Raindrops on Roses

Chapter 33: Seventh Year Part 1: Malfoy the Novelty

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The next two weeks passed in a bit of a blur for everyone. The summer holiday seemed to have gone past in a rush of chaos, and now, when they were finally all together, it nevertheless refused to slow down even for a moment. Albus went to the Leaky Cauldron every day, though on one of those days he went with Lily to get her NEWT books and to stock up on his own school supplies, so he only had time to wave hello to Scorpius as they passed through the Floo on the way home.

Scorpius was getting better and better at controlling the chair, and now very rarely said the command words out loud. This was lucky, because he went back to St Mungos twice before school began, and by the last visit there were still no signs of improvement. It was hard to tell how his friend felt about this, though he, Albus, knew he would be devastated if it was him. "I knew it would take longer than two weeks," was all Scorpius would say, "it just needs more time." Rose would smile and pat his shoulder or his knee when he said something like this, encouraging him to think positively, but Albus could spot a platitude when he saw one. He wondered if Scorpius really believed he was going to heal, or was just saying such things to make everyone else feel better. At least Knox had said he only had to take the regrowth potion at night from now on, to Scorpius' obvious relief, although he also changed the dose of his pain potion.

"Once a week," he had said. "May seem drastic, but we don't want you getting dependent on it."

The last Sunday of August, the day before they were due to catch the Hogwarts Express, Albus went to Cleo's house in Cambridge. He had been more or less ignoring her ever since Scorp came back, and while she was, to a point, understanding, he knew he couldn't just fly off to school without saying a proper goodbye.

The goodbye lasted most of an hour, lying on Cleo's bed in her tiny bedroom, and, if Cleo's parents and younger brother not been in the house, might have ended with more clothes being removed than just his jacket. As it was, she was wearing a tiny skirt that barely deserved the name, and a tight-fitting, low-cut top that left very little to the imagination. "You okay?" Cleo asked him softly when they finally had to stop for air.

"Mmm," he murmured, closing his eyes and trying to think about all his elderly relatives naked. It helped, but not by much.

"I'll have my own place by Christmas," she promised him, kissing him lightly under his jaw. "You can come over then. Stay the night."

The implication of this was not lost on Albus. "Yeah?" he said, in a slightly choked voice.

"Of course. Frankly I'd have you right here and now, but my mum would know. She has a sixth sense about stuff like that."

Albus swallowed. "I'll probably stay at Hogwarts for Christmas," he admitted regretfully. "Unless Scorp goes to the Leaky for the whole holiday."

"Then you can sneak me into your fancy school and we'll find a broom cupboard," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's been three months, Alby."

Albus grimaced. Sexy as all the talk about broom cupboards was, the thought of doing that with Cleo made his stomach tighten up. He told himself it was nerves, but he wasn't sure.

"I can't believe you never did it with Lizzie," Cleo went on, stretching back on the bed so that her top rode up and revealed her bare midriff with the belly-button piercing. Certain other parts of Albus' body started berating his stomach for being a whiny idiot, and he was very glad he was wearing quite loose trousers. "How long were you guys together?" she asked.

"Six months," Albus muttered, wondering what Cleo's mum would think if he used their bathroom to take a long, cold shower. "But she wasn't of age yet."