Scorpius Malfoy

It could very well be the last of the great weather days ahead and the perfect sort of day to be spent outdoors, testing a newly built broom. Especially with it being the weekend.

There are a few students hanging about the pitch, but none in the air yet, except for Scorpius. His hair is windswept and ruined, his nose and cheeks are red from windburn, and he loves it. He loves flying and having the pitch to himself. Though, he does miss being on a team, the team, too. And it still pricks, thinking about such.

Not enough to ground him, however. Only thing to do that is to see the results from his tests.

Rigel, without a strand of dark hair out of place and all statue-esque, waits for him in the stands, timing each of his sprints across the pitch. His friend has twenty times scrawled on a parchment when Scorpius joins him.

He's handed the scrap as soon as he plops down on the seat beside him.

"35.8 was your best."

Scorpius pushes his goggles down to frown at the parchment. The time is decent, of course. There are worse brooms on the market, after all, and the broom itself handles beautifully, which is just as important as speed.

"Thanks for doing this," he says, looking through the times once more before pocketing the scrap.

35.8. Not bad.

"I was surprised you asked."

Now, Scorpius knows why Rigel comments as much. They haven't spent a lot of time together since the start of the year. Nothing like last, anyway. Mostly because:

"You've been spending a lot of time with Potter..."

It's an opening, Scorpius knows. He knows he ought to tell his friend what he should have told him ages ago. Albus and him may be keeping their relationship a secret, but this is Rigel, his best mate of only Merlin knows how many years, and he should have told him.

So he does. Sweating, if only a little.

"We're dating. Albus and I, we're, uhm - " He tugs nervously at his googles, which still hang about his neck. "We've been dating since the summer."

"I know. Olivia mentioned it," Rigel admits and Scorpius feels equal amounts of guilt and relief. He'd always half-hoped Olivia might let the secret slip and yet he feels bad when it does come from her.

He tugs at his goggles again.

"I should've told you."

"You should have." But, Rigel shoves at his shoulder, grinning, and all is well again? At the very least Scorpius hopes it is. "Why the secret?"

Sighing, he leans back against the stands. "From you? I don't know. From ...everyone? He's not ready to tell his parents yet."

He can sense Rigel raising an eyebrow and giving him a look before he even glances his way. "And you are? Ready to tell yours?"

"No," he admits with a frown. Telling his parents terrifies him, however eager he might seem about doing so. "I don't think I'd ever be ready to tell my parents, but there will always be some excuse not to tell them and - I want them to know."

Beside him, Rigel doesn't nod in understanding or sympathize, he merely stares at the clouds that float past overhead. Finally saying, "Well, if you are supposed to be keeping it a secret, you might want to stop making eyes at him in class."

Scorpius can feel his face heat in embarrassment. Red cheeks and nose and his neck feels as if it's on fire. "I don't make eyes at him in class!"

He doesn't do so purposefully, anyway. He'll admit to glancing at Albus, now and then. But, how could he not? Albus, with his green, intelligent eyes, his fond gaze, and his messy, soft hair that Scorpius never wants to stop running his fingers through. Oh, and his hands. Albus has nice hands. A bit on the ink-stained side but very bewitching. Especially when his boyfriend is trying to get into his robes.

Thinking about Albus' hands is apparently worth a shove to the shoulder though. Because that's what Rigel does, saying, "Oh, you've got a face."

Scorpius nearly pouts and scowls all at once. "I don't have a face!"

Except that he probably does. He might as well be drooling. Albus is very drool-worthy. Eyes, hair, hands.

As though sensing his thoughts again, Rigel stares him down until he squirms. Which is all the more embarrassing and Scorpius thinks flight is the appropriate response.

He knows Rigel brought his own broom, so he doesn't even ask, merely takes off as quick as he can so he doesn't have to hear whatever his friend is about to say.

For Parker: A Self-Writing Quill. It might not be as good as your computer, he writes in a note to her, but it might come in handy if you ever lose your Muggle electrons. (He means electricity.) Also included: A Quick-Quotes Quill, mostly for whenever I need advice from you. Instructions on how to use (with no magic necessary) and ink are included with both.

For Lily: A scarf. (He hopes Lily likes it; it's rather difficult shopping for his boyfriend's sixteen-year-old grandmother.)

For Annabeth: Those colour-changing inks and quill that he had promised her. And a book on architecture, much like the astronomy book he shared with her on their date. He includes a short note with hers: Write me sometime? I miss you.

For Posner: Quills and inks and a journal for the new Oxford student, as well as a Remembrall. In case you stuff your head with too much poetry and start to forget the rest.

For Orpheus: Sunblock - for protection, he pens - and a book that recites the most awful wizard's poetry that had ever been written upon opening.

For Mia, Cepheus, and Draco: A coat for the mother, a golden cauldron for the father, and a bundle of toys for the baby. (Er, well - The only baby that Scorpius knows about, anyway.)

For Kate: A small charm. (Because he knows she loves to ride as much as he loves to fly and just wanted to get her a little something.)

For Alex , William, and Sameth: A bundle of candy from Honeydukes for each. From Sugar Quills to Chocoballs and Ice Mice. Just about everything Honeydukes has for sale, really.

For Albus: A sprig of mistletoe. (He'll have to see Scorpius about the real gift.)

With the school year at an end, there's a lot to do before morning. Trunks need packing, last arrangements need arranging, and, as the hour nears the nightly curfew, the Ravenclaw Common Room steadily fills with a crowd for goodbyes.

Scorpius is sitting apart from most of it, found on the stairs that lead to the boy's dorm. Drinks are starting to be passed around, and the Ravenclaw Captain hands one off to him at some point, but Scorpius has no interest in joining the big farewell party.

He's watching for a familiar head of unruly black hair. A boy with very green eyes.

He's been wanting to chat with Albus since his talk with Parker. But there was always someone around or something that needed doing as the last week of school came to an end and -





And Scorpius has been scared of saying goodbye. Because that's what it is, isn't it? A goodbye.

Now tonight might be his last chance to do so and he needs to.

When Scorpius had left Hogwarts, the corridors hadn't been very crowded, as most of the students have already wandered off to wherever the freedom of a night after classes has taken them, and so he isn't expecting much trouble when he returns with Annabeth.

And there isn't.

The door opens as crankily as most doors in the castle do and a pair of Third Year Gryffindors on their way toward the library hardly even notice. They've already turned the corner by the time the door is wide enough to let anyone through.

Only a few of the old-fashioned portraits hanging about the corridor raise their eyebrows at the scene. But two students coming out of a supposedly empty classroom? Hardly anything new, that. They scoff and turn their noses away, more concerned with their own doings and the other frames that need visiting.

Scorpius, nervous now (as this isn't jogging around Milliways, but a proper, second date), holds the door open like a gentleman so Annabeth can pass through.

"So, uhm. Here we are, then."