[LOG] Dinner at Godric's Hollow

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Where: The Potter Residence, Godric's Hollow
When: December 23, 2021 (fifth year)



Scorpius had never understood why his Grandma Cissy fussed over clothes so much. He never quite understood the fashion trends that swept through the Wizarding world year after year, and frankly couldn't see much of a difference between his old trousers and the new trousers his grandmother insisted on buying for him every time he visited the Manor on holiday. But he wore them anyway, because it was easier to go along with it than go shopping with his grandmother or his mother.

Scorpius was all dressed and ready for the party hours before it was supposed to start, so he lounged about in the parlor, playing a game of Go against himself, and not noticing that the rug he was sitting on was shedding on his black wool jumper. Until his sister came in and pointed it out.

"You've got rug all over you," Delphina said, staring at her younger brother with disapproval on her face. She drew her wand from the folds of her maroon dress and waved it at Scorpius. "There."

Scorpius didn't really see what the big deal was, having a bit of lint on his jumper. In his point of view, if the Potters didn't like him, it wouldn't be for the lint. It would be for the wanking he was doing with their son.

Delphina knelt on the floor and continued the Go game with him, watching her brother as he got increasingly edgy as the time to the party drew closer. It was a bare fifteen minutes before the party was supposed to start before his father emerged into the parlor, dressed in a blue button-down shirt and jacket that was a couple steps more toward casual and chic than he usually preferred. Scorpius looked up from his game and raised an eyebrow.

"Your mother insisted," Draco said in a tone which meant that Scorpius was better off not asking.

Scorpius nodded, and decided not to question his mother's decisions.

"Actually, it looks good on you, Dad," Delphina offered brightly.

"Not my usual style," Draco replied, not flattered by his daughter's compliment and looking more like he would rather spend the night alone than go to dinner with the Potters.

"It still looks good," Delphina said finally.

"Scorpius! Delphina! Draco!"

Scorpius heard his mother call from downstairs, and he leapt onto his feet, ready to go. He pelted down the stairs, leaving his father and older sister to follow is his wake, grabbing his coat and his scarf from the rack in the entryway on his way to the door. It had been a bare three days since he'd last seen Alby at King's Cross, but it felt like it had already been weeks, and he couldn't wait any longer.

"Mum!" Scorpius said, trying his best not to look impatient as he waited by the door. They had to walk all the way down the lane, out the gate, and onto the street before they could Apparate away to Alby's house, and that was a lot of time standing between him and Alby. Scorpius didn't even want to be a second late.

"You can wait a few more seconds," his mother told him, gathering her winter coat. "Don't forget to grab the wine, Draco!"

Finally the small family was assembled, and they bid Grandma Cissy goodbye. Grandpa Lucius was notably absent.

It was dark and snowing when they arrived at Godric's Hollow, a few steps from the Potters's door. Scorpius wanted to race up to Alby's door and knock loudly, but his father reminded both his children to mind their manners.

The Potter Residence was a cozy little cottage, probably larger than the inside than it looked on the outside, looking picturesque in the evening with a bit of snow dusting the roof and frost covering the edges of the windows. Scorpius's mum walked up to the door, fixed the collar of Scorpius's shirt, and rang the doorbell.

"Don't screw this up, Draco," Ora said, glancing up at her husband.

Scorpius's father lifted the bottle of wine in his hand. "I'll do my best," he replied dryly, right before the door opened.

Comments

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I think this is a good point for Alby to say something (I am so sorry, but Draco just had to grill Alby just once! XD) and then we can gloss over the rest of the dinner?

So what's the plan with whether or not Scorpius is going to stay the night? :D]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby felt fingers grasp for his own and took Scorp's hand under the table, thinking that Freddy had better have the antidote - or at least a very, very good explanation prepared in the event that he was found out. He was not about to have a family feud break out over a prank his cousin had played - not when things had actually been going all right, if not awkward. Had he and Scorp just been friends, it might've been okay if their families didn't get along. But they weren't, and he wanted very badly to be able to sit in the same room with both sets of parents, if that was going to be possible at all.

Alby blinked as Scorp said they should keep their fathers drinking - well, it did make sense. Maybe they would believe it was the wine and not the potion in their glasses that had made them talk. It was a good idea; Alby nodded, glancing at James. Maybe he had an idea... James looked a bit blank, though maybe he was thinking it over -

Just then, Scorp's father paused and asked for more wine - Mum got up quickly and refilled his glass, topping off the glasses of all of the adults as well and Alby breathed a silent sigh of relief. Hopefully Mum was thinking the same thing - at least about keeping everyone drinking.

Alby couldn't help but overhear what Scorp's father said next - he spoke about Voldemort, and how he could have possibly succeeded in holding all of Wizarding Britain in so much fear all those years ago. Inwardly, Alby agreed - he didn't think Voldemort would be able to get the same foothold he had years ago, though he still wasn't sure about all of it - fear was still fear, and people would always find something to be afraid of.

Scorp coughed beside him and Alby turned to hand him his glass of cider and almost missed the fact that Scorp's father was suddenly talking to him. He blinked, feeling his cheeks flush a little, as he glanced over at the adults' end of the table. His father was gazing at him thoughtfully, as though he genuinely wanted to hear what Alby had to say as well. They'd never exactly talked about... this sort of thing in-depth, before.

