Two Can Play That Game (AS/S, PG-13)
The reveals are up at the_ass_fest, and bryoneybrynn wrote my fabulous gift fic, Through Harry's Eyes. If you haven't read it, you really must. I adore Harry, and in this he still has his flaws, but above all, he's a loving and caring father. Below is my entry ...
Title: Two Can Play That Game
Author: sesheta_66
Recipient: cryptaviscus
Pairing(s): Albus/Scorpius (aka Scorbus)
Summary: When Scorpius Malfoy is kidnapped from Hogsmeade, Auror Potter is brought in to investigate. Meanwhile, it is said that rumours start with a grain of truth. Sometimes it works the other way around.
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): None
Word Count: ~ 9700
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: I hope that I managed to work in your requests, cryptaviscus and that it meets your expectations. I don't know if the boys turned out as quirky as you had hoped, but they do definitely have their quirks. Thanks so much to my speedy betas, J and W.
Two Can Play That Game
"Hey, Scorp," Al said as they exited Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. "C'mon over here so I can show you what I got from the back room." He led his friend around the corner and into a deserted alleyway behind a vacant store.
"What's with all the cloak and dagger, Al?"
"Shh! I don't want anyone to know. Sarah wasn't supposed to sell this to me."
"What is it?" Scorpius asked, intrigued at what Wheeze Al managed to flirt his way into buying while still only fifteen.
He didn't get a chance to find out as they heard a commotion behind a rubbish bin. It sounded like a muffled cry.
"Hello?" the boys asked together. "Who's there?"
Al walked towards the sound, but Scorpius reached out for his arm. "Careful. You don't know what --"
Scorpius's sentence was cut off as he was grabbed from behind, a gloved hand was placed over his mouth, and the pull of Apparition took him away.
~*~*~
"What do you mean, he's missing?" Draco asked an anxious looking Minerva McGonagall.
The Headmistress pursed her lips and took a deep breath before saying, "The students were in Hogsmeade, and Scorpius was ... taken."
"By whom? Taken where? Is he hurt?"
"Mr Malfoy," the frightened voice of Al addressed him. Draco hadn't noticed him sitting off in the corner of the room, so focussed on Minerva he was.
"Al? Did you see who took Scorpius?"
"No, Sir. I was with him when we ...." He broke off, looking almost as if he were going to break down. "We went down an alley, and we heard some noise behind a rubbish bin. When I went to look behind it, that's when he took Scorp."
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know!" he said, his voice just shy of hysterical. "I was in front and he must have grabbed him from behind. Scorp was telling me to be careful, and I felt his hand on my arm. Then his hand fell away, and his voice was muffled. When I turned around, all I saw was the swirling of a black robe as they Disapparated."
"Was he tall? Short? What colour hair did he have? Was he thin? Fat?"
Al put his head in his hands, shaking it and letting out a moan. Draco stopped, realizing that he was addressing his son's best friend. He must be devastated too.
"Al," he said as he placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "take a deep breath. I'm sorry to throw questions at you like that. Let's take this slowly, shall we?"
"I'm sorry Mr Malfoy. I'm so, so sorry." He looked up into Draco's face. "He was wearing a hood, so I couldn't see anything. He looked about the same height as Scorp, or maybe a bit taller. I didn't see any hair or anything. All I saw was the black robe." Once again, he put his head in his hands and repeated, "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Draco soothed, giving Al's shoulder a squeeze. He turned to Minerva. "Have the Aurors been contacted?"
"Yes. The Head Auror himself is handling the case."
"Is that wise?" Draco asked.
Al looked up and straightened his shoulders. "My dad is a great Auror," he said defiantly.
Draco would have smiled at the boy's defence of his father, were it not such a dire situation. "I realize that, Al," he reassured the boy. "I only meant that he's hardly objective since he knows Scorpius personally. And Scorpius is your best friend."
"Oh. Well, don't you think that means he'll try even harder to find him?" Al offered.
This time a hint of a smile did escape, as Draco realized that the boy was right. "Of course he will, Al. Of course he will."
~*~*~
One Week Earlier ...
"Sixth and seventh years, remember, we are attempting non-verbal spells today," Professor Longbottom instructed. "Fourth and fifth years, you may use verbal spells. Duellers, on your marks."
Al and Scorpius were teamed up together, as usual, and they took turns flinging and deflecting spells.
"Serpensortia!" Scorpius yelled, and a snake flew out of the end of his wand. A few people standing nearby moved away. Al took his time to enjoy the squirming of their fellow duellers before vanishing the snake.
"Evanesco! Really, Scorp, that's getting old," he said, rolling his eyes. "No matter how many times you do it, I still won't be able to talk to the snake. That was my dad's thing."
"Well, you can't blame me for trying. It would be really cool if you could talk to snakes."
"Terribly sorry I don't live up to your standards. Perhaps you'd prefer to hang out with my dad instead."
"Right. About as much as you'd want to hang out with my dad."
"I dunno, Scorp. He is pretty good looking."
"Ugh! You did not just say that." He shook his head in disgust.
Al giggled. "Relax, Scorp, you look just as good as your dad. Besides, he's kinda on the old side."
Scorpius fixed Al with a strange look. "Since when do you notice what my dad looks like anyway?"
Al shrugged. "Dunno. I suppose because you look so much like him, I've noticed what he looks like."
"Like you look like your dad?"
"Minus the scar, yeah."
"And what does that have to do with hanging out with him? Or me for that matter?"
"You know. Attracts the good looking witches."
Scorpius laughed. "Ah, a veiled compliment at best. Of course it would have to be to your advantage."
"But of course," Al agreed.
"Less talking, boys," Professor Longbottom interrupted. "Let's see what you've got."
The two of them cast spell after spell, each deflecting as well as the other. "Very good," Professor Longbottom said. "I think next lesson you two should start working on non-verbal spells." At the boys' astonished looks, he continued. "I realise you're fifth years, but it seems that you've mastered this. For next week, try to grasp the idea of casting a non-verbal spell. For the rest of today, work on distractions."
"Distractions?" both boys asked.
"Yes, distractions. In a battle, most often you won't be dealing with one wizard in front of you, with no other risks around. You won't be in a classroom with no other forces at work. You may very well have several battles going on around you, as we have here, but you may have to pay attention to those battles, in case one of those people attacks you as well. Also," he said, conjuring a snake wordlessly from his wand, "such tactics as these could help you in the future. One never knows when a snake might show up and join the party." With a wave of his wand, the snake was gone. "Distractions, boys."
The two of them continued battling, this time shouting things and pointing around. "Look over there!"
"What's that by your feet?"
It was all rather ridiculous, since they each knew what the other was doing. Until Scorpius said, "You know what, Al?"
"Mmm?"
"Your dad is hot."
"What?!" Al yelled, realising too late what Scorpius had done.
"Expelliarmus!" called Scorpius. He grinned widely as he caught Al's wand in his hands, just as Professor Longbottom called the duelling club over for the day.
"Hi, Scorpius." Rachel Ramsay, a towering seventh-year Slytherin prefect, beamed, looking at the two wands in Scorpius's hand. "Nice job."
"Thanks," he grinned, handing Al's back.
"So ... are you going to the dance?" she asked.
"Wouldn't miss it," he replied. "Watching the Ravenclaws lift their heads out of books and try to move to the beat of music makes for some pretty entertaining results."
"Oh, right." She blushed. "Um ... d'you think ... well ... would you want to go with me?"
"Nah," he said, "I'm going with Al here."
Her eyes widened and she turned to Al, seeming to just notice he was standing there. "Oh. I see. I didn't realise ...."
Al felt the blood rush to his face as he connected the dots and figured out exactly what she thought she realised. "No!" he said quickly. "It's not like that! We're friends," he assured her.
"I know that," she frowned.
"We're going stag," Scorpius offered.
"Stag?" she asked, looking utterly confused.
"Yeah, that American exchange student says that's what they call it when you go to a dance without a date. That's what we're doing."
"But why would anyone want to do that if they don't have to?"
"Takes the pressure off, yeah?"
"I suppose," she said, looking entirely unconvinced.
Al nudged Scorpius and motioned towards Rachel. Thankfully his friend was quick on the uptake. "But I'd be happy to save a dance for you," he smiled graciously, then bowed.
"You would?" Her face lit up with a huge smile of her own. "I mean ... that would be nice."
"Right. See you there."
"Yeah. See you there, Scorpius." And she was off.
"She fancies you," Al teased.
"Well," he smirked, straightening his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height and giving his hair a quick flick, "what's not to fancy?"
Al cracked up. "You look like you've got a stick shoved up your bum."
"The nerve!" He stuck his nose in the air, looked down it at his friend and huffed. "Hmph. Just for that, I won't save a dance for you." Then he swirled his robes and marched off, looking deeply affronted.
Al giggled his way back down to the dungeons. Really, his friend did love to act the royal sometimes. He caught up with Scorpius in the Slytherin common room a short while later. "You're right, you know," he offered.
"About what?"
"There's nothing not to fancy about you," Al said sombrely as he took a seat next to his friend. Then he snorted. "Even if you did look like you had a stick up your bum."
"It's called posture, Potter. Something you might want to learn a bit about," he chastised. "I should remind you that I am a Malfoy. I assure you I do not make a habit of placing foreign objects up my backside." He got up to leave, looking down his nose at Al and placing a hand on Al's shoulder. It was all Al could do not to crack up again at the superior look. Then Scorpius leaned down and whispered, "Well, not sticks anyway." He pulled back, winked and went to the dorm.
Al's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and he could feel a blush creeping up his neck. He scanned the common room to be sure no one else had heard their conversation, especially not that last bit. Damned Slytherins listened in on everything. He pulled a book out of his bag and started to read. Because he definitely wasn't going to think about what Scorpius had just said. His friend was just having him on. A half hour later, he gave it up as a bad job, and made his way to the Great Hall for dinner.
~*~*~
"Do you realise how bad that is for you?" Al admonished Scorpius, who was piling his plate high with eggs, sausage and bacon the next morning at breakfast.
"Yes, Al, I believe you have mentioned several hundred times the evil that is cholesterol. We're wizards, as I have pointed out to you. We live longer than Muggles. Besides, we have Healers that --"
"But we're all humans. It's not like our bodies are all that different. We just have magic thrumming through our veins."
"Right. Which means that it prevents our arteries from clogging."
"How do you know that?"
"How do you know it doesn't?"
"Is it worth taking the risk?"
Scorpius popped a sausage in his mouth, chewed on it with near ecstasy showing on his face, then swallowed. "Yup. I'd say that's worth it."
"Argh!" Al said in frustration. "Excuse me for not wanting you to die on me."
"Aw, you wouldn't want your boyfriend to die, now would you?" a seventh year Slytherin boy Al didn't know the name of drawled. He turned to Scorpius. "Enjoying your breakfast? I hear you rather like sausages."
Al looked at the retreating back of the other boy in confusion. Had someone heard their conversation, or ...? Al saw Rachel watching from the other end of the table, her eyes sparkling wickedly. Right across from where the other boy sat. Ahh. Apparently she had taken Scorpius at his word, and figured they were actually going to the dance together. As boyfriends.
"It's that Rachel. She's spreading rumours because she's upset that you turned her down to go to the dance."
"Hell hath no fury," Scorpius mused as he dove into his scrambled eggs.
"Well, I'm going over there to set him straight."
"So to speak."
"What?"
"You're going to set him straight." Al gave him a puzzled look. "Do keep up, Potter. Straight. Gay. Joke. Hello?"
"You might find this funny, but I don't. Once rumours start --"
"They carry on for a while, inflict pain, then they pass like anything else as the masses move on to another rumour. Don't get your knickers in a twist, Al."
"I'm going over there," Al said, standing up.
Scorpius put his hand on Al's to stop him. "Leave it be."
