Chapter Text
After the disaster and potential destroying of the wizarding world that was the first half of fourth year, Albus and Scorpius decided to make some changes.
Well, it was mostly Scorpius that decided to make some changes. Albus was just kind of, there, at first.
About a month after the end of the disaster that was the beginning of 4th year, Albus and Scorpius were sitting in their common room, doing very little work on whatever essay they claimed they were working on. This was because Scorpius had already finished and Albus didn’t want to do it.
“We are going to join a club.”
“What?” Albus looked up from where he had read the same line in his textbook fifteen times. Scorpius had a sly grin on his face.
“A club. We are going to join a club, we are going to make some more friends, and we are going to have some nice fun times this Hogwarts year. Hogwarts, best years of our lives they say! Now, me and you, we’ve had a great time Albus, but we should do more.”
“I think we have different definitions of a great time?”
Scorpius ignored him. “We’ll join together of course, a club would be rather dull without you, but a club nonetheless. It will be magnificent. Which would you like to join?”
“Um.” Albus sighed, because Scorpius was in that mood, the one where they were going to join a club whether he wanted to or not. “Not an academic club.” He finally got out.
“Great! There’s gobstones, which is technically for 1st-3rd years, but Mrs. Finch-Fletchley is really chill and all.”
Albus sighed dramatically. “Firstly, we’re trying to build our reputation, joining the club for eleven and twelve year olds probably isn’t it. Second, we dropped Muggle Studies after the mandatory second year class, so why would she care, and thirdly, well thirdly, I can’t believe they let an actual muggle into the school!”
“Her brother went to school with our parents.”
“Whatever Score, stop always being practical.”
“We can join Flitwick's frog choir. They have some excellent harmonies.”
“I can’t sing.”
Scorpius groaned and threw a pillow at Albus. “You are an insufferable git sometimes.”
Albus threw the pillow right back and rolled his eyes. “Fine, we can Longbottom’s Art Club.”
“Ah yes! The Creevey Memorial Arts Room! I’ve never been in there but it is supposed to be magnificently stocked. They have everything apparently. I wonder what I shall do. I did try some watercolor as a child with my mother, but it was never my forte. Perhaps acrylic, or photography, or clay.” Scorpius rambled on and on and Albus just grinned, because maybe, he could tolerate art club.
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They tolerated art club just fine. It went something like this:
Art club was majority Hufflepuffs. Second in numbers were the Ravenclaws, who recognized art’s stress relief properties, something highly needed for them. Third was Gryffindor, because it wasn’t always brave and bold and visible. Then came Slytherins, because it was rather plebian, and, at Hogwarts, a bit too Muggle. Before Albus and Scorpius, one second-year girl who drew quietly in the corner, and one hulking sixth year who made clay bowls, of all things, represented the Slytherins.
The first time they went into the room, three students in front of canvases waved them over. There were two Hufflepuff girls and a Ravenclaw boy.
“Hey, you two are in some of our classes.” Scorpius smiled at them and Albus tried to figure out exactly which two he was referring to.
“Ebba Hobday, 4th year Hufflepuff.” The brown haired girl stuck out her hand, and they both shook it. “This is Avis Pimpleback, 3rd year, and Fergus O’Higgins, 4th year Ravenclaw.” Then they were nice. In fact, they were nice to them again when Albus and Scorpius came back. So then, Albus and Scorpius had some friends.
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In mid- January the next exciting thing happened, a week before their game against Ravenclaw. A Slytherin chaser managed to smash 4 bones in his body during a rough practice.
“We are going to tryouts!” Scorpius actually bounced up and down on Albus’s bed.
“No.”
“Come on. I told you I’ve been practicing more with my Dad. I know you don't have one single Weasley get together that doesn’t involve a pick-up Quidditch game. You’re fine on a broom. Try out with me!”
“You just want to impress Rose.”
“So what! She looked at me just last month. We’re making progress. But also, I like to fly.”
“So you try out.”
“But Albus, I need you there.”
Albus pulled his pillow over his head.
“Please Albus.”
“Fine.”
Scorpius made reserve for every position, a role they hadn’t had previously since they needed tryouts for one injured player. All the professors made sure they now had a person that could be subbed in, and that was Scorpius. There were also two 7th years currently on the team, so Scorpius was told he would get a permanent spot the next year. Albus, surprised everyone and became the teams official new beater, while an old one switched to chaser. Albus couldn’t remember ever actually playing beater before but all he did was imagine Delphi or Voldemorts face, and them bam, the Bludger went flying. The captain said he was a natural.
Albus got to play in the last two games of the season. They didn’t make the playoffs, but that was because dumb Hufflepuff had a keeper who was so good he was guaranteed to go pro. But, Albus got to play. His Dad came to one of the games and cheered him on, and he wore a green scarf, and that was kind of nice.
Fourth year, as it turned out, was okay. They made some friends through art club, and they got some people who would stand up for them through Quidditch, even if they weren’t the best of friends. They still had a lot of glares, and some Slytherin Squib, but they had people now. So when fourth year ended, it was a little sadder than normal, and when fifth year started, it Albus was actually excited for the year.
