Albus/Scorpius: As Long As I've Got You By My Side

A Semblance of Sorts

Later that week, Albus introduced Scorpius to his cousin, Rose. She'd been sorted into Ravenclaw, but she still managed to walk across the Great Hall to greet her cousin each morning. She seemed to like Scorpius well enough, choosing to sit between him and Albus and calling them both her "slimy green geniuses" when they helped her plot some crazy scheme. It was all in good nature, for Rose had never held anything against Slytherins and pure-bloods- not even Malfoys, as Scorpius soon found out. Despite her father's warnings about him, she thought that Scorpius was a perfectly decent person.
Scorpius couldn't help but notice how similar she was to her cousin Albus, although she didn't have the same sparkling green eyes or charming smile...

SSS

As the school year went on, Albus and Scorpius became inseparable. Rose joked that the two of them were joined at the hip, saying that she could never hope to see one of them without the other. Albus promptly stated that he wouldn't have it any other way, throwing his arm around Scorpius as if to prove his point. Even after Rose went back to the Ravenclaw (having had enough time with her "slimy green geniuses" for that morning), his arm remained tightly wrapped around his friend.

"Al...? What're you doing?", Scorpius asked.

Embarrassed, Albus removed his arm hastily and began stuttering an apology. Scorpius laughed and leaned back into his friend's arms.

"I never said I didn't like it".

=(-)=

From the Ravenclaw table, Rose watched Albus and Scorpius with a knowing smile on her face. She knew what would happen eventually, even if  the boys in question hadn't quite caught on.

SSS

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose all went to their respective homes over the winter holidays. On Boxing Day, Scorpius made a point of asking his father if Albus could come over.

=(-)=

It had been a long time since Draco Malfoy had so much as a small disagreement with Harry Potter. The two of them had remained on surprisingly good terms since the Battle of Hogwarts. Draco saw no reason not to allow Harry's son to spend a few days with Scorpius, and sent the Potters an owl almost immediately after the request has left his son's mouth.

SSS

Albus' time with the Malfoys was extremely enjoyable. Astoria simply loved him from the moment he stumbled through the fireplace, greeting them with a profuse apology regarding the ash on the carpet. She'd given his shoulder a squeeze and told him not to worry about it. This boy would make a fine match for her son, she thought.

"Scorpius!", Albus shouted as soon as she saw his friend from behind Mrs. Malfoy.
He threw his arms around Scorpius and hugged him tightly.

Oh, yes, thought Astoria. A fine match indeed.

The boys spent the rest of the afternoon outside in the snow, only coming back inside the house when offered warm blankets and mugs of hot cocoa. They curled up on the couch, watching an old muggle movie and talking quietly about the new spells they might learn once they returned to Hogwarts. There they stayed for the remainder of the night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms.

SSS

When it finally came time to go back to Hogwarts, Albus and Scorpius were bouncing in their seats on the train. Around halfway through the ride, Rose dropped by their compartment, bringing with her an abundance of sweets and a couple of books. The second time she came around their compartment, it was remind them to put on their robes. Scorpius had fallen asleep, his head on Albus's lap. Albus was looking fondly down at him, running his long fingers through the youngest Malfoy's soft hair.
Smiling to herself as she silently left the compartment, Rose noticed that they were both wearing their school robes.

SSS

That year, the first Quidditch match was Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Albus and Rose cheered for their family members in Gryffindor, James in particular. The oldest Potter boy had recently become Seeker for Gryffindor, and his family was very proud of him.

=(-)=

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose had sat at opposite ends of their respective designated Quidditch stands. This way, they would all be next to each other, since the Slytherin stands were right beside the Ravenclaw ones. Scorpius looked on fondly as Albus and Rose jumped up and down, cheering loudly. He slung one arm around Albus's shoulders, thinking how his and Rose's faces looked so similar in times like these, all bright and flushed and freckled.

Rose's voice had gone hoarse from screaming so much, but Albus was still cheering, and Scorpius was still watching him with that same fond expression on his face. Chuckling to herself, Rose raised her Gryffindor banner, calling her cousin and his friend to help her hold it up.

"Oi, you slimy green idiots!", she cried (they couldn't always be geniuses, she supposed). "Help me wave this banner!"

Albus and Scorpius each grabbed a part of the banner and began waving it eagerly. Scorpius had finally joined in on the loud cheering.

SSS

"We won, we won!"

"No you didn't, stupid."

"Gryffindor won. We are in Slytherin."

"Oh. Yeah."

"..."

"James won, he caught the Snitch!"

"Too right he did, that was amazing".

Scorpius sighed. He supposed Quidditch would always be a Potter-Weasley thing.