Alby was silent a moment before he realized he had to start speaking. "Um - " he paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "Um, I think you're probably right. I think a lot of things have changed, just from hearing what they used to be like." He paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase the rest of it. "I just... Voldemort seemed like a very smart leader. He... he'd probably find a different way to go about exploiting people, if he tried to do things today."

Dad looked vaguely proud of him, his lips curling into the smallest of reassuring smiles. Alby squirmed a bit in his seat, wishing he didn't feel so much like he was being quizzed in the middle of class.

[OOC: Hee, it's fine~ And Alby is going to try his hardest to get them to let Scorp stay the night. :D;]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

Scorpius broke into a small smile as Alby answered his father evenly, hesitating only the slightest bit.

"Good point, Albus," Draco said with a nod. "Voldemort was a very clever man. He could have, perhaps, adapted to anything."

Scorpius positively beamed, both his mother and Alby's mother with smiles on their faces. The conversation at the adult end of the table resumed, the wine flowing particularly freely with the men's glasses, and eventually dinner winded down to dessert, and dessert winded down to their parents moving once more to the living room. Lily and Freddy went off on their own, and Delphina and James stayed at the dinner table, James with a small look of despair on his face, in fear that the night would never end.

It seemed like a good opportunity for a little privacy. Scorpius felt a little naughty as he suggested it, hoping no parents would stop them on their way up the stairs. "Hey Alby, can I see your room?"

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby tried not to grin too widely as he seemed to pass this impromptu test set before him by Scorp's father. The conversation continued from there, but there were thankfully no more questions and dinner was finished with no more major mishaps, perhaps due to the fact that the wine glasses were never empty. Everyone finally moved to the living room when Scorp turned and asked to see Alby's room.

"Yeah, sure!" he said, taking the other's hand and leading him up the stairs. He caught his mother's eye as they ascended and nodded - the entire family had had a talk, a few years ago, when James had first started dating. The rule was no locked doors, and thus no doing anything that would require the door to be locked. But closed, thankfully, was all right.

It was a relatively small room, but it was his own; he shut the door behind them and turned with his back to it, letting Scorp have a look around. His bed was made (but messily so, the covers only thrown back over the mattress and not tucked in) and the floor was relatively clean, except for his pyjamas and a pair of socks peeking out of the closet where they'd missed the hamper. He had a few bookshelves, though they were only half-full of books, the rest of the space taken up with magazines, his small wizard's chess board, and half a bag of chocolates that Mum had given him when they'd arrived home for the holidays.

"It's... er, not that exciting," he began, but he was pretty sure Scorpius wouldn't really care. He'd much rather spend the time looking at Scorp than the walls of his room, anyway.

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

Delphina giggled as Scorpius and Alby rose from the table, holding each others' hands, giving her brother a playful wink as he passed. The living room was rather hushed, Scorpius's father looked a bit distant as he spoke with George, not noticing that his son and his boyfriend trekking their way up the stairs. Scorpius's mother turned in his direction and offered him a smile, and that was it before he was out of sight of the adults.

Alby's room was, in one word, cozy, like the rest of the house. It was a small room, but the messily made bed, the pictures of his mother's old Quidditch team, and all the magazines on the bookshelf made the room very Alby-like, and Scorpius liked that.

"It's nice, actually," Scorpius said, finishing his look around. It was completely different from his room at home in China, and different still from the room he slept in while at the Manor, which was decorated to his grandmother and grandfather's tastes, and therefore always made him feel somewhat less like family and more like a guest when he stayed there.

"It's comfy," he said, thinking that Alby was rather cute with his back against the door, and that maybe he ought to press him up against it a bit more. He did want to roll around in Alby's bed a little, it must smell like him, but Scorpius pushed down that feeling of impatience and decided that kissing Alby now might be a good place to start.

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby grinned, glad that Scorp liked his room. Then he grinned even more as the other took a few steps towards him, leaned in, and kissed him. Though it had only been days since their last kiss, it somehow felt like much more; Alby slid his arms around the other's waist and kissed back, eagerly, thinking this certainly made the whole evening more than worth it.

"I have a Christmas present for you, you know," he murmued into the small space between his lips and Scorp's when they finally broke. "If you want it now." It should still be under his bed - no one in his family had discovered that hiding place just yet, which was just as well, since the present wasn't the only thing Alby had hidden back there.

Then again, he was content to just kiss Scorp for a while longer; his fingers buried themselves in the other's shirt as Alby made it clear he didn't want Scorp to go anywhere just yet, leaning in for another slow kiss. He didn't really care that their families were both downstairs - up here it was quiet and they were as alone as they could be in the house, and that was all Alby cared about right now.


[OOC: Ahaha I still don't know what to have him give Scorp. ::facepalm:: I'm kind of thinking a book and some really nifty gold-plated bookmarks or something. >>; Hopefully that's not lame.]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

To Scorpius, it felt like weeks ago since the last time he and Alby had shared a real, intimate kiss. It was nice to be alone and not have to sneak around or worry about being watched in the common room or stumbled upon in the dormitory. Certainly there was the matter that their parents were downstairs, but for the moment, the doors were closed and it was quiet, and Scorpius could pretend that the world was just him and Alby, and htey wouldn't have to care for a thing.

Scorpius had one hand resting at Alby's waist, the other on the back of his neck as they kissed ardently. He smiled and cupped Alby's cheek when they broke, trying to put out of his mind the fact that eventually, he might have to go back to the Manor, and it would be two weeks until he'd see Alby again.

