undeniable | scorbus

ten - albus

in which a concerned albus learns a thing or two about comforting people.

—

Sure enough, Albus had been able to leave the hospital wing later that evening. Flint and Jordan had come to pick him up, and they were holding him from either side as he walked down the hall. James had insisted, of course, but Lily had pointed out that he wasn't even allowed into the Slytherin common room. He had to remind them all multiple times that his legs were perfectly fine, but he was grateful for their support nonetheless.

He was stopped in the halls more than usual that night, as students gaped at the sling on his hand, asking for a tale that they probably expected to be more heroic.

In any other circumstances, Albus probably would have cooked something up for them. A story that would leave the boys staring at him in respectful admiration and the girls in awe.

But he was exhausted, and after retelling the pathetic tale of how he'd crashed into the Quidditch stands to the second group of Hufflepuffs that day, Flint refused to let him stop for anyone else. He'd even snapped at Polly Chapman, who had come out of her dorm to see what all the fuss was about.

"Albus? What on earth..." she'd started, her blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail.

She'd been wearing the same hairstyle since they dated. She claimed ponytails were a natural face lift, which he didn't understand in the least.

"He's fine," Jordan had answered, still holding onto his good arm.

Flint was currently ushering the crowd of young Slytherins aside so that they could head into their room.

"What happened?" Polly asked, following the three boys to the entrance of the boys dormitories.

"Quidditch accident," Albus muttered awkwardly.

"How?" She demanded. "Are you okay?"

"Merlin, Chapman, he's fine! Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have let him leave if he wasn't," Flint said sharply, ushering him into the dorms.

"You're a little scary at times, did you know that?" Albus asked him quietly, and Flint sighed.

"I get that a lot. I don't see it, though."

He found himself glancing into Scorpius's slightly open dorm room as they passed the hall to his own. Albus had no idea who Scorpius shared a room with, but for the first time since coming to Hogwarts, he sort of wished Scorpius had been placed in his own. They could have done Potions homework together. Was four a crowd?

He plopped down on the bed as soon as he got inside, not bothering to change out of the robes he'd been wearing all day.

"Katie wanted to come in and see you," Flint said, giving Albus a glance.

"We've snuck her into the Slytherin common room before."

"We thought you'd need space," came Jordan's voice from his bed across.

"Thanks," Albus said gratefully, closing his eyes. "Really."

Jordan smiled at him through the curly hair he was trying to tame.

Flint, on the other hand, said "You're not going to confess your feelings for us now, are you?"

Albus threw a pillow at him.

-

He couldn't sleep that night. The discomfort of his sling and the nagging worry about Scorpius kept him tossing and turning until the early hours of dawn, which was around the time he gave up and went downstairs to sit by the glowing green fireplace in the common room.