Match Me - Part II
( Part I )
June 14, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Empty Flat
Al hadn't been able to think or sleep or eat or work since Saturday. And now, standing here with his arm pressed up against Scorpius's in the tiny flat, he couldn't breathe either. The only thing he had done was stare at a picture of Scorpius for hours on end and wank himself raw.
He was hard again, his cock pressing against his trousers painfully. He couldn't look at Scorpius, not without coming in his pants. Instead he listened to his voice as he conversed with the realtor, strong and casual. He didn't sound like he was interested in anything besides the flat. Al didn't know how, didn't know why. How could he have forgotten the kiss? He had said he would, Al had too, but it was impossible to forget.
Al was positive he was gay though. It was as easy as that to decide, now that he knew what it was like to kiss a man. He had never been interested in girls and their kisses during games like Saturday's, had left him with the impression of kissing a dead fish. Scorpius's kiss was like a burning fire, slowly turning his heart to embers in his chest. There had never been any other blokes that he liked, but he had always looked at them more and noticed which ones were attractive. So, he was gay, but mostly he was Scorpisexual because he couldn't imagine being with any man other than Scorpius now.
He really had been the only person Al had ever connected with. Scorpius knew him, knew he liked to sleep till noon and eat his carrots with a bit of honey on them and that he giggled if you poked him near his bellybutton. The only thing he didn't know about Al was something Al hadn't known about himself either.
He loved Scorpius. He always had. And Al hadn't realised it until that kiss. He had felt the lust in him, felt it churn his stomach over. And when he had Apparated home and fell into bed the lust had exploded into an orgasm that left him gasping. As he lay there panting, the lust had faded, leaving behind a feeling of utter desperation. Scorpius was straight as a wand. He liked girls, liked them tall and blonde and busty and everything Al wasn't. All Al could ever have was his friendship.
It was that friendship that had convinced Al to join him in viewing the flat. Being friends with Scorpius was better than nothing and Al couldn't imagine life without his friend by his side. And that was how he knew he was in love because the thought of losing Scorpius to some girl somewhere hurt worse than anything Al had ever felt, but the thought of Scorpius being sad hurt even more than that. So Al was prepared to treasure his time with his best mate, prepared to back off the moment Scorpius found a girl he liked, but he was going to hold on with both hands until that day.
Scorpius was shaking hands with the realtor, a buxom brunette, and Al couldn't help but feel jealous when he offered her a bright smile. His own smile was tight and he shook her hand briskly.
She looked slightly confused as she walked over to the door. "I'll give you some time to think about everything. Owl me if you are interested and feel free to poke about the flat for a little while. The door is spelled to lock behind you, so leave whenever you've finished deciding. Have a good day!"
And then she was gone and there was nothing to look at but the dingy walls or the dirty floor or the grimy ceiling or Scorpius. And when Scorpius cleared his throat Al found his gaze was on his friend and that Scorpius's cheeks weren't red and hot like Al's were.
"Well, what do you think?" Al surveyed the room. There was room for a bunk-bed on one wall and a table in the corner where the stove and sink were. If they really squeezed they might even be able to fit a large armchair in the room. It was perfect though because Scorpius was there.
"I like it." Scorpius's smile made him shiver.
"I like it too." He nodded his head towards the far wall. "I think we should put beds over on that end."
Al faced the wall with imaginary furniture floating in his mind. "If we got bunk beds we'd have some extra room. Some extra big pillows propped up against the wall on the bottom bed would make it into a couch too.
Scorpius moved next to him and Al's shoulder brushed against his chest. They both laughed, though Al's laughter was more than slightly nervous. "It's small, but it's home."
Al looked up at Scorpius, his stomach fluttering at the happy look on his face. "And home is where the heart is," he whispered to himself.
. July 21, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al's Flat
Al laughed as he picked up the Daily Prophet from the newsstand he passed everyday on the way home from work. James was on the front page again with yet another girl. It seemed that the reason James couldn't keep a girlfriend was because he was too self-absorbed and immature. Or at least that was what Al and Scorpius had decided because he definitely wasn't gay. Scorpius said he punched Teddy in the nose after Al left and then proceeded to complete dare after dare after dare, each more raunchy than the last, until he ended up giving a girl oral sex in front of everyone. Al wrinkled his nose at that thought; he hated hearing about how promiscuous his siblings could be.
He browsed the front page before refolding it and walking up the stairs to the flat. Pausing to make sure no letters had been left on the owl ledge by the door, Al made to open the door when he felt something wrapped around the doorknob. He looked down - sure enough there was a dingy Slytherin tie hanging there. His stomach began to churn. At Hogwarts, they would put a tie on the knob when they brought someone back to the dorm. Al had never done it and Scorpius had favoured places that were a little more private, but some of their dorm mates had been happy to kick them out of the room for a while.
It wasn't possible though. Scorpius hadn't been dating anyone. Al would have known! Their whole lives were about each other right now. They moved into the flat right after they signed the papers and bought some furniture, and they had been living there for almost a month now. Al had never been happier. Even at Hogwarts, he had shared Scorpius with a room full of boys. Here he had Scorpius all to himself. Scorpius had even been relaxing around him a bit, letting Al cuddle up next to him when they were both sitting on the couch-bed and giving him hugs when Al left for work in the morning and when he came home at night.
He backed away from the door, staring at the tie. Who could she be, this girl? Did Scorpius love her? Would he leave Al for her? Al had known he would have to give up Scorpius one day, but he hadn't thought it would happen so soon. He had hoped it would happen gradually, giving him some time to distance himself from Scorpius before he moved out and moved on.
He hadn't thought it would hurt so much.
His cheeks felt damp and when Al reached up he realised he was crying. He dropped his paper, not caring where it fell, as he tried to stop the tears from flowing. Glancing once more at the tie on the door, Al turned and walked away. What else could he do? He had no reason to barge in there, jealous and angry because Scorpius had never even mentioned that he and Al could have any kind of a relationship. Al wasn't a girlfriend with a rightful reason to be envious; he was just a best mate who was supposed to cheer on his friend when he bagged a bird.
