Fic: Like Father, Like Son

[mini_fest_mod]

Title: Like Father, Like Son
Author: ???
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Albus Severus/Scorpius, Harry/Draco
Prompt(s): #74
AU/EWE Rating: Higher Ratings preferred, but anything is fine. Ginny and Astoria are not evil. They realize it wasn't meant to be. Happy Endings.
The two Slytherins have gradually become more and more attracted to each other. The only problem is, their divorced dads live together. Albus and Scorpius will be spending the winter holiday with their dads. It's one thing to know their dads are a couple, but to live in the house while, well, you know, is a bit embarrassing to two very hormonal teenagers who happen to be very attracted to each other also. How do Harry and Draco deal with their sons obvious attraction to each other? And how do the boys deal with the situation. Extra points for the boys catching their dads in a compromising situation, lol!
If you can add in a holiday celebration would be great. Doesn't matter what kind. I like food, lol ^_^
Warnings: bad gay jokes and making fun of Hufflepuffs
Summary: Albus and Scorpius visit their dads at the Malfoy beach house in Cornwall for the holidays. Embarrassing gifts, mortified teenagers, and Merlin fanboying all make for a very funny Christmas.
Word Count: 14,075
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it isn’t mine!
A/N: Somewhere along the line this story took on a life of its own and just ran away from me, and my little 3k fic turned into more than 14k.



If Albus Severus Potter thought it was odd when his father moved in with Draco Malfoy just after the start of term, that was nothing compared to how strange he felt when he received the letter from his mother informing him that he was going to spend Christmas with his father while Lily visited France with some of her friends.

It became more bizarre still when Scorpius received almost the same letter not five minutes later, and the two boys switched letters to confirm that the winter holiday would, in fact, be spent together.

Not that Albus was complaining, of course. Scorpius Malfoy was his best friend and they had been sharing a dormitory for six years. It was just the thought of spending the holiday with their fathers, specifically their father’s who were together, that had him hesitating to celebrate this surprising turn of events.

Albus was still reflecting on the letters and wondering just how uncomfortable these two weeks could possibly go while they rode the train home. It was a few hours into the trip and the cabin was quiet for the first time now that Timothy Nott and Briony Zabini had disappeared to snog in private. Scorpius, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, had shifted at some point until his head was pillowed on Albus’ lap and the dark-haired Slytherin was absently stroking the soft blond hair while he stared out the window at the un-changing landscape.

Two weeks. He could manage to keep his hands to himself and his mouth shut for two weeks, couldn’t he? Casual affection had always been easy between the pair, and none of the other Slytherins ever thought anything of it when the two were more often than not seen laying across the other or sitting closer than two teenage boys normally would. This term, however, Albus had found he was looking for any excuse he could to touch his friend who had grown a few inches over the summer.

Scorpius had always been pretty. He knew it wasn’t a term usually applied to boys, but he had never found a word more fitting to describe the blond boy with the clear grey eyes. Over this last summer his friend had surpassed him in height and had let his hair grow out so it hung down over his eyes while he was reading, and Albus found that ‘pretty’ no longer described the toned, slender boy because he was beautiful.

Since September, Albus has also found he was more attracted to his friend than he had ever been before. The casual touches no longer seemed quite so casual, long fingers seemed to linger in his hair or on his neck when Scorpius was ruffling the dark mane. And when he fell asleep on Scorpius’ bed, as he was known to at least once or twice a week while studying, he’d been embarrassed to wake up pressed against his friend’s hip with a hard on. By the second week back at Hogwarts he’d had silencing spells around his bed at night and a hand down his pajama bottoms while he thought about white-blond hair and thin pink lips.

He’d been too embarrassed to look Scorpius in the eye without blushing the entire next day, which had prompted worried questions from his friend. Albus had been so desperate to stop the line of questioning he’d passed it off that one of the Ravenclaw girls had been asking him about Scorpius and what kind of girls he got into bed. Scorpius himself had been a little embarrassed by it too and dropped the line of questioning, but it didn’t stop Albus from getting off on the image of Scorpius’ flushed cheeks later that night. Somewhere along the lines he’d stopped being embarrassed by it and it just became a fact of life by early October.

“Albus?” Scorpius’ voice was deep and sleepy, drawing the dark-haired boy’s attention to his lap.

“Hmm?” He didn’t bother to hide the fact he was still stroking the soft tresses.

“This is going to be weird, isn’t it?”

Albus smiles faintly but it’s forced. “It is. I’m glad James is only going to be over for Christmas day, though.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Scorpius is quiet for a minute before he speaks again more softly, “Don’t let our dads make this weird between us, okay?”

