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gameofdrarry · 3 years

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Wizards Hearts Recs: Kid!Fic

Wizards Hearts was a four-month-long Drarry reading fest. Players were given a playing deck of 52 tropes, and were asked to find 52 different fics to read and comment on to fill their decks. To prevent the same few fics from being read, fics were restricted to only being used for the game three times before being considered ineligible for further points. The tropes and submissions list can be found here.

Check out the masterlist of fics for this trope below the cut!

📜 On Your Shore by xanthippe74 Rated: Mature Words: 35113 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, Mystery, Scotland, Dark Magic, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Pining, Sharing a Bed, First Time, Non-Explicit Sex, Demisexual Harry Potter, Bisexual Harry Potter, Gay Draco Malfoy, Closeted Draco Malfoy, Curse Breaker Harry Potter, Antiques Appraiser Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Good Parent Draco Malfoy, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Married Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, H/D Sex Fair 2020 Summary: Clearing out a remote house full of cursed collectibles in the Outer Hebrides? Not a problem for an experienced curse breaker like Harry Potter. Spending a week with the straight, happily-married man that he’s starting to have feelings for? And sharing a bed with him at night? Surely Harry can handle that, too. But both the house and Draco Malfoy have secrets to uncover, and Harry might be in deeper water than he thought. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Every Breath You Take by hephaestiions Rated: Mature Words: 19252 Tags: Major Character Death, Death (Harry Potter), Suicide, Child Death, Miscommunication, Angst, Angst and Tragedy Summary: It starts and ends with Death. Scorpius was just caught in between. Like always. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Misunderstandings are as easy as A-B-C by VeelaWings Rated: Teen and Up Words: 3418 Tags: First Day of School, Kindergarten Teacher Harry Potter, Professor Harry Potter, Single Parent Draco Malfoy, Parenting Woes, mild anxiety, Miscommunication, HP Fluff Fest 2020 Summary: A slow blink and Potter seemed to catch himself, clearing his throat and nodding, his smile friendly and bright when directed at Scorpius and Draco. “Hey Mal—” “Mr Potter,” Draco spoke up rudely, but necessary. “This is my son, Scorpius Black. He’ll be one of your students this year.” Potter looked completely wrongfooted for a few seconds before his mind appeared to latch onto the most likely conclusion. His expression cleared up as Scorpius took a step forward and offered a tiny hand. “Hello, Mr Potter. It’s nice to meet you,” Scorpius said, enunciation steady and practiced. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Teddy's Favourite by iRavenish Rated: Teen and Up Words: 2032 Tags: Fluff, Secret Relationship, Relationship Reveal, Day At The Beach, Jealous Harry Potter Summary: It didn't come as a surprise when Teddy demanded to finally go to the beach. In fact, he was asking for a trip to the seaside for a while now and even though Harry wasn't really keen on going, he was powerless when it came to his godson, and just couldn't say no when confronted with the pleading eyes of a sad five-year-old. There was only one little problem with the whole trip. Teddy insisted on inviting his favourite cousin, the one he reconnected with in the last year and the same one that quickly earned Teddy's trust and love, becoming his favourite person. Said cousin was of course none other than Draco Malfoy. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 The Way Home by Boshfaker Rated: Teen and Up Words: 15729 Tags: EWE, Mpreg Summary: Draco wakes up one morning to realize he is a father of 4 and is expecting. After an accident/spell gone wrong from his Auror days, he developed retrograde amnesia. The very last thing Draco remembers is falling down after the hit. That was close to 8 years ago. Healers can't explain what suddenly sparked him to recall his past either. Harry needs to start trying to make Draco remember that the 8 years he can't remember were good times with him and their 4 sons and his expected daughter. This is not at all the sort of life plan Draco had for himself. ❤️ Read on Dreamwidth

📜 Stain of Silence by brummell Rated: Explicit Words: 28356 Tags: Minor Character Death, Crossdressing, Babies, HP: EWE Summary: After the war, Draco serves out his sentence in Harry Potter's house ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 DIY Messiah by scoradh Rated: Mature Words: 26687 Tags: N/A Summary: Harry stopped hating Draco Malfoy on Bring Your Kids to Work Day. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Catch Me If I Fall by keeli_marie Rated: Explicit Words: 38281 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Post-Hogwarts, POV Alternating, Kid Fic, Divorced Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley, Mutual Pining, so much pining, Slow Burnish, Light Angst, Open Marriage, Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, Hugs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Boys Kissing, Cooking, Potions Master Draco Malfoy, First Dates, Astoria is a good bro, Fluff, Smut, Switching, Fluff and Smut, First Time, Masturbation, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Rimming, First Time Bottoming, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Romantic Gestures, Birthday Presents, Birthday Sex Summary: When Draco Malfoy collides with Harry Potter one morning while dropping the kids off at school, things don’t go quite the way either of them would have expected. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 The Strongest Affinity by eidheann Rated: Teen and Up Words: 17694 Tags: Family, Romance, preslash, wandmaker!Harry, Single Father!Draco Summary: Trouble finding a wand for Scorpius leads Harry and Draco to something they never imagined. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Out of the Woods by Janieohio Rated: Teen and Up Words: 34987 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, POV Alternating, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Background Relationships, supportive friends, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Mind Healer Harry Potter, Shop Owner Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, Harry Potter Raises Teddy Lupin, Sassy Harry Potter, Sarcastic Draco Malfoy, Minor Violence, Minor Injuries, Mystery, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Cute Teddy Lupin, Misunderstandings, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Explicit Language, Yoga, Into the Woods References, Therapy, Custody Issues, Minor Character Death, Minor Character Engagement, Dismissive Attitudes about Mental Illness, Childhood Trauma, Fae & Fairies, Brothers Grimm, Fairy Tale Elements - see notes for more details, H/D Erised 2020, Harry Potter Has Long Hair, Kid Fic, Minor Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor Neville Longbottom/Hannah Abbott/Luna Lovegood, Background Polyamory, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Past Draco Malfoy/Original Male Characters Summary: Teddy closes his eyes, wishing beyond wishes that the two men in his life whom he loves more than anyone would just learn to get along. A light flares. Teddy cries out, and the room falls silent. Harry and Draco struggle to find a way to escape a world of dark fairy tales and get back to Teddy, but the challenges they face are not all hidden in the woods. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 For The Want Of Five Minutes (And a Locked Door) by postjentacular Rated: Mature Words: 4333 Tags: Kid Fic, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter Epilogue Compliant, Domestic Bliss, Parent Harry Potter, Parent Draco Malfoy, Coitus Interruptus, Humor, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, H/D Sex Fair 2020 Summary: It’s hard enough to get five minutes to yourself in a house of five kids, nevermind getting five minutes with your boyfriend for anything else. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 A Big Black Sky by AlexMeg Rated: Mature Words: 90343 Tags: Parent Draco Malfoy, Parent Harry Potter, Abusive Relationships, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Homelessness, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, dark themes, The Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter) is Terrible, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Needs a Hug, Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, Harry Potter Raises Teddy Lupin, Everyone Needs A Hug, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Slow Burn, Pining Draco Malfoy, But it's very very subtle and repressed, Panic Attacks, Protective Harry Potter, Falling In Love, Smitten Harry Potter, Mutual Pining, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Down and Out Draco Malfoy, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Kid Fic, Post Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con Summary: Draco shifts his head as he turns to look at Scorpius, his cheek touching the pillow. "Did you know that…" He pauses, his throat convulsing, and it sounds audible in the silence, besides Michael's steady, even breathing from the other bedroom. Scorpius is staring back at him, in wait of something new to learn, a beautiful and intelligent child. He has Draco's mind. He has Draco's eyes and nose and mouth and hair. He is his. All his. All he has of Michael are his wild curls and the green of his eyes, and sometimes he looks into them and imagines that they aren't Michael's, but someone else's. Draco leans his head closer, biting the quiver out of his lips before he breathes a laden and shuddering exhale, and he whispers, "You are my star in a big black sky." ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 The Guest by BummedOutWriter Rated: Mature Words: 59826 Tags: Kid Fic, Mpreg, Time Travel, Boggarts, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Auror Harry Potter, Quidditch Player Draco Malfoy, Seer Draco Malfoy, Grimmauld Place, Chudley Cannons, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Visions, Potions Accident, Prophecy, Truth Serum, Humor, Animagus, Family, Bottom Draco Malfoy Summary: In consequence of an accidental spell, Harry and Draco's five-year-old daughter is sent ten years into the past, where she meets her teenaged parents. Awkwardness ensues ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Rock-a-bye Sweet Baby James by Femme (femmequixotic), noeon (noe) Rated: Explicit Words: 28402 Tags: Post Mpreg, Kid Fic, Postpartum blues, Secret pregnancy, Pregnant Harry Potter, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, Switching Summary: Harry Potter knew that having a baby by himself would be difficult, but when his son's other father arrives on his doorstep, furious and upset at not being told about Harry's pregnancy, Harry's already messy life becomes a thousand times more complicated. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 No Place Like Home by dracogotgame Rated: General Words: 4005 Tags: Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley (mentioned) - Freeform, Family, Fluff, Next Gen, Kid Fic, Established Relationship, Domestic Fluff Summary: James Sirius has been at Hogwarts for exactly one day, and he knows he doesn't belong. All he wants is to go home. A late night Floo call fixes everything ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Mine by xxdrarryrebellexx Rated: Mature Words: 45877 Tags: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, I LOVE DRARRY OKAY, Domestic, Single Parent Draco Malfoy, Andromeda is kind of a bitch, Little Scorpius is cute AF, Lil Scorp, Ravenclaw Scorpius Malfoy, Professor Harry Potter, Good Draco Malfoy, How Do I Tag, Self-Indulgent, Made For Each Other, Their Family - Freeform Summary: Harry Potter works as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, but while picking Teddy up from the Primary Wizard Academy he notices a young crying child and decides to help. Draco Malfoy has had a pretty hard time trying to raise his son since his wife's death. While signing his son up for classes at the Primary Wizard Academy the young boy happens to wander away, luckily the Golden Boy is always there to help. Can they let the past be in the past to forge a better future? "Whose kid is this?" "He's mine, Potter." "No, seriously..." ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 the trembling of the moment by porcelainsalt (bluedreaming) Rated: General Words: 5325 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Non-United Kingdom Setting, Single Parent Draco Malfoy, Asexual Draco Malfoy, Asexual Character, Child Scorpius Malfoy, Inspired by Poetry, H/D Erised 2020, Present Tense, Luna Lovegood & Draco Malfoy Friendship, unusual careers, Quidditch Player Harry Potter Summary: “You’re the last person I’d have expected to stumble across on the other side of the world.” In which Draco's quiet single-parent life is not so much interrupted as unexpectedly harmonised. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 These Tender Moments by theartfulldodger Rated: General Words: 1380 Tags: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, SERIOUSLY ALL THE FLUFF, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Kid Fic, Sickly sweet medicine for all your despair, A warm hug, Domestic Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE Summary: A Christmas Eve filled with overindulgence, a sleeping toddler, creatively altered expressions and slow dancing in the kitchen. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Made with Love by MysticKitten42 Rated: Teen and Up Words: 1143 Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death - Narcissa, Grief/Mourning, Friends With Benefits, Getting Together, Single Parent Draco Malfoy, Tenderness, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Hopeful Ending, POV Second Person, POV Draco Malfoy, Early Bird 25 Days of Harry and Draco 2020 Summary: After tragedy strikes, Draco finds support where he least expects it. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Scary Snowman by dracogotgame Rated: General Words: 1030 Tags: Humour, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Family, Oneshot, Old Fic, reposted, Harry Potter Next Generation Summary: Draco steps up. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Cassiopeia Lily Malfoy by GallaPlacidia Rated: Not Rated Words: 37312 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Letters, Post Mpreg, Kid Fic, Hurt/Comfort, harry is a dick at the beginning Summary: In eighth year, Harry had a toxic fling with Draco Malfoy. Ten years later, a little girl shows up, begging for Harry's help. Could the two be connected? And did Harry misunderstand what Draco was trying to tell him, the last time they spoke? Feat. angry 8th year Harry being truly horrible to Draco, Draco writing a lot of letters he never sends Harry, and the most Gryffindor-Slytherin hybrid ten-year-old you've ever seen. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 To Love and To Cherish by jamesilver Rated: Mature Words: 1091 Tags: Married Couple, Married Life, Quidditch, Fatherhood, Parenthood, Domestic Fluff, Domestic, domestic married couple, Children, Cute Kids, Kid Fic, Flirting Summary: Or, Harry and Draco are married with children and a lot of heavy, married flirting ❤️ Read on AO3

#kid fic #drarry #drarry rec #game of drarry #wizards hearts #wh masterlist

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saveourtiredhearts · 5 years

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December Reads

Hello all! As you might be able to tell, I had a lot more fics up on the November list. I did the same amount of reading this month, but my computer restarted and all my tabs up in my incognito browser were lost before I could transfer things into this document. So, have a very short list for December, and keep an eye out for a longer one in January! Basically check out everything in the AO3 collection “Captain America Big Bang 2018 | cabigbang” because that’s what I was combing through. It’s full of wonderful fics!

