Soldiers and Serpents //Scorbus

37 Sixteen

It was after dark when they all returned to the Potter's house. And Harry wasn't there when they entered. Ginny greeted them from the living room, but after a few short lines of conversation they trudged up the stairs. Albus's room was at the end of the hallway, facing the back of the house. His own corner of the world. Scorpius followed him inside, looking around. It was simple, ordinary like the rest of the house. Scorpius's room was in contrast to the rest of the manor; warm and inviting while the manor was cold and distant. Albus's entire family home was humble and warm, and his room wasn't different.

The walls were a light cream, a single window looked out over the backyard. He didn't have a bookcase but he did have books piled in random places in the room, though everything else was picked up and put away. "Where should I put this?" Scorpius asked, holding up his bag. Albus gestures to the desk, and so Scorpius sets it down there. "And you gave me shit about how I organized my bookshelves?" He lightly teased, gesturing to the random stacks of books. "You don't even have The Vampire Lestat next to Interview With a Vampire."

"Hey! Be nice." Albus laughs, sitting on his full bed and pulling his sweatshirt off to reveal a regular tee shirt. "I just put them wherever after I read them and it takes too long to organize them-"

"Well I guess that's what I'll be doing then because I won't be able to sleep in here without these books being organized."

"You're so dramatic." Albus grabs a pillow and hurls it through the air at Scorpius. Who caught it as it hit him in the face. "I'm serious. It's no wonder why Christine broke up with you." Scorpius might have snapped at anyone else for those words- anyone else- but he just gave Albus a look of curiosity.

"Did she tell you about that?" He asks, keeping his tone light even though he was burning to know what she said.

"She's told me things that I think you'd probably curse her for if you knew she opened her fat mouth." Albus grins cheekily, dimples showing on his cheeks. Green eyes blinking softly and rimmed with dark eyelashes. Scorpius walked over and set the pillow down on the bed, taking a seat by him. "In her defense I'm really good at getting information by means of manipulation. I doubt she'd have told me otherwise."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have. Christine is many things, but a teller of secrets she is not. What did she tell you?"

"She told me that when you guys were dating, is when you started smoking." He begins. Scorpius nodded, well it was true. "She was mostly drawn in by you because you were broken." Those blue grey eyes narrowed. "Her words, not mine."

"Yeah she likes broken things. I think that reflects more on her character than mine. And now with this Xavier kid? The girl's going to get herself burned if she keeps playing with fire."

"You didn't exactly give her good advice for helping her friend." Albus mentions gently.

"I gave her good advice. It just wasn't what she wanted to hear."

"Scorpius you were an asshole."

"Say that again, but slower." Scorpius smirks, changing the subject. Albus begins to repeat himself until he realizes and playfully hits Scorpius's shoulder. "It's not my fault it's hot when you swear."

"I get it, you don't want to talk about Christine." Albus rolls his eyes, not even given a verbal recognition of those last words.

"Tell me something no one knows about you." Scorpius murmurs, tilting his head slightly, giving him undivided attention. Albus shifted under the intensity, thinking for a long moment. "Come on Potter, I don't have all night."

"I'm thinking!" He protests, looking around the room like it might give him an answer. Then it was like a lightbulb went off in his head. "I want to travel."