Must Have Done Something Right / Scorbus

Chapter 27 / The Worst Thing Matt Has Ever Done

It was difficult to keep an eye on Albus when Eamon's significantly larger figure was right in front of him, but Scorpius was trying his hardest. He spotted Albus by the wall where the Gryffindor table would usually be, surrounded by Mel and a group of her friends. Even from this distance, Scorpius could easily notice the discomfort in Albus' frame, the fake smile he was flashing and the desperate desire to escape. Yet he remained with the sixth-year Gryffindors, but Scorpius knew it was only because it's what he should do, being Mel's date and all.
"This is one of my favourite songs," Eamon opined somewhat nervously as the pair turned around in one corner of the dance-floor. They had been hesitant at first to start dancing, what with the hundreds of pairs of eyes ready to judge them in an instant, but Eamon had said he'd be damned if he was going to spend the rest of his life hiding. Slightly against his will, Scorpius was pulled onto the floor, expected to sway along with his partner. He would have been perfectly content with spending the whole night drinking punch and gossiping about other peoples' outfits, but he figured he should support Eamon in his first outward attempt at coming out publicly. "I'm glad I get to dance to it with my boyfriend."
Boy-what? Scorpius' stomach did a little somersault. What did he just say? His mission to catch glimpses of Albus—who was still with the Gryffindors—ceased abruptly, overshadowed by his need to come to terms with Eamon's sudden declaration. When did they become boyfriends? Sure, he had agreed to go to the Halloween Party with Eamon as his date—only because Albus had his tongue down Mel's throat at the time, Scorpius reminded himself—but did that automatically qualify him as his boyfriend? They never discussed it—or was it implied?
Eamon began sending him curious looks and Scorpius realised his face had been stock-still for the past minute.
"Are you alright?" his partner asked, searching Scorpius' face with his dazzling dark blue eyes.
Scorpius blinked. "Completely," he answered falsely, allowing a weak smile to manipulate his frozen face muscles.
"People are staring," Eamon observed agitatedly. Scorpius saw his eyes dart around the room.
"I'm not surprised. This is probably the first remotely queer thing many of them have ever seen." Maybe all of these people now assumed that they were boyfriends, because they were dancing together. Scorpius tossed the idea of 'boyfriend' in his mind, and decided that it wasn't a bad label—not when Eamon Hudson happened to be a ridiculously attractive male who, it seemed, like kissing him. But something didn't quite fit, and Scorpius didn't need to be an Auror to discover that it had something to do with being in love with Albus.
His eyes went in search for Albus once more at the far end of the Hall but found that he and Mel had left the party of Gryffindors. A swivel of his head and a surge of irrational jealousy located them at the edge of the dance-floor; having just joined the dozen or so other couples who had opted to sway along to the music. Scorpius noticed that Albus kept them as far away from Eamon and himself as possible, but the distance didn't stop Scorpius noticing Albus' hands that were wrapped around Mel. Jealousy sparked within him. How he wished he could be dancing with Albus! How he desired to be held by him! He closed his eyes and almost imagined Eamon, who had his own arms around his waist, to be Albus. He smiled in bliss.
"I'm glad to see you're having such a good time." Eamon's voice shattered the illusion and brought Scorpius back to reality, feeling extraordinarily guilty that Eamon mistook his smile as something that he did to cause it. Scorpius didn't bother to correct him.
"I am," he said. "Are you?"
Eamon's gaze drilled into Scorpius' face, and in all seriousness, he spoke, "Dancing with you, yes." Scorpius swore that Eamon had lowered his voice an octave or two when he said it, and the shiver that sped down his spine was undeniable.
He looked away to avoid Eamon's gaze, who obviously expected a response to his rather intimate comment, but Scorpius had none. Eamon's straightforwardness always caused Scorpius' tongue to tie up in knots. As usual, he immediately sought Albus. Inwardly, he scowled. Albus and Mel had leant in closer to each other, so that Mel's arms were circling his neck like a flesh-coloured noose, and Albus' hands met each other on the small of her back, causing the silk of her red dress to bunch up slightly. With a huff of frustration he admitted that Mel looked not quite as terrible as he had hoped she would in her scarlet do. Obviously, Albus like it. However, Albus had also told him that he thought Scorpius looked beautiful. Beautiful. Scorpius wore the description with pride and satisfaction. The moment it had left Albus' lips, he swore he had been happier than ever before, and even a little aroused, Scorpius confessed to himself. He had felt a small stirring between his legs—nothing major, but definitely present.
