Must Have Done Something Right / Scorbus

Chapter 51 / The Last Thing the Potters Expected

Harry rushed into the bedroom he shared with his wife, closed the door behind him, stood against it and whispered frantically, "Gin!"
Ginny didn't look up from the book she was currently engrossed in, but merely replied with, "Hmmm?"
"Ginny!" he tried again.
"Hang on a sec," she murmured, leaning closer to the book and peering at the page as if the meaning of life was inscribed on it.
Harry decided he didn't have the patience to deal with his wife's nonchalance, and he quickly rushed to her side, knelt by the bed and plucked the book from her hands.
"Harry!" she yelped unhappily, her hands grasping after the book.
"No, wait, this you have to hear," he insisted, sending her a pleading look with his eyes and placing the book on the ground beside him. Then, he announced, "I just came from Albus' room." He waited for a response from Ginny while silently imploring, What do you think about that?
The only thing she had to say was, "And?"
Harry shot her an exasperated look. "And?" he echoed. "They were together. In his room. On his bed!"
"Were they doing anything?"
Harry hesitated for a moment. "Er ... talking, I believe."
Sighing loudly, Ginny said, "Harry, Mr Darcy was about to tell Elizabeth how much he loves her and you come in here like Fluffy's chasing you to announce that you saw our son talking to his friend in his room?"
"You know as well as I do that something fishy is going on," Harry countered, trying to play on her sensibilities to get her to see things his way.
"Harry," she said in her reasoning tone that immediately informed him that he wouldn't like what she was about say. She took his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. "Nothing is going on, okay? They're fine."
Harry sighed, long and loud, and then stared at his wife with what he considered to be his 'professional' face. "Alright, Ginny, I didn't want to say this, but it looks like I'll have to if I'm going to get you to believe me," he announced seriously. With his wife's curiosity alerted, he said, "I have a very firm suspicion that Scorpius is—" He stopped. Unknowingly, the word was harder to say then he thought.
"Is what?" Ginny prodded.
Harry tried to nudge her, as if that would be enough. When she still didn't reply, he quickly wracked his brain to find a polite way to say it. "Is—er—not as ... heterosexually inclined as we had imagined ..." Trailing off, Harry didn't need his wife to tell him how pathetically delivered his statement was.
Ginny instantly twisted her mouth in amusement and Harry knew she was trying to hold in a laugh. "I'm sorry. 'Not as heterosexually inclined as we had imagined'?" she repeated. "Honey, of course he isn't. You didn't know that?"
"What?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"I knew from the moment I saw him," she remarked.
Harry paused for a few moments, letting her words fully sink in. "Oh."
A small chuckle escaped Ginny as she playfully hit him on his left arm. "You are an idiot," she said warmly. "But a very handsome one, so I suppose I'll keep you."
"That's nice," he said grudgingly. Then, wanting to confirm, he said, "So it is true."
She nodded. "And frankly, I'm very proud of Albus for becoming his friend. It can't be easy for them at school."
Harry turned to her with a fraction of the same urgency he had before. "That's what I'm talking about, Gin. Albus is ... he's changed. He's different. And I think it's because of Scorpius ..." he said in a quieter voice.
Eyebrows dipping in confusion, Ginny said, "Well, I can see that he's different, but I don't underst—"
"Albus broke up with his girlfriend and now Matt's out of the picture as well.
Suddenly, the only friend he's got is
Scorpius!" Harry interrupted.
"Like you said, he's changed," Ginny reasoned.
"No but, I think ..." Harry paused, considered his words, and tried again. "Gin, I think Al's changed a lot more than just his friends. I mean, I don't even know if Albus himself is aware of it, but ... he's becoming like Scorpius."
"With a different taste in fashion?" Ginny joked.
"With a different taste in partners," Harry said with gravity.
To his surprise, Ginny didn't seem surprised. Or if she was, she didn't let on. Instead, she allowed her face to remain completely neutral and her eyes to wonder to a point beyond his shoulder. Years of living with her told Harry that her blank expression was her own way to meet unexpected happenings head-on. She may have known Scorpius was gay, but she didn't know that Albus had the potential to be, and now she was taking her time in coming to terms with it. Harry knew that although she appeared calm on the surface, inside, her mind was whirling with questions as she tried to analyse her son's transformation.
"My question is," Harry continued after a while, "what do we do about it?"
She returned her gaze to him. "What do you think about it?"
Harry took a deep breath and lifted himself up to sit on the bed alongside his wife's stretched out legs. He took his time to decide his answer. In the end, he simply said, "It's different."
"I know."
"We've never dealt with this before." He paused. "To be honest, I don't know how I feel about it," he confessed, staring into her strong auburn eyes in the hope that she would shed some light for him. Harry knew everyone expected him to be the strong one, the one with all the answers; but without Ginny, Harry knew he would be lost. In a situation like this, Harry had the sense to admit he didn't have the answer. But he had Ginny. On her, he would rely.
