Metamorphosis / Scorbus

Chapter 4 - Coming Out to the Malfoys - Part 3

"Astoria, why don't you go get us some tea," Mr Malfoy suggested, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had gone. He gave her a pointed look.
"Oh," she said, a little surprised, "All right." She stood and pranced out, head high.
"Scorpius," Mr Malfoy said, "why don't you accompany your mother?"
What? Oh god no, please no, Albus' mind began chanting when he understood what Mr Malfoy meant by suggesting Scorpius leave as well. He wants to speak to me alone!
"Pardon?" Scorpius squeaked, obviously as uneasy with the idea as Albus was.
"Help your mother; I want to chat with Albus," Mr Malfoy said in a voice that left no room for argument.
Scorpius flailed for a moment, looking from his father to Albus, but eventually conceded. There was no way he would win this one. Neither he nor Albus had any power to change it. Beaten, Scorpius stood, cast one long apologetic look at Albus and followed the path his mother took, leaving the room.
Watching his leave, Albus felt ever last shred of hope shrivel up in him, leaving him an empty shell of fear and misery. He wouldn't be leaving this room alive, he knew it. Within minutes, he would be dead—possibly decapitated—and Mr Malfoy would make sure that no one ever found the pieces of his body again.
Albus decided he didn't want to be the first to speak. His voice seemed to have temporarily abandoned him as he struggled to maintain eye contact with his would-be murderer.
After a long and extremely uncomfortable silence, Mr Malfoy said, "So, Albus, you seem to possess some kind of attraction to my son."
Albus blinked. His brain stalled at his straightforwardness and his tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth. How do you even respond to something like that?
"Er ... yes ..."
"You seem unsure?" he said in that expressionless voice of his that was getting on Albus' nerves.
"I'm not," he replied swiftly.
"You're not," Mr Malfoy repeated plainly.
"Yes, I'm attracted to your son," Albus clarified for his sake, trying to decide on the quickest way to dig his own grave and make Mr Malfoy's job a lot easier.
"And does he like you?"
"I'm ... sure he does," Albus replied.
"Hmm." Mr Malfoy steepled his fingers across his lap and stared unblinking. Albus suddenly wondered if there was any way Mr Malfoy could have slipped some Veritaserum in his system in the time passed between his entering the house and right now. He had to remind himself that he had yet to consume anything. "How much would you say you like my son?"
Albus stared at him, almost unable to believe the questions he was asking. Was this guy serious? "A lot," he replied confidently. Was he expected to respond on a scale from one to ten? In the end, Albus decided to spill the whole truth and say, "I love your son, Mr Malfoy."
"Love?" he said in return, as if he didn't know such a word existed. Albus wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't.
"Yes. And he loves me," he added for good measure.
"I see," he murmured softly to himself. "And you ... intend to continue this relationship for ..." he trailed off, waiting for Albus to pick up the rest of the sentence.
" ... for a very long time, sir."
Mr Malfoy drove his hard stare into Albus. It felt almost physically painful, like a thick metal drill screwing into his forehead. Albus was agonizingly aware he was definitely not Mr Malfoy's favourite person.
"And what are your intentions?" the stern man asked after a while.
"My intentions?" Albus echoed in confusion.
"For my son."
The hell kind of questions were these? Albus resisted the temptation to scratch his head while he grappled with his mind to try and find the right words. When they had broken the news to his parents, sure they had been surprised, but they were content with sending a simple congratulatory letter in reply. No meeting necessary. But no, Draco Malfoy had written back asking them to visit at the soonest convenient time. Apparently, anyone who had the nerve to date Scorpius should also have the balls to face his dad.
"Well ..." he began eventually, "I want to do right by him ... He means a lot to me, so ... you don't need to be worried that I'd ever hurt him..."
Mr Malfoy nodded to himself, seeming to be content with Albus' answer. "And what do your parents think about all of this?"
Albus wet his lips. "We actually met with them at my house recently actually, and they are very supportive."
"And other students at school?" Mr Malfoy continued.
"What about them?"
"What do they think?"
"Oh, uh ... they're getting used to the idea. Actually, a lot of people are really intrigued about it all," he answered truthfully, casting his mind back to a few days ago when a trio of third-year Slytherin girls had walked up to him and Scorp and requested they kiss in front of them. One of them claimed it would be the most adorable thing in the world. Albus and Scorpius had decided against making out in front of young girls.
"Intrigued?" Mr Malfoy repeated, prodding Albus for more information.
"Well ... because it's different ... Most people haven't seen ... a couple like us ..." he trailed off pathetically. For some reason, he didn't want to use words like gay or queer in front of Scorpius' father.
"Well, it's new to all of us, I assure you," he said in an unsympathetic tone. Albus couldn't understand why Mr Malfoy was having so much trouble coming to terms with the fact that his son was gay and in a relationship. Surely, after all this time he could at least accept it, if not support it.
Mr Malfoy went on: "I won't pretend to be fully comfortable with this, Albus, because I'm not. I've known Scorpius to be the way he is for most of his life now, but it doesn't make it any easier to know that he's suddenly in a relationship. I'm not in denial; I know it's not a phase and I know I can't change anything." He paused for a long moment, drilling his hard gaze into Albus' skull. He tensed his jaw unpleasantly. "I appreciate the happiness you've brought into my son's life. He has changed for the better, I cannot deny it."
The pause that result extended for such a long time that Albus began to wonder whether he was expected to say something or not. But eventually, Mr Malfoy continued, slowly and clearly, so there was no way Albus could miss the meaning behind his tone. "You are in a very privileged position, Albus. He is my only son and I love him dearly. If you do anything to hurt him—"
"I won't," Albus interrupted confidently.
"Nevertheless, if he ever regrets this relationship, I will hold you personally responsible and never let you forget it for the rest of your life. Never hurt my son. Is this clear?"
Albus nodded gravely, bizarrely pleased to hear that Mr Malfoy possessed some form of emotion after all. "I understand, sir, I do. But you should know that I treasure Scorpius higher myself. I ... I love him a lot, Mr Malfoy," he responded indisputably.
The silence this time stretched to half a minute, and all the while, Albus maintained eye contact with the older man, determined to show his resolve and confidence.
"Very well," Mr Malfoy announced when the silence ended. "I can't claim that anyone could ever deserve Scorpius, but I suppose you come close enough."
Albus decided that was about as close to a compliment he would ever get from Scorpius' father. "I agree with you, sir; Scorpius deserves the best," he said with a shadow of a smile of his face. "I'll try my hardest."
Mr Malfoy made an almost inaudible little grunt noise on his throat by way of a response.