“Never,” he promises and gave the blond’s neck a gentle squeeze. “Nothing has affected us yet, and nothing will now.”

“Good.” Scorpius smiles up at him and closes his eyes to go back to sleep.

Somehow the simple request calmed any lingering worries and he was able to relax enough to nap the rest of the way back to London.

***

Harry was alone when he met the two boys on Platform Nine and Three Quarters; Draco no where to be seen. He greeted Albus warmly with a hug and a smile.

“Hello Mr. Potter,” Scorpius greeted him without meeting his eye. It was weird greeting the man who was sleeping with his father, especially when that man was also his best mate’s dad.

“Please, call me Harry.”

“Yes, sir,” Scorpius glared at his friend who was snickering at his side. They’ll see just how comfortable Albus is with this later when he has to see Scorpius’ father.

“Just Harry, I insist.”

Scorpius didn’t have the chance to reply before Harry pulled an old mitten from his pocket and held it out between them.

“The portkey is set to go off within the minute. Make sure you have hold of your things.”

The blond doesn’t miss the opportunity to elbow Albus sharply in the side as he reaches to touch the mitten. A smirk blossoms on his face at the quiet groan of pain, but his moment of triumph fades when Albus grabs his hand rather than the mitten at the exact moment the portkey activates. The uncomfortable feeling hooks him behind his navel and pulls them out of existence in London and drops them unceremoniously in the foyer of what Scorpius quickly identifies as his family home at Trebarwith Strand.

Their hands broke apart when they both struggled to their feet and the pink tinge of embarrassment on Scorpius’ cheeks deepened when he heard his father’s disapproving tone behind him.

“Honestly Scorpius, just because you were traveling with the Potters does not mean you needed to arrive like one.”

“I’m sorry, father,” Scorpius looks down at his hands, “The portkey took me by surprise.”

“Draco…” Scorpius could hear the warning in Harry’s voice and was even more uncomfortable that the elder Potter was attempting to come to his defense.

His father’s familiar chuckle, however, brought his gaze to Draco’s face before he stepped forward to hug him tightly. He tried not to pay too much attention to the entirely besotted and playful look his father was giving Harry over his head.

“Welcome home, son.”

“Thanks, dad.” Scorpius’ smile was bright when he turned back to the Potters and he laughed at the identical looks on both Albus and Harry’s faces. It made the situation all the more awkward, but thankfully Albus joined in his laughter and the tension lightened ever so slightly.

When the laughter faded he began to feel like he was intruding on something he shouldn’t be, judging by the looks that his father was exchanging with Harry. “I’m going to show Albus upstairs. We’ll be down for supper.”

With his trunk in hand he moved down the hall towards the stairs, expecting his friend to follow because surely he wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable in that situation. The thump of Albus’ trunk behind him only confirmed his suspicions and he was thankful for the safe familiarity of his bedroom on the third floor.

The second floor was entirely made up of the master suite, which Scorpius did not want to think about his father sharing with his house guest. No, in fact this was one time he was very glad his room was so far removed from the rest of the house.

Albus’ laughter filled the room when they both threw themselves onto the large bed.

“I never want to see that look on my father’s face again!” Scorpius groaned and hid his face in his arms. “This is going to be even worse than I thought.”

“We could always hide up here,” Albus’ voice was closer, and Scorpius realized it was because he had moved and was trying to brush Scorpius’ hair out of his face. The blond pouted at his friend but raised his head obediently. “But I have to say that you get the same look on your face when you’re trying to trick me into forgiving you for being a prat.”

“I do not!” Scorpius reached out to push Albus’ shoulder in indignation.

“Do too!” The knowing grin on Albus’ face annoyed Scorpius to no end and without warning he pounced on his friend.

Scorpius may have had a few inches on his friend, but Albus had a stronger frame and had more experience wrestling because with his brother and cousins, neither of which Scorpius had. The element of surprise was the only thing on Scorpius’ side when he struggled against Albus and managed to flip them both off the bed and into a tangle of limbs on the wooden floor with a loud thump.

“Oww!”

Scorpius laughed, unhurt himself because he’d landed entirely on top of Albus but also because he knew the other boy wasn’t hurt beyond the deflation of his ego. He knew that Albus had always been proud to say he hadn’t lost a wrestling match against any Slytherin, so Scorpius was quite proud of himself. “Don’t be such a girl!”

