The Many Musings of Albus Potter

xvi. frogs

xvi. frogs 

"I really like your brooch," Elliot Longbottom tells Albus, curiously eyeing Scorpius' gift, which he's pinned to his blazer. It's their first lesson since the holidays were over. Hogwarts has been shaken out of its temporary hibernation and feels like school again.

"Thanks, Elliot." Albus flicks open his book to Chapter Twelve: Muggle Economy in the 17th century. It feels odd to be referring to Elliot Longbottom as simply Elliot, when in his head all he can do is call him by his full name. They talk to each other more now than they've ever done their whole lives, even when Professor Longbottom and his family used to drop in to have dinner with the Potters for all those years.

They don't have very much in common, Albus thinks. But since his sister's death, something's shifted in Elliot. He doesn't linger much around his old friends anymore, save for mundane small-talk wherever necessary. In fact, and Albus is startled by this realisation, much of his socialising has been around him and Rose. Most of the time, though, he's all by himself, reading a book. It's been hard for outsiders to penetrate the friendship Albus and Rose have developed over the last few years. Even though they talk now, Albus supposes Elliot must feel out of the loop with a lot of things.

"How was Christmas?" Albus finds himself asking the other boy. Elliot looks up at him in surprise. It's usually Rose that prompts conversation, and Albus simply follows.

"Well..." Elliot shrugs. "Dad was away for most of it. He came back for New Year's Eve, though. What about you?"

"I stayed at Hogwarts," Albus says. He's scraping his thumb against the edge of his brooch. It's going to be an irritating habit he'll need to shake himself out of. "I...I had lots of work to get on with. Revision, quiet time."

Elliot is watching Albus' thumb over the brooch. He nods, but Albus can tell he isn't convinced.

"I kind of wish I'd done the same, actually," he mumbles before turning away to look back at his own copy of Magic and Muggle. He opens it to a random page and the illustration of a rather ugly toad stares back at him. It looks like Trevor The Third, the Longbottom family pet.

Not for the first time, Albus wonders what's going on with Elliot. How he must be holding up since Nora's death. It feels like a lifetime ago, all of that. Guiltily, he acknowledges he hasn't exactly ever asked Elliot any of this. How are you? Do you miss your sister alot? You must do.

Nora feels like a dream that felt important in the time that it happened but has only but faded into obscurity since then. His gut clenches with disgust and shame for thinking like this and quickly clamps down on any more subconscious confessions he may have about the whole thing.

"Hey Albus. Love the brooch, was it from uncle Harry?"

Rose has arrived and settled herself between Elliot and Albus, not noticing the nervous atmosphere between the two. Albus mumbles vaguely about buying the brooch from a shop at Hogsmeade but Rose has quickly sussed it out for herself.

"Oh. Oh." She nods. "I get it." And then, she winks. And Elliot sees.

Albus rolls his eyes.

"So..." Rose leans against him, whispering. "Did you two...?"

"No," he says crossly. "I had this delivered on Christmas day."

Her face falls. "Oh, Al. I know how much you - "

"He's safe," Albus snaps. "That's all that matters at the moment. Can we drop this now?"

Rose has only just shot him an angry scowl when Professor Green waltzes into the classroom, looking chipper and determined to somehow make Muggle Economy in the 17th Century sound appealing to her reluctant students. Everyone carries on talking as she rummages through her large bag for her class notes.