"Do I get to open it now?" Scorpius asked, finishing his words with a small kiss to Alby's lips. He leaned in closer as Alby's fingers dug into his shirt, completely content to stay by the door and kiss his boyfriend, because doing anything else meant separating for a while, and Scorpius didn't want that. "Or can I wait?"

He had a present for Alby too, but it was a bit bulky and he hadn't felt like carrying it at the beginning of the night, so Delphina had shrunk it for him, small enough to fit into his pocket. The down side was obviously that if he wanted to give it to Alby good and proper, he'd have to get his sister, and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

Scorpius made a small noise of pleasure as Alby leaned in for another kiss, this one more slow though no less hungry than the one before. Aroused, Scorpius shifted his weight and used his knee to spread Alby's legs a bit, settling his waist against his boyfriend's. "I have a present for you too," Scorpius whispered, though for the moment he was thinking that all presents could go to hell and he'd just rather have Alby for the rest of the holidays.

Hahaha, I think Scorpius would love to have a new book to bury his nose into. XD ~<3 It's not lame at all. D:

I have no idea what Scorpius is going to give Alby, 'cause I'm the worst person at present-giving in the entire world. >_> Have any thoughts of what Alby might want? XD I was thinking of Scorp could either give Alby a new chess set or something a bit more cute like a winter scarf or something. D: I dunno, I'm totally lame. XD]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby tried not to groan, wondering if there was a way to keep from wanting so much more than to kiss Scorp when their families were just downstairs. The leg between his was almost where he wanted it to be, and yet it would probably be a very bad idea for it to be there. He tried to concentrate on the way Scorp tasted instead, drawing the kiss out as long as he could.

"You can open it now if you want," he murmured, thinking that it would be a shame to break away from Scorp, but he didn't mind as long as there would be more kisses before the night was out. They still had a little while before their parents decided it was late enough, he figured - especially if the wine was still flowing as liberally as it had been towards the end of dinner. He was vaguely curious as to what their parents were talking about downstairs, but not so much so that he'd give up this time with Scorp to find out.

"I'd consider it the best present ever if you could spend the night along with it," he chuckled quietly, running one hand up and down Scorp's side a bit. "Think your mum and dad would go for it?

[OOC: Yay, good! Though Scorp may not get it if Alby decides to be naughty. ::facepalms and tries to reign him in::

Aww, a scarf would be really cute~ Alby would wear it ALL THE TIME. XD <3]

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Scorpius drew a shuddering breath, trying not to press harder against Alby, not sure whether he might lose control of himself if Alby spread his legs further. Standing in his room was like being surrounded in Alby's scent, and Scorpius wanted nothing more than to bury himself beneath Alby's covers and explore his boyfriend all night long.

Scorpius parted reluctantly with Alby after another long kiss, a bit dazed from the powerful passions that were running their course through his body. "I'd rather open another present," Scorpius replied quietly, keeping one hand firmly at Alby's waist and not wandering elsewhere.

Staying the night at the Potter's was the best idea that Scorpius had ever heard, and if he had the choice he'd spend every night of his Christmas holiday in Alby's room. "I don't know," Scorpius replied with a small, worried cross of his eyebrows. While his mother was supportive of his relationship with Alby, there was the question of how supportive she was, and whether it would extend to letting him stay the night when he certainly hadn't been planning on it. "But it doesn't hurt to ask," Scorpius said, smiling and bending down to nip at the skin around Alby's jawline. "How about your mum and dad?"

Scorpius brought his hand up and ran down Alby's side, stopping just short of the waist his of trousers when he brought it over his stomach. He bit his lip, reminding himself of what was appropriate and what wasn't, dangerously close to throwing decorum out the window entirely and sliding both his hands up Alby's jumper and his shirt. He didn't want to think of how his night might end with him in bed, wanking alone, if their parents wouldn't let him stay the night.

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

"Mm," Alby hummed, eyes slipping shut, wishing very much that he could lock his door and soundproof his room and let Scorp open whatever the hell he wanted and then some. "I'd rather you did, too..." But, his mind said, that might not end well. For the adults, at any rate - Alby was sure that he wouldn't be complaining. He buried his fingers at the back of Scorp's shirt again, to keep them from wandering anywhere else for the moment.

"I don't think they'd mind... Not if we asked the right way," Alby breathed, hoping he was right. Mum and Dad had heard enough about Scorp from before he and Alby were boyfriends - they might not mind, if Alby was mature in the way he asked. He hoped that, as long as his parents were all right with it, Scorp's would be too... He didn't know how likely that was, but right now it was hard to think about much else that wasn't Scorp's lips and hands, which were so close to where Alby wanted them to be.

...Bugger this, Alby thought, groping behind him for the knob, turning the lock with as much care as possible so that the click would not be audible. His hand then snaked back beneath Scorpius's, finally sliding beneath the shirt to rest against the bare skin of his back as Alby's lips touched the skin of his boyfriend's neck. He was careful not to bite or suck, because that would, he'd learned, leave a mark. "Can you keep quiet?" He asked, feeling a little devious, a little daring, a lot turned on, and a little cautious, all at once. "They'll talk for a bit longer, right?" They couldn't do much, but maybe just a few touches...

