Must Have Done Something Right / Scorbus

Chapter 34 / Say What You Need To Say

Albus dropped his jaw, while shivers prickled his skin. He stared at Mr Ipsworth in shock. Did this man just say—?
"From time to time, we visit different Wizarding schools to observe any new rising talents for the game, and I was sent here, to Hogwarts. We were told there were some skilful young wizards and witches here, and you, Albus, were one of them." Mr Ipsworth smiled broadly, rubbing his hands together in delight and looking at Albus as if he had just found the answer to all his troubles. He then turned to Scorpius and patted him on the shoulder. "It was pure luck that I found myself sitting beside this young man, who couldn't stop singing your praises, Albus," he said.
Albus looked at Scorpius who was suddenly blushing madly. He couldn't believe it. Scorpius, who never enjoyed Quidditch in his life, who knew so little about the game, had just given him the best opportunity he would ever receive. "Scorp," he said, shaking his head in amazement, a smile tugging at his lips. He hated to see what Mel's reaction was, so he didn't turn her way. Even still, Albus swore he felt her bristling next to him.
"Of course, I didn't want to tell him who I was, lest his opinions about you became falsely exaggerated. That didn't stop him from trying to find out, though, did it," Mr Ipsworth chuckled. "Good head on his shoulder, this one. And one of your biggest fans, if I may say so, Mr Potter," he said.
Scorpius' cheeks had bloomed into a brilliant pink, and Albus was overcome with an urge to hug him. That would have to wait until later. "Mr Ipsworth ... sir ... I—"
"I saw your talent, Albus, and you were brilliant. Quidditch comes natural to you, yes?"
Albus nodded frantically. "It's my life, sir. I love it. I wish I were playing all the time." He tried to express in words how much he loved Quidditch, but his mind was going blank. There weren't enough words, or enough time to begin to convince anyone.
Mr Ipsworth seemed to notice his franticness and laughed. "Of course, of course. Imagine how much better you would be if you were playing all the time," the wizard said with a twinkle in his eye. Albus swallowed. Just what was he saying? "Albus, I am a Quidditch scout and I see young wizards like you all the time, desperate to play the game they love. But very rarely do I see young men who deserve to pursue such a career; those whose talents are really something to boast about. And you, Albus, are one of those young men. You've a clear head, steady grip, sharp mind, and so well focused on the task. To top it off, you're a natural leader; you know how to lead your team, not only to encourage them, but to discipline them when they need it," he said. "Its talent like yours that Puddlemere United wants."
The ability to breathe abandoned Albus. Happiness, unbridled and unprecedented happiness, ballooned inside him and Albus thought he wouldn't be able to contain his joy. This wasn't a dream; this was happening. Mr Ipsworth was here, offering him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play Quidditch professionally. Albus wanted to shout, run around, dance like a fool, and smile so that his grin would stretch across the ocean. He wanted to jump on his Nova and race around the pitch till his head spun, jump into the Great Lake, drink Butterbeer until it came out of his nose, because bloody hell, his dreams were coming true!
"Sir ... this is ... unbelievable ... I can't ..." Albus was panting, as if he had just run from his dormitory. "Thank you so much."
Mr Ipsworth seemed to be having a ball. "Don't thank me!" he said. "Thank your friend here!" He slapped Scorpius hard on the shoulder, who was actually pushed forward by the force. He righted himself immediately. "If it weren't for him, I doubt I would have received the same opinion of you I have now. What was it you said ..." He looked at Scorpius "Ah yes, extraordinary skills ... far outshining any other players ... more determined than anyone else ..." Mr Ipsworth chortled. "An excellent résumé!"
Albus stared in disbelief at Scorpius, who seemed to have developed a permanent rosy hue to his cheeks. Despite his constant blushing though, he was looking at Albus was pride and admiration on his eyes, clearly declaring that Scorpius knew Albus deserved this chance. Albus didn't have the right words to thank him.
To his surprise, Professor Slughorn spoke next. "Well, this is indeed a marvellous honour, Albus!" He turned to Mr Ipsworth. "But what of his schooling? He is only sixteen; not yet an adult. He has one more year left."
If the choice was between NEWTS exams and professional Quidditch ... well, it wasn't much of a choice. But, he supposed, it was a valid question. His parents would want to know, for sure.
Mr Ipsworth chuckled and went on to explain that Albus would be expected to finish his seventh year of school, while spending a few weekends and holidays until he graduated training with the reserve team at Puddlemere United so that the coaches and managers could make their final decision on whether or not they wanted Albus on their team. "This, of course, would only be after we have your consent," he explained, to which Albus nodded so enthusiastically, he thought his neck would snap. If all went well—that is, if the managers liked what they saw—then Albus would begin training with Puddlemere's First Squad in the position of their reserve Seeker. "But you must have completed your NEWTS, young Albus," he said with a chuckle when Albus' smile deflated a fraction. "Now I imagine you would like to speak with your parents about this, eh? There's no rush. You should discuss it with them in your own timing, and let us know by the start of next year. What say you?"