The streets of Diagon Alley soon merged into other areas as Al kept walking. Al knew he had walked through Knockturn Alley, but he wasn't sure where he was when darkness began to fall. The road was empty and stretched far out in front of him with nary a house in sight. He shivered as the sun set, his summer robes thin and ill equipped for the brisk breeze that had begun to blow. When a stinging rain began to fall he collapsed under a tree and cast a warming charm. He fell asleep huddled in the darkness and it wasn’t until the dawn sky began to turn a deep red that he woke up. With soaking wet robes and a rumbling stomach, Al finally pulled out his wand and Apparated home.
He Apparated straight into his flat, almost landing on top of Scorpius. He kept his eyes focused on the floor as he moved to the cast iron stove and lit it, desperate for warmth. He didn't hear anyone moving, so he assumed Scorpius's girl was gone, but he didn't dare look to check. Long moments passed before Scorpius stomped up to him and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. Still Al kept looking at the floor, vaguely noticing that one of his shoes was a bit muddy.
"Where the hell have you been?" Scorpius's words, loud and angry, filled the flat. "I've been so worried! I thought you were supposed to be home at six last night."
Al spoke to the floor. "There was a tie on the door."
"You still could have owled or something! Slipped a note under the door, hollered at me through it." Al was perversely pleased to hear the anxiety in Scorpius's voice. "I only had her over for a quick shag while you were at work. I wouldn’t kick you out of your own flat for an entire night, at least not without discussing it with you beforehand. She's been gone for hours and hours, and I took the tie off of the door ages ago!"
Al couldn't keep the tears at bay and he hoped Scorpius couldn't see them. "There was a tie."
Scorpius grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me, Albus Severus Potter!"
He looked.
Scorpius's voice gentled. "Al, what's wrong? Are those tears?"
"There was a tie. You don't need me." Al heard his voice crack. "You've a girl now and you're going to move in with her and I'll just be a mate, someone you work with, just an acquaintance." He sounded desperate and he was telling Scorpius too much and he should shut up, but it was like he wasn't really talking, the words were just falling out of his mouth and he could not stop them. "There was a tie."
"Al? We'll always be best mates, nothing can change that." But even as he spoke, Scorpius dropped his hands from Al's shoulder and moved away.
Feeling rejected, Al kept babbling. "It's already changed. I can't go back to the way it used to be. I can't forget."
"Forget what?"
That sobered Al up. "Nothing, just... forget I said anything." He turned back to stove, attempting to dismiss the conversation.
Scorpius's voice was frustrated. "Forget what, Al? Do you mean the girl? She was just a one-off!"
"No! It's nothing!"
"Damn it, Al! Would you look at me?"
Al couldn't turn around though, couldn't face Scorpius's anger. He summoned some eggs from the icebox and grabbed a frying pan to put on the stove. "Do you want some eggs, Scorpius?"
"I want you to look at me."
Al cracked an egg into the pan and it began to sizzle. He wasn't sure, but he thought perhaps he was supposed to put a bit of oil in the pan. Oh well, it was already in there now, the edges turning black and crispy.
"Why won't you look at me?" Scorpius grabbed him then and Al felt like laughing as he was forced to turn around. Scorpius had never touched him this much before, not of his own free will. The fire reflected in his eyes was slightly exhilarating.
"What can't you forget?" The softly spoken question was too much for Al.
"This," he said and pressed himself up against Scorpius, wrapping his fingers up into his hair and forcing his lips against the other man's. It was a moment of pure bliss and then Al was shoved away.
"I can't do that, Al." Scorpius's face was twisted with disgust. "I have to go.”
And then he was gone, the door left hanging open behind him. Al slumped against the nearest surface, yelping as his hand landed on the edge of the frying pan. The egg was black now. He grabbed the handle and dumped it into the trash bin. It lay there, dried out and dead looking.
Al couldn't be sure it wasn't actually his heart.
. July 28, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al's Flat
There was a knock on the door. Al rushed to answer it, hoping beyond all hope that it would be Scorpius. When he saw it was James on the other side of the threshold he sagged against the doorframe.
"Hey."
James grinned. "Nice to see you too, little brother!" When Al didn't reply and just walked back over to his bed, James's grin fell. "Are you okay?"
Al slumped down onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little run-down."
James closed the door behind him and then sat down next to Al. "You're more than a bit run down. Uncle Ron said you haven't been in to work in a week and Mum's worried sick because you haven't replied to any of her owls."
Al shrugged and fell back against his pillows. "I'm a little sick is all."
"Heartsick maybe."
Al's gaze flew to James's. "What?"
James smiled sadly. "I know you, Al. This is how you've always reacted when Scorpius fought with you. I saw him at the Ministry on Monday doing his old job."
"Did he look happy?" Al searched his brother's face, looking for any hint as to how Scorpius was.
"No, he looked about as miserable as you. When I asked him what he was doing there, he said you got into a fight."
"Kinda."
"What happened, Al?" James wrapped his hand around his brother's. They hadn't held hands since James decided it was too girly when he was seven.
Al started to cry, feeling like a right baby. "I kissed him."
"I know, I watched you."
"No," Al said. "I kissed him again, last week, and it disgusted him. He left and he hasn't come back, not for his clothes or anything."
"Ha! I knew you liked him!" James took a moment to crow over his victory and Al couldn't help but laugh. His brother truly had the emotional range of a teaspoon. "Oh, sorry. That was a little mean..."
"No, it was just you."
James glared at him and Al laughed again. "I'm not mean."
"No, you're just clueless."
Sheepishly James said, "Yeah. But are you okay?"
"No." Al's voice was frank. "I'm not sure I'll ever be okay."