Like his father, Scorpius knew pride would be his downfall. His early celebration was cut unexpectedly short when Albus bucked beneath him and flipped them so it was Scorpius’ turn to land on his back while his friend straddled his hips to keep him pinned. A pout was always Scorpius’ default response in this situation, one he finds himself in at least once or twice a week, but somehow this felt different because they weren’t in the dormitory with their friends or in the crowded common room. Rarely did they wrestle when they were alone together, and Scorpius had just discovered why.

Albus’ hips felt good pressing his down against the floor. Strong hands had his wrists pinned near his head, and Albus’ thumbs rubbed slow circles over his quickened pulse. Emerald green eyes met his gaze and the emotion he saw there both aroused him and made him nervous. All those hints and touches of the last few months came together in those expressive eyes and he wasn’t sure he could handle the truth they told.

His voice cracked and he wanted to kick himself for his weakness when he spoke, “I give. Let me up.” It took a moment and a hissed, “Albus!” before the larger boy moved off him and retreated to lean against the bed and rub the back of his head.

Scorpius leaned against his dresser opposite his friend but left his leg outstretched so it casually touched along the length of Albus’. “You didn’t hit your head too hard, did you?”

“Would you feel bad if I did?”

“No, not really.” Though they both knew it was a complete lie because any time Albus was anywhere near the hospital wing Scorpius became a worried wreck that refused to leave his side.

Both boys grinned at the other and burst into laughter, leaving the intensity of the last few moments forgotten for the time being.

***

Dinner that first evening was an uncomfortable affair at best.

Draco hadn’t spent much time around the Potter boy, even when Albus came to stay at the Manor for a few weeks every summer, so he made sure the house elves prepared Albus’ favorite meal, roast lamb with vegetables and potatoes. It really wouldn’t do for his lover’s son to feel negatively towards him.

He wished he could just ask about Quidditch, which was a topic that would always get Harry talking, but his lover had reminded him before dinner that it was a sore subject for Albus. Draco didn’t think he could ever understand how the son of two former-professional Quidditch players refused to ever get on a broom, and from what Harry had told him over the past months, he didn’t think the boy’s father understood it any better.

“So Albus, what is your best subject at school?” Surely Hogwarts would be a safe subject.

“Erm,” Albus looked surprised by the random question, and Draco did not miss the glance the boy sent to his father. “Potions is my best, but I like Transfiguration too.”

His own shock came when Scorpius was the one to elaborate on Albus’ answer, “Al has the best marks of anyone in our year in potions. Professor Boot even has him doing seventh year NEWT potions!”

When Draco looked from his son back to the younger, identical clone of Harry, he was amused to see the boy’s cheeks stained by a familiar red flush.

“Really? You never told me that, Albus.” Harry cut in, clearly taken aback by the information as well. “That’s wonderful!”

Draco knew Harry well enough now, even if he hadn’t realized it when they were at Hogwarts themselves, to notice that Albus was self-conscious about the attention in the same way Harry had been back then. Even at recent Ministry functions Draco had seen his lover get flustered and embarrassed when his achievements were discussed around him.

“It’s nothing, dad.” Draco watched silently as Albus glared at Scorpius before turning his attention on his plate once again.

“It isn’t nothing, you know the only two in your entire family who are decent at potions are your uncles Bill and George. And Hermione, of course. The rest of us were utter rubbish, especially me.”

“Oh!” Scorpius grinned suddenly and grabbed Albus’ upper arm excitedly. “That reminds me the box of new Weasley Wheezes products should be here this week!”

The outburst drew a laugh from both of the Potters and even a smile from Draco. His son had had a mildly alarming obsession with the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes since he was a child and always pre-ordered the newest products.

Distracted by the laughter and change of topic, the elder Malfoy almost hadn’t noticed Scorpius take a forkful of peas from Albus’ plate and how the other boy took carrots from Scorpius’ plate instead. He left the two boys and Harry to carry on the conversation about the newest line of invisible products while he silently observed for the remainder of the meal. It seemed Harry hadn’t noticed a single odd thing, but Draco merely raised an eyebrow as the boys finished the vegetables off the other’s plate, apparently out of habit because neither made a fuss of it as their arms regularly crossed over the other. It was then that Draco was aware of just how close the boys were sitting, as if they were sharing a bench in the Great Hall at Hogwarts rather than two separate chairs in the dining room of the beach house.

Draco was only drawn out of his thoughts when a warm hand squeezed his arm lightly and he realized Harry had been attempting to get his attention for some time.

“I apologize, love. I was thinking.” He smiled apologetically at his partner. “What were we discussing?”

“I asked if you were done eating.” Harry smiled back and gestured at his plate, which was almost untouched for the fact he had been watching the boys interact the whole meal time.

