The dormitory door opened with a bang. Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter sprang apart.

"Are you two at it again?" groaned Karl Jenkins, entering the room followed by their other two roommates.

"Sorry." Scorpius rubbed a hand over his kiss-swollen lips, embarrassed.

"You could knock," said Albus tartly.

"I shouldn't have to knock before going into my own room," Jenkins huffed.

Helias Zabini rolled his eyes. "Can't you two find someplace else to do that?"

"It's our room, too," grumbled Albus. "Anyway, we were just kissing."

"For now," said Zabini darkly. "Who knows what we'll walk in on one of these days?"

Scorpius's face grew hot. He glanced sidelong at Albus, who had gone a dull red. On a few occasions in recent weeks, things had grown heated between them. If their roommates had not also decided to remain at Hogwarts over the Easter holiday to study for OWLs, their relationship might already have progressed beyond kissing.

Jenkins made a disgusted face. "If it ever comes to that, I might be into a Forgetting charm. Are you two quite finished? It's almost time for supper, and I'd like to keep what I have left of my appetite."

"Supper?" Scorpius exclaimed, glancing at the clock in dismay. "But we were supposed to be revising for History of Magic this afternoon!"

"Oops," said Albus, without contrition. "I guess we got a little distracted."

"At this rate, you'll fail all your OWLs and have to stay back a year," Jenkins sneered. "Then you'll be someone else's problem."

Albus scowled. "Maybe if I hex your eyes shut, you won't have to worry about seeing anything as horrifying as two blokes kissing ever again."

"I'd like to see you try it, Squib," spat Jenkins.

"That's enough, Jenkins, Potter." Rhys Selwyn gave them a quelling look. As a prefect, he took his duty of keeping the peace between his roommates seriously. "You could always revise with us in the library, you know," he suggested. "Then we'll be there to give you a nudge, if it seems like you're getting ... distracted."

Albus and Jenkins looked disgruntled, and Zabini looked sceptical, but Scorpius jumped at the offer with relief. He hated confrontation.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," he said gratefully. "Thanks."

Albus was less pleased than Scorpius at the prospect of studying with their roommates in the library, but at Scorpius's insistence, he agreed to accompany them the following afternoon.

In spite of the holidays, dozens of students crowded the study tables, feverishly revising for OWLs or NEWTs.

Albus tried, for Scorpius's sake, but it was difficult to keep his mind on his work. The rustle of turning pages, the scratch of quills on parchment, the creak of chairs as people shifted to find more comfortable positions, the tap of shoes on the floor, back and forth from the shelves, the yawns, the coughs, the sneezes, and the sighs - to say nothing of the narrow gaze of Madam Pince, the elderly Hogwarts librarian - all conspired to create an atmosphere of constant distraction that Albus could not seem to shut out.

But the biggest distraction was Scorpius. Albus's eyes kept wandering back to him. Every now and then, their knees would touch, or their feet would nudge one another under the table. Albus kept stealing glances at his boyfriend from under his fringe, and found his attention arrested by the curve of his lips, softly parted as he read, the pointed shape of his nose, the sweep of pale eyelashes against his cheek.

Albus shook himself, dragging his gaze back to the notes in front of him. What had he been reading about? Potions? Transfiguration? No, Herbology. With determination, Albus fixed his eyes on the words, only to find his attention sliding away again a moment later.

After three quarters of an hour of trying and failing to absorb anything about the properties of screechsnap, Albus kicked Scorpius under the table.

His boyfriend jumped and looked up.

I'm going, Albus mouthed at him, standing up and inclining his head toward the library door.

Scorpius's lips pressed together, and he glanced at their roommates, torn. Then he sighed and began stuffing books and notes into his bag.

"You off already?" asked Selwyn, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," said Albus. "It's too noisy in here. I can't concentrate."

"More like you can't keep your hands off each other for five minutes," Jenkins smirked, accepting a galleon from Zabini. "Told you they wouldn't last an hour."

"That's enough chatter," barked Madam Pince, peering around nearsightedly for the source of the whispered conversation. "If you want to talk, take it outside."

Albus swallowed a snarky retort, and settled for giving Jenkins an icy glare instead, before walking out, Scorpius hurrying after him.

In the deserted corridor, Albus pushed Scorpius up against the wall, nuzzling his throat.

"That was pure torture," he muttered. "Let's never do that again."

Scorpius's arms enfolded Albus, and he surrendered himself to be kissed for a moment.

"We can't keep doing this, you know," he said at last, pulling away regretfully.

"Why not?" asked Albus, trying to capture his lips again. "I like doing this. Why would I want to study boring old Potions or Herbology, when I could be studying you?"

Scorpius sighed. "Because Jenkins is right; OWLs are only a few weeks away, and if we keep on like this, we could fail everything."

"Sod Jenkins," grumbled Albus. "What does he know? You're clever enough to be a Ravenclaw."

"And you're as loyal as any Hufflepuff," said Scorpius fondly, capturing Albus's hands. "C'mon. Let's go back to the dormitory."

Albus grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"To study," Scorpius warned him. "Not to snog."

"Not even a little bit?" pouted Albus, batting his eyelashes absurdly.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, laughing. "We'll see."

Back in their room, Scorpius sat down on Albus's bed, taking his books and notes out of his bag.