[OOC: Ahaha, okay, I forgot, how... serious is that underage magic thing? I never really got a good feel, since it was always rather biased when it came to Harry. All the same, if they can't cast a silencing charm, they'll just have to be quiet.]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

Scorpius wasn't sure whether his mum and dad would let him stay, but he didn't care because the door was shut and latched, and Alby's hands were snaking up his shirt. He might as well make the best of the situation. It was hard not to do anything that would leave a mark afterwards, but Scorpius did his best, ghosting his lips over Alby's cheek as he spoke.

"I can try," Scorpius whispered, knowing that staying on the Potters's good side meant not getting caught doing naughty things to or with their son. Scorpius had to admit it was a bit of a thrill, pressing Alby up against the door and sliding a hand up his shirt, with both their families downstairs and unaware. He moved his hand down to Alby's stomach, lightly tickling him before he moved his hand to the front of his trousers, stroking him through the fabric. Scorpius felt himself respond, a little anxious, a little scared of being caught.

"I hope they talk all night," Scorpius said, closing his eyes and searching for Alby's lips, hoping that the night would never end and that he'd never have to go home.

[OOC: My impression is that the underage magic thing is pretty serious. There might be some bias in Harry's case, like his immediate expulsion from Hogwarts when he cast that Patronus charm at the beginning of fifth year, but I don't think Scorpius and Alby ought to try it. They might not get expelled, but I think there is some serious punishment involved. I think they're just going to have to be really, really quiet. XD

D: Scorpius is being so naughty here! D: I tried to hold him back, I really did, but apparently I was made of phail. ._. Let's uh...go for a tag or two before the Malfoys leave and the boys come downstairs and Scorp asks nicely if he can stay? XD]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

"I hope they talk for a week," Alby murmured, shifting against Scorp's hand almost without thinking about it, bringing his hands around to the other's front and sweeping them across his chest and stomach, biting his lip so as not to make any noise. They couldn't use spells to keep things quiet or clean, which presented a bit of a problem, but they'd work around it. Not to mention the fact that they could be caught...

Alby didn't think about that, though, as he ghosted lips up Scorp's neck to his jaw and back to his mouth, kissing him again, slowly, as he slipped his hands downward to reach behinh Scorp and pull their hips together, trapping Scorp's hand between them. He rocked his hips gently, seeking more friction, and broke the kiss, just nuzzling and grinning and thinking this was way better than any Christmas present he'd ever gotten. Of course, that just led to thoughts of Scorp as a Christmas present, Scorp dressed in ribbons, and Alby chuckled, lowly, and kissed more of the exposed skin above Scorp's collar and tried to get more contact between their hips, slinking fingers down below Scorp's waistband and over his arse.

[OOC: Okay, no magic it is~ XD Of course, Alby's all, "Well if we come in our pants, that's messier than the alternative." ::dies:: But I'll leave that up to Scorp - heh, either way, it's not something that needs extensive logging. Another couple tags sounds good - then they'll be calm enough to ask about staying overnight. XD; ::laughs::]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

Scorpius smiled as he felt Alby's lips wander from his lips to his jaw, seeking his mouth again for a kiss. He almost grunted when Alby's hands wrapped behind his waist and pulled them closer together, jarring a bit of breath out of him when they parted, surprised by Alby's insistence. Scorpius shifted his hand a bit as Alby moved beneath him, cupping Alby as he leaned forward and they nuzzled a bit. Resting his nose in Alby's hair, Scorpius closed his eyes and contented himself with the smell of his boyfriend, imagining what the rest of the holidays would be like if he could see Alby everyday. He heard Alby chuckle and his smile widened into a grin, as he moved his hand out from between the two of them, so they could grind properly.

"Mmmm," Scorpius murmured as he moved against Alby, placing a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead. He drew a breath as Alby's hands wandered over his sides briefly and then plunged beneath his trousers to grab his arse. If they'd been alone, he would have just taken off his trousers on the spot.

"That feels good," Scorpius said softly, resting himself near Alby's neck, as they pushed their hips together. He returned the favor, wrapping one firm hand around the small of Alby's back. "Keep doing it."

[OOC: Haha, I totally have the terrible idea of Scorp and Alby being in the middle of their whole snog/hump when they suddenly hear footsteps coming up the stairs and a knock on the door 'cause it's time for the Malfoys to go home. :D ]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

"Mmmmm I plan to," Alby hummed quietly, his own thoughts echoing what Scorp had just said - that did feel good, and he was certainly going to keep doing it. Half of him wanted to tear their clothes off right now and drag Scorp over to the bed, but the other half reminded him that their parents could come looking for them at any moment, and it wouldn't do for them to find the door locked - let alone for them to find Alby and Scorp in the positions Alby was picturing in his mind. So he'd just have to settle for grinding - which, really, was not bad at all, considering the wonderful amount of friction they could work up, with their hands each pulling the other closer.

Alby kept his hands down the back of Scorp's pants, brushing fingers over the skin of his behind, but keeping up the pressure to keep their fronts pressed together. He tilted his head to rest his and Scorp's cheeks together as they moved, humming again. "I think I must be getting too used to you," he joked quietly, "because it's only been a few days and I missed you a lot." He felt a bit punchy, though he wasn't sure if that was from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins at the idea of possibly getting caught, or the amazing lack of bloodflow to the brain because it was currently being directed elsewhere. "You have to stay over tonight." He squeezed the skin beneath his fingers for emphasis.

