Frail ❃ Albus Potter

Thirty One

Albus ran away from Piper.

He couldn't cope with her, her smell and her hair and her smile and God, her everything.

It had been okay when he'd thought she hadn't loved him. Well, not okay, but bearable, at least. And he'd had Scorpius, and that took his mind off it.

But now, now with Scorpius... Albus couldn't think.

Everything was a goddamn mess.

Albus swore softly, half-collapsing against a wall. The hallways were empty, and finally alone, Albus took a few deep breaths in.

To think, this morning, it had all been simple.

Well, simpler.

Albus took a deep breath, and that was when Scorpius appeared.

For a second, habit kicked in. Albus smiled, his heart lifting a little at the sight of Scorpius- he'll make my problems better- and then...

Oh God.

Albus didn't move. Couldn't move.

Everything felt like it was going on slow motion as Scorpius walked towards him, his bag swinging by his side. "Albus?" Scorpius asked.

He was so close Albus could smell his mint aftershave. It smelt... it smelt like safety and comfort and Merlin, when had this all unraveled?

"I know." Albus stared his boyfriend straight in the eyes. They would have looked like they were about to kiss from anyone looking down the corridor, but in reality, that was far from the truth. Albus wasn't even angry; just disappointed and hurt, Merlin, was he hurt. "Scorpius, I know everything."

Scorpius laughed, but there was an air of nervous panic about it as he reached for Albus' hand. "Al? What do you mean?"

"Don't Al me. You know exactly what I mean." Albus was practically shaking, his heart racing so goddamn fast it was like a freight train. "For Merlin's sake, Scorpius, tell me the truth. Redeem yourself a little."

Scorpius looked like he'd been hit. "Al... Maybe we should take this somewhere else."

He was shaking, now, and he was fairly certain he was about to either hit someone or start bawling his eyes out. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pang of longing for Piper. Make this all better, had been one of the things he used to say when they were little. He'd point at the vase he'd just broken or the knee he'd just scraped and say those words. Make this all better. She'd smile and hug him and he would feel better, even if the mess he'd made wasn't sorted.

Now he longed for that again, that feeling of complete safety and security, the quick magical fix that was his best friend.

"Tell me the truth," Albus repeated, his voice low. "Did you or did you not steal my note to Piper?"

Scorpius wasn't moving. He was just staring, his blue eyes wide and unseeing. Even his hair, which should have been blowing in the breeze from the nearby window, was perfectly still and flat. Albus wanted to hit him. "I-"

"Scorpius."

"Yes." Scorpius breathed, his face white and pale and what did he just say.

Albus couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything as he turned away from the person he'd once trusted- once cared about, once shared a bed with, and fell to his knees, his head in his hands, taking deep breaths.

It was true, then. All of it. Everything they'd thought, everything they'd suspected, the things Albus hadn't even wanted to say, the things he never would have dreamed that Scorpius would do.

"I trusted you," Albus whispered. Then louder, getting to his feet and facing him. He couldn't even think his name, couldn't even- "I trusted you. I trusted you, Scorpius, and the whole time our relationship was built on what? A lie? You lied to me for months!"

"I didn't lie," Scorpius said, his face paler than Albus had ever seen it. "I never lied. I just- I just didn't say some things."

Albus laughed. It was cruel and cold and flat and he hated it. He didn't even know he could make a sound like that. "You didn't lie? What, because I didn't ask you if you stole the letter I wrote? That's bullshit, Scorpius, absolute bullshit."

Scorpius didn't move or speak, and neither did Albus.

Finally, Albus spoke. "Why? I just want to know why."

Scorpius didn't move for a second, and then he reached up and rubbed his head. "Because I was jealous," he answered simply. "Because I'd been in love with you for years, and you barely even saw me. You were wrapped up in Piper and I didn't even think you were gay, Al, until one day I overheard Rose and Lily talking about it. I also knew you loved Piper, and Piper loved you, and neither of you would acknowledge it." He sighed, and shifted from foot to foot.

Albus didn't know he could feel this much. Emotions churned around in his stomach making it feel like he was going to throw up anger and confusion and disappointment and betrayal in huge one mess of pain.

"And then, a few weeks later, I was sitting with some friends outside when one of the school owls came up to me. It was one that always particularly liked me, and it always comes up because it knows I'll give it treats... anyway, the paper was tied on loosely."

Albus remembered his hands fumbling as he tied the knot onto the owl's leg, remembered the group of Slytherins laughing beneath the tree.

"It fell off into my bag. I didn't see it until a few hours later, and I took it out and read it, so I could give it to whoever needed it, but it was from you to Piper, and I just... I just took it and I buried it. I knew you would need someone to talk to, even if you and Piper did talk about the meeting afterwards, and I- I just wanted to talk to you. I just wanted you to see me as I saw you."

Albus felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. There was something stirring inside his stomach... something angry and filled with hate and resentment. He was seeing everything, including Scorpius, through new eyes.

He remembered those times when Albus would mention Piper and Scorpius would get a strange, almost guilty looking expression on his face.

Everything makes sense, Albus thought. The thing inside his stomach was roaring, now, and thoughts were flying around his head, things that he could say or do to hurt Scorpius just as much as Scorpius had hurt him....

I hate you. I would've picked Piper over you. I still would. I always will. I never loved you. I never cared. You were just a rebound.

Albus needed to get out before he did or said something he would regret.

He pushed past Scorpius, his face pushed down so his now ex-boyfriend couldn't seem the emotions flying across it.

"Albus?" Scorpius called after him. "Albus, where are you going?"

He picked up his pace, half running, until he was two corridors away and well out of Scorpius' sight. Then he sprinted, lungs aching, legs burning, chest heaving. It was only when he got to the safety of his own dormitory that he allowed himself the luxury of crying.

"At the rate I'm going I'll have this finished by the end of the week!"

*no updates for three days*

Sorry, guys. But this is two or three times the length of normal chapters, so? Forgive me?