"Geez." James stood and pulled Al up by the hand he still held. "You've got it bad, but that's okay. We are going to go combat this by going on a bender and getting you smashed!"
"I don’t want to..."
"Nope, too late, you don't get an opinion. Now hold on tight, I'm going to Side-Along you!"
~*~
When Al stopped feeling dizzy from the sudden Apparition he realized they were nowhere near a pub of any kind.
"You lied to me!" he snarled at his brother.
"Yep! It wasn't Scorpius I talked to at the Ministry; it was his father." James was non-repentant. "Hey, Mr. Malfoy, I've got him!" he hollered.
Draco Malfoy entered the room then, his eyebrow quirked. "I do realise that. I felt the two of you come through the wards."
Al glared at the two of them. "I'm going home!" He attempted to Apparate only to get the feeling that he had been squeezed through the eye of a needle without actually moving.
Mr. Malfoy smirked. "And I closed them off as soon as you arrived."
Al gave up. "What do you want with me?"
"My son has been stomping around his room for the past week, cursing and breaking priceless antiques. I want to know why."
James piped up helpfully. "It's because Al kissed him."
Mr. Malfoy's gaze was sharp when he focused on Al. "Indeed. And why would this upset Scorpius?"
"I disgusted him," Al muttered, quailing under the look. He was surprised to hear the stately Draco Malfoy snort.
"He's no homophobe and the Malfoy's aren’t exactly straight as wands. I doubt a man kissing him disgusted him that much."
Al's heart sunk even further into his stomach. "It must have been me. I'm not very attractive."
"Nah, you've got the Potter genes, Al. We’re all hot!" James had always known how to make Al laugh, no matter how down in the dumps he got.
"I don't know then." He looked back and forth between the other two men. "I don't know."
"Come." Mr. Malfoy turned and strode away. Al followed, knowing exactly where he was going and not sure whether he was happy about it or not.
Sure enough, they arrived at Scorpius's bedroom door. Mr. Malfoy knocked and called out his name, but the only response was the sound of shattering glass.
Mr. Malfoy pulled out his wand and unlocked the door. "Scorpius, if you throw something at me you will be thrown from the Manor forcibly and I won't let you back in this time, no matter how much you and your mother plead." He opened the door slowly and when nothing flew through the air towards him he motioned them in.
Al was shocked to see Scorpius. His hair was ruffled and he was unshaven. He looked as unhappy and unkempt as Al. He glared at all of them.
"What are you doing here, Al?"
Al moved back towards the door. "I wanted to see if you were okay. So, I'll go then."
He turned to leave and was shocked when Scorpius called out, "Wait!"
He kept his back to the room, afraid to look and see what Scorpius looked like. Mr. Malfoy and James pushed past him.
"We'll leave you two alone," Mr. Malfoy murmured as he closed the door behind himself.
Al felt tense. The room was so quiet he jumped when Scorpius spoke. "I'm sorry."
That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "For what? It was my fault. I shouldn't have done that."
"Look at me, please." Al turned to find Scorpius standing behind him. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I was just afraid."
Al scoffed at him. "Afraid of a kiss?"
Scorpius nodded. "I've never been attracted to a man, not even once. I always thought I would end up married to a girl and we would live in the Manor till we were old and grey and had twenty kids. Then you kissed me at the party and I had never been as hard as I was at that moment."
"You said to forget it though! You never brought it up and you acted just like normal!"
Scorpius threw his hands up in the air. "I was scared! This was new to me! I just wanted things to stay the same!"
Al glared at him. "I never said things would have to change. I knew you weren't gay. But I am gay and for me it was an eye-opening experience. My life will never be the same now. I would have liked to discuss this with my best friend, but he told me to forget it."
"You're gay?" Scorpius was taken aback. "Since when?"
"Since I got a bloody hard-on from kissing my best mate!" Al stomped over to the door and pulled on the handle. "Damn it! Let me out, James!"
He was hammering on the door when Scorpius pulled him away and into his arms. "Albus! Stop this. We need to talk."
Al relished the feel of Scorpius's arms around him. "Merlin, I've missed you." He sagged into Scorpius, laying his head on the other man's shoulder. "I was afraid I had lost you forever."
"I’m so afraid of losing our friendship, Al. I don't want this-this thing to destroy it."
"It doesn't have to." Al focused on Scorpius's face. "We can be together and it could be even better than being friends."
Al's heart beat stuttered to a stop as Scorpius pulled away. "Friendship can turn to love, but love to friendship, never. If we took this step and it didn't work out, I would lose you. I'd rather have your friendship than nothing."
Al remembered how he had felt when he saw that tie on the door. Friendship wasn't enough. He turned the experience around and threw it in Scorpius's face. " You just want to be friends? Fine. So when you come home one night and find a tie on the door, you’ll be okay with that? You’ll be okay with knowing I’m in there with someone else, that he’s kissing me, touching me, that his body is pressed up against mine, his mouth on my skin?”
Scorpius just stared at him, his face turning red with rage for only a moment before a look of comprehension replaced it.
Al stepped forward and placed his hand on Scorpius's arm. "Don't you see? That's how I felt when I saw the tie on the door. Friendship isn't enough. It has to be all or nothing."
Scorpius backed away. "I can't lose you, but I don't know if I'm ready for this. I just never saw myself with a man."
"I'm not just a bloke. I'm someone who has known you for seven years, who knows you almost better than you know yourself. I'm your best mate." The frown on Scorpius's face killed any hope that had been growing in Al's heart. "And because I'm your best mate I'm willing to walk away. I just want you to be happy."
"I don't know what will make me happy."
Al walked over to the door, which was now unlocked. "Then I'll leave and you can let me know when you do. You're more than just a best mate to me, and if you aren't happy then this isn't worth it."
As he walked out of the Manor, he didn’t look back. Al wouldn't hurt Scorpius anymore and he wouldn't let Scorpius hurt him. It was time to move on.
