Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 11 Back from Easter Break

Sunday April eleventh all the Hogwarts students came back to the castle, most by train, but many by Floo either to the Hogwarts Great Hall or to a Floo in Hogsmeade and then in through the entrance. After all the dangers Albus and Cleo faced they went back by Floo, the only ones to be sent from the Potter house to the private Floo in Minerva's office.

Sunday at dinner Cassie stayed glued to Scorpius, to his obvious discomfort. After dinner Scorpius told Albus, "We need to meet in our room, privately!"

Once in the dormitory Scorpius whispered, "Muffliato."

The two wizards sat on Scorpius's bed, and Scorpius began to pour out his grievances. "The more time I spend with Cassie the less I like her. Grandmother Black and Mrs. Starkey have everything planned out. We will get married right after Hogwarts, unless Cassie gets pregnant first. There is NO WAY I want to get Cassie pregnant! I never did what you need to do to get her pregnant! A little open mouth kissing, and maybe feeling her but not inside her clothes. Find some spells that will make it impossible, please! I do not want her to find some spell and before I know what happened, like when my father takes me somewhere ... I do not want to do that with Cassie!"

"I will see what I can do," Albus replied. "Cleo may be able to help, do some reverse magic. She likes babies, but only good marriages."

"I would really appreciate it," Scorpius replied. "If I spend a week with Cassie right after the end of the school year, at her house or Malfoy Manor, they will let us spend the next week with you and your family, and then I can leave her and accompany you to the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards in Switzerland.

"They will let Cleo come over here after a day or two at Malfoy Manor. I think that is the best option. We missed a whole year, with no International Conference of Witches and Wizards last year, and almost no meeting with the Elves, Galadriel and Thorin. I don't want to mess that up now. I'll fight with Mrs. Starkey and great-grandmother Black after we are back from Switzerland.

"Grandmother is amused by the whole situation. Great-grandmother Malfoy is beside herself with anger and frustration. It is almost worth it to see how angry she is at me not marrying Cleo, which I would never do anyway. My father is torn; I sometimes hate him, but at other times feel sorry for him. He is supposed to be doing what his grandmother Malfoy wants, but his other grandmother and Mrs. Starkey have worn him down as well. It is not like he has any principals he believes in or follows.

"Once we are back from the ICWW I will break up with Cassie for good, I guess."

"What about Rose?" Albus wondered.

"If she gave me any indication that she wanted me to be anything but a friend I would jump at the chance, but I don't know what to say to her. The few times I tried to suggest something she almost bit my tongue off. It is like she is jealous of Cassie but doesn't want to be more than a friend.

"Girls seem to understand this romance thing, but we boys just have to try and figure it out, and at least for me I just don't have any idea how to get it right."

*

"How was your vacation at Malfoy Manor?" Rose wondered, looking warily at Cleopatra.

"It is like an adventure movie, where you are waiting for the inevitable explosion," Cleo laughed. "Great-grandmother Black and that stupid Mrs. Starkey have everything all planned out, and it is not going to work out! Everybody else is mad, except for grandmother Malfoy and me. We are just waiting for the big, dramatic breakup."

"Why doesn't he break up with her RIGHT NOW?" Rose shrieked. "Stupid Cassie," she mumbled.

"Because by playing along with them until just before the ICWW he can go without her, and I know he wants to break up with her after."