"We are going to study," he announced with grim determination. "Both of us. And we are not going to think about snogging for at least an hour."

"I dunno about you, but I have a hard time not thinking about snogging when you're around," said Albus, climbing onto the bed beside him and resting his hand on Scorpius's knee.

Scorpius picked up the hand and moved it onto the bed. "We'll just have to be disciplined. We can snog later."

"All right," sighed Albus, taking out his own books.

Less than half an hour passed before Scorpius became aware of Albus, gazing longingly at him over his Potions text. Stiffening his resolve, he tried to ignore the look.

Albus reached out and ran a finger along the back of Scorpius's hand. "Can we take a break?" he begged. "Just for a few minutes?"

Scorpius gave his boyfriend an exasperated look. "That's how long our 'break' yesterday was meant to last. Snogging isn't going to be on any of the exams, you know."

"Pity," grinned Albus. "I'd probably get an O on that one."

Scorpius could not hide a smile. "I'd give you one for sure."

"What if we timed it?" suggested Albus. "Five minutes, and then straight back to revising?"

Scorpius sighed. "It's not that I don't want to. I do. I love kissing you. You know that. If it were up to me, I'd do it all the time. But right now, OWLs are more important. Snogging has to wait."

Albus rested his cheek on Scorpius's knee, pouting. "I know. It's just so hard to concentrate when my gorgeous boyfriend and his lips are right there."

"If I'm too much of a temptation, maybe I should go study on my own bed. With the curtains drawn."

"It'll be all dark and stuffy," Albus objected.

Scorpius shrugged. "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, if it will help my gorgeous boyfriend pass his OWLs."

"No, don't go," said Albus, fingers closing around Scorpius's. "I'll try to do better. Promise."

Scorpius frowned, considering. "Maybe we should set some rules, to help us focus."

"Like what?"

Scorpius thought for a moment. "What if we used kissing as an incentive? We'll set revising goals, and when we finish them, we're allowed to snog for a few minutes. No more than five. And only if we both achieve our goals. That way we'll have incentive to encourage each other to stay on task."

"Nerd," said Albus, rolling his eyes.

"If you think it won't work, I can always find somewhere else to study," Scorpius reminded him.

"No," said Albus quickly. "No, we can try it."

"And -" Scorpius continued hesitantly, "- I think we maybe ought to make a rule about not snogging in front of our roommates."

Albus frowned. "We're not doing anything wrong."

"I know," said Scorpius, "but it's probably awkward sharing a room with two people who are making out with each other all the time. We have to live with them for two more years, you know."

Albus relented. "All right. No snogging in the dormitory when they're around. Or in the common room. Or at meals. Or between lessons. But I'm not going to pretend like you're not my boyfriend, just to make them feel more comfortable. They have to get used to the idea that we're together now."

Scorpius smiled and squeezed Albus's hand. "I wouldn't want to pretend that you're not my boyfriend, either. I wouldn't know how, for one thing. So ... revising goals? I'm going to read two chapters of Charms."

Albus looked down at his scattered books and notes. "I'm going to ... go over my notes for the Transfiguration unit on Vanishing objects," he grinned. "And then I'm going to practice Vanishing Jenkins' smelly socks that he's left all over the floor. Maybe that will teach him to pick up after himself."

Scorpius laughed. "I'm so pleased to see you putting your education to good use. Let's get to it, then." He leaned in and gave Albus a brief kiss. "No distractions."

"No distractions," agreed Albus.

Their new system was not uniformly successful, but it worked well enough. Some revising was accomplished, and they received fewer pointed comments from their roommates.

Albus was not sure whether it was his mind playing tricks on him, but the time he spent with his arms around Scorpius, giving and receiving their rewards for good behaviour, seemed even sweeter than usual.

If their roommates were present when they closed their books, they would catch each other's eye and ask, "Want to go for a walk?" Then they would find some quiet, deserted corner of the castle in which to kiss for a few exhilarating minutes. When the Easter holidays ended, and the rest of the students returned to Hogwarts, finding privacy became more difficult, but they managed.

Though the hours of study seemed to Albus to crawl by with agonising slowness, OWLs approached with the alarming speed of an oncoming train. April ended, and May flew by. The days grew warm and long. Before they knew it, Albus and Scorpius were sitting their first exams, clasping each other's sweaty, nervous hands, and trying to find a private corner for a brief good luck kiss before each one.

The hardest part, though, was when each OWL was finished. Albus wanted to celebrate having one less thing to worry about, while Scorpius agonised over the marks they could expect. They could not spare more than a few brief moments for relieved snogging before turning their attention to the next exam.

The two week exam period passed in a whirlwind of nerves and exhaustion. When at last they stumbled out of the castle, dazed and blinking, into the bright June sunlight after their last OWL, Albus could hardly believe the ordeal was over.

"D'you think you did OK?" Scorpius asked, as they wandered down to the lake, hand in hand.

"I don't want to think about it," said Albus, shaking his head. "It's over. That's all I care about right now."

Scorpius squeezed his hand, raising an eyebrow. "All you care about?"

A slow smile bloomed over Albus's face, and he ducked his head. "No. There are some things I care about more."

"You could tell me about them," suggested Scorpius, pulling him down onto the grass in the shade of a tree that grew beside the lake.

"Better yet, I could show you."

Albus folded an arm around Scorpius and pulled him close for a joyful, lingering kiss.

