Falling for You: A New Generation Harry Potter Fanfic

8: Broken Eyes and Group Hugs

TWO YEARS AGO

The wind whipped around Scorpius' head, the currents curved around him like when airplanes flew, and it made his loose, whisky-colored hair flop into his eyes, which stared dead forward. Somehow they looked duller, not the usual crystal blue waters that Albus had anxiously waited to gaze into for a solid month and a half. Actually, a month, thirteen days, and fourteen hours. But Albus definitely wasn't counting. Okay, maybe he was, but who can blame him? He had missed his Scorpius. But now that they were finally reunited, nothing seemed to be happening. Albus had imagined hugs and laughter and puns and stories, not stony silence and glazed eyes.

The two boys were standing on the platform of Hogwarts Station, a good twenty yards away from the other Potters, but Al still felt his familys' eyes on them. He could practically sense the crazy theories his older brother was mixing up, probably cooing that there was trouble in paradise. The thought made him incredibly anxious and he desperately prayed for someone to start talking, but nothing happened.

Albus rocked back and forth on his feet, trying to concentrate on the feeling of his rubber soles on the cobblestones instead of the sudden awkward silence. He couldn't remember the last time it had been awkward between the two of them. Everything was always so picture-perfect with their friendship. Maybe the last time had been four years ago, on this very platform, when Ron and Harry had been badmouthing the Malfoys. Al always felt awkward when people talked about other people behind their backs, especially when they were people he had never met.

But then they had become friends, and nothing had been off topic. Who they hated. Who they approved of. Which teachers could suck it. Who they wanted to be when they grew up. Deep, deep feelings though of at midnight. Girls, and then boys after this summer. The thought of this summer made a lazy smile appear on Al's face, but it quickly disappeared when a thought came to his mind. Scorpius had always been uncomfortable when they talked about boys. Not in the obvious way, but his cheeks had flushed and he had been running his hands through his hair and he had done the foot-thing.

Okay, so he had either he had been uncomfortable, or he had been embarrassed. The thought wriled at Al's brain, as he couldn't quite figure out which situation would have a better ending.

Oh Merlin's beard, now they hadn't been talking for ten minutes. Why were boys born with such an innate sense of manliness? Why couldn't Al just grow a pair and speak up?

Okay, he can do this. Albus and Scorpius are friends and friends talk about what's bothering them, right? Is this a friend sort of thing to do? Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be any worse than this stupid silence so he might as well get on with it.

"Scorpius?" The name came out scratchy and cracking and Albus didn't know if he could be more mortified.

Scorp didn't change his gaze, his stormy eyes remained on the wall opposite of them as he mumbled in a monotone, "On the train."

Albus had been wrong, there were worst things than that silence.

The two boys got onto the train in a completely opposite way than usual; instead of joyously accepting their friends' inquiries to sit next to them, Albus had to politely decline and scramble after Scorp while pushing away persistant Rose. Neither of them talked or wondered what the coming year would be. Neither of them remarked on how the others hair had changed or grown over the summer. They wouldn't get to regale their friends with stories of their adventures. They wouldn't get to laugh until they could feel tears at the edge of their eyes. They wouldn't get to fall asleep on each other's shoulder and head. And all of a sudden, Albus got very sad. But then he realized that he wasn't actually supposed to be sad. He was supposed to be happy, but Scorpius had decided to be grumpy. So then he got mad. How come Scorp got to choose their emotions?