More Than Friends | Albus x Scorpius

Part Three: The Report

A/N: This chapter covers the sensitive topics cutting and suicide. This chapter does not promote either of these as solutions to anyone problems. If you are currently or thinking about these two options, I encourage you to get professional help or talk to a parent or trusted friend. Love and Encouragement, Emma

After Scorpius' first 'date' with Rex Thomas, Albus had started to distance himself away from Scorpius. He was always leaving after lessons and going to be with Thomas and would come back at 10 o'clock pm, Hogwarts curfew.

October rolled around and Albus wasn't doing so well in his classes. He wasn't focusing and had begun to ignore Scorpius all together. Scorpius would try to talk to Albus and he would try to talk to Scorpius, but Thomas would saunter over and put his arm around Scorpius' shoulders. Albus would storm away.

One day during October, Scorpius was gone hanging out with Thomas when Albus was on his knees at the foot of his bed. Tears were streaming down his eyes and he was starting out into space as he thought about everything that had happened this year:

His best friend was stolen from him. He was dating a bloke who was going to hurt him. He wasn't doing well in his studies. He wanted to die...

Albus grabbed his wand and whispered while pointing it at his heart, "Avada Kedavra..."

Nothing happened. Albus shook his wand and said the Killing Curse again, a little louder. When nothing happened again, he banged his wand against Scorpius' desk. Albus sobbed and threw his wand down when he realized what he was doing.

He smelled smoke and saw that when he hit his wand against his friend's desk, a fire had caught on his eleven-page report on bogarts. Albus' mind switched to panic mode. He yelled, "Auguamenti!"

He extinguished the fire, but he saw that what was left of Scorpius' report was soaking wet and the ink was running. Albus realized that he was, officially, screwed.

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When Scorpius came back at ten, he said cheerfully, "Hello, Albus."

Albus was sitting up against the wall on his bed and looked up from his book on potions. "Hey, Scorp."

Scorpius sniffed the air and Albus' heart rate sped up. "Why does it smell of smoke?" He looked around the room and his eyes fell on his desk, where the ruined report sat, half of the pages burned off and what was left was still dripping.

Albus' friend put one hand over his mouth and walked over to his desk as if in slow motion. He picked up what was left of the report and looked over at Albus, who stood up and walked over to Scorpius.

"Scorpius, I can explain."

Scorpius stayed silent and Albus continued, "I was...trying to figure out a spell and I got mad when it didn't work. I was hitting it against your desk chair and the sparks made a fire."

"What spell were you using?!" Scorpius yelled, throwing down the ruined parchments.

Albus physically stepped back from his friend and he put his hands up defensively. "I can't tell you..."

"You ruined my report, Albus?" Scorpius continued. "It took me a week to write it. It's due tomorrow!"

Albus offered, " You can copy mine."

"No, " Scorpius seethed.

"Why not?"

"Because you're stupid, Albus! You can't do any spells, any potions. The only subject you're good at is Care of Magical Creatures, and where is that going to get you?"

Albus' face turned an unsightly shade of red and he said in a very quiet, very hurt voice, "I'm not sure..."

Scorpius sat down in his desk chair and shook his head angrily. Albus heard him mutter the words, "Stupid...no wonder...never amount enough..."

Albus squeezed his arm and bit his lower lip, fighting the tears that wanted to desperately spill from his eyes. Albus locked himself in the bathroom and grabbed a razor from his side.

Albus ran the faucet and took off his shirt, revealing small white scars across his stomach and chest and shoulders. He squeezed his eyes shut and held the razor to a patch of clear skin on his left hip. He cut himself quickly, relishing the pain for a moment before making another cut, and then another.

He rinsed the razor and put his short back on after the bleeding stopped. He walked out of the bathroom and heard Scorpius' quill scratching frantically on his parchment. Albus asked when it was time for supper, "Are you going to eat?"

Scorpius ignored Albus and continued writing. Albus asked, "Do you want me to bring you something?"

When Scorpius ignored Albus again, Albus left and went down to the Great Hall. Rose came up to him and asked, "Can I speak to you?"

Albus looked around and asked, "Why?"

Rose rolled her eyes and tugged Albus' arm. "It's not like you're eating anyway."

Rose pulled him to an empty corridor and asked, "Do you like him?"

"Him?" Albus asked dumbfounded. "Who him?"

Rose said, "Scorpius, you idiot."

"What? No! We're friends...just friends. Best friends..."

"I see how you look at him. And I know you hate Rex Thomas."

"That doesn't mean---"

Rose said, "Really, Al. You're about as smart as an egg."

"Don't call me stupid, " Albus growled, pushing Rose against the wall. "I'm not stupid. And you're wrong. I don't like Scorpius. And he doesn't like me back..."

When Rose reached out to touch Albus, he turned away sharply and walked his way back to the dorm he and Scorpius shared. He spoke the password to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin and walked into the dorm, flopping on his bed and listening to Scorpius' quill scratch against parchment until he fell asleep.