Scorpius laughed against his lips. "So, what I'm getting from this is that you care about kissing."

"I care about you, you enormous dork," said Albus. "I love you."

He was rewarded with another kiss. "I love you, too."

With exams behind him, Albus felt light and free, as if all his troubles had fallen away. Nothing in the world mattered except being with the boy he loved. He finally had the time and the liberty to kiss Scorpius as much as he wanted. Or as much as Scorpius would let him.

"People are staring," muttered Scorpius, pulling away.

"Let them stare," said Albus, kissing him between pale eyebrows. "We have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know that," said Scorpius uncomfortably, "but I don't like being a public spectacle, either."

"Everyone knows we're going out," Albus reminded him. "It's not like it's a secret."

Scorpius made a face. "Yeah. It's just - maybe there's a difference for them, between knowing a thing and seeing it. It's not like the whole world has completely accepted that two blokes snogging is a normal thing. They don't stare at Zabini and Huang when they snog, and they do it all the time."

"The only way they're ever going to get used to it is if they see it," huffed Albus.

"Yeah, I know," said Scorpius. "It would just be nice to have some privacy, and not be stared at all the time. It's hard to relax and enjoy being with my boyfriend, with everyone looking and us like we're some kind of strange insects."

"I don't really want to put on a show for their benefit, either," admitted Albus. "But I don't want to hide from them. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that it doesn't matter what they think."

"It matters what some people think," Scorpius said quietly, looking down at their linked hands.

Albus gazed at his boyfriend's downturned face with sympathy. "Is this about your dad? Have you thought any more about coming out to him?"

Scorpius shrugged. "A bit. Things have been weird. Since Mum died. He tries to talk to me sometimes, but I never know what to say, and I don't think he really does either. How do I tell him about something like this? It's not just that I'm bisexual or that I'm dating a bloke; my dad and your dad hated each other when they were our age. They fought on different sides of a war. He's accepted that we're friends - I think he's relieved that I have any friends at all - but boyfriends?"

"I know," Albus said solemnly. "Can you imagine the look on his face when you tell him?"

Scorpius snorted, then he began to laugh. "Oh, Merlin!" he said helplessly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

The two boys collapsed in a giggling heap on the grass.

"I wish I'd been able to see my dad's face, when he found out," chuckled Albus, threading his fingers through Scorpius's cornsilk hair as he stretched out on his back.

There had been no question about Albus coming out to his family, once he and Scorpius had gone public with their relationship. Not with two siblings and a gaggle of cousins at Hogwarts. Word had reached his parents the day after they had first been spotted holding hands in Hogsmeade.

"Well, you have queer cousins," Scorpius pointed out, resting his cheek on Albus's chest. "I don't supposed they'll make too much of a fuss. And you have a brother and sister. It's not like they're counting on you for an heir."

Albus winced and crooked an arm behind his head so he could better see Scorpius's face. "Did your dad actually say that?"

"No. Not exactly. It's just - there's only the two of us, aren't there? There are no more Malfoys after me, if I don't do something about it. Dad told Mum that he didn't care if the Malfoy line ended with him, but that was different. He was afraid of losing her. Having kids wouldn't exactly put me at risk."

"It shouldn't have to be your responsibility," Albus frowned. "Your dad's not that old. If he wants more Malfoys, he can get married again, and make them himself."

"Yeah, I guess," mumbled Scorpius uncomfortably. "So how're things with your dad?"

"Better," Albus admitted. "I mean, I know he's had a hard time of it. He never really got to be a kid. But he's been seeing a therapist since last year, and I think it's helping."

"What's a therapist?" asked Scorpius, frowning.

"It's a Muggle thing," Albus explained. "Like a healer for your mind, for when you've been through a lot of difficult stuff. You talk to them, and they help you work things out and feel better."

"That sounds like it could be useful," admitted Scorpius. "But if they're a Muggle, how can your dad tell them anything? I mean, Muggles don't know anything about us, do they?"

"They do if they're related to a wizard," Albus pointed out. "There are loads of Muggleborn wizards. Dad's therapist is the sister of one of his and Mum's old school friends. As soon as they found out about her, Mum and Aunt Hermione ganged up on Dad and made him go talk to her."

Albus decided not to mention that he, too, had spoken to Durri Thomas on a few occasions. He still suffered from nightmares of standing helplessly by while Scorpius was tortured, sometimes waking in a cold sweat with screams still echoing in his ears. Talking with the therapist had helped somewhat.

"Well, it sounds way better than the wizard way of dealing with things," said Scorpius. "Maybe those Muggles are onto something."

Albus nodded. Wizards usually dealt with trauma either by undergoing memory modification, taking nerve-calming potions - which were often highly addictive - or by bottling it up until it exploded out of them in a wave of destructive accidental magic.

"Maybe talking to a therapist would help your dad," suggested Albus.

Scorpius laughed. "I can't imagine Dad ever telling a Muggle personal things."

"Then maybe you should try telling each other personal things," said Albus pointedly.

Scorpius looked uncomfortable. "I'm going to tell him," he promised. "Really, I will. Soon. I don't want to hide this, or keep it secret. I want everyone to know how I feel about you."

He grasped Albus's hand and brought his fingers to his lips, kissing them fervently.

"I know," said Albus huskily, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. "You know I feel the same. D'you want me to be there when you tell him?"

