Archive of Our Own

James was quite certain no one else at the table could see it.

It was almost a fluke that he could see it. Just a chance arrangement of windows and mirrors in the restaurant where he sat with his family and Scorpius Malfoy, the glass surfaces bouncing light off each other, allowing James to see the reflection of his brother’s hand.

He only noticed it because Albus was drumming his fingers nervously on his thigh. It was the flash of movement that caught James’s eye. Otherwise, he might have sat through the entire meal and never suspected a thing.

Albus had been nervous since Scorpius had shown up at their house a few days ago. It didn’t make much sense. Al and Scorpius had been best mates since they met on the Hogwarts Express back in first year. Scorpius always visited during the holidays, every summer for the last six years. So James had shrugged it off. He loved his brother, but Al was high-strung at the best of times. Seeing him a bit twitchy was nothing new. Besides, Scorpius was the same as ever, cool and collected and perfectly at ease. If Scorpius was concerned that Al was buzzing around like a fly that just had a wing pulled off, he wasn’t letting on.

It would be nice if Albus could keep it together when we’re out in public though, James thought as Albus’s drumming grew more pronounced. Honestly, he was getting agitated just watching it. He was about to lob a bread roll at Albus’s head in an attempt to snap him out of it when Scorpius’s hand shot out and pinned Albus’s nervous fingers to his thigh, a look of annoyance on Scorpius’s face.

Albus blushed and started to pull his hand away. But just before their fingers lost contact, Scorpius shifted his hand and tightened his hold, reclaiming Albus’s fingers. Then he looked at Al, the gaze so loaded even James couldn’t misread it.

James’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. Scorpius? Albus?

Al’s eyes had gone wide and round and he was staring at Scorpius’s hand holding his own as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. He wasn’t moving at all and his mouth had fallen open slightly. He looked like he was panting a bit, and James knew his brother was silently but completely freaking out. Scorpius, for once, looked like he was doing little better. His face had flushed and he’d dropped his gaze to his plate, staring at it so hard James half-expected it to shatter.

Albus’s eyes were just starting to drift towards his friend’s face when a waiter bustled up to the table, all effusive greetings and bright smiles. Scorpius’s and Albus’s hands flew apart. Albus snatched up his menu and hid behind it so obviously, it took everything James had in him not to laugh. Scorpius flipped casually through his own menu, trying to look cool, but there were still two spots of colour blooming in his cheeks that gave him away.

The waiter went around the table, taking orders. James picked something off the menu at random – he’d been so absorbed in the unexpected show he’d barely had a chance to look at it. By the time the waiter reached Scorpius, Albus’s friend seemed to have sorted himself out and he ordered in his usual calm, clear voice. Al hadn’t recovered quite so well, apparently, mumbling his selection so quietly the waiter had to ask him to repeat it. After everyone had finished giving their orders, the waiter lingered a bit, clearly pleased to be getting face time with Harry Potter, but he eventually trotted off, promising to have their food up right away.

The family fell into relaxed conversation as they waited for their meals. Lily was telling a story about an accident in Charms class that happened a few days before school had let out. It seemed to be a funny story – everyone else was laughing – but James wasn’t listening. He had his eyes glued to the reflection of his brother’s hand, waiting to see what would happen next.

Except nothing did. Al’s hand stayed on his thigh. Scorpius had both of his hands on the table in plain view. Every now and then, Albus’s fingers would resume their nervous drumming, but then he’d catch himself doing it and stop. There was a strange energy between them though, a heavy sense of anticipation. Something was going on; something was going to happen. Or maybe James was just projecting his own expectations onto the pair of them – he certainly felt like something was going to happen.

Then the food came and everyone tucked into their meals and that really did seem to be the end of it. Both Al and Scorpius joined in on the conversation, seeming more at ease as the evening wore on. They didn’t touch each other again, not even an accidental brushing of hands as they reached for salt or butter or whatever else they were reaching for. They didn’t look at each other much either, but James didn’t know if that was normal or not. He couldn’t seem to remember anything about how they usually were together. He’d never really spent any time analysing them before; he’d never had any reason to. They were just Albus and Scorpius, his little brother and his little brother’s best mate.

They finished their meals and were just settling into dessert and tea when the flicker of movement in the mirror caught James’s eye again. Albus still had his hand on his thigh but Scorpius’s was moving closer, his fingers inching towards Al’s. It seemed to take forever. Scorpius was moving so slowly, and every now and then he’d stop, his hand hanging hesitantly in the air, fingers curling and uncurling uncertainly. Eventually, though, Scorpius closed the distance between them and he hooked Albus’s little finger with his own.

It seemed like a small gesture but James knew it wasn’t. He knew as much even before he saw the way Albus jumped and then went very still again, colour rushing up in his cheeks. And James wasn’t fooled by Scorpius playing nonchalantly with his ice cream, running his spoon over the top of the scoop of vanilla, scraping off a tiny mouthful and eating it slowly. Not when there was colour in Scorpius’s face again and the hand holding the spoon was trembling ever so slightly.

A long moment passed and James held his breath without realising it, watching, waiting. Then Scorpius’s ring finger crooked around Albus’s. Albus looked like he’d forgotten how to breathe. Scorpius kept scraping at his ice cream, his hand still shaking.

And then Scorpius's middle finger caught Albus’s.

And a moment later, Scorpius linked their index fingers, too.

It looked awkward, the way their fingers were knotted together. James guessed it was probably uncomfortable, maybe even a bit painful. But neither one of them shifted their hands. Neither one of them tried to wiggle their cramping fingers free. Scorpius just went on eating his ice cream, a small smile playing across his lips. And as for Albus, well, there was no mistaking the look of quiet joy on his face.