Scorpius And Albus --- Scorbus Love Story

Chapter 4: Shakey Hands

James P.O.V. 

The infirmary isnt busy. i almost knock madam Pomfrey off her feet when i tap on her shoulder. she is an older woman, and every time i see her she accidently calls me Harry or remarks about how much i look like my grandfather. 

like i planned, she gave me the medicine without question. i pretended to turn around and pop them in my mouth, but i stuck the pills in my pocket. she gives me a warm smile as she tells me to scram because apparently some kid, i quote, "didnt have have enough brains in his head to not see the tree in fornt of his broom!". 

Scorpius doesnt seem like the forgetful type, but i hope he doesnt forget to check the map for me outside the door. i dont want to be standing outside the Slytherin common room for too long. 

i walk down the long halls, not in any particular rush. i do feel a bit bad leaving Scorpius to deal with him. Albus isnt much to deal with at all, unless you contridict him. he can get real awful if you try to make him do something that he doesnt want to. Especially if he is sick. he isnt sick all the time, but when he is, he is either delirous, like he is now, or pretending that he isnt and having an obvious freak-out panic attack. 

in other words, he is either pretending that he is fine, so he deosnt have to go to a doctor, or so sick that he cant even comprehhend that he should be for whatever reason.

i pass by a girl named Grace, who is in sixth year. i give her a akwardish smile, and wave. she blushes a bit i think. ive had a crush on her for a while now, and all my friends are telling me to ask  her out. its just that i have heard some people say that she broke up wit her ex-boyfriend just because he gained weight or got bad acne or something stupid like that. i dont want to be with a girl who does shitty stuff. but as i walk by, all i see are her plump lips and dark brown eyes. her Ravenclaw quidditch robes flowing behind her.

the next second she has turned down some other stair way leaving me alone. 

Scorpius P.O.V.

I quietly and carefully step towards the bed. he is sprawled out, sweating like a - really sweaty person on my bed. I don't know how to do this. Now I see vomit stains on his shirt, and with notice of that I smell It too. I open his suitcase that he apparently still has not unpacked and find him a shirt. 

He is moving a bit in his sleep. He will need to be semi conscious for me to do this. 

I tap his knee. he doesn't respond to this, so I shake it harder. he makes a groggy moan. standing over him I say, "You need to get in a clean shirt. Then we can move you to your own bed which ill make a bit more comfortable for you." he seems to register this a bit and sits up. he isn't the type to accept help or submit.  

I stand on my knees in front of him, so we are at eye level with one another. he can barley keep his head up. in a single movement, he pulls the shirt over his head. My eyes linger on his chest. how could they not? he is so beautiful. I roll up the shirt in my hands so it is easy to get over his head. he sticks his hands into the short sleeves and with both of our efforts, we manage to accomplish this. easier than I thought. 

he hasn't said a word. I help him onto the foot of my bed and start making his. Just trying to make it cozy. I take a pillow from my own bed (which is a sweaty mess) and put it on his. I open the blanket so it will be easier for him to get in. 

"Scorpius?" he asks

"Yeah?" I say, turning around. 

"Thank you for doing this. You could have just dropped me off at the infirmary - "

I cut him off, also a bit out of character. "You must know that I wouldn't do that. Just like how I would never call you 'Al' or go on a date with your sister." I laugh, until I process what I said. there Is  a very awkward silence. its one of those times where you just think, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. 

I would go on a date with rose though. I imagine him say this and fear it. I say, "sorry." I dont know if I say this to try to ease the tension or apologize for it, but he only nods.

"Can I just sleep now?" He asks

"Yeah, yeah."

I get a bit lost in his eyes, his eyes are pretty. The light green I can see clearly from ten feet away. I really like his eyes a lot. Have I never noticed them before? I should have.

I wait for him to get in bed until he says, "Could you um - please help me?"

I walk over to him in response. He sits before me. "I cant exactly carry you." So I put my arm under his and try to get him up. His weight heavily falls on me. It's a bit odd being so close. I can feel him. We stand like this, glancing to each other and then the ground. I awkwardly grow a large smile. I smile when awkward.

Eventually, this ends. We work together to walk, and make it over.

He sprawls out on his bed, and I put the blanket over him. I sit on the floor next to him, Albus. His hand lies over the edge. It without purpose makes circles.

I touch his hand lightly on the back. I pet it. He is shaking. Only subtly, his hand shakes. Why?

"Lately my hand does this when I'm scared." He says. "Sometimes, around you, I start to feel scared. Which doesn't  make much sense because I trust you more than anyone."

I feel it too. The weirdness sometimes. Awkward pauses that didn't used to be there. I almost dont mention this, but it would make him feel weird if I said nothing. He shouldn't feel alone with anything.

"I do too, . . . . Potter."

His tired eyes have a glimmer of amusement.

"Oh really, Malfoy?"

This is serious, but pretending to be our dads eases it.

"Yes, you pathetic Gryffindor." I say, proud my insult wasn't so unnatural. My fake glare turns into a smile. He returns a warm one. "I thought you were going to be - . . ."

"Scorpius, spit it out. I won't be offended and neither will whoever the insult is a slur for.

"I thought you'd be bitchy-er."

He gives a fake gasp. "How dare you accuse me of such things! I am the most undramatic and unbitchy person, wizard, or anything to ever be anywhere." His eyebrows touch the ceiling. He isnt serious, but anyone else would think so.

Then says, "I'm not too awful, am I?"

"You cant get whiney, Albus." I trail on his name. I like to throw it into our conversations and he does the same with mine. It's a way we stop and look at one another, and remember, 'it's just him'.

'Him' tingles in my head. Not Albus, the pronoun its self. I feel my expression drop a bit, but I pull myself together. I'm fine. Okay. Not like I secretly don't like being a guy, but don't want to be a girl either. Nothing like that.

"You go to sleep now, okay? I'll wake you when James comes with meds. Did I mention that? James is tricking Madam Pomfrey into getting you medicine. So you can feel better, . . . alright?" I stand up quickly.

He is clearly taken aback a bit, but doesn't say anything. Poor thing feels awful. Now I'm being weird. I turn off the light. Its muggle technology that they use down in the dungeons for lighting. The monsters in the lake are attracted to magic, and our windows see only water. Like - in the water. So when I flip the switch, the room is very dark.

I almost say a most embarrassing thing. But he says it first.

"I love you, Scorpius."

I dont really care that it's not the same scale that our emotions are on, I'm dazzled. I cant look away from him. He cares about me - he loves me. Albus loves me.

"I love you too, Albus."

We stare at one another. He eventually cant keep his eyes open, and they flutter closed. Not like a butterflies wings - more droopy. But its lovely. He is beautiful and he loves me and he is asleep again.

That's fine. That's fine. That's fine, he needs sleep. I should check for James. I should let him sleep, but I drift back over and stand next to him. Who knows what I am doing. I touch his hair. Gently. I love him.

I'm sorry this is so late, but I hope this kinda fluffy-sweet ending makes up for it a bit.

Thank you for reading!