[OOC: Ahahaha. I love that idea. We should totally do it. XD If you don't do it in the next tag, I'll go ahead and put it in my next one? >D]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

Scorpius murmured his assent, he was perfectly fine with grinding Alby right into his door all night as long as Alby was fine with it too. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to peel off Alby's trousers and throw his own onto the floor as well. The only thing stopping him was the thought that their parents were still downstairs and that at any moment, they would come upstairs and alohomora their way through the door. Scorpius pushed that thought out of his mind not only because it was unsexy, but because he was afraid that if he thought about it too hard it might come true.

Scorpius thought he'd never been more aroused in his entire life, and never more frustrated with whoever had first decided that people should wear clothes. Scorpius closed his eyes, soaking in the sensations of Alby's hands on his arse--Merlin, did he want Alby to give him a good squeeze!

"I think I'm going to go mad over the rest of the holidays if I don't see you," Scorpius said, nuzzling Alby's cheek as he spoke, pulling Alby's hips closer as they moved together, seeking more friction between them. He was starting to breath heavily and he felt that his cheeks were flush--there would be no disguising what would be going on if they were caught.

"Yeah," Scorpius said, exhaling with a stuttering breath as Alby ground against him deliciously, the thrill of it traveling straight to his stomach and up his spine. "I have stay tonight," he repeated, almost mechanically, the only thing on his mind that he and Alby had to finish each other off, or he really was going to go mad.

"I have to ask my parents if--"

Almost as if on cue, Scorpius heard a flurry of activity in the living room downstairs, the sound of coats being gathered, the sounds of laughter and goodbyes, and Scorpius almost froze in disbelief--of all the times to--!

Scorpius's mouthed opened in a silent 'o' and he looked at Alby, any lingering ardor quickly being covered up by sheer panic and realization. "Shit," Scorpius said quietly, taking a step back from Alby and looking down at his pants, where it was rather painfully obvious how aroused he was. Sounds of footsteps ascending the staircase drifted to Scorpius's ears, and in a last ditch effort Scorpius reached into his trousers and adjusted himself, pulling his shirt and his jumper as far down as they would go, hoping that would hide most of the incriminating evidence if no one looked too closely. Scorpius hoped that if he looked like he and Alby had been behaving themselves nicely, they might have a higher chance of staying together for the night.

[OOC: So who comes knocking at the door? :D It's all up to you! X3 We are so evil for blueballing our boys. D:]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Alby froze, hearing the footsteps coming up the stairs only a split second after Scorp. His boyfriend's soft expletive said it all - Alby nearly wanted to die, he'd been getting so close, and he was still so worked up, and if their parents did find out for real things would be getting a whole lot less thrilling in about five seconds.

Quickly he turned to the door, grasping the lock and turning it as slowly and carefully as he could manage, so that the click as the bolt slid back was nearly inaudible beneath the approaching noise of footsteps and voices. Then he cast about the room frantically, half-leading and half-pushing Scorp over to the bed, running fingers through the blonde hair to settle it and making sure Scorp sat on the bed; Alby was right behind him, cross-legged, pulling his wizard's chess set off the shelf and depositing it between the two of them on the covers, trying to set up a fake game while his groin was telling him rather insistently how much it did not want to be ignored. He had to take several deep breaths and squirm around on the covers a bit to find a position that wasn't too painful, but the bed hadn't been made well enough that it would matter in the end.

He still had a white rook in his hand when there was a knock at the door. "Albus? Scorpius? The Malfoy's are getting ready to leave..." The handle turned and the door swung open to reveal his mum and Scorp's standing in the doorway.

"Mum!" Alby called, grinning despite the fact that he could barely think straight. "But we're in the middle of a game..." He paused, wondering if he should be the one to bring it up, or Scorp. He supposed it didn't matter too much and tried to turn himself a bit on the bed, so he was facing the doorway now, glad the light in his room was dim and that, hunched over, his jumper was baggy enough to hang over his crotch. "What if - do you think maybe Scorp could stay the night? Just tonight..."


[OOC: We are mean. :D; And I almost had James come to get them, because that seemed more likely, but then they'd have to get up and walk downstairs to ask about staying over and that might be a bad idea in their current state. XD; They deserve some kind of break.]

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Scorpius sat down in a rush as Alby practically dragged him to the bed and then ran some quick fingers through his hair, brushing stray strands into place. Alby slammed the wizarding chess set on the bed between them, and they scrambled to put the pieces into some semblance of a real game, despite their initial cries of protest. Scorpius tried to ignore the pounding of his heart and the throbbing of his groin as he took deep breaths and tried to calm himself before the door inevitably opened.

Scorpius turned when the door opened, trying to look like he'd just been innocently playing a game of chess and not ravishing Alby in his own room. He shifted a bit as Alby's mum and his mum appeared in the doorway, his mum with her coat on already, and his coat in her arms.

"Yeah, we've just barely started this game," Scorpius said with a nod, doing his best to look to reluctant.

Scorpius's mum looked doubtfully at Alby's mum, brows knitting in consternation. "Scorpius," she said, turning back to her son, "we've been impinging on the Potter's hospitality all night. We really don't want to bother them more, do we?"

Scorpius grimaced. Why did his mother always have to appeal to his sense of guilt whenever he asked for anything slightly unreasonable? Scorpius glanced at Alby and then back at their mothers. "I won't be a bother; you can pick me up first thing in the morning, Mum! It would be really nice if I could stay just this one night..."

