Always light the candles

Chapter 15

I left the practice with a mix of disappointment, anger, and confusion swirling within me. As I walked away from the Quidditch field, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Scorpius. The boy I had known and loved seemed to have vanished, replaced by someone completely unrecognizable.

I could still hear the echoes of their mockery in his mind and felt the sting of their hurtful words. As I walked into the locker room, already taking my shirt filled with sweat from the practice of as I was walking. 

I suddenly heard footsteps behind me, "Albus, wait." a familiar voice called out.

I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and ignored him. 

Scorpius ran to catch up with me and grabbed me by my arm to stop me to which my whole body tensed and my anger with confussion simmered just beneath the surface, "What the hell is your problem?" I demanded as I turned around, my voice laced with frustration.

Scorpius flinched at the sharpness in my tone but quickly masked it with a nonchalant expression. "Don't make it harder than it already is." he replied cryptically.

My brow furrowed, my irritation growing with Scorpius's vague response. "What's that supposed to mean? What did I even do?"

Scorpius let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "You didn't do anything." he mumbled, avoiding my gaze.

I stepped closer, his irritation shifting into anger. "Then why are you treating me like this?" he snapped. "Why are you siding with Alex and laughing along with him whenever he insults me?"

Scorpius's eyes finally met Albus's, and for a moment, it seemed like he was hesitating. Yet, he quickly steeled himself, the coldness returning to his tone.

"You wouldn't understand," he muttered evasively. "Just, stay out of it."

My frustration boiled over. "Stay out of it?" I retorted. "How can I stay out of it when you're my best friend and you're acting like a dick?" when he didn't answer I spoke again, "Was it the kiss? Is this what this is about? Was it bad? Did you hate it and now are afraid to tell me or?"

Scorpius's expression softened slightly as I mentioned the kiss. "No, it's not because of the kiss. It wasn't bad, okay?" he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of guilt.

"Quite the opposite of bad." he added almost whispering his gaze on the ground. I felt blush rush into my cheeks and eyes widened in surprise, his heart both swelling and breaking at the same time. 

"Then, why?" I whispered back, desperation obvious in my voice.

Scorpius closed his eyes, his expression torn between wanting to share whatever secret he was hiding and the need to keep it hidden. He let out a shaky breath before meeting my gaze again.

"Just... drop it, okay?" he said, his voice pleading. "It's nothing."

I recognized the conflict beneath the surface, sensing there was much more going on behind Scorpius's closed-off demeanor. I could see the turmoil in his eyes, and I knew there was more to the story than he was letting on.

"Scorpi," I pleaded, my voice gentle yet firm. "You can talk to me. What's really going on?"

Scorpius's jaw clenched tighter, his internal struggle evident on his face. He seemed to be debating whether to tell me the truth or continue concealing whatever he was hiding.

"We can do this together, like we always do." I added softly.

"Does it have to do something with Alex?" I dared to ask, but he didn't answer me and refused to meet my gaze as if looking into his eyes might reveal the answer to my question.