“Oh, yes.” Draco pushed the plate a few inches to the side.

He felt bad for the worry that was clearly “Should we go to the drawing room for tea and hot cocoa?”

“Yes please,” Scorpius stood and pulled Albus out of the room by the hand.

Draco sighed quietly once they were out of the room and ran his fingers through his hair in an unconscious habit picked up from the man sitting next to him.

“What is it, Draco? You’ve been distant since we sat down to eat.”

“The boys…” He shook his head and reminded himself silently not to jump to conclusions. “I will tell you later tonight.”

Harry nodded and took Draco’s hand and helped him to his feet. “Now come on. The boys have bet us to team chess and I am not about to lose to teenagers.”

Draco’s laughter echoed in the room as he followed Harry out. “You couldn’t beat a first year student at wizard chess, Potter!”

***

It was late in the evening when the four men returned to their rooms for the night, Harry and Draco to their suite of rooms on the second floor, and the boys to the third floor where once again they found themselves in Scorpius’ room because they hadn’t yet bothered to move Albus’ trunk across the hall.

With just the bedside candles lit, the boys changed quickly into pajamas and both crawled beneath the charm-warmed blankets.

“I can’t believe I heard my father call your dad ‘love’!” Scorpius moaned and buried his face into his pillow. “And the way he kept looking at him like a fourth year girl pining after Teddy!” Although Teddy had been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for more than a year he still had trouble calling his cousin ‘Professor Lupin.’

“My dad wasn’t any better,” Albus pushed at Scorpius’ arm, but the blond just pushed him back without giving up his position. “He was practically sitting in his lap while we played wizard chess!”

“At least your dad didn’t spend the entire evening staring at us!” Scorpius turned his head to look at his best friend and was startled to find bright green eyes looking back at him without the barrier of glasses. “Like that. It’s creepy.”

Albus snickered and reached out to ruffle the long blond hair. “No, it’s creepy when your father does it. Not when I do.”

“Don’t be a twat.” Scorpius batted the hand away from ruffling his hair but closed his eyes and gave up the fight when Albus slid his fingers tenderly through the blond tresses.

“I should tell my father you’re always taking the piss when I’m just trying to be nice.”

“Albus Potter, you’re a Slytherin, not a Hufflepuff. Now act like one!” He moved a fraction closer to the gentle hand that was petting his hair.

If he still had his eyes open he would have been disturbed by the smirk on Albus’ face and worried about exactly which Slytherin traits would be employed by his friend. With his eyes closed, however, there was no warning before Albus’ hand drifted from his hair to his neck. Scorpius shivered at the touch and the other boy pulled gently, bringing them both closer to the center of the bed and into a familiar proximity to one another.

Scorpius kept his face buried in the pillow to hide the blush when Albus growled low against his ear, “Call me a Hufflepuff again and I’ll remind you exactly what our fathers are doing downstairs.”

“Albus!” the disgusted cry was muffled by the pillow, but the blond flailed as he tried desperately to get the image out of his mind. “You’re such a wanker!”

“No,” the other boy sounded entirely too pleased with himself and it made Scorpius want to cover his face with a pillow and smother him. “That’s not what is happening downstairs.”

Actually, that sounded like a better plan than to allow him continue speaking. Scorpius twisted beneath his arm, the pillow clutched in his hands so he could shove it in Albus’ face to muffle the suggestive words that were both disgusting to think about their father’s doing, but what he wouldn’t mind doing with the boy in his bed. It left him in an awkward state that bordered between arousal mortification.

“Put a sock in it, Albus! I do not ever want to think about our fathers doing anything like that!”

Scorpius was too embarrassed by the conversation to even feel pathetic when Albus easily pushed him and the pillow off with little to no effort.

“Why not?” The blond did not trust that grin on his friend’s face for good reason. “Your father is quite fit.”

“Ack!” Scorpius shouted and covered his ears before he began reciting the NEWT-level charms alphabetically to drown out the sound of Albus’ words. He glowered darkly at Albus until the other boy’s laughter finally died off, but he kept his hands about his ears just to be safe. “Don’t say things like that!”

The way Albus shrugged did nothing to tell Scorpius if the other boy was just pissing around or if he had been serious. The uncertainty of Albus’ meaning made his stomach feel as if it had been tied into knots and a hot surge of unexpected jealousy rose up in him.

The jealousy reminded Scorpius of a great dragon, rising up and stretching its wings to protect what was his from those who might take it away. It would have sounded absurd to anyone other than Scorpius, but Albus was his and he wasn’t going to let anyone, even his father, near what belonged to him.

