Must Have Done Something Right / Scorbus

Chapter 44 / What Would It Take to Change Your Mind?

"It doesn't look safe."
"It'll be fine."
"But it's so thin."
"It'll hold us up."
"What if it doesn't?"
"It will."
"What if we fall?"
"We won't."
"Are you s—?"
"Yes!"
Scorpius didn't look convinced. He stared at Albus' Nova, as if expecting it to suddenly lash out and bite him. If Albus wasn't so excited about the prospect of riding a broom with Scorpius, he'd probably given up on persuading him a while ago. As it was, however, Albus was determined to experience it. He grasped onto his broom and got ready to straddle it. Casting a glace back at Scorpius, he saw he was still standing a few feet away.
"You can come closer. It won't hurt you," he said with a teasing smile on his face.
Scorpius rolled his eyes noticeably and expelled a large breath. "The things you make me do..." he murmured, finally stepping forward. With a gleeful expression, Albus threw his leg over the broom and assumed the take-off position, waiting for his passenger. "You owe me big time, Potter."
"Why is it that I suddenly become 'Potter' when you're not pleased with me?"
Scorpius stood before him and placed his hands on his hips. "A first-name demonstrates amiability in a conversation. This, I'm afraid to say, is not that."
"My dad says he always called your dad 'Malfoy' when they were at school," Albus said contemplatively.
Scorpius smirked. "I'm not surprised. Our fathers weren't exactly friends. Kind of like the two of us before."
"Well, I for one am thrilled we decided to change that. And, as only a true friend would do, I must insist you get on this broom with me," Albus invited with a large grin on his face.
"Nice segue," Scorpius muttered dryly, still looking at the object with distrust. "How is this supposed to work exactly?"
"You should get on behind me," Albus advised, scooting forward on the broom. "That way you can put your feet in the stirrups and hold onto me."
Biting his lower lip, Scorpius stepped forward, placed his hands on each of Albus' shoulders, lifted his left leg and swung it over the other side of the broom so that he was standing behind him. For Albus, the moment he felt Scorpius' hands on his shoulders, his pulse shot up in excitement, even if they weren't in the air yet.
"I'm scared, Albus," Scorpius admitted.
Albus forced his enthusiasm to dull a little to try and placate his friend. He may not understand how anyone could be frightened of flying, but Scorpius clearly was, and Albus wanted to make this a good experience for him. The last thing he needed was for Scorpius to be completely scarred by it.
"It'll be totally fine. Don't worry about anything. Just ..." Here, Albus paused and took a breath to contain his excitement. "...Just put your arms around my waist." Scorpius did. "Step closer." He stepped, until Albus could feel his presence directly behind him. Albus waited a moment for Scorpius to settle down before asking, "Do you trust me?"
"Yes?" came the faint, hesitant answer.
It wasn't enough for Albus. "Scorp, I need to know you trust me."
"I do. I trust you," he answered with more confidence.
"Okay, we'll just lift off the ground a little and get seated properly. As soon as we do, put your feet in the stirrups. Okay?"
"Mmhmm," Scorpius answered. There was apprehension in his tone.
Albus willed his Nova up just a fraction and suddenly his feet were off the ground and they were hovering half a metre above the benches of the tower. Scorpius gasped and tightened his arms around Albus.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
Albus didn't try to push anything. He kept the broom where it was, hovering and unmoving, waiting for Scorpius to get used to the feel of not touching the ground. Slowly, the grip Scorpius' arms had around his waist began to loosen and Albus felt relieved. Not that he didn't want Scorpius' arms around him; it just meant he was getting used to it.
"We'll fly forward a bit now. Just to the edge of the tower," Albus foretold. When he heard Scorpius' feeble okay, he inched his Nova forward. It was possibly the slowest he'd ever flown before, but Albus was not above taking all precautions.
"Oh my goodness," Scorpius mumbled again his back, more in shock than fear. "I'm actually going to do this."
Albus smiled. "Yes you are," he said.
They reached the edge of the tower, and Albus stopped them until they remained hovering above the railing. The view from their elevated position was spectacular, and Albus was slightly puzzled as to why Scorpius wasn't commenting on it—either in awe or in fear. "Scorp," he said. "Your eyes are closed, aren't they?"
There was a long pause. "Maybe."
Albus laughed. "Open them. It's an amazing view."
"Albus, I'm 60 feet above ground level and sitting on a broom. Now is not the best time to admire the scenery," was Scorpius' answer.
If his eyes were going to remain closed, then Albus was going to inch further forward still. His Nova crawled onward until they had cleared the railing and were now well and truly in the air. The only thing beneath them was the snow covered pitch that was, as Scorpius had said, 60 feet below. Now he definitely knew Scorpius' eyes were closed. Had they been open, he'd probably be screaming.
"What's going on?" Scorpius asked anxiously.
Albus grinned. "Open your eyes and see."
There was a moment of silence. Then—
"Oh my god!" Scorpius shrieked. His arms tightened to breath-restricting measures and he pushed himself closer to Albus until his entire chest was aligned with Albus' back. "Albus!" He began breathing rapidly.
"Calm down," Albus soothed, knowing his friend could easily begin hyperventilating. "Calm down. We're fine. Look, I've stopped us. We're not moving."
"But there's nothing beneath us!"
Trying desperately hard not to laugh, Albus asked, "Would you like me to turn around and get you back to the tower?"
Scorpius didn't answer for a moment and Albus had resolved himself to a negative response until, miraculously, Scorpius dropped his head against Albus' upper spine and murmured, "No. Keep going."
Albus paused. "You sure?"
"I'll keep my eyes closed. Just fly."
Albus didn't give him a chance to second guess. This may well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience—he doubted Scorpius would ever let Albus coax him onto another broom again—and Albus wasn't going to let it escape him. He revelled in the feel on Scorpius against his back and his arms around his waist. Having him so close was an addicting feeling.
"Hold on tight," he warned, grinning when Scorpius' arm muscles tensed instantly.
Keeping in mind his passenger was a complete novice, Albus didn't fly with much speed at all, but kept his broom at a steady pace, heading in a straight direction. It wasn't exactly what Albus had been hoping for when he has proposed to idea to a very unwilling Scorpius—he had thought it would be an experience that would bring them closer—but as he continued his steady path through the air, only adding in an occasional turn to keep them within the parameters of the pitch, he could sense Scorpius begin to unwind, as if realising that flying on a broom wasn't as death-defying as he originally assumed.
"You okay back there?"
"Better," Scorpius replied as he finally lifted his head off the back of Albus' neck and straightened himself. "Thanks for not doing any of those dive thingies you like to do."
"Dive thingies?" Albus snorted. Trust Scorpius to call the most difficult and complex Quidditch maneuver a dive thingie. "As if I would. I'm just happy you got on the broom in the first place."
"I couldn't very well say no, could I? You wouldn't let me!"
"Come on, it's not that bad, is it?"
"I wouldn't know. I still haven't opened my eyes."
"Still? Scorp!" Albus protested,
alarmed. "Trust me; if you like winter,
you'll love this! The castle looks
brilliant, there's snow everywhere ...
Scorpius Malfoy, you have to open your eyes."
It took a minute, but when Scorpius finally did, Albus was glad he had brought him up here.