Harry Potter

Drarry

Settle in in my slow-burning heart--Drarry. Draco’s working in the Auror Department as the tech guru, in partnership with Harry Potter. All of sudden, Harry starts giving him horrible souvenirs. And then he ends up wounded in Draco’s apartment. A lot of fun, and some good whump. Word Count: 10,026. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5265767#main

Un Noël très parisien--Drarry. A casual flirtation between Draco Malfoy and Auror Harry Potter develops further than perhaps either one of them intended. Interesting relationship pairings, and an adorable Scorpius! Word Count: 14,307. https://archiveofourown.org/works/2778308#main

To Love a Loathed (Arch) Enemy--Drarry. Harry gives Draco back his wand. The two of them try to figure out who they are to each other now that the war’s over. Great dialogue and bantering, with a background of the reconstruction of Hogwarts. Word Count: 11,514. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5113505#main

Party of Two--Drarry. Harry and Draco are fuck buddies, then friends with benefits, then best friends with benefits, and then something entirely new. Definitely explicit! With bewhildered but encouraging friends, and a pretty smooth relationship development. Word Count: 13,542. https://archiveofourown.org/works/321083#main

Back to You--Drarry. Harry and Draco are made to play a question-and-answer game. Somehow, it both goes exactly where you thought it would, but in a totally different way than you expect. Funny and sweet and embarrassing in equal turns. Word Count: 8,565. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12752880#main

A Choice of Wings--Drarry. “A Choice of Wings is Harry's matchmaking business for Veela who have trouble finding mates. And Draco Malfoy is his most difficult client.” A great getting together fic, with two reluctant parties finding their way into a relationship. Such a clever idea as well! Word Count: 18,738. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1352005#main

There’s No I in Team--Drarry. When Harry takes care of Draco’s son Scorpius for an hour or so, things suddenly change between the two adults, and develop quickly. Wonderful writing and lovely ending. Muggle AU. Word Count: 13,389. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7484097#main

I’ll Tell You A Secret (Just Don’t Tell)--Drarry. Harry and Draco are living a totally normal life, except their relationship--that of fiancees--is almost entirely secret. The author makes this work in a very intriguing way, especially concerning who does know, and the relationship between Harry, and Ron and Hermione. I adored the banter and dialogue in this fic--so realistic and intriguing in its absolute normalcy. An almost happy ending? Word Count: 18,331. https://archiveofourown.org/works/642847#main

Onslaught--Drarry. Podfic included alongside the fic! “Since Harry developed the unfortunate ability to smell magic, his life has been a series of scent-induced headaches…until the night he finds a mysterious wizard in a sun-scented Glamour.” Well-written, and I really enjoyed Harry’s navigation of the world around him as influenced by the scent of magic. Funny and charming. Word Count: 8,151. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1353064#main

Seeing Draco Malfoy--Drarry. Draco, owner of “Magical Repairs and Reparations”, ends up with Harry’s glasses after he’s been in a fight. Somehow, the returning of Harry’s flowers prompts a flurry of gifts from Harry, all accompanied by an in-person visit. Ignatius the owl has to be won over, but he certainly comes to approve of the match. Word Count: 12,356. https://archiveofourown.org/works/2555345#main

Antlers and Ivy--Drarry. Draco learns his soulmate is Harry Potter after the Prophet reveals Harry’s soulmark. Immediately, Draco knows what he’s always known is true, as the son of a pureblood family--he absolutely will never be allowed to marry his soulmate. But with a masquerade ball, Draco’s soulmark is revealed to Harry while Draco is glamoured, and things become much more complicated. Gorgeous art accompanies this fic! Word Count: 19,124. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14493711/chapters/33481986

Around You Moves--Drarry. Drop everything to go read this, I’m begging you. There are two very specific scenes that struck me right to the heart but I don’t want to spoil anything. Magnificently written, with careers for Draco and Harry that anyone can get behind. Strong development and characterization throughout. And yes, it’s based on that Reddit post floating around tumblr. Word Count: 29,659. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17123729#main

Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening--Drarry. Was I essentially won over by the dog named Snitch? Yes. Read this for excellent banter, a believable change in relationship, and an OC you’ll want to punch (just as the author meant it to be). In all honesty, I think Harry could do well as a driving instructor. Word Count: 23,185. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16977186#main

Poison Ground, Hallowed Heart--Drarry. So much smut and so much fluff. A surprising combination that actually works out well for everyone involved. I love Draco as a cursebreaker, a combination you don’t often see. Plus, a mystery in an old haunted house? I’m all here for it. Wonderfully written, with a great plot. Word Count: 26,685. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16828795/chapters/39504253

Cryptography--Drarry. Draco and Harry both solve puzzles for a living. Harry stumbles across one that’s going to take the two of them to figure out. Great development of relationship and choice of settings! Lovely intricate details mixed with a sort of soft domesticity. Word Count: 19,073. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16727838/chapters/39236100

Slowly We Unfurl--Drarry. The gang (and some) go to Norway. Draco tries to remain a recluse. Ultimately, this plan fails, and everyone is happier for it. Really wonderful, toasty fluff for you! Word Count: 13,705. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16740349#main

Ynys Afallach (I Will Give My Love An Apple)--Drarry. This is an utterly magnificent fic. Masterfully woven in terms of plot, with every detail brought to life and no loose ends left hanging. A lovely dive into a mix of magic and university, and time spent in schooling after the war. I love the original characters in this piece, and every moment truly is a revelation. Not only the dialogue, but the character’s thoughts are written convincingly and carefully. The whole thing is utterly amazing. Word Count: 42,473. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16420922#main

The Chains of Memory--Drarry. A new insightful look into Harry’s past abuse and how he deals with it in the here and now (and with Draco as his steady partner). Check the tags, but otherwise delve right into this thoughtful and often funny fic! Word Count: 14,417. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16358534#main

Other

Dragon Singer--Charlie Weasley/Harry Potter. Yes, an odd combination I’ve grown to love. And it works especially well here, with Harry as a sort of chosen, hybrid dragon creature and charlie working on the dragon reserve. Check the tags--child abuse and rape in the prologue--and be wary of some characters who are way out of character, but the story is well crafted and interesting. Word Count: 51,296. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7708432/chapters/17564821

Marvel

Stucky

No Single Riders--Stucky. Absolutely hilarious. I love Steve’s characterization in this fic, and the inclusion of all our Marvel faves is phenomenal. Excellent plot and additional fluff. Word Count: 30,991. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16152707/chapters/37741607

(me and you) and the world between--Stucky. Wow. An excellent murder mystery, not to mention wonderful plot work and an ease to managing multiple characters I can only admire. Really is the epitome of all the great things about the urban fantasy genre. Love the incorporation of different kinds of mythology. Word Count: 42,131. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16415138/chapters/38429474

10-94--Stucky. Do I know anything about street car racing? No. Was I able to enjoy this fic anyway? Hell yeah! I love Steve as the undercover cop, and his reveal is so satisfying. Meanwhile, Bucky is simultaneously grumpy and loveable. Plus, the howling commandos! Word Count: 38,817. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16496810/chapters/38636426

Merlin

Merthur

Gadarene--Merthur. Honestly I’m just going to direct you right to the summary on AO3 because I adore it so much--and if that doesn’t tell you how much I enjoyed this fic, nothing will. Arthur’s characterization is just *mwah* and the plot is brilliant. Word Count: 76,831. https://archiveofourown.org/series/17492

There Are No Gays in Football--Merthur. Probably every Merlin fan worthy of their salt has read this one, but look, it’s okay to be late to the party! Often, I find fics that paint Arthur as a boor, unworthy of redemption while redeeming him anyway. This one does not. Both Merlin and Arthur are delightfully 3D characters, with wonderful banter between them and their other, multifaceted friends. Every moment and detail is fleshed out, and even if you don’t know a thing about soccer--uh, football--you can still enjoy this fic with as much anticipation and delight as I did. Word Count: 212,919. https://archiveofourown.org/works/730238/chapters/1356591

Other Fandoms Entirely

So If You Give--Bond/Q.The first Bond/Q fic I’ve read in a while, and one of very few I’ve read! Excellent characterization and dialogue, with a lot of lovely details. Bond keeps giving Q souvenirs (half the fun is their horribleness) and Q’s not quite sure what to do. Word Count: 6,188. https://archiveofourown.org/works/642482#main

I Howl and I Whine--Zimbits. Sweet and fluffy, with lovely characterizations and great friendships. Jack and Bitty are both absolutely adorable, and while the plot’s pretty simple, the story’s engaging. We love a happy ending! Word Count: 19,784. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16662291/chapters/39069845

#december reads #marvel #stucky #merlin #merthur #hp #harry potter #drarry

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torestoreamends · 7 years

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Moramortia: Chapter 8

Draco, Harry, and Ginny begin to search for Albus and Scorpius, and Albus, Scorpius, and Rose begin to search for the ingredients. The Basilisk Fangs should be easy to get, but the Chamber of Secrets has a sting in its tail…

Read it on AO3 / Pick a chapter

Chapter VIII Running the Gauntlet

Draco is the first one out of the fireplace. It’s not his most elegant exit from the Floo network, and he’s dumped unceremoniously on the floor with a little puff of ash. With all the dignity he can muster he brushes himself off and picks himself up off the floor.

“Draco,” Minerva says in surprise, looking up from a document she’s reading. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors this evening.” She rises to her feet. “How can I help you?"

"Scorpius-” Draco begins, but at that moment Harry falls out of the fireplace behind him, cutting him off and charging into battle.

“Scorpius and Albus have gone missing from St Mungo’s,” he says, almost breathless he’s speaking so fast. There’s soot on his face but he doesn’t seem to care. “We need to know if they’re here."

Draco feels slightly wrong-footed by the interruption; Harry has taken the words right out of his mouth. Those words explain his entire focus, the need to find his son, and now they’re already out there he doesn’t know what else to say. Thankfully he’s spared the struggle as green firelight flickers through the office and Ginny steps into the room.

"Professor,” she says, brushing herself off. “We’re so sorry to intrude. I imagine you’re busy, but-” she glances at Draco, who glares at her, arms folded, and she stops.

Draco feels irritation, exhaustion, and intense worry bubble up inside him. He doesn’t have the energy for any of this. He doesn’t want to fight with the Potters. He doesn’t want to explain that apparently he’s been failing his son again. He just wants to go home and go to bed, and know that Scorpius is sleeping safely somewhere nearby. But Scorpius isn’t safe. He’s sick and he’s missing, so Draco will summon up the strength to fight to the death for him.

Draco strides to McGonagall’s desk and looks her in the eye. “I need to find my son. If he were anywhere he’d be here."

The Headmistress looks at him, then she glances at Harry and Ginny. Finally she takes her seat, and gestures for the three of them to sit as well. "Perhaps you should start from the beginning,” she says. “Why would Scorpius and Albus be here? I thought Scorpius was in St Mungo’s."

There’s a collection of chairs clustered around a table on the other side of the office. Draco summons three over with a wave of his wand, and sits down, pulling himself closer to the desk. "They were in the room at St Mungo’s. I left them alone, both of them together. I thought they would be alright, that they wouldn’t do anything stupid, but when I returned…” He looks Minerva right in the eye. “I know you understand the gravity of Scorpius’s condition, and how important it is to find him as soon as possible."

She nods, her expression soft and concerned. "Of course,” she says gently. “Is there any indication that Scorpius and Albus are at Hogwarts? Anything concrete?” She glances in Harry’s direction.

Harry shakes his head. “If you’re asking if I’ve had any dreams… this isn’t related to Voldemort. I haven’t felt anything. I don’t know anything. We just thought-”

“Hogwarts is Scorpius’s favourite place on earth,” Draco says, purposeful and direct, in an attempt to keep his voice from belying any of the fragility that’s in his heart. “He’s missed it terribly. I think we should start with searching Slytherin House, and then cover the rest of the school. If he isn’t here, then…"

"And you’re certain Albus is with him?” Minerva asks.

“I can’t imagine them being apart,” Ginny says. “They’re inseparable.”

“Alright.” Minerva looks at Harry again. “I don’t suppose you thought to bring that map of yours with you?”

Draco feels a spark of excitement. How could he have forgotten the Map? It’s the obvious solution. If Albus and Scorpius are here they’ll know in an instant.

“You’d better have that map with you, Potter,” he says. “If you don’t, you’re going home to get it right-"

"I gave it to Albus,” Harry mutters, so quietly that Draco almost doesn’t hear him. He looks down at his knees, avoiding everyone’s eyes, and pushes his glasses up his nose.

“Excuse me?” Draco asks turning to stare at him.

Harry looks up at him, green eyes sparkling with remorse. “I’m sorry, Draco. I gave it to Albus this summer. As a back to school present. I didn’t think I’d need it again. I thought-"

"I think I might have misheard,” Draco says, holding out a hand to stop him. “I think you just said that you gave away the best chance we have of finding our sons. That even though you know how useful it was last time, you gave it to Albus so he can what, sneak into Honeydukes at the weekend?” He shakes his head. “No. That can’t be right. Not even you, not even you, could be so completely and irretrievably idiotic."

"I hoped this wouldn’t happen again!” Harry explodes, voice rising, a trapped animal, defending himself from the truth of his own stupidity. “Albus isn’t angry anymore. We’re getting on. I knew he’d like it, that Scorpius would appreciate the history of it. I thought it would be okay!"

