[LOG] Getting off the train

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Where: King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4
When: The first day of Christmas holidays (late December), 2021 (fifth year)

Alby didn't think he'd stopped grinning all afternoon. He sat with one side pressed to the window side of their compartment, the other side kept comfortably warm by Scorpius; their fingers were intertwined as they stretched out across the seat. Alex and Joe took up the bench on the other side - they'd grown mostly accustomed to Scorp and Alby's (usually tactful) displays of affection, and Alby and Scorp didn't hide them much in front of their dormmates anymore. Or their housemates, really - but then, ever since they'd started using the Chamber of Snogs for their more... intimate study sessions, things had gone much better all around, Alby thought.

He'd firmly put all thoughts of the fact that when the train pulled into King's Cross Station he'd have to part with Scorp for the holidays. He'd also have to face his parents, which was also not high on his list of things he'd like to do, even after the short letter they'd sent him after James and Lily had both written home less than a day after he and Scorp had gotten together. His mother and father seemed all right with the situation on paper, but there was still the possibility he was going to get an earful from, if not them, at least one of his other family members. Uncle Ron had never been too fond of the Malfoys, and Alby was worried what Grandma Molly would say when she found out he was gay. But all of that would come later, and Alby had tried to stick by the creed that there was no point in worrying about things he couldn't control. Even if he did still worry, a little.

As the day wore on and the scenery outside the window changed, though, he grew a bit more thoughtful. He had a plan that he'd been hatching for a few weeks now, and it was going to be time to put it into motion soon enough. He'd rehearsed what he was going to say and how he was going to say it, and now all that was left was finding the right moment. Snuggling back down between the darkening window and Scorp, Alby hoped it would go off as well as he'd planned.

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Scorpius spent most of the train ride with a serious, serene look on his face. Now that their mid-year exams were over, a huge weight had been lifted off his chest, but he didn't relish meeting with his relatives for the holidays, especially when was going to be spending practically all of it at Malfoy Manor, where his Grandpa Lucius lived, who even in Scorpius's own opinion, was rather stuffy. Both of his grandparents on his father's side were rather conservative, and he'd been too afraid to ask his mother whether or not they'd been informed of his...choices. He want to think about having to tell them face to face that he was gay and dating Harry Potter's son at the same time. And then there was always the matter of his father. He'd received no word from him since his last letter back home, and he wondered how much his mother was glossing over the details when she said that his letter had gone over well. If there was anything that Scorpius dreaded, it was his father's long talks, and he had a feeling that the impending talk was going to be one of the longest ones yet.

Despite all the gloomy thoughts that might make this year his worst Christmas holiday ever, Scorpius still found himself able to smile whenever he turned to Alby, who had a wide, happy grin on his face. They spent the entire day like that, nestled together on their bench, always holding hands and leaning against each other, striking up conversations with Alex and Joe whenever the mood struck them. Morning wore onto afternoon and eventually into evening, and the pit sitting at the bottom of Scorpius's stomach got bigger the closer they got to London.

Worst case scenario, his Grandpa Lucius would kick him out of the Manor and then he'd just go back home to China with his mother and her parents, who at least couldn't be any less accepting than the Malfoy side of his family.

Scorpius squeezed Alby's hand, and his boyfriend turned to him.

"I'll write you everyday," Scorpius said simply, trying to hide his apprehension.

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Alby grinned and nodded at Scorp - of course, he would do the same, whether his plan succeeded or not. "Yeah," he agreed, nudging Scorp's shoulder with his own, even as Alex rolled his eyes and made some comment about how they'd think they could survive the holidays without each other just like they'd done every year prior. Alby just shrugged and grinned over at Alex with a look that said he just wished he had someone to correspond with over break.

The train slowed to a stop with a great belch of steam, and all around them there was banging and talking as students gathered their belongings and began streaming off the train, looking for their families. Alex and Joe gathered their things and left before Alby and Scorp had quite gotten to their feet, offering a "Happy Christmas" to them both and promising that they would trade stories of their holidays when they met again for the ride back to school.

Alby slowly extricated himself from Scorpius, standing slowly with their hands still linked and helping his boyfriend up - and pulling him forward just enough that he could reach up and give Scorp one last good kiss, just in case he didn't get to do it again for a while. He really hoped his plan worked, because kissing Scorpius had become a lot like breathing. Alby wasn't sure he could live without it.