~*~
Finding Scorpius at the flat later that evening when he wandered home from the Leaky Cauldron was a surprise. So was what Scorpius had to say.
"I can't let you go. I know what makes me happy: you."
Al knew it was somewhat feminine to start sobbing and throw himself at Scorpius, but he couldn't help it. And it was probably pretty girly that he started telling Scorpius how much he loved him and how much he missed him and that he was never going to let him go no matter how many skinny blondes tried to seduce him, but he really didn't care. Scorpius was back and that was all that mattered.
. November 21, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Match Me Office
Albus Potter was pure gold. His descriptions of his relationship with Scorpius Malfoy were detailed and full of emotion, yet he managed to get through the story without breaking down. And the story itself would make any of his romantic female readers swoon. Rick found himself calculating the chances of his story making the front page before Al even finished, and needless to say, the probability of that happening was very high.
“... so Scorpius moved back in to the flat with me and we’ve been together ever since.” Al’s proclamation was so obviously happy that Rick had to smile. He had always wondered how a man could love another man but he couldn’t doubt Al’s love in the slightest. He was so passionate about his lover that his eyes actually lit up every time he said his name.
“I have to tell you now that I would really like to focus less on the business side of your relationship and more on the romantic part. Do you have any problems with that?”
The door creaked open behind him and Scorpius Malfoy walked into the room. “Albus Potter! Are you manipulating the interview so that we’ll finally be ‘outted’?”
Al tried to grin, but he quailed under Scorpius’s stern gaze. “All right, yes. Sorry?”
Rick couldn’t tell if he was apologising to him, Scorpius, or the both of them, but he spoke up anyway. “I don’t mind at all, really.” If he got the story of Harry Potter’s gay son before anyone else did, his career would be made.
He and Al both turned to Scorpius. “Scorp?”
The blond rolled his eyes. “All right fine. If you must. I expect a fabulous dinner tonight in return though.”
“I already have a reservation for two at Le Poison Magnifique.”
Scorpius smiled then. “You know me too well. Thus, you should be able to tell me you have a proper pot of tea and a scone ready for me too.”
“Next to the muggle stapler. You’ll have to wash a cup though, I used them both.”
Scorpius nicked Al’s cup and proceeded to fill it with tea. “Seriously, I sleep in the same bed as you. A few measly germs on your cup won’t do me any harm.” He nodded at Rick then. “I do apologise. I’ve been quite rude; I should have introduced myself when I came in. I’m sure you have figured this out by now, but I’m Scorpius Malfoy. You are Avarick Bagman, correct? Five years above us at Hogwarts?”
“Only four years actually and I recognised you as soon as you entered the room. You’ve changed quite a bit from Hogwarts, but you still have the Malfoy hair.” They shook hands and Rick cast a quick Tempus. “I’m glad I had a chance to meet you, but I need to run if I’m to have this story written up before tomorrow’s issue goes to press! Have a good evening, gentlemen.”
“And you as well,” Scorpius replied.
“Bye!” Al called as Rick walked out the door.
Anxious to get to the office and begin writing, Rick almost forgot that his editor had asked him to grab a picture of the business and its owners for the article. He pulled the camera from the robe pocket he had shoved it in. Thankfully it wasn’t half as large as the ones they had used twenty years ago. “Hey, I’m sorry, but...”
His voice dropped off as he stuck his head back into the office and found Scorpius sitting on Al’s lap. Neither of them noticed him.
“You-manipulative-little-snake!” With every word, Scorpius pressed a chaste kiss on his lover’s lips.
Al responded with a saucy grin. “And I’m your manipulate little snake.”
“Yes, you are.” He leaned forward to kiss Al again. Rick fumbled with the camera in his hand, finally positioning it just as the kiss grew deeper and Scorpius pulled away to moan. He made sure to hold it steady so that he caught what came next.
“Pure gold!” he whispered to himself as he dashed out of the door.
. November 22, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al’s Flat
Al picked up the paper that was sitting on the owl ledge outside of the flat. He could only see the headline, but he knew he had achieved his goal.
He tossed the paper to Scorpius with a smirk. “Paper’s here, love!”
Scorpius just groaned. “Oh, Merlin, I don’t even want to know what they had to say about this. Just look at the headline: ’Match Me Owners’ Best Match? Their Own!’ Talk about cheesy...”
Then he unfolded the paper and a piece of parchment fluttered out. “What’s this? A note?”
Al peaked over his shoulder and read the writing aloud. “’The contract didn’t mention photos.’ Oh, bloody hell.”
They glanced at each other for a moment and then down at the opened paper. A picture of the two of them kissing passionately covered half of the front page. They would kiss for a few seconds and then Scorpius would pull away to moan and Al would lick a line from his collarbone to his chin. It ended with the two of them grinning at each other like love sick puppies for a moment before they returned to the kiss. The two kisses meshed so well that at first they didn’t realize it was looping.
“I’m never going to be able to show my face in public again.” Scorpius glared at the happily smiling Al. “Are you happy now?”
“Yes. After seeing this picture there is no way any girl in the wizarding world is going to be able to forget that you are mine.”
Scorpius rolled his eyes. “I knew you were upset about that girl flirting with me.”
Al shrugged. “A little. I’m going to pop outside for a minute and make sure that there’s no mail at the office.”
When he returned hardly thirty seconds later, Scorpius quirked an eyebrow at him in question.
“There is a line of men and women halfway down the street wanting to get into our office!”
Now it was Scorpius’s turn to smirk. “And that’s why I let you do your silly little interview.”
Al was outraged. “Why you-you dirty little snake!”
Scorpius stood and wrapped his arms around Al. “Yes, but I’m your dirty little snake.”
Al frowned, cast a Tempus and beamed. “We’ve ten minutes till we have to open the office. Are you up for a quickie?”
“Thank Merlin we have a short commute...” Scorpius muttered as Al pulled him to bed.
.
~The End~
.