"Scorpius can’t appreciate the history of anything if he’s dead,” Draco spits, bitter anger bursting in his chest. “And that’s what’s going to happen thanks to-"

"No one is going to die,” Ginny interrupts. She looks between the two of them, and Draco can see that she, at least, is as distraught as he is. “Please, both of you. Our sons are together. Do you really think they’re going to let anything happen to each other?"

"It wouldn’t be the first time Albus has led Scorpius into trouble.”

Harry starts to retort, but Minerva cuts him off, voice projecting over the top of the argument, powerful and strong.

“We’ll find them. We’ll turn the school upside down if we have to. We can cut off the secret entrances so they can’t escape. If they’re anywhere here we’ll find them, and I think we should start with the Slytherin dormitories. Wouldn’t that be the first place they’d go?"

Draco nods, doing his best to restrain himself and keep himself calm. "Scorpius considers it home."

"They aren’t that stupid,” Harry mutters. “To go there… It’s too obvious.”

“If you have a better-” Draco cuts himself off as Ginny puts a hand on both his and Harry’s arms, glancing between them. Harry’s jaw is tight and his eyes are narrowed, but he doesn’t argue any further, and Draco doesn’t either.

The walk from the Head’s office down to the dungeons has never felt longer. It wasn’t this bad when Scorpius had just finished telling them all about the horrors of that other world, the one with Voldemort. That walk had been silent and awkward, and full of turmoil. It wasn’t even this bad the second time the boys disappeared, even though Draco’s insides were churning with terror of what might have happened, even though Draco was convinced he might have lost Scorpius forever. No, somehow today is even worse. The corridors are dark and dingy and silent. They feel cold, and they get even colder, the further they snake down into the belly of the castle.

Albus and Scorpius won’t be there. Draco knows that even before they walk into the room. Scorpius is too smart to hang around somewhere so obvious, unless he wanted to be found, and the letter he left made it quite clear that that’s the last thing he wants. If he’s in the school it’s for a purpose, whatever that might be, and now they’ll only find him if they figure out what he’s doing.

Minerva holds the door, and Draco strides through. He walks straight to Scorpius’s bed and starts searching for any sign of life, any indication of what he might be up to. Beside him, Harry and Ginny are doing the same with Albus’s bed.

“Scorpius has been here,” Draco says. The bed is neat, although it looks like the covers have been rumpled, like someone has thrown themselves on top of them, and the pillows are out of place like someone has hugged them.

“Albus too,” Ginny says, picking up a backpack that’s been dumped on the floor beside Albus’s bed.

“He had that bag at the hospital,” Draco says, glancing at it. “Does it have anything in it?"

"I think some of his things are gone,” Harry adds, riffling through Albus’s wardrobe. “Look, his favourite jumper is missing… all these empty hangers. They’ve gone somewhere."

Ginny dumps the contents of Albus’s backpack onto the bed and starts sifting through it. "School books… sweets… parchment… these are all essays. I can’t see any notes about where he might be going, or… Wait! There’s a letter. From Scorpius."

Harry runs to her side to peer over her shoulder as she reads. "Dear Albus, I’ve got the rest of the Potions we need, and I think everything’s ready here. Don’t forget to pack the Map, the Cloak, and your recipe. I wouldn’t say no to a few Pepper Imps either… I think we should leave whenever Dad goes to get dinner on Friday night. Then we know we’ll have some time to get going before he realises we’ve left…” She trails off and looks up at Draco. “How long have they been planning this?"

Draco sinks onto the bed, shaking his head. "I didn’t notice anything. I never saw them discussing any of this. I don’t understand how they’ve done it.” He clenches his fists and stares out at the murky waters of the lake beyond the window. All his efforts to protect Scorpius have been in vain. Any connection they’ve built up over the past few years hasn’t been enough for Scorpius to talk to him, to confide in him, or for him to have noticed something going on, to know where Scorpius might be. Draco has never felt more like a failure of a father.

He runs a hand over his face and closes his eyes. “There is nothing we can do,” he murmurs. “At least last time we had something useful. They contacted us. They wanted our help. But this time…"

He hears Albus’s bed squeak, and glances up to see Harry sitting opposite him, full of that perpetual, infuriating, unshakeable determination that always seems to be flowing out of him. "I’ll send out a team of Aurors,” he says. “We’ll search the entire country if we have to. Albus hates Apparating, and Scorpius is ill. They can’t go far, and we’ll catch up to them. We’ll find them. And then we’ll bring them home where they can be safe."

"How fast can your Aurors work?” Draco asks.

“Fast enough,” Harry says, getting to his feet. “I’ll go now. Ginny, can you get something in the Prophet? We can do what we did last time, rally the troops."

Ginny nods. "Of course. Although I don’t know what I can do until the morning. All the papers will have been put to bed by now. I’ll Apparate to the office and ask.”

“And I’ll order a thorough search of the school,” Minerva adds. “We can set up patrols, make sure if they enter or leave, we spot them. We can cover all the fireplaces too."

"There are secret entrances too,” Harry says. “If they have the Map, they-”

“I am perfectly aware of the entrances, Potter. Don’t you worry."

"Of course,” Harry says, nodding and pushing his glasses up his nose. “Sorry."

Ginny walks across to Draco and lowers her voice. "If you want to wait with us, for any news… you’d be welcome. I’m sure being alone wouldn’t be easy at the moment."

Draco desperately wants to say no, to assert that he’s fine on his own, that he’s been managing for years, and that he’ll continue to manage now. But the truth is, the idea of being alone in the big, empty Manor right now, facing the idea that Scorpius might never again fill it with noise and joy, feels like hell. It’s the last place on earth he wants to be.

He rises to his feet and brushes his robes down, determined to maintain at least some of his dignity, especially if he’s going to accept their help like this. "Thank you,” he says. “There are some things I need to pick up, but then… I’m sure you’ll both be first to receive any news. It makes sense.” He looks around at them all. “I appreciate your assistance."

Harry nods and claps his hands together, already striding to the dormitory door, buzzing with action and adrenaline. "Let’s get down to business then."

—

Scorpius is shaking. Albus can feel him trembling as the three of them scramble through the entrance and up into the Chamber. It’s difficult to tell if it’s from fear, or the cold, or excitement because of where they are. It might be all three at once, and Albus squeezes his hand tightly, just in case it helps.

Rose walks ahead, steady and purposeful, glancing up at the towering stone pillars that rise into the darkness above them. Albus raises his wand, to try and cast some light upwards, but even then he can’t see the ceiling. This place is enormous.

He extinguishes his wand after that, because there isn’t as much need for it in here as there was in the tunnel outside. The whole room glows with a green light of its own, the same sort of watery light that floods the Slytherin Common Room, but with a slightly more sinister feel, thanks to the shadows that swirl and lurk in every corner and at the base of every pillar.

"I can’t believe we’re here,” Scorpius whispers, gazing around in wonder. “We’re in Slytherin’s Chamber. This is history, Albus. This place was built before my family even came to this country. And we’ve been here forever. Isn’t it exciting?”

Albus flashes him a grin. He can’t help it. Scorpius’s enthusiasm is infectious. “A little bit."

Scorpius swings their hands back and forth, bouncing along the walkway between the vast columns, and Albus is certain that this place has never seen anything like it before. Scorpius is too vibrant for a place like this. But here he is, excitable, bouncy, and filling the Chamber with life.

"You know,” Scorpius says, “this is almost amazing enough to make me glad I’m ill. We never would have come down here otherwise."

Albus shakes his head, tone deadly serious. "I’m not glad. Even a little bit.”

Scorpius glances at him. “Okay… maybe I’m not really glad either… but you have to admit it’s cool."

Albus looks around, at the towering pillars, at the snakes carved into the stonework, at the distant face of Salazar Slytherin, looming out of the shadows. His dad fought Tom Riddle down here; destroyed a Horcrux down here; saved his mum’s life down here. This place is full of history, his family’s history, as well as proper, ancient history. And Scorpius is right. It is interesting to be here. Albus just wishes it was under better circumstances.

He nods and meets Scorpius’s eyes. "I can. We’re some of the only people in the Wizarding World who’ve ever been down here."

Scorpius’s eyes widen with glee and he clasps Albus’s hand. "You’re right!” He gives a skip, then drops Albus’s hand and hugs him. “Okay! I’m going to explore.” He grins, pure sunshine in this darkest of places. “While we’re here."

Albus smiles and pats him on the arm. "Call me if you find anything exciting."

"Oh, I will!” He leans across and kisses Albus once, lightly on the cheek, then turns and disappears off in the direction of the pillars.

Albus watches him go. There’s a spring in his step, like he’s delighted by the freedom of being out of hospital, but he isn’t quite as buoyant as he might have been before he got sick. Although he looks fine, and anyone who didn’t know him probably wouldn’t notice that he’s ill, Albus can see the signs of the disease taking its toll. He’s thinner than before, more fragile. He hugs his jacket tightly round his body, and he’s starting to shiver from the cold, even though it isn’t really that chilly down here, and his jacket is a thick winter one.

Nevertheless, he’s still Scorpius. He’s still scrutinising everything with an intense curiosity. When he reaches the wall, he runs his fingers over something etched there, a little frown on his face. Albus guesses he’s admiring some kind of historic carving, or maybe the marks left by the magic that built this place. Scorpius leans in close and peers at the wall, walking slowly, scanning the stonework. When he isn’t touching the wall, he keeps his arms wound tight round his body, and he’s pulled his jacket sleeves over his hands for warmth.

A thought strikes Albus, and he strides after Scorpius down the dark walkway.

“Scorpius,” he calls.

Scorpius turns to look at him, frowning. “Yes?”

Albus draws his wand and waves it over Scorpius, murmuring the incantation he’d taught himself in second year when he’d kept getting cold in the draughty dormitory at night. He hasn’t ever needed to use it on Scorpius before, because Scorpius has always been inexplicably immune to the cold.

“What are you- oh.” Scorpius’s eyes close, and he shudders and relaxes as Albus’s Warming Charm washes over his body. “Thank you,” he breathes, slowly opening his eyes, still savouring the feeling.

“You’re welcome,” Albus says, stuffing his wand away. “If you get cold again, let me know."

Scorpius hugs himself and nods. "I promise. Especially if that’s what you do about it."

"Alright.” Albus gestures over his shoulder. “I’m going to go and help Rose."

Scorpius waves a hand at the wall. "I am going to continue examining this very interesting and historic wall."

Albus grins. "You’re a ginormous geek, you know that?"

"You’ve told me many times."

"Because I’m always astounded by just how geeky you are.” Albus blows him a kiss as he walks away to join Rose.

She’s already down at the end of the Chamber, crouched beside the huge, coiled ruin of the Basilisk’s body, in front of the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin’s face. It stares out at the room, lined and shadowed and intimidating. Albus can feel its eyes following him as he comes over and kneels beside her.

“I can’t believe that’s the guy who founded my house,” he mutters, keeping his voice low. It’s stupid, but he can’t shake the feeling that the statue is somehow listening to them.

Rose glances up at the statue. “He’s just a little bit creepy,” she says. “And slightly self-obsessed. Gryffindor didn’t build any statues of his own face."

Albus smiles. "How do you know? Maybe there’s a secret Chamber of Gryffindor around here somewhere, full of all these beautifully carved statues of him. Maybe he loved to carve himself naked, like the ancient Greeks."

Rose tuts and shakes her head. "You’re ridiculous. You’ve been spending too much time with that boy.” She nods in the direction of Scorpius, who’s now walking along the wall of the Chamber, inspecting every inch of stonework. “He’s rubbing off on you. In the intellectual sense of the phrase, not just the physical."

Albus ignores her. "How many teeth do we need? Are there enough left?"

"My parents did a good job of cleaning them out… but I think there are just enough.” She pulls the scrap of parchment with her copy of the Moramortia recipe from her pocket and smooths it out. “We need seven teeth. I think we can do it if we’re careful. Here, will you help me? They’re really solid."

Albus nods and leans forward, taking hold of one of the enormous teeth and assessing how loose it is. He can feel Rose’s eyes on him, but he doesn’t look up. He has to concentrate. These teeth are sharp, and the pointed ends are still poisonous. One slip and he’d be a goner.

"I haven’t,” he murmurs, after several seconds of awkward silence. “Spent too much time with him. I feel like I’ve barely seen him in months.” He tugs on the fang, trying to wrench it out of its socket, but his fingers slip, and he pauses to wipe them on his t-shirt before he tries again. “I don’t care about all the dates we’ve missed out on. I just…” He swallows. “I’d just like my best friend back.” He wraps his fingers round the fang and gives it another hard tug. This time it tears out at the root, and he goes sprawling backwards onto the wet ground.

“What happens if all this doesn’t work?” Rose asks, tone forcedly light, like she’s talking about the weather instead of Scorpius’s possible death.

Albus doesn’t look at her. He picks himself up off the ground, sets the tooth aside, and goes back to the Basilisk. Planting one hand against the snake’s jaw, he tugs on the next tooth. “That… isn’t… an option… I’m going to consider."

"But-"

"No.” He twists his fingers round the fang, trying to wriggle it loose. “This is going to work. It needs to work. I need him. His dad needs him. Maybe the whole world needs him. He’s already saved it twice."

Rose shrugs and runs her fingers over the smooth, green scales of the Basilisk’s head. "Sometimes people who deserve to live don’t, though. Remember Cedric-”

“How could I forget Cedric?” Albus mutters, shifting the tooth back and forward.