As such, much of their carraige had emptied by the time they were ready to take their trunks and head for the door themselves. They had to walk down the corridor single-file, Alby first and Scorp trailing with both of them pulling their trunks and caged owls behind them. Albus struggled his things down the steps of the train and stood to the side, waiting for Scorp, looking around the crowded platform for the red and black hair of his parents.

[OOC: BTW, whose family do we want to deal with first? XD; It doesn't matter too much to me, though maybe if they met Scorp's first, all of them could get dragged over to the Potters when Alby decides to ask if the Malfoys can come to dinner? Unless they might just drag Scorp off, in which case finding the Potters first is fine~ XD]

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"Happy Christmas," Scorpius said with a wave as his two dormmates as Joe made Alex pick up his belongings, prodding him to make quick time exiting the train compartment.

"Make some juicy stories for us, all right, mate?" Alex said with a grin, bringing up an arm in defense as Joe reached over to smack him.

"Get out!" Joe hissed out of the corner of his mouth, and with a giant grin, Alex waved goodbye to the couple and shut the door, joining the throng of students already packing up the aisles.

Scorpius and Alby hung back, in no particular rush to get off the train, preferring to stay in each other's company as long as possible. It was nice and tactful of Joe to drag Alex off quickly like that, sometimes Alex's unnatural interest in their activities annoyed him.

They stood and shared a snog--slow, lingering, and absolutely perfect. Scorpius had no idea how he was going to survive the holidays without Alby, but he was pretty sure at point in time he was going to just get desperate and hop on a broom over to Godric's Hollow, and he didn't even like flying all that much.

Finally, after lots of last, goodbye kisses that turned into other last, goodbye kisses, they managed to get their things together and step off the train. With Alby in front of him, Scorpius scanned the crowd, hoping that maybe he'd be lucky and only his mother had showed up to pick him up. His stomach twisted a bit when he first spotted his father's distinctive blond hair, standing behind the diminutive figure of his mother. And his father did not look very happy.

"I think I see my dad," Scorpius said. "And my mum." Suddenly resolute, Scorpius put a hand on Alby's shoulders. He was going to knock the reality of the situation into his father's head if it was the last thing he did. "Come on, let's go meet them."

[OOC: I like the idea of meeting up with the Malfoys first, cause I have the feeling that Draco would not want to approach the Potters if Scorpius was there first. :3]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby hadn't yet spotted his own family when Scorp piped up from behind him, having spotted his parents. Alby slowed so they were side by side, appreciating the hand on his shoulder. Scorp had mentioned something about his mum wanting to meet Alby once, but Alby hadn't really put much thought into it. His stomach twisted a bit; he knew very well the rift between the Malfoys and the Potters. Maybe they were daft to try and bridge the gap -

But he had to do this, he told himself, especially if he wanted to be able to put his plan into action. He nodded, swallowing, and tried to run a hand through his hair to make it more presentable, as though such a thing were possible. He glanced over at Scorp, taking direction from his boyfriend's gentle nudges as he looked around and saw a man who could only be Draco Malfoy. Beside him was a smaller Chinese woman who must be Scorp's mum.

As they neared, Alby realized he'd never seen Scorp's parents up close before, and realized that Scorpius was very nearly the spitting image of his father, down to the shape of his face, though his eyes must've come from his mother. He tried not to stare, instead falling a step or two behind Scorpius, so the other could introduce them while Alby worked out something to say that would be nice and polite and not rude. He hoped he didn't look too terrified, at least.

[OOC: Okay, that works~ XD Totally understandable, hehe!]

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Trying not to think of all the ways that things could go horribly wrong starting now, Scorpius took the lead, struggling with his things through the thinning mass of parents and students crowding the platform. He saw his mother wave to him before standing on her tiptoes to whisper something into his father's ear. Somewhere, Scorpius wished that Dad hadn't come with Mum to pick him up from the Hogwarts Express like they did every year, but he figured that this moment would have to come eventually, and that it might be better if it was over and done with sooner rather than later.

