Scorpius Malfoy plopped down in his favorite armchair in the Slytherin common room to be greeted by his best friend Albus Potter who appeared to have had too much coffee...again. It was a cold day in January and that chair by the fire was the only thing that could warm him up.
"What's got your pretty little soul down in the dumps?" asked Albus sitting down on the adjacent couch. His leg would not stop shaking.
"Albus, what's with your leg? And, I'm fine. I guess," Scorpius replied. But Albus wasn't buying it.
"I don't believe you. We've been best friends for six years. You can tell me what's up. And about my leg, I had a wee too much coffee today. But I was tired, and now my leg won't stop shaking, so I think it's working!" Albus exclaimed.
"Albus, for your birthday you will receive caffeine patches from me. You've had at least five cups a day all week when you should stop at three," Scorpius sighed.
"Now, now, what good would that do me if I'm okay with consuming this much coffee? That'd be counterproductive," Albus said still shaking his leg. "Also let us not deviate from the original problem here. What happened?"
"Nothing. It's just...ah forget it. I wouldn't wanna bring you down too," Scorpius said.
"Nothing," Albus started. "Could bring me down! I just drank seven cups of coffee!"
"Fine. If you must hear the one thing that makes my life not boring but also extremely sad, Georgie just broke up with me," he said with tears almost forming in his droopy grey eyes.
"What?" Albus asked. "Oh, you two were so cute together and-"
"I know," said Scorpius glaring.
"Right. Sorry, mate," Albus patted Scorpius's shoulder. "How'd it happen?"
"She said she found somebody else, and that if she was feeling drawn to another guy she obviously felt no spark between us anymore and that we should break up," Scorpius said looking at his feet.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how much you liked her," Albus gave Scorpius a reassuring rub on the arm.
"Yeah. So much for the barbershop quartet I'd booked to serenade her on Valentine's Day," Scorpius glumly replied. "Valentine's Day would have been our one year."
"Come here," Albus said indicating a hug.
"Albus, we're in the common room. I'm not gonna hug you!" he scolded. He then started crying a little bit.
"Come on. Let's go talk to Rose. She's always known how to make you feel better after your failed relationships," Albus said standing up and leading him out of the common room.
"Thanks for that," Scorpius sarcastically remarked to his friend's comment.
***
Albus led Scorpius to the library where they were sure to find the studious Gryffindor, Rose Weasley, Albus's favorite cousin, and Scorpius's other best friend. Sure enough, she was in the library with books scattered all around her, writing their latest transfiguration essay.
"Rose," said Albus, approaching her silently. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine. Writing an essay. What's the damage?" She replied not bothering to look up.
"What? How'd she know there was any damage?!" Scorpius said to Albus.
Rose looked up. "I heard you sniffling on your way in, and I saw Georgie with Josh Brownman today. I figured something had happened between you too."