“And Craig,” Rose adds. “Even Scorpius’s mum, and your grandparents, and-”

“Will you stop?” Albus bursts out, unable to contain it anymore. His words echo through the chamber, every stone surface mocking him, imitating his overwrought, breaking voice. He takes a deep, steadying breath and glances over his shoulder, to see Scorpius looking at him. He bows his head and turns away, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry,” he murmurs. “I-I know he might… you know. I know people die all the time. But I don’t want him to. I don’t want to even think about it."

"Albus…” Rose whispers, and when Albus looks up at her, he sees her eyes sparkling with tears. “No,” she says, shaking her head and looking away, wiping the corner of one eye. “No, I know.” She wriggles uncomfortably, looking down at her hands for a moment, then she looks up at him. “Can I give you a hug?"

He looks back at her. "You never hug me."

"Well,” she sniffs and gives a little shrug. “Maybe it’s time I started.” She shuffles forward, then leans over the top of the Basilisk, and wraps her arms round Albus’s neck. He leans against her and pats her on the back. When they part, she continues trying to surreptitiously wipe her eyes, while Albus goes back to the teeth.

“Can you help me with this one?” He asks after a moment. “It’s really stuck."

"Sure!” Rose says, suddenly bright and cheerful.

They work on the teeth for several minutes, neither of them saying much except for what they need to. A couple of the fangs have turned brittle over the years, and snap clean in half as they try to pull them out, or just crumble into dust under their touch. Albus is as gentle and careful as he can be with the ones they do get out. There are only just enough, and if they break any of them, this could be over before it’s begun.

They’ve just freed the last tooth, and Albus is carefully wrapping them up and stowing them in his bag, when Scorpius’s voice comes echoing out of a passageway to one side of the Chamber.

“Albus! Rose! Come and look at this!"

The two of them glance at each other, and Rose sighs.

"Give the fangs to me. I’ll sort them out. You go and entertain him.”’

Albus grins. “He’s like a puppy that’s just been let out for its first walk."

"I just hope you have the energy to keep up with him,” Rose says, taking the bag and the fangs from Albus.

“I don’t,” Albus says, as he gets to his feet and sets off in the direction of Scorpius’s voice.

The knees of his jeans, as well as being all wet, are now slimy from kneeling on the ground. Albus’s hands are streaked with grime. He tries to clean some of the muck off his hands and clothes as he walks, but he doesn’t make any headway.

The passage Scorpius is standing in is essentially just a large stone pipe. It’s bigger than the slide they’d come down from Myrtle’s bathroom, and Albus can’t help but think that this is what sewers must be like. Thankfully it doesn’t smell like a sewer; only looks like one.

The sides and bottom of the pipe are smooth, like something big has ground them down by sliding through them repeatedly over the course of centuries, and they’re so slick with water that Albus has to keep one hand on the wall to stop himself sliding around.

“What is it?” He asks, when he’s close enough to see Scorpius through the gloom.

“I don’t know,” Scorpius replies. “But it feels cold right here, and I can hear whispering. I can’t tell if I’m imagining it. It’s really creepy down here; maybe paranoia has got the better of me. Maybe this is a new stage of my illness.” He grins.

“Don’t joke about that,” Albus scolds as he slithers closer, and Scorpius looks suitably admonished.

When Albus reaches Scorpius he frowns and slows down, trying to make his footsteps as quiet as possible while he listeners hard for any of these whispers Scorpius claims to be able to hear.

He certainly thinks he can hear something as he steps past Scorpius and further into the pipe. It’s a bit like the wind, although there’s no breeze down here. Maybe Slytherin enjoyed the sound of summer wind rustling through reeds so much that he conjured up the sound in his secret chamber.

It takes a few seconds to realise that it’s not the wind he’s hearing. Not leaves or fronds or blades of grass. It’s a voice. A whispering voice. And as he closes his eyes, he can make out the words it’s saying.

“Haaarry Pottttter…”

He stops dead in his tracks, just a step too far.

A wind picks up from nowhere around him, wrapping him up in a swirling, icy vortex. When he tries to run, because this feels like something he really needs to run from, it’s too strong, buffeting him back into place, whirling around him so he’s stuck on the spot. It rips through his hair, tears at his clothes, and he’s scared he’s going to be swept away to somewhere, who knows where, as he fights to stay upright with his feet on the ground.

“Scorpius!” He shouts over the noise of the storm. “What’s happening?"

"I don’t know!” Scorpius replies, panicked and high-pitched. He rushes at the tornado, but it throws him back, sending him sprawling and slipping away down the pipe. “I can’t do anything!” He yells. “Albus, I can’t-”

Albus leans his whole body into the wind, struggling to push through but it knocks him sideways and he reels in a circle.

He’s still off balance when a loud crack of thunder bursts through the Chamber. It rings in Albus’s ears with such force that he feels dazed, and he falls onto the ground, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, hands pressed to the sides of his head. The thunder rumbles to a pounding crescendo, and there’s nothing in the world beside that terrible, ominous roar.

Suddenly, a blue-white flash of light explodes, bright enough that it even illuminates the darkness behind his eyelids. The thunder fades to a buzzing crackle, the wind dies down, and he opens his eyes to see that he’s surrounded by an impenetrable net of bright blue electricity, which sparks and fizzles on every side.

It takes him only a fraction of a second to realise that he’s trapped.

—

Scorpius stares in horror. Albus is turning in circles in the middle of the electric cage, looking at the walls around him. Bright blue sparks make his face flicker in and out of shadow. He looks pale and scared. Albus looks scared so rarely that when he does it’s the most awful thing in the world. The way he’s looking right now sends a chill running through Scorpius’s whole body.

“Albus,” he says, stepping as close as he can to the cage. It hisses and sparks at him, like his presence is making it angry, so he dodges back a step. “Albus, can you-”

“Get out?” Albus shrugs and surveys the crackling barrier. His green eyes flash briefly bright blue. “I can try I suppose.” He’s about to take a step forward when running footsteps down the pipe behind Scorpius make him pause.

Rose comes sprinting along, Albus’s bag bouncing on her back. “I heard yelling,” she gasps. “What’s- oh Merlin. I can’t leave you two alone for a second!"

"We didn’t ask for him to get trapped in a lightning cage,” Scorpius replies, indignant.

“Is that what this is?” Rose asks. “Is he really trapped?"

"Don’t sound so excited,” Albus shoots at her. “Anyway, I was just about to find out if I can get out when you arrived.”

“Find out what?” Rose asks.

“If I can get out,” Albus replies. “Stand back.”

Rose’s eyes widen as she realises what he’s about to do. “Albus, don’t. This is a really bad idea. What happens if you-"

Albus walks into the wall of lightning.

The Chamber explodes with noise, bouncing and echoing off every wall, amplified a hundred times over so it crashes relentlessly against Scorpius’s ears. There’s a huge flash of silvery blue light, blinding, making Scorpius’s vision turn white for a second, then fading to a dazzling burst of stars. Electric energy rakes through air, and Scorpius’s hair stands on end.

When Scorpius has finally blinked the stars from his vision, he sees Albus’s body lying crumpled on the floor. An unmoving heap of messy hair and grime spattered clothes. A scream rips itself from Scorpius’s throat.

He dashes as close to the cage as he dares and throws himself onto the damp ground beside it, trying to spot any sign that Albus is alive. He wants to get closer, inside the cage with Albus, but that would probably be suicidal. One unconscious person is more than enough.

Rose kneels beside him. "Is he alive? Is he breathing? Scorpius, we need to get him out of there! There must be a spell. A counter-curse. Something!"

Scorpius shakes his head, frantic. "I don’t know! I don’t know.” He shuffles closer, on all fours, staring desperately through the barrier. “Albus? Can you hear me? Albus, please. Say something. Come on.” Tears blur his vision, and he flattens himself to the ground, creeping even closer to the edge of the cage. With trembling fingers he draws his wand and points it at Albus’s unconscious form. “Come on,” he whispers, pleading. “Rennervate. Wake up. Please. I need you."

The whole world is such a haze behind the tears that he almost doesn’t see Albus move. For a brief moment he wonders if it’s his imagination, or wishful thinking. But then Rose shrieks and grabs his arm, shaking him hard.

"Scorpius! He’s alive!” She throws herself onto the ground beside Scorpius and reaches a hand out to her cousin. “Albus, are you okay?"

There’s a very soft groan, and Albus rolls onto his back. "Ow,” he says. Slowly, like every movement aches, he begins to peel himself off the floor. He pushes himself into a sitting position and rubs his forehead, then runs a hand through his hair to flatten it out. Finally he looks at Scorpius and Rose, and points a shaking hand at the barrier. “Don’t touch that thing. It’s dangerous."

Scorpius gives a desperate little sob and collapses with relief, burying his face in his hands. Rose rubs his back, and Scorpius can hear the sarcasm dripping in her voice when she speaks.

"No, Albus. We really hadn’t noticed."

Albus’s laugh is soft and trembling. He still sounds like he’s in shock. "I-I’m okay,” he says. “But it’s a definite no to getting out. I think I’m really stuck here."

Scorpius drags himself together. Albus is trapped and in danger; crying isn’t going to help anyone. "Well,” he sniffs. “We can’t just leave you here.” He wipes his eyes, takes a shuddering breath, and pushes himself up into a sitting position. He feels exhausted and weak, like he might just collapse back onto the floor again, but he ignores that and persuades his shaking legs to let him stand up, keeping a hand on the wall for support.

“There must be a spell or something,” he says. “A trigger. Some kind of magic we can dismantle?” He starts pacing slowly around the edge of the cage, keeping a safe distance from the walls. He holds his wand out in front of him, trying to sense anything in the air, but there’s nothing.

“What triggered it?” Rose asks, also getting to her feet and drawing her wand.

Albus shakes his head. “I was just walking… the air felt cold, and then… there was this hissing. I thought it was the wind, but then I heard my dad’s name."

Rose frowns. "You dad’s name? I suppose he has been here before."

"What if it was Voldemort?” Albus asks, glancing at her. “Maybe Tom Riddle set up traps or something. If they weren’t triggered, they could have been here for years. And if the magic was powerful… I remember Flitwick saying something about how magic can last for ages if it’s strong enough.”

“Can you create spells that are triggered by a certain person?” Rose muses. “If it was waiting for Harry, then maybe it thought-”

Albus sighs. “I’m nothing like my dad, remember?"

"But you might be just enough like him for the magic,” Rose says, sounding just like her mother.

“Okay,” Scorpius says, waving a hand in frustration. “These are all fantastic theories, but it doesn’t help us actually free Albus. And I’d quite like to do that, because it’s freezing down here, and the idea of my boyfriend being trapped in a lightning cage forever isn’t very pleasant.” He doesn’t mean to sound as stressed as he does, and he takes a deep breath to calm himself down. He finishes his circle round the cage and sighs. “I can’t feel anything. There’s nothing."

"I wonder…” Rose says. She raises her wand and points it at the cage. “Bombarda!"

The spell smashes into the wall, sending sparks flying everywhere. Scorpius gives a high-pitched yelp and slithers backwards, as Albus dives onto the ground, covering his head with his arms.

"Reducto,” Rose continues, slashing her wand through the air. “Stupefy. Confringo. Expulso. Finite Incantatem.” A string of explosions burst through the Chamber, along with the sound of crackling electricity, Rose’s voice; the hiss of sparks against stone. It takes a minute before it fades, but finally silence falls again.

“Are you done now?” Scorpius asks, unscrewing his face and removing his hands from his ears.

Rose puts her wand away and gives him a sweet smile. “Yes, thanks."

Albus uncurls himself from the floor and looks up. "It didn’t work, though. I’m still stuck.” He gets up and gives a heavy sigh. “I’m never going to get out."

"Don’t be so defeatist!” Rose says brightly. “We’ll think of something."

"Oh, I’m sure,” Albus replies, full of sarcasm. “Because three teenagers can obviously outwit one of the greatest wizards of all time."

"Our parents did it plenty of times!” Rose crosses her arms and glares into space, like she’s trying to spot something in thin air. “We just need to think."

"I’ve always been terrible at thinking,” Albus mutters sullenly.

All the arguing is making Scorpius’s head ache, so he leaves them to it and wanders back into the main chamber. He can’t think with them sniping at each other, their echoing voices ringing round and round inside his head. Even if he can still hear them, it’s a lot quieter out here.

He walks along one of the walls, head bowed, feet splashing through pools of water, fingers trailing across the slimy rock. Normally it’s Albus who comes up with the ideas for how to wriggle out of this sort of thing. He’s always been far better at thinking on his feet. But if he’s trapped inside the cage and magic won’t work to break it, then what are they supposed to do? Albus hasn’t tried attacking it from the inside, but what if the cage attacks back?

Scorpius runs a hand over his face and leans his shoulder against the wall for support. He’s already exhausted, and he certainly doesn’t have the energy for this.

He suspects the trap is a good one, utterly impenetrable. He’s been reading Albus’s Defence Against The Dark Arts notes, all about traps and ambushes, and usually there’s some kind of catch or release spell somewhere, but you’re supposed to be able to feel it, and there was nothing there. Maybe whoever set this trap was planning to let anyone caught inside stay there until they died. But that’s not an option here.