"Xiaorui!" Scorpius's mother exclaimed, wrapping him up in a large hug and kissing him warmly on each cheek. "I've missed you! How was school?"

Scorpius put on a smile, trying not to appear too nervous though he did notice that his father had an expression on his face that was more sour than usual. Scorpius hoped he'd just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, though he wasn't going to bet on it.

"Great, Mum," Scorpius replied, his usual answer to his mother's how-was-school question.

Then his father approached and Scorpius's smile grew a bit tighter. "Hi Dad," he said, nervously hugging his father.

"Your mother and I have missed you very much," Scorpius's father said, looking a little distracted by the figure that was standing a few paces away from them.

"Are you going to introduce us to your little friend?" Ora asked, beating him to the punch. She'd called Alby 'little' even though he was a few inches taller than her.

"Um," Scorpius coughed, "yeah." He motioned for Alby to come closer. "Uh, Mum, Dad, this is Albus Potter. My boyfriend."

"Oh, aren't you cute!" Scorpius's mum exclaimed, and Scorpius tried not to roll his eyes and tell his mother how embarrassing it was for her to call his boyfriend 'cute.' Sure, Alby was cute, but it was his job to tell him that! Not his mum's! Well, at least she approved.

"Nice to meet you!" Ora said, taking Alby's hand and pulling him into a polite hug. "I hope Xiaorui hasn't been too busy studying to pay attention to you."

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Alby watched, hanging back, as Scorp greeted his mother and father. Trying to hide his gaze behind his flyaway fringe, he watched as Scorp's mum wrapped him up in a hug, looking cheerful, while his father looked... not so much. Alby supposed there was good reason - after all, he'd found out that his son was gay. The fact that Alby was Scorp's boyfriend could only make a bad situation worse. At least, Alby thought as he half-listened to Scorp and his mother talking, Scorp's mum was acting like everything was perfectly normal. She seemed to be on their side, regardless of what his father thought.

After a moment, Scorp motioned to Alby, and he took a few steps, coming up to stand before Scorp's parents, keeping his gaze to one that was respectful, instead of staring like a cornered animal. He nodded to the two of them as Scorp introduced him; he was a bit surprised as Scorp's mum exclaimed about how cute he was and pulled him gently into a hug. Despite his worry, a small smile slipped onto Alby's face as she released him, and he ducked his head again. "No, um, he's very good at managing his time," was all he could offer for a moment, hoping that had sounded all right.

He glanced up fully at both of them. "It's... it's nice to finally meet you," he said - which, in the case of Scorp's mum, at least, was certainly true. Draco was still looking at him with an opaque gaze, and Alby couldn't tell what he was thinking at all. He seemed the complete opposite of Alby's dad, who couldn't hide his feelings for all the world. Maybe that was part of what made them so different.

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It didn't take a genius to notice that things were tense. Scorpius looked at his mother who was acting like everything was natural, and his father who was trying his best to look politely detached, and Alby how looked like a mouse that had just been backed into a wall by a cat. And there was nothing he could to do diffuse this situation, except for maybe make Alby feel less like he was about to be pounced upon.

"Well, I'm glad he's not neglecting you," Scorpius's mum said with a smile. She took Alby's hand again, and still smiling, looked at her husband. Scorpius had no idea how his mother could smile and simultaneously be glaring daggers at his father, but his mother managed it rather well.

His father almost looked like he'd been slapped across the face as he took a step forward and offer his hand to Alby. Scorpius stared at his dad, praying that he wouldn't try anything that would ruin his relationship forever.

"Draco Malfoy," his father said stiffly. "Pleasure to meet you."

Scorpius thought he'd never heard his dad sound as insincere as he did just then. Feeling like it was a good time to intervene, he stepped beside Alby and slung an arm around Alby's waist, doing his best to make it seem natural and not a desperate gesture to make his boyfriend and his father feel more comfortable. He had the feeling he might feeling like Alby in a few minutes if the Potters managed to make their way over.

His father took a step back and glanced at his mother, who rolled her eyes ever so slightly skyward. She turned back to the boys. "If you'd like to visit Xiaorui over the holidays, you're always welcome at the Manor."

For a moment Scorpius's father looked like he was going to protest, and then shut his mouth. "Of course," he said, his voice tight, "I'm sure Scorpius would love a visit over the holidays."