Some of what he was feeling must have shown on his face because Albus’ impish grin faded and he looked almost apologetic. “I only meant you’ll still be fighting off the birds when you’re his age.”

The dragon inside him settled and folded its wings once again, but it was awake and alert, and Scorpius silently swore he would keep Albus as far away from the senior Malfoy as he possibly could for the remainder of the holiday.

His only audible response was a low growl of frustration before he laid down himself, close enough he could both keep a close eye on his friend and grasp a handful of the soft green t-shirt
Albus wore to bed.

Scorpius had never seen Albus look as uncertain as he did when he extinguished the candles before laying next to the blond. In the dark he whispered in a hushed tone, “Really, Scorpius. I wasn’t taking the piss. Anyone would need to be blind not to notice.”

“Just stop talking about my father,” Scorpius snapped and tightened his hand in Albus’ shirt. He unconsciously pulled him closer so their bent knees touched beneath the covers. “And go to sleep.”

“Sleep well,” was the whispered reply. He could tell Albus was not sleeping, but eventually the sound of the steady breathing lulled him into a deep sleep. In his last conscious moments, though he would never be able to say if it had truly happened or not, Scorpius thought he felt the soft press of lips to his forehead and a whisper of soft words in his ear.

***

Draco had behaved strangely all evening, and it had not escaped his attention. Very little regarding his partner went un-noticed by him. So since he wouldn’t admit what was wrong after dinner, he held Draco to it once they closed the door to their room.

“Is it awkward for you to have me here with the boys?” He suspected that was the case, but he really didn’t know.

“No!” Draco assured him quickly and wrapped his arms around Harry’s shoulders. “It isn’t you at all. Have you… Did you ever notice how close the boys are?”

“They’ve been mates since they started at Hogwarts, like Ron and me. It makes sense they’re close.” He didn’t understand what point Draco had attempted to make, and that bothered him. “It’s good they’re friends.”

While he waited for Draco to form his thoughts into something he could understand, he began to undress his lover for bed beginning with the buttons of his shirt and his hands wandered over warm skin when all the buttons were open.

“Have you and Ron ever eaten off the other’s plate?”

Harry tilted his head curiously and thought about it. “Ron is a food hog, but sometimes he would save me sausages or something if I was late for a meal.”

“But was it normal for you to just take something off his plate?” Harry suspected the question was because Draco hadn’t ever had friends he was close to the way Harry was with Ron so he honestly didn’t know.

“Not usually, I guess. Why are you asking?” He pushed Draco’s shirt completely off and let it drop on the floor before he rid the blond of his belt as well.

Draco toed his shoes off and left them in the middle of the floor as he to set too set to free Harry of his shirt. “Does Albus like peas?”

And Draco had another question that seemed to be out of nowhere, but Harry humored him anyway. “No, he’s always hated peas.”

“Scorpius hates carrots.”

“Where are you going with this?” Harry was still at a loss.

“Scorpius ate all of Albus’ peas during dinner. And Albus ate the carrots off Scorpius’ plate.” He said it as if it was a dramatic reveal of something important, but it didn’t clarify anything for Harry.

“So?”

“Don’t act so dense, Potter! Obviously there is something between them!”

Harry looked at him, and stared at him, and stared at him longer until he started to laugh. “Draco--” he gasped between bouts of laughter, “our sons are not dating or sleeping together! You’re just being paranoid.”

“I am not! That isn’t normal behavior!”

Harry knew he pushed the wrong buttons when Draco stalked away towards the closet and left him there half dressed. He wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor for nothing, and when most others would back off and leave Draco to his strop, Harry followed after him. “What do any of us know about normal?”

He wrapped his arms around Draco from behind and kissed his shoulder. “Maybe it’s normal for them. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

Draco sighed in response, and Harry felt it more than heard it with the way he held his lover. “Scorpius is always touching him and holding his hand…”

“I still think you’re reading too much into it, Draco. They are not us.”

“No, they’re not.” From Draco’s tone he knew the conversation was over, but he suspected it would come up again before the holiday was over. “Your son was smart enough to be sorted into Slytherin.”

“Why would I have wanted to be friends with a spoilt brat?” Harry teased and pulled him back into the bedroom and towards the bed.

“You might not have wanted to be my friend, but you wanted something else from me.” Draco rolled his hips suggestively and Harry couldn’t stop the low groan.

“Can you blame me with an arse like that?”

Draco’s trousers and pants were the next thing to go when they reached the bed and Harry found himself staring at the exquisite body that moved away from him to stretch out on the bed. “You never were able to resist me for long, Potter.”