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Alby's mum looked nothing if not reluctant - she glanced at her son before looking to Scorp's mum, her expression hard for Alby to read. He knew she was going to agree with Scorp's mum - of course, it made sense, didn't it? They didn't have any grounds on which to base their desire to spend the night together, and it seemed doomed to fail. But at the same time, Alby's gut (and groin) were telling him that he had to have Scorp over for the night. He didn't want to spend it alone in his room, wanking beneath the covers, when he could spend it next to Scorp. And if there was no good reason then should, there wasn't any really good reason they shouldn't. Right?

"He won't be a bother!" Alby agreed, putting the protesting rook down on the bedspread. "He can borrow a nightshirt from James and he's only been over a few hours. It's okay if he has to go in the morning, but I haven't even gotten to give him his Christmas present yet," he added, pulling out his (admittedly unimpressive) trump card. Mum and Dad knew he'd gotten Scorp a present, after all.

The protests seemed to at least be getting through to his mother - while she didn't seem overly convinced, she also didn't seem as ready to make Scorp leave, either. "It's not impinging on our hospitality," she admitted slowly, "though I don't know..." She turned to Ora. "We wouldn't want to disrupt any plans your family has for tomorrow."

Alby cast an entreating look to Scorp's mum, hoping she'd relent. Because he really, really wanted Scorp to spend the night.

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Scorpius watched as his mother's lips purse in thought, looking between Scorpius, Albus, and Albus's mother. "Well," she said slowly, "we certainly don't have any plans tomorrow morning..." she left that statement hanging and looked back at her son, the wry twist of her lips her sign to Scorpius that she knew exactly what was going on and was trying to decide whether or not to let her son get away with it. Then she looked toward Alby, who had his best pleading expression on his face, and then looked back at her son again.

"Please, Mum" Scorpius mouthed silently, promising himself that if his mother let him stay the night, he would behave himself and be reasonable for the rest of the holidays. After all, there wasn't a really good reason for why he should go home, other than the fact that it was slightly against decorum and a bit unmannerly of him to ask, but his body demanded it and so did Alby, and who was he go against reason like that?

Finally, Scorpius's mother sighed. "If it's really no trouble for you, Ginny, I'm willing to pick up Scorpius in the morning."

Scorpius turned to Alby and grinned with joy. "Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Mrs. Potter," he said. "I really will do my best not to be underfoot."

"All right then," Scorpius's mother said, shaking her head a bit as she glanced at both boys, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, shouldn't you go downstairs to at least say goodnight to your father and your sister? Delphina's got the present you bought for Alby still under her shrinking spell doesn't she? You should get that taken care of before we leave."

Scorpius felt himself pale a bit as his mother said those words, realizing that he was still not entirely in a condition where he would be able to get up walk. He shot a look toward Alby, who he also knew should not be moving from the bed for at least a few minutes. "Sure," he said hesitantly.

Scorpius rose from the bed, quickly pulling his shirt down as far as it would go. He glanced down quickly, glad that his jumper wasn't so tight as some of the ones his Grandma Cissy had given him in previous years. Scorpius's and Alby's mothers both left the doorway and made their way down the stairs once again, and Scorpius looked back at Alby, wondering if he was going to follow or just stay in his room.

[OOC: Hahaha, I totally did not mean for Scorp and Alby to have to get up and say goodbye to the rest of the guests but...hey. D: It's manners. XD I think they might have to jump through a few more hoops before it's really bedtime and they'll be left alone. D: Sorry.]

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Alby's heart pounded as his hopes rose - no plans for tomorrow was good, very good... Finally Scorp's Mum agreed, and Alby's face split into a wide grin. He nodded as Scorp thanked both their mums, adding his own "Thanks!" in as well. He glanced at Scorp, grinning, thinking maybe now they might be left alone to finish -

But he didn't even get to finish that thought before Scorp's mother went on, saying that he should go downstairs and bid the rest of his family goodbye, as well as ask Delphina to un-shrink Alby's Christmas present. Alby glanced over to his boyfriend a bit worriedly - if his own still-aroused condition was anything to go by, neither of them should be getting up to bid anyone goodnight. But it was something they'd have to do if they were going to remain clear of suspicion he realized, even as Scorp slid carefully off the bed, pulling at his shirt a bit.

"We'll be down in a moment," Alby promised; both mothers preceded them down the stairs and Alby glanced over at Scorp, grimacing a bit. "If you have to go down, I guess I should too..." He ought to say goodbye to his uncle, aunt, and cousin, he realized; besides, he wasn't about to let Scorp trudge his way uncomfortably downstairs while Alby sat here safely in his room. That wasn't fair.

He glanced over at Scorp, thinking his arousal wasn't too obvious, as long as no one was looking for it. He glanced down at himself as he slid carefully off the bed, hoping it was the same - he squirmed a bit, but there really was no getting comfortable. At least his pants were relatively loose and it didn't look much like he was as hard as he felt...

He headed for the open door, glancing to Scorp, hoping they could say their goodbyes and goodnights quickly and be left alone.

[OOC: XD Sounds good~ As soon as the Malfoys leave, the Potters will pull out a sleeping bag for Scorp and give them the "rules" before letting them go to bed~ XD]

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Scorpius gave his boyfriend a look over, and tug down his jumper a little more, trying to keep his hand from lingering or wandering. He looked down at himself again, just to be sure. "I think we'll be all right," he said finally, though wasn't too certain of that. He hoped that neither his sister nor Alby's brother would notice--and if they did, hopefully they had the maturity in them not to make any comments.