His fingers brush over a bit of rough stonework as he walks, and he glances sideways at it. There are words there. More words. The walls of this Chamber seem to be covered with carved words like this one. They were on the other side too, all jumbled up and nonsensical. This one here… He peers at it. This one says ‘aid’.

If there’s one thing they need right now it’s aid. Any tiny bit of help would be amazing. But Salazar Slytherin is not Godric Gryffindor. He doesn’t send handy swords to his students in their times of need. They’re supposed to succeed on their own. That’s just how it works. The best Slytherin gave them was a dirty great murderous snake, and the odd fabled artefact that no one has ever seen and that is probably just complete fiction.

He gazes up at the wall, at the roughly chiselled letters in the stonework, and he presses his palm flat against it, offering a silent prayer to his mum. For strength, for courage, for anything she can give. Slytherin might not help them, but she will.

It’s gone very quiet in the Chamber now. Suspiciously quiet. No more echoing voices, which means Albus and Rose must have stopped arguing. In fact, they might have stopped talking at all.

Curious, Scorpius turns and starts walking back into the pipe where Albus is trapped, keeping his eyes out for any more words. He only spots one as he goes, right in the corner of the room, carved high on the wall. 'Pure-blood’. That’s no help or comfort at all. Scorpius shudders and keeps walking.

He slides and slithers his way down the pipe to where Albus is trapped. When he arrives, Rose is nowhere to be seen, and Albus is standing in the middle of the cage with his wand out. He’s making sweeping motions across the walls, and the ground beneath his feet, and he’s muttering to himself under his breath.

“Are there any breaks?” Scorpius asks, feet slipping beneath him as he stops, so he has to hold the wall to keep from falling.

Albus shakes his head grimly. “Not yet. Whoever made this thing did a really good job.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Rose is along the pipe, by the way. I don’t know what she’s doing, but I’m sure it won’t be safe."

"Great,” Scorpius groans. “I’ll go and rescue her before she gets trapped too."

Albus nods vaguely and waves his wand across the ground. "I can’t even dig my way out. This thing is a perfect sphere."

"Keep going,” Scorpius says. “We will get you out. I need you to-"

A sudden wave of weakness sweeps through his body, and he stumbles against the wall as his knees give out. He clutches the stones, fingers scrabbling to keep him upright, and he holds on for several seconds once it passes, eyes closed. Once it’s gone he looks up at Albus, hoping he looks determined and focused even though the world is spinning around him. "I need you to get out."

Albus takes a step toward him, expression full of concern. "Scorpius… are you okay?"

"Fine,” Scorpius lies, pushing a smile onto his face. “I’m going to find Rose.” Although his legs feels like jelly, he manages not to fall as he walks along the pipe, acutely aware of Albus’s eyes on his back.

He follows the pipe round a couple of bends, and is relieved to find it sloping upwards, so it becomes less slippery as he goes. After a minute or so of walking he emerges in a low-ceilinged antechamber. It’s just a stone box really, dimly lit, with three pipes leading into it, one each from three of the walls. The fourth wall is flat and featureless, although it emits a faint, green glow. The glow spreads through the room, but not far enough to chase out the shadows that lurk in every corner.

Scorpius shivers and walks across to Rose, who is leaning against the wall and tapping it with her wand. She glances up as he approaches.

“This wall feels weird,” she says.

Scorpius shrugs. “Maybe loads of spikes come out of it when a Gryffindor is nearby,” he says. He’s exhausted and irritable and cold, and he just wants to get Albus back and get out of here. The novelty of this place is wearing off fast. This was supposed to be one of the easy bits of the adventure.

“Funny,” Rose says, apparently oblivious to his dull tone. “Come here. Maybe it’ll like you! You’re a Slytherin, and a Malfoy."

"Why does that have anything to do with it?” He asks, tucking his hands into the ends of his sleeves. It’s the most stupid question he’s ever asked in his life and he knows it, but he doesn’t have the energy to care.

Rose doesn’t even bother giving him a hard look, she just beckons impatiently at him. “I want Albus out of there as much as you do. And I’m sure if this wall were going to attack us, it would have done it before you arrived."

"Alright then,” Scorpius says. He wanders up to the wall and stares at it. “It looks like a normal wall, apart from the glowing."

"There must be something making it glow though. Some spell, an enchantment. It has to be here for a-”

Scorpius taps his wand against the wall. “Specialis Revelio."

He doesn’t expect anything to happen. He assumes Rose has already tried that, and will start telling him off for being useless any second now. But he’s wrong on both counts. The effect is immediate. The both jump back, Scorpius grabbing Rose’s arm, as blazing letters etch themselves across the wall, like molten silver pouring down from the ceiling into an invisible mound. High, and broad, and bright, filling the room with light.

"Okay,” Rose says breathlessly. “That was not what I expected to happen."

"Not entirely,” Scorpius agrees, high pitched with surprise. He’s still gripping Rose’s wrist, and his heart is pounding.

Rose gentle pats his hand. “Scorpius, you’re cutting off my blood supply."

Scorpius releases her and holds his hands up in apology. "Sorry!” He fiddles with the zipper on his hoodie to give his hands something to do instead, and stares up at the letters on the wall.

“'Welcome, son of Slytherin’,” he reads aloud.

Rose wrinkles her nose. “Son? That’s a bit sexist."

Scorpius glances at her. "Somehow I don’t think Slytherin was the most liberal of people."

"No,” she agrees. “Look at this next bit. 'Accept my aid in defence of our blood.’” She looks at Scorpius. “Our blood. I think my dad would call this guy a git.”

Scorpius nods and bounces anxiously on his toes. “I think your dad would be right… I don’t like this. What if there’s another trap, or… I don’t know. What if this place tries to hurt you?"

Rose sighs softly and pats Scorpius on the arm. "There’s no magic that can tell the difference between the two of us, if that’s what you’re worried about. There isn’t a difference. Pure blood is just a stupid concept people made up to make themselves feel superior. Nothing’s going to hurt me, okay?"

Scorpius looks into her eyes, deep brown, warm, and bright with the sort of self-confidence that he can’t help but be convinced by. "Okay,” he murmurs.

She smiles and nudges him. “Good.” She catches hold of his hand and pulls him round. “Look at this.” She points to a glistening silver thread of light. It’s trickling out of the bottom of the final letter on the wall, and it wraps round the corner into one of the pipes. Scorpius can see it disappearing off into the darkness, its reflection sparkling in the pools of water on the floor.

“I think we’re supposed to go that way,” she says.

Scorpius eyes the distant darkness. “Is this going to help us free Albus?”

Rose shrugs. “Maybe the Chamber is going to give us a weapon or a tool or something. It talks about aid. Maybe we’re going to get something we can use to destroy that lightning cage.” She looks at him. “Aren’t you a little bit intrigued? It’s not like we have a better option."

Scorpius thinks for several long seconds. In this situation, what would Albus do? If this were the other way around? He’d probably go chasing off into the darkness in search some mysterious source of help. The spontaneous, wild, unpredictable option.

"Let’s do it,” he says finally.

Rose beams and squeezes his hand.

They follow the passage together in silence, following the silver thread as it continues to guide them, winding sinuously away into the darkness up ahead. Aside from the sound of their footsteps sploshing through the occasional puddle, it’s very quiet in the tunnel. The silence is so complete that Scorpius can hear his heart pounding in his chest, blood rushing in his ears, the gasp of cold air that feels too sharp in his throat. Albus’s warming spell is still wound around him, and Rose’s grip is keeping the frigid air away from his fingers. He’s grateful to both of them. He’s shivering enough from worry and tiredness, without feeling the cold too.

They’ve probably only been walking for a minute or two, but to Scorpius it feels like forever. There’s only darkness ahead and behind, and the thin ribbon of light to guide them. Then the pipe opens up, and they step out into the familiar open space of the main chamber.

For a moment, Scorpius feels disappointed. They’ve been here already. This isn’t going to offer them anything new or helpful. All they’ve done is go round in a circle. But then he realises the room has changed from how it looked before.

Now, the eerie green glow of light is suffused with the same silver that had illuminated their path from the antechamber. It emanates from the very walls, from the words that Scorpius had seen before, which are now inscribed with molten silver, so they’re visible from every corner of the room.

Aid. Pure-blood. Need. Claim. Sacrifice. So many words. A glittering, nonsensical jumble of them.

“Okay…” Scorpius says, frowning. “So we have to…"

"Put them in order and work out what it says,” Rose says, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Scorpius nods. “Can I borrow Albus’s bag for a second?"

She gives him a very long look, then slides it off her back and hands it to him. "Why?"

He doesn’t answer, just unzips the bag and rummages through it until he finds a sheet of parchment and a quill. He pulls them out with a flourish. "Ta-da."

Rose stares at him. "Why do you have parchment with you? I’m just going to assume Albus didn’t pack those."

"Nope,” Scorpius says happily. “I did. Because I thought I might have some time to do homework, or…” He trails off under Rose’s incredulous expression. “You never know when it might come in handy!” He says, defensive. “And aren’t you glad I have it? We can write down options.” He gestures at the words, rests the parchment on his knee, and starts scribbling down the words.

There are eleven of them, scattered around the walls of the Chamber, and as he notes them down his mind is already racing fast. Two of the words start with capitals, so they’re probably the start of sentences. Two more are followed by full stops, so they must go at the ends. Between them are seven others that could go anywhere.

When he finishes writing, Rose peers over his shoulder and frowns down at the parchment.

“Look,” she mutters. “This only makes sense a few ways round. Pure-blood prove your… then what? Name? Sacrifice? Need makes most sense, I think. I can’t see what else fits there."

Scorpius nods and starts muttering too, crossing out and scribbling and rearranging. Rose keeps pointing out combinations and switching them around, and it only takes a couple of minutes before they’ve come up with two satisfactory sentences.

Scorpius straightens up. "Pure-blood prove your need,” he reads.

“Claim this aid by name and sacrifice,” Rose finishes, looking straight at Scorpius. “What does that mean? Sacrifice… do we have to give something to the Chamber? And name…"

Scorpius’s heart sinks as he reads the words over again and begins to understand. "I think…” he swallows. “I think it means surname.” He looks up at her. “The Sacred Twenty-Eight.” His words come out more bitter and mocking than he means them to, and he starts rolling one corner of the parchment up into a tight curl.

“Are you surprised?” Rose asks. “Anyway, we’re fine. You’re a Malfoy and a Greengrass."

"What about sacrifice?” Scorpius asks. He looks around the room, searching for a prompt of some sort, as though the dungeon might give them a handy pointer, like a big flashing arrow showing them where to go next. But there are only the words and the gloom.

“Maybe it wants us to hurt someone,” Rose says with a shrug. “That’s a very pure-blood supremacist thing to do, right?”

Scorpius gives a small, reluctant mumble of agreement. “I don’t…” he hesitates. “I don’t think it means just hurting someone though. I mean… Muggles and Muggleborns are just dispensable to people like that. And a sacrifice…” he shuffles his feet awkwardly. “A sacrifice is something valuable. Something you can’t live without."

"So?"

"So… I-I think I have to do something.” He pauses for a brief second, then rushes on, before she can interrupt. “Anyway. The only people down here are me, you, and Albus, and I’m not letting anything happen to either of you, so I think this needs to be me.”

“This needs to be…” Rose reaches out suddenly and grabs hold of Scorpius’s hand. “Scorpius Malfoy, if you’re about to do something stupid- Albus will kill you.”

“What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him,” he says, wrenching his arm away. He screws the parchment in his hand up into a little ball and shoves it into his pocket. “I don’t suppose you have a knife?"

"A knife!” Rose’s voice rises hysterically, bouncing off the walls of the Chamber.

Scorpius winces. “When I said Albus doesn’t need to know…"

Rose lowers her voice to a hiss. "I think Albus would want to know you’re doing something with a knife. Is this going to hurt you? Because if it is, I don’t think-"

Scorpius steps very close to her, flooded with a new determination and confidence. "Rose, I’m a wizard. I want to be a Healer. I’m going to be fine."

"You know that isn’t exactly that reassuring?"

Scorpius grins and pats her on the shoulder. "Don’t worry."

He kneels down and rummages through Albus’s bag. Objects present themselves to him one by one. The canvas of a tent, the soft wool of a jumper, a smooth glass vial. There has to be something in here. Albus packed this bag. There’s no way he came without his Potions kit. There must be at least one knife in here somewhere. He draws his wand and sticks it into the bag. "Accio knife.” In an instant he feels the cool, carved wood handle of a knife press into his right hand.

He pulls it out of the bag and holds it up. It’s one of Albus’s favourites. A bright, long silver blade, that he swears is perfect for crushing beans and berries. The wooden handle is decorated with beautiful, carved curlicues. It feels good in Scorpius’s hand, well balanced, solid. This is what he needs.

He puts his wand away, transfers the knife to his left hand, and looks up at Rose. “I really hope this works."

"You’re really going to give the Chamber some of your blood?” She asks, nose wrinkled.

Scorpius nods. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do."

"But you’re ill,” Rose says, folding her arms. “You’re going to hurt yourself, make yourself weaker, and there’s no reason. This place doesn’t know who you are. It doesn’t know who I am. I can do this instead.”

Scorpius tightens his grip on the knife. “No. I won’t let you. We’re only here because of me, and I’m going to get us out of this mess.”