June 14, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Empty Flat
Al hadn't been able to think or sleep or eat or work since Saturday. And now, standing here with his arm pressed up against Scorpius's in the tiny flat, he couldn't breathe either. The only thing he had done was stare at a picture of Scorpius for hours on end and wank himself raw.
He was hard again, his cock pressing against his trousers painfully. He couldn't look at Scorpius, not without coming in his pants. Instead he listened to his voice as he conversed with the realtor, strong and casual. He didn't sound like he was interested in anything besides the flat. Al didn't know how, didn't know why. How could he have forgotten the kiss? He had said he would, Al had too, but it was impossible to forget.
Al was positive he was gay though. It was as easy as that to decide, now that he knew what it was like to kiss a man. He had never been interested in girls and their kisses during games like Saturday's, had left him with the impression of kissing a dead fish. Scorpius's kiss was like a burning fire, slowly turning his heart to embers in his chest. There had never been any other blokes that he liked, but he had always looked at them more and noticed which ones were attractive. So, he was gay, but mostly he was Scorpisexual because he couldn't imagine being with any man other than Scorpius now.
He really had been the only person Al had ever connected with. Scorpius knew him, knew he liked to sleep till noon and eat his carrots with a bit of honey on them and that he giggled if you poked him near his bellybutton. The only thing he didn't know about Al was something Al hadn't known about himself either.
He loved Scorpius. He always had. And Al hadn't realised it until that kiss. He had felt the lust in him, felt it churn his stomach over. And when he had Apparated home and fell into bed the lust had exploded into an orgasm that left him gasping. As he lay there panting, the lust had faded, leaving behind a feeling of utter desperation. Scorpius was straight as a wand. He liked girls, liked them tall and blonde and busty and everything Al wasn't. All Al could ever have was his friendship.
It was that friendship that had convinced Al to join him in viewing the flat. Being friends with Scorpius was better than nothing and Al couldn't imagine life without his friend by his side. And that was how he knew he was in love because the thought of losing Scorpius to some girl somewhere hurt worse than anything Al had ever felt, but the thought of Scorpius being sad hurt even more than that. So Al was prepared to treasure his time with his best mate, prepared to back off the moment Scorpius found a girl he liked, but he was going to hold on with both hands until that day.
Scorpius was shaking hands with the realtor, a buxom brunette, and Al couldn't help but feel jealous when he offered her a bright smile. His own smile was tight and he shook her hand briskly.
She looked slightly confused as she walked over to the door. "I'll give you some time to think about everything. Owl me if you are interested and feel free to poke about the flat for a little while. The door is spelled to lock behind you, so leave whenever you've finished deciding. Have a good day!"
And then she was gone and there was nothing to look at but the dingy walls or the dirty floor or the grimy ceiling or Scorpius. And when Scorpius cleared his throat Al found his gaze was on his friend and that Scorpius's cheeks weren't red and hot like Al's were.
"Well, what do you think?" Al surveyed the room. There was room for a bunk-bed on one wall and a table in the corner where the stove and sink were. If they really squeezed they might even be able to fit a large armchair in the room. It was perfect though because Scorpius was there.
"I like it." Scorpius's smile made him shiver.
"I like it too." He nodded his head towards the far wall. "I think we should put beds over on that end."
Al faced the wall with imaginary furniture floating in his mind. "If we got bunk beds we'd have some extra room. Some extra big pillows propped up against the wall on the bottom bed would make it into a couch too.
Scorpius moved next to him and Al's shoulder brushed against his chest. They both laughed, though Al's laughter was more than slightly nervous. "It's small, but it's home."
Al looked up at Scorpius, his stomach fluttering at the happy look on his face. "And home is where the heart is," he whispered to himself.
. July 21, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al's Flat
Al laughed as he picked up the Daily Prophet from the newsstand he passed everyday on the way home from work. James was on the front page again with yet another girl. It seemed that the reason James couldn't keep a girlfriend was because he was too self-absorbed and immature. Or at least that was what Al and Scorpius had decided because he definitely wasn't gay. Scorpius said he punched Teddy in the nose after Al left and then proceeded to complete dare after dare after dare, each more raunchy than the last, until he ended up giving a girl oral sex in front of everyone. Al wrinkled his nose at that thought; he hated hearing about how promiscuous his siblings could be.
He browsed the front page before refolding it and walking up the stairs to the flat. Pausing to make sure no letters had been left on the owl ledge by the door, Al made to open the door when he felt something wrapped around the doorknob. He looked down - sure enough there was a dingy Slytherin tie hanging there. His stomach began to churn. At Hogwarts, they would put a tie on the knob when they brought someone back to the dorm. Al had never done it and Scorpius had favoured places that were a little more private, but some of their dorm mates had been happy to kick them out of the room for a while.
It wasn't possible though. Scorpius hadn't been dating anyone. Al would have known! Their whole lives were about each other right now. They moved into the flat right after they signed the papers and bought some furniture, and they had been living there for almost a month now. Al had never been happier. Even at Hogwarts, he had shared Scorpius with a room full of boys. Here he had Scorpius all to himself. Scorpius had even been relaxing around him a bit, letting Al cuddle up next to him when they were both sitting on the couch-bed and giving him hugs when Al left for work in the morning and when he came home at night.
He backed away from the door, staring at the tie. Who could she be, this girl? Did Scorpius love her? Would he leave Al for her? Al had known he would have to give up Scorpius one day, but he hadn't thought it would happen so soon. He had hoped it would happen gradually, giving him some time to distance himself from Scorpius before he moved out and moved on.
He hadn't thought it would hurt so much.
His cheeks felt damp and when Al reached up he realised he was crying. He dropped his paper, not caring where it fell, as he tried to stop the tears from flowing. Glancing once more at the tie on the door, Al turned and walked away. What else could he do? He had no reason to barge in there, jealous and angry because Scorpius had never even mentioned that he and Al could have any kind of a relationship. Al wasn't a girlfriend with a rightful reason to be envious; he was just a best mate who was supposed to cheer on his friend when he bagged a bird.