The corner of Scorpius's mouth turned up. "Not just to see the look on his face?"

Albus could not help grinning. "Not just. Anyway, I want to spend loads of time with you this summer, making up for all the snogging we've missed out on during OWLs."

"Same," said Scorpius.

He moved closer to give Albus a thorough example of what he meant, then rested his chin on Albus's chest with a sigh.

"Are people still watching?" Albus asked, fingers straying idly across the back of Scorpius's neck.

Scorpius glanced around. "A few."

His gaze settled on something outside Albus's field of vision, and he frowned.

"What is it?"

"I've just had a thought. You know the Whomping Willow?"

Albus tilted his head back, to look at the tree upside down. "What about it?"

"Well, when I was in the - the Darkest Timeline -" he said slowly, referring to the world he had visited, where Voldemort reigned and Albus's family did not exist, "- there was this secret room underneath the Whomping Willow, with its entrance right between the roots. That was where Snape and your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron had their resistance base."

Albus shrugged off the cold feeling he always got when he thought of Scorpius, alone in that reality. "So?"

"So - d'you think that room exists in this world, too?"

"Sure," said Albus. "Or, not a room, exactly. There's a secret passage. It leads to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. You know my godbrother Teddy's dad was a werewolf? That was where he went every full moon to transform, while he was at Hogwarts."

"Oh." Scorpius stared at the tree with increased interest. "I knew Cousin Teddy's dad was a werewolf, but I guess I never really thought about how that all worked. D'you think we could have a look?"

Albus snorted. "The tree would clobber us, and I don't fancy celebrating the end of OWLs with broken bones. I've had enough of that kind of excitement and adventure for one lifetime."

"I know how to stop it," said Scorpius. "At least, I do if it's the same as in the other reality. I saw how Snape did it."

Albus frowned, considering. "If people are watching us now, they're definitely going to notice if we climb into a hole under the Whomping Willow."

"We could sneak out at night," suggested Scorpius. "Or - what about your brother's cloak?"

"You know what James would do to me if I tried to pinch his cloak?" Albus laughed. "Forget failing my OWLs; I wouldn't live to see Hogwarts next year."

"Oh," said Scorpius, looking disappointed. "I just thought - maybe it's a place we could go to have a little privacy."

Albus hesitated. Privacy with Scorpius was a tempting thought. Perhaps even worth risking his brother's wrath.

"Let me think about it." He raised his head to kiss Scorpius on the nose. "In the meantime, I think it's time for lunch."

Hungry though he was, Albus barely noticed his food. His mind was busy working on how to get Scorpius alone in the Shrieking Shack, where they would have the privacy and freedom to snog as much as they wanted, without any interruptions.

Sneaking out at night meant getting past their roommates. Selwyn might be a decent bloke, but as a prefect, he would feel honour-bound to report their absence to Professor Travers, the head of Slytherin. No one had forgotten what happened the last time Albus and Scorpius went missing from their beds.

Breaking into the Shrieking Shack by day meant using James's Invisibility Cloak. Albus could not imagine his brother agreeing to let them borrow it, and he could not sneak in to Gryffindor himself to steal it. Just because he had numerous Gryffindor relatives did not mean they would give him free run of the place if he showed up.

Craning his neck, Albus caught sight of wild, bright red hair at the Gryffindor table. His fourteen-year-old sister, Lily.

"I'll be right back," he muttered to Scorpius, sliding off the Slytherin bench.

Sidling over, Albus crouched down beside his sister, shouldering one of her friends rudely aside. "Hey, Lils. Can I talk to you in private for a minute?

She looked him over narrowly. "Sure."

"I need a favour," he told her, once they were in the Entrance Hall.

"What sort of favour?" she asked suspiciously.

"I need to borrow James's cloak."

"You mean, you want me to pinch it for you."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Just for the afternoon. He probably won't even notice it's gone. I'll bet you've 'borrowed' it before."

Lily had the grace to blush, but she did not give in so easily. "What do I get out of it?"

Albus thought for a moment. "What's the band you like? The one Mum and Dad say you're too young to go see with your friends, unsupervised?"

"The Manic Pixie Dream Goblins," said Lily immediately. "Why?"

"If you get me the cloak, I'll go with you to the show, and I'll leave you and your friends alone until it's time to go home."

She scowled at him, gauging his sincerity, then nodded. "All right. But I'll have to get it now, while James is at lunch. Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten minutes."

Albus wandered out the enormous, heavy doors onto the castle steps, and looked across the grounds to where the Whomping Willow swayed menacingly in the sunlight. He hoped Scorpius really did know how to calm it, or they were in for an unpleasant second half of their day.

Going back inside, he climbed the great staircase toward Gryffindor Tower. Lily was waiting for him at the top of the steps with her school satchel in her arms.

"Here," she said, shoving the bag it into his hands. "But if you back out of the Goblins gig, I'll tell James you used it to do things with your boyfriend. Oh, and you're buying your own ticket. And mine."

"Fine," grumbled Albus.

He found Scorpius in the Entrance Hall, just as lunch was finishing up.

"Where've you been?" his boyfriend asked.

Albus gave him a secretive smile. "Getting you a present."

Scorpius cocked his head curiously. "A present? What kind of present?"

"Wait and see," grinned Albus. "Over here."

