Ice and Emeralds (A Scorbus Story)

- Chapter Eleven -

Albus took his boyfriend by the hand. It was a Wednesday afternoon in May. They were making their way down to Hagrid's hut. It had been a while since they had last visited him.

"I hope Hagrid doesn't try to feed us," Albus said as they crossed the grounds and walked towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"His biscuits are hard as rocks," Scorpius said. "I almost broke a tooth last time." They were approaching the front door of the small house. Smoke wafted up from the chimney and a loud barking came from within.

"Sounds like Saber is excited to see us," Albus said, laughing as they knocked on the heavy oak door.

The enormous form of Rubeus Hagrid appeared before them. He was over eight feet tall, with a great tangled mess of bushy brown hair, shot with gray, and a graying beard to go with it. His black eyes twinkled merrily when he saw them. His lined face broke into a smile. At his knees, a large boarhound barked heartily.

"Well, what're yeh standin' there for? C'mon in." He greeted them warmly as they entered his cozy cottage. A great fire blazed beneath a heavy stone mantle and an oversized wooden table stood in the center of the one-room house. Albus and Scorpius took their usual seats. Saber the boarhound licked Scorpius's hand before resting his big head in Albus's lap.

"How have you been, Hagrid?" Scorpius fetched some teacups and saucers from a cupboard.

Hagrid put on a pair of tattered oven mitts and took an iron kettle off the fire. He distributed tea bags and poured them each a cup of hot water.

"I bin doin' alright." He grunted as he dropped into a chair. Suddenly, his hairy face lit up.

"Never mind me," he exclaimed. "How 'ave you two bin? I heard the news from yer godfather, Albus. Reckon he may want ter talk ter yeh 'bout it soon."

Hagrid leaned back in his chair, nodding meaningfully. Albus felt himself go red as he looked at Scorpius, who grinned into his teacup.

"The son o' Harry Potter, seein' the son o' Draco Malfoy. Didn't see that comin'."

"Of course not." Scorpius looked into his tea. "My dad was a bratty little bully when he was in school. He told me so himself."

Hagrid chuckled. "I'm sure he wasn't all bad. Must've been a decent kid when he wasn't taunting Harry or trying ter get me sacked."

The three of them laughed. Albus was often pleasantly surprised by how much Hagrid seemed to like Scorpius considering how much he disliked Draco. The two of them got along very well.

"Anyway, you two aren't yer fathers. You get on much better than they did. How long 'ave you bin ... together?" Hagrid raised a furry eyebrow.

Albus held Scorpius's hand on the tabletop. "Almost six weeks."

Hagrid laughed, shaking his head and muttering, "I'd never 'ave guessed."

The three of them finished their tea and spent the afternoon conversing about upcoming exams and plans for the summer. By the time the Sun sank towards the horizon, they had thanked Hagrid for the tea and were making their way back up to the castle, hand in hand, as always.

They had Potions first period the next day. Albus sat with Scorpius and talked with the other Slytherins in the stuffy dungeon. The soft chatter died instantly when a tall young woman swept into the room. Her short pixie cut was black and navy blue dress swayed as she crossed to the front of the class. With her wand, she drew a single word on the blackboard: Veritaserum.

"Today, we will be studying this tricky little potion," said Professor Madison Miyamoto.

Her smoldering smokey eyes gleamed in the torchlight as she surveyed the class.