She glares at him, shoulders squared and defiant, but he glares back. Unrelenting.

She shakes her head.

“When did you get so stubborn?"

"I’ve been spending too much time with Albus,” he says. “Wish me luck.” He flips the knife over and turns to face the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin.

He walks to the middle of the Chamber, so he’s standing right in front of it, and he gazes up into the imposing face. Slytherin’s eyes are deep in shadow, and the lines on his face are dark. He looks ancient and wise, but so forbidding that Scorpius almost doesn’t want to address him. It’s stupid, because this is just a statue, but there’s something about the swirling green light, how impenetrable the gaze is, the perpetual solidity of the marble. Clearly he wanted to make an impression, and Scorpius has no doubt that he’s succeeded.

He stands before the founder of his house and takes a deep breath. “Salazar Slytherin. I-I am…” his voice is shaking, and he knows that he sounds weak and unconvincing. His words get swallowed up in the vastness of the space, and he just knows that this isn’t good enough. He’d supposed to be strong and authoritative.

He forces himself to stand up straighter. Sometimes, when he’s feeling afraid or vulnerable, he thinks about how he’d had to be in that other world. How he’d had to act to convince everyone that he was the Scorpion King. There was a confident superiority to him then, and at times he’d almost believed it himself, and he knows that if he embodies that now, then he can definitely do this.

He screws his right hand into a fist, digging his fingernails into his palms, and he meets Slytherin’s awful, lifeless gaze. His fingers tighten around the handle of the knife. When he speaks his voice is unwavering.

“I am Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, a loyal student of your house. My father is Draco Malfoy. My mother is Astoria Malfoy, born Greengrass. My blood- my blood is pure."

He pauses, trying not to think too much about what he’s saying and doing. He lifts his right hand up in front of him and runs the knife across his palm. He winces at the sting as it bites into his skin. It leaves a thin red line, that immediately begins to well with blood, and he turns his hand over, letting it drop down onto the wet stone floor.

"Accept this offering,” he continues, “as proof of our great need. And um. Help us. Please?"

The ending sounds utterly unconvincing, full of terror, but Scorpius can only pray that the rest of it worked. If it didn’t, he has no idea what to do next.

His blood, instead of mingling with the water, is hissing and steaming on the ground, like it’s landed on something very hot, even though the floor is undoubtedly very cold. For several long, tense moments, that’s all that happens, and Scorpius begins to worry that that’s it. That Slytherin has decided to abandon them. But then, quite suddenly, all the blood and water on the floor in a two-foot circle right in front of them disappears at once, leaving him and Rose staring at perfectly bare stone.

He clenches his right hand as hot blood starts to dribble down the inside of his wrist, but he doesn’t try to heal himself. He’s too transfixed on that single spot on the floor, where something strange is now happening.

A dark substance, almost black, is seeping out of the rock. It’s thick, and Scorpius can’t help but wonder if it’s his own blood. It pools and congeals, coagulating into a wet mass that starts to build upwards into a shape like a hand. Scorpius recognises fingers forming, one by one, finishing with the thumb. The black shape wobbles as it builds, unstable, like jelly, but as the last drop of liquid oozes into place at the tip of the thumb, the whole thing changes.

In the blink of an eye the texture shifts to metal. A hard, shining, armour-like metal. It’s formed of tiny little plates, covering the wrist and fingers and back of the hand. Dark, emerald green, like the skin of the dead Basilisk whose body lies broken nearby. Underneath the scale there’s a glove of soft, pale, almost silvery leather.

Scorpius’s eyes widen. "It’s a gauntlet,” he breathes, awestruck. He takes two slow steps forward, then pauses. That thing was probably formed of congealed blood. His own blood. The idea of touching that black gloopy liquid that had poured out of the floor is a little bit off putting… But if this is what he thinks it is, then it might be helpful after all.

“Okay,” Rose says, snapping him back to reality. “What is that thing?” Her voice is full of disgust, and Scorpius glances up at her.

“I-I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think…” he glances up at her. “I think this might be the Gauntlet of Slytherin."

There’s a beat of silence, then Rose snorts. "The Gauntlet of Slytherin? That’s not a real thing."

"Well,” Scorpius says, “it is supposed to be a myth. No one’s ever seen it. But the story goes that when Gryffindor and Slytherin were fighting, one day Slytherin threw down his Gauntlet and challenged Gryffindor to a duel for dominance of the school. Gryffindor wanted to accept, to defend the students, but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff persuaded him not to, that there was nothing to be gained, and that they should collectively abide by the notion that each house should be equal, and that no one founder would be in charge of the school.

"When his challenge was rejected, Slytherin stormed from the school in anger, promising to seek vengeance. He left the Gauntlet, and this Chamber we’re standing in, as a sign of his retribution. The Basilisk would purge the school of the unworthy, and the Gauntlet is supposed to be able to aid and protect a student of pure blood in their noble pursuit of killing Muggleborns.” He gives Rose a grim little smile. “It’s not a well-known myth. It’s written about even less than the Chamber of Secrets. A lot of scholars decided it has no basis in fact. There’s no evidence of it existing, but-” he gestures to the object on the floor. “Ta-da!"

"Okay,” Rose says. “Now I hate it even more."

Scorpius’s shoulders slump. "I know.”

“Does it do anything useful at least?” Rose asks, kneeling down beside it and drawing her wand. She prods it with the tip, then skitters back a bit. Nothing happens.

Scorpius kneels beside her. “I don’t really know what it does. Since it’s not even supposed to exist… There are rumours that it can soak up magic, that it was meant to be able to undo all the magic the other founders put in the school to protect the students who aren’t pure-bloods. But really that’s just wild speculation.”

“If it does soak up magic though…” Rose muses, glancing at him. “Maybe it can destroy Albus’s cage?"

Scorpius nods. "Maybe. We could try to pass it to Albus and he could use it to protect himself from the lightning… or maybe we could touch the barrier from our side and try to get rid of the magic. I mean, it might not work, but it’s something. It’s a chance, isn’t it?"

Rose sighs. "As much as I hate to admit it…”

Scorpius examines the Gauntlet for a moment, before reaching out and running his fingers over the tough metal scales. They’re slightly warm to touch, like they belong to a living, breathing creature. He takes a breath, uncertain of what to expect, and he picks the Gauntlet up.

Rose takes a curious step closer, watching as he slides his fingers into the glove and wriggles them. It’s a little too big, but already he can feel it tightening around his hand, locking into place around his wrist. Within seconds it fits as though it were made for him. He flexes his hand, trying to get used to the feeling, to the energy and warmth that’s flowing through his fingers.

The longer the Gauntlet sits against Scorpius’s skin the more certain he is that it will work. There’s a sort of buzz to it. Like static. A simmering essence of power, just waiting to be unleashed. It’s like holding a wand in a way, but more obtrusive. It doesn’t feel like an extension of his own magic, but an odd addition. Something stuck on the end of his arm, that he could channel if he wanted to, but at the moment still feels slightly strange and unwieldy.

“Do you think we should try it out?"

"What if it doesn’t work?” She asks. “Albus will kill me if I kill you.” She takes hold of Scorpius’s hand and examines the Gauntlet, inspecting every scale-like piece of metal, running her fingers over the leather, like she’s trying to convince herself that it’s robust enough to be trusted.

“It will,” he says confidently, looking up at her.

“What do you want me to do?” She asks, walking several feet away from him and raising her wand.

Scorpius holds his hand out to her. “Hit me with a spell. Something that would normally hurt."

She gives a little shrug and flicks her wand silently in his direction, lightning fast, almost too quick to see. Albus might have had a chance against it, but Scorpius certainly doesn’t. Even if he’d tried to shield he wouldn’t have managed it. But when the spell hits the palm of his hand, he feels no pain, just a surge of warmth before little shocks of energy crackle up his arm. It’s not the most pleasant feeling in the world, but it’s better than being cursed.

Scorpius wiggles his fingers as the feeling subsides, and he grins. "It works!"

"You didn’t feel anything?"

He shakes his head. "Just a little bit of a shock, but nothing else.” He looks up at her. “Shall we see if it can help Albus?"

She shrugs. "I don’t see why not."

Together they slither their way back down the pipe until they reach the glowing, crackling cage. Albus is sitting cross-legged on the floor, but he stands up as they approach.

"Where have you been?” He asks. “I was worried something had happened to you.” He takes a step forward and points to Scorpius’s hands. “What are you wearing? Are you bleeding? What’s been going on?"

Scorpius holds his left hand up and wiggles his fingers in greeting. "This is the Gauntlet of Slytherin."

"The what?” Albus asks.

Scorpius walks up to the shield and holds his hand out for Albus to see more clearly. “It’s a mythical artefact that Slytherin reputedly-"

"I don’t think this is the time for a history lesson,” Rose says, exasperated. “We’ve been down here too long. There’s no way your parents haven’t noticed you’re missing by now. I think it’s about time we got out of here, and got you out of the castle."

"Right,” Scorpius says. He turns to Albus with renewed determination. “Maybe you should stand back. I don’t know what this is going to do."

He extends his hand cautiously towards the lightning wall as Albus dodges back a couple of paces. He expects crackling sparks to dance out to meet him, but they don’t. In fact, the barrier does nothing at all. There’s no reaction as Scorpius’s metal and leather clad fingers slide by. His hand seems to warm up just a little, but there are none of the shocks of energy that seem to accompany the Gauntlet soaking up magic. In fact, by the time his hand has slid unharmed and ineffectually through the barrier all the way up to the wrist, he’s beginning to think that something is really wrong.

He stops and looks round at Rose. "Nothing is happening. It doesn’t hurt, but… it’s not doing anything."

Rose frowns. "Do you think… maybe you have to be inside the trap?"

"Inside the-” Scorpius stares at her incredulously. “Do you want me to die? This thing will fry me."

Rose steps forward and reaches her own fingers toward the wall. It gives an ominous hiss. Albus’s eyes widen, and Scorpius considers pulling his hand free to try and drag her away. But when she touches the crackling sheet of lightning, nothing happens. And when her fingers pass completely through, again she doesn’t seem to be in any pain. In fact, she pulls her hand back and grins at the boys.

"We can get in, but he can’t get out! Clearly this whole trap is meant to keep someone contained, but let things from outside in.” She looks at Albus. “Maybe Riddle was going to hold your dad in here and let the Basilisk eat him.”

“So…” Scorpius surveys the glowing wall, watching sparks cascade and jump through it. “Do you think I maybe have to destroy it from the inside?"

Rose nods. "I think that’s exactly it."

He swallows. "Okay… and what happens if it just fries me?"

"It’s not going to,” Rose says.

“I admire your confidence,” Scorpius replies, sizing up the barrier. Finally he decides to get it over with. The quicker the better. Just like the wall at Platform 9 ¾. Best to do it at a run if you’re nervous. Except this is worse, because at least the wall at the platform won’t kill you if it decides it doesn’t like you.

He screws his eyes shut and pulls himself up tall, trying to inject some courage into himself. Then he strides forward, the whole time ready to scream in pain or fear, hands shaking because they’re balled up so tightly out of terror.

As he walks, a razor sharp edge of heat slides from his wrist, up his arm, and across his shoulder. He can feel it on his torso as he pushes on through the wall, not letting himself falter for a moment. He knows that if he stops now he’ll never do this. It slides over his head, and finally he feels the electricity warming his other side. Then the sensation is gone completely and he opens his eyes to find himself inside the cage, with Albus standing directly in front of him.

For a long moment he just stares at Albus, unable to believe his eyes. Then he flings himself across the gap between them and kisses Albus with all the passion and ferocity he can muster.

Albus laughs with surprise and delight, and has to take a step back to steady them both. He holds tight to Scorpius, kissing back with equal passion before pulling away. He brushes a hand down Scorpius’s cheek and smiles. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Scorpius replies before squeezing him in another hug.

Albus rubs his back. “Now we’re both trapped in here.”

Scorpiis sighs and glances up at the glowing sphere that now arches over both their heads. “I know. We didn’t really think this one through, did we? Rose, if this doesn’t work you’re going to have to save both of us."

She tuts. "I know. So this had better work."

Scorpius nods and turns to Albus. "How are we going to do this? I think the best thing to do would be to trigger it, and drain the energy from that. I think maybe I should trigger it, and then-”

“No,” Albus says firmly. “This whole adventure is about saving your life. I don’t want you in more danger. I’ll trigger it, and then you can do whatever it is you’re planning to do. What are you planning to do by the way?"

"I’m really not sure yet,” Scorpius says, feeling that perhaps honesty isn’t the best policy in this instance. But he’s never been able to lie to Albus.

“Okay. So if you don’t have a plan- I’m not letting you near that thing. It really hurts, Scorpius."

"I know, which is why I’m going to be the one setting it off.” Scorpius brushes him aside and turns to face the barrier.

Albus nudges him out of the way. “You’re already ill. At least I’m healthy. I have some chance of recovering."

"No,” Scorpius says firmly, jostling Albus with his shoulder.

“Yes,” Albus replies, pushing past him again.

“No.” Scorpius shifts in front of Albus.

“Yes!” As Albus tries to shove past Scorpius again, it happens.

There’s not much room for manoeuvre in the cage with two of them, and as Albus dodges past Scorpius’s shoulder, one of his hands brushes the wall. Scorpius sees it happen, hears the crack and sizzle of electricity beginning to build, and he reacts instinctively, too fast for thought.

