Lovely (a Scorbus story)

Epilogue

The next three months were a blur of homework and exams, and before they knew it, it was time to go home.

"Albus, have you seen my socks?" Scorpius called. It was the last morning, and they were packing.

"The ugly ones?"

"Of course."

"No, I haven't." Albus looked around.

"Good. I want to leave them here. I never want to see them again."

Albus guffawed and turned back to his own trunk, where everything was packed. "I guess that's it, then. Next time we're back it'll be our O.W.L. year. Holy shit. I'm not ready."

Scorpius slammed his trunk shut and locked it, then turned to Albus. "But first I get to spend the summer at your place."

"Better than you being at home," Albus said. "We get to share a room with James, isn't that exciting?"

"You can tone down the sarcasm, Albus, I'm more awesome than you think." James stood in the doorway, smirking.

"Who let you in here?" Albus demanded.

"My girlfriend." James practically oozed smugness.

Albus snorted. "Yeah, like you could get a girl to save your life."

"Look who's talking, little bro. You had to resort to snogging boys."

Scorpius snickered.

"Get out." Albus pointed towards the door. "Out."

"Train's leaving soon," James sang.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get these trunks downstairs."

The two boys heaved their trunks down to the common room.

"Ready to go?" Albus asked.

Scorpius was staring across the room. Albus followed his gaze. Over by the door, James was kissing...Emma.

"No," Albus breathed.

"Yes," Scorpius snorted.

The two of them burst out laughing and James and Emma glanced over at them, looking deeply annoyed.

"I ship it," Polly Chapman announced out of nowhere.

"You ship everything," Scorpius shot back.

"Come on, let's go," Albus said.

They walked out to meet the carriages together.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Scorpius asked, leaning over to pet a thestral. "These thestrals. Everyone's so afraid of them, but they're really quite beautiful."

"Hey, cousin."

Albus turned as Rose climbed into the carriage they were standing by. They followed her in.

"You guys okay?" Rose asked. "I didn't know Max that well, but she was a nice enough girl. I wish I'd known her better."

"We're okay," Albus said. "Thanks."

Rose cast Scorpius a look as the carriages rolled towards Hogsmeade. "You know, Max looked a lot like you."

Scorpius went deathly pale. "No she didn't. I have blond hair, she had red hair—"

"It was more brown than red," Rose said giving her own head a toss. "This is red. And I seem to recall your mother having brown hair and green eyes."

"What are you insinuating?" Scorpius demanded.

Albus looked from Scorpius to Rose. "What's going on?"

"Not a thing." Rose leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"Rose!"

But she didn't stir until they reached Hogsmeade, when she slipped nimbly past them and scurried onto the train, joining a few of her friends.

"What a stupid thing to say," Albus laughed. "Thinking that Max is, what, your sister? How could she be?"

Scorpius didn't say a word.

Something clicked in Albus's head.

"It wasn't you," he said slowly. "It was never you."

"Drop it, Albus," Scorpius said sharply.

Albus grabbed Scorpius's hand and pulled him onto the train, swinging into their usual compartment.

"She's Voldemort's daughter," Albus said quietly. "You're not Voldemort's child. But she is."

"She was," Scorpius said tiredly. "My father told me years ago I had a half-sister named Max who lived in America. But I never dreamed I'd meet her. And I always thought she'd be evil. But...she wasn't. She helped take down the Augurey."

"Who was her half-sister," Albus summarized. "She was braver than I thought."

"Well, now you know for sure there was never anything romantic between us," Scorpius offered. 

Albus stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. After a moment, Scorpius joined in.

The two sat down as the train began to move, hands twined together. The journey went quickly, Chocolate Frogs and Peppermint Imps were eaten, they were visited by Polly and Ian and James and Emma and even Lily and one of her friends at one point.

All too soon, it was sunset and Albus could see Kings Cross in the distance.

"You know..." Scorpius trailed off. "Something bothered me, at Max's funeral."

"Was it the thunderbird?" Albus asked.

"No." Scorpius twisted to look at Albus. "It was the fact that you called me your best friend. I mean...you are my best friend, but—"

"Sorry." Albus's lips twisted into a grin. "How about 'boyfriend,' would that work for you?"

Scorpius grinned. "I think that would work just fine."

And Albus smiled as the train pulled in and he could see his whole family; Harry and Ginny were there, and Ron and Hermione, and even Sirius was there, holding Ruby.

Albus glanced at Scorpius, whose face lit into a grin.

It was going to be a good summer.