Folie à Deux

Chapter 6: This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race

Chapter 6: This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race or, I've Got The Scars From Tomorrow

Rating: M mainly for language, and I can't discount any funny business later on

Disclaimer: I work with only what the infallible J.K. Rowling has given me.

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"Al. Calm down."

Al looked up from his plate, his eye twitching. "I am calm."

Rose grimaced as he swallowed his sausage whole, and followed it down with his entire poached egg. "Albus, you're going to choke."

"I'm fine," he mumbled. He looked up and frowned. "Where the hell is Gen? She said she'd meet us at quarter to ten. It's ten past."

Rose shrugged, glancing towards the doors of the Great Hall. "I'm sure she's coming."

She missed Al's darkening face. "She's probably off with her new friend Charlie."

Rose snorted. "You're not in a good mood this morning."

Al threw her a look. "It's Quidditch."

"Exactly." Rose poured orange juice into Al's cup and offered it to him. "Good nervous energy, Al."

"She's throwing off my mojo," Al mumbled into his drink.

"What?"

"Pass the bacon."

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"Beautiful day." Toby sighed deeply, sniffing in as if he might inhale the entire oxygen supply around them.

"Not really." Scorpius' mouth was set in a thin line, as it had been for the entire week.

"Mate." Toby punched him lightly on the arm, throwing him a look of pity. "You two need to sort your shit out, alright? You guys had your fight on what, Thursday?"

"Wednesday night," Scorpius answered curtly. "It was Wednesday night."

"Exactly." Toby lifted his arms to clear a path for the two as they quickly approached the masses, but Scorpius' expression seemed to pervade the crowd like ice through water. "You and Liv have never fought for so long."

"We're not fighting," Scorpius said tiredly. "She's just acting quite....distant."

"She's giving you the silent treatment."

"Well, yes, if you want to get all technical about it-"

"Fucking hell, Scorp, what did you do to her?"

Scorpius' eyes glinted, and Toby's own eyes grew almost imperceptibly wider, but he hastened to bury his surprise. "She's just acting like this because it's our first fight as a—well—couple."

There was a loud thud, and Scorpius looked down to see Toby's foot still on the wooden stairs. "Give me Merlin's strength, Scorpius. Tell me you two aren't giving this a go for real?"

"So what if we are?" Scorpius said defensively, pushing past his friend and bagging a space at the front.

"Don't get me wrong, it's your business." Toby shrugged. "But don't pretend like I don't have to deal with your fucking bitching."