They leaned against the wall beside the great staircase, trying to look nonchalant as the Entrance Hall emptied. The moment the last echoing footsteps died away, Albus opened the door to a broom cupboard and ducked inside, pulling Scorpius after him. Lighting his wand so that they could see one another, Albus pressed Lily's school satchel into Scorpius's hands.

"Open it."

Frowning, Scorpius unfastened the clasp of the bag. Light, silvery fabric slithered out over his hands.

"Oh!" cried Scorpius, eyes widening. It was the first time he had seen the cloak up close, let alone touched it.

Albus grinned. "You're sure you know how to get past the Whomping Willow?"

Scorpius nodded.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

The hardest part was making sure the cloak covered both of them completely, so that a stray shoe, walking on its own, would not catch anyone's eye as they hurried across the school grounds.

The tree's branches waved forbiddingly, as if it sensed their presence. Scorpius eyed it apprehensively. It was not safe to approach within about seven metres.

"See that big knot right at the bottom?" he said in a hushed voice. "I think we just need to hit it with a big enough rock."

"How's your aim?" muttered Albus, wary gaze still fixed on the flailing branches.

Scorpius bent to pick up a rock. "Let's find out."

The first three rocks bounced off the trunk, only enraging the tree further. Scorpius glanced around nervously. The Whomping Willow's movements were attracting some attention, but he did not think anyone was near enough to see the flying stones. The fourth stone hit the knot squarely. The tree shivered into stillness.

"C'mon." Scorpius grabbed Albus by the hand, pulling him forward. "I'm not sure how long it lasts."

The gap between the roots was easy to see, once they were close enough. Albus held the cloak up as a shield while Scorpius dropped down into the dark space below, then quickly followed, as the tree's branches began to stir back into life.

They landed on a hard-packed earthen floor, a low, narrow passage stretching away from them into the darkness.

Scorpius lit his wand, joking to cover his nerves. "No werewolves here now. Shall we check it out?"

They had to bend almost double, giggling and hurrying along at a crouching run, to avoid bumping their heads on the low ceiling. The passage seemed to go on forever, with numerous twists and turns, before it sloped upwards once more. Scorpius saw a faint light ahead, and reached for Albus's hand, pulling him along faster.

The passage ended in a blank dirt wall with a hole overhead. Albus pulled himself through it, and reached down a hand to draw Scorpius up after him. They found themselves standing on the warped and creaky floorboards of an abandoned and very dusty old house.

Albus and Scorpius gaped at their surroundings. Pieces of broken furniture littered the floor, and deep gouges marked the walls and floorboards. The windows were boarded up tightly, with only a little light filtering through the cracks. Scorpius eyed a dark stain on the floor, wondering whether it might be blood, but decided not to raise the possibility. The house was warm and stuffy and deathly still.

"A werewolf, huh?" said Scorpius in a hushed voice. "I can believe it, looking at this place. I wonder if we're the first people to come here since then?"

"Nah," said Albus. "Teddy used to sneak in here all the time when he was at school."

Scorpius shivered, imagining his cousin here, alone with the memory of his long-dead father.

"Are you all right?" Albus asked.

Scorpius gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah. Just thinking too much. As usual."

"Let's take a look around," Albus suggested, inclining his head toward a shadowy doorway. "There's more through there, I think."

There was little to see in the downstairs part of the house. Two large, empty rooms, a smaller space that might once have been a pantry, its door smashed to pieces and hanging from a rusty hinge, and a small closet containing a very elderly-looking toilet.

The staircase to the upper storey was splintered in places, but seemed solid enough, though the railing wobbled. They climbed gingerly to a narrow landing. Three rooms opened off the landing, none of which had doors any longer, but one of which, much to their surprise, contained a large and rather sturdy-looking brass bed.

"I guess he needed some place to sleep. Teddy's dad. When he changed back, I mean," Albus said quietly.

The bedroom had suffered even more damage than the rest of the house, but the worn and threadbare comforter that covered the bed was in surprisingly good shape, its shabby state due mainly to age and neglect.

"It's probably protected by magic," said Scorpius, "so even a werewolf couldn't wreck it. That would take a pretty powerful enchantment."

"I'll bet Dumbledore did it," said Albus, voice soft with wonder.

Scorpius wandered over to the bed and patted it experimentally, raising a musty-smelling puff of dust. They both sneezed, then laughed.

"Comfy," said Albus. "Know any anti-dust charms?"

Scorpius frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe a standard Cleaning charm would do the trick?" He pointed his wand at the bed. "Scourgify!"

When he patted it again, no more dust appeared, and the musty smell was less pronounced.

"That's better," said Albus. His face broke into a grin and he cocked his head at Scorpius. "Hey. No one is watching us now. No one knows we're here. No distractions."

"I know," said Scorpius, heart speeding up.

His mouth went dry as Albus stepped closer, arms encircling him, pulling him close for a long, slow kiss. Scorpius's mind began to race, along with his heart. They were alone. No one would even wonder where they were for hours yet. They could do whatever they wanted. Assuming Scorpius wanted to. If he felt ready. He could not be sure whether the pulse pounding in his throat was excitement or terror.

Albus must have felt Scorpius's tension. He broke the kiss, peering at him in the dim light. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Scorpius swallowed. "Just thinking too much again. You know me ..."