As much as Harry would like to prove Draco wrong in that regard, he was not going to find self-control while he watched his lover slowly stroke his cock to full hardness on their bed. Like Draco had said, he was never able to resist a sight like that, and quickly joined him.

For the moment at least, all thoughts of their sons were out put to rest.

***

The next few days of the holiday passed fairly uneventfully, with the boys out of the house and exploring during the days while their fathers were working. Not everyone had a two week holiday, after all.

As Albus had never been to Tintagel, famous for King Arthur and Merlin and all the old stories, they had bundled up and gone into town for a few days to see the sights. There was a small wizarding community in town, but the boys took the time to explore the Muggle shops and sites as well as the magical and historical. By mid-week, however, the town had lost interest to them and Albus was eager to investigate more of the beach and caves near the house at Trebarwith Strand.

Cloaks were too much to wear on their adventures, so they were dressed in jeans and Muggle-style jackets, though all of their clothing was infused with warming and drying charms so they would be comfortable. One of the house elves had even packed them an entire meal to eat when they got hungry in the early afternoon.

And so, with a note left for their fathers about where they had gone, the two set out. The Strand was quiet because of the time of year, with only the most dedicated of surfers out in the choppy water and an occasional couple walking along the shore.

A cold breeze whipped across the sand and reddened Scorpius’ cheeks to a fetching shade of pink. Albus thought it made the blond look boyish and adorable in his green knit hat, and though he had mostly behaved himself, he couldn’t resist taking Scorpius’ gloved hand in his as they walked.

Albus noticed Scorpius’ surprised expression from the corner of his eye, but he just grinned and tugged his hand playfully in the direction of the cliffs and a cave he could see further along the shore. “Come on, there’s one up ahead!”

Scorpius’ laughter warms Albus and makes his smile even wider. “Has anyone ever told you that you act like a child when you’re excited?”

“You do, usually when you promise me a surprise!”

“Well it’s true!” Scorpius bumps his shoulder against Albus’ and the dark-haired boy laughs. “Try not to trample the rock pools in your excitement.”

“And you treat me like I’m some great lumbering Gryffindor oaf like my brother!”

“You know what my father would say to that.”

Albus picked his way carefully over the exposed rocks in the pools of water and tiny living creatures. “Do you think he would still say that since he’s with my dad?”

Scorpius made a face at him but continued to hold his hand as he followed Albus’ steps to keep his feet out of the water. “It’s likely. They still bicker like an old married couple.”

“They practically are an old married couple.” Albus let go of his friend’s hand while he climbed up on a large boulder, but turned to give him a hand up. “Except, you know, they aren’t married.”

“For one afternoon can we not talk about my father and your dad?”

Albus purposely gave him a harder tug up than was necessary so he was forced to wrap the slender blond in a hug, under the guise of stabilizing them so neither fell back off the rock. Scorpius’ suggestion really sounded like an especially good idea because he still flirted with his friend at every opportune moment, such as this one. He teased playfully, “Whoa, Scorp! You alright there?”

The flush that spread across the pale cheeks and the slight nod made Albus smile. His plan was still working perfectly.

He lingered on the top of the rock holding onto to Scorpius a little too long, taking in the sight of his friend’s wind-blown hair and bright grey eyes. Eventually though Scorpius shifted awkwardly and tried to pull away, but not before Albus noticed the reddened tips of his ears that peeked through pale hair.

“Forward and onward!” Albus declared and released his captive. He turned and took two steps to get off the rock before he paused and looked down at where the sand was eight feet below his perch. Everything came to a pause in that moment and he swayed in place as an uncomfortable dizzy spell set in and that eight feet started to look like eighty.

Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, holding him steady as a warm voice whispered low in his ear, “Close your eyes, Albus. Once the spinning stops we’ll get you down, alright?”

Albus nodded and leaned back into the safety of the hold. He trusted Scorpius would never let him fall. “I’m sorry… one day I’ll get over this…”

“Sssh,” Scorpius’ breath was soft and warm and gooseflesh appeared on Albus’ neck. “You never need to apologize for this.”

But Albus still felt he did. His extreme fear of heights made even watching Quidditch matches from the stands impossible, so Scorpius had always sat with him on the grass to watch. He was excused from flying lessons first year after the Professor had noticed him trembling so badly he could barely stand, and even Astronomy classes were troublesome if he got too near the windows of the classroom or looked down the endless staircases on their way back from class. One of the more humiliating moments had been when the Sorting Hat had mentioned that Gryffindors and Ravenclaws lived in towers, and wouldn’t he be more comfortable in the dungeons?