"Well, it seems as if Scorpius is going to be staying the night," Scorpius heard his mother say as he descended the stairs after her.

"Really?" Scorpius's heard his dad say. He winced. The first thing he saw when he arrived in the entryway was his father, staring right at him. He seemed a lot more sober than the last time Scorpius had seen him; most of the effects of the veritaserum had probably worn off by now. Still, beneath his father's penetrating gaze, Scorpius wanted nothing more than to grab Alby, run back upstairs, shut the door, and not come back out again.

He bid everyone a hasty goodbye, giving his family and the Weasleys hugs while trying his best not to hold his father's gaze for too long. He was only a few inches off from his father's height, but somehow every time he looked at his dad he felt much shorter.

"G'night, Dad," Scorpius said, giving his father a quick hug.

"Goodnight, son," replied Draco, whose tone might as well have meant, 'we'll need to have a talk when you get home.' Scorpius glanced uncertainly at his father, whose expression was very stern and told him that had he had a say in the decision-making, Scorpius would most certainly be returning to the Manor for the night.

Delphina shot Scorpius a giant grin as he fished in his pocket for Alby's shrunken present. A flick of her wand popped it out to its normal size, and as she tucked her wand back into the folds of her dress she gave him a hug and said to him quietly, "Have a good night, little brother," her voice laced with heavy innuendo.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, 'night, Delphina."

The Malfoys and their friends, the Weasleys left without much more ado, Scorpius's mum assuring that Potters that she would be back by ten o'clock the next morning, to pick up Scorpius. Giving his family a final wave, Scorpius heaved a mental sigh of relief that the night had passed with minimal disaster, and he was left with the rest of the Potter family, standing in the entryway with a his jumper pulled low and his present to Alby in one hand.

[OOC: Hahaha, they totally weren't fooling anyone with their 'we're playing chess, really' thing. XD ~<3 Oh, those boys. And their shenanigans. X3]

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Scorp's dad didn't sound so convinced, Alby thought, but at least he wasn't arguing. And while Delphina was giving Scorp a look as she un-shrunk what must be Alby's Christmas gift, at least she wasn't saying anything. James was thankfully not in the foyer, so Alby didn't have to worry about possibly needing to death-glaring him into silence. Then again, Alby had covered for James a fair few times in the past. He could only hope that his brother would remember that, in the future.

He gave his aunt and uncle a quick hug, grinning as Uncle George ruffled his hair and winked; he shook hands with Freddy, who was grinning as well (though that wasn't unusual) and watched as his aunt bid Scorp's mum farewell and the Weasleys stepped out over the threshold and made their way down to the lane where they could apparate home. The Malfoys followed soon after, Alby averting his eyes from Scorp's dad while still trying to look pleasant as he thanked them for coming, and for letting their son spend the night.

As his parents closed the door, finally, Ginny glanced down at the two boys. "All right - you go to James and find Scorpius something to sleep in," she said, in a voice that, while pleasant, brooked no arguments. "I'll send your father up in a few minutes with a sleeping bag and some pillows."

Alby nodded, taking Scorp's hand and heading for James' room; the door was slightly open and he knocked, waiting for his brother's head to appear before pushing his way inside like he normally might have. James took one look at them and made a face; Alby flushed. "Mum sent me to ask for something for Scorp to sleep in," he muttered, trying to pretend like nothing was wrong. Even if his parents couldn't tell, it was obvious his brother could. Alby shifted from foot to foot, glaring at his brother from beneath dark fringe.

"Bloody hell, you two are disgusting," James muttered - albeit quietly - and went to his dresser to dig through his drawers, pulling out a well-worn and faded old Chudley Cannons shirt. "Keep it," he said, tossing it to Scorp, then glanced back at Alby. "I better not hear anything."

Alby nearly growled, trying to glare harder. "You won't, you big git," he insisted, tugging at Scorp again as they left the room.

"Just remember, Dad gets up early," James called after them; Alby glanced back, the expression on his brother's face still fairly disgusted, but tinged with understanding. He nodded, gaze softening, as he and Scorp disappeared into Alby's room once more.

[OOC: XD Nope, not really fooling anyone - least of all James. ::dies:: That got a bit long, so Harry will show up next tag; I suppose they can change and brush their teeth first. :D;]

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Scorpius thanked Alby's mum once again for letting him stay the night, and she simply nodded, a smile on her face. It was very nice that she had mentioned a sleeping bag, because for a second there, Scorpius had been afraid that they might have mentioned something about a guest room, and that would have made the rest of the night twice as complicated as he'd hoped.

Scorpius did his best to off to the side as Alby dragged him to James' room. They'd spent some time together doing detentions and they'd both hated every minute of it. Not usually given to violent impulses, Scorpius nevertheless thought that if there was one person who needed and deserved a punch in the face, it was James, no long and short about it. He caught James' old Chudley Cannons shirt, trying not to think too hard about having to put on something that had James had worn once. At least it was clean.

His erection had softened considerably by the time he made his way back to Alby's room, but it was threatening to come back with a vengeance as he and Alby changed into their pyjamas. Scorpius rolled his eyes, exasperated by his own body. For Merlin's sake, Alby's dad was supposed to come upstairs with the sleeping bag soon. Scorpius did his best not to think about Alby, his body, or what he wanted to do with Alby's body for the rest of the night, but mostly failed because it was hard not to Alby in all sorts of compromising positions when he was taking of his shirt right in front of him.