[OOC: XD Oh my god, this is so awkward! *laughs* I think Draco is just as scared as Alby is, but just not showing it. :3 Let's torture him more by having the Potters find them in the crowd? :D]

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Alby took the proferred hand, shaking it as best he could, though it was obvious Scorp's dad wasn't exactly thrilled to be meeting him. But at least he wasn't angry - on the outside. Alby hoped he wasn't on the inside, either - he wanted to make a good impression on Scorp's family, and prove that he was good enough to date their son. At least, he hoped they'd think so.

Scorp's arm around his waist made him feel a lot better; Draco had dropped his hand, and Alby just stood, leaning close to Scorp, and looked up at the tall blonde figure before him. Then Scorp's mother mentioned a visit, and Alby blinked, turning to her.

"Really? Y-yeah, I'd love to -"

Of course, that would probably depend, he thought. On whether Scorp's dad would actually allow it, because he was looking rather like he didn't want to. Just as he said something stiffly that seemed to translate into assenting, Alby heard his mother's voice through the crowd.

"Albus, there you are!" she was calling; he turned to see her approaching, followed by Lily, then James, and then... Dad. Who was looking a bit blank, all things considered, though there was an undercurrent of worry as he saw his father's gaze go from himself to Scorp, and then to Scorp's parents. He and Scorp's dad locked eyes, and he saw his father's gaze harden before he looked away.

His family pulled up short, staying behind Alby and Scorp, a clearing forming with him and his boyfriend in the middle, and the Malfoys and the Potters on either side. Alby's mum looked from her husband to the Malfoys, and then down to Scorp, who still had his arm around Alby's waist. "You must be Scorpius, then," she said, her voice only a little tight to Alby's ears. He nodded, turning them around a bit, so at least he could face his own family and introduce his boyfriend properly.

"Yeah, this is Scorpius," he said, his boyfriend's full name sounding strange on his tongue. He hadn't used it in years. "Uh, Scorp, this is my mum and dad..."

Alby's dad stepped up beside his wife, looking at Scorp with an expression that did little to hide the fact that he still wasn't sure how to deal with him, but he offered a small smile and his hand. "It's nice to meet you," he said, and though it might've sounded a little forced, it also sounded genuine.

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Scorpius grinned as his father suggested that Alby visit the Manor over the holidays. Yes, please, he thought, not sure whether or not he would be able to survive the holidays on letters alone. Not only would he miss the feel of Alby against him, wanking off in bed by myself was really not as enjoyable as wanking with Alby. His smile faded all too soon as the Potters found them in the crowd, Alby's siblings coming up behind them with their parents in tow. Scorpius shifted a bit closer to Alby, not sure what to expect from his parents or his brother James. He'd spent a good amount of time after dinner for several days scrubbing various boys loos with James for detention, but that didn't mean he trusted him, or even liked him.

This was the first time Scorpius had seen the famous Harry Potter in person so close, and he had to admit that Alby had some very conspicuous traits in common with his father. His eyes and hair, for one, and the general shape of his face, though the freckles had obviously come from his mother's side of the family. Scorpius followed Harry Potter's gaze to his father, watching him stiffen and glance away when their eyes met. Scorpius detected a flicker of something--dislike? Hatred? Resentment?--in his father's stare. So it was really true, the rivalry between the Potter and the Malfoy family going all the way back to when his and Alby's fathers had first met at the beginning of school. It seemed rather silly for them to carry a grudge against each other well into their adult years, but Scorpius was smarter than to say anything to his father about it.

Scorpius nodded politely to Alby's mother when she noticed him, hoping that his parents weren't going to hate him right off the bat for things his father did in his younger days. Scorpius stepped forward smoothly, trying to be on his best behavior.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," Scorpius said seriously. Harry Potter's expression was a little blank, a little forced, but his smile seemed real and his voice put Scorpius a little more at ease. He was sure glad that Alby's older brother didn't seem to take after his father. Scorpius looked down at Alby. "Alby's told me a lot about you," he said, giving Alby's shoulder a shake but still feeling like he was uncomfortably sandwiched between the two families and forced to take sides. "And I've heard all the stories from Dad and Mum..."