Albus could just imagine the expression on his father's face when he sprung the news on them. James' too! He'd probably have kittens! Albus would treasure the moment with glee. "I say yes. A hundred times, yes."
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After Albus had agreed, Mr Ipsworth had written a letter to Albus' parents explaining everything he had just told Albus, signing off at the bottom with his miniscule scratchy signature, right next to the impressive navy blue emblem of Puddlemere United. He had bid Albus goodbye and left not long after. Clutching the letter in a tight grip, Albus and his entourage had trudged up to the castle, where the victory party was already in full swing.
The Common Room was overcrowded—full of students, not Professors, Albus noted happily as he accepted a large cup of Butterbeer from a wimpy looking third-year who was gazing at him as if he was Merlin incarnate. He chugged the drink down and upon emptying the cup, he recognised the heightened presence of alcohol in the liquid as it burned down his throat. He silently thanked whoever it was that had the presence of mind to bring alcohol to the party. He grabbed a second, and then third, cup and downed them in quick succession, determined to have as much fun as possible.
He was surrounded by Slytherins eagerly asking him questions.
"Albus, how did it feel?"
"Brilliant," he answered.
"You were awesome, Albus!"
"I know," he replied.
"When you were in the Wronski ... I thought you were going to die ... but then, boom! You had the Snitch!"
"I was there, Appleby, I know." Smugness was radiating off him like odorous fumes, but Albus was basking in it. Nothing could stop him today.
"You know, if you were any more modest, you'd become a doormat," Scorpius said with a small frown.
But Albus could read his friend, and he knew Scorpius was faking his foul mood. He grinned at Scorpius. "But a very handsome doormat," he said. "And one that can catch the Snitch with its eyes closed."
The tips of Scorpius' mouth curled up into one of his typical smirks. "You are incorrigible," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Albus placed a hand on Scorpius' shoulder to steady himself a bit. "Scorp, I'm tipsy, it's late, I've just caught the Snitch, and been offered to play professionally. Now is not the time to be using ten-syllable words like incom ... incourage ... incred ..." Albus shook his hand vaguely. "You know what I mean."
Scorpius snorted. "Incorrigable," he repeated.
"There you go again! Someone get him a drink! He's too sober\" he called, cupping a hand around his mouth for theatrics.
Scorpius laughed, slapping Albus' hand down. "Shhh! I don't want one. I want to keep perfectly sensible." He held up the cup of plain old Butterbeer in his hand as proof.
"Like you were when you were calling my name in the middle of the game?" he asked, winking at Scorpius. "Go Albus!" he mimicked. "I loved it! You should scream my name more often!"
Scorpius spat out the Butterbeer he had just sipped, and coughed violently, going instantly red in the face.
Albus jumped in alarm and patted him on the back. "You alright, Scorp?"
"Y-yeah ... m'fine. Sorry about that," he said quickly, not quite making eye contact with him. He then quickly moved away in search of a napkin.
Albus shrugged, watching him go; he had probably swallowed too much of the stuff in one go.
"Albus!" a female voice yelled. "Albus!"
He swivelled and saw his sister pushing through the crowd to get to him, waving at him frantically. Her free hand was holding onto Mel, who was behind her. After the meeting with Mr Ipsworth, Mel had bid him farewell and headed to the Gryffindor Tower, claiming she needed to freshen up. She had promised to join in on the party later on. And now here she was.
She flashed a smile at Albus, but he could tell it didn't quite reach her eyes. He also noted, with satisfaction, that any Gryffindor paraphernalia that she and Lily had worn for the game was removed. Mel still had her green ribbon, while Lily had a tiny silver and green pompom on the band of her ponytail.
"My Gryffindor girls!" he greeted loudly and flamboyantly—courtesy of the alcohol that was pleasantly sizzling his veins. He reached to put arm around either of them. "My condolences to your House. They played valiantly," he acknowledged. Then he grinned maliciously. "But it wasn't enough to stop them from sucking."
Lily laughed, obviously not phased to belong to the losing team, and leaned up to give Albus a kiss on his cheek. "You were brilliant, Albie. I'm proud of you."
Albus dropped his macho act to smile warmly at Lily. On his other side, Mel smiled at him with the same almost-there-but-not-quite smile. He frowned at her. "Are you okay, Mel?" he asked, conscious of the fact their relationship was still unsteady at best.
She exhaled. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You should enjoy your party. Lily's right, you were pretty amazing."
Albus smiled and reached down to peck her on the lips. "Thanks, Mel.\" Then he straightened. "You two need to get some drinks. Honestly, this Butterbeer-slash-alcohol concoction is wicked."
Someone on the other side of the room called out, "Albus! Come tell us again how you caught the Snitch!"
Albus grinned wildly. "Duty calls, ladies," he said, whisking away to a group of fifth-year boys, including his Beaters, who were waiting for him to re-enact the glorious moment.
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It took Scorpius far longer than it should have to find napkins, having to weave through the dozens of bodies packed in the Common Room like sardines. It didn't help, also, that he had almost bumped into Matt and Paul Rockwell, who were standing in a corner with a few other boys Scorpius didn't know. They were enjoying some of the alcoholic drink Albus was fond of, and thankfully, that was enough to divert their attention off ruining the night.
