Frail ❃ Albus Potter

Twenty Two

Most of us are still heaving through corrupted lungs,
Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong.

A L B U S

Albus bit his lip as he stared at Lily. "What do you mean, you don't like Piper?"

He'd gone to Lily for help with his Piper problem, seeing as the rest of his extended family either a) hated him or b) had left school.

Most hated him.

Anyway, he couldn't talk to anyone else, because Scorpius was taking some kind of extra Potions class, and besides... Albus never really felt comfortable talking to his boyfriend about Piper, not when he knew that if Piper had come to that meeting when he'd sent the letter, things would be so much different.

He'd stayed awake, sometimes, wondering if Piper changed her mind and said she loved him, too, what he would do. Would he stay with Scorpius, or would he leave him for Piper?

Was it possible to care for two people at the same time?

The horrible truth was that nine times out of ten, Albus would choose Piper, the girl who now apparently hated him, over Scorpius, his boyfriend.

"Albus." Lily was scowling at her elder brother and waving a hand in his face. "Earth to Albus."

Albus blinked and then zoned back in to their conversation. "Sorry, what did you just say?"

Lily sighed, tossing her scarlet hair over her shoulder, and started to talk again. "I said I don't like her because I don't think she's good enough for you."

Albus spluttered. "What?"

"Well, you've got to admit that leading you on like that is pretty cold. She acted like she was into you for all those years, and then you have that kiss, and she's all like well, sorry, Albus, but I don't like you like that after all! And she didn't even say it to your face. She just didn't turn up to that meeting. And then she gets in a mood when you ask for some space-"

Albus held up a hand, stopping Lily in her tracks. Something about what Lily was saying sounded wrong... maybe it was just that Albus still cared about Piper, and he didn't like anyone saying things about her. "To be fair, Lily, I asked her not to turn up to that meeting. So it could be a clean break, you know. And then I was pretty cold asking her to stay away from me."

Lily shrugged, her emerald eyes narrowing. Today she'd rimmed them with black so she looked like an ancient Egyptian queen. The only thing that ruined it was the sparkly purple eyeshadow she was wearing. Every time she blinked Albus noticed it. "Well, I much prefer Scorpius. And not just because he's hot."

Albus cringed. "Oh, God. Lily. Please don't call my gay boyfriend hot."

Lily winked, and Albus was hit by another wave of the purple eyeshadow. "Bye, Albus."

She sashayed away, and Albus put his head in his hands.

Something about that conversation was wrong... there was something that didn't make sense, but Albus couldn't put his finger on it.