Scorpius stopped, a hand almost flying to his mouth. Shit, he cursed silently. That came out the wrong way, because he didn't mean for it to sound so... so... Oh, bollocks.

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Alby's mum blinked as Scorp mentioned stories - Alby's heart felt like it had frozen mid-beat as he stared, trying to beg his parents silently not to take that the wrong way. Of course he'd heard stories - so had Alby, really, though mostly from his Uncle Ron so he'd never been quite sure how much of it was colored by his uncle's rather strong opinions, especially after he'd met Scorpius.

James looked like he was trying to hide a snicker, and Alby turned his glare to him, almost afraid to look up at his father. But then his mother let out something that might have been a little laugh, and his gaze turned back to her as she nodded, a bit of a wry grin beginning to take form across her lips. "I'm sure they had a lot of stories," she said, glancing up at Scorp's parents, but there was no real scorn there. It was almost as though she were acknowledging silently that while the families might not get along, they might be more similar than they'd thought. Alby nearly sagged with relief against Scorp, risking a glance up at his dad. Dad was looking over at Mum, his expression somewhat relieved that she'd been able to diffuse the situation.

Of course, there was another situation that was about to arise, Alby thought, as he decided that now might actually be the best time to pose his question. He straightened and cleared his throat, calling the attention of his parents once more.

"U-um, you know, I was meaning to ask. I... I think we should have the Malfoys over for dinner - you know, you always invite a lot of other people over for the holidays, Scorp and his family should come..."

It probably wasn't the best plan in the world, suggesting something like that outright - in fact, it might be a very bad idea, considering how awkward things were now. But Alby had decided that things only had to be awkward if their families made them awkward. And he was planning on spending a lot of time with Scorp from now on. Maybe for good, who knew? And if it really might be that way, then they had to get their families talking. He didn't want to alienate himself from his family just because of who he liked, and he was sure Scorp felt the same way.

He glanced up to see that his mother was looking at him, her expression still wry, but laced with surprise that Alby had mentioned something like that outright. And his father... he'd looked almost horrified for a split second, before the corners of his mouth curled up and he got that look that said he knew exactly what his son was up to.

"You think so, Albus?" he asked; his tone said that while he admired his son for suggesting something like that, he wasn't sure Alby had exactly thought this through. Which, really, was the truth.

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At that moment there was nothing more that Scorpius wanted to do than to disappear into a hole in the ground. He could've sworn he'd read a spell for it once, too. His parents were completely silent, and his father was probably looking at him in horror. If Alby's family took it the wrong way, they'd never forgive him.

But Alby's mother just laughed, and then his mother laughed too. Scorpius sighed in relief, mentally thanking Alby's mother for handling the situation rather well. His father wasn't laughing, but he did have a strained smile on his face, which meant that things weren't as awkward for him as they certainly could be.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows as Alby suggested that his family get invited over to the Potter's for Christmas. Scorpius gaped, but shut his mouth quickly. He looked at his father who suddenly looked at Alby as if he'd thrown all his clothes off and done a dance, naked. His mother only nodded and looked mildly surprised. After the shock that Alby had suggested something in front of both families set in, a small smile crossed Scorpius's face, and he squeezed Alby a little tighter.

It was a brilliant plan really, if not the most tactful. The Potters couldn't refuse in front of the Malfoys, so they had to accept Alby's suggestion. Which, thankfully, did not seem so odious to them as it initially might have. Maybe it would help patch things up between their two families. Scorpius looked to his mum and dad, especially his dad, who was trying valiantly not to look like a fish out of water.

"Well, we wouldn't want to be trouble," Scorpius's mum said quickly, looking at Alby with a new respect in her eyes.

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"Oh... You would be no trouble at all," Alby's mother said, sounding a bit distracted as she fixed her gaze upon her son. Now she had that look on her face, too - she and Dad had caught on rather quickly, Alby thought, though he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. He'd heard enough stories from Mum's big brothers about how she'd hatched many a crazy plan when she was younger. Those memories in mind, he was able to meet his parents' gaze and nod just noticeably to them, mouth breaking into a grin as Scorp Squeezed his side, approving.

