Part the First: Albus, Scorpius, and a Pumpkin Pasty Named Jocelyn
108 109 WATCHERS. We have no idea what we did to deserve this BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. Anyway, today we have fic AND shitty art! EXCITEMENT ABOUNDS.
Albus really wanted a pumpkin pasty.
He was nervous and hungry, and Rose had gone to meet some girls that she knew, and James had left him to go hang out with his friends, so Albus was all alone in a train compartment with just one companion, a sullen-looking boy who seemed to have contracted a case of laryngitis, as he hadn't said a word so far. A pumpkin pasty, he was quite sure, would be the only redeeming factor to the day.
"I want a pumpkin pasty," said Albus unnecessarily, as if voicing his desire would make it come true.
"Why don't you get one and marry it, then?" said (croaked, really) the other boy in the carriage, who had, until now, stayed completely quiet. He had clearly meant for the retort to sound disdainful, but the laryngitis made him mostly sound thirsty.
Albus thought about it. "I could. I'd name it Jocelyn."
The other boy raised an eyebrow at him. His suspicious-looking owl made an odd sound that sounded nothing like a hoot.
"Are you sure that's an owl?" said Albus, looking up at the white--thing--with interest.
The other boy narrowed his eyes, only to be overcome with a coughing fit. "Yes," he managed, spluttering.
The boy had already been inside the compartment when James, passing by with his friends and laughing loudly, had shoved Albus into it, and had neither protested nor encouraged the invasion. Albus was starving for friends, and he'd even take this morose, scowling kid Fate had dumped on his lap.
"What happened to your voice? I mean, you lost it, didn't you?"
The other boy nodded.
"I'm sorry. That must--you know, it probably sucks. I would hate to lose my voice."
Albus stood, sliding the compartment door open to look up and down the aisle, hoping the trolley lady--whom James had said always came along--had begun her trek through the train.
There wasn't a sign of her.
He sighed. And then he remembered something.
He turned to Anonymous Laryngitis Boy and said, "How much does it cost to buy sweets from the trolley lady?"
Anonymous Laryngitis Boy shrugged, and there was an expression on his face that told Albus just how odd he seemed.
Albus's mum and dad had given James and Albus each a bag of money to last them until Christmastime. Albus had put his in his trunk, and he didn't fancy very much the idea of hauling it down and searching through it for his money. He glanced at the other boy.
"Want to come with me to find my brother?"
The kid considered, looking for a moment as if he'd refuse. Finally, he shrugged and nodded, getting up (with a bit of a struggle--he was short) to follow Albus.
The aisle between all the compartments was quiet, though anyone could tell that the compartments--filled with laughing people, a few of whom Albus recognized from when his parents had had parties and things--were anything but. He wasn't exactly sure where he would find his brother.
He didn't have to look very hard. James was at the end of the corridor, though a bit hidden. As Albus approached the familiar figure, he saw that his brother was not alone: Victoire, their cousin, was with him. She looked vaguely uncomfortable.
"And Lily said you two should get married--" James was saying. He interrupted himself when he realized that Victoire's gaze had fallen on Albus behind him.
"Hello, Victoire," said Albus tentatively, smiling nervously. "And James. Er--"
"What do you want?" said James quickly, looking angry that he'd been interrupted by someone as unworthy as Albus.
"I just--Mum and Dad said to share the money. I want to get something from the trolley lady."
James frowned, pulling the little bag out of the pocket. "Here, take it, use as much as you like but pay it back."
"Wow--thanks, James!" said Albus, astonished at James's sudden generosity.
"Whatever--just go--hey, is that Mr. Malfoy's kid?" James had only just noticed the boy from Albus's compartment, lurking behind Albus and coughing very quietly. "Dad told me about him--what are you doing with him?"
The boy looked angry and opened his mouth to croak out a retort, but Albus ignored his brother and turned around to make his way back towards their compartment. He grabbed the other's arm and dragged him along.
"Ignore him, he's a really big prat," said Albus to his companion when they were back inside. "He's really stupid, you'd be amazed."
The boy--to Albus's own amazement--smiled a bit, shrugging again.
Albus grinned back. "That was my cousin he was talking to. She's really nice. Her name's Victoire. She's a prefect, isn't that cool? And earlier today, James--that's my brother--he caught her snogging my dad's godson, Teddy, except Teddy's a bit like my brother too, anyway, my little sister said--"
There was a soft knock on the door and someone slid it open. A cheery-looking woman was standing there, her hair gray and wispy. "Hello, boys. Would you be liking anything off the trolley?"
"Yes!" said Albus, a little forcefully, just in case this was a hallucination. "Do you have pumpkin pasties?"
The woman smiled. "That we do. How many?"
"Four," said Albus, dropping Sickles into the little jar in the corner of the trolley. "And some licorice wands, too, and cauldron cakes."
When she was gone, Albus turned to the other boy. "I got some for you too. Just in case. 'Cause you can't talk and stuff, you wouldn't be able to tell her what you want. You want the cakes?"
The boy nodded, and Albus passed them over.
Albus picked up one of the pumpkin pasties and held it in the air. "This is Jocelyn. My wife."
He looked at the other boy, who was chuckling a teeny bit. Albus beamed and took a big bite.
Swallowing, he said, "What's your name, anyway?"
The other boy cleared his throat as best as he could. As best he could, he choked out, "Scorpius."