He grabs hold of Albus’s arm with his right hand and pulls him out of the way, ignoring the burning pain in his cut palm. Then he dives past, left hand outstretched, and throws his body between Albus and the lightning strike.

He expects to feel white hot pain coursing through him, and he braces for it, but it doesn’t come. Instead he feels his left hand becomes incredibly warm; he feels discharging electricity race up his arm and through his shoulder.

He hits the ground hard, still half expecting the pain of the electric shock to come, but instead he gets a painful thump as his whole body jars. The wind is knocked out of him, and he gasps.

Where the magic is still absorbing through the Gauntlet, his hand feels unbearably warm. He realises in some sort of daze of exhaustion and pain, that his gloved hand is trailing against the electric wall, which is slowly and surely, bit by bit, shredding apart and disappearing under the touch of the Gauntlet.

He lies there on the damp ground and watches the last pieces of magic fade away. He and Albus are free. Albus is free.

The realisation hits him, a wave of pure relief, but as it does something else washes over him. A flood of total exhaustion hits, and a gnawing, biting pain builds up in his heart. It goes from something vague and irritating, to something excruciating and overwhelming, and he hears his own voice cry out in the distance.

The whole world is pain, and his awareness is fading, crumbling at the edges, leaving just darkness, and vague, detached feelings. Gentle hands on his shoulders and chest and hair. Distant voices calling a name that he thinks might be his own. The ground cold and hard beneath him. And then he feels nothing at all anymore, as he sinks deep, deep down into aching blackness.

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torestoreamends · 7 years

Text

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Fic: Expectations

5k words, R rated

It’s the first time Scorpius and Albus have been to the Manor together since they started dating. They can’t help but think about how far they’ve come since they first met, and they also can’t help but take the new-found opportunities that being properly alone together as a couple can offer.

This was written as a birthday present for the wonderful @abradystrix. Thanks for being an awesome beta, advice-giver, and friend. I hope your day is full of cake and happiness, and that you feel better soon! <3

My logistical advice-giver and brilliant beta for this one was @bounding-heart.

They lie together, curled up on Scorpius's bed. Around them, the Manor is perfectly still and silent, apart from the distant chiming of a clock. Midnight echoes up the stairs and along the corridors, carrying into the quiet tranquillity of Scorpius's room.

"Happy Saturday," Albus murmurs, and Scorpius grins in response, squeezing his hand.

"Happy anniversary of... I don't even know what. Something interesting must have happened on this day in the past."

Albus gives a dramatic little gasp. "You don't know what this is the anniversary of? And I thought you were a history geek."

Scorpius swats at him. "That doesn't mean I know everything that happened on every day ever."

"Why not?" Albus asks, feigning indignation. "I'm so disappointed in you!"

Scorpius sticks his tongue out, and they both laugh, bodies jostling together. Albus flops his head onto Scorpius's shoulder as he lets out a snort, and Scorpius lets go of his hand to ruffle his hair.

Moonlight spills in through the window, mingling with the light glowing from their lit wands, which lie side by side on the bedside table, pointing in towards them. Although the corners of the room are dark, the bed is swathed in a cloak of pure, pale light, and Scorpius can see it falling softly across Albus's face, making his eyes glint like shards of bottle-green glass.

A warm summer breeze ruffles the curtains at the window, the peacock feather quill standing on Scorpius's desk, and Albus's messy hair. It brings with it the scent of roses from the garden below, and Scorpius closes his eyes and inhales.

"I never used to imagine somewhere like this could be so peaceful," Albus says softly. "That it could feel like home, you know?"

Scorpius opens his eyes in surprise. "I didn't know you'd ever thought about the Manor."

Albus looks down at his hands and shrugs. "I didn't really, until I started thinking about coming to visit, once we were friends. I was scared, the first time you invited me. I didn't know what to expect. I thought it might be-" he breaks off and takes a breath. "I didn't know what your dad would be like. I didn't know anything. I just knew it was big and scary and-and you know... that everything that happened here happened here." He inspects his nails, avoiding Scorpius's eyes.

Scorpius picks at the blankets, which are wrinkled and creased beneath them. "It hasn't always been the best place to be. Mum made it nice, and it was alright growing up here. A bit lonely, but okay... Then there were a couple of years where it was exactly like you'd expect it to be if you'd just read the history books. But now..." He glances around the silver-lit room, at the vase of fresh flowers on the dresser, at the collection of photos stuck on the wall above his bed, at the closed door leading to the rest of the house. "I like it a lot."

Albus smiles. "I like it too."

Scorpius catches hold of his hand and pulls him into a tight hug, which Albus returns without hesitation.

When they part, Albus remains sprawled on the bed next to Scorpius, still holding his hand, head turned to look at him. They're so close that Scorpius can feel the warm puffs of Albus's breath on his face as they gaze at each other.

"What did you think of me?" Scorpius asks. "Before we met?" He doesn't know why he says it. It just spills out. Maybe it's hearing Albus's fears about the Manor that are making him curious. If Albus had opinions about the house then he must have thought about the 'son of Voldemort' living inside it.

Albus looks at him. "I didn't really read the papers or anything. Gossip is... it's something I've always tried to steer clear of. I mean, obviously I knew you existed, but not much more than that." He looks down at their hands, and shifts so he's cupping Scorpius's hand with both of his. His brushes a thumb over Scorpius's palm. "When I saw you on the Hogwarts Express I just thought you looked lonely. And nice. Everywhere else was so full, and everyone was staring at me, but you were just reading your book. Like you didn't care about the rest of the world at all. You looked like someone who I could talk to, you know, be myself with."

Scorpius gives a tiny little smile. "I hope I lived up to expectations."

Albus squeezes his hands tight. "Of course you did. You're so much more than I thought you might be, or hoped you would be. You're brilliant. I love you."

Scorpius feels his cheeks heat up, and he grins and ducks his head. "Thank you. That's a nice thing to say."

Albus kisses his fingers. "Just the truth." He lays Scorpius's hand back on the bed, and curls Scorpius's fingers up. It's a comforting movement, and Scorpius almost prefers it to fiddling with stuff for himself. Albus's touch is warm and gentle, purposeful, and always interesting, always engaging. Scorpius has never once felt uncomfortable with Albus touching him.

"What about me?" Albus asks suddenly, after several silent seconds. "What did you think of me? Before we met? You knew who I was."

"You're Albus Severus Potter," Scorpius smiles. "Of course I knew who you were. How could I not?"

Albus sighs. "I know. Everyone knew who I was. It was awful." He pulls a face and picks an invisible bit of fluff off of Scorpius's sleeve.

"But you're not how I expected you to be," Scorpius says, watching Albus's hands. "I don't really know what I expected. You didn't always look happy in the photos. I thought you might be closed off and difficult to talk to. I think I was a bit scared of you." He smiles. "You looked like the sort of person who would never in a million years talk to someone like me."

"You were the only person I wanted to talk to," Albus says quietly. "The only person on the whole train."

Scorpius grins and looks up at him. "You were also the only person on the whole train who wanted to talk to me. So I think it worked out quite nicely. Imagine how lonely school would have been if we hadn't wanted to talk to each other? If we'd somehow missed each other?"

Albus shakes his head and runs his hands down Scorpius's arms, making him shiver. "I try not to think about things like that," Albus murmurs. "I don't think I would have done very well at school, at anything, if I hadn't had you to help me. I mean, chances are I would have still turned time with Delphi, and she would have destroyed the entire world straight away. Without you to sort it out..." he trails off, expression miserable, eyes dark and shadowed. "I need you. To keep me in check. To keep me alive. And..." his expression relaxes a bit and he squeezes Scorpius's hand, glancing up at him. "And to tell me when I'm being a selfish little shit."

Scorpius grins. "You've been a lot better recently. That other week when you were stressed about the Transfiguration test and I was feeling ill? You didn't have to spend the evening taking care of me like that."

"Don't be silly," Albus says, waving a dismissive hand at him. "You looked half dead. And I couldn’t have studied without your help anyway. I needed you to get better quickly."

"Still," Scorpius says, tucking a stray bit hair out of his eyes so he can see Albus properly. "I appreciated it. There's no one else I want looking after me when I'm ill. Apart from my dad. But you come with all sorts of unique advantages that my dad doesn't."

Albus frowns. "Do I? Like what?"

Scorpius shrugs. "My dad isn't devastatingly handsome, and nice to look at when I'm feeling awful. I can't admire my dad's ass. I mean. I could, but it would be weird as hell, and very creepy, and ugh." He shudders. "No."

Albus smirks. "So is that what you were doing when I was looking after you? Admiring my ass? And wishing you could make out with me?"

Scorpius looks at Albus, feigning innocence. "Would I ever do that?"

Albus shifts very close to him, eyes alight and sparkling with mischief. When he speaks his breath whispers across Scorpius's lips. "Yes, you would. I know you, Scorpius." He puts a hand on Scorpius's chest as he says it, right over his heart, and his fingers tighten in Scorpius's shirt, holding him tight. "I want to know what else you were thinking about. Other than how spectacular my ass is, and how much you wanted to kiss me."

Scorpius blinks, and his gaze flickers between Albus's beautiful eyes, shot through with flecks of brown and blue, and his lips, which are just slightly chapped, but which always taste so good. "Well," he says, playing ignorant. "I was thinking quite a bit about how much my nose was running, and how much my throat hurt. And I was really tired, so I was wishing I could go to sleep. Oh! And I was really craving some orange juice. You know, my mum always said that Vitamin C is great for when you're trying to fight off a cold?"

Albus shoves him indignantly in the chest. "Scorpius!"

Scorpius fights not to grin. "Was that not what you meant?"

"No," Albus says. "It wasn't." His fingers tighten in Scorpius's shirt again, and suddenly Scorpius finds himself being pulled forward, and then Albus's lips are on his, as fiery and determined as always, so irresistibly sure of himself, and Scorpius finds himself lost in blissful oblivion.

He runs a hand up Albus's back, sweeping and gentle, and Albus shivers. His lips part ever so slightly, just enough for Scorpius to catch his lower lip and suck on it. Albus mumbles something in response and balls both his fists in Scorpius's pyjama top, tugging him ever closer, as if they could get any closer than they already are.

Scorpius snakes his hand up and into Albus's hair. He strokes his fingers through it, teasing out the tangles, enjoying how warm and soft it is. Albus only washed it a little while ago, before they came to bed, so it's still slightly damp, and it has a sort of herbal scent, which Scorpius inhales between long, lazy kisses.

It still feels like a joyous new experience every time he kisses Albus. They've only been dating for a few months, and being allowed to be so close, to touch and explore, to find out what Albus likes and dislikes, what makes him squirm and gasp and melt, is thrilling. It feels like an opportunity every time, and he's not going to let this one get away from him.

He gives Albus's hair a gentle tug, just to see what happens, and he isn't disappointed by the result. Albus gives a soft whimper and presses forward, rolling them so Scorpius is on his back, with Albus lying half on top of him. Scorpius grins against the desperate pressure of Albus's lips, and goes back to trailing his fingers down Albus's spine.

He'd discovered one wonderful summer afternoon, after their exams were over, that it made Albus shudder and gasp, and when Scorpius had made a point of watching him one time, he saw Albus's eyelashes fluttering, and this little quirk of a smile appearing at the edge of his lips. It's too nice an effect to resist.

He expects, as he brushes his fingers up and down, that Albus will just kiss him harder. He expects Albus to love it enough that he'll leave Scorpius's lips all bruised and tingling within a matter of minutes. So he's surprised and taken aback when Albus pulls away and looks down at him. His hand stills at the base of Albus's back, and he frowns up at him.

"Are you okay, Albus?" He asks, taking in the pink flush of Albus's cheeks, and the hungry darkness of his eyes. "Was that not the right thing to do?"

Albus shakes his head. "No. I mean yes. It was. The right thing to do. But I want-" He breaks off, biting his lip.

Scorpius cups his face gently in both hands, just because he wants to touch the softness of his skin, and feel how warm his cheeks have gone. "Go on," he prompts. "What do you want?"

Albus hesitates for a second before seeming to throw caution to the winds. "I want you to take my shirt off and do that again. And preferably all the rest of my clothes too, but maybe we'll get to that later." He flushes an even deeper red as he gabbles the words, but he boldly keeps his gaze locked with Scorpius's, and Scorpius becomes aware of just how little oxygen there is in the room, and how difficult he's finding it to breathe, with Albus half on top of him and looking at him like that, and the tantalising image he's now being allowed to consider, of a naked Albus in his bed.

"O-okay," he breathes, voice hoarse. He clears his throat and tries again. "Okay. Yes. Absolutely. That sounds like a fantastic idea. One of your best ideas ever in fact. Did you know I think you're a genius? They should give you a prize. The Muggles have this prize for smart people. A Novel Prize or something like that? You should get one of-"

"Scorpius," Albus snaps. "This isn't the moment."

Scorpius gives a sheepish, rather nervous little grin. "No. Sorry. Alright. Okay. How do you want me to-" he hovers his hands around the hem of Albus's shirt.

"You know how to take a shirt off," Albus says, going even more red and sitting up. "Just do it."