He reached down to pick up a napkin to wipe his mouth after having spit out his drink. He shook his head in amusement. Honestly, half the time Albus probably paid no attention to the things he said, oblivious to the suggestive undercurrent of his words. Scream his name, Scorpius mused. Undeniable images popped up in Scorpius' head and he fought to keep his head secure. Now wasn't the time.
He turned around to find Albus again when he bumped into the last person he ever wanted to see on the face of the earth.
Melissa.
They stared at each other, at a loss for what to say. They hadn't really seen each other—let alone spoken—since she had stolen his diary during their study session, and the animosity between them was simmering, even more so now because Albus was still very much in both their lives. The painful reminder that she was still Albus' girlfriend tugged at his heart. After the Halloween Party, there had been a moment when Scorpius had thought Albus would break up with Mel. He had underestimated his friend's feelings for her. Obviously, he still loved her enough to be with her despite what a bitch she had been to Scorpius.
She was staring at him now with an inexpressive face, but Scorpius was positive she was itching to strangle him.
Mel spoke first, and her question was obviously a very calculated and deliberate one. "How's Eamon?"
Scorpius grounded his teeth together. Typical of Mel to bring up the one thing Albus hated about Scorpius' life. "He's fine," he answered, not giving anything away.
"Shame he couldn't be here," she said in a voice that would be otherwise quite pleasant, betraying nothing of her ill will towards him. "But I suppose he wouldn't want to witness the way his boyfriend is draping himself all over another boy like a slut."
Scorpius clenched his fist, and remained quiet. Don't do anything stupid, he chanted to himself silently.
Mel gave him a pitied look; false, though, it was. "He does know about your feelings for Albus, doesn't he? I can't imagine he's happy about it."
The worst thing about this conversation was that Scorpius couldn't deny anything she was saying—except for the slut comment, of course. He hadn't seen Eamon since before the game, and if Eamon had seen the whole Snitch incident, he didn't want to have to face him. Eamon knew that Scorpius still had feelings for Albus, but the Ravenclaw was hoping that slowly they were leaving him as he and Scorpius grew closer. But the truth was, despite Eamon's persistence, his offers for dates and his stolen kisses here and there, Scorpius' feelings for Albus had not dimmed. Every time he so much as looked at Eamon now, guilt would overwhelm him, because all he could think about was how much he wanted it to be Albus. He had tried, dear Merlin, he had tried so hard to forget Albus. It was impossible.
"No one's happy about it, Malfoy," Mel finally continued when Scorpius said nothing. "Albus doesn't like you, I hate you, and your stupid Ravenclaw boyfriend despises that you continue to chase after your petty crush. So just get over it!"
Scorpius froze. Crush? Crush? Didn't she understand that Scorpius was in love with Albus? Didn't she understand that his world would collapse without him? Doesn't anyone know Scorpius' heart stopped every time Albus looked at him, smiled at him, laughed with him? He loved Albus so much that sometimes all he wanted to do was shout it from the top of the Astronomy Tower. He was willing to do anything for him, go any distance, and wait any length of time for Albus. And Mel had the audacity to stand in from of him and liken his feelings to a childish emotion as if he didn't matter, and then tell him to just get over it.
Because that had proven to be so simple.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius said with menace and dislike.
"Why don't you just forget about Albus?" Mel hissed at him. "It's stupid that you love him; it's no use. He will never love you back."
Scorpius' heart shattered as it always did whenever he was reminded of this.
Mel shook her head at him. "And you can't even say anything to me right now because you know it's true."
Scorpius was desperate. He found himself saying things he knew he shouldn't. "What about the Snitch he gave me today? What about every single moment he's left you for me? What about every time he's stood up for me and gotten angry at you? Huh?" He knew he should shut up, but he couldn't stop. It was like a dam had erupted and the force of the water was too strong to hold back. "What about every heart-stopping moment when he's stared at me in the face and I can see how much I mean to him? Or every time he comforts me when people hurt me? Let's me cry on his shoulder? Shares jokes with me? Gone to Hogsmeade with me? Those aren't nothing, Melissa! I know he cares for me! And if they don't mean a thing, then why are you so jealous of me? Why do you feel threatened by me?"
He stopped as abruptly as he had started. He had said too much.
Mel was staring at him in shock; obviously not expecting Scorpius to explode the way he had.
Nothing was said for a minute; they stood opposite each other, both still reeling from Scorpius' outburst. After a while, he couldn't take it anymore.
"I have to go," he said, turning away quickly and racing up the steps to his room, leaving the party and the noise behind.
The things he had shouted at Mel were half to convince himself of them as well as her. It was the first time he had ever voiced those words and questions, and it left him with a lot to think about.
The only think he knew for sure was that Albus was an expert at sending mixed signals.

Next Chapter: Here's an excerpt...
"How did you ever become my friend, Scorpius Malfoy? After everything I've done ... How did you ever love me?" He breathed out, as if in disbelief and wonder. Then he shrugged his shoulders a fraction, and with a small smile, said, "I ... I must have done something right."