But while he stood on the rock, he hadn’t thought about the Sorting Hat, he only thought about how comfortable and safe he felt in Scorpius’ arms. Though this wasn’t part of his plan, and The Plan had been far from his mind at that moment, he knew without a doubt his friend would always be there to save him from this.

“Do you think you can sit down?” he asked a few minutes later, and Albus knew it was because Scorpius felt the trembling subside.

Albus nodded, and still in the security of Scorpius’ arms he sat down on the edge of the rock while his legs hung over the side.

“I’m going to jump down, alright? I tell you when you can open your eyes.”

“Okay…” Albus trailed off and waited. Scorpius’ arms disappeared and he listened when his fearless friend jumped down onto the sand.

Familiar hands rested on his calves to soothe any nervousness that lingered. Albus shivered at the touch.

“I’m ready,” he whispered and reached for the hands that now rested on his knees.

“Open your eyes, Albus…” Scorpius’ voice was gentle, as if he were speaking to a child. “Only look at me.”

And Albus did what he was told. Green eyes met grey and stayed fixed on them as he slid off the rock and into Scorpius’ arms. Once his feet were on sand again he threw his arms around narrow shoulders in silent thanks.

Scorpius held him just as tightly around the waist and Albus was struck by the thought he couldn’t imagine his life without this beautiful man in it. When they pulled back to look at each other the hold was not loosened and their faces hovered mere inches apart.

Albus made the first move and smiled with blush-warmed cheeks.

For a half-second he thought Scorpius was going to kiss him, but he stopped just an inch shy of Albus’ lips and rested their foreheads together. Both boys had their eyes closed as they stood together for the longest time, breath warm and the air between them moist as they breathed slowly. It was as if time stood still and the world around them disappeared until it was just the two of them, so close and yet not close enough to the other, and more than anything Albus wanted him.

“Scorpius…” he whispered breathlessly, his eyes still closed and his heart was hopeful that this would finally be the moment.

That one word shattered the moment, and Albus felt the world come rushing back in the roar of the ocean and the squawk of the gulls. And the bite of the wind on his skin could be felt when Scorpius pulled away with an awkward laugh.

Albus laughed too, but inside he felt like his heart was breaking.

“The cave is just up ahead,” Scorpius’ voice sounded higher than usual to Albus’ ears, as it did when he was uncomfortable about the situation, and Albus silently promised himself then and there that The Plan was no longer a good idea if it meant risking the comfortable friendship he already had with Scorpius.

“Oh right, the cave.” Albus trailed him to the base of the cliffs and the narrow fissure in the rock face that would lead them inside. He was much more aware of the cold and the wind without Scorpius’ warm hand in his. “How deep does it go?”

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Scorpius grinned over his shoulder and squeezed inside. “But we have to be quick because the entrance is blocked once the tide comes in.”

With one last glance at the sea and the water level he turned sideways and squeezed through to follow after him. Though Scorpius was taller, Albus had broader shoulders so it was a bit of a tight fit. “I see why you used to come here when you were smaller. Adults wouldn’t be able to fit.”

Scorpius laughed when Albus got wedged in the narrowest point of the passage, just before the entrance opened up into a wider cave. “Too bad you’ve got those shoulders the girls love,” he teased.

“Just get me out of here,” he muttered in annoyance, trying to slide down a little so the rock wasn’t digging into his shoulder.

A warm hand on his and a hard tug later, Albus stumbled into the larger cavern. He blinked a few times and raised his hand up to touch his cheek where he’d scraped it along the rock, and as he had suspected, there was blood from the fresh cut.

“Alright, Albus?” Scorpius’ face moved into his line of sight, glowing an eerie shade of blue.

“Just a scratch,” he replied quickly and wiped his fingers on his jeans. As he looked around and realized that while it was dark inside the cave and the light from outside was no longer visible, he had no trouble seeing because the walls themselves seemed to be glowing. He reached up to the touch the wall, and the place where he touched immediately turned dark until he pulled his hand back. Once it deemed the threat gone, it began to glow again. “What is this stuff?”

“Lunae Lumen,” Scorpius answered, and he could tell his friend was smiling.

“The fungus?”

“Yeah.”

“You do know that Professor Longbottom would kill to see this, right?”

“Of course I do. I’ve told him all about it, but apparition doesn’t work in this cave system. There’s an ancient magic protecting it that some people say was done by Merlin himself.” The way Scorpius said Merlin’s name as if he was a god would have made Albus jealous, except for the fact that Merlin is dead and he really isn’t competition.