The streets of Diagon Alley soon merged into other areas as Al kept walking. Al knew he had walked through Knockturn Alley, but he wasn't sure where he was when darkness began to fall. The road was empty and stretched far out in front of him with nary a house in sight. He shivered as the sun set, his summer robes thin and ill equipped for the brisk breeze that had begun to blow. When a stinging rain began to fall he collapsed under a tree and cast a warming charm. He fell asleep huddled in the darkness and it wasn’t until the dawn sky began to turn a deep red that he woke up. With soaking wet robes and a rumbling stomach, Al finally pulled out his wand and Apparated home.
He Apparated straight into his flat, almost landing on top of Scorpius. He kept his eyes focused on the floor as he moved to the cast iron stove and lit it, desperate for warmth. He didn't hear anyone moving, so he assumed Scorpius's girl was gone, but he didn't dare look to check. Long moments passed before Scorpius stomped up to him and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. Still Al kept looking at the floor, vaguely noticing that one of his shoes was a bit muddy.
"Where the hell have you been?" Scorpius's words, loud and angry, filled the flat. "I've been so worried! I thought you were supposed to be home at six last night."
Al spoke to the floor. "There was a tie on the door."
"You still could have owled or something! Slipped a note under the door, hollered at me through it." Al was perversely pleased to hear the anxiety in Scorpius's voice. "I only had her over for a quick shag while you were at work. I wouldn’t kick you out of your own flat for an entire night, at least not without discussing it with you beforehand. She's been gone for hours and hours, and I took the tie off of the door ages ago!"
Al couldn't keep the tears at bay and he hoped Scorpius couldn't see them. "There was a tie."
Scorpius grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me, Albus Severus Potter!"
He looked.
Scorpius's voice gentled. "Al, what's wrong? Are those tears?"
"There was a tie. You don't need me." Al heard his voice crack. "You've a girl now and you're going to move in with her and I'll just be a mate, someone you work with, just an acquaintance." He sounded desperate and he was telling Scorpius too much and he should shut up, but it was like he wasn't really talking, the words were just falling out of his mouth and he could not stop them. "There was a tie."
"Al? We'll always be best mates, nothing can change that." But even as he spoke, Scorpius dropped his hands from Al's shoulder and moved away.
Feeling rejected, Al kept babbling. "It's already changed. I can't go back to the way it used to be. I can't forget."
"Forget what?"
That sobered Al up. "Nothing, just... forget I said anything." He turned back to stove, attempting to dismiss the conversation.
Scorpius's voice was frustrated. "Forget what, Al? Do you mean the girl? She was just a one-off!"
"No! It's nothing!"
"Damn it, Al! Would you look at me?"
Al couldn't turn around though, couldn't face Scorpius's anger. He summoned some eggs from the icebox and grabbed a frying pan to put on the stove. "Do you want some eggs, Scorpius?"
"I want you to look at me."
Al cracked an egg into the pan and it began to sizzle. He wasn't sure, but he thought perhaps he was supposed to put a bit of oil in the pan. Oh well, it was already in there now, the edges turning black and crispy.
"Why won't you look at me?" Scorpius grabbed him then and Al felt like laughing as he was forced to turn around. Scorpius had never touched him this much before, not of his own free will. The fire reflected in his eyes was slightly exhilarating.
"What can't you forget?" The softly spoken question was too much for Al.
"This," he said and pressed himself up against Scorpius, wrapping his fingers up into his hair and forcing his lips against the other man's. It was a moment of pure bliss and then Al was shoved away.
"I can't do that, Al." Scorpius's face was twisted with disgust. "I have to go.”
And then he was gone, the door left hanging open behind him. Al slumped against the nearest surface, yelping as his hand landed on the edge of the frying pan. The egg was black now. He grabbed the handle and dumped it into the trash bin. It lay there, dried out and dead looking.
Al couldn't be sure it wasn't actually his heart.
. July 28, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al's Flat
There was a knock on the door. Al rushed to answer it, hoping beyond all hope that it would be Scorpius. When he saw it was James on the other side of the threshold he sagged against the doorframe.
"Hey."
James grinned. "Nice to see you too, little brother!" When Al didn't reply and just walked back over to his bed, James's grin fell. "Are you okay?"
Al slumped down onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little run-down."
James closed the door behind him and then sat down next to Al. "You're more than a bit run down. Uncle Ron said you haven't been in to work in a week and Mum's worried sick because you haven't replied to any of her owls."
Al shrugged and fell back against his pillows. "I'm a little sick is all."
"Heartsick maybe."
Al's gaze flew to James's. "What?"
James smiled sadly. "I know you, Al. This is how you've always reacted when Scorpius fought with you. I saw him at the Ministry on Monday doing his old job."
"Did he look happy?" Al searched his brother's face, looking for any hint as to how Scorpius was.
"No, he looked about as miserable as you. When I asked him what he was doing there, he said you got into a fight."
"Kinda."
"What happened, Al?" James wrapped his hand around his brother's. They hadn't held hands since James decided it was too girly when he was seven.
Al started to cry, feeling like a right baby. "I kissed him."
"I know, I watched you."
"No," Al said. "I kissed him again, last week, and it disgusted him. He left and he hasn't come back, not for his clothes or anything."
"Ha! I knew you liked him!" James took a moment to crow over his victory and Al couldn't help but laugh. His brother truly had the emotional range of a teaspoon. "Oh, sorry. That was a little mean..."
"No, it was just you."
James glared at him and Al laughed again. "I'm not mean."
"No, you're just clueless."
Sheepishly James said, "Yeah. But are you okay?"
"No." Al's voice was frank. "I'm not sure I'll ever be okay."
"Geez." James stood and pulled Al up by the hand he still held. "You've got it bad, but that's okay. We are going to go combat this by going on a bender and getting you smashed!"