Scorpius went over and wrapped an arm around Alby's waist, pressing a kiss to his cheek quickly. "You are so unbelievably sexy," Scorpius whispered with a grin, and to take his mind off Alby's sexiness before his body betrayed him again, Scorpius handed him his Christmas present. "Happy Christmas, Alby."

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Alby somewhat doubted that - he wasn't anything approaching sexy, he was sure. Especially not when compared to Scorp - who was indeed sexy, the back of Alby's mind chimed in, ever-so-helpfully. He tried not to come up with the myriad reasons it was true and instead glanced down at the package Scorp had just handed him, looking over to his boyfriend with a grin.

"Wait - wait, I can't open it 'till you have yours!" he insisted, giving Scorp a quick kiss beneath his nearest ear and slipping out of his grasp, setting the gift on the bed carefully before he fell to the floor and wriggled his way partway beneath it, pushing aside a few boxes and books to get at the present he'd hidden at the back, near the wall. He pulled it out, dusting it off a little, and turned to present it to Scorpius with a grin. "Happy Christmas to you, too," he said cheerily, sinking onto the edge of his bed and picking up the package, casting one more glance up before tearing into it carefully, the grin widening as he saw the scarf carefully folded within the paper. He picked it up, running his hands over it, marveling at how soft it was, before he tossed it around his neck, laughing.

"It's great! You have to open yours too!" he insisted, hoping Scorp would like the book he'd picked out. It was a history, but every time he'd seen it on Aunt Hermione's shelf he'd thought of Scorp, so Alby hoped he would like it...


[OOC: It is a scarf, right? XD;;; I hope I got that right. ::facepalm::]

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Scorpius was a bit nervous as Alby squirmed beneath the bed, giving him a full view of his arse, which was calling out to Scorpius to grab. He managed to control himself by closing his eyes momentarily and taking a deep breath. When he opened them again Alby was just emerging, and he was still nervous and only slightly less aroused.

Scorpius had never been good at giving gifts, and he felt especially inadequate when it came to giving something to Alby, because everything and nothing seemed right. He'd finally settled on a scarf with considerable prodding from Delphina, who'd insisted it was the perfect present. It was a nondescript shade of black, made partly of wool and partly of something else that was charmed to be fluffy, and as the saleswitch had assured him, was the softest and warmest scarf ever to be sold in London, and would look rather fetching on anyone to boot. Scorpius had been skeptical of the sales pitch, but ended up buying it anyway because he liked the mental image of something soft, fluffy, and warm wrapped around Alby. Of course in that image, it was the only thing Alby was wearing.

"Thanks, Alby," Scorpius said with a smile, accepting the gift and settling down on the bed with it in his lap. It was large, rectangular, and very heavy.

Scorpius watched, still anxious as Alby unwrapped his gift, hoping that Alby would genuinely like it. Was it too generic? Was it too...stupid? Would Alby still like his own scarves better? But then Alby laughed and tossed the scarf around his neck, grinning like a maniac. Scorpius let out a breath of relief. Alby liked it.

With an idea of what it could be, Scorpius opened his present carefully like he usually did, nevermind that what he really wanted to do was to dig into the wrapping and tear it off like his sister did with all her gift wrappings. He meticulously untied the ribbons and gingerly eased his fingers beneath the sellotape at one end. Finally he slid off the paper and there, in his lap, was an old, yellowed, and careworn copy of Hogwarts: A History.

Scorpius stared, his eyes wide, his mouths slightly open. "I can't believe you found this," Scorpius said, running his fingers over the leather-bound cover with its worn, gold-gilt letters. He opened the book and there, in the corner of the very first page, written in faded ink and the neatest and most fastidious script he had ever seen, was the name 'Hermione Granger.'

"Oh, Alby," Scorpius breathed, running his fingers across the pages of the book, "I love it. Thank you." He sat there for a moment more, staring at the book in his lap, which was the best present he had ever received in his life. He could not believe that Alby had given him one of his aunt's old books, which she must have read often if the scratches in the cover and the dents at the corner said anything. And he was, in the home of Harry Potter, holding a real piece of history on his lap. It was suddenly as if Alby had hugged him and dragged him to be a part his family, the large circle of Potter and Weasleys when he, as a Malfoy, had always felt a little awkward and unwanted in their presence. Scorpius didn't know whether or not Alby had meant it as gesture, or whether he'd merely thought that Scorpius might enjoy the book, but nevertheless it meant a lot him.

"There must be so much written in here," Scorpius said wondrously, flipping through the pages a bit and skimming a few sentences before putting it down and practically tackling his boyfriend to the bed, pressing--in quick succession--short and soft kisses to his lips.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Scorpius said, punctuating each of his thanks with a kiss. "I love it!" he said, feeling absolutely happy, absolutely thrilled. Scorpius paused and smiled, more content that he'd ever remembered feeling. "Happy Christmas, Alby," he said softly, a little more seriously, and was bending down for another kiss when he heard a soft knock at the door.

[OOC: D: I have no idea what exactly you intended to give Scorp, so I just made it up. *hides* ^^;;

And that is totally Harry on the other side of the door almost catching his son and his boyfriend sharing a moment. XD]