Must Have Done Something Right / Scorbus

Chapter 41 / Never Let You Go

Albus held the door open for Scorpius, and was terribly glad he did when Scorpius smiled shyly as he walked past. He followed him into Modern Wizardwear and took in the dozens of racks and benches all covered with items of clothing. Albus swallowed. He was in way over his head. Still, one look at the happy look on Scorpius' face was enough to make Albus man-up and indulge him.
As they meandered around the islands of clothing racks, Scorpius asked, "Who did you want to buy presents for?"
If Albus was honest, buying gifts was not the reason he had asked to accompany Scorpius; it was just a way to get him to agree to spend time with him. But now that they were here, in a territory Albus would never dream of entering himself, he answered, "Er ... probably Lily. She likes stuff like this." He looked unsurely about and gestured vaguely at a stand that displayed casual tops.
To Albus' surprise, Scorpius giggled. "They're called clothes, Albus."
That Scorpius would make a joke and laugh was possibly the best thing that could have happened. The sound of his mirth instantly improved Albus' mood and esteem ten-fold, and he basked in the fact that Scorpius was having fun.
Fun. Such a foreign concept for them lately.
Albus grinned and decided to carry the joke further. "Really?" he feigned. "Clothes? Huh, I never knew!"
Scorpius smiled amusedly. "Judging by the state of your wardrobe, I find that very easy to believe."
Laughing, Albus couldn't believe the shift in Scorpius' demeanour. He had no idea where it was coming from, but Albus wasn't about to complain. It was fantastic. Ten minutes in Scorpius' company immediately eclipsed every foul mood that had darkened his existence over the past month. Merlin, how he had missed this all.
"There's nothing wrong with my wardrobe," he rebutted playfully.
Scorpius smirked and very deliberately looked at the home-made jumper his Grandma Molly had knitted for him. "Au contraire, Albus, look at what you're wearing right now."
"Hey!" Albus laughed. "It's a family thing."
"Well if you don't want Lily looking like that, then you'd better find her something decent," Scorpius said with a grin.
"That's why you're here!" Albus declared. Then, catching Scorpius' eye, he sobered up a little and said, "I'd kind of be lost without you."
A pregnant moment passed, full of anticipation, in which those last words echoed between them. Albus fought to maintain eye-contact, staring into the silver-flecked gray eyes of the boy he wanted back in his life.
He saw Scorpius bite his lip again in that maddening way of his. "Um ..." Scorp said after a while, sounding like he was slightly short of breath. He turned to reach a display of colourful scarves. "Sh—she'd like these..."
Albus quirked the sides of his mouth up and took a step closer. "Which one?" he asked, looking deeply into Scorpius' eyes.
The blond swallowed under the gaze, before quickly looking away and, fingers twitching, he rummaged through the rack. "Um ... maybe ..." he licked his lips. Albus stepped closer, unable to help the magnetic pull that drew him to Scorpius. He was like his drug. "Maybe ... um ... what's her ..." he swivelled to look at Albus, but upon seeing him much closer, spun back to the scarves, eyes wide. "What's her favourite colour?" he blurted.
"Purple," Albus answered, smiling affectionately as he looked down at Scorpius.
"Purple." Scorpius nodded. He quickly grasped onto one. "This one?" he asked hurriedly, shoving the woollen material in Albus' face before taking a step back, creating a distance between them.
"Perfect," Albus said.
He wasn't looking at the scarf.
Albus could have sworn he heard Scorpius make an indiscriminate sound in the back of his throat, almost like a whimper. His eyes were wide, framed by thin black lines of his make-up. His entire face was flushed, the tip of his nose was pink, and strands of his light blond hair fell across his forehead, wind-blown from the chill outside. Albus remembered looking at Scorpius at the night of the Halloween Party and thinking he looked incredible. He had been correct then, of course, but what he hadn't realised was that Scorpius had always looked amazing, even in normal attire on a cold, windy day. The fact had bypassed him before because too many things had stood in the way. But with his eyes fastened on Scorpius right now, Albus succumbed to thoughts that no fully straight boy would ever think: Scorpius was gorgeous. He always had been, and he was right now. Albus' definition of what was attractive immediately shifted its standard to Scorpius. Everything else fell short.
"You—" He coughed to get rid of the sudden dryness in his mouth. "You should tell me what you want for Christmas." He smiled crookedly. "I wouldn't know how to navigate around a place like this."
Scorpius licked his lips again and it sent Albus' blood boiling. "You don't need to get me anything."
Albus dared to take a step closer. "Why not?"
"You don't owe me anything," he said softly.
He meant, of course, that they were no longer friends. But Albus was determined to change that. "Oh, I owe you a lot actually. First, I owe you a million apologies for how I acted after I kissed you." With Lily's advice in his head, he continued, "Second, I owe you an apology for my cowardice and for not pursuing you when I should have. Third, I owe you lost time for all those months you spent loving me, and I did nothing. Fourth, I owe you another promise, because I was a bastard when I broke the first one. I promised you that I would always stick by you and be your friend, and I ruined it." A deep wave of regret washed through him. "But, if any part of you is still willing to listen to me and believe me, then I want to reinstate that promise. I know it's only words, but give me a second chance and I'll prove it to you." He swallowed.
Albus hadn't anticipated the conversation would turn in this direction. But once he started talking, he couldn't stop, even if they were in the middle of a public clothing store. But at least he had the chance to say what was on his mind. At least Scorpius knew where he stood. Lily had told him to go to any lengths to make sure Eamon, Matt and Mel didn't win. If this wasn't 'any length', he didn't know what was.
He held his breath and watched Scorpius chew on his lip, while waiting for his life or death answer.
When it came, it was better than anything Albus could have hoped for.
"I forgive you."
Albus' heart jumped up into his throat. "You—you do?"
Scorpius nodded. "I wasn't ready to ... and I told myself I wouldn't ... but ..." he paused and offered a tentative smile, "... you have a way with words, Albus Potter."
"Only when I'm fighting for something I'm desperate to get ... or get back, in this case." He sighed deeply and laughed. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say you forgive me."
Turning the plum-coloured scarf over in his hands, Scorpius said, "Just ..." he began. "I just want to make sure you're absolutely clear that saying Mel's name after ... after what happened ... made you an idiot. You know this, yes?"
Albus answered with full confidence. "Completely. I was a bastard for saying it, and I regret it entirely. Mel is ... we're done. She's not a part of my life now. You are."
Pink returned to Scorpius' cheeks and Albus grinned knowing he put it there. He could get used to making Scorpius blush.
"Good," Scorpius said in that endearing firm voice of his. The one he used when he was trying to act serious, but in his head he was thinking about other things. "I'm glad."
Albus grinned at Scorpius with warmth and fondness. "Now, at the risk of ruining the moment, you didn't answer my question. What do you want this Christmas?"
"Nothing, really. Don't get me anything. I've got enough as it is," Scorpius said adamantly. "We need to focus on you. You're a walking fashion atrocity, and if you want to be friends with me, you need to stop dressing like a House Elf."