Title: Let the good Lord do his job and just pray for him.

Author: lj user="drarryxlover"

Prompt: Prompt #198 submitted by lj user="ships_harry"

Pairing(s): Harry/Scorpius, no real side pairings: Ron/Hermione are mentioned.

Rating: PG-13

Warning(s) : Character death before fic starts, pertinent to the fic if you must know who: Hermione.

Word Count: 5,502.

Summary: Harry, struggling to overcome the death of a close friend, turns to her Church. Who should be training to be Priest there but Scorpius Malfoy?

Notes: Thanks to lj user="icelisou68", for the quick and fantastic beta! Any mistakes are mine because I did some tweaking.

I enjoyed writing this, despite having not been to church in four years, and the last Mass I was in I fainted so... I hope that doesn't show and that you like it! Father Toby is based on my old parish priest, a different name of course. I think it may be my favourite piece that I've written for this pairing... I'll let you decide!

Looking back on this I think I may have *cough* ignored the second part of the prompt. It fit better that it was unwitting.

Prayer of the Eternal Rest (or whatever it's actually called) doesn't belong to me.

Squib!Scorpius, not really much happening in the magical world, but it's not non-magical.

Scorpius decided to become a priest at 17, spent 6 years in the seminary. He spent almost a year at the church (waiting for his Holy Orders from the Bishop -final step to becoming a Priest before the ordination ceremony). This story starts in late November. Scorpius is 23, Harry therefore is 49- turns 50 in July.

Title is misquoted from the song I'll Pray for you by Jaron and the Long Road to Love.

I think that's everything I could possibly think to say! I hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Let the good Lord do his job and just pray for him

Harry looked around the stone building; he took in the hard wooden rows of seats, the stained-glass windows depicting various people, the women's dresses and the men's suits. He took in the burning candles on the stand to his left and as the man in white started to speak Harry slid into the closest seat right at the back, away from everyone else.

The hour passed by in a blur of standing and sitting and kneeling. At one point most of the people formed lines to the front, then went back to their seats where they knelt again. There was singing and suddenly everybody was gone and Harry was alone in the Church.

A young blond boy came up to where Harry was sitting and moved to sit in the pew in front of Harry not saying anything. Harry looked the boy over: he wasn't really a boy Harry thought, more of a man though he couldn't be more than twenty-five. There was a softness about his face that appealed to Harry, something in his features made Harry want to tell him all of his secrets.

"I've not seen you here before."

"You're here often?"

The young man smiled "I'm training to be a priest, so yes, I'm here often."

"A priest" Harry's surprise was evident. "Not the average occupation."

"I had a vocation, a calling. I couldn't live in your world, Mr Potter, so I found something similar in the Muggle world."

Harry felt the colour drain from his face and he whispered hoarsely "Who are you?"

"Scorpius Malfoy." He held out his hand for Harry to shake. "I'm a squib. My father loves me but couldn't get passed that, I came here to where magic is accepted by Muggles or as close to magic as they get, through God and Jesus and miracles."

"Harry Potter," Harry said needlessly as he took Scorpius' hand.

"The people here call me Scorp, they think it's to do with my wild past."

Harry let out a soft snort, "Call me Harry, Scorpius."

"Okay, what brings you to church, Harry? It's quite a way off the beaten track, especially for a wizard."

Letting his head drop so his chin was resting on his chest, Harry sighed. "My," he hesitated, "Hermione died."

"Was Hermione your wife?"

"No, she was my best friend. One of them, married to my other best friend Ron. In some ways she was closer to me than he is. Ron never really accepted my sexuality. Hermione was Muggle- born, she started coming here, to this church, after the war."

"Bushy hair, warm brown eyes, beautiful smile?" Harry nodded and smiled softly at Scorpius. "Yes, I remember her. I wondered what had happened, she was very kind to me on my first day here, welcomed me into the prayer group and her heart. My name didn't even matter to her."

"Sounds like Hermione. I thought if I came here I could be closer to her."

"That's not uncommon, Harry. Many people come to church if a loved one was religious and has passed."

The priest came inside and stopped by them. "Stop by when you're done here, Scorp."

"Yes, Father."

Harry watched the old man walk down the aisle and disappear behind a door before glancing back at the blond, who was staring at Harry. "I should go."

"Will you come back next Sunday, Harry?"

"I'm not sure."

Scorpius stood and moved into the aisle, facing Harry. "I understand but I would like to see you again."

"Perhaps we could have tea sometime," Harry flushed, "I'd like to talk more with you about Hermione and how God and magic can co-exist."