"Are you against it?" she asked sincerely, laying all the cards on the table between them.
"No," Harry answered after a moment. "I'm not against it. I have nothing against Scorpius. But ... everything changes when it's your own kid."
"I know," she said again. "It's not what we expected at all."
"He had a girlfriend for so long that I didn't even consider anything else," Harry said.
"Do you think he broke up with Melissa because of Scorpius?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I don't even know if Albus realises it."
Ginny was silent for a moment. Once again, an expressionless mask settled on her face as she pondered. Eventually, she asked, "What made you think that Albus could be gay?"
"You can't tell me that you haven't noticed the way he acts around Scorpius," Harry remarked. "Before Scorpius even arrived, I had never seen Al so anxious about something or someone. It was only four days but he was acting like it was forever. And then when he finally came, the first thing they did was hug ... and not in a way that's normal between two male teenage friends." He stopped to run a hand through his hair. "Every time I talk to Albus about it, he gets angry with me."
"I think he's just as confused as we are," Ginny opined. "I think he's got feelings for Scorpius but doesn't know how to act upon it. That's why he becomes upset when we meddle."
With an unspoken agreement, they descended into silence. Harry was left to wonder on his own, knowing his wife was doing likewise.
He didn't like being faced with a situation he had little control over. Of course, he knew he should have expected it, especially as all his three children were teenagers, but it didn't make it any easier. As their father, he had a responsibility. Both a responsibility to know when to act and exercise authority, but also a responsibility to let go and allow things to happen without his hand in it. Was this one of those times? Was he supposed to let Albus go and do whatever he liked? Harry wasn't even sure whether or not he was comfortable with the idea that his own son could be gay and with a partner. He wanted to be. He wanted to be supportive. More than anything, he wanted his relationship with Albus restored. He knew Albus was frustrated with him for interfering in his personal matters but Harry couldn't help wanting to know. Perhaps he could blame his job for his incessant curiosity, he mused joylessly.
"I just wish ..." he began. "I just wish we had someone to turn to. Or maybe someone Albus could turn to." He sighed. "I don't like not knowing what to do."
Ginny gave a wan smile. "I know you don't," she said genuinely. It gave Harry a small sense of relief to know his wife knew him so well. "Perhaps we should just give him time. Al needs to sort out his feelings first."
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I suppose I should leave him alone then, eh?"
"If by 'leave them alone' you mean 'stop embarrassing them', then yes," Ginny said with a teasing smile.
Harry mirrored her smile. "Hey, I'm his dad. I'm supposed to embarrass him." Dropping the joke, he looked at his wife and said, "Thanks, Gin. I know I can count on you. And I'm sorry I interrupted your book," he apologised, bending down to retrieve the book that was face-down on the floor, open to the page she had been reading. He looked at the cover. "You do know that you've read this one a million times already," he stated frankly. "And yet you still got angry at me."
"You grabbed the book out of my hands at the best bit!" Ginny objected.
Harry grinned. "'In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you'", he quoted, knowing the way to his wife's heart was a few well-placed Muggle classic references.
Ginny beamed. "I love a man who knows his Austen." And with that, she pulled him to her by his collar and they shared a kiss.
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Two days later, it was Christmas Eve.
Enthusiasm in the Potter household abounded; not only for the impending excitement of Christmas tomorrow and the anticipation of opening presents, but also for the guest they were expecting that night. In fact, Albus thought as he cast a glance at the clock on the wall, Teddy should be arriving any minute now.
It had been almost a year since any of them had seen Teddy, and Albus was looking forward to it greatly. The bond between them could well be described as familial. Growing up, Albus had always secretly wished that Teddy was his real older brother. During Teddy's teenage years, he had always been around to have fun with James, Lily and he, and never considered the fact that he was seven years older to be a hindrance. Being his dad's godson as well, meant that he was always around for Christmas and the summer holidays. Near the start of the year, however, Teddy had announced that he wanted to travel around the world for an extended period of time, and although it had been difficult, they bid farewell. But now, he was finally coming back.
He had explained all of this to Scorpius, who was standing beside him, and who had only ever heard of Teddy in passing. The anticipation shared between all the Potters had caused Scorpius to also adopt the same eagerness to meet the wizard, especially after making the connection that Teddy was his cousin twice removed.
"You didn't know?" Albus had asked.
"I had heard of him," Scorpius had said. "I knew that I had a cousin through my great-aunt Andromeda, but I had never met him, and I didn't realise this Teddy is actually him."
Staring keenly at the fireplace, Albus was impatiently waiting for the telltale eruption of green flame that would signify his arrival.
Just as the clock on the wall chimed the start of a new hour, the fireplace, as Albus had predicted, burst into life.
