It's been a few weeks now and it's nearly Halloween, Albus still hasn't been able to figure out that the dream he had weeks ago meant. He told Scorpius about it, but all the blonde boy said about was to not think to much of it, it was a dream after all. But Albus didn't believe that it was just a dream. To him it was like he was actually experiencing it. He knows he's seen the type of bird before, so ever since he's been trying to identify the bird. He's spent more time in the library these days than Scorpius, neither boy minded it. Scorpius got loads of work done, and of course he'd help Albus by allowing him to copy his essays. While he's busy finding out what the dream meant. Albus' nose was in his copy of Fantastic Beasts: and Where to Find Them when he the boys got a visitor.
"Hi Albus!" He hears his sisters voice.
"Oh hello Lily, haven't seen you around much" he says to his sister.
"Yeah, been busy" she says.
"Hi Scorp" she says.
"Don't call him Scorp, I call him that" Albus snapped at her.
"Sorry, just trying to be nice" she says.
"It's alright, hello Lily" Scorpius says being polite.
"So what are you doing here?" Albus asks.
"Could ask you the same question" she sasses
"What's it look like I'm doing?" Albus says.
"Oh care of magical creatures work?" She says.
"Yeah, I guess so" Albus lies.
"LILY!" Someone shouts from the other side of the library.
Albus recognizes the voice of his brother James. He hasn't interacted with James since that incident on the train. Albus rolls his eyes and goes back to reading the textbook trying hard not to engage in with his brother. Since the tension between the brothers is still so high. Also trying to keep his temper down, it's just something about his brother that gets his blood to boil. Its probably because of all the embarrassment and ridicule James put Albus through for the last four years, they actually got a long great before Albus was sorted into Slytherin house.
"Lily what are you doing?" James says walking up to his sister.
"Uh, what's it look like I'm doing James" she says.
"Why are you talking to a couple of snakes" He spats.
"Firstly they have names, and you know that James, secondly one is my brother and I wanted to talk to him, and the other is his friend" she says to James.
"Lily your a Gryffindor, we don't associate or talk to snakes" James states.
"Oh really" Albus speaks up.
"What?" James says.
"Correct me of I'm wrong, but I believe our father, who a former Gryffindor, was parsletongue, therefore he talked to snakes" Albus reminds his brother.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" James says getting angry.
"Doesn't matter does it, I just out smarted you, you prat" Albus says getting up and storming out of the library.
Scorpius was shocked with what just happened he's never seen Albus act like that. He collected his books and Albus' and tried to leave. However James had other plans. He knocked the books out of Scorpius' arms and drew his wand, but Lily was faster. Snatching the wand out of his hand and let Scorpius go.
"What the bloody hell Lily!" James shouted.
"Why do you have to be so mean!" She yelled back.
"Hey! What's going on here!" They hear, and stop when the siblings see their aunt Hermione coming up to them.
"Oh hello Aunt 'Mione" James says.
"Why are you two shouting at each other? In the library no less" She asks her niece and nephew.
"Well James was picking a fight with Albus before he stormed out, then drew his wand at Scorpius, so I took his wand and now he's shouting at me" Lily explains.
"Well perhaps I should inform your father of this James" Hermione says.
"No please don't" James begs.
"Fine I won't tell, but you can't keep giving Albus a hard time, he's got enough to deal with, with his OWLs and everything this year, and two weeks detention" she says.
"What! But the Quidditch tryouts are this week I can't miss it!" James says alarmed.
"You should have thought of that before" and Hermione walks away. Hermione didn't care if James was her nephew, she knew better than to play favorites with her family.
"Thanks a lot, didn't think my sister would be a traitor too" James glares at his sister and storms out of the library. Lily, now feeling guilty walks to find her friends like she originally planned too, but didn't talk to anyone.
Scorpius reaches the common room shortly after Albus did. Even though nothing actually happened to cause Albus to act that way he did, he still felt angry. Albus is the first Slytherin Scorpius knew to have a temper. Most were cool, calm and collected most of the time. It's the Gryffindors that we're hot heads and blew up over trivial things, Scorpius may have been angry or frustrated with the situation but he'd never show it.
"Al?" Scorpius says calmly.
Albus didn't respond he just kicked the wall. Scorpius places his hand on Albus' shoulder. Albus looked at his best friend and he instantly relaxed. Scorpius was still carrying the books he lifted his hand and gave Albus his books.
"Oh thanks Scorp" Albus says taking the books from his friend when there fingers slightly brush each other. A blush erupted in Scorpius' pale cheeks, as did Albus. They look at each other surprised.
However the boys were interrupted when the common room door opens and in comes the Slytherin Prefects along with the Nott twins. The boys quickly look away from each other and Albus retreats to the dormitories with his textbook. Scorpius knows better than to follow his best friend right now; so he just stays in the common room and goes back to writing his History of Magic essay until dinner.