"Okay, as long as you keep coming to Mass on Sunday."

"I'm sure I can do that, Scorpius" Harry let his eyes wander up and down Scorpius' body, immediately feeling guilty as he reached the wide blue eyes.

"Sorry. I'll just go."

Harry turned and fled, ignoring the soft gasp that came from Scorpius as he ran out of the church, letting the wooden door bang shut behind him, Apparating to his home as soon as he turned the corner out of sight.

~HPSM~

Scorpius watched as Harry ran away. He knew he was attractive but had never acted on any impulses. Scorpius let out a sigh. He'd have to be careful, the broken man twenty years his senior could be his hardest battle to resist temptation.

Before visiting Father Toby, he knelt down to pray for repentance of his sins and for Harry. When he was done praying, Scorpius put his right hand to his forehead, the centre of his chest then his left shoulder and finally his right in the Sign of the Cross before standing and moving towards the door at the back of the church by the altar.

He moved swiftly over the frozen tarmac so he arrived at Father Toby's rectory in less than thirty seconds but still felt the frigid cold of late November biting through his clothing. Scorpius let himself in and shuddered as the heat flowed over him; he took off his jacket and hung it up before moving to the living room to sit with Father Toby.

Father looked up at him and smiled, he was a big jovial man with a booming voice "Sit down, son. Let's talk about that gentleman you were speaking to today. He's lost, isn't he?"

"Lost, I'm not sure. But he's broken."

Father Toby nodded, his face serious. "What made him turn to the Church?"

"You remember Hermione, don't you?"

"Ah yes, beautiful woman. Made wonderful scones for the morning teas, what about her?"

"She was Harry's best friend. Hermione died, and Harry came here to be closer to her."

Father Toby did the Sign of the Cross as he murmured "Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen."

Scorpius joined in and finished a beat behind him. "Harry is a broken man, not just because of Hermione's death."

"Perhaps you should befriend him, talk to him and get him to open up. He's young still and doesn't deserve to live his life in misery, poor man."

Scorpius bit his lip "I don't know if I am the right person to help him. I was only at the Seminary for six years and I've been here for eight months, I'm not experienced enough."

"There was a reason you only spent six years in the Seminary rather than longer. Considering your age, you should have been there for eight. You are right to be concerned but if you can help one broken man then your time in the Seminary was worth it."

"I don't know if I'll be good enough" Scorpius expressed his concern.

"Then let the good Lord do his job, and just pray for him."

Scorpius nodded, "I'll do my best to help Harry. I'm going to make a cup of tea, would you like one?"

"Yes thank you, Scorp."

Scorpius made his way to the kitchen and leant against the counter as he waited for the kettle to boil, his thoughts on Harry and how he could help him.

~HPSM~

Harry did go back to Church the following Sunday, he sat in the back again, away from the rest of the congregation, but stood to leave with them. Scorpius caught up with Harry outside the Church, "Harry!"

Harry turned towards the blond with a soft smile on his face "Hello, Scorpius."

Some of the people milling around outside in the cold watched them, eyeing Harry with suspicion.

"I didn't think I'd see you here again."

"I had reasons to come back." Harry knew he was flirting and that he shouldn't but he had always had a weakness for blonds and young men.

Scorpius blushed prettily, which caused Harry to force his eyes away and over the groups of people. A pretty middle aged woman was eyeing him up. Harry was immediately uncomfortable and looked away as soon as their eyes met, her predatory smile made Harry shudder.

"So what was with the giant wreath and the candles, today?"

"It signifies the start of Advent, we light a candle each Sunday for four weeks before Christmas. Three purple candles and one pink one, this year we'll light the last one on Christmas Eve."

"Hello Scorp, who's your new friend?" The woman who had been eyeing Harry up had come over and was standing rather too close to him.

"Maria, this is Harry, he's new to the Church. Harry, this is Maria, she's been here since she was a little girl."

Maria smiled wide, showing off perfect white teeth and painted red lips "so what brings a handsome man like you to our little church?"

"My friend came here."

"And who's your friend?" Maria was being coy despite Harry's cold tone and defensive posture, arms folded over his chest. Scorpius was watching the two warily.

"Hermione Weasley."

Maria's smile dimmed, "Oh, well, she hasn't been here for a few weeks."

"I know." Harry's eyes went cold and his face tightened in anger. "She's dead."

Scorpius laid a hand on Harry's forearm in an attempt to calm or comfort him. Maria's eyes widened in shock, "Oh poor Hermione, God rest her soul."