"Great. Both our names suck. Mine's Albus." He stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you."
art by greensweaterlj
Albus really wanted a pumpkin pasty.
He was nervous and hungry, and Rose had gone to meet some girls that she knew, and James had left him to go hang out with his friends, so Albus was all alone in a train compartment with just one companion, a sullen-looking boy who seemed to have contracted a case of laryngitis, as he hadn't said a word so far. A pumpkin pasty, he was quite sure, would be the only redeeming factor to the day.
"I want a pumpkin pasty," said Albus unnecessarily, as if voicing his desire would make it come true.
"Why don't you get one and marry it, then?" said (croaked, really) the other boy in the carriage, who had, until now, stayed completely quiet. He had clearly meant for the retort to sound disdainful, but the laryngitis made him mostly sound thirsty.
Albus thought about it. "I could. I'd name it Jocelyn."
The other boy raised an eyebrow at him. His suspicious-looking owl made an odd sound that sounded nothing like a hoot.
"Are you sure that's an owl?" said Albus, looking up at the white--thing--with interest.
The other boy narrowed his eyes, only to be overcome with a coughing fit. "Yes," he managed, spluttering.
The boy had already been inside the compartment when James, passing by with his friends and laughing loudly, had shoved Albus into it, and had neither protested nor encouraged the invasion. Albus was starving for friends, and he'd even take this morose, scowling kid Fate had dumped on his lap.
"What happened to your voice? I mean, you lost it, didn't you?"
The other boy nodded.
"I'm sorry. That must--you know, it probably sucks. I would hate to lose my voice."
Albus stood, sliding the compartment door open to look up and down the aisle, hoping the trolley lady--whom James had said always came along--had begun her trek through the train.
There wasn't a sign of her.
He sighed. And then he remembered something.
He turned to Anonymous Laryngitis Boy and said, "How much does it cost to buy sweets from the trolley lady?"
Anonymous Laryngitis Boy shrugged, and there was an expression on his face that told Albus just how odd he seemed.
Albus's mum and dad had given James and Albus each a bag of money to last them until Christmastime. Albus had put his in his trunk, and he didn't fancy very much the idea of hauling it down and searching through it for his money. He glanced at the other boy.
"Want to come with me to find my brother?"
The kid considered, looking for a moment as if he'd refuse. Finally, he shrugged and nodded, getting up (with a bit of a struggle--he was short) to follow Albus.
The aisle between all the compartments was quiet, though anyone could tell that the compartments--filled with laughing people, a few of whom Albus recognized from when his parents had had parties and things--were anything but. He wasn't exactly sure where he would find his brother.
He didn't have to look very hard. James was at the end of the corridor, though a bit hidden. As Albus approached the familiar figure, he saw that his brother was not alone: Victoire, their cousin, was with him. She looked vaguely uncomfortable.
"And Lily said you two should get married--" James was saying. He interrupted himself when he realized that Victoire's gaze had fallen on Albus behind him.
"Hello, Victoire," said Albus tentatively, smiling nervously. "And James. Er--"
"What do you want?" said James quickly, looking angry that he'd been interrupted by someone as unworthy as Albus.
"I just--Mum and Dad said to share the money. I want to get something from the trolley lady."
James frowned, pulling the little bag out of the pocket. "Here, take it, use as much as you like but pay it back."
"Wow--thanks, James!" said Albus, astonished at James's sudden generosity.
"Whatever--just go--hey, is that Mr. Malfoy's kid?" James had only just noticed the boy from Albus's compartment, lurking behind Albus and coughing very quietly. "Dad told me about him--what are you doing with him?"
The boy looked angry and opened his mouth to croak out a retort, but Albus ignored his brother and turned around to make his way back towards their compartment. He grabbed the other's arm and dragged him along.
"Ignore him, he's a really big prat," said Albus to his companion when they were back inside. "He's really stupid, you'd be amazed."
The boy--to Albus's own amazement--smiled a bit, shrugging again.
Albus grinned back. "That was my cousin he was talking to. She's really nice. Her name's Victoire. She's a prefect, isn't that cool? And earlier today, James--that's my brother--he caught her snogging my dad's godson, Teddy, except Teddy's a bit like my brother too, anyway, my little sister said--"
There was a soft knock on the door and someone slid it open. A cheery-looking woman was standing there, her hair gray and wispy. "Hello, boys. Would you be liking anything off the trolley?"
"Yes!" said Albus, a little forcefully, just in case this was a hallucination. "Do you have pumpkin pasties?"
The woman smiled. "That we do. How many?"
"Four," said Albus, dropping Sickles into the little jar in the corner of the trolley. "And some licorice wands, too, and cauldron cakes."
When she was gone, Albus turned to the other boy. "I got some for you too. Just in case. 'Cause you can't talk and stuff, you wouldn't be able to tell her what you want. You want the cakes?"
The boy nodded, and Albus passed them over.
Albus picked up one of the pumpkin pasties and held it in the air. "This is Jocelyn. My wife."
He looked at the other boy, who was chuckling a teeny bit. Albus beamed and took a big bite.
Swallowing, he said, "What's your name, anyway?"
The other boy cleared his throat as best as he could. As best he could, he choked out, "Scorpius."
"Great. Both our names suck. Mine's Albus." He stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you."
art by greensweaterlj