Slytherins Do It Better - A Scorbus Story

Chapter 17: Taking a Step Back

It's been a week and it hasn't been easier on Albus Severus Potter at all. Students keep staring at him in class and during meals and in the halls. Many times he just stays in the Slytherin common room and dormitory. The rest of the Slytherins don't really care anymore and have gone back to treating him as they always have. Albus was thankful for that he didn't have to deal with it from the others in his house. It's just the others that still are getting on his nerves. 

Scorpius has noticed the difference in Albus and it's starting to put a wedge into their relationship. Albus is retreating into a turtle shell and not going anywhere except classes. Scorpius hates what's becoming of this but there's nothing he can do about it. They were involuntarily outed. Now the professors don't really pay any mind to the student gossip especially Hermione, she was always one to never care about that. So she has no idea what's going on.

It's now time for her fifth year DADA class, but as Hermione looks around at the students. She notices that one is missing and that one being her nephew Albus. Albus decided to skip this one he can't stand the staring and he doesn't really like the class anyway. This behavior didn't go by unnoticed by Scorpius either. Once class is over Hermione calls for the blond boy.

"Scorpius, can you come here?" Hermione asks. The boy walks up to her. "I know your close with Albus, so I was wondering if you'd know where he was this class?"

"Sorry professor, but I don't know where Albus is" the boy says.

"Well any idea why he'd skip?" she asks her student.

"Well..." Scorpius pauses. "...well there's just a lot that he's dealing with after the whole Marcus thing..."

"Have others been giving him a hard time about it?" Hermione asks.

"No not exactly, it's more like they stare at him and he doesn't like it and he been skipping meals just to avoid it he likes to stay in the common room since the rest of the Slytherins don't do that to him anymore" Scorpius confesses.

"Right, well thank you I shall be more aware of this" Hermione says and dismisses him.

Scorpius makes his way to his next class, which happens to be potions. He's sure Albus won't skip this one, potions is his favorite subject. He walks into the dungeon classroom and takes a seat with the Notts. He doesn't see Albus anywhere. As the last of the students trickle into the room Scorpius then sees him. Albus was the last one to enter and take a seat. He immediately took notice of the others appearance

"Al, are you alright?" Scorpius whispers to him. Albus just nods.

Albus looked just as disheveled as he felt. He's tie was half tied his robes were lopsided on his shoulders, his shirt was sticking out from under his jumper. His hair was a mess, his bag was still open and hanging on one shoulder as he sits. Albus took out his cauldron and absentmindedly listened to Slughorn talk about a potion he doesn't care about. He tries to ignore the whispers and staring from the others in class. It's when Slughorn tells them which potion to brew for the rest of class that the stares die down. The potion that they have to brew being a drought of peace.

Albus keeps to himself for the rest of class. And for Scorpius who is still his boyfriend is starting to feel bad or like something was his fault. He doesn't know whether to ask Albus or let it go. It's starting to annoy the blond boy. They haven't been as coupley since Albus' return from the hospital over a week ago. He knows that he's dealing with the aftermath of everything he went through, but Albus is just ignoring Scorpius and he's getting tired of it. Albus won't even talk to Scorpius about it or anything.

When Slughorn called that they have five minutes left and Albus is rushing to finish and hand it in, Scorpius takes notice of how frantic Albus is going and that he's doing it wrong and when he tries to step in and offer help to fix it Albus just gives him a cold shoulder and shrug it off. The class hands in the potions and Slughorn tells everyone the homework which is to write two rolls of parchment of the history of the draught of peace.