bloom | scorbus

CH2: overexertion

CH2: overexertion (3,381 WORDS)

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"Hi, Buddy! Where's Scorpius?"

"He's out," Albus said. He grinned as he flopped onto James' bed. "I have to hightail it back to the common room before 11, but I thought I'd visit my favourite brother."

"I'm your only brother," stated James. He fiddled with his fluffy fringe in the mirror, attempting to get it to sit correctly. Albus watched with his eyebrow raised, yet said nothing as he flopped across his brother's unmade bed.

"I meant favourite sibling."

"I better be."

Albus smiled. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the crinkles in the curtain above James' bed. He chose not to tamper with it, letting out a small huff. He watched, upside down, as his brother continued to struggle with his dark mop of hair.

"What're you trying to do? You're going to bed in like... thirty minutes—"

"I'm just tired of how it looks. It doesn't feel like me anymore," James muttered. He continued to tug at his hair.

Albus reached over his hand. He used his nail to part his brother's hair and scrunched it — as he'd seen Lily do — to help it retain a slight wave. "There you go. Now it's styled by me."

James glanced in the mirror, shrugged, and flopped down on the bunk. Albus took his lack of pessimistic reaction as a thank you. He threw his arms out and gave a yawn into his fingers.

"Did Massey come and talk to you?" James asked.

"Why the hell would he?" Albus snorted. James rubbed the back of his neck. Albus' smile faded and he shot his elder brother a look. "What did you do?"

"I think you're really good at Quidditch—" James started.

Albus groaned and covered his face.

"No, listen," James said. "I do. I think you're good. Of course, look at who raised you; me and mum, Quidditch legends. And I know that you don't enjoy playing it at school because it's competitive, or whatever, but I think you're competitive and you hide it. So, Massey and I were chatting about how he didn't think he'd have enough good players for the Slytherin side, and I gave in and suggested you. I talked to dad about it, because I felt bad, but I know he gets worried that you get lonely. I thought that it might be nice to have something else to do, rather than schoolwork, y'know? Plus, you'll get to verse me. That'll be so fun!"

Massey (formally known as Edward), had been elected as the Slytherin Quidditch Captain in his fifth year. Albus knew him to be rather nice, if not incredibly intense about the sport, and understood that his brother's recommendation would not go unnoticed. He'd be lucky to make it into the common room without being pounced on.

Albus stopped to consider it, for a moment. He glanced at his brother's excited, hopeful expression. The more that he mulled it over in his mind, the more he genuinely considered it. Finally, Albus sighed. "Y'know what? Why the hell not. It's not like I have anything else to do!"

James clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Perfect! You'll have tryouts, but you'll get on the team with no hiccups. Then I'll get to beat you."