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It was a Sunday afternoon during summer vacation when Albus and Scorpius were interrupted by the footsteps downstairs and low grunting. They were in Albuse’s bedroom flipping through a Quidditch magazine and discussing the match they went to yesterday.
“It can’t be James can it?”
“No, he’s probably staring at himself in the mirror or doing some sit up, you know the guy.” Albus rolled his eyes, but laughed, it made a smile appear on Scorpius’s face.
“Your mom?”
“No, she’s at the office, has some important meeting, I told you about it.”
“Right…” Scorpius seemed like he was a little bit scared.
“Do you want me to check who it is?” Albus offered, wanting to calm his friend down, but also show him that he wasn’t scared of anything.
“I’m not scared.”
“I didn’t say-”
“I’ll come with.” Scorpius said so quickly that Albus held out a laugh. It was kind of cute, he thought. Not cute, it was … something. Pleasing? NO. It was … doing something to him, especially the blonde’s shy smile afterwards.
“Alright then.” They both stood up and Albus reached for his wand that was on his nightstand.
“You know we can’t use magic-”
“Would you rather die then, Scorp? I don’t know about you but I very much appreciate my life and I don’t wish to die so young and so beautiful.” He flicked his imaginary long hair. “We don’t know who’s downstairs. For all we know it could be someone wanting to kill us especially because of our surnames.”
“You know, that there are consequences if you use any kind of magic, right? I know your dad did a lot of illegal stuff, but would you want to risk being expelled?”
“Stay if you want to, I promise it won’t affect you even if I cast a spell.” Albuse’s tone changed to soft. Scorpius had a frustrated look on his face and stared at Albus trying to understand what was going on in the brunnet’s mind.
“I’m coming with you, I said I would.” The gleam in Scorpius’s eyes was making Albus want to smile over and over.
“Cool.” Albus opened the door to his room carefully and stepped outside, making his way to the point where they could see the living room (the place where the noises were coming from) from upstairs, at the stairs where there was a pretty huge empty space left there.
As they both got there as quietly as they could they finally heard two voices before hey even saw who they belonged to.
“What the fuck was that, Harry? What on Salazar’s dead body was that?!”
“I don’t know how you call it in your world, but I call it ‘saving your life’.”
Albus and Scorpius looked at each other. They both breathed out their stress. It was just their dads. They weren’t supposed to be here, especially together. Scorpius put a finger on his mouth encouraging Albus to keep quiet, as the other boy moved a little bit to loud.
“I don’t need you saving my life.” Scorpius’s dad voice got quieter, but it was said through the clenched teeth. It was then when two man emerged from behind the stairs and into the living room. Albus’s dad was wearing a white, well, half white, shirt, as the other half was pretty much covered in blood. It mage Albus gasp, and if Scorpius haven’t held him by his wrist he would have gone down to help his dad with whatever he was suffering from.
“Oh, I don’t know, but for me it looked like you fucking did. Just look at you!” Albus’s dad gestured at Mr. Malfoy who’s head seemed to be cracked at the left side of his forehead, near nis eye. “Besides, I’m your partner and we are meant to help each other out, especially when someone’s trying to kill you!” The two men were walking backwards to the sofa.
“Bullshit! You promised not to do that. I told you I could handle anyone myself. I don’t need you risking your life like a fucking hero, again. We’re not at Hogwarts anymore and it’s not the battle where you need to save everyone again!” Albuse’s dad’s eyes were full of fury. Mr. Malfoy came closer to him, they were standing very close to each other, like they were about to fight.
Scorpius tugged od Albuse’s sleeve and shook his head.
“Don’t” He whispered. Albus stayed in place, but he didn’t want his dad to be even more hurt by Scorpius’s dad.
“That’s not fair, Draco.” The shorter man’s voice was breaking. “You know how much I hate people mentioning anything about that.” There was a silence between two men. None of them moved, they just stared into each other’s eyes very intensely.
“I’m sorry, but you’re just like that. You never put yourself first, I get why that is, but why for me?” Scorpius’s dad spoken a little softer than before. The other man on the other hand was shaking and clenching his fists.
“You know very well why.”
“No, yes, we’re somewhat friends, now, we’re auror partners, but that’s it.”
The man covered in blood stormed off to the kitchen, where the boys couldn’t see. Mr. Malfoy was still standing in place.
“So, what you’re just gonna leave it like that?” He moved his head towards the kitchen. Albus’s dad didn’t respond. Albus could hear some cupboards being opened and stuff being moved around. He looked at Scorpius again. He had his serious, but also a sad face on. He was probably concerned for their dads.
Albus’s dad came back from the kitchen holding two small phials in his hands. He handed one to the man standing opposite to him.
“I have one now, I’m sure you have some more at your house.” His voice was cold. Mr. Malfoy stood still, but took the offered potion.
“I’m not leaving you with this unhealed.” Mr. Malfoy pointed at his partner’s chest.
“I’ll be fine, I cam take care of myself. Just…go home. I’ll floo Scorpius tomorrow in the morning. Go home.” He sounded tired and …. broken? Albus didn’t know how to describe it. He wasn’t very good at describing his own feelings, so when it came to other people’s feelings he was even more shit.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you, let me stay, let me heal you and then I’ll leave.” Mr. Malfoy moved closer to Albuse’s dad and tried to, what shocked Albus the most, grab his dad’s hip. That was strange.
“Go home Draco, I don’t have time or energy to deal with you right now.” Harry moved away from him.
“Is it because I mentioned the saviour thing? I said I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I was angry at you for being stupid, okay? I didn’t want you to risk your life for me. I didn’t want you to die because of me.”