"Oh." Realisation dawned on Albus's face. "We don't have to - do anything. We can just snog, if you want."

"Sure," said Scorpius. "Let's - um - start with that, and see how it goes."

"OK," said Albus. "But could we maybe not stand in the middle of the room, when there's a perfectly good bed right there?"

Scorpius nodded, and let Albus lead him to the bed. They lay down facing one another, Albus's arm around Scorpius's waist.

"Is this OK?"

"This is great," said Scorpius. "But I understood there would be snogging?"

"Definitely." Albus grinned, pulling him closer and rubbing the ends of their noses together, before pressing his soft, full lips against Scorpius's.

Scorpius sighed and relaxed into the kiss, letting the magical feel of Albus's mouth wash over him. He loved kissing Albus. Thinking back, Scorpius tried to remember a time before January, when he had been able to look at his best friend without thinking about kissing him. He had thought their friendship was perfect before, but now he felt as if the love they shared had overflowed, filling in all the cracks.

"This is nice," Albus sighed, nuzzling Scorpius's shoulder.

"Yeah."

"You know what I thought about, all during exams?" said Albus.

"This?" asked Scorpius, lips brushing the shell of his ear.

Albus shivered. "Well, yes, this too. And - other things. But I actually thought a lot about how nice it would be to just - take a nap with you."

Scorpius chuckled. "And you call me a dork. But yeah, that does sound nice. Are you sleepy?"

"I dunno," said Albus. "I was exhausted all during OWLs. I thought I'd be tired when it was all over, but I don't feel tired right now."

"How do you feel?"

Albus grinned. "Good. Better than good. And hot. It's really warm in here."

"Yeah, it is." Scorpius hesitated. "We could take off our robes, if you like. I mean, I'm wearing pants under mine, so ..."

"I am, too," Albus assured him quickly. "And a vest. Would that be all right?"

Scorpius nodded.

They sat up, kicking off their shoes and socks. Scorpius pulled his robes off over his head, silently ordering his pounding heart to calm down. It was not as if Albus had never seen him in his underwear before. They had shared a room for five years. He had even seen Albus naked on a number of occasions - but not since things had changed between them.

Albus wore a vest and underwear in the close-fitting Muggle style, while Scorpius's pants were the old-fashioned type more common among pure-blood wizards: loose, knee-length linen with a drawstring closure at the waist. Scorpius thought that Albus's looked better, showing off the shape of his bottom, even in the dim light.

Albus, kneeling on the bed, caught him looking, and grinned, waggling his rear end. "Want a closer look?"

Scorpius blushed. "Maybe later."

He blushed even harder when Albus looked him over appreciatively.

"It's not as if you haven't seen it all before."

"Yeah, but I never let myself really look before, did I? You look good."

Scorpius could not help an embarrassed smile. "So do you."

Albus's grin widened and he moved closer, wrapping his arms around Scorpius once more. The bare skin of Scorpius's back tingled where Albus's hands touched him, and he shivered.

"You're not cold now, are you?" Albus murmured, lips brushing just below Scorpius's ear.

"N-no."

"Good," said Albus. "I like you like this."

The heat of the room was less oppressive without their robes. Scorpius could feel, instead, the warmth of Albus's body pressed close to his. He thought he could even feel the beat of Albus's heart, but with his own pulse galloping so wildly, it was hard to tell.

The low neckline of Albus's vest gave Scorpius an enticing glimpse of collarbone. He bent his head to kiss it before moving his lips to the fluttering pulse at the hollow of Albus's throat. Yes, it was just as fast as his own.

Albus made a soft sound, and shivered in Scorpius's arms. Scorpius stilled, breath catching in his throat.

"Don't stop," sighed Albus. "I liked it."

Entranced, Scorpius's lips blazed a trail up the side of Albus's neck, making Albus giggle and shiver some more.

"That tickles! But it's nice, too."

"D'you - want to lie down again?" Scorpius asked hesitantly.

Albus nodded, and they lay down facing one another once more, inches apart.

Albus's hand touched Scorpius's chest, tracing the sparse hairs that grew there.

"Did I know about this?" he asked.

"I dunno," said Scorpius self-consciously. "It's still pretty new to me."

"I like it."

Albus bent his head to nuzzle at the center of Scorpius's chest. It tickled, but pleasantly so.

"Um - Albus?"

"Hmm?"

"You want to ... do things. Don't you?"

Albus stilled. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Maybe."

Albus slid his palm up Scorpius's chest, feeling the wild beat of his heart.

"Are you scared?" Albus asked.

"Yeah. A little. Maybe more than a little," Scorpius admitted.

"Me, too," said Albus.

"Oh."

Somehow, knowing that Albus was afraid, too, made Scorpius feel better. Perhaps he was not such a coward after all.

"I won't do anything unless you say it's OK," said Albus, "but - I like it when you touch me."

"That's good," said Scorpius. "Because I like touching you."

He found Albus's mouth again, and kissed him. His arm circled Albus's waist, pulling him closer, and he felt Albus melt against him. Scorpius's fingers found the hem of his vest, and teased their way under it, touching the warm, damp skin of Albus's back. He brushed his fingers along the curved path of Albus's spine, and Albus made a soft sound that sent a shiver through Scorpius's belly. Letting his hand drift back downwards, he cupped the delightfully rounded shape of Albus's arse, and gave it a tentative squeeze.

