Found In the Past

36

Albus POV:

I enter the Malfoys' dining room after my fourth attempt at finding it. Not surprisingly, I'm hopelessly lost without Scorp to guide me around the Manor.

"Al!" A loud voice (which is way too loud for six am) calls out, and I turn to see my sister waving eagerly from the other end of the room. I muster up strained grin as I walk over to my siblings at the other end of the long table.

"Good morning," I offer, trying to be friendly even though my heart's not in it. I was up until midnight planning different ways to potentially come out to my father. After a scenario ended with me burning the mansion down and then running off to Australia, I determined I was too exhausted to keep thinking.

"Why do you look so pale?" Lily remarks directly in return to my greeting, frowning at me. I shoot a glare at her and she shrugs, apparently not thinking that talking to me requires the use of her social skills.

"I know why," James can't help but comment and I switch who I'm glaring at. To think once I imagined I was the annoying sibling... My brother gives me an innocent smile and looks across the table to where our father has just come out of the kitchen.

"Ooooooh. I get it now! You're gonna tell h-" I shush Lily loudly, cursing at her perceptiveness. The butterflies that used to only emerge when I'm around Scorp seem to have made a permanent home in my stomach. Am I'm really going to do this??

I continue watching my father, who's now locked in yet another argument with Mr. Malfoy. My heart sinks at the sight of it. Like he's ever going to approve of me dating Scorpius. If my father somehow takes the other news well. And if my best friend does want to be more than just friends after I ruined it all again.

Before I can rethink anything for the seventh time, I quickly walk over to my father.

"Can we... can we talk?" I manage to ask the dark-haired man quietly, not daring to look at Scorpius's father. I feel my mum watching us curiously and try not to panic.

"Right now?" My father questions, confusion flashing across his face. His eyes widen slightly, as if realizing something, and his demeanor changes as he nods. "Of course. Let's go," he claps a hand on my shoulder and guides me out of the dining room, away from everyone else. I won't try to describe where we go because I'm lost immediately. Once we make it into a quiet room with random suits of armor lines against the walls, my father stops walking and I pull away awkwardly.

"Right. Okay," I glance down at my feet, last-minute excuses flooding my head.

"You wanted to tell me something?" My father asks patiently. I rake a hand through my hair and look up to see his questioning green eyes that I so happened to inherit.

"Uhm..." I hesitate once more. I practiced this conversation a hundred times in my head but now that the time is here, my mind's gone blank.

"It's alright," he tells me after another moment of silence, "You can tell me later"

"I'm gay," I blurt out suddenly, ready to get everything over with. I wince, glancing up to check for the horror on my father's face. But it's not there. He actually barely looks phased by my statement.

"Okay. So you like boys?" He asks, just seeming to want confirmation. There's no accusation in the sentence at all.

"Mmhm," I can't form words anymore.

"Cool. And?" My father waits expectantly, as if he expects something else to be the big news.

"You're really okay with this?" I ask, raising an eyebrow before I can stop myself.

"Yeah," Father sighs softly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Albus... I want you to have whatever... whoever... makes you happy," He tells sincerely. One word keeps replaying over and over in my brain in a stunned loop: Whoever. I have to tell him about Scorpius, don't I?

"Albus?" my father asks again, green eyes filled with concern. "Is there something else I should know? Are you okay? You look... upset," he finishes lamely.

"Yeah," I take a breath, hating myself already. "I think I like... as in... really like," I hesitate, "Scorpius..." my father blinks once. Then again. Then again. I can practically see his mind spinning to register the information.

"Okay," is all I get in return.

"Okay...? That's it?!" I ask, my voice raised in disbelief.

"Yeah. I knew your mum had that old look in her eye again," my father shrugs, still not looking upset about this at all.

"But... you know I'm talking about a Malfoy, right?" I can't help but add.

"Yes. Scorpius MALFOY. That's not exactly a common name you know," My father reminds me with a wry sort of grin.

"So. You don't mind it," I clarify, shaking my head slightly.

"Parents don't... your parents don't define the person you are," he echoes, some emotion I can't place shifting in his green eyes. "Thought you'd know that one actually," he jokes lightly. I wince, unable to help it.

"Yeah..." I echo. "But being like you wouldn't be that bad," I know the comment doesn't redeem whatever I've said in the past. I don't think anything can. But I mean it. I don't hate my father, and I'm actually a bit proud to be his son. "Minus the pigeon thing," I can't help but add as my dad pulls me in for a hug.

"That's a perfectly rational fear!" My father defends, pulling back to give me a look.

"Sure it is," I smile up at him and a comfortable silence falls. An odd feeling rises in my chest but I can't place what it is... but I don't think whatever it is, is a bad thing.

"Albus..." My dad hesitates.

"Al. You can... you can call me Al," I interrupt carefully. I swear he starts to tear up in front of me.

"Right. Al. I meant what I said. If you love a Malfoy, I'll support that. If the Malfoy breaks your heart, I will unleash James," He finishes, eyes narrowing darkly.

"Noted," I laugh awkwardly before the door bursts open and my older brother rushes in as if summoned.

"Anyone want to play Quidditch?!"