Ice and Emeralds (A Scorbus Story)

- Chapter Fifteen -

"You should come over to my house this summer," Scorpius said.

He walked into the dorm, fresh from the showers, his hair still damp. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. Albus sat on his bed, eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans while reading his Herbology textbook. The pair had spent the afternoon with their house down at the Quidditch pitch, where Slytherin had beat Gryffindor one hundred and eighty-to-twenty and secured the Quidditch Cup. The other boys were in the common room, celebrating the victory rather loudly.

"I should?" Albus asked.

"Yeah, you should. In fact, I wrote to my dad about it. He says it's fine so long as your parents are okay with it. Where did you get the Beans from?"

Scorpius sat down on Albus's bed and reached his hand into the box, grabbing three beans. Two were venomously green and the third was pale pink. Scorpius shrugged and stuffed them all in his mouth at once.

"Noah gave them to me. How long would I be staying with you?" Albus asked, setting aside his sweets and revision notes. O.W.L.s were coming up alarmingly fast and studying was taking up so much time it was a relief to break from the books.

Scorpius cringed at the combination of grass, broccoli, and apricot flavoured beans in his mouth. With enormous effort, he swallowed them and said: "I think five days is good. Preferably in mid-July."

A wide smile spread across Albus's face.

"Sounds like fun. I'll write a letter to my parents right now." He shuffled through the scrolls that littered his bed, searching for a blank one to write on. Soon, he uncovered a torn and ink-stained scrap and began to write on it. Once he had finished, he folded it up.

"I'm taking this down to the Owlery. Want to come?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I'm almost finished my book. I'll see you once you get back."

Albus tucked his letter into his pocket, planted a quick kiss on Scorpius's forehead, and dashed out of the dorm.

Scorpius changed into pajamas and returned to his own bed. He snatched his book off the nightstand, determined to finish it. There were only five chapters left to go. It was easy to get immersed in the detailed and intriguing writing. He read several pages when the plot took a terrifying turn. He barely acknowledged the lump in his throat or the tears on his cheeks. It suddenly became rather hard to breathe.

He did not look up when Albus entered the dorm. He could not tear his gaze away from the terrible book in his hands, the book he had loved so much, the book that had now betrayed him.

"Scorpius!" Albus yelped as he leaped onto the bed. "What happened?"

He couldn't seem to help himself. He whipped the wretched book across the room with all his might. It hit a solid stone wall and dropped to the ground, its broken spine scattering pages across the floor.

"Scorpius, stop! Don't!"

Seizing his wand off the bedside table, Scorpius pointed it at the book, pushing Albus away as easily as if he were made of paper.

"Incendio!" Scorpius roared. The broken book burst into flames.

"No!" Albus cried. He ran to his bed, where his own wand lay on his pillow. "Aguamenti!"

A jet of water extinguished the fire, but it was too late. There was only a pile of soggy ashes in the place of where the book had been.

Albus turned on Scorpius, a scary mixture of anger and fear in his eyes.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm. Scorpius could only hide his tearful face in his hands. He felt Albus's arms around him, warm against his cold skin.

"What is it? Please tell me."

Scorpius sniffed and looked into his boyfriend's green eyes.

"Shirley died. Katya's mother. She got the red fever and died at the plantation. There was nothing anyone could do to save her."

Albus nodded, remorse and understanding spreading across his features. Then, he slid his arms around Scorpius's waist and held him tightly.

"It's okay," he crooned. "Don't cry."

Scorpius hugged his boyfriend tighter than ever before, so tightly he felt Albus's pulse.

"My mum died three years ago." He remembered that day well. Albus had come to the funeral in all black with teary eyes.

Holding Albus tight, he cried hard for his mother, for his father, who would always be lonely, for his broken family. Albus held him and whispered softly in his ear.

"Your mum is watching over you, Scorpius. I know she's proud of you."

Scorpius hugged Albus tighter at that. He felt the weight of his loss, but for the first time, he felt like he was sharing his pain with Albus. The burden seemed easier to bear, the pain less painful. He had never been able to talk about his mother or the hole her absence left in him with anybody except Albus. It was such a relief, such a wonderful feeling that Scorpius felt the bizarre desire to laugh.

"I love you." These were the only words in which he could place his gratitude.

"I love you too," Albus said. "But I kind of wish you hadn't burned the book just because you didn't like the ending."

At that, they both laughed. Then Albus looked seriously at Scorpius.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Scorpius nodded gratefully. "Yes, I think so."

Albus wiped a tear from Scorpius's cheek. "What's up?"

Scorpius sighed. "I miss my mum. There are times when I wish I could ask her questions. I miss when she used to read to me." He looked sadly at the burnt book, regretting destroying it.

"I've never told anybody this, but sometimes, I replay conversations I had with her in my head. It helps me remember her, what her voice sounded like, what her smile looked like. Stuff like that. But then there are other times when I can't remember her at all." His voice broke. "It's scary. Not being able to remember."

Albus touched Scorpius's lips with his warm fingertips. "There's nothing wrong with not being able to remember everything. You were young. You've been through a lot since she passed. Besides," Albus leaned in, staring deep into Scorpius's eyes. "You loved her and she loved you. That will never, ever fade."

Scorpius felt a single tear trickle down the side of his nose and onto his lips.

"Thank you, Albus. Being able to tell you this ... you don't know how much it helps."

He shrugged. "I'm here for you. Always."

Scorpius felt as if an enormous weight was lifted off his chest. He found it easier to focus on his studies. The two spent the rest of the evening revising. O.W.L.s started in two days. There was much to be done.