Albus didn't leave to go to dinner, he stayed but ultimately gave up looking for that bird from his dream and decides to just do homework before he falls to far behind in it. He didn't stop to think about what happened between him and Scorpius in the common room. However that's exactly what the other half is thinking about. Scorpius didn't go to dinner either. He would have gone if Albus came down to go, but since he didn't Scorpius stayed where he was.
He thought long and hard about it. How he noticed the reddish hue on his best friends face after they accidentally touched. It was confusing Scorpius. The heat that rushed through his own face and they just looked at each other moments after. It meant something, but that something Scorpius didn't know. He's never felt anything like this, sure he thought he fancied Rose Granger-Weasley, but since he hasn't even had a proper conversation with the girl, he thinks maybe he's never liked her, but liked the idea of her, with how they are always competing to be the smartest in their year. Scorpius wasn't stupid. He just needs to figure himself out before someone else does, but there's no denying it anymore he likes his best friend.
When people started to come back from dinner Scorpius figured it'd be fine to go up the to the dormitories now. When he got there he looks over at Albus' bed and sees the boy fast asleep with parchment scattered about and his quill still haphazardly in his hand. Scorpius sees that Albus was working on the History of Magic essay too, so Scorpius takes it and his quill and finishes Albus' work for him. Since that essay is due first thing in the morning and he doesn't want his best friend to fail, but he also doesn't want to wake up Albus since he knows that the boy hasn't gotten much sleep. So he just does it for Albus. No one was around to know about it. So once finished with it he packs it with Albus' stuff and gets himself ready for bed.
The next morning Albus wakes up early and showers, and redresses. Heads right down to breakfast, after remembering that he didn't finish his essay he rushed back to the dormitories to grab his parchment and quill. However the commotion he's making trying to find it wakes up Scorpius.
"Oi Al could you keep it down over there" Scorpius says.
"My essay! Have you seen it!" Albus asks panicking.
"Yeah I finished it for you" Scorpius mumbles.
"What?" Albus says taken back.
"Yeah, I finished it for you, when I saw that you fell asleep while doing it" Scorpius says while nervously scratching the back of his neck.
"Thank you but I would have finished it" Albus tells him calming down.
"It was nothing, besides I wanted too, now let me get ready and we can go down to breakfast" Scorpius says going to the dormitory bathroom.
As the boys get to the great hall they give there essays to Professor Binns and go sit at the Slytherin table and quietly eat, when Tracy Nott comes and sits down in front of them.
"You guys going to Hogsmead today, it's the first one of the year?" She asks them.
Albus and Scorpius had forgotten all about going to Hogsmead this weekend. They've been so focused on other things, but agree to go and take their minds off school and other things they've been struggling to figure out. Albus is no closer to figuring out what he dream meant, and has just decided to forget the whole thing, thinking maybe Scorpius was right and that's all it was, a dream.
Hours later they find themselves in the Three Broomsticks having a butterbeer. They don't go anywhere else really, having been to the village many times in the past. However Albus had forgotten that it was his sisters first time in the village now that she's a third year, that is until he saw her running into Honeyduke's sweetshop. That's when Albus made a mental note to pick up a few sweets before heading back to Hogwarts.
The two Slytherins head out of the Three Broomsticks and go to Honeyduke's, to pick up sweets. They pick out many of their favorite candies chocolate frogs, peppermint imps, pumpkin pasties, and many more. They grabbed it all and walked out, to head back to school for lunch. Though they didn't have much of an appetite after eating so many sweets just minutes before. Brian and Tracy sat down in front of the boys to talk to them.
"I can't believe she did that, I didn't even do anything" Brian complains sitting down.
"You almost sent the second year to the hospital" Tracy says.
"So almost, I didn't actually" Brian defends.
"What happened?" Albus asks the twins.
"Brian is careless and almost sent a second year to the hospital, so Gracie gave him detention" Tracy tells them.
"How was he careless?" Scorpius asked.
"Well I sorta was trying out a hex I read about, the kid wouldn't leave me alone, I was in the library trying to do work alright" Brian says.
"What hex?" Albus asks amused.
"Oh I don't remember the name but it like makes their tongue swell so they can't talk" Brian tells Albus.
"Yeah and you're bloody lucky that Gracie knew the counter curse for it" Tracy says.
"Well Brian I think Gracie let you off easy to be honest" Scorpius says to him.
"Thanks Scorp" Brian says sarcastically.
"Don't call him that!" Albus snapped.
"But you call him that" Brian says.
"Yeah cause he's my best friend so I get to call him that" Albus says matter of factly. Scorpius just blushes a bit at Albus' defensiveness about the nickname.
The twins awkwardly look at each other at that. Then Albus realizes and stays quiet. Dinner goes by uneventfully and they all go to the dormitories to get some rest.