More Than Friends | Albus x Scorpius

Part Nine: Hogsmeade

A week before the students of Hogwarts would leave for Christmas break, third through seventh-year students went to Hogsmeade, the small wizarding village somewhat near Hogwarts. Albus and Scorpius walked throughout the village and into the Weasley Wizard Wheezes shop.

Albus was greeted by his Uncle Ron the moment he walked through the doors.

"Albus!" Ron said and he started to make his way towards his nephew. Albus could feel Scorpius' nervousness and his heart beating.

Scorpius tried to pull his hand from Albus', but Albus held tight to Scorpius and whispered, "I want him to see. James too. They'll understand."

Ron finally made his way to Albus and saw that he was holding tight to Scorpius' hand while Scorpius twirled a piece of his hair into a tight corkscrew, his face steadily turning dark by the second.

"Albus?" Ron asked quietly, bending down a little bit so that he was face to face with Albus. "Scorpius?"

"Hello, Mr. Weasley, " Scorpius said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck vigorously.

"Scorpius, " Ron said quietly, "would you like to look around the shop for a while? I wish to speak to Albus in the back for a moment."

Scorpius nodded and Albus leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Avenge me, Scorp."

Scorpius laughed, "See you in a moment."

Scorpius walked towards an enchanted quill section of the shop while Ron led Albus to the storage room.

Ron walked into the storage room first, followed by Albus. He motioned for Albus to sit down on a wooden crate. Albus obliged. Ron leaned against a shelf containing crates of magic joke supplies.

"So..." Ron started awkwardly, looking at Albus with his kind blue eyes. Albus gripped the edges of the crate he was sitting on and looked at the ground, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Uncle Ron..." Albus said shakily. He could feel a strange tingling feeling in his chest and he could feel a lump start to form in his throat. Albus put his head in his hands and felt his shoulders shake.

"Uncle Ron, you can't tell Dad, please!"

Ron put his hands on both of Albus' shoulders and asked quietly, "Have you told your sister? Your brother?"

Albus shook his head but answered, "All of Hogwarts knows that Scorpius and I are together and I'm sure Lily knows by now."

Ron nodded along and said, "So you haven't told your father or your mother?"

Albus shook his head roughly. "No, no. I couldn't. Dad would probably kill me and I don't know what Mum would do."

Ron nodded again and asked, "Would you like to talk to James? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Yes, I...yeah, " Albus said. "Do you mind telling Scorpius to wait for me at Scrivenshafts?"

Ron nodded with a smile. "Sure thing, Albus."

Ron then left Albus alone in the supplies room while going to find James and give Scorpius his message.

What am I doing? Albus thought to himself, holding his head in his hand. Ron is probably already owling Dad, telling him that I'm a...

Suddenly, the supplies room door opened and Albus looked up as James, his older brother, entered.

James sat down on an identical wooden crate across from Albus and merely looked at his younger brother for a moment before asking, "Was Ron right?"

Albus nodded wordlessly, not looking directly in James' hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry, I---"

"Don't apologize, Albus, " James interrupted. "Don't apologize for how you feel."

Albus shut his mouth and looked down at the ground.

"How long?"

" 'How long' what?"

James clarified, "How long have you known that you were..."

"You can say gay. I don't mind. And I've known since...ever since..." Albus looked at James with terrified eyes, terrified that his brother, whom he was so close to, would come to hate him. "Since I met him."

James asked in a hurt voice, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Albus answered, "I thought you would hate me. You don't hate me, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"James, I need you to make me a promise."

James asked, "What is it?"

"You can't tell Mum or Dad."

"Why?"

Albus explained, "I don't know what they'll do. Dad is already cross with me for the way I dress. For being friends with Scorpius for five years. Can you imagine how he would react if one of us were to tell him that I'm with Scorpius? Can you imagine how he would..."

James promised not to tell their parents about Albus' relationship. James then made Albus promise to never tell their parents that James had gotten his eyebrow pierced by a muggle. That was what they did; one had to share a secret while the other one promised to not tell and vice versa.

Albus and James shared a laugh during their ritual. Before Albus left the Weasley Wizards Wheezes shop, James and Ron said, "See you at Christmas!"

Albus walked down to Scrivenshafts Quill Shop to meet Scorpius. He walked into the shop and saw Scorpius' blonde hair looking at a blue and green peacock feather quill and color changing ink.