Finally, Mum looked up to the Malfoys. "Really," she said, her tone much more sure, "you wouldn't. If... you'd be willing to consider it. I imagine Albus and Scorpius might like to see each other over the holidays." Maybe their families wouldn't, but Alby felt proud that his was willing to try. Even if James was looking like he'd rather be anyone's brother right now rather than Alby's. Lily was giggling behind one hand, though she kept glancing up at Draco Malfoy as though she was afraid he might transform into a giant snake at any moment and attack Alby.

Dad was another story. His gaze had wandered back to Draco as well, but his features were, for once, hard to read behind his spectacles. He looked resolute, Alby thought. Or at least he hoped so.

"Yes," Alby finally piped up. "Yes, I would like to see Scorpius over holidays." There - now there was no backing down, he thought, his grin widening just a bit. He turned to Scorp. "I guess I'll see you soon, then," he said, wishing he could make everyone look away so they could have a few more moments alone together, even if that wasn't exactly going to happen. They'd have plenty of time together now, he thought, his mind already beginning to envision the Malfoys' visit. He could show Scorp his room... and if he stayed over, they could even share his bed...

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Scorpius beamed inwardly, glad that his boyfriend had concocted such a brilliant plan that found them an excuse to see each other over the holidays. He wanted very badly to go to the Potters's home and see what Alby's family was like. He envisioned it very different from his own (after all, his home in China was dug right into the side of a mountain), very lively probably, with three siblings running around all the time. Scorpius looked at his mum and his dad, and his father's expression softened just a bit.

"We'd love to come if you'll have us," Ora said, glancing at her husband. "Wouldn't we, Draco?"

"Absolutely," Scorpius's father replied after a short pause, his voice sounding a bit like he had a lump in his throat.

"Just as long as we're not in the way," Scorpius's mum said, but Alby's mother replied assured them that they wouldn't. "And I'm sure," she continued, "Scorpius would love to see Albus too."

Grinning, Scorpius nodded. Well, things hadn't gone as badly as he'd expected, though there was still the rest of the holidays at home at the Manor to consider. The dinner at the Potters might well be a welcome escape, depending on how things went over with Grandpa Lucius.

Scorpius was a bit reluctant to let Alby go, he didn't want to think of how different it would be not to have Alby climbing into his bed every night for the next couple of weeks. But he still smiled when Alby turned to him, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Yeah," Scorpius said, "I'll see you soon." He buried his nose into Alby's neck and breathed deeply, recalling his boyfriend's scent. It was going to be a few long days until he'd be able to see Alby again.

"I'll miss you," Scorpius said, as they pulled apart a little, his hand lingering on the back of Alby's neck. Bravely he leaned forward and planted a short, chaste kiss on Alby's lips, oblivious to the looks on the faces of family members on either side. "Owl me, okay?"

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Alby felt rather proud of himself - and greatly relieved that the suggestion seemed to have gone over well. Their fathers might still be staring at each other like wary once-foes, but that was a lot better than it could have been, in Alby's opinion. Maybe they'd even start talking sometime - he was sure that Draco must have changed since his father had known him in school. Otherwise Scorp wouldn't have turned out as wonderful as he had, right?

It was a good compromise, Alby thought - it might not be the same as having Scorp to snuggle up against every night, but it was better than spending the entire vacation without him. Maybe under the same roof Scorp and James might even learn to tolerate each other a bit more - detenion together could only do so much, and while Alby was really just glad there'd been no more fights, he still wished James would stop being such a prick about the whole situation. Maybe with Mum and Dad on his side, Alby would be able to convince him...

If Mum and Dad were really on his side, Alby thought - though after the past few minutes, he was beginning to think they really were. He grinned over at Scorp as the other said they'd see each other soon. "Yeah," Alby echoed, finding that his arms slipped around Scorp's waist easily as the other buried his face against Alby's neck for a moment, before pulling away - only to lean forward and kiss him swiftly on the lips.

Alby blinked - well, he supposed that was one way to get their families used to it. He broke into a grin, even as he felt himself flush slightly, concentrating on looking into Scorp's eyes and not at any of their family members around them. "Yeah - I will. I will as soon as we have a date!" he said, before squeezing Scorp's waist and hurrying over to his family, beelining for Lily, because she seemed the least affected of the Potters, grinning and giggling and turning with Alby to head out of King's Cross, with the rest of the Potters trailing silently after.