Al, realising what it might look like, yanked his hand away from his friend's grasp. "Fine. But I don't have to sit here and take it." As he left the table, he caught a look from his friend that was almost like ... hurt. He didn't stick around to figure it out, though. He went down to the kitchen to get some toast before class, without being under the scrutiny of his class mates.
~*~*~
The rumour spread like Fiendfyre, out of control and harsh. Al denied the allegations, and Scorpius ignored them. After a few days, Al had had enough.
"Why don't you tell them it's not true?" he rounded on Scorpius.
"Why should I?"
"What?!" Al screeched incredulously. "How about because it's not true?"
"Well, there's that," Scorpius agreed.
"Isn't that the whole point?"
"Not to me, it isn't."
"I don't understand."
"What bothers me the most isn't the content of the rumour so much as the hate behind it."
"How do you mean?"
"What if it were true?"
"But it's not."
"But what if it were. Think about it, Al. What if it were a rumour that you were dating some witch instead of me?"
"I still don't get it."
"Come on, Al, admit it. You're only mad because people are suggesting that you're gay."
"That's not true!"
"It's not?" Scorpius asked, a sceptical look on his face.
"You did not just say that to me," Al replied, hurt that his best friend thought so little of him. "People are spreading lies. That's all that concerns me. I can't believe you, of all people, wouldn't realize that. I can't believe you'd think that I ... never mind." He left the common room and went outside for some air. He needed time alone, time to think.
He slipped into the dorm while everyone was at dinner, closed and warded the drapes on his bed, and feigned sleep when Scorpius and his other dorm mates returned. He lay there awake, thinking about the events of the past few days, and it wasn't until several hours later that he finally drifted off.
~*~*~
"Scorp," Al whispered the next morning while the other boys were heading to the Great Hall for breakfast, "can we talk?"
"Alright," he replied. Turning to the others, he called, "Go on ahead. I'll catch you up."
Al waited until they were alone before asking, "Did you mean what you said about my dad?"
"What?"
"When you said he's hot?"
"Al, I was trying to distract you, like Longbottom said to."
"Oh."
"Besides, you said my dad is good looking."
"That's hardly the same as saying he's hot!"
"Whatever you say."
Al frowned as he pondered that. "Scorp, are you gay?"
"What the hell, Al? Where did that come from?"
"No, really. Are you? Because it would make sense."
"What would make sense?" Scorpius narrowed his eyes menacingly. "That I think your dad's hot? I told you it was --"
"A distraction; I know. I meant your reaction ... the rumours. Why you wouldn't want --"
"Oh, so the only reason I might not want people to talk about me is that --"
"No. I mean your reaction to how I was responding. Like it was a personal affront or something."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius defended.
"Don't I?" he asked. "Then tell me."
"If I were, why would I tell you?"
"Nice, Scorp." That hurt. "I would think that I deserve to know, don't you?"
"Why? So you could steer clear of the queer boy in case you caught something?"
"What?!" Where was all this coming from? "I'm your best friend, Scorp. I would think that you would talk to me is all."
"Right. I see how you feel."
"Really?" Al was getting angry now. "And how is that?"
"You're disgusted by all of this."
"Yeah, I am."
Scorpius's jaw dropped. "You admit it then!"
"Admit what? That I'm disgusted that people waste their time spreading lies about other people? Disgusted that our class mates, and supposed friends, expect some sort of confirmation or denial from us? Disgusted that I can't walk down the halls of this school without being gawked at or whispered about or sniggered at? Yeah. I am disgusted."
Scorpius made to interrupt, but a raised hand from Al stopped him. "But disgusted at the suggestion that I might be gay? Or that if I were, I'd want to be with you? Give me a bit more credit than that, Scorp." With that, Al got out of bed and looked down at his friend. "If that's what you think, maybe you don't know me at all."
Al gathered his books to head down to breakfast.
"I think I am," Scorpius blurted out as Al reached the doorway. "Gay, I mean."
"You think?" Al turned around to see his friend wringing his hands and staring down into his lap.
"Well, yeah. It's just ... well, I've not, you know ... done anything about it, but ..." His voice trailed off and he blushed.
"But you know you're attracted to blokes?"
"Yeah."
Al frowned and looked at the floor.
"I knew it was a bad idea to say anything." Al looked up; Scorpius's face looked desperate, like he was hoping with everything in him that he wouldn't be rejected.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know how you'd react."
"I'm your best friend, you prat." He grinned at Scorpius. "Nothing's going to change that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. We good?"
"Yeah."
"Good." Al gave his friend a questioning look. "We can talk more later, yeah?"
"Later," Scorpius agreed. "Now, I'm hungry."
"Me too."
~*~*~
Breakfast was more of the usual, as were classes and the trips to and from. Al, taking the lead from Scorpius, had stopped defending himself. Scorpius did have a point, after all. What was there to defend against?
After classes, they made their way out to the Quidditch pitch, where Scorpius had a practice. He was the star Chaser on the Slytherin team, something that had at first surprised his father, but then pleased him. Al supposed all parents imagined their children taking after them. Such was the reason both of his parents were stunned that Al hadn't taken up Quidditch at all, preferring to remain closer to the ground.
Al watched as Scorpius flew some practice laps around the pitch, spinning and turning at break-neck speed, never faltering. Sure, Al could fly well enough, and he enjoyed it, but he didn't have the grace that his friend had. Scorpius looked like he was made to fly, like he was as at home in the air as he was on the ground.
"Admiring your boyfriend?" Lily asked.
Al scowled at his little sister. "What are you talking about?"
"You were watching Scorp like there's nothing else you'd rather do."
"Piss off," he said, feeling his face flush. "Those are just rumours, and you know it."
"Do I?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in question. "If that's the case, and you don't want those rumours to go any further, you might want to stop ogling your non-boyfriend."
"Don't you have anything better to do than harass me?"
"Nope. I live for moments like these."
He scowled at her again.
"You know, Al, you could do a lot worse. Scorp is hot."
Al's mind went back. Scorpius had said their dad was hot. He'd also said that Al looked like his dad. Well, everyone said that. Could that mean ...? Al shook off that thought. Scorpius knew Al wasn't gay. Because he wasn't. He liked girls. Sure, he could appreciate a decent looking bloke just like anyone else. And he'd occasionally thought about ... well, that was normal. He was just curious. That didn't count. He never actually imagined doing anything about it.
Then he remembered his conversation with Scorpius. He had never done anything either. But how did he know? How could he know that he was gay if he'd never even tried kissing a bloke?
"Don't hurt yourself," Lily's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What?"
"You looked like you were so deep in thought, you might hurt yourself."
"Oh ... sorry."
"Look, Al, I'm sorry about all this. I'm not trying to torment you. If you say the rumours aren't true, I'll believe you. But would it be so bad if they were true? I mean you and Scorp are best friends. He's a great guy, and so are you. And if you're gay, who cares? Anyone that would be bothered by it isn't worth worrying about anyway."
Al looked at his sister in shock. "When did you get so smart?" he asked.
"I've always been smart. You've just been too thick to notice." She nudged him playfully in the shoulder.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." He mussed up her hair in response. "Oh, and they're not true. Really. We're just friends."
"Oh," she said, sounding almost disappointed. She smiled up at Al. "Just so you know, if you ever decide to change that situation, I'd be all for it. I mean, honestly. You two would be so hot together!"
"Lil!" he gaped at her.
She giggled until she nearly fell off the bench. "Oh, your face was priceless!"
"What's so funny?" Scorpius asked as he approached. They hadn't even noticed the practice was over.
"I'll let your boyfriend explain it to you," Lily said as she regained her composure. She punched Al in the arm. "Later boys." He heard her start to giggle again as she walked away.
"So ... what was so funny?"
"She said that if we ever decided to get together, she'd be all for it." Al took his face in his hands and shook his head. "Because she said we'd be hot together."
Scorpius snorted. "But of course we would be," he said in his superior, regal voice. "Just look at us."
"But ... but ... she's my sister! She's not supposed to think I'm hot!"
"Just with me you would be, Al." He winked. "Just with me."
"Let's go eat," Al said, realising a lost cause when he saw one.
On their way to dinner, it seemed that everyone was in on it. "You two want a romantic table for two in the back?" asked Mitch Smith, the most obnoxious Hufflepuff Al knew. Truth be told, he was the only obnoxious Hufflepuff he knew.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," Scorpius ventured, looping his arm through Al's. "Can you arrange that for us then?"
Al watched the other boy as his face went a crazed shade of crimson.
"You might want to watch your salt intake," Al offered. "You look like you might have high blood pressure. That can't be healthy."
"Yeah," Scorpius agreed with a smirk. "You know, never mind the table. I think we can manage on our own." He put his arm around Al's shoulder and guided him towards the Slytherin table. "Thanks anyway."
"P-p-poofs!" Mitch screamed. "You're sick. You'll pay, you know. My dad says --"
Whatever his dad said was lost on Al as his ears rang with rage. He spun around, fists clenched, ready for a fight. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" he screamed.
"Let it go," Scorpius said. "He's not worth it."
"I'm not worth it?!" Mitch reeled on Scorpius. "Why you little fa--"
"Mr Smith!" Headmistress McGonagall's voice rang out from the corridor behind Smith. "Report to your Head of House immediately. I will hear no more of this."
He was livid as he mouthed, You're dead. Scorpius lifted his eyebrows in challenge as the Headmistress escorted Mitch away.
~*~*~
"I think I know who did it," Al said as he recalled the conversation from the day before.
"Who?" their dads asked together.
"Mitch Smith."
"Zach Smith's son?" Harry asked.
"That slime--" Draco added.
"Ahem," McGonagall's voice interjected. "I believe that Zaccharias is Mitch's father, yes," she told the men. She turned to Al. "That's quite an accusation, Mr Potter. I presume you have a reason to point the finger at him?"
Al looked at his dad and Mr Malfoy, then at the Headmistress. He tried to convey with his look that he didn't want to discuss any specifics, and he hoped that she would understand. "Remember yesterday, when you took Mitch to talk to his Head of House?"
"Yes," she nodded curtly. "Did he say something afterwards?"
"Er ... not so much afterwards as at that time. He sort-of mouthed you're dead to Scorpius just before he left with you."
"He said what?" Scorpius's dad said.
"We didn't think he was serious," Al said defensively. "You know, just shooting off his mouth."
"Please stay here while I go get Mr Smith," McGonagall told them.
"I'm coming with you," Mr Malfoy insisted.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," she said warily.
"Lead the way." Apparently Mr Malfoy was not to be dissuaded.
~*~*~
"Care to explain what the business was with Smith?" Al's dad asked once they were gone.
"Not really?" Al suggested. His dad's look spoke volumes, so he sighed and took a seat. "Alright, but please don't tell Mr Malfoy. I don't know if Scorp wants him to know." He looked hopeful. "Auror confidentiality, right?"
"I won't be making any such promises, Al. His son is missing. If that were you ..." His dad dragged his hands over his face, and suddenly Al was struck with how tired he looked. Tired and worried. "Just tell me what you know, and I'll see what I can do about not disclosing anything sensitive to his dad, okay?"
"Okay." Al believed him. Besides, he knew their dads didn't like each other, so it wasn't as though they would have much opportunity to talk once Scorpius was found. If he was found. That last thought made his decision easier.
Al told his dad what had happened over the past week, leaving out Scorpius's revelation, and his own somewhat conflicted thoughts. No one else knew anything for sure. They were all just listening to the rumours.
~*~*~
"My father will see about this!" came Smith's voice just as Al's dad was about to ask him something. "He won't stand for this!"
"Listen to me, you snivelling little worm," Mr Malfoy said. "The two of us went to school with your father. He wasn't much then, and I don't imagine he's much now."
"Mr Malfoy!" McGonagall admonished. "Really."
He still looked angry, but said nothing. Al's dad, however, was smirking and looking away. He eventually recovered and turned to Smith.
