found himself wanting to know how it would feel to touch his lips. He craved a proximity he hadn’t previously known he needed.

‘I mean, you can say no-‘ Scorpius began to say, but Albus used the advantage of their interlinked finger to pull himself up onto his knees and close the distance between them.

‘Why would I say no?’ He muttered, dark eyes burning into Scorpius’ icy blue.

And then he kissed him, his lips warm and gentle against Scorpius’. His kisses were like sunshine or summer rain, hesitant at first, applying just the slightest pressure against Scorpius as though afraid he would push him away. But the other boy clung closer, sliding his free arm around Albus’ back, hugging him tighter against his body. For one moment of time all he could think about was how much he despised the gap of air between them, and how it was paramount to close it.

They broke apart, both boys breathing a little heavy, their foreheads pressed together.

Scorpius let out a nervous laugh, his voice raspy, air brushing against Albus’ chin. ‘So does that mean you’ll go with me?’

‘Hmm? Wasn’t I clear enough?’ A small smile had begun to play at his lips. For the first time in a very long while, Albus felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.

‘Just say it please?’ Scorpius ran a finger slightly along the other boy’s arm sending shivers along his shoulders.

Albus couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, ‘I would love to go on a date with you.’

At this the two boys fell back on the sofa together, hands intertwined, soaking up the last few moments they could be alone together before Scorpius had to leave.

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