"I'll see you next week, Scorpius." Harry nodded at the blond before he walked away, ignoring Scorpius' quiet "Goodbye" and Maria's loud "I hope to see you again!"

~HPSM~

For the next three weeks Harry visited the church for Mass, he had one cup of tea with Scorpius and Father Toby who wanted to talk to Harry about Hermione, why she didn't have the funeral there and where she was buried.

The Sunday before Christmas Eve, Scorpius approached Harry after the service as he usually did, asking if Harry would be coming to Mass the following week for the Christmas Eve service.

"What time does it start?"

"Seven-thirty."

Harry bit his lip, his eyes on the floor and his breath fogging in the cold air "Will you be free beforehand?"

"I have to here at seven-fifteen at the latest to set up, but before then I can be free. Why?"

Harry sighed heavily, "every year since I was seventeen Hermione and I would visit my parents' graves. She's not here, so I thought I'd visit her too and I wanted to know if you'd come with me."

"I'd love to visit Hermione's grave with you, but your parents... that's a bit personal isn't it? Maybe your friend Ron should go." Scorpius rambled.

"Ron doesn't understand. He's grown up with his parents, he never had to miss them, he finds it odd that I go every year. 'Not as if they know' he says." Harry swiped a hand over his mouth and down his chin. "I just thought I'd ask."

"Where are they?"

"Godric's Hollow."

Maria, who had been standing nearby, moved, unwanted, into their conversation. "Godric's Hollow? That's a quaint little village, do you live there?"

"No."

Scorpius looked at him with sad eyes, as Harry bit out the answer, suddenly cold towards the woman though she didn't seem to notice. "Maria, you did a phenomenal job on the flowers, have you seen what Father Toby wants to use for the Christmas Day service?" Scorpius pulled her away but nodded at Harry "I'll come" before walking off.

~HPSM~

Harry turned up at the Rectory at five in the evening and knocked on the door before tugging his Gryffindor scarf away from his neck.

"Harry, Scorp's just bundling up. He'll be down in a moment, won't you come in from the cold?"

"Thank you," Harry entered the cosy hallway and looked around, fidgeting with the end of his scarf.

"I noticed Maria seems to have taken a shining to you."

Harry raised his eyebrow "I can't help that."

"You could encourage her."

"That won't ever happen, Father Toby."

"Oh, do you have a wife?"

Letting out an inelegant snort, Harry covered it with a slight cough "No. And Maria's definitely not my type."

Father Toby pursed his lips but didn't say any more as Scorpius came into the hallway wrapped in a thick coat, with a beanie, gloves and a scarf encasing him so the only part of his body that was left uncovered was his eyes.

"Ready?"

"Yes," Scorpius' voice was muffled. "I'll be back in time to set up for the service, Father."

"I know. I'll see you at the service, won't I, Harry?"

"Probably," Harry muttered before stepping out with a quick goodbye tossed over his shoulder as Scorpius shut the door. They walked a short distance down the driveway until Harry spoke again

"Have you ever Apparated before?"

"Yes, it's not the most pleasant experience."

"No, no it's not" Harry mused. "Would you mind doing it again? Otherwise we'd never get anywhere."

"Of course not." Scorpius tugged his scarf off his face then put his hand on Harry's arm and pressed himself along Harry's side.

Harry took a deep breath and Apparated them to the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. They walked in silence, pausing before the cenotaph as it became the statue of James, Lily and baby Harry. Scorpius gasped. "I've never been able to see anything like this before. I can't even see the Leaky Cauldron." He reached a hand up, running it over James' shoe.

"I know."

"How can you know that?" Scorpius frowned at Harry who was standing some way behind him.

"You have no magic. I can feel magic in people; most Squibs have a faint glow- for lack of a better word. With you, because you left our world so young, there is no magic in you, not a trace."

"So how can I see this?"

"I'm helping you."

Scorpius took a few steps forward so he was close to Harry's body. "What do you mean?"

Gazing intently into Scorpius' blue eyes, Harry let out a shuddering breath. "I'm letting my magic flow through you, so you can see it."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted you to see." Harry turned and walked towards the quaint church and entered the graveyard beside it, not waiting for Scorpius who turned back to see that it was a cenotaph again.

Scorpius walked into the graveyard, the snow untouched except for Harry's footprints to his parent's graves. He was laying a Christmas wreath on each grave and standing before them, solemn and so alone. Scorpius hung back, realising that Harry didn't need him next to him, that he just needed someone to be there when he's done.

Scorpius looked up at the church and turned when he heard the crunching of snow as Harry came towards him. Scorpius noticed that his eyes were wet but didn't say anything. "Ready to go to Hermione?"