"Mmm," sighed Albus, moving his hips against Scorpius's thigh.

Scorpius let out a shaky breath, feeling the hard shape between Albus's legs rub against him. For a moment, Scorpius forgot his fear. There was room in him only for the wonder and excitement of the moment - of being with Albus, the boy who loved and trusted him more than anyone else in all the world, and doing things that felt good for both of them.

Releasing Albus's mouth, Scorpius focused his attention and his lips on the sensitive places of Albus's ears, neck, and throat, delighting in the soft little gasping sounds Albus made as his fingers dug into Scorpius's shoulders. The small, unconscious rhythmic movements of his hips increased.

Experimentally, Scorpius bent his head, teeth closing gently on the juncture of Albus's neck and shoulder. Albus made a choked noise, and stiffened - then pulled away.

"Sorry," said Scorpius, flushed and panting and rather stiff himself. "Was that - not OK?"

"No, it was fine," Albus said hoarsely. "But - um - maybe we should stop for a bit."

Scorpius frowned quizzically and propped himself up on an elbow, peering at Albus in the dim light. "Is everything all right?"

"It's fine," said Albus, biting his lip. "I just - I need a break, is all. To cool down. If we're not going to - you know ..." he trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Oh," said Scorpius. "Because you got hard? It's all right. I mean, I did, too. That's pretty normal when things get kind of - sexy. You think I mind you getting turned on when we kiss?"

"No," Albus mumbled. "It's just - if we keep at it much longer, I'm going to need to ... take care of things."

"You mean - you need to have a wank?"

Albus looked even more embarrassed. "Yeah."

Scorpius pressed his lips together, considering. He was enjoying touching Albus. He wanted to keep doing it, hearing all the small sounds he made when he was aroused, feeling the heat and excitement of him, as close as his own skin.

"Well, you're not going to do it in that disgusting toilet downstairs, are you? Or standing in the middle of the room. Or in the secret passageway," Scorpius reasoned, listing off the possibilities on his fingers. He summoned up all of his courage, heart hammering in his chest. "You could let me do it for you. If you wanted."

Albus's mouth dropped open. He stared at Scorpius. "What?"

"Do you," Scorpius said slowly, mouth going dry. "Want Me. To. Wank. You. Off."

Albus's mouth opened and shut a few times, his eyes round with amazement. "R-really?" he stammered.

Scorpius bit his lip, and nodded.

"I - OK," said Albus, looking dazed.

Scorpius swallowed. "OK."

Albus watched him warily as Scorpius moved closer, pressing a nervous kiss to his mouth. Scorpius's fingers hovered hesitantly over Albus's waistband.

"Y-you don't have to," said Albus.

"I want to. I want to make you feel good - to get you off."

This time, he kissed Albus with more determination. Albus returned the kiss fiercely, as if he were trying to give Scorpius some of his own courage. His hands grasped Scorpius's shoulders, pulling him closer. Scorpius's fingers slid under the hem of Albus's vest to touch the soft skin of his belly. Albus shivered.

Scorpius rested his forehead against Albus's. "Tell me if I'm doing it wrong," he whispered.

His fingers moved downwards, over the front of Albus's pants, to touch the hard shape there. Albus made a whimpering sound as Scorpius's fingers rubbed him. His own fingers tightened on Scorpius's shoulders. Finding the opening in the front of Albus's pants, Scorpius held his breath, and slipped his fingers inside.

"Oh!" gasped Albus, jerking as if a jolt of magic or electricity had touched his bare skin.

Scorpius let out the breath he was holding in a sigh of wonder. Albus's prick was hot and slightly damp between his fingertips. Growing bolder, Scorpius curled his hand around it, and found other adjectives. Firm. Thick, Silky-soft. Eager. Albus pressed himself into his palm with a whimper, and Scorpius's own cock twitched in response.

"Is this all right?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," Albus panted. "I - it feels r-really good."

Scorpius felt him gently, all over, sliding back the foreskin, running his thumb over the head, finding a bead of slickness there, and stroking it over the sensitive skin. Albus made a choked sound, gripping Scorpius's shoulders tighter. Scorpius slid his hand down and up the shaft experimentally.

The angle was awkward, and Scorpius was having to use his left hand, but once he found the rhythm of it, it did not seem to matter. Albus buried his face in the crook of Scorpius's neck, his breath coming in whimpering sobs that seemed to increase in pitch and volume with every movement of Scorpius's hand.

Scorpius was panting, too. The needy, desperate sounds Albus was making, combined with the rhythmic stroke of his hand on Albus's erection, only inches from his own, were almost too much. He buried his face in the sweat-soaked cloud of Albus's hair, and moaned.

"Ohhh," groaned Albus. "Oh! Oh, Merlin ..."

He shuddered and jerked as wetness spurted onto Scorpius's hand.

"Oh!" cried Scorpius, stiffening as his own cock pulsed in response, and he came hard in his pants.

There was a moment of stunned stillness, where the only sound was the harsh panting of their breath.

"Oh, wow," Albus rasped.

"Yeah," panted Scorpius, feeling as if his bones had melted. "Wow."

The grip on his shoulders eased, and Albus withdrew his face from the confines of Scorpius's sweaty neck.

"D'you - want me to do anything for you?" he asked shyly.

