Working Through the Rest

Phases

We don't tell anyone immediately, mainly at my request. I still haven't spoken to dad and I doubt he'd be thrilled to know I'm in a relationship. So we keep it under wraps. Holding hands under the table, cheek kisses when we know we're alone. He doesn't kiss me on the lips again and I don't mind. I know that he's still working himself out, and I respect that.

I start to talk to him. Properly. And it does help. Talking about the mess inside my head when I need to get it out, it does help. Scorpius listens, talks me through it, and I do my best to do the same for him.

I'm walking down to the dungeon one afternoon, having left the library with a small mountain of books. Scorpius asked for some of them – he's too busy to find time to get them – and I happily obliged. I'd much rather he slept at night than spent his time searching for books after curfew.

Given the amount of sugar he consumes, I sometimes wonder how he has this much energy. He must always be on the verge of a sugar crash. Merlin knows if I even start eating as much sugar as he does, I pass out halfway through potions. But he doesn't and I've all but stopped questioning it.
"Albus," my brother seizes the back of my hood and yanks me into an alcove.

I stumble, swearing violently as the books tumble out onto the floor. I stoop to pick them up, scowling when I stand up and restacking the books in my arms.
"What?" I snap. "Was that completely necessary? I have stuff to do."
"How are you?" James asks softly.

I'm about to snap back but I stop myself. James doesn't talk to me unless he's worried about me. I shouldn't snap.
"I'm okay," I nod. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?"
"Decent," he shrugs. "Listen, Al, I wanted to talk to you about you and Scorpius."
"What about us?" I slow down.
"Someone saw you kissing," James murmurs. "When you kissed in the dormitory, somebody saw you."

It takes a moment for the full gravity of his words to hit, and then I freeze. I don't care if the school knows. It won't make anything worse at school. But him, him knowing is something I'm not okay with. I look back at him, my heart starting to race.
"If you told dad – I swear to Merlin–"
"I'm not stupid," James interrupts calmly. "I know when not to tell him something."
"Does he know?"
"If you haven't heard from him," James murmurs, "then he probably doesn't know. He wouldn't exactly keep quiet on this."
"No," I shake my head. "I guess he wouldn't. Thank you."
"I told you," James grins. "I'm not stupid."
"Debatable."

James grins again and attempts to pull me into a hug. I stop him, gesturing with my chin to the piles of books that I'm carrying.
"Of course," James nods. "Wouldn't want to incur the wrath of Madam Pince."
"What would Scorpius and I do if we couldn't get in there?" I shake my head, biting my lip.

James and I look each other in the eye, and then we break, laughing at each other. James grins at me and I smile back. And I mean it. It's a smile that I intend, one that is usually reserved for Scorpius alone.
"Thank you," I say quietly. "Thank you for telling me. And not telling him."
"Anything for my little brother," James says. "There are a few rumours going around. Do you mind me asking what you guys – are – like, boyfriends? Or...I'm sorry, I phrased that really badly. I just want to, you know, clear up the rumours."
"It's fine," I smile. "Yeah. It's fine. He's my boyfriend. I'm his queerplatonic partner. And if they don't know what that is, please tell them to find a book on sexuality."
"I shall do," James says. "See you around, little brother?"
"Of course."

I continue walking, smiling to myself as I readjust my hold on the books. Not far from the dormitory, and then I can collapse into Scorpius' arms.