Albus laughed instead. “Someday you’ll realize that your crush on Merlin is entirely unhealthy. Especially because he would have been a Hufflepuff if he’d gone to Hogwarts.”

“Don’t call him a Hufflepuff!”

Scorpius’ denial only made him laugh harder, and when the blond tried to hit at him, Albus wrapped an arm playfully around his shoulders and pushed him deeper into the cave. “Alright, alright. But stop fawning over him as if you were a third year Hufflepuff and he was a Quidditch god.”

He entirely missed Scorpius’ dirty look that was given in response.

“So how deep does this go?” They carefully avoided the rock pools that are as prevalent inside the cavern as they were outside, and continued to walk out of the first cavern and into the next.

“I don’t know… I’ve spent hours in here and never found the end of it. I even got stuck in here overnight once when the tide came in. I thought father was going to kill me when I got home.”

Though the cave was dark with no outside light reaching that depth, every room was lit with the same pale blue glow of the Lunae Lumen. In addition, every chamber seemed to have a different variety of rare magical plants and herbs that are impossible to find above ground except where they are only touched by moonlight.

“I can see why you like it here… it’s practically a greenhouse!” Draco might not have been aware of it, but Albus knew Herbology was Scorpius’ favorite, and best, subject.

“Oh belt up.” Scorpius laughed and gave Albus a shove. “You’re thinking about all the potions you can make with the plants in here.”

“Maybe.” Albus laughed with him and moved from walking next to him to behind him when they slipped though a narrowed gap in the rocks. The next space took his breath away once they emerged from the passageway.

Away from Scorpius, Albus had his shy moments where he didn’t speak much, but his fellow Slytherin had brought out his confidence since the moment they met. At that moment, for the first time, he was speechless in Scorpius’ presence. He had been expecting another cavern of glowing plants and pools of salt water, but what they had found instead was an area where the rock walls were almost entirely covered by pale white crystals growing out of the slate. Each crystal seemed to emit its own internal source of light, and as such the cavern was well-lit compared to where they had come from. Magic filled this chamber and Albus could feel it all around them. He searched his memory for any mention of a place like this, but as with most Hogwarts students, the only thing he could remember from History of Magic classes were Goblin rebellions and names that he could never pronounce. “Scorpius…”

“Sshh…” Scorpius whispered and took Albus’ hand in his. This was a place of reverence and strong magic; words were unnecessary.

The magic in this chamber was so thick it felt like he was swimming when he felt a gentle tug on his hand and he followed Scorpius obediently without taking his eyes off the crystals. In some of them he imagined he could see faint figures moving, but his eyes were never able to fix on one long enough to make out anything more than that.

He was almost unaware they had stopped except for Scorpius’ gentle hands on his shoulders that pressed him down to sit. Scorpius sat next to him pressed into his side as he pointed at a small crystal, one of the smallest in the cavern, and Albus focused his attention on it.

The faint figures he thought he had imagined were clearer in this crystal, though he had to lean closer to see them better.

Scorpius stood behind the counter of the Apothecary, crushing dried herbs into a fine powder. When he finished crushing them he sifted them carefully into a small jar and sealed it, labeling it clearly in his neat handwriting, and set it on the shelf above him. He did this again and again, repeating the process.

The image in the crystal shifted and Albus felt Scorpius’ breath catch next to him.

Albus was seated behind a work table in the Apothecary, watching closely over the two cauldrons in front of him. His work was clean and precise, adding the right ingredients at the right times. From off to the side Scorpius appeared, setting a small cutting board onto the table with sliced dandelion root. Albus smiled up at him and Scorpius leaned in to kiss him softly before disappearing again with a smile.

The image faded again, and this time it was Albus who gasped quietly. Could it be true what the crystals showed, or were they just his own desires reflected back at him?

Albus and Scorpius closed and locked up the Apothecary for the evening, stepping outside into the Diagon Alley at twilight. As they walked away hand-in-hand, the previously-unseen sign was visible, reading ‘Malfoy-Potter Apothecary’. Further on down the Alley, Albus kissed Scorpius softly and they apparated away.

This time when the image shifted back to the first image of Scorpius, Albus looked away and to his friend. Scorpius looked back at him, a mixture of surprise and happiness in his eyes, and Albus realized they were still holding hands.

“It’s never shown me that much before…” Scorpius whispered, as if speaking louder would break the magic within the cave. “Never anything more than the first part.”

“Scorpius…” he whispered in response, still unable to find the right words. He could always blame the magic later, but he gave in to the deepest desires of his heart and leaned in to kiss Scorpius tenderly.

***

Onto Part 2.