It made him wonder, though, why Albus would deem to label him as beautiful. Albus, who was straight. Like the light of a Lumos spell performed by a child unaccustomed to magic yet, a small hope had swelled within him. Maybe ... just maybe ... Albus wasn't quite as straight as everyone thought?
Then why the bloody hell was he dancing with Mel like he wanted to have sex with her?
"What are you thinking about?"
Scorpius briefly considered the ramifications if he were to answer the question truthfully, and snorted inwardly. Instead, he groped around his mind to come up with a perfectly reasonable, yet false, answer.
"I was just marvelling that Matthew Morion has yet to make a comment about the two of us," Scorpius made up, although in reality, it was a valid observation. He didn't understand why his perpetual bully didn't rise up to the occasion to mercilessly taunt Scorpius right now, being found in another boy's arms. Perhaps it was because there were about half a dozen Professors roaming about the Hall. Still, it never stopped his before. He rotated his head and located Matt standing at the edge of the dance-floor, looking uncharacteristically happy. Scorpius was instantly concerned.
"The Slytherin Keeper?"
Scorpius nodded. "I wonder why..." he said vaguely.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Eamon asked. "Maybe he's getting over the fact that you're gay and with someone."
Scorpius chose to ignore the mention of his being with Eamon. "No." He shook his head. "It's not something he would simply get over. He's hated me since our first year, and now even more so because of Albus."
Eamon shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Albus, but said nothing about it. "Just forget it. I'm ignoring the looks I'm getting from my friends, and you should too."
"Matthew is not my friend."
"You know what I mean. Just ignore everyone, including your friends, and focus on us," Eamon said, lowering his head, staring deep into Scorpius' eyes.
It was an effort to stop Scorpius from thinking about Albus, he knew it. That's not going to happen, Scorpius mused. The day he stopped thinking about Albus was the day he received a A on a Potions project.
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Albus' blood was simmering, as it had been the whole night, since he saw Eamon standing at the entrance to the Common Room. As he and Mel twirled to the music, he couldn't help but subtly watch Eamon and Scorpius dancing with each other, standing far too close for Albus to be comfortable with. The stupid Ravenclaw was toying with his friend, he just knew it, and Albus would be hexed if he let Eamon hurt Scorpius in any way.
He saw Eamon lean down closer to Scorpius, and Albus swivelled his head to the left in anger. If they were going to kiss, Albus was determined to look away. On his other side, he saw Matt standing a few metres away looking directly at him, motioning something with his eyes. Then, Matt suddenly looked away as if he was caught doing something.
In confusion, it took Albus a few seconds to realise that Matt hadn't been looking at him; he had been looking at Mel. And when Albus had turned his head, Matt had looked away quickly to avoid being seen communicating with her.
Albus tilted his head downward and saw that his girlfriend's eyes were trained on Matt. He frowned.
"You okay?" he asked.
She turned to him and smiled indulgently. "Perfect," she leered.
A moment later, the music died down. Everyone looked up expectantly to see Matt standing on a platform, calling for attention.
Albus had a bad feeling about this.
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Scorpius had a bad feeling about this. He, along with every other student, looked towards the stage and saw Matt, with his voice Sonorused.
"Students of Hogwarts!" the Keeper called out. "I have something I would like to share with you!"
The overarching din of noise receded rapidly.
"Mr Morion!" Professor McGonagall spoke from the side. "Get down off the stage please."
"This will only take a moment, Professor," he replied with a winning smile. "I promise you, I'll be off in a second." He looked the picture of innocence, but something in Scorpius said that something terrible was about to happen.
The Headmistress didn't look pleased and pursed her lips, but otherwise didn't force him off the stage.
Matt took this as permission to continue. He cleared his throat unnecessarily loudly and dramatically. Then, grinning expansively at his audience, he began, "I was reading a book the other day. Now, this alone might startle some of you—" a ripple of confused and anxious laughter echoed throughout the students, —"but I must say, I was fascinated by this book. Particularly the last chapter. In fact, I thought it was so brilliant, I simply hadto share with as many people as possible. And what better place to do it than here, at the Annual Hogwarts Halloween Party?" Matt swept a wide look over everyone, and Scorpius could have sworn Matt had deliberately paused on him. He felt his heart beat triple in speed and his palms become sweaty. What was going on? He spared a glance at Albus and saw him looking at Matt with a confused, calculative look, as if he was trying to predict what his Keeper was up to. Whatever it was, a sense of foreboding filled Scorpius and he suddenly wanted to leave the Hall. Something forced him to stay.