"Mitch?" he asked. Smith nodded. "Right. I understand that you had an argument with Al and Scorpius the other day?"
"Bloody poofters!"
"Mr Smith!" McGonagall interrupted.
Scorpius's father narrowed his eyes at Smith, but said nothing.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Al's dad said, "and frankly I don't care. The subject of your argument is irrelevant to me, unless it is cause for your action."
"What action?" Smith asked. Al couldn't be sure, but he did look surprised.
"My son has gone missing, you idiot!"
"Mr Malfoy," McGonagall said in her most calm and frightening voice, "if you cannot control yourself, I will have you removed." Al saw her give Scorpius's dad a glare that would make many men cower. He held his ground but nodded. "Very well, then, carry on Mr Potter."
"As Mr Malfoy has said, Scorpius has gone missing. What do you know about that?"
"Nothing," he said defiantly.
Al's dad turned to the Headmistress. "Minerva, I realise you're a busy woman. I can take this from here. I'll make sure Mr Smith makes it back to his dormitory when we are done."
She looked like she was going to object, but then Al's dad leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and she agreed. That left the four of them alone. Smith didn't look so smug.
"You were saying?" Al's dad asked as though there hadn't been an interruption in the questioning.
"I said I don't know anything."
"Bullshit," Mr Malfoy said.
"Malfoy!" Al's dad said with a glare, though Al thought it lacked any feeling.
"Look, Smith, I don't know you," Scorpius's dad said. "But I did hear you pompously shouting about my father this and my father that, and it doesn't impress me much."
Al's dad coughed and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like pot and kettle, but Al couldn't be sure. Whatever he'd said, it had earned him a glare from Mr Malfoy.
"Anyway," he returned his glare to Smith, "as I mentioned before, your father doesn't scare us. You do realise who we are, right?"
"Yeah, you're Scorpius's dad, and he's Al's dad."
"He's Harry Potter." Al rolled his eyes. "Saviour of the wizarding world. Banisher of evil Dark Lords."
"Yeah, so ... that was what, twenty years ago?" Smith said. Al's dad laughed. He always hated when people brought all that up.
A brief look of shock came over Mr Malfoy's face, then he looked at Al's dad, who shrugged. Mr. Malfoy returned his look to Smith, only this time with a feral grin on his face. "While we're talking about fathers, do you happen to know who mine was?"
Looking extremely bored, Smith sighed, "No."
"He was Voldemort's right hand man," Al's dad informed him.
"Yeah, right," Smith retorted.
"That is right," Mr Malfoy said.
"What do I care?" Smith asked.
"Well you see, Mr Smith," Scorpius's dad continued, "Mr Potter may have rid the world of Voldemort, but not before he taught his followers an awful lot of Dark Magic along the way."
Smith's face fell. He looked ... grey ... and ill.
"I would imagine ol' Lucius passed a fair bit of that knowledge on to you then, didn't he?" Al's dad asked casually, as if they weren't threatening his class mate right in front of his eyes. Al suddenly had a whole new respect for his dad.
"A fair bit, yes, Harry."
"Which I'm sure you wouldn't use."
"Oh, never intentionally, of course."
"I have heard tell of wild magic occurring during times of stress, though," Al's dad offered helpfully. It was all Al could do not to fall of his chair laughing as Smith looked like he was about to throw up. "Not much to be done about that."
"It's not as though the wizard has the wherewithal to control the errant magic, after all."
"Too true." Al's dad blinked a few times before returning his gaze to Smith. "Sorry about that. Where were we?" He frowned as if in thought. "Ah, yes, the location of Scorpius Malfoy. You say you know nothing about his abduction?"
"I thought he was just missing," Smith said.
"Oh, no," Scorpius's dad said, "he was taken right in front of young Mr Potter, here, from an alley in Hogsmeade."
"So tell them, Potter. Tell them it wasn't me. I didn't touch the stup-- I mean I didn't take him. I didn't do anything to him, I swear." He sounded desperate.
Mr Malfoy removed his wand and began twirling it in his fingers. Smith's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Don't hex me!" He turned frightened eyes to Al's dad. "You're an Auror. You're the Head Auror. You can't just ... let him hex me. I'm only seventeen."
"A fully qualified wizard," Scorpius's dad replied.
Al's dad lifted his eyebrows in Mr Malfoy's direction. "He's right, you know. I can't just let you hex a student. I mean I know a Memory Charm would fix things up, but really, Draco, you can't go around hexing children."
"I was merely going to offer Mr Smith here the opportunity to remove his memories of today, as proof that he was nowhere near my son." Mr Malfoy smiled at Smith. "No hexes. Just a Pensieve."
"Fine. Whatever," Smith agreed. "I swear to you, I don't know anything. I wasn't even in Hogsmeade today."
"That won't be necessary, Mr Smith, but we may ask you to come forward later," Al's dad said before glancing at a less-than-happy looking Mr Malfoy. "You may return to your dormitory."
~*~*~
"What the hell, Potter?"
"Al," his dad said, "please give us a few minutes alone."
Al nodded and left. He hovered around the door to listen in. "What he said was true, Malfoy. He wasn't in Hogsmeade."
"How do you know that?"
"I already checked the list."
"Oh, and the list always has everyone on it that ever went to Hogsmeade. Because no student in the history of Hogwarts has ever, I don't know, snuck into Hogsmeade."
"Point. I'll have my team investigate his claim in more detail, see if anyone can confirm his presence here at the time. Meanwhile ..." A ringing in his ears signalled Al that his father had put up the Muffliato charm, so he went outside for a walk.
~*~*~
Al sat down staring out at the calm water of the Black Lake, thinking about his friend. Where was he? If Smith hadn't taken him, who had? Maybe it had nothing to do with what happened over the past week. Maybe it was about his dad. He had just admitted that his own father was Voldemort's top guy. Could this have something to do with some twenty year old grudge? Had someone recently been released from Azkaban?
As he sat there, he thought about Scorpius, and how scared he must be. No, scratch that, he was probably terrorizing whoever it was that had taken him. Tormenting them like only he could, expecting them to wait on him hand and foot. Al grinned at the thought. His grin soon faded as he thought about the kinds of wizards that might have taken Scorpius if it had something to do with his granddad's past. He didn't know what they might do to his friend if they knew any of the Dark Magic Mr Malfoy had mentioned when talking to Smith. If they'd had years to think up something.
Al conjured a blanket and lay back on it. The more he thought about Scorpius and what he might be going through, the more ill he felt. He knew his dad would find him and bring him back safely - he had to - but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something important. Curling up to stave off the nausea that hit as he imagined his friend being tortured, Al closed his eyes to think. He always thought better that way.
"Hey, you, wake up!" Scorpius's voice rang through Al's head as he felt a nudge on his ribs.
"You're back!" Al jumped up and launched himself at Scorpius, and they very nearly fell over.
"Whoa!" Scorpius laughed. "Miss me much?"
Al released his friend, holding him by the shoulders at arm's length to look him over. "So you're okay?"
"Yeah, just a prank. Some Gryffs thought it might be funny to grab me and leave me in some abandoned shop for the day."
"A prank?! What the hell kind of prank is that? I thought you'd been kidnapped. They hauled Smith in for questioning. Your dad ... oh, man, he was so cool. He threatened Smith with Dark Magic - said Voldemort taught it to his dad, who handed it down to him. I thought Smith was going to shit himself on the spot. Then when we knew it wasn't him, I started thinking it might have something to do with your dad or your granddad and the past. You know, some Voldemort supporter who might've got out of Azkaban recently. And maybe you were in some serious trouble, and it was all my fault, and --"
"Slow down!" Scorpius squeezed Al's shoulder. "I'm here. I'm okay. It was just a joke."
"It wasn't funny. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."
He pulled his friend into a fierce hug, if for no other reason than to be sure he was really there. As he slowly pulled away, he looked up into grey eyes. Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed Scorpius. It was just a soft brush of lips, but it felt ... nice.
Scorpius's hands came up to cup his face as he leaned in to kiss Al back.
Al awoke to the pecking of an owl at his hand. "Scorp?" he said, looking around for his friend. His stomach sank as he realised that he'd nodded off and it had all been a dream. Scorpius was still missing, and he, Al, was losing his mind. Shaking off his dream - was it a dream or wishful thinking? - he removed the package from the owl's leg and watched it fly away.
The outside of the package was addressed to Albus Potter and in large black letters said OPEN ALONE. As he was the only one there, he shrugged and opened it. He withdrew a letter, and began to read it. "If you want to see Scorpius again --"
Al tossed the letter aside and removed the paper wrapping to find a cup. He grabbed it and immediately felt the pull of being Portkeyed as Hogwarts' grounds disappeared. He landed with a thud in a small room, about twice the size of a broom cupboard and with no windows. At once he went to the door, but unsurprisingly, found it locked. He removed his wand and cast Alohamora and a number of other spells, none of which did the trick.
He suddenly realised that he hadn't read the note. Perhaps it had given instructions … stupid, stupid, stupid! Once more, it was his fault that Scorpius was in trouble. If he hadn't touched the stupid Portkey himself, he could have had his dad look it over, and he could have brought a team of Aurors here instead. Damn it!
~*~*~
"Oh, you came to play!" a familiar voice came from the other side of the door. Even though the door remained firmly shut, the voice sounded as though it was right next to him. She must have used Sonorus.
"Where's Scorpius?" he demanded.
"Patience, patience. Your boyfriend is fine. Now, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Al asked, trying to figure out where he knew the voice from.
"I thought I was clear in my letter."
"I didn't read it."
"Well that was rather rude of you."
"No, I touched the Portkey before I could finish reading --"
"Well, here's the short version. You have to win him back."
"What?!"
"You have to win him back. I will ask you questions, and you have to answer them correctly. If you do, you get him back. Answer them wrong, and he stays with me."
"Let me out of here!" Al screamed.
"Oh, and if you make me angry, you both stay here."
"Can I at least see Scorpius?" Al asked. "Please?"
"Turn to your left," the voice said. As Al looked, the wall faded and revealed another room. A room in which Scorpius was lying down on a bed.
"What have you done with him? Is he okay? Is he alive?"
"Of course he's alive, you idiot! What would I go and kill him for? I love him."
Al bit his tongue. He wanted to scream at her that she's crazy if she thinks kidnapping someone is a show of love, but he didn't fancy them both being stuck there forever. His mind went over the past week. "Rachel?" he asked.
"Ten points to Slytherin!" she called. "I suppose you're not at stupid as you look."
"Rachel, if you care about Scorp --"
"I LOVE him!" she screamed.
"Sorry. Right. Um ... if you love him, you must know that he would hate to be locked up, right?"
"Of course I know that, you idiot. This is just temporary. You see, he only thinks he wants to be with you. You, who denies him at every turn. You who won't even acknowledge what you have. You who pulls away at his touch. I would never do that," she said. "I would want the whole world to know that he was mine."
"I don't understand."
"Of course not," she snapped. She really sounded crazy. "At first I was hurt because he rejected me, but then I started watching you."
"Watching me?"
"Not just you, stupid. The two of you. Together." Al had no idea where she was going with this, but figured he should keep her talking in the hopes that his dad would find the note and hopefully figure out where he was.
"And what did you see?"
"I saw how much he cares for you, and how much you don't deserve him."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Of course you don't. Because what do his feelings mean to you? Nothing! I watched him watch you. He does that, you know. Well, maybe you don't know, since you don't seem to notice much about him at all. He watches you all the time. The way he looks at you, with such love in his eyes, but only when you're not watching. I mean, what kind of boyfriend could you be if he's afraid to show you how he really feels? It makes me ill.
"Why, you might ask, does it make me ill? I'll tell you why. Because the one time I ever saw him touch you, what did you do? You pulled your hand away from him so quickly, you'd have thought his touch burned you. I was ready to rip you apart when I saw the pain on his face. He deserves better than that, better than you. It was right then and there I decided to show him that you weren't worth it."