"TEDDY!" shouted everyone as his form magically appeared from the hearth; and out he stepped, covered in soot, but grinning like he didn't care.
"Bloody hell, it is good to be back!" he announced loudly.
Lily squealed and ran up to him first, throwing her arms around him in happiness. Teddy stumbled back from the onslaught but returned the hug with warmth. James followed, approaching the newcomer and slapping him hard on the back with a loud, "Where have you been, you tosser?" Teddy roared with laughter. By the time Lily stepped away, their dad went next and offered a hearty, "Welcome home, son!" accompanied with a tight side hug. Teddy's grin must have grown ten times wider at the sentiment which remained on his face as their mother also went up and kissed him warmly on his cheek.
Had Scorpius not been there, Albus would probably have run up to Teddy and tackled him to the ground in play. But, mindful that his friend could be slightly out of his depth, he stayed by his side and simply grinned at the scene, knowing Scorpius would appreciate it. When Teddy finished hugging everyone, he turned and spotted Albus and Scorpius.
"Al! Merlin, you're almost as tall as me now! And who do we have here?" he inquired, grinning broadly.
"Hey Ted," Albus said, returning the smile. "This is Scorp, my best friend, and actually, your cousin twice removed."
Teddy did a double take. "Blimey it is. Scorpius Malfoy." He screwed his face in amusement as if trying to figure out why his cousin, of all people, would be here. "Well, I think I can safely say you're the last person I expected to see on the other side of that grate!" he joked.
Scorpius laughed. "You and I both. But it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Pleasure's all mine, mate," Teddy said genially. "I look forward to getting to know you better."
"Alright, alright," their mum announced. "We'll continue to talk during dinner. Let's get to the table, or it'll get cold!"
Teddy turned to her. "Did you ..." he asked trailing off. He didn't need to finish the question; she knew what he was asking.
"Did I make Shepherd's Pie?" she finished for him. Then she gave him a wink, knowing it was his favourite meal. "What else, sweetheart?"
"Oh man, I love you!"
When they had all settled around the table and the pie had been served, attention returned to Teddy.
"So, Ted, what's been happening in your life? What did you do? Where did you go?"
The story that followed spanned the entire globe.
After leaving England in early February, he made for France, then Spain and then Germany, spending a week at each location, simply to "soak in the culture," he said. His stories and photos of each country made Albus desire to visit them as well, after realising the rather sheltered life he has been living. Allowing his mind to fantasise the future, he dreamed of travelling with his Quidditch team for tournaments in other countries. Perhaps Scorpius could tag along as well, he mused silently.
Teddy's tale continued in Eastern Europe in places such as Ukraine, Romania and Russia where, Albus learned, Quidditch supporters were as fanatical there as in England. He had gone to a local game between the Vratsa Vultures and the Aleksandrovsk Avocets and swore that three days later, his ears had still been ringing from all the noise.
After a quick stopover in China, Ted then took an international Portkey to the west coast of America to enjoy a nice, warm summer—something he rarely experienced back home. Glancing at Scorpius, Albus had to suppress his laughter. He could hardly imagine Scorp enjoying a summer with temperatures that easily reached twenty degrees higher than what he was used to.
Ted's journey continued in South America, where, Teddy recounted, he spent more time in the Muggle world than in the wizarding one. "That way," he said with a large grin, "I got to play and watch a whole lot more football." Scorpius watched with wide-eyes, and Albus could tell he was trying to decide exactly what the sport of football entailed.
The cross-Pacific Portkey that brought him to Sydney had apparently left Ted a little nauseous at first, but he recovered after a day to enjoy a picturesque tour of the Sydney harbour, and he had the photos to prove it. When he saw them, Albus added 'climbing the Harbour Bridge' onto his list of things to do before he died. "I was only supposed to spend two weeks in Australia, but I ended up staying there three months instead," Teddy told them. "I just couldn't say bye," was his only explanation.
To complete his adventure, Ted Portkey-hopped through Africa and back up to the United Kingdom to spend a few nights in Ireland, before finally returning to England.
"My last Portkey was only a few hours ago," he said. "I stopped home long enough to take a shower and change, but then I couldn't stay away from you lot any longer. So here I am!"
"Geez, you weren't kidding when you said you went everywhere!" James exclaimed. Eyes widening, he asked, "Next time, take me with you?"
Teddy laughed. "I don't know about a next time, mate," he said. "I reckon I need to settle down a bit first. Get my life back to normal."
"Settle down, eh?" their dad repeated, with a calculated grin on his face. "Gonna get yourself a nice, French girl?" he asked in that embarrassing voice of his.