Scorpius hesitates for another millisecond, then he does it in one smooth movement. He pushes himself upright, pulls Albus's pyjama top up and off, and throws it as far away across the room as he can, hoping that it'll never come back, then he flops back down onto the bed and looks up at Albus.

For a long moment after that he and Albus both stay quite still, considering this new development. Scorpius takes Albus in, in a way he's never been able to through embarrassed half-glances in the dorm, or awkward, accidental encounters in the showers. Albus is solid, and strong but not in an intimidating way. He just looks sort of normal. Normal in the best possible sense. Defined, but still soft, and inviting. Scorpius can see a thousand places where he wants to put his hands and, Merlin forbid, his lips.

A gentle breeze floats in through the window, and Albus shivers. He ducks his head and twists his hands together.

"It's cold," he says softly, and it sounds awkward, maybe a little embarrassed, which isn't right because Albus has nothing to be embarrassed about.

Scorpius sits up a bit and puts a hand on Albus's chest before kissing him, firm but gentle. "You look beautiful," he murmurs when they part, and Albus smiles and looks down at his knees.

"Thanks."

Scorpius strokes a hand down his side, trailing over his ribs and muscles, all the way to his hip. He feels everything contract as Albus shivers and draws in a breath. He's watching the progress of Scorpius's hand, and he's still smiling in a slightly uncertain way, like he doesn't know what to do or to expect, or if any of this is okay.

On a whim, Scorpius pulls back and, before he can think about it too much, tugs his own shirt off. It gets stuck on his head, and his arms get tangled up, so he has to wriggle around a bit to get it off, but after a moment he's free, leaving his hair in a static-y mess.

"What are you doing?" Albus asks, smile a little wider already, closer to its normal, amused smirk.

Scorpius gestures to himself. "I am demonstrating to you just how luminously beautiful you are in comparison to me."

"Scorpius-"

Scorpius shakes his head and ignores the interjection. "You're sitting there like some sort of angel, and then there's me, all skinny and bony. You know, Dad says he's amazed I'm so skinny because I eat so much terrible food? He says it's going to catch up with me one day. Which I really hope it doesn't, because I do actually like being like this. It's quite useful sometimes. Even if I end up getting loads of bruises at Quidditch practice, I mean look at this one! And even if it means I have nowhere near as glorious a body as you. Sorry to deprive you of having someone nice to look at, and-"

Albus throws his arms round Scorpius's shoulders and kisses him. It's deep and full, and something like sunshine and joy comes spilling through Scorpius's soul. He grins against Albus's lips, and threads one hand into Albus's hair, the other stroking his warm, bare hip.

"You're not depriving me of anything," Albus mumbles, when they part for a moment. He runs a hand down Scorpius's back, supportive and gentle. "You're perfect." He pulls back and looks deep into Scorpius's eyes, expression intense and earnest. "When we met I had no idea how perfect you'd be. All tiny and anxious and rambly. But you are." He spreads his hands so they're framing Scorpius, and he grins. "You're everything I could possibly want, and I love you."

Scorpius opens his mouth to reply, to tell Albus that he's perfect too, that he loves him too, but he doesn't know where to start. There's so much to say, so much he wants Albus to know, and all the words get caught up and scrambled in his brain. He shakes his head and gives up, instead leaning across, taking Albus's face in both hands, and kissing him.

He tries to put everything into it. How happy he is, how wonderful Albus makes him feel: confident and loved and like he can take on anything; how he hopes Albus feels the same, how he'll be there as long as Albus wants him, loving him, and being the best possible friend he can be.

Albus clutches at him, and maybe he understands what Scorpius is trying to say, because he pulls him as close as he can, until the only things keeping them apart are their knees, which are curled in such a way that they keep knocking together. Scorpius can feel Albus's hot skin on his, and he can feel Albus's heart beating, hard and fast. His own heart is keeping pace, hammering in his chest, until all he's aware of is rhythm and heat, solid hands, the undefinable taste of Albus's mouth, and the desperate need for more and closer.

"Do your knees have to be there?" Albus grumbles, wriggling around.

Scorpius doesn't answer, he flops down onto his back and pulls Albus with him; on top of him. Albus stops complaining immediately. He settles with Scorpius's thigh between his legs, and returns to work.

His hands smooth over Scorpius's shoulders and down his sides. He abandons Scorpius's mouth and presses a series of delicate kisses down his neck. It's a simultaneously wonderful and terrible development, because it feels amazing, but now Scorpius has nothing to do with his mouth, except mumble an embarrassing string of incoherent words that he's not sure make any sense at all.

Albus doesn't respond verbally, he just finds one sensitive spot near Scorpius's collarbone and attacks it with the sort of tenacity and determination that only Albus can. If Scorpius could think at all, he'd be impressed by Albus's quick thinking and ingenuity, but his brain is far too scrambled for that, so he just strokes his fingers up and down the length of Albus's spine and tries to keep breathing.

He thinks he's doing quite well, that he's giving a good account of himself, managing to hold himself together and not ramble too much, when Albus sits up and looks at him. The breeze ruffles his hair, and his eyes glitter in the wandlight. His cheeks are flushed, and he looks a glorious mess, but his expression is unflustered and purposeful.

"Hi," Scorpius whispers hoarsely, gazing at him.

Albus takes a breath, fists clenched. "I want to suck you off," he says, slow enough that Scorpius can hear the words, but fast enough that he's clearly trying to spit it out before he loses heart.

Scorpius stares at him. "What?"

Albus goes the red of smouldering embers in a dying fire. "Do I have to say it again? You heard me. I know you did. You've gone all..." he makes a gesture at Scorpius's face. "Wide-eyed and pink."

"I'm pretty sure I was already pink," Scorpius says, fanning himself with his hand. "It's really hot in here isn't it? I mean, of course it is. You're in here, and you're-" He looks Albus up and down and swallows. "Yes. Well I only asked because I thought I'd hallucinated."

"You didn't hallucinate," Albus says, and he looks down at his knees, embarrassment finally seeming to catch up with him. "But you don't have to say yes. It was just a- a suggestion. It's not something we could do properly at school, with all the people around, and I've been thinking that it might be good. That I might- that you might enjoy it. But obviously if I was wrong-"

Scorpius shakes his head vigorously. "You're not wrong. I think I would like that. But only if you want to-"

"Yes," Albus says, and it's as much a confirmation as it is a hiss of triumph.

Scorpius grins and props himself up on his elbows. "I'm still wearing my trousers," he points out.

Albus tuts. "What a brilliant observation. I hadn't noticed."

"Sorry."

"Don't be," Albus says, patting Scorpius's hips. "Just help me get rid of them."

A minute or so of undignified wriggling about later -- which, as Scorpius points out, would have been far less undignified and taken a much shorter time if Albus had actually got off him so he could undress himself -- they're both wearing considerably fewer clothes, although Scorpius has made himself a cloak out of one of his blankets, because the night air wafting in through the window really is quite cold. Now Albus is kneeling between his legs, looking nervous and a little intimidated, although Scorpius has no idea what he has to be intimidated by. He reaches down and ruffles Albus's hair.

"Okay?"

Albus nods and catches his hand. "Yes. I just don't know what I'm doing."

"Well, whatever you do I'm sure it'll be wonderful." Scorpius looks at him. "It's not as if I'm going to know the difference. Anyway, you're so good at improvising. You'll work something out."

Albus bites his lip, then he shrugs and ducks his head down so fast that Scorpius has no time to prepare himself. He imagines that even if he had had some warning, he wouldn't have been ready. Albus's mouth is tight and hot, and his tongue is delicate. Scorpius has no idea if there's a proper technique to this, and he doesn't really care. Whatever Albus is doing is definitely working, and that's all that really matters. This bold, messy enthusiasm is more than good enough, and it's so overwhelming, there's so much to feel, that it's all a rush of fiery numbness, everything and nothing all at once, and Scorpius thinks he might have forgotten how to breathe.

He grips hold of the blankets for dear life, and his toes curl into the mattress. Albus's fingers dig into his hips, and he's making all sorts of muffled little noises, along with plenty of slurping that in any other situation would be distinctly unsexy, but that right now just adds to the wash of sensation.

Scorpius tries to suck in a deep breath, but it ends up shaky and shallow as Albus does something with his tongue. He flails his hands through the air and curls them into Albus's hair, trying not to pull too hard, although it's difficult when he no longer seems to be in control of his body.

"Albus," he whimpers, and it comes out all high-pitched and strangled, and Albus responds by stroking a hand down one of his thighs. Scorpius writhes, he can't help it. His leg twitches and he clenches his fingers far too tightly in Albus's hair, tugging Albus down lower. Albus chokes and pulls away.

"Fuck," he says, voice rough and hoarse.

"Sorry," Scorpius gasps, smoothing his hands over Albus's head. "Sorry sorry sorry."

"Don't worry," Albus replies, massaging his jaw and throat. He closes his eyes for a moment and swallows, then he looks at Scorpius and smiles. "I'm guessing it's okay?"

Scorpius runs a hand down Albus's cheek and brushes his fingers over his lips, which are all red and slick. "I'm not going to last much longer."

"No," Albus agrees, and he kisses Scorpius's fingertips. He lingers for a moment, running a hand down the inside of Scorpius's wrist and resting his forehead on the base of Scorpius's palm. Scorpius curls a lock of Albus's hair round one of his fingers.

Albus's eyes flutter closed, and he gives a contented little sigh. "Alright". He stays there for a brief moment, then he pushes away and dips his head back down.

This time, as well as his lips, he wraps a hand around Scorpius's cock. As Scorpius's heart pounds, and his breath catches, and his body tenses up, he grips Albus's shoulder and says a silent prayer of thanks for the natural talent his boyfriend seems to have for this sort of thing. After that he forgets everything: the soft bed beneath him, the chill of the air, the silver glow of the wandlight. It all melts away, and there's nothing but Albus. Albus's lips and tongue and teeth, Albus's hand, firm and confident, Albus's noises of increasing pleasure, and Albus's desperate movements as he rocks his hips over and over into the mattress.

"Come on," Scorpius says, tugging on Albus's hair. "Come on. Albus, please. I'm so-" He gasps as Albus tightens his grip, and he doesn't think he can get anymore wound up. This is it, and- "I'm going to-"

He doesn't finish the warning in time. From somewhere very distant, a bright hot galaxy of exploding pleasure, he feels Albus's grip slacken and hears a delighted moan that only lasts a brief instant before it gets cut off, and replaced with choking and spluttering. The sensation of Albus around him disappears, and he hears coughing, and feels a hand tighten on his knee.

He opens his eyes and sees Albus, one hand on the bed, the other gripping Scorpius's knee, body bowing as he coughs, sticky come streaked across his face.

"Merlin," Scorpius gasps, summoning the energy to sit up and reach for Albus. "Are you okay?"

Albus waves a hand at him. "Fine, I'm-" he breaks off for another cough. "Fine. Just inhaled at... at the wrong moment. And then panicked." He looks up at Scorpius and a grin spreads across his face. "That was not nearly as smooth as I planned. I'm sorry." He coughs a bit more, clears his throat, then wipes the back of his hand across his cheek and pulls a face. "I think I might need some practice."

Scorpius shakes his head and pulls Albus up the bed to him. "Don't say sorry. I should have warned you."

Albus settles next to him and sighs. "Oh well. We'll just have to practice together." He strokes a hand over Scorpius's chest. "Which will be absolutely terrible."

Scorpius smiles and sketches across the outline of Albus's ribs, with soft, delicate touches. "Such an immense hardship. I don't know how we'll manage."

Albus closes his eyes and lays his head on the pillow. "You know, when I first met you, and you looked all sweet and innocent and nerdy, I never imagined that one day I'd have your cock in my mouth."

Scorpius groans and feels an exhausted thrill of pleasure at the words, his spent body struggling to respond. He ruffles a hand through Albus's unruly, now slightly sticky hair. "I don't think that's the sort of thing you think about when you're eleven."

"No," Albus muses. "I suppose not." He opens one eye and looks at Scorpius. "I really do love you. I think I knew that back then at least... You made me smile, and I hadn't really expected to smile that day. You still make me smile. I hope you always will."

Scorpius kisses him, as gently as he can, because Albus's lips look bruised and sore. He's surprised by the new taste, something unfamiliar and a bit salty. He licks his lips and frowns. "Is that-?"

"What you taste like," Albus murmurs, and Scorpius nods, cheeks heating up again, which is ridiculous because he should be beyond embarrassment by this point.

"Okay," he says, flustered. "Um, anyway... I hope so too. About the smiling thing. That I'll be able to make you- You make me happy at least, and I hope I can return the favour."

Albus shakes his head, both eyes open now, and sparkling with amusement. "You were always really eloquent too," he teases. "Not much has changed."

Scorpius nudges him. "Mean. It's always your fault. I'm never going to be eloquent around you."

"I really hope not," Albus grins, and Scorpius kisses him again, just because he can.

#Harry Potter and the Cursed Child #Scorbus #Scorpius Malfoy #Albus Severus Potter #Scorbus fluff #Keep The Secrets #Mayhem to the nth degree #literally the only time I will write smut is for someone's birthday #because how can I deny my friends their birthday wishes?#Also I love writing awkward flaily inexperienced boys making a mess #that's about all I'm capable of #rambling flustered Scorpius is a gem #cursedchildnetwork #My writing #Just forgot all the tags #I hope they still work...

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