"I don’t want to..."
"Nope, too late, you don't get an opinion. Now hold on tight, I'm going to Side-Along you!"
~*~
When Al stopped feeling dizzy from the sudden Apparition he realized they were nowhere near a pub of any kind.
"You lied to me!" he snarled at his brother.
"Yep! It wasn't Scorpius I talked to at the Ministry; it was his father." James was non-repentant. "Hey, Mr. Malfoy, I've got him!" he hollered.
Draco Malfoy entered the room then, his eyebrow quirked. "I do realise that. I felt the two of you come through the wards."
Al glared at the two of them. "I'm going home!" He attempted to Apparate only to get the feeling that he had been squeezed through the eye of a needle without actually moving.
Mr. Malfoy smirked. "And I closed them off as soon as you arrived."
Al gave up. "What do you want with me?"
"My son has been stomping around his room for the past week, cursing and breaking priceless antiques. I want to know why."
James piped up helpfully. "It's because Al kissed him."
Mr. Malfoy's gaze was sharp when he focused on Al. "Indeed. And why would this upset Scorpius?"
"I disgusted him," Al muttered, quailing under the look. He was surprised to hear the stately Draco Malfoy snort.
"He's no homophobe and the Malfoy's aren’t exactly straight as wands. I doubt a man kissing him disgusted him that much."
Al's heart sunk even further into his stomach. "It must have been me. I'm not very attractive."
"Nah, you've got the Potter genes, Al. We’re all hot!" James had always known how to make Al laugh, no matter how down in the dumps he got.
"I don't know then." He looked back and forth between the other two men. "I don't know."
"Come." Mr. Malfoy turned and strode away. Al followed, knowing exactly where he was going and not sure whether he was happy about it or not.
Sure enough, they arrived at Scorpius's bedroom door. Mr. Malfoy knocked and called out his name, but the only response was the sound of shattering glass.
Mr. Malfoy pulled out his wand and unlocked the door. "Scorpius, if you throw something at me you will be thrown from the Manor forcibly and I won't let you back in this time, no matter how much you and your mother plead." He opened the door slowly and when nothing flew through the air towards him he motioned them in.
Al was shocked to see Scorpius. His hair was ruffled and he was unshaven. He looked as unhappy and unkempt as Al. He glared at all of them.
"What are you doing here, Al?"
Al moved back towards the door. "I wanted to see if you were okay. So, I'll go then."
He turned to leave and was shocked when Scorpius called out, "Wait!"
He kept his back to the room, afraid to look and see what Scorpius looked like. Mr. Malfoy and James pushed past him.
"We'll leave you two alone," Mr. Malfoy murmured as he closed the door behind himself.
Al felt tense. The room was so quiet he jumped when Scorpius spoke. "I'm sorry."
That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "For what? It was my fault. I shouldn't have done that."
"Look at me, please." Al turned to find Scorpius standing behind him. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I was just afraid."
Al scoffed at him. "Afraid of a kiss?"
Scorpius nodded. "I've never been attracted to a man, not even once. I always thought I would end up married to a girl and we would live in the Manor till we were old and grey and had twenty kids. Then you kissed me at the party and I had never been as hard as I was at that moment."
"You said to forget it though! You never brought it up and you acted just like normal!"
Scorpius threw his hands up in the air. "I was scared! This was new to me! I just wanted things to stay the same!"
Al glared at him. "I never said things would have to change. I knew you weren't gay. But I am gay and for me it was an eye-opening experience. My life will never be the same now. I would have liked to discuss this with my best friend, but he told me to forget it."
"You're gay?" Scorpius was taken aback. "Since when?"
"Since I got a bloody hard-on from kissing my best mate!" Al stomped over to the door and pulled on the handle. "Damn it! Let me out, James!"
He was hammering on the door when Scorpius pulled him away and into his arms. "Albus! Stop this. We need to talk."
Al relished the feel of Scorpius's arms around him. "Merlin, I've missed you." He sagged into Scorpius, laying his head on the other man's shoulder. "I was afraid I had lost you forever."
"I’m so afraid of losing our friendship, Al. I don't want this-this thing to destroy it."
"It doesn't have to." Al focused on Scorpius's face. "We can be together and it could be even better than being friends."
Al's heart beat stuttered to a stop as Scorpius pulled away. "Friendship can turn to love, but love to friendship, never. If we took this step and it didn't work out, I would lose you. I'd rather have your friendship than nothing."
Al remembered how he had felt when he saw that tie on the door. Friendship wasn't enough. He turned the experience around and threw it in Scorpius's face. " You just want to be friends? Fine. So when you come home one night and find a tie on the door, you’ll be okay with that? You’ll be okay with knowing I’m in there with someone else, that he’s kissing me, touching me, that his body is pressed up against mine, his mouth on my skin?”
Scorpius just stared at him, his face turning red with rage for only a moment before a look of comprehension replaced it.
Al stepped forward and placed his hand on Scorpius's arm. "Don't you see? That's how I felt when I saw the tie on the door. Friendship isn't enough. It has to be all or nothing."
Scorpius backed away. "I can't lose you, but I don't know if I'm ready for this. I just never saw myself with a man."
"I'm not just a bloke. I'm someone who has known you for seven years, who knows you almost better than you know yourself. I'm your best mate." The frown on Scorpius's face killed any hope that had been growing in Al's heart. "And because I'm your best mate I'm willing to walk away. I just want you to be happy."
"I don't know what will make me happy."
Al walked over to the door, which was now unlocked. "Then I'll leave and you can let me know when you do. You're more than just a best mate to me, and if you aren't happy then this isn't worth it."
As he walked out of the Manor, he didn’t look back. Al wouldn't hurt Scorpius anymore and he wouldn't let Scorpius hurt him. It was time to move on.
