Chapter Text
“It’s fucking unfair!” Albus yelled as he gripped the letter in his hands, crunching it beyond repair. “Just because James decided to take a year off to ‘find himself’ with Teddy, doesn’t mean this shit falls on me! Oh, who am I kidding? It always bloody well falls on me, doesn’t it?”
Scorpius sat motionless in the Slytherin common room. He knew better in these situations than to answer his best friend when he was in one of his rants.
“I got the best O.W.L.s in the family! The only person who did better than me, was you! And that’s because you have those scary, brilliant Granger-Malfoy genes dad’s always talking about.”
Scorpius smirked to himself but did his best to keep it hidden. Al thought he was brilliant .
Albus deflated finally and landed on the sofa next to Scorpius. As usual, Scorpius pretended to ignore how close their thighs were and how he could feel the heat from Albus’ forearm on his. Instead, he sat there and calmly looked at his friend as he came down from his high.
“All I’m saying Scorp,” Albus’ voice was lower, quieter. “All I’m saying is I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted of being the son of Harry Fucking Potter.”
Scorpius wanted to hold his friend. Wanted to take his hand and rub the back of it with his thumb. Wanted to hold him in a tight hug and feel his heart beat slow. Wanted to kiss the vein on his forehead that was clearly throbbing.
But instead, he smiled. He smiled and said, “I know Al.” Because that’s what he always says.
And just like always, Al returned the smile. And for now, that was enough.
Albus moved towards the dorms and motioned his head, wordlessly asking if Scorpius was coming. Scorpius shook his head and muttered something about a non-existent potions assignment. Al took it and left without him.
Scorpius sat on the sofa, ran his hands over his face and through his blonde hair. This was by no means the first rant he had had to sit through, but he couldn’t help but notice they were increasing in frequency. He knew Albus was struggling. Al was crumbling under the weight of his family’s expectations. With James gone and Lily still too young, Al was looked upon to achieve greatness.
Scorpius knew he would. He knew it the same way he knew that when he went up to the dorms he would find his best friend’s curtains drawn around his bed. He knew it the same way he knew how his best friend took his tea and what he preferred to eat for breakfast.
He knew it, because he loved him. Loved him more than a friend should love another friend.
But for now, that’s all he could be. And he was...fine with that.
Scorpius fixed his mood and smoothed his hair back down in the way his father always taught him to. He went into the dorms and found his best friend with his curtains drawn and silent.
Scorpius sat across from Albus at breakfast the next morning as they always did.
His mood seemed lighter, but there was still a hint of resentment in there that only Scorpius could properly see.
Albus gathered his toast and smeared his jam on it until it ran over the sides. Then, as Scorpius knew he would, went back for more until the toast was crumbling from the weight. He moved to shove the toast into his mouth.
“Hi Albus.” Marjorie Thimbelle walked past and shot Albus a wink that didn’t go unnoticed by Scorpius. Scorpius stopped his face from scowling at the fifth year Ravenclaw girl who had been making comments to Albus all year.
“Hi.” Albus mumbled, crumbs falling out from around the sides of his mouth. He looked ridiculous, but Marjorie merely giggled to herself and continued walking.
Scorpius noticed as Albus’ eyes trailed after the girl before settling back on his toast with a faint smile.
Scorpius wished he was the one to place that smile on his friend.
Just let it go, Scorpius.
The Slytherin table soon was swept into conversation about the upcoming holiday - with all of them set to leave this afternoon. Scorpius loved Christmas break. It was the best time of the year in his opinion, and not because of the gifts or food or any of the other superficial things his friends were talking about. But because of his family.
Guilt crept upon him as he saw his best friend’s face fall at the mention of going home. And while the break meant time away from Albus, which nearly killed Scorpius every single year, he had to admit that it was nice to just be in his own space with his parents.
Plus, he would see Albus several times over the holiday, including the annual Christmas at the Burrow, which as the recent letter suggested, James would be attending.
Scorpius knew he should feel bad for his friend, and he did. But he also knew that there wasn’t anything he could do for the boy. No matter how much he wanted to…
They shared a train carriage on the way to the station and Scorpius made sure to keep the conversation as far away from home, Christmas, or family as he could.
When the train pulled in and he saw his mother and father holding hands and waiting for him on the platform, his smile grew wide.
They stepped on to the platform and as much as he wanted to run straight towards his family, he glanced at Albus. The boy was pale and in no rush to get to his own family. Scorpius looked between Albus, his family, and his own family before deciding on his next action.
He pulled Albus in for a hug. A hug they didn’t typically share, but one that wasn’t entirely foreign to them either. And if he lingered in the hug for too long, Albus didn’t say anything about it.
He pulled away and Albus gave him a small smile. Scorpius walked towards his mother and father and tried to not think about how that smile was better than the one he had given stupid Marjorie Thimbelle.