Albus gave him a kiss on the cheek, surprising him. When Scorpius turned around, he asked Albus what had happened. Albus told him everything that had happened while he was at his uncle's shop as they walked to the Three Broomsticks hand in hand, drawing up their green Slytherin scarves over their mouths and noses to protect themselves from the snow that was

Albus said that he would get the two of them some butterbeer while Scorpius tried to find a table for them to sit at.

Scorpius went through the small pub and found a table for them. Scorpius thought about writing to his father about letting Albus come over to Malfoy Manor for a few days and explain everything to him. Draco and his son had grown close over the past year rather than apart like Albus and Harry.

Albus sat down across from him and handed his boyfriend a warm butterbeer and said, "Bloody hell, it's so cold."

"Albus, " Scorpius started, holding his butterbeer in his frigid hands.

"Yeah?" Albus asked, taking a sip of his drink, letting the warm fluid run down his throat and into his stomach.

"Do you think that I could ask Father to let you come over for a few days and...explain everything to him?"

Albus looked down at his drink and swirled it around a few times, watching a small tornado form. "I..." Albus set down his drink and crossed his arms on the table, looking down. "It's just..."

"He'll understand. You saw how he was at Rex's Breaking Ceremony."

"I don't doubt that he'll accept that you have a boyfriend, but I'm...nervous...about his reaction when he sees that it's me."

Scorpius put one of his pale hands on top of Albus' and said, "Look at me, Albus. Please, "

Albus looked up into Scorpius' seemingly grey eyes that had beautiful blue and peculiar purple specks spotting the grey.

"He'll get it, I know it. He won't hate you."

Albus held onto Scorpius' hand and said, "If you really want me to---"

Scorpius threw his arms around Albus and laughed with happy tears in his eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Albus smiled as he hugged Scorpius back, smiling into his shoulder.

************************

When the two went back to their dorm, Scorpius sat at his desk with a piece of parchment and a newly purchased jar of blue ink.

"What are you writing?" Albus asked.

"A letter to Father to see if you're able to come over."

Albus pulled his desk chair next to Scorpius and leaned his head on his shoulder, occasionally giving Scorpius a kiss on his cheek, his hand resting idly on Scorpius' knee.

When Scorpius had finished writing, he pushed it to Albus and asked, "Does this look good?"

"What? You? Yeah, " Albus answered with a smile.

Scorpius rolled his eyes lovingly and said, "I mean the letter, Albus."

Albus let out a laugh and read Scorpius' letter, admiring his penmanship.

Dear Father,
I was wondering if you could allow Albus to come over to Malfoy Manor for a few days after we get out for Christmas break, preferably in the car two days after leaving Hogwarts. It would really mean a lot to both of us because we have something very important to tell you and we wish to tell you in person. When and if we do come to pick up Albus, it would be appreciated if you didn't tell his parents that last detail. Thank you.
Love, 𝒮𝒸ℴ𝓇𝓅𝒾𝓊𝓈 ℋ. ℳ𝒶𝓁𝒻ℴ𝓎

Albus nodded and handed it back to Scorpius. "Looks good. You think he'll actually let me come over?"
"Yes, I think so."

********************

Late that night as Scorpius lay awake in his bed, he could hear Albus snoring slightly. Scorpius couldn't sleep. It wasn't Albus' snoring that kept him awake, he was used to that by second year. It was simply Albus that was keeping him awake.

Scorpius rolled onto his side, facing Albus, and whispered loudly, "Albus. Albus!"

Albus snorted, "Wahuh?"

"Are you sleeping?"

"Uh-huh."

Scorpius whispered, "If you want, you can come over here and-and lie down with...m-me, " Quickly, he rolled onto his other side and blushed furiously into his pillows. "Sorry, if I woke you."

While Scorpius was busy scolding himself, Albus quietly slipped out of his bed and tiptoed to Scorpius' bed. He flopped down and snuggled up close to Scorpius, burying his face in his blonde hair.

"Go to sleep, " Albus whispered sweetly.

A/N:
I just wanted to thank my readers and for this story being entered into the 2019 Watty Awards. Quick shout out to my friend Destinymedinaaaaa!!! I hope you all enjoy reading "More Than Friends" further!!!
Love and Surprises,
Emma, the author ❤️