“it’s not- I’d think you’re smarter than that, but turns out you are not as intelligent as I gave you the credit for.” Albus’s dad put a hand to his forehead, shaking his head.
“What are you on about? I’m tired Harry, what the hell are you that grumpy about? Just cut the shit and spit it out.” Mr. Malfoy’s voice got louder, he was annoyed.
“I said, I don’t have the energy to-”
“Just fucking say it! You’re acting as your wife whenever she gets annoyed with you. Don’t be a girl and spit it out.”
“FINE! I fancy you, okay?! Fucking hell, I don’t even fucking know why, but I do. Have been for last five years.” There was a silence. Everyone including Scorpius and Albus held their breath.
His dad did WHAT? Albuses’s head was going so fast, trying to look for explanation for what he just heard coming from his dad’s mouth. Was his dad gay? Is that why he and his mom fought so much and haven’t slept in the same bed for ages and were so cold towards each other lately? Why would be fancy Mr. Malfoy? Have they done something… gay with each other? Why did his dad fancy men? When did that happen and why? Have he cheated on mom? There were so many questions and no answers.
“You okay?” Scorpius whispered, his voice concerned, and shook Albus’s arm. Albus didn’t get to answer, because his attention was focused on their dad’s downstairs again.
“Well, say something.” Albus’s dad now shaking again, his voice much more quieter than before. There was a scared expression on his face, the one he would get when any of his kids were in danger.
“Don’t. Harry, I can’t. I’m not a family wrecker.”
“You feel it to, I knew it. I knew you would say that.” Mr. Malfoy was grasping the sleeves of his robe and playing with it in his hands. Albus’s dad came up to him and reached his hand to hold the other man’s chin. Scorpius’s dad exhaled deeply, but kept his eye’s on the man in front of him.
Albus was so takenaback from all of it, he couldn’t look away. He was screaming inside.
“I hate you so much.” Albus’s dad said and before the blond man could complain, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Mr. Malfoy didn’t relax into the kiss until the Albus’s dad grabbed his waist and pressed their bodies together. It looked like he was trying to fight his desire and push the other man back, but then he let go and started kissing back. They walked back to the couch together, not stopping the heated make out. Albus felt bad watching it, but he just couldn’t take his eyes of it, he wanted to know WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS HAPPENING AND WHY WAS THIS MAKING HIM SO ANGRY.
The man were moaning into the kiss and as they reached the couch, Mr. Malfoy sat on Albus’s dad lap, so that his knees were on the couch. He was holding the other mans face and passionately kissing it as if his life depended on it.
Albus felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Scorpius again. He gestured with his head in the direction of Albus’s room. He got the memo. Still shaking from what he just saw, he followed his friend to his room.
As the door closed he blurted out “ WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT? DID YOU KNOW YOUR DAD WAS GAY? DID YOU KNOW MY DAD WAS GAY? AND FOR YOUR DAD?! AND NOW THEY’RE CHEATING ON OUR MOMS! WHY AREN’T YOU FREAKING OUT?” Albus stopped when he saw Scorpius’s composed face. “You knew…” Albus realized.
“Yes.”
“What? Why? How? Why haven’t you told me?”
“Because I knew you would react just like that. First of all I’m no stupid, anyone with eyes can see they were pining over each other. Haven’t you seen how they look at each other, and that one time at dinner table when they were practically undressing each other with their eyes?” He took a quick breath and continued. “ Second of all, yes I knew my dad was gay, he told me after he and mom got divorced. Third of all, I’m happy they both stopped being idiots and finally came clean, kind of, about their feelings. I want my dad to be happy he deserves it.” Albus was taken aback of how adultlike Scorpius was about this. “Don’t you want your dad to be happy? My dad makes your dad very happy, opposite to your mom. You’ve told me many stories of how miserable they both make each other feel. You would probably prefer them to be happy with someone else rather than spend their lives hating each other and acting as if everything was fine for the sake of you lot.”
Albus thought about it. His parents weren’t happy together, he could admit that, but they could work it out, even with his dad cheating now, they could just forget it and move on, go to therapy and stay together.
“Our dads are in love, Albus, they won’t just fall out of love. They both have been crushing on each other for longer than five years. And I know you want your parents to stay together, but I don’t. I’m pretty sure your dad doesn’t want it either. It’s not okay that he’s cheating on your mom now, but they can figure it out after tonight.”
“I didn’t know your parents were divorced.” was all Albus could say.
“Dad didn’t want me to tell anyone.”
“So you’re okay with him being gay?”
“Of course I am, just because he’s attracted to men doesn’t change the person he is and doesn’t change the fact that I love him and he is my hero.” Albus felt a pain in his chest.
“But why did my dad marry my mom if he was gay?”
“Maybe he is not, there are people who like both man and woman.”
“How do you know that?”
There was a silence before Scorpius simply said “Because I’m like that.” Albus gasped. He didn’t know what to say.
“So…you like blokes? and girls?”
“Yes.”
“Cool.” Albus said, feeling awkward as hell. “I can’t stop thinking about our dads snogging downstairs.”
“Then don’t. Let them be for now. Let’s look for the brooms that we need for new year at school, alright? I’m sure our dads will figure their shit out and will eventually come out to us and your dad will talk to your mom and you. Give it some time, okay? I know it’s a lot to take for now, but think of how much happier your dad will be now. Just think about it.” And Albus did, he missed seeing his dad truly happy and full of energy, and if Mr. Malfoy was the one who was gonna make him happy then be it. Sure he was still angry at his dad and at the situation that he didn’t quite understand and expect, but he was gonna leave all his worries for the next day.