Albus had spent the weekend in the hospital wing, and it had been the most boring time of his life. He felt like he was stuck in a never-ending cycle of bland meals and the soft hum of Madam Pomfrey's voice. Now, though, he was finally out of that dreadful place, and the energy surged through him.
As he walked alongside Scorpius, he found himself chatting more than usual, even though it still hurt to talk. "You know, I never realized how much I missed just being outside those four walls," Albus said, a hint of relief in his voice.
Scorpius nodded, "I get that. It's like the whole world is waiting for you to catch up. Plus, I need someone to help me figure out what the issue is with this Dark Arts Professor, she's so strict."
Albus smirked, "Is she new? I didn't have a woman Professor last year."
"You're acting like I know, I've been here a week." Scorpius rolled his eyes, sending a smile to someone across from the moving stairs.
Albus noticed and turned to look at who Scorpius could possibly be smiling at from a different staircase.
There she was, the all too familiar face of Rose was smiling brightly at the two.
"She doesn't like people being late." Scorpius leaned down to Albus' ear, who sent him a confused glance.
"Who? Rose?"
"No!" He chuckled, "The Professor."
"Well..." Albus looked at the giant clock hanging from the ceiling, "We're five minutes late because of these stupid stairs."
Scorpius shrugged, a playful grin still on his face. "Yeah, wait until you see her. She'll probably have us doing four hour detentions just for being late."
Albus sighed, feeling a mix of annoyance and apprehension. "Great, just what I need. Extra shit on top of everything else."
As they reached the top of the staircase, Rose joined them, her expression shifting from cheerful to slightly concerned. "Are you two okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just trying to help Al survive the first class with the new professor," Scorpius replied, glancing back at the clock again. "We're late, and I'm pretty sure she's going to be furious."
Rose rolled her eyes, "You two worry too much. Just act like you're prepared, and she might go easy on you."
"Easier said than done," Albus muttered, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Let's just get in there before she decides to start without us."
"See ya!" Rose smiled brightly, walking towards another classroom.
She never took Dark arts, and when she did she made it clear that she would never do it again.
With that, the duo hurried down the corridor, their footsteps echoing as they approached the classroom door, ready to face whatever awaited them inside.
As they saw the sight of the door, Scorpius shot Albus a nervous glance. "You ready for this?"
Albus took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anxiety. "I guess, I don't mind cleaning out another closet with you."
Scorpius chuckled, a bit of confidence creeping back in. "I do make it an experience, it's not everyday I pin you against a wall to say thank you."
"Shut up!" Albus said, cracking a smile. "And don't word it like that! You cornered me."
"Yeah, yeah." Scorpius smirked, it soon dropped once they reached the dreaded door.
With a shared nod, they pushed the door open and stepped inside, ready to face whatever awaited them in the dimly lit classroom, filled with the scent of old parchment and a hint of something mysterious.