~*~
Finding Scorpius at the flat later that evening when he wandered home from the Leaky Cauldron was a surprise. So was what Scorpius had to say.
"I can't let you go. I know what makes me happy: you."
Al knew it was somewhat feminine to start sobbing and throw himself at Scorpius, but he couldn't help it. And it was probably pretty girly that he started telling Scorpius how much he loved him and how much he missed him and that he was never going to let him go no matter how many skinny blondes tried to seduce him, but he really didn't care. Scorpius was back and that was all that mattered.
. November 21, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Match Me Office
Albus Potter was pure gold. His descriptions of his relationship with Scorpius Malfoy were detailed and full of emotion, yet he managed to get through the story without breaking down. And the story itself would make any of his romantic female readers swoon. Rick found himself calculating the chances of his story making the front page before Al even finished, and needless to say, the probability of that happening was very high.
“... so Scorpius moved back in to the flat with me and we’ve been together ever since.” Al’s proclamation was so obviously happy that Rick had to smile. He had always wondered how a man could love another man but he couldn’t doubt Al’s love in the slightest. He was so passionate about his lover that his eyes actually lit up every time he said his name.
“I have to tell you now that I would really like to focus less on the business side of your relationship and more on the romantic part. Do you have any problems with that?”
The door creaked open behind him and Scorpius Malfoy walked into the room. “Albus Potter! Are you manipulating the interview so that we’ll finally be ‘outted’?”
Al tried to grin, but he quailed under Scorpius’s stern gaze. “All right, yes. Sorry?”
Rick couldn’t tell if he was apologising to him, Scorpius, or the both of them, but he spoke up anyway. “I don’t mind at all, really.” If he got the story of Harry Potter’s gay son before anyone else did, his career would be made.
He and Al both turned to Scorpius. “Scorp?”
The blond rolled his eyes. “All right fine. If you must. I expect a fabulous dinner tonight in return though.”
“I already have a reservation for two at Le Poison Magnifique.”
Scorpius smiled then. “You know me too well. Thus, you should be able to tell me you have a proper pot of tea and a scone ready for me too.”
“Next to the muggle stapler. You’ll have to wash a cup though, I used them both.”
Scorpius nicked Al’s cup and proceeded to fill it with tea. “Seriously, I sleep in the same bed as you. A few measly germs on your cup won’t do me any harm.” He nodded at Rick then. “I do apologise. I’ve been quite rude; I should have introduced myself when I came in. I’m sure you have figured this out by now, but I’m Scorpius Malfoy. You are Avarick Bagman, correct? Five years above us at Hogwarts?”
“Only four years actually and I recognised you as soon as you entered the room. You’ve changed quite a bit from Hogwarts, but you still have the Malfoy hair.” They shook hands and Rick cast a quick Tempus. “I’m glad I had a chance to meet you, but I need to run if I’m to have this story written up before tomorrow’s issue goes to press! Have a good evening, gentlemen.”
“And you as well,” Scorpius replied.
“Bye!” Al called as Rick walked out the door.
Anxious to get to the office and begin writing, Rick almost forgot that his editor had asked him to grab a picture of the business and its owners for the article. He pulled the camera from the robe pocket he had shoved it in. Thankfully it wasn’t half as large as the ones they had used twenty years ago. “Hey, I’m sorry, but...”
His voice dropped off as he stuck his head back into the office and found Scorpius sitting on Al’s lap. Neither of them noticed him.
“You-manipulative-little-snake!” With every word, Scorpius pressed a chaste kiss on his lover’s lips.
Al responded with a saucy grin. “And I’m your manipulate little snake.”
“Yes, you are.” He leaned forward to kiss Al again. Rick fumbled with the camera in his hand, finally positioning it just as the kiss grew deeper and Scorpius pulled away to moan. He made sure to hold it steady so that he caught what came next.
“Pure gold!” he whispered to himself as he dashed out of the door.
. November 22, 2027 - Diagon Alley, Scorpius and Al’s Flat
Al picked up the paper that was sitting on the owl ledge outside of the flat. He could only see the headline, but he knew he had achieved his goal.
He tossed the paper to Scorpius with a smirk. “Paper’s here, love!”
Scorpius just groaned. “Oh, Merlin, I don’t even want to know what they had to say about this. Just look at the headline: ’Match Me Owners’ Best Match? Their Own!’ Talk about cheesy...”
Then he unfolded the paper and a piece of parchment fluttered out. “What’s this? A note?”
Al peaked over his shoulder and read the writing aloud. “’The contract didn’t mention photos.’ Oh, bloody hell.”
They glanced at each other for a moment and then down at the opened paper. A picture of the two of them kissing passionately covered half of the front page. They would kiss for a few seconds and then Scorpius would pull away to moan and Al would lick a line from his collarbone to his chin. It ended with the two of them grinning at each other like love sick puppies for a moment before they returned to the kiss. The two kisses meshed so well that at first they didn’t realize it was looping.
“I’m never going to be able to show my face in public again.” Scorpius glared at the happily smiling Al. “Are you happy now?”
“Yes. After seeing this picture there is no way any girl in the wizarding world is going to be able to forget that you are mine.”
Scorpius rolled his eyes. “I knew you were upset about that girl flirting with me.”
Al shrugged. “A little. I’m going to pop outside for a minute and make sure that there’s no mail at the office.”
When he returned hardly thirty seconds later, Scorpius quirked an eyebrow at him in question.
“There is a line of men and women halfway down the street wanting to get into our office!”
Now it was Scorpius’s turn to smirk. “And that’s why I let you do your silly little interview.”
Al was outraged. “Why you-you dirty little snake!”
Scorpius stood and wrapped his arms around Al. “Yes, but I’m your dirty little snake.”
Al frowned, cast a Tempus and beamed. “We’ve ten minutes till we have to open the office. Are you up for a quickie?”
“Thank Merlin we have a short commute...” Scorpius muttered as Al pulled him to bed.
.
~The End~
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