"You kidnapped him because you don't think I'm a good enough ... boyfriend for him?"
"That's right."
"Don't you think ... oh, I don't know ... a conversation might have been a better way?"
"No I don't," she snarled. "I needed to remove him from outside forces, and get him to see you - really see you."
Al toyed with the idea of telling her the truth, that they weren't boyfriends, but she hadn't believed him before, and he thought it might actually make the situation worse. After all, he was supposed to win Scorpius back, whatever that meant. If he wasn't Scorpius's boyfriend, who knew what she'd do instead. "You said I'm supposed to win him back?" He looked at his friend in the next room and touched the glass, willing him to wake up. "How do you propose I do that?"
"Answer some questions."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Get them all right, and you can leave."
"Scorpius too?"
"If he wants to, yes."
As if he'd want to stay here with you. "And if I don't get them right?"
"If you get them all wrong, you stay here too."
"And what if I get some right, and some wrong."
"Then you leave, but Scorpius stays."
"I'm not leaving without him."
"Then you'd better answer all my questions correctly."
"Who says whether the answers are right or wrong? What if we disagree?"
"Ah, see ... Scorpius has already taken care of that for us. I asked him all but one of the questions, and he answered them. Now you just have to answer them the same way, and you may both leave."
"What does that prove anyway?"
"It proves that you know him. Or, as I suspect, that you don't know him at all. Which proves my point. That you don't deserve him."
Oh, for fuck's sake! We're playing some twisted form of a stupid Muggle game show? She really is a nutter.
Al braced himself. He figured that, of anyone, he probably had the best chance of answering questions about Scorpius. After all, who knew him better? He would humour her by playing this asinine game. Meanwhile, his father had hopefully found the note and was well on his way to figuring out where they were.
"Are you going to let me out of here?"
He heard Rachel's laughter echoing in the room. "So you can hex me the second I do? I've seen you in the duelling club. I don't think so. Here's how it's going to work. I'll wake up Scorpius, and he will watch. He will be able to see and hear you, but you won't be able to see or hear him. No cheating. That way he can see what a lousy boyfriend you really are, and he will thank me for showing him."
"Or I'll prove to you that I really do care, and you'll let us both go."
She hesitated before answering. "Yes," she said, reluctantly Al thought.
He saw a shadow fall over Scorpius, and he heard, "Ennervate." Al watched as Scorpius blinked, then looked over at him. His face lit up with a smile. Al smiled back and touched the glass before it resumed the look of a solid wall once more.
He recalled what Rachel had said, so he smiled at the wall and said, "I'll get you out of here," hoping Scorpius could hear him.
Rachel laughed. "We'll see about that."
"How many questions?"
"Ten."
"Fire away!" Al said, with much more confidence than he felt.
"One. What is Scorpius's favourite colour?"
"Blue." There was no response, so he added, "Cobalt blue."
"Two. His favourite song?"
Al thought about that for a few minutes, trying to figure out if there was one that he liked more than any other. "He doesn't have one," he ventured, knowing it was true, but wondering if Scorpius had felt compelled to name something. "He likes all sorts of music, but mainly retro stuff like the Weird Sisters."
"Hmpf." Al suppressed a grin. He hoped all the questions were this easy. Two down. "Three. Favourite drink?"
Okay, so maybe the questions were getting a bit harder as they went along. "That depends," he said. "Butterbeer is his favourite, but only if it's heated up. He can't stand the stuff when it's cold. If he can't have warm Butterbeer, then he likes a lemon iced tea."
He heard her cough. "Four. Favourite place he's gone on vacation."
Oh, man. Scorpius had been so many places with his family. "That's a harder one," Al replied, trying to buy a bit more time. "I'll have to give two answers to that. For a fancy place, I'd have to say L'Arc de Triumph in Paris. But for fun, I'd say camping with me and my brother and my dad last summer in the Highlands." He remembered they had gone fishing every day and told stories by the fire at night.
"Choose one. He only gave one."
Al thought about it. He remembered how much Scorpius had gone on about the places in Paris, but ... he'd told him he'd never had so much fun as he'd had last summer, so ... "Camping."
"Fine." She was clearly getting agitated now. "Five. Biggest fear?"
"Something terrible happening to someone he loves." That one was easy. They'd talked about that around the campfire.
"Six. Ambition in life."
Wow. She really did expect him to know everything about Scorpius. "He hasn't decided yet, but it'll be something really important. Something that will make the name Malfoy known all over the wizarding world, and for a good reason."
"Seven. When did the two of you meet?"
Another easy one. "First day of school. We met at the table in the Great Hall after we were both sorted into Slytherin."
"Eight. When did you become best friends?"
Piece of cake. "Same night. He asked if I was Harry Potter's son and I asked if he was Draco Malfoy's son. We figured it would be a great joke to play on our dads if we became best mates. We've never looked back." Al grinned at the wall, knowing that Scorpius was on the other side. He pictured his grey eyes twinkling with mischief, just like they had that first night. Damn, he really did know a lot about his friend. He wondered how well Scorpius would do if he were asked the same questions about Al.
"Nine. Describe Scorpius to me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Describe him. In detail."
Al closed his eyes and pictured his friend standing in front of him. A smile crept onto his face as he pictured Scorpius smiling back. "Most people say he looks just like his dad. In a way he does. I mean overall they look a lot alike. Tall, slim, pale, with blonde hair and grey eyes. But Scorpius isn't as pointy."
"Scorpius, not his dad."
"Right. Okay, let's see ... he has white blonde hair, but with hints of light brown running through it. It's straight and thin, but there's lots of it, and ... well, it's always perfect. Even when it falls in his face or blows in the wind, it's still ... perfect." Al shook his head, wondering when he'd started paying attention to Scorpius's hair. A little embarrassed that he said all that aloud, he closed his eyes again and tried to focus on his friend's features.
"His skin is pale, almost translucent, with a few faint freckles on his nose, and a few on his arms. Just like his hair, his skin is perfect. Never a flaw." Merlin, he sounded smitten. He cleared his throat and continued.
"His eyes are grey, but with flecks of colour. On a bright, sunny day, they look a little bit green, and when it's cloudy, they look a bit blue. But mainly they're a shimmering, deep grey." Shimmering? Since when did he think of Scorp's eyes as shimmering? Al took another deep breath, and could picture those eyes drawing him into their depths when Scorpius was talking about something he was passionate about.
"Continue," Rachel's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Sorry. Um ... he has high cheekbones and a long, straight nose - a very aristocratic face." He figured Scorpius would appreciate that. He pictured Scorpius's mouth, and licked his lips involuntarily, remembering his dream. He imagined the full, soft lips, but ... well, it hadn't been real, had it? "His lips --" He could feel himself blushing. "His lips are full, and he has perfectly straight, white teeth. He has a strong jaw, and a long neck. His shoulders are broad, and he's slim but muscular. His --"
Al's eyes flew open as he heard noise all around him. The door to the room flew open and he saw his Uncle Ron standing there. "Al, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Al looked at the wall, but it was still solid. "Scorpius is in that room there," he pointed and ran for the door.
"Stay here," Ron said, holding him back. "Harry," he called. "I've got Al; he's okay."
"I've got Scorpius and Rachel," Al heard his dad in the next room. His uncle let him go and Al went running for his friend. He nearly knocked him over with a bear hug.
"Miss me much?" Scorpius joked. Al was reminded of his dream from earlier and smiled.
"Yeah," Al said. He turned to Rachel, "You need help."
She began to cry. "I didn't think you cared about him!" she wailed.
Al tried to keep his anger inside, but he couldn't help but say something. "Even if I didn't, you can't go around kidnapping people!"
"I only wanted to show him. I would never have hurt him. Never." She sobbed as another Auror escorted her away.
"Is she going to Azkaban?" Al asked his dad, realising that she wasn't well.
"She'll be taken to the Ministry first, but then I think St. Mungo's is in order."
"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I think she meant it, you know. That she wouldn't have hurt me."
"Let's get you back," Al's dad said. "I know your father is anxious to see you."
~*~*~
It turned out that Rachel hadn't returned from Hogsmeade that day. Her parents had recently leased a store in town, but hadn't yet set up shop. They found the note, verified with her teachers that it was Rachel's handwriting, and Apparated over to the empty store, where they'd found them.
"You did a pretty good job with those questions," Scorpius grinned after Al's uncle and the other Aurors had left.
"Well, we have been friends for a long time," Al replied, feeling his cheeks redden as he remembered where his thoughts had wandered to while describing Scorpius.
"Yeah, I hadn't thought about the reason we'd conspired to be friends for a long time." Al looked over at their dads. They were talking - actually talking.
"They worked well together, you know," Al said.
"You don't think they could ever be ... friends, do you?"
"Nah. Too much history."
"I suppose," Scorpius agreed. "So ask me what the last question was."
"Last question?"
"Yeah. Rachel had ten. You were on the ninth when all hell broke loose. Ask me what the last question was."
"Would I have screwed up the answer?"
"Probably."
"Alright. Ask me the question."
"Where and when was our first kiss?"
"So what did you say?"
"Oh, no, Potter. That's not how the game is played. You answer and then you find out if you were right."
"Very funny. So I'm supposed to guess what you said?"
Scorpius stood in front of Al, and asked again. "Where and when was our first kiss?"
Al looked into deep, grey eyes. Eyes that flickered with a hint of green. Eyes that drew him in. Eyes that longed for an answer.
"Right here, right now," Al said. He lifted his hands to Scorpius's face and leaned in for a kiss. Like the dream, it felt right. Unlike the dream, they didn't stop at a mere brushing of lips.
Al felt Scorpius smile as their lips joined together. His lips were as soft as Al had imagined. Soft and warm and wonderful. When he felt Scorpius's tongue reach out tentatively, he parted his lips in welcome. When their tongues touched, Al felt himself falling. It was like flying, only much, much better than that. He ran his hands through Scorpius's hair and held on for dear life.
"Ahem."
"Scorpius!"
They broke the kiss grudgingly, but didn't part. Al rested his forehead on Scorpius's. "Did I answer correctly?" he asked with a grin.
"Perfectly."
~*~*~
They listened at the door, after their fathers had shooed them out of the room.
"You know, Al, this might prove to be better than being best mates."
"Yeah," Al agreed. "This could drive them completely crazy!"
"No kidding." Scorpius laughed. "Say, what was it you bought in Wheezes anyway?"
"Oh, that." Al recalled picking up the New and Improved Patented Daydream, the one that promised to show you who you really longed to be with. He'd hoped to help Scorpius figure out for sure, but now ....
"Shh," Al said, motioning to the door. "Listen."
"You don't have a problem with this, do you Malfoy?"
"Not in general, no."
"Well, then?"
"Why does it have to be your son?" Al heard Scorpius's dad whine. He tried not to be hurt by that. After all, he thought Mr Malfoy liked him.
"And what's wrong with Al?" his dad asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. He's a great kid. I quite like him. It's just ..."
"Just what?"
"Isn't it a bit eerie to see the two of them together?"
"Why, because they're boys?"
"No, because ... well ... because they look so much like we did in school. It's ... strange."
"I don't know. I think they look good together."
"Yes, well, there's no denying that."
"Kind of makes you wonder."
"Wonder what?"
"Under different circumstances. Maybe we could have ...."
"Could have what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe ..."
"Potter, what are you doing? Get away from me. Don't touch me!" Al looked at Scorpius and imagined that the horrified look on his friend's face was reflected on his own.
After a few moments, Al's dad laughed. "Relax. I wouldn't dream of it, Draco."
Relief washed over Al. He looked at his friend. "That would just be ..."
"Wrong," Scorpius finished, shaking his head as if to banish the image from his mind. "So very wrong."
"Yeah."
