dinner parties | scorbus

CH15: not weird at all

CH15: not weird at all (4,261 WORDS)

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"Would you rather... um. I can't think of any more. You have another turn."

"Would you rather... not clean your teeth for a month, or not shower for a month?" Scorpius asked. He didn't look up from the flat pebble in his fingertips, using bright pink paste to paint thin numbers on the alternate shades of rock beneath his feet. He blew on the surface, ensuring the neon number didn't fade or run.

The moonlight split over the heads of the two teenagers loitering beside the large lake in the Malfoy castle's grounds. The warm air wrapped around their bare arms, though the crisp wind blew upon their faces. The occasional firefly buzzed before their eyes and noses, yet neither of them battered the small bugs away. The willow trees rustled in the breeze and leaves landed atop the lake. They span a few times before sinking. Occasionally, the ripples from Albus' skipped rocks caused them to float a few metres in another direction.

The serenity wrapped them in a blanket of peace, just like it always did. Ever since they first met in July, they'd formed their own little bubbles of solidarity within one another. By October, they could spend hours at a time in a wordless state; enjoying one another's company as the nights grew colder and longer. It worked well for the both of them, as Albus tended not to talk too much, and preferred to listen to Scorpius' humorous and entertaining rants instead. Usually, when Scorpius grew tired of talking, he succumbed to shooing Albus sweet smiles from above his book every few minutes. Sometimes the brunet filled the silence with his chatter, but not always; so sometimes they could enjoy the other's presence in silence. It all worked well. And, despite his raging crush on the boy whom he spent these special moments with, Albus wouldn't trade it for the world. His innocent friendship suit him just fine at the current moment, and Scorpius remained quite a sight for sore eyes.

The blond dipped his paintbrush back into the pink paste, careful not to tip the tiny pots beneath his feet. A rainbow of illuminated colours sat before him in paint pots, and decorated many of the pebbles at the bottom of the large lake.

"Probably... shower. I don't think my parents would appreciate it if I refused to clean my teeth, especially considering that they spent so much on orthodontics. I mean... I suppose they could just pay to get new teeth..."

Scorpius smiled to himself. He held up the rock to Albus, which had a freshly dried, neon '11' on the back. Scorpius found a new, flat pebble and abandoned his lime green numbering so that he could watch Albus' throw. The brunet closed an eye, pulled his hand back, and flung the stone over the surface of the lake. It bounced over the surface with soft pats before it sank.

Albus cheered. "That one was the best one yet!"

"Compared to seven?"

"...I think so."

"Go and check. This one won't be dry for a while... oh no." Scorpius cursed as some of the paint transferred onto the bindings on his hand; a result of the surgery he'd undergone days prior to fix his damaged bones. He tried to scrub it with water from the lake, yet eventually succumbed and continued paining.

Albus shrugged. He pulled his shorts up higher, wading through the darkened water. His eyes searched the inky depths for the neon numbers, walking past some earlier attempts as he stepped further. His eyes narrowed when he located a black pebble with a pink '7' on the back. Albus took one more step, holding his dark fabric high up his thighs to prevent them from getting wet. He began to move back upon realising that his most recent skip had, in fact, gone further than his seventh.