"Sure."

Harry held out his arm for Scorpius to take and Apparated them to the graveyard where Hermione was buried. This time they stood side by side.

Harry drew his wand and conjured another Christmas wreath, placing it on her grave. Scorpius put his hand in his pocket and drew out a small origami crane which he placed [I changed the verb form so that it isn't repeated] on the snow in the middle of Harry's wreath. Harry cast his wand over it "I've made it so the snow won't ruin it."

"Thank you."

They stood there for half an hour, each talking to her in his head before Harry looked at his watch. "We should head back."

"Okay." Scorpius gripped Harry's arm and let the older man take them back to the driveway. Harry walked Scorpius to the front door of the church.

"Wait here, please, I have something for you."

Harry nodded and watched as Scorpius ran around the outside of the church, a few minutes later he came back, scarf flying behind him and a rectangular object held tightly in his hand.

"You should read this." Scorpius held out a book to Harry and he took it, reading iThe King James Bible/i on the cover before snorting in contempt.

"I'm not reading this."

"It could be helpful."

"I didn't need to read iHogwarts: A History/i to learn how Hogwarts worked and ran, I don't need to read iThe Bible/i to understand how your religion works."

Harry handed the Bible back and Scorpius took it with shaking hands. Something had changed in their relationship and Scorpius wasn't sure if had ruined their friendship irrevocably.

Harry didn't say anything more before he walked away from Scorpius, leaving him standing in the snow until people started arriving for the service.

~HPSM~

Harry didn't show up to church until three months after the Christmas Service, at the beginning of Lent Scorpius was visibly surprised to see him there while Maria was delighted to see Harry and waved at him as he slunk into the church just before service started.

After Mass, Maria caught up with Harry before he left. "Harry, how good to see you! Has something been wrong? We haven't heard from you in a while, poor Scorp was beside himself."

"Everything is fine, Maria."

Harry could see Scorpius approaching them cautiously. "How would you like to go out for a cup of tea some time?"

"No, thank you."

"Oh Harry honey, you have to let yourself relax and enjoy stimulating company."

"I enjoy stimulating company more than enough, Maria."

She let out a tittering laugh. "One wouldn't know it, looking at you. You're all tense." She ran her hands over his shoulders. "Perhaps your lady friend doesn't satisfy you well enough."

"No woman ever has, but the men do just fine."

She pulled back as if burnt and looked to Scorpius who had stopped a few metres away but had obviously heard everything.

"Homosexuality is a sin, Harry. You'll go to hell." Maria said smugly.

"I lived the first eighteen years of my life in hell. I'm certain I could survive it again."

Maria left the church in a rush and Scorpius approached Harry.

"What? Aren't you going to condemn me to hell as well?"

"No Harry, I won't. You're my friend, I don't condemn my friends" Scorpius spoke deliberately.

"Am I? Your friend, I mean."

Sighing, Scorpius slid into one of the pews and gestured for Harry to sit next to him, "I know our last meeting didn't end very well. And I think it was my fault, I tried to push you into Catholicism and our way of thinking. You weren't ready-"

"I don't think it matters if I was ready, Scorpius. I don't research or read, I do and I learn through doing and making mistakes. Hermione was the reader, not me. Our last meeting," Harry hesitated "I shouldn't have left how I did and I should have been more conscientious in my tone. But emotions were running high for both of us. Christmas is never a happy time for me, not really."

"Why not?"

"I don't remember my first few Christmases but my first memory of Christmas is the same as any other day. Except I remember coloured lights on the walls and when I looked through the slot of my cupboard, I saw a tree with presents. All for Dudley."

"I don't understand. Is this why you said you lived in hell?"

Harry glanced at Scorpius, noting his genuine confusion. "After my parents were killed I went to live with my muggle aunt, uncle and their son who's a few months older than me. They hated me, they treated me like a slave, I lived in a cupboard under the stairs for eleven years of my life. When I got to Hogwarts I had Voldemort after me, I saw a classmate murdered before my eyes when I was fourteen. I saw my godfather, the closet thing I had to a parent, die because I was reckless and childish. I got my best friend's brother killed, I made a boy parentless. I tortured people. And I killed a man."

Harry sat forward, his arms on his knees and his head hanging, he didn't notice that Father Toby had come in and heard what he said. Nor did he see the tears shining in Scorpius' eyes. "God will forgive you, Harry."

Harry let out a noise that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. "I don't give a fuck about iGod/i. Ron says he doesn't blame me, but his family won't look me in the eye, I'm not welcome at their table for a cup of tea or Christmas lunch