~*~*~
On the other side of the door, two fathers laughed as they ended the charm to watch their sons' horrified faces through the wood, the piece of paper containing the answers to Rachel's questions lying on the desk.
Two can play that game.
~FIN
.
Title: Two Can Play That Game
Author: sesheta_66
Recipient: cryptaviscus
Pairing(s): Albus/Scorpius (aka Scorbus)
Summary: When Scorpius Malfoy is kidnapped from Hogsmeade, Auror Potter is brought in to investigate. Meanwhile, it is said that rumours start with a grain of truth. Sometimes it works the other way around.
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): None
Word Count: ~ 9700
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: I hope that I managed to work in your requests, cryptaviscus and that it meets your expectations. I don't know if the boys turned out as quirky as you had hoped, but they do definitely have their quirks. Thanks so much to my speedy betas, J and W.
Two Can Play That Game
"Hey, Scorp," Al said as they exited Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. "C'mon over here so I can show you what I got from the back room." He led his friend around the corner and into a deserted alleyway behind a vacant store.
"What's with all the cloak and dagger, Al?"
"Shh! I don't want anyone to know. Sarah wasn't supposed to sell this to me."
"What is it?" Scorpius asked, intrigued at what Wheeze Al managed to flirt his way into buying while still only fifteen.
He didn't get a chance to find out as they heard a commotion behind a rubbish bin. It sounded like a muffled cry.
"Hello?" the boys asked together. "Who's there?"
Al walked towards the sound, but Scorpius reached out for his arm. "Careful. You don't know what --"
Scorpius's sentence was cut off as he was grabbed from behind, a gloved hand was placed over his mouth, and the pull of Apparition took him away.
~*~*~
"What do you mean, he's missing?" Draco asked an anxious looking Minerva McGonagall.
The Headmistress pursed her lips and took a deep breath before saying, "The students were in Hogsmeade, and Scorpius was ... taken."
"By whom? Taken where? Is he hurt?"
"Mr Malfoy," the frightened voice of Al addressed him. Draco hadn't noticed him sitting off in the corner of the room, so focussed on Minerva he was.
"Al? Did you see who took Scorpius?"
"No, Sir. I was with him when we ...." He broke off, looking almost as if he were going to break down. "We went down an alley, and we heard some noise behind a rubbish bin. When I went to look behind it, that's when he took Scorp."
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know!" he said, his voice just shy of hysterical. "I was in front and he must have grabbed him from behind. Scorp was telling me to be careful, and I felt his hand on my arm. Then his hand fell away, and his voice was muffled. When I turned around, all I saw was the swirling of a black robe as they Disapparated."
"Was he tall? Short? What colour hair did he have? Was he thin? Fat?"
Al put his head in his hands, shaking it and letting out a moan. Draco stopped, realizing that he was addressing his son's best friend. He must be devastated too.
"Al," he said as he placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "take a deep breath. I'm sorry to throw questions at you like that. Let's take this slowly, shall we?"
"I'm sorry Mr Malfoy. I'm so, so sorry." He looked up into Draco's face. "He was wearing a hood, so I couldn't see anything. He looked about the same height as Scorp, or maybe a bit taller. I didn't see any hair or anything. All I saw was the black robe." Once again, he put his head in his hands and repeated, "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Draco soothed, giving Al's shoulder a squeeze. He turned to Minerva. "Have the Aurors been contacted?"
"Yes. The Head Auror himself is handling the case."
"Is that wise?" Draco asked.
Al looked up and straightened his shoulders. "My dad is a great Auror," he said defiantly.
Draco would have smiled at the boy's defence of his father, were it not such a dire situation. "I realize that, Al," he reassured the boy. "I only meant that he's hardly objective since he knows Scorpius personally. And Scorpius is your best friend."
"Oh. Well, don't you think that means he'll try even harder to find him?" Al offered.
This time a hint of a smile did escape, as Draco realized that the boy was right. "Of course he will, Al. Of course he will."
~*~*~
One Week Earlier ...
"Sixth and seventh years, remember, we are attempting non-verbal spells today," Professor Longbottom instructed. "Fourth and fifth years, you may use verbal spells. Duellers, on your marks."
Al and Scorpius were teamed up together, as usual, and they took turns flinging and deflecting spells.
"Serpensortia!" Scorpius yelled, and a snake flew out of the end of his wand. A few people standing nearby moved away. Al took his time to enjoy the squirming of their fellow duellers before vanishing the snake.
"Evanesco! Really, Scorp, that's getting old," he said, rolling his eyes. "No matter how many times you do it, I still won't be able to talk to the snake. That was my dad's thing."
"Well, you can't blame me for trying. It would be really cool if you could talk to snakes."
"Terribly sorry I don't live up to your standards. Perhaps you'd prefer to hang out with my dad instead."
"Right. About as much as you'd want to hang out with my dad."
"I dunno, Scorp. He is pretty good looking."
"Ugh! You did not just say that." He shook his head in disgust.
Al giggled. "Relax, Scorp, you look just as good as your dad. Besides, he's kinda on the old side."
Scorpius fixed Al with a strange look. "Since when do you notice what my dad looks like anyway?"
Al shrugged. "Dunno. I suppose because you look so much like him, I've noticed what he looks like."
"Like you look like your dad?"
"Minus the scar, yeah."
"And what does that have to do with hanging out with him? Or me for that matter?"
"You know. Attracts the good looking witches."
Scorpius laughed. "Ah, a veiled compliment at best. Of course it would have to be to your advantage."
"But of course," Al agreed.
"Less talking, boys," Professor Longbottom interrupted. "Let's see what you've got."
The two of them cast spell after spell, each deflecting as well as the other. "Very good," Professor Longbottom said. "I think next lesson you two should start working on non-verbal spells." At the boys' astonished looks, he continued. "I realise you're fifth years, but it seems that you've mastered this. For next week, try to grasp the idea of casting a non-verbal spell. For the rest of today, work on distractions."
"Distractions?" both boys asked.
"Yes, distractions. In a battle, most often you won't be dealing with one wizard in front of you, with no other risks around. You won't be in a classroom with no other forces at work. You may very well have several battles going on around you, as we have here, but you may have to pay attention to those battles, in case one of those people attacks you as well. Also," he said, conjuring a snake wordlessly from his wand, "such tactics as these could help you in the future. One never knows when a snake might show up and join the party." With a wave of his wand, the snake was gone. "Distractions, boys."
The two of them continued battling, this time shouting things and pointing around. "Look over there!"
"What's that by your feet?"
It was all rather ridiculous, since they each knew what the other was doing. Until Scorpius said, "You know what, Al?"
"Mmm?"
"Your dad is hot."
"What?!" Al yelled, realising too late what Scorpius had done.
"Expelliarmus!" called Scorpius. He grinned widely as he caught Al's wand in his hands, just as Professor Longbottom called the duelling club over for the day.
"Hi, Scorpius." Rachel Ramsay, a towering seventh-year Slytherin prefect, beamed, looking at the two wands in Scorpius's hand. "Nice job."
"Thanks," he grinned, handing Al's back.
"So ... are you going to the dance?" she asked.
"Wouldn't miss it," he replied. "Watching the Ravenclaws lift their heads out of books and try to move to the beat of music makes for some pretty entertaining results."
"Oh, right." She blushed. "Um ... d'you think ... well ... would you want to go with me?"
"Nah," he said, "I'm going with Al here."
Her eyes widened and she turned to Al, seeming to just notice he was standing there. "Oh. I see. I didn't realise ...."
Al felt the blood rush to his face as he connected the dots and figured out exactly what she thought she realised. "No!" he said quickly. "It's not like that! We're friends," he assured her.
"I know that," she frowned.
"We're going stag," Scorpius offered.
"Stag?" she asked, looking utterly confused.
"Yeah, that American exchange student says that's what they call it when you go to a dance without a date. That's what we're doing."
"But why would anyone want to do that if they don't have to?"
"Takes the pressure off, yeah?"
"I suppose," she said, looking entirely unconvinced.
Al nudged Scorpius and motioned towards Rachel. Thankfully his friend was quick on the uptake. "But I'd be happy to save a dance for you," he smiled graciously, then bowed.
"You would?" Her face lit up with a huge smile of her own. "I mean ... that would be nice."
"Right. See you there."
"Yeah. See you there, Scorpius." And she was off.
"She fancies you," Al teased.
"Well," he smirked, straightening his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height and giving his hair a quick flick, "what's not to fancy?"
Al cracked up. "You look like you've got a stick shoved up your bum."
"The nerve!" He stuck his nose in the air, looked down it at his friend and huffed. "Hmph. Just for that, I won't save a dance for you." Then he swirled his robes and marched off, looking deeply affronted.
Al giggled his way back down to the dungeons. Really, his friend did love to act the royal sometimes. He caught up with Scorpius in the Slytherin common room a short while later. "You're right, you know," he offered.
"About what?"
"There's nothing not to fancy about you," Al said sombrely as he took a seat next to his friend. Then he snorted. "Even if you did look like you had a stick up your bum."
"It's called posture, Potter. Something you might want to learn a bit about," he chastised. "I should remind you that I am a Malfoy. I assure you I do not make a habit of placing foreign objects up my backside." He got up to leave, looking down his nose at Al and placing a hand on Al's shoulder. It was all Al could do not to crack up again at the superior look. Then Scorpius leaned down and whispered, "Well, not sticks anyway." He pulled back, winked and went to the dorm.
Al's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and he could feel a blush creeping up his neck. He scanned the common room to be sure no one else had heard their conversation, especially not that last bit. Damned Slytherins listened in on everything. He pulled a book out of his bag and started to read. Because he definitely wasn't going to think about what Scorpius had just said. His friend was just having him on. A half hour later, he gave it up as a bad job, and made his way to the Great Hall for dinner.
~*~*~
"Do you realise how bad that is for you?" Al admonished Scorpius, who was piling his plate high with eggs, sausage and bacon the next morning at breakfast.
"Yes, Al, I believe you have mentioned several hundred times the evil that is cholesterol. We're wizards, as I have pointed out to you. We live longer than Muggles. Besides, we have Healers that --"
"But we're all humans. It's not like our bodies are all that different. We just have magic thrumming through our veins."
"Right. Which means that it prevents our arteries from clogging."
"How do you know that?"
"How do you know it doesn't?"
"Is it worth taking the risk?"
Scorpius popped a sausage in his mouth, chewed on it with near ecstasy showing on his face, then swallowed. "Yup. I'd say that's worth it."
"Argh!" Al said in frustration. "Excuse me for not wanting you to die on me."
"Aw, you wouldn't want your boyfriend to die, now would you?" a seventh year Slytherin boy Al didn't know the name of drawled. He turned to Scorpius. "Enjoying your breakfast? I hear you rather like sausages."
Al looked at the retreating back of the other boy in confusion. Had someone heard their conversation, or ...? Al saw Rachel watching from the other end of the table, her eyes sparkling wickedly. Right across from where the other boy sat. Ahh. Apparently she had taken Scorpius at his word, and figured they were actually going to the dance together. As boyfriends.
"It's that Rachel. She's spreading rumours because she's upset that you turned her down to go to the dance."
"Hell hath no fury," Scorpius mused as he dove into his scrambled eggs.
"Well, I'm going over there to set him straight."
"So to speak."
"What?"
"You're going to set him straight." Al gave him a puzzled look. "Do keep up, Potter. Straight. Gay. Joke. Hello?"
"You might find this funny, but I don't. Once rumours start --"
"They carry on for a while, inflict pain, then they pass like anything else as the masses move on to another rumour. Don't get your knickers in a twist, Al."
"I'm going over there," Al said, standing up.
Scorpius put his hand on Al's to stop him. "Leave it be."
Al, realising what it might look like, yanked his hand away from his friend's grasp. "Fine. But I don't have to sit here and take it." As he left the table, he caught a look from his friend that was almost like ... hurt. He didn't stick around to figure it out, though. He went down to the kitchen to get some toast before class, without being under the scrutiny of his class mates.
~*~*~
The rumour spread like Fiendfyre, out of control and harsh. Al denied the allegations, and Scorpius ignored them. After a few days, Al had had enough.
"Why don't you tell them it's not true?" he rounded on Scorpius.
"Why should I?"
"What?!" Al screeched incredulously. "How about because it's not true?"
"Well, there's that," Scorpius agreed.
"Isn't that the whole point?"
"Not to me, it isn't."
"I don't understand."
"What bothers me the most isn't the content of the rumour so much as the hate behind it."
"How do you mean?"
"What if it were true?"
"But it's not."
"But what if it were. Think about it, Al. What if it were a rumour that you were dating some witch instead of me?"
"I still don't get it."
"Come on, Al, admit it. You're only mad because people are suggesting that you're gay."
"That's not true!"
"It's not?" Scorpius asked, a sceptical look on his face.
"You did not just say that to me," Al replied, hurt that his best friend thought so little of him. "People are spreading lies. That's all that concerns me. I can't believe you, of all people, wouldn't realize that. I can't believe you'd think that I ... never mind." He left the common room and went outside for some air. He needed time alone, time to think.
He slipped into the dorm while everyone was at dinner, closed and warded the drapes on his bed, and feigned sleep when Scorpius and his other dorm mates returned. He lay there awake, thinking about the events of the past few days, and it wasn't until several hours later that he finally drifted off.
~*~*~
"Scorp," Al whispered the next morning while the other boys were heading to the Great Hall for breakfast, "can we talk?"
"Alright," he replied. Turning to the others, he called, "Go on ahead. I'll catch you up."
Al waited until they were alone before asking, "Did you mean what you said about my dad?"
"What?"
"When you said he's hot?"
"Al, I was trying to distract you, like Longbottom said to."
"Oh."
"Besides, you said my dad is good looking."
"That's hardly the same as saying he's hot!"
"Whatever you say."
Al frowned as he pondered that. "Scorp, are you gay?"
"What the hell, Al? Where did that come from?"
"No, really. Are you? Because it would make sense."
"What would make sense?" Scorpius narrowed his eyes menacingly. "That I think your dad's hot? I told you it was --"
"A distraction; I know. I meant your reaction ... the rumours. Why you wouldn't want --"
"Oh, so the only reason I might not want people to talk about me is that --"
"No. I mean your reaction to how I was responding. Like it was a personal affront or something."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius defended.
"Don't I?" he asked. "Then tell me."
"If I were, why would I tell you?"
"Nice, Scorp." That hurt. "I would think that I deserve to know, don't you?"
"Why? So you could steer clear of the queer boy in case you caught something?"
"What?!" Where was all this coming from? "I'm your best friend, Scorp. I would think that you would talk to me is all."
"Right. I see how you feel."
"Really?" Al was getting angry now. "And how is that?"
"You're disgusted by all of this."
"Yeah, I am."
Scorpius's jaw dropped. "You admit it then!"
"Admit what? That I'm disgusted that people waste their time spreading lies about other people? Disgusted that our class mates, and supposed friends, expect some sort of confirmation or denial from us? Disgusted that I can't walk down the halls of this school without being gawked at or whispered about or sniggered at? Yeah. I am disgusted."
Scorpius made to interrupt, but a raised hand from Al stopped him. "But disgusted at the suggestion that I might be gay? Or that if I were, I'd want to be with you? Give me a bit more credit than that, Scorp." With that, Al got out of bed and looked down at his friend. "If that's what you think, maybe you don't know me at all."
Al gathered his books to head down to breakfast.
"I think I am," Scorpius blurted out as Al reached the doorway. "Gay, I mean."
"You think?" Al turned around to see his friend wringing his hands and staring down into his lap.
"Well, yeah. It's just ... well, I've not, you know ... done anything about it, but ..." His voice trailed off and he blushed.
"But you know you're attracted to blokes?"
"Yeah."
Al frowned and looked at the floor.
"I knew it was a bad idea to say anything." Al looked up; Scorpius's face looked desperate, like he was hoping with everything in him that he wouldn't be rejected.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know how you'd react."
"I'm your best friend, you prat." He grinned at Scorpius. "Nothing's going to change that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. We good?"
"Yeah."
"Good." Al gave his friend a questioning look. "We can talk more later, yeah?"
"Later," Scorpius agreed. "Now, I'm hungry."
"Me too."
~*~*~
Breakfast was more of the usual, as were classes and the trips to and from. Al, taking the lead from Scorpius, had stopped defending himself. Scorpius did have a point, after all. What was there to defend against?
After classes, they made their way out to the Quidditch pitch, where Scorpius had a practice. He was the star Chaser on the Slytherin team, something that had at first surprised his father, but then pleased him. Al supposed all parents imagined their children taking after them. Such was the reason both of his parents were stunned that Al hadn't taken up Quidditch at all, preferring to remain closer to the ground.
Al watched as Scorpius flew some practice laps around the pitch, spinning and turning at break-neck speed, never faltering. Sure, Al could fly well enough, and he enjoyed it, but he didn't have the grace that his friend had. Scorpius looked like he was made to fly, like he was as at home in the air as he was on the ground.
"Admiring your boyfriend?" Lily asked.
Al scowled at his little sister. "What are you talking about?"
"You were watching Scorp like there's nothing else you'd rather do."
"Piss off," he said, feeling his face flush. "Those are just rumours, and you know it."
"Do I?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in question. "If that's the case, and you don't want those rumours to go any further, you might want to stop ogling your non-boyfriend."
"Don't you have anything better to do than harass me?"
"Nope. I live for moments like these."
He scowled at her again.
"You know, Al, you could do a lot worse. Scorp is hot."
Al's mind went back. Scorpius had said their dad was hot. He'd also said that Al looked like his dad. Well, everyone said that. Could that mean ...? Al shook off that thought. Scorpius knew Al wasn't gay. Because he wasn't. He liked girls. Sure, he could appreciate a decent looking bloke just like anyone else. And he'd occasionally thought about ... well, that was normal. He was just curious. That didn't count. He never actually imagined doing anything about it.
Then he remembered his conversation with Scorpius. He had never done anything either. But how did he know? How could he know that he was gay if he'd never even tried kissing a bloke?
"Don't hurt yourself," Lily's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What?"
"You looked like you were so deep in thought, you might hurt yourself."
"Oh ... sorry."
"Look, Al, I'm sorry about all this. I'm not trying to torment you. If you say the rumours aren't true, I'll believe you. But would it be so bad if they were true? I mean you and Scorp are best friends. He's a great guy, and so are you. And if you're gay, who cares? Anyone that would be bothered by it isn't worth worrying about anyway."
Al looked at his sister in shock. "When did you get so smart?" he asked.
"I've always been smart. You've just been too thick to notice." She nudged him playfully in the shoulder.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." He mussed up her hair in response. "Oh, and they're not true. Really. We're just friends."
"Oh," she said, sounding almost disappointed. She smiled up at Al. "Just so you know, if you ever decide to change that situation, I'd be all for it. I mean, honestly. You two would be so hot together!"
"Lil!" he gaped at her.
She giggled until she nearly fell off the bench. "Oh, your face was priceless!"
"What's so funny?" Scorpius asked as he approached. They hadn't even noticed the practice was over.
"I'll let your boyfriend explain it to you," Lily said as she regained her composure. She punched Al in the arm. "Later boys." He heard her start to giggle again as she walked away.
"So ... what was so funny?"
"She said that if we ever decided to get together, she'd be all for it." Al took his face in his hands and shook his head. "Because she said we'd be hot together."
Scorpius snorted. "But of course we would be," he said in his superior, regal voice. "Just look at us."
"But ... but ... she's my sister! She's not supposed to think I'm hot!"
"Just with me you would be, Al." He winked. "Just with me."
"Let's go eat," Al said, realising a lost cause when he saw one.
On their way to dinner, it seemed that everyone was in on it. "You two want a romantic table for two in the back?" asked Mitch Smith, the most obnoxious Hufflepuff Al knew. Truth be told, he was the only obnoxious Hufflepuff he knew.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," Scorpius ventured, looping his arm through Al's. "Can you arrange that for us then?"
Al watched the other boy as his face went a crazed shade of crimson.
"You might want to watch your salt intake," Al offered. "You look like you might have high blood pressure. That can't be healthy."
"Yeah," Scorpius agreed with a smirk. "You know, never mind the table. I think we can manage on our own." He put his arm around Al's shoulder and guided him towards the Slytherin table. "Thanks anyway."
"P-p-poofs!" Mitch screamed. "You're sick. You'll pay, you know. My dad says --"
Whatever his dad said was lost on Al as his ears rang with rage. He spun around, fists clenched, ready for a fight. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" he screamed.
"Let it go," Scorpius said. "He's not worth it."
"I'm not worth it?!" Mitch reeled on Scorpius. "Why you little fa--"
"Mr Smith!" Headmistress McGonagall's voice rang out from the corridor behind Smith. "Report to your Head of House immediately. I will hear no more of this."
He was livid as he mouthed, You're dead. Scorpius lifted his eyebrows in challenge as the Headmistress escorted Mitch away.
~*~*~
"I think I know who did it," Al said as he recalled the conversation from the day before.
"Who?" their dads asked together.
"Mitch Smith."
"Zach Smith's son?" Harry asked.
"That slime--" Draco added.
"Ahem," McGonagall's voice interjected. "I believe that Zaccharias is Mitch's father, yes," she told the men. She turned to Al. "That's quite an accusation, Mr Potter. I presume you have a reason to point the finger at him?"
Al looked at his dad and Mr Malfoy, then at the Headmistress. He tried to convey with his look that he didn't want to discuss any specifics, and he hoped that she would understand. "Remember yesterday, when you took Mitch to talk to his Head of House?"
"Yes," she nodded curtly. "Did he say something afterwards?"
"Er ... not so much afterwards as at that time. He sort-of mouthed you're dead to Scorpius just before he left with you."
"He said what?" Scorpius's dad said.
"We didn't think he was serious," Al said defensively. "You know, just shooting off his mouth."
"Please stay here while I go get Mr Smith," McGonagall told them.
"I'm coming with you," Mr Malfoy insisted.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," she said warily.
"Lead the way." Apparently Mr Malfoy was not to be dissuaded.
~*~*~
"Care to explain what the business was with Smith?" Al's dad asked once they were gone.
"Not really?" Al suggested. His dad's look spoke volumes, so he sighed and took a seat. "Alright, but please don't tell Mr Malfoy. I don't know if Scorp wants him to know." He looked hopeful. "Auror confidentiality, right?"
"I won't be making any such promises, Al. His son is missing. If that were you ..." His dad dragged his hands over his face, and suddenly Al was struck with how tired he looked. Tired and worried. "Just tell me what you know, and I'll see what I can do about not disclosing anything sensitive to his dad, okay?"
"Okay." Al believed him. Besides, he knew their dads didn't like each other, so it wasn't as though they would have much opportunity to talk once Scorpius was found. If he was found. That last thought made his decision easier.
Al told his dad what had happened over the past week, leaving out Scorpius's revelation, and his own somewhat conflicted thoughts. No one else knew anything for sure. They were all just listening to the rumours.
~*~*~
"My father will see about this!" came Smith's voice just as Al's dad was about to ask him something. "He won't stand for this!"
"Listen to me, you snivelling little worm," Mr Malfoy said. "The two of us went to school with your father. He wasn't much then, and I don't imagine he's much now."
"Mr Malfoy!" McGonagall admonished. "Really."
He still looked angry, but said nothing. Al's dad, however, was smirking and looking away. He eventually recovered and turned to Smith.
"Mitch?" he asked. Smith nodded. "Right. I understand that you had an argument with Al and Scorpius the other day?"
"Bloody poofters!"
"Mr Smith!" McGonagall interrupted.
Scorpius's father narrowed his eyes at Smith, but said nothing.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Al's dad said, "and frankly I don't care. The subject of your argument is irrelevant to me, unless it is cause for your action."
"What action?" Smith asked. Al couldn't be sure, but he did look surprised.
"My son has gone missing, you idiot!"
"Mr Malfoy," McGonagall said in her most calm and frightening voice, "if you cannot control yourself, I will have you removed." Al saw her give Scorpius's dad a glare that would make many men cower. He held his ground but nodded. "Very well, then, carry on Mr Potter."
"As Mr Malfoy has said, Scorpius has gone missing. What do you know about that?"
"Nothing," he said defiantly.
Al's dad turned to the Headmistress. "Minerva, I realise you're a busy woman. I can take this from here. I'll make sure Mr Smith makes it back to his dormitory when we are done."
She looked like she was going to object, but then Al's dad leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and she agreed. That left the four of them alone. Smith didn't look so smug.
"You were saying?" Al's dad asked as though there hadn't been an interruption in the questioning.
"I said I don't know anything."
"Bullshit," Mr Malfoy said.
"Malfoy!" Al's dad said with a glare, though Al thought it lacked any feeling.
"Look, Smith, I don't know you," Scorpius's dad said. "But I did hear you pompously shouting about my father this and my father that, and it doesn't impress me much."
Al's dad coughed and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like pot and kettle, but Al couldn't be sure. Whatever he'd said, it had earned him a glare from Mr Malfoy.
"Anyway," he returned his glare to Smith, "as I mentioned before, your father doesn't scare us. You do realise who we are, right?"
"Yeah, you're Scorpius's dad, and he's Al's dad."
"He's Harry Potter." Al rolled his eyes. "Saviour of the wizarding world. Banisher of evil Dark Lords."
"Yeah, so ... that was what, twenty years ago?" Smith said. Al's dad laughed. He always hated when people brought all that up.
A brief look of shock came over Mr Malfoy's face, then he looked at Al's dad, who shrugged. Mr. Malfoy returned his look to Smith, only this time with a feral grin on his face. "While we're talking about fathers, do you happen to know who mine was?"
Looking extremely bored, Smith sighed, "No."
"He was Voldemort's right hand man," Al's dad informed him.
"Yeah, right," Smith retorted.
"That is right," Mr Malfoy said.
"What do I care?" Smith asked.
"Well you see, Mr Smith," Scorpius's dad continued, "Mr Potter may have rid the world of Voldemort, but not before he taught his followers an awful lot of Dark Magic along the way."
Smith's face fell. He looked ... grey ... and ill.
"I would imagine ol' Lucius passed a fair bit of that knowledge on to you then, didn't he?" Al's dad asked casually, as if they weren't threatening his class mate right in front of his eyes. Al suddenly had a whole new respect for his dad.
"A fair bit, yes, Harry."
"Which I'm sure you wouldn't use."
"Oh, never intentionally, of course."
"I have heard tell of wild magic occurring during times of stress, though," Al's dad offered helpfully. It was all Al could do not to fall of his chair laughing as Smith looked like he was about to throw up. "Not much to be done about that."
"It's not as though the wizard has the wherewithal to control the errant magic, after all."
"Too true." Al's dad blinked a few times before returning his gaze to Smith. "Sorry about that. Where were we?" He frowned as if in thought. "Ah, yes, the location of Scorpius Malfoy. You say you know nothing about his abduction?"
"I thought he was just missing," Smith said.
"Oh, no," Scorpius's dad said, "he was taken right in front of young Mr Potter, here, from an alley in Hogsmeade."
"So tell them, Potter. Tell them it wasn't me. I didn't touch the stup-- I mean I didn't take him. I didn't do anything to him, I swear." He sounded desperate.
Mr Malfoy removed his wand and began twirling it in his fingers. Smith's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Don't hex me!" He turned frightened eyes to Al's dad. "You're an Auror. You're the Head Auror. You can't just ... let him hex me. I'm only seventeen."
"A fully qualified wizard," Scorpius's dad replied.
Al's dad lifted his eyebrows in Mr Malfoy's direction. "He's right, you know. I can't just let you hex a student. I mean I know a Memory Charm would fix things up, but really, Draco, you can't go around hexing children."
"I was merely going to offer Mr Smith here the opportunity to remove his memories of today, as proof that he was nowhere near my son." Mr Malfoy smiled at Smith. "No hexes. Just a Pensieve."
"Fine. Whatever," Smith agreed. "I swear to you, I don't know anything. I wasn't even in Hogsmeade today."
"That won't be necessary, Mr Smith, but we may ask you to come forward later," Al's dad said before glancing at a less-than-happy looking Mr Malfoy. "You may return to your dormitory."
~*~*~
"What the hell, Potter?"
"Al," his dad said, "please give us a few minutes alone."
Al nodded and left. He hovered around the door to listen in. "What he said was true, Malfoy. He wasn't in Hogsmeade."
"How do you know that?"
"I already checked the list."
"Oh, and the list always has everyone on it that ever went to Hogsmeade. Because no student in the history of Hogwarts has ever, I don't know, snuck into Hogsmeade."
"Point. I'll have my team investigate his claim in more detail, see if anyone can confirm his presence here at the time. Meanwhile ..." A ringing in his ears signalled Al that his father had put up the Muffliato charm, so he went outside for a walk.
~*~*~
Al sat down staring out at the calm water of the Black Lake, thinking about his friend. Where was he? If Smith hadn't taken him, who had? Maybe it had nothing to do with what happened over the past week. Maybe it was about his dad. He had just admitted that his own father was Voldemort's top guy. Could this have something to do with some twenty year old grudge? Had someone recently been released from Azkaban?
As he sat there, he thought about Scorpius, and how scared he must be. No, scratch that, he was probably terrorizing whoever it was that had taken him. Tormenting them like only he could, expecting them to wait on him hand and foot. Al grinned at the thought. His grin soon faded as he thought about the kinds of wizards that might have taken Scorpius if it had something to do with his granddad's past. He didn't know what they might do to his friend if they knew any of the Dark Magic Mr Malfoy had mentioned when talking to Smith. If they'd had years to think up something.
Al conjured a blanket and lay back on it. The more he thought about Scorpius and what he might be going through, the more ill he felt. He knew his dad would find him and bring him back safely - he had to - but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something important. Curling up to stave off the nausea that hit as he imagined his friend being tortured, Al closed his eyes to think. He always thought better that way.
"Hey, you, wake up!" Scorpius's voice rang through Al's head as he felt a nudge on his ribs.
"You're back!" Al jumped up and launched himself at Scorpius, and they very nearly fell over.
"Whoa!" Scorpius laughed. "Miss me much?"
Al released his friend, holding him by the shoulders at arm's length to look him over. "So you're okay?"
"Yeah, just a prank. Some Gryffs thought it might be funny to grab me and leave me in some abandoned shop for the day."
"A prank?! What the hell kind of prank is that? I thought you'd been kidnapped. They hauled Smith in for questioning. Your dad ... oh, man, he was so cool. He threatened Smith with Dark Magic - said Voldemort taught it to his dad, who handed it down to him. I thought Smith was going to shit himself on the spot. Then when we knew it wasn't him, I started thinking it might have something to do with your dad or your granddad and the past. You know, some Voldemort supporter who might've got out of Azkaban recently. And maybe you were in some serious trouble, and it was all my fault, and --"
"Slow down!" Scorpius squeezed Al's shoulder. "I'm here. I'm okay. It was just a joke."
"It wasn't funny. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."
He pulled his friend into a fierce hug, if for no other reason than to be sure he was really there. As he slowly pulled away, he looked up into grey eyes. Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed Scorpius. It was just a soft brush of lips, but it felt ... nice.
Scorpius's hands came up to cup his face as he leaned in to kiss Al back.
Al awoke to the pecking of an owl at his hand. "Scorp?" he said, looking around for his friend. His stomach sank as he realised that he'd nodded off and it had all been a dream. Scorpius was still missing, and he, Al, was losing his mind. Shaking off his dream - was it a dream or wishful thinking? - he removed the package from the owl's leg and watched it fly away.
The outside of the package was addressed to Albus Potter and in large black letters said OPEN ALONE. As he was the only one there, he shrugged and opened it. He withdrew a letter, and began to read it. "If you want to see Scorpius again --"
Al tossed the letter aside and removed the paper wrapping to find a cup. He grabbed it and immediately felt the pull of being Portkeyed as Hogwarts' grounds disappeared. He landed with a thud in a small room, about twice the size of a broom cupboard and with no windows. At once he went to the door, but unsurprisingly, found it locked. He removed his wand and cast Alohamora and a number of other spells, none of which did the trick.
He suddenly realised that he hadn't read the note. Perhaps it had given instructions … stupid, stupid, stupid! Once more, it was his fault that Scorpius was in trouble. If he hadn't touched the stupid Portkey himself, he could have had his dad look it over, and he could have brought a team of Aurors here instead. Damn it!
~*~*~
"Oh, you came to play!" a familiar voice came from the other side of the door. Even though the door remained firmly shut, the voice sounded as though it was right next to him. She must have used Sonorus.
"Where's Scorpius?" he demanded.
"Patience, patience. Your boyfriend is fine. Now, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Al asked, trying to figure out where he knew the voice from.
"I thought I was clear in my letter."
"I didn't read it."
"Well that was rather rude of you."
"No, I touched the Portkey before I could finish reading --"
"Well, here's the short version. You have to win him back."
"What?!"
"You have to win him back. I will ask you questions, and you have to answer them correctly. If you do, you get him back. Answer them wrong, and he stays with me."
"Let me out of here!" Al screamed.
"Oh, and if you make me angry, you both stay here."
"Can I at least see Scorpius?" Al asked. "Please?"
"Turn to your left," the voice said. As Al looked, the wall faded and revealed another room. A room in which Scorpius was lying down on a bed.
"What have you done with him? Is he okay? Is he alive?"
"Of course he's alive, you idiot! What would I go and kill him for? I love him."
Al bit his tongue. He wanted to scream at her that she's crazy if she thinks kidnapping someone is a show of love, but he didn't fancy them both being stuck there forever. His mind went over the past week. "Rachel?" he asked.
"Ten points to Slytherin!" she called. "I suppose you're not at stupid as you look."
"Rachel, if you care about Scorp --"
"I LOVE him!" she screamed.
"Sorry. Right. Um ... if you love him, you must know that he would hate to be locked up, right?"
"Of course I know that, you idiot. This is just temporary. You see, he only thinks he wants to be with you. You, who denies him at every turn. You who won't even acknowledge what you have. You who pulls away at his touch. I would never do that," she said. "I would want the whole world to know that he was mine."
"I don't understand."
"Of course not," she snapped. She really sounded crazy. "At first I was hurt because he rejected me, but then I started watching you."
"Watching me?"
"Not just you, stupid. The two of you. Together." Al had no idea where she was going with this, but figured he should keep her talking in the hopes that his dad would find the note and hopefully figure out where he was.
"And what did you see?"
"I saw how much he cares for you, and how much you don't deserve him."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Of course you don't. Because what do his feelings mean to you? Nothing! I watched him watch you. He does that, you know. Well, maybe you don't know, since you don't seem to notice much about him at all. He watches you all the time. The way he looks at you, with such love in his eyes, but only when you're not watching. I mean, what kind of boyfriend could you be if he's afraid to show you how he really feels? It makes me ill.
"Why, you might ask, does it make me ill? I'll tell you why. Because the one time I ever saw him touch you, what did you do? You pulled your hand away from him so quickly, you'd have thought his touch burned you. I was ready to rip you apart when I saw the pain on his face. He deserves better than that, better than you. It was right then and there I decided to show him that you weren't worth it."
"You kidnapped him because you don't think I'm a good enough ... boyfriend for him?"
