matching wounds || 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐬

the tie

Albus took a deep breath.

He did not quite know whether that made him feel better or worse. Scorpius was there, curled up on his bed, face hidden behind the strands of his hair. The thing is, Albus should show some empathy, that's his best friend, that is. But he could not bring himself to feel a trace of it.

"Stop sulking, will you?" He said flatly.

"You don't understand."

"Help me understand, then."

"I've been in love with her for so long, and now when I think she could like me back, she just throws everything away."

"Why would she?" Albus found himself grinning. "Not like anything has changed, and just because you look good now–"

"So, you think I look good?" Scorpius laughed, almost soundlessly.

"Narcissistic prat!" Was the best he could say to avoid the narrow cage that question had put him into. He wouldn't say that, not out loud.

There was a pause, too long, and Albus found himself getting an anxious stomach, his breath fastened, and his heart might have just sunk. Then, Scorpius laughed again, it was a childish, pure laughter, which made his eyes crinkle, and shoulders shake.

"Come now, darling," he said. "Take a joke."

"Look at him, James's little copy." Albus took a deep, heavy sigh, and Scorpius grinned wider.

"Why would I remind you of your brother? And besides, being compared to the fittest lad in the school isn't that bad."

"Fittest lad, my arse," Albus heard himself saying distantly. "Can go shag him, If you adore him that much."

"I'd be much better not doing that, thank you very much," Scorpius said as he shook his head. "And I don't like your word choice – it's a very rude word. Making love sounds much better."

"Making love?" Albus stretched the words like he was tasting them. "You're so bloody old-fashioned! So, that's what you want to do to Rose? Make love to her?" He laughed, a bitter laugh that was. There was a note in his voice that he tried to hide, and perhaps failed.

"Don't be a git!" Scorpius was muttering, halfway rolling his eyes. "We don't talk about my personal life, remember?"

"Yeah, you don't talk, you wine about it." Albus shrugged with a short laughter that was shared by Scorpius.

"I ought to get you a better robe," Scorpius stated, glancing at the hopeless attempts of Albus to tie the shirt. It didn't look bad for his liking – a black shirt with a dark green suit jacket. He would have been all right with anything but brown, frankly.

"Yeah, you could have, you rich bloody bastard!"

"Oh, poor you," Scorpius snorted, throwing his arms aback. "Should be hard inheriting thousands of galleons and living in a mansion."

"Well, technically I am not that wealthy," Albus exhaled irritably as he made a bit of afford to take the tie. There must have been something wrong with his hands. "I have to share with Lily and James, remember?"