Albus felt incredibly sorry for Teddy. Being on the receiving end of his dad's humiliating jokes in the past few days meant that Albus could relate to the brilliant pink blush on Teddy's face. His dad was obviously referring to Victoire, Teddy's on-again, off-again girlfriend for a few years now. Everyone in the family had been waiting for them to finally make it official. It was only a matter of time.
"Er ..." Teddy began, rubbing the back of his neck in unease. "Not really. I'm not with ... Victoire and I are no longer together," he announced.
Everyone looked stunned. It took a few moments for the news to settle in. Albus found it hard to believe that Teddy and Victoire's six-year relationship had ended. In fact, he'd been long awaiting the day when Ted would finally be officially part of his extended family.
Their mum reacted first, asking the question everyone wanted answered. "Oh, Teddy, what happened?"
Looking incredibly uncomfortable, Teddy replied, "Well ... we just kind of stopped. Uh—it's been a few months now, that we've been split."
"A few months?" Lily piped in. "No one knew!"
"I ... uh, I told her to keep it quiet until I returned," he said. Then, for clarity's sake, he added, "It was me. I broke it. It—it wasn't easy ... but I thought it was time."
"Why?" Albus asked. "We all thought you were steady."
Teddy gave a short, nervous laugh while he shuffled around on his seat. "Things are different. I realised at the start of this year that maybe she's not right for me," he said softly. "Nothing against her, though. She's still brilliant. It's not her, it's me," he added quickly. "A few months ago, I realised that I needed to tell her."
"Did something happen?" their mum asked with an air of cautiousness, wanting to ensure that family ties were all still intact.
"Nothing bad, don't worry," he reassured. "Like I said, it was me. I ... er, I explained it to her and she eventually understood. But it wasn't easy," he said again.
Albus' curiosity was fully alerted and he could tell everyone else wanted to know details. Aware that it was probably rude to pry, he couldn't help but blurt, "So what happened? Did you find someone else?"
His mum sent him a sharp, disapproving look, but Albus didn't care. The look of complete unease and discomfort on Teddy's face had answered for him. He suddenly became completely entranced with the tablecloth and Albus was sure he had hit the nail on the head. Sometime between now and the last time they had seen Teddy, he had found another girlfriend. Probably from another country.
"Uh ... kind of," Teddy answered, almost unnecessarily.
"When? Where?" James snooped, leaning forward in his chair. Albus had never seen him so interested in a conversation before.
"Remember how I said my trip to Australia went for longer than expected?"
A pause.
"She's Australian?" James asked.
Another nervous laugh escaped Teddy. "Yeah ..." he said hesitantly, before shifting around on his seat again. "We—uh, we met there and ... we kind of hit it off, I suppose, for those two months. In the end, we decided to return to England together."
"You mean, she's here?" Lily squeaked.
Teddy picked up his water glass and downed a large gulp before replying, "In my apartment, actually."
Another pause. This time, longer.
Wow, it's serious, Albus thought, surprised that Teddy would move so fast. If his relationship with Victoire had been any indication, then Teddy was a slow romantic.
"Why didn't you bring her here with you? You know we'd love to meet her," their mum said, reaching over and laying a supportive hand on Teddy's arm.
"You can't be embarrassed of us yet, mate; she hasn't even met us!" their dad joked.
Albus and Scorpius smirked, as did James and Lily, but Teddy seemed unaffected by the joke. In fact, if it were possible, he seemed even more uncomfortable. Albus was half-tempted to ask him what on earth was wrong. He had never seen Teddy so awkward before.
"You know," Ted said eventually, "This is something I'm gonna have to show you guys, instead of telling you."
"Show us what?"
Albus saw Teddy swallow. He looked like he was doing some very quick thinking; as if he was deciding whether or not to 'show' them whatever it was he was talking about. Finally, he looked up and through his eyes, Albus saw that his decision was made. "Do you mind if I Floo-call home for a moment? There's someone you should meet," Teddy said, looking suddenly resolved and determined—a large difference from the uncomfortable, discomfited person before.
"Sure, Ted," his dad acquiesced.
In a quick movement, Ted stood up and marched into the lounge room. Everyone else at the table watched with wide eyes. In the next minute, Albus heard some undiscernible muffling of Teddy talking to who he could only assume was his new girlfriend, through the fireplace. After another minute or two, there was the distinct whoosh! sound of a Floo arrival. The Potters and Scorpius all straightened in their seats, anxious to meet the girl who had apparently replaced Victoire.
But when Ted came back to the dining room, the person with him was not what they had been expecting at all.
"Guys ..." Ted declared uncertainly, "I'd like you to meet Adam."
The person with him—
—was a man.

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Disclaimer: Quote was from Volume 2, Chapter 11 of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Next Chapter: That thing you've been wanting to happen since chapter 1? The thing you've been waiting to see when you first clicked on this story to read it? The thing that's taken 51/52-ish chapters to get to?
Yeah ... it happens in the next chapter.