"There are worse things in the world than a boy who likes to kiss other boys."

- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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“You’ve been avoiding me all day!”

Scorpius hadn’t expected Albus to pop up out of nowhere, slamming his hand on the table and making a loud enough bang for Scorpius to jump a mile. He rapidly closed his book and pulled it towards him, not wanting Albus to see it and looked at his best friend with an apologetic smile.

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” Scorpius tried, but the words never landed. He had been avoiding Albus. But he had very good reasons to do so.

He couldn’t get the damn boy from his mind. His messy raven hair that sat like a birds nest atop his head, yet looked incredibly endearing, especially when strands fell in front of his face. Scorpius always had the biggest urge to run his hands through that hair, to feel it between his fingers and to kiss the top of his head. Albus hated his hair and how it never sat quite right, but it was just one of the many things that Scorpius had fallen in love with. As well as his enchanting emerald eyes that danced whenever Scorpius made him smile, and his dry humour and light teasing and the way he could never hold his quill correctly, or how his face would scrunch whilst eating a sour sugar quill or the way his cheeks would flush in the cold winter chill and-

“Don’t lie to me, Scorpius Malfoy,” Albus said, sitting in the chair opposite him. Scorpius sighed and looked at him, the bags around his eyes from restless nights, the frown etched on his lips. Scorpius hated that he put that frown there. Albus, however, softened. “Look, I don’t mind if you need space from me, we’re together all the time, but I do wish you’d just tell me. I thought we could talk about anything after everything we’ve been through!”

“I’m sorry,” Scorpius said, genuinely. “I don’t need space, especially not from you. I just… There’s something – sorry, I just needed to figure something out in my head,” he admitted, biting down on his bottom lip. Before Albus could reply, Scorpius tried to change the subject. “You look tired.” Probably from running through my mind all day, Scorpius thought.

“I’ve been worried about you,” Albus admitted, mirroring Scorpius’ actions and biting his own lip. It was something they often did; spending so much time with each other meant they often pick up on each others’ mannerisms.

“You have?”

“Of course! Scorpius last time you did this it was about-” Albus cut himself off, softening his voice to carry on the sentence. “Last time you stopped talking to me about things, your mum had just passed and you spiralled into a really dark place and I was worried that was happening again.”

Scorpius shook his head, going to reach over to take Albus’ hand but thought better of it. “I’m okay, Albus. I -” he faded off, unsure of the words to say. He wanted to tell Albus what he’d been in the library researching all day, despite Hogwarts library having very little content on boys liking other boys. Or more importantly, boys who liked both girls and boys and didn’t know what do with this brand new information. Boys like Scorpius.

“Scor,” Albus said softly, reaching over and grabbing Scorpius’ hand. He didn’t realise he’d nearly torn his quill to pieces whilst talking to Albus, meaning he’d have to ask his father for a new one – that was the last in his set. He had a bad habit of picking at the feathers whenever he was anxious, which was most classes due to having bullies all around the school. “You can talk to me.”

Scorpius looked at him, his emerald eyes boring deep into Scorpius’ grey ones like he was staring into his soul. “I don’t want you to think any differently of me,” Scorpius whispered, wishing Albus would let go of his hand because his palms were becoming sweaty and gross and was he really about to tell his best friend this new thing he’d figured out about himself? He wasn’t ready, it was why he’d been avoiding him. Yet sat here, holding his hand and looking into his eyes, Scorpius felt braver than before.

“I could never. Scorpius, I loved you even when you were the son of Voldemort,” Scorpius snorted, “what you could have possibly done now to change that?”

“What if I told you I didn’t like Rose anymore?”

“I’d say ‘halle-fucking-lujah.” Scorpius raised his eyebrows at him. “Come on, Scor! You know how I felt about your feelings for Rose.”

“Well, then you’ll be thrilled to hear that they are, in fact, gone.”

Albus furrowed his brows slightly. “But what about your acorn? What about your eventual marriage?”

“Words of an idiotic love struck fourteen-year-old,” Scorpius said, shrugging. A smirk appeared on Albus’ face. “Now, I’m an idiotic love struck fifteen-year-old. That’s called growth.”

“So, you like someone else?” Scorpius slowly nodded his head, a small smile on his lips put there to convince himself that this conversation was going to go well. “Do I know them?”

“You do… uh – they – he’s pretty great.”

Albus blinked. He stared at Scorpius for a while before a small smile crept upon his face, a look of wonder and awe in his eye.  “He?” He asked, softly.

“He,” Scorpius confirmed. “I like girls… but I also like boys. I’m… I’m bisexual.”

Albus’ small smile transformed into a beam that brightened his features. “That’s great, Scorpius!”

For a moment, Scorpius was taken aback, not expecting such a positive response. “You think?”

“Of course I do! Love is great and beautiful no matter what form it takes. And whoever this person is – well, I think he’s very lucky. You love so fiercely, it’s incredible.”

“He probably doesn’t even like me back,” Scorpius brushed it off, knowing Albus definitely didn’t like him back.

“Well, then he’s a fool. I know that if it were me, I think it’d be an honour to be loved by you.”

Scorpius’ breath caught in his throat, purely surprised at Albus’ words. He surely didn’t mean it, or didn’t mean it in the way Scorpius wanted him to mean it. He was just trying to make him feel better like a good friend does because Albus is the best friend. Despite what he said to him before back in fourth-year – he did make his life better. He took his broken home – his ruined life – and crafted a new one with his big heart of gold.

He gave Scorpius a place to belong; a place where he feels loved.

He could never thank Albus enough for that. He knew he was a similar anchor for Albus; it’s why they’re so close especially after their hectic fourth year. They both realised that they were stronger together.

“Albus?” Albus smiled at him in response. “What if it is… Never mind.” Scorpius quickly changed his mind, he wasn’t quite ready for that confession. Not because he was scared of how Albus would react – he knew nothing would change with their friendship – but because he was still trying to figure it out in his own head too.

Albus squeezed his hands. “You don’t have to tell me, as long as I’m the first to know if anything happens.”

Scorpius snorted, the irony of it all was too much. “Oh believe me, you will be,” he said, more amusement in his tone than necessary. Albus scrunched his nose slightly, but recovered from his confusion with a beam.

“And if he ever hurts you…” he trailed off, but Scorpius knew exactly the threat Albus was thinking of – he couldn’t be Ginny Weasley’s child without being able to perform a perfect bat-bogey hex.

“He won’t. He – it would be a pleasure to have my heart broken by him,” Scorpius said, smiling at Albus still. “Trust me, he’s… he’s the best person I know.”

They held eye contact for a long, long time. Albus was watching him, figuring him out like he was a particularly difficult ancient rune. Then his eyes widened for a split second – such a small action that if Scorpius wasn’t staring into his eyes, he would have missed it – and his face softened. Albus stood, letting go of Scorpius’ hands and made his way around the table. He sat in the empty chair next to Scorpius and turned to face him.

“I have a crush too,” Albus said, leaning in towards him. Scorpius sucked in a breath. “And he’s also the best person I know.”

And then Albus Severus Potter kissed him. And everything in the world fell perfectly into place.