Lovely (a Scorbus story)

Part 18

Albus glanced up as the section of wall serving as the door to the Slytherin common room slid open.

"Dad? How did you get in here?"

"Get your stuff," Harry said tensely, without answering the question. "Anything you need for a couple of days."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later. But I have to thank you, Albus...if it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't have saved him."

Scorpius's head jerked up. "It worked?"

"You've got Scorp to thank, too," Albus said. "He's the one who told me in the first place.

"Thank you, Scorpius," Harry said quietly.

"Would you come help me get some stuff together?" Albus asked, looking meaningfully at Scorpius. Scorpius nodded, and the two boys dashed upstairs.

"This is good!" Scorpius hissed. "He's alive!"

"I can't believe it." Albus directed his wand at his trunk. "Ugh, that's so big. Do you have a smaller bag I can borrow?"

"Here, take my extra duffel, it's tiny..."

Albus concentrated for a moment on making various items zoom into the bag. Then he turned to Scorpius.

"Something's going on with my dad, I can tell. He's high-anxiety, but he's usually not this high-anxiety."

"That whole business with Delphi is enough to drive anyone batty," Scorpius said reasonably.

Albus shook his head. "It's something more...almost like something I don't know."

"I wouldn't stress," Scorpius said gently. "Just relax, okay? You've got until February 17th for the second task; that's after Christmas holidays, and Sirius is okay. It's all going to be fine."

Albus sighed. "I know. Thanks, Scorpius."

"Anytime." Scorpius attempted a smile. Albus leaned forward, intending to kiss him—

"Albus."

Both boys jumped apart. Harry was standing by the door, looking equal parts shocked and amused.

"I'm ready," Albus said quickly. "Bye, Scorpius."

"See you," Scorpius said glumly.

Albus avoided looking at his father all the way down the hall.

"So you got Sirius?"

"We did," Harry confirmed. "We're taking the Floo network back to our house, because Sirius needs to meet you and James and Lily."

"Oh," Albus said vaguely.

"Tell me, how is the Triwizard Tournament going?" Harry asked seriously. "I read about the second task, I was very proud. You were smart and used your head."

"Can you tell me about your Triwizard Tournament?" Albus blurted without thinking.

Harry smiled fleetingly. "You mean the part before Cedric died?"

"Well, yeah," Albus mumbled.

"Honestly, I didn't have a clue what to do," Harry admitted. "The first task, I got a tip-off from Hagrid, and Moody—well, Barty Crouch, but you've heard that story—told me what to do, and then the second task I got a ridiculous hint from Cedric, and then a house-elf, an old friend of mine, told me what to do..."

"Dobby?"

Harry winced imperceptibly. "Yes. Dobby."

He didn't mention the third task, and Albus didn't press.

"Do you know what the second task is?" Harry asked in a low tone.

Albus nodded. "Max—Max James, the Ilvermorny champion—she told me."

"You trust her?"

"She really helped me out with the first task."

Harry cast a sidelong look at his son. "She's just a friend, right?"

"Oh, definitely."

"I thought so."

Albus quickened his pace towards the headmistress's office.

Ginny was already waiting for them with James and Lily, while McGonagall was wildly questioning her.

"Why did you think he was dead in the first—"

"Enough!" Harry said sharply. "I'm sorry, Professor, Ginny told you the whole story, and that's what happened."

Hermione hurried into the office, Rose in tow. "Isn't Ron back yet? We waited for ages."

Rose glanced at Albus. "Hey, how's that article about the bubotubers coming?" she asked. "It was due, let's see, yesterday—"

"Don't be such a dictator," Lily said fiercely. "He's got enough on his plate, don't you think, and he's probably worried about that whole thing with Scor—"

"SHHHH!" Rose hissed. James, who had no subtlety, simply stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry, what?" Albus said, more calmly than he felt. "What whole thing with Scorpius?"

"Well..." Rose twisted his hands together. "He wanted to tell you on his own terms, he didn't really—"

"What is it," Albus asked through gritted teeth, "and why do you know, and I don't?"

"Kids," Harry interrupted them. "Look, this is a really important day for me, okay? Can this wait until after Sirius?"

"No!" Albus snapped.

"Yes," Ginny said placidly. "It can."

Rose scowled at Lily. "Good job, Lily."

Lily looked completely unabashed. "He has to know at some point."

James shrugged. "I don't know what in the name of Merlin's saggy trousers you're talking about, but I agree."

"Potters," Rose muttered. "You're all alike."