Matt continued. "I have in my hand a copied version of the last bit of the book. It's only short, so bear with me. I'm sure you will all enjoy this as much as I did." He cleared his throat again. "Oh," he said. "Before I begin, I would like to pay my tribute to the author, who is actually right here with us. Ladies and Gentlemen, Scorpius Malfoy."
At once, Scorpius felt the perplexed gazes of everyone trained on him, as if the answer to Matt's evasiveness was scribed on his forehead, but he sent his own confused look to Matt. What was he talking about? I haven't written a book. But Scorpius knew better than to take a literal understanding of what Matt was saying. With fear and apprehension, he awaited Matt's next words.
"'Dear Diary'", he began, and immediately Scorpius knew what was happening; what Matt was about to do. He felt his heart seize in paralysing terror, his systems shut down and the all-encompassing heart-clenching knowledge that Matthew Morion held in his hand Scorpius' most dear secret.
Before any more was said, he wanted to flee, but his legs wouldn't move. He wanted to scream, but his lungs wouldn't work. He wanted to reach for his wand, but his fingers wouldn't twitch.
And Matt read on.
"'Once again, I find myself in a complete mess, and once again, it has everything to do with a certain Mr Potter'." Matt paused and looked down at Albus, whose eyebrows were scrunched in utter bewilderment. Albus looked at Scorpius, and so did Matt. He grinned maliciously, and Scorpius knew it was all over. Matt had won. Scorpius was one sentence away from having his friendship ended with the boy of his dreams, because once Albus found out, Scorpius was terrified to know what his response would be. He felt tears begin to develop in his eyes. If there was one thing that would break his heart, that was it.
Too paralysed to move, Scorpius awaited the final horrifying blow.
"'Without knowing it, he has completely overtaken my thoughts and my heart and sometimes I just want to scream and let him know the truth that I'm in love with him'."
Time stopped.
Every other noise went mute.
All he could hear was his own pulsating heart—faster than it had ever been.
He wished it wasn't beating at all.
Scorpius scrunched his eyes closed, unable to look at anyone, especially Albus. He screamed at his legs to move, but they stubbornly were frozen to the ground. He felt utterly paralysed. Every part of him wanted to escape the horror of what Matt was doing to him, because this, surely, was the absolute worst thing Matt had ever done. Scorpius would take one hundred beatings over this. He would rather be left bloody and bruised on his own; rather be called every name under the sun, than be put through the humiliating shame of having his secret revealed. His sense of hearing returned suddenly with a thunderous onslaught of scornful laughter and derisive noises of contempt. But all he cared about was what Albus must think of him.
And still, Matt's torture continued.
"'I know I would do anything for a chance to even hold his hand and stand beside him. I can imagine what it would be like to dance with him; to have him hold me; to wrap my arms around his neck'."
Louder laughter.
Paralysing pain.
The feeling of utter anguish filled him with a desolating hollowness.
Scorpius wanted to kill himself.
"That's enough, Mr Morion," Professor McGonagall said sternly.
"I'm almost done, Professor," Matt whined, sick amusement in his voice.
"Now, Mr Morion. Get off the stage. Detention every night for a month."
Matt got off the stage, but the damage had been done and was incurable. And all he received was a month's worth of detention for ruining Scorpius' life.
The Hall was in uproar. Everyone was laughing at him, pointing at him, calling him names, saying the most horrible things. It was like everyone had been waiting for the dam to break. Now that it had, they had no mercy.
"Hey queer, do you wish you could suck Potter's cock?"
"Does Potter suck yours?"
"Do you even have a dick, you faggot?"
"How many times have you jerked off to him?"
"I'll make you feel better. Suck me off!"
He finally opened his eyes but his vision was tainted by the waterfall of tears falling from his eyes. He dimly registered the horde of laughing students surrounding him like a claustrophobic torture chamber. He wanted to escape. Like a mantra, all their sick, perverted questions chased each other in his mind, making him feel less than human. He turned to the exit and made to move, but a gentle voice next to him made him halt.
"Scorpius?"
Oh god.
He had completely forgotten about Eamon.
But he couldn't deal with that now. Without saying a word, Scorpius ran out, pushing his way through the throng.
He could only imagine what Albus must be thinking.