"No," admitted Scorpius. "I - I came when you did. I couldn't help it."

"Oh." Albus's eyes widened. "That's - so you liked it?"

"Yeah. I did. A lot."

Withdrawing his sticky hand from Albus's pants, Scorpius wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close, and tilting his chin up to capture Albus's mouth in a wild, messy kiss that told better than words how much he had enjoyed it.

"Did it get hotter in here, or is it just you?" Scorpius asked, when the kiss devolved into playful nuzzling.

"I thought it was you," Albus grinned. "Hotter and stickier."

"Cleanup charms," Scorpius mumbled. "Where's my wand?"

"Which one?" giggled Albus.

Scorpius snorted. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I know where that one is."

They retrieved their wands from the pockets of their robes and cleaned themselves up as best they could, which solved most of the stickiness, but did nothing for the heat.

"This is silly," said Albus. "I don't have to wear clothes around my boyfriend after he's tossed me off, do I?"

Scorpius giggled. "Not if you don't want to."

"Good," said Albus, shedding his vest and pants. He flopped back onto the bed with a sigh, naked and spreadeagled. "That's better. My bollocks were about to suffocate from the heat."

Scorpius hesitated a moment, then stripped off his own pants. He lay next to Albus, propped up on one elbow, the better to admire his naked boyfriend. Unable to resist touching him, Scorpius traced the line from Albus's navel to the small patch of springy black hair at the centre of his chest with the tip of a finger. Albus shivered and wrapped an arm around Scorpius's shoulders, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Well," said Scorpius after a moment, "we've never done that before."

"I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime," Albus grinned. "Say, in ten, fifteen minutes?"

Scorpius laughed. "I wouldn't have a problem with that."

"Are you thirsty?" Albus asked. "I am. And it's still too hot in here."

"Oh! I can fix that," said Scorpius, grabbing his wand again. "Aguamenti!"

A stream of room-temperature water struck a surprised Albus squarely in the chest.

"You tosser!" Albus yowled, leaping for his own wand.

In seconds, the two of them were laughing and firing the water charm back and forth at one another, hair and faces soaked, chests dripping, as they tried to catch the charmed liquid in their mouths. The water cooled them, and the charm drew humidity from the air, making the atmosphere in the house somewhat less muggy.

Then Scorpius aimed lower. "Aguamenti!"

Albus yelped. "You complete and utter bastard! I cannot believe you shot me in the prick!"

He threw his wand aside and pounced on Scorpius, wrestling him onto the soggy bed as they both yelled and giggled, so wet and slippery that it was hard for either of them to get a proper hold on the other. At last Albus triumphed, straddling Scorpius's hips and pinning his wrists to the bed.

Scorpius grinned up at him, panting, wet hair pasted to his forehead. "OK, you win. What happens now?"

"Now," growled Albus in mock outrage, "I snog you to within an inch of your life."

"Do your worst," laughed Scorpius as Albus descended upon him. He tilted his chin up defiantly, making it easier for his boyfriend to capture his mouth.

Albus kissed him thoroughly, everywhere he could reach.

"Do you regret your actions yet, miscreant?" he panted.

"Never!"

Regret was the furthest thing from Scorpius's mind. Albus's bare, wet skin sliding against his own felt too good for him to think about much else. When Albus slid down to plant a sucking love-bite on his shoulder, their hips aligned. Scorpius gasped as their pricks rubbed together. Instinctively, he arched up.

"Oh," mumbled Albus.

His mouth found Scorpius's, and he kissed him again, hungrily this time, pressing his hips down. Their erections slid against one another, and Scorpius whimpered into Albus's mouth. Nothing had ever felt this good or this right before. He wanted more of it. Their movements grew rhythmic, hips thrusting, hard cocks seeking friction and pressure.

They realised in the same instant what they were doing, and froze, wide eyes meeting in mirrored expressions of shock.

"This - um -" Albus panted. "What we're doing. It - it's sex, isn't it?"

"Um ... I think so," said Scorpius, biting his lip. "At least, it feels like it."

"Yeah. Is that OK?" Albus asked, eyes filling with sudden concern.

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah. I want to. With you. It's just - sudden."

"I want to with you, too," Albus said softly, thumb stroking the edge of Scorpius's jaw. "I love you."

"I know," said Scorpius, feeling as if his heart might burst. "I love you, too."

He pulled Albus down for a kiss that went on for some time. Somewhere in the midst of it, Scorpius pressed his hips upwards again, questioning, and Albus answered. They began to move together, slower this time, with intent, finding their rhythm, finding their pleasure, utterly lost in one another.

When Albus shuddered and groaned, pressing his face into Scorpius's shoulder, murmuring his name, he slid a hand between Scorpius's legs to touch him, so that they could finish together.

Afterward, lying in Albus's arms, Scorpius could not remember ever feeling so thoroughly contented, or so completely in love. Now, in this moment, his life was perfect, and he had everything he wanted. He grinned up at the wooden beams of the ceiling.

"Hey, Albus," he said.

"Hmmm?" came the sleepy reply.

"You're not going to believe what my best mate and I did today."

Albus chuckled and kissed him. "Did you take a nap together?"

Scorpius snuggled closer and closed his eyes, feeling his contentment begin the peaceful slide into sleepiness. "You know, I think maybe we did."

"That sounds like a very good idea," sighed Albus.