[OOC: And I think we're pretty close to an ending, if not there already? YAY nobody died! XD]

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Scorpius and his family watched the Potters head off, giving Alby one last wave before they disappeared through the crowd assembled at the platform.

"Hm," Scorpius's father said, a rather non-committal grunt his son couldn't read. Draco moved to help his son with his luggage, and Scorpius did his best to avoid his father's gaze by gravitating towards his mother, and staying silent as his parents conversed in quiet tones in Chinese.

"Albus certainly seems like a charming boy," Scorpius's mum said. "Very clever, too."

"You didn't have to accept the invitation," Draco said, a slight frown to his lips as he looked at his wife.

"Of course I did! I don't think he really left us with a choice," Ora replied, her voice tinged with amusement. She patted Scorpius on the arm. "I can certainly see why you like him."

"Uh, thanks, Mum," Scorpius said uncertainly, looking at his father as well for approval.

"Well," Draco said after a moment's pause as his family found a clear area on the platform where they could Apparate back to the Manor. "It will be interesting to dine with the Potters for the first time." He put a hand on his son's shoulders and looked at him every severely. Scorpius felt himself gulp.

"And you and that Albus Potter seem rather well-suited to each other."

Scorpius beamed, breaking out into a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

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[OOC: I think that wraps it up rather nicely. So...where to from here?]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Yay~ Uh. Do we want to try and tackle the Potter/Malfoy dinner? I suppose we could always just skip to Alby and Scorp hanging out in one of their rooms or something too, if we don't want to deal with their families. XD;]

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[OOC: It seems like kind of a colossal task to handle the dinner, but I dunno...I'm kind of excited about it actually. Did you want to give it a shot? We can always gloss over details if we get stuck.]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Haha, I think it could be fun. XD; As long as we can keep track of family members~ It might just result in shorter tags to allow for conversation, which is fine with me! We can totally try! And then Alby and Scorp can run away and jump on the bed when they're done. |D]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I think it'll be fun! We'll have some shorter tags, but that's okay though.

So...let's say that the Malfoys Apparate into the street in Godric's Hollow they live on, and the party kicks off with a bit of a pre-dinner mixer sort of atmosphere? Some snacks and drinking before dinner?

So it'll be Malfoys, Potters, and Alison's branch of the Weasleys? :D]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Yeah, it should be fine~ :D

Sounds like a plan to me! I think they'd definitely invite Alison, George, and Freddy, to at least kind of mediate. XD; I suppose that's as close to being in the middle as you can be!]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Sounds good! Mind if I start?]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Nope, be my guest~! :D]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Oh, and before I forget...do we have a date for the dinner?]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: ... Uh. Maybe a couple of days before Christmas, like the 22nd or 23rd? Unless we wanted to do it between Christmas and New Years, though I was thinking more along the lines of the former...]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Let's do 23rd then? :3]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Sure, sounds excellent~]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Haha, I'm watching Project Runway reruns while writing, and I just realized that this post is starting off all about CLOTHES. *laughs*]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Hahaha~ Well at least I'll know why, then. XD <3]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: If you haven't seen Project Runway yet, you TOTALLY SHOULD watch it. :D It is so awesome. ~<3 *is a fan*]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I've seen bits and pieces, but never a whole episode, I don't think. :O]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: OMG, you totally should watch it. It's amazing! As a cosplayer, it's fabulous to see people put together these beautiful dresses and outfits. @_@ I totally wish I could do what they do. *sigh*]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Heh, yeah, it did always look pretty cool. I'll have to check it out!]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Do check it out, it's wonderful. ;___; New season starts on Wednesday night at 10pm! :D ~<3]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Ooh, okay, I will if I can remember! XD;]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I just realized that Scorp and Alby have to get each other Christmas presents. @_@ I have NO IDEA what Scorp's going to get him.]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: ... Ahaha. I hadn't thought about that either. o.O; Eheh. We'll just get to that later in the log? Give us time to think about it. XD;;]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: It's going to take a lot of thinking. XD Yeah, we'll get to it later.

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<small>[OOC: It's going to take a lot of thinking. XD Yeah, we'll get to it later. <_< I have no ideas at the moment.]</small>