"That's right."
"Don't you think ... oh, I don't know ... a conversation might have been a better way?"
"No I don't," she snarled. "I needed to remove him from outside forces, and get him to see you - really see you."
Al toyed with the idea of telling her the truth, that they weren't boyfriends, but she hadn't believed him before, and he thought it might actually make the situation worse. After all, he was supposed to win Scorpius back, whatever that meant. If he wasn't Scorpius's boyfriend, who knew what she'd do instead. "You said I'm supposed to win him back?" He looked at his friend in the next room and touched the glass, willing him to wake up. "How do you propose I do that?"
"Answer some questions."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Get them all right, and you can leave."
"Scorpius too?"
"If he wants to, yes."
As if he'd want to stay here with you. "And if I don't get them right?"
"If you get them all wrong, you stay here too."
"And what if I get some right, and some wrong."
"Then you leave, but Scorpius stays."
"I'm not leaving without him."
"Then you'd better answer all my questions correctly."
"Who says whether the answers are right or wrong? What if we disagree?"
"Ah, see ... Scorpius has already taken care of that for us. I asked him all but one of the questions, and he answered them. Now you just have to answer them the same way, and you may both leave."
"What does that prove anyway?"
"It proves that you know him. Or, as I suspect, that you don't know him at all. Which proves my point. That you don't deserve him."
Oh, for fuck's sake! We're playing some twisted form of a stupid Muggle game show? She really is a nutter.
Al braced himself. He figured that, of anyone, he probably had the best chance of answering questions about Scorpius. After all, who knew him better? He would humour her by playing this asinine game. Meanwhile, his father had hopefully found the note and was well on his way to figuring out where they were.
"Are you going to let me out of here?"
He heard Rachel's laughter echoing in the room. "So you can hex me the second I do? I've seen you in the duelling club. I don't think so. Here's how it's going to work. I'll wake up Scorpius, and he will watch. He will be able to see and hear you, but you won't be able to see or hear him. No cheating. That way he can see what a lousy boyfriend you really are, and he will thank me for showing him."
"Or I'll prove to you that I really do care, and you'll let us both go."
She hesitated before answering. "Yes," she said, reluctantly Al thought.
He saw a shadow fall over Scorpius, and he heard, "Ennervate." Al watched as Scorpius blinked, then looked over at him. His face lit up with a smile. Al smiled back and touched the glass before it resumed the look of a solid wall once more.
He recalled what Rachel had said, so he smiled at the wall and said, "I'll get you out of here," hoping Scorpius could hear him.
Rachel laughed. "We'll see about that."
"How many questions?"
"Ten."
"Fire away!" Al said, with much more confidence than he felt.
"One. What is Scorpius's favourite colour?"
"Blue." There was no response, so he added, "Cobalt blue."
"Two. His favourite song?"
Al thought about that for a few minutes, trying to figure out if there was one that he liked more than any other. "He doesn't have one," he ventured, knowing it was true, but wondering if Scorpius had felt compelled to name something. "He likes all sorts of music, but mainly retro stuff like the Weird Sisters."
"Hmpf." Al suppressed a grin. He hoped all the questions were this easy. Two down. "Three. Favourite drink?"
Okay, so maybe the questions were getting a bit harder as they went along. "That depends," he said. "Butterbeer is his favourite, but only if it's heated up. He can't stand the stuff when it's cold. If he can't have warm Butterbeer, then he likes a lemon iced tea."
He heard her cough. "Four. Favourite place he's gone on vacation."
Oh, man. Scorpius had been so many places with his family. "That's a harder one," Al replied, trying to buy a bit more time. "I'll have to give two answers to that. For a fancy place, I'd have to say L'Arc de Triumph in Paris. But for fun, I'd say camping with me and my brother and my dad last summer in the Highlands." He remembered they had gone fishing every day and told stories by the fire at night.
"Choose one. He only gave one."
Al thought about it. He remembered how much Scorpius had gone on about the places in Paris, but ... he'd told him he'd never had so much fun as he'd had last summer, so ... "Camping."
"Fine." She was clearly getting agitated now. "Five. Biggest fear?"
"Something terrible happening to someone he loves." That one was easy. They'd talked about that around the campfire.
"Six. Ambition in life."
Wow. She really did expect him to know everything about Scorpius. "He hasn't decided yet, but it'll be something really important. Something that will make the name Malfoy known all over the wizarding world, and for a good reason."
"Seven. When did the two of you meet?"
Another easy one. "First day of school. We met at the table in the Great Hall after we were both sorted into Slytherin."
"Eight. When did you become best friends?"
Piece of cake. "Same night. He asked if I was Harry Potter's son and I asked if he was Draco Malfoy's son. We figured it would be a great joke to play on our dads if we became best mates. We've never looked back." Al grinned at the wall, knowing that Scorpius was on the other side. He pictured his grey eyes twinkling with mischief, just like they had that first night. Damn, he really did know a lot about his friend. He wondered how well Scorpius would do if he were asked the same questions about Al.
"Nine. Describe Scorpius to me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Describe him. In detail."
Al closed his eyes and pictured his friend standing in front of him. A smile crept onto his face as he pictured Scorpius smiling back. "Most people say he looks just like his dad. In a way he does. I mean overall they look a lot alike. Tall, slim, pale, with blonde hair and grey eyes. But Scorpius isn't as pointy."
"Scorpius, not his dad."
"Right. Okay, let's see ... he has white blonde hair, but with hints of light brown running through it. It's straight and thin, but there's lots of it, and ... well, it's always perfect. Even when it falls in his face or blows in the wind, it's still ... perfect." Al shook his head, wondering when he'd started paying attention to Scorpius's hair. A little embarrassed that he said all that aloud, he closed his eyes again and tried to focus on his friend's features.
"His skin is pale, almost translucent, with a few faint freckles on his nose, and a few on his arms. Just like his hair, his skin is perfect. Never a flaw." Merlin, he sounded smitten. He cleared his throat and continued.
"His eyes are grey, but with flecks of colour. On a bright, sunny day, they look a little bit green, and when it's cloudy, they look a bit blue. But mainly they're a shimmering, deep grey." Shimmering? Since when did he think of Scorp's eyes as shimmering? Al took another deep breath, and could picture those eyes drawing him into their depths when Scorpius was talking about something he was passionate about.
"Continue," Rachel's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Sorry. Um ... he has high cheekbones and a long, straight nose - a very aristocratic face." He figured Scorpius would appreciate that. He pictured Scorpius's mouth, and licked his lips involuntarily, remembering his dream. He imagined the full, soft lips, but ... well, it hadn't been real, had it? "His lips --" He could feel himself blushing. "His lips are full, and he has perfectly straight, white teeth. He has a strong jaw, and a long neck. His shoulders are broad, and he's slim but muscular. His --"
Al's eyes flew open as he heard noise all around him. The door to the room flew open and he saw his Uncle Ron standing there. "Al, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Al looked at the wall, but it was still solid. "Scorpius is in that room there," he pointed and ran for the door.
"Stay here," Ron said, holding him back. "Harry," he called. "I've got Al; he's okay."
"I've got Scorpius and Rachel," Al heard his dad in the next room. His uncle let him go and Al went running for his friend. He nearly knocked him over with a bear hug.
"Miss me much?" Scorpius joked. Al was reminded of his dream from earlier and smiled.
"Yeah," Al said. He turned to Rachel, "You need help."
She began to cry. "I didn't think you cared about him!" she wailed.
Al tried to keep his anger inside, but he couldn't help but say something. "Even if I didn't, you can't go around kidnapping people!"
"I only wanted to show him. I would never have hurt him. Never." She sobbed as another Auror escorted her away.
"Is she going to Azkaban?" Al asked his dad, realising that she wasn't well.
"She'll be taken to the Ministry first, but then I think St. Mungo's is in order."
"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I think she meant it, you know. That she wouldn't have hurt me."
"Let's get you back," Al's dad said. "I know your father is anxious to see you."
~*~*~
It turned out that Rachel hadn't returned from Hogsmeade that day. Her parents had recently leased a store in town, but hadn't yet set up shop. They found the note, verified with her teachers that it was Rachel's handwriting, and Apparated over to the empty store, where they'd found them.
"You did a pretty good job with those questions," Scorpius grinned after Al's uncle and the other Aurors had left.
"Well, we have been friends for a long time," Al replied, feeling his cheeks redden as he remembered where his thoughts had wandered to while describing Scorpius.
"Yeah, I hadn't thought about the reason we'd conspired to be friends for a long time." Al looked over at their dads. They were talking - actually talking.
"They worked well together, you know," Al said.
"You don't think they could ever be ... friends, do you?"
"Nah. Too much history."
"I suppose," Scorpius agreed. "So ask me what the last question was."
"Last question?"
"Yeah. Rachel had ten. You were on the ninth when all hell broke loose. Ask me what the last question was."
"Would I have screwed up the answer?"
"Probably."
"Alright. Ask me the question."
"Where and when was our first kiss?"
"So what did you say?"
"Oh, no, Potter. That's not how the game is played. You answer and then you find out if you were right."
"Very funny. So I'm supposed to guess what you said?"
Scorpius stood in front of Al, and asked again. "Where and when was our first kiss?"
Al looked into deep, grey eyes. Eyes that flickered with a hint of green. Eyes that drew him in. Eyes that longed for an answer.
"Right here, right now," Al said. He lifted his hands to Scorpius's face and leaned in for a kiss. Like the dream, it felt right. Unlike the dream, they didn't stop at a mere brushing of lips.
Al felt Scorpius smile as their lips joined together. His lips were as soft as Al had imagined. Soft and warm and wonderful. When he felt Scorpius's tongue reach out tentatively, he parted his lips in welcome. When their tongues touched, Al felt himself falling. It was like flying, only much, much better than that. He ran his hands through Scorpius's hair and held on for dear life.
"Ahem."
"Scorpius!"
They broke the kiss grudgingly, but didn't part. Al rested his forehead on Scorpius's. "Did I answer correctly?" he asked with a grin.
"Perfectly."
~*~*~
They listened at the door, after their fathers had shooed them out of the room.
"You know, Al, this might prove to be better than being best mates."
"Yeah," Al agreed. "This could drive them completely crazy!"
"No kidding." Scorpius laughed. "Say, what was it you bought in Wheezes anyway?"
"Oh, that." Al recalled picking up the New and Improved Patented Daydream, the one that promised to show you who you really longed to be with. He'd hoped to help Scorpius figure out for sure, but now ....
"Shh," Al said, motioning to the door. "Listen."
"You don't have a problem with this, do you Malfoy?"
"Not in general, no."
"Well, then?"
"Why does it have to be your son?" Al heard Scorpius's dad whine. He tried not to be hurt by that. After all, he thought Mr Malfoy liked him.
"And what's wrong with Al?" his dad asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. He's a great kid. I quite like him. It's just ..."
"Just what?"
"Isn't it a bit eerie to see the two of them together?"
"Why, because they're boys?"
"No, because ... well ... because they look so much like we did in school. It's ... strange."
"I don't know. I think they look good together."
"Yes, well, there's no denying that."
"Kind of makes you wonder."
"Wonder what?"
"Under different circumstances. Maybe we could have ...."
"Could have what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe ..."
"Potter, what are you doing? Get away from me. Don't touch me!" Al looked at Scorpius and imagined that the horrified look on his friend's face was reflected on his own.
After a few moments, Al's dad laughed. "Relax. I wouldn't dream of it, Draco."
Relief washed over Al. He looked at his friend. "That would just be ..."
"Wrong," Scorpius finished, shaking his head as if to banish the image from his mind. "So very wrong."
"Yeah."
~*~*~
On the other side of the door, two fathers laughed as they ended the charm to watch their sons' horrified faces through the wood, the piece of paper containing the answers to Rachel's questions lying on the desk.
Two can play that game.
~FIN
.