Cursed Love || A Scorbus Story

Four: In Which Two Boys Don't Go Back to Hogwarts

The train's steam made Albus' chest squeeze. Yes, he was excited to see Scorpius after only sensing him letters over the summer holiday. Then again, Scorpius seemed to have a lot of fun in various countries that his father, Draco Malfoy, had taken him. Scorpius had even taken some pictures of each place he visited, sending them with photos of him and his dad in front of famous landmarks. Neither looked too happy, he noticed.

He was fifteen now, tall and handsome. His height, he concluded, must have come from his mother's side, as his dad was only of average height. His emerald eyes had become darker, though they stood out with his bronze skin and his midnight hair, messy as could be.

Albus' face, now that he had grown, was sharp, all cheekbones and jaw lines. He often found himself frowning at the mirror, though he was thankful that he didn't really look similar to James and his dad, whose faces were softer.

Albus glanced at his father, who was giving Lily, his thirteen-year-old sister, a kiss goodbye. Stares accompanied the family. "I'm just asking, Dad, if you'll---if you'll stand a little away from me."

Harry chuckled and asked in an amused tone, "What, fifth years don't like to be seen with their dads?"

"No, it's just you're you and I'm me and---"

"People are going to stare, Al. They're looking at me, not you."

Albus mumbled darkly, "At Harry Potter and his disappointing son, more like it."

"What does that mean?"

"At Harry Potter and his Slytherin son."

James, Albus' elder brother, skipped in circles around him, grinning widely. "Slytherin, Slytherin, stop with your dithering! Time to board!" Albus would have thought that being seventeen would have made his brother less immature. It didn't.

"Unnecessary, James," Ginny scolded as Albus clenched his fists.

"Al---"

"My name is Albus."

Harry began again, "Albus, are the other kids being unkind? Is that it? Maybe if you tried making some. . .different. . .friends, you would have some better luck."

"I don't need different friends," Albus told him, glaring and making Harry recoil. "I've got a friend, Scorpius Malfoy."

"Well, maybe a new friend would help you. Like Rose, aren't you two still friends?"

"No," Albus told him. "She never even talks to me."

"Albus, I've been exchanging letters with Professor McGonagall. She tells me that you're isolating yourself. That you're uncooperative during lessons. You're surly, you're---"

"What do you want me to do, Dad?" Albus snapped, his features growing dangerous. "Magic myself popular? Transfigure myself into a smart student?"

"I never---"

"I heard you!" Albus seethed. "I heard you talking to Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur! I heard what you said about me having the worst marks out of James and Lily, how it must be Scorpius' fault." Albus glared at his father. "He's a genius! He already knows how to do both nonverbal and wandless magic!"

Harry opened his mouth to speak again, but Albus was already getting onto the train. When he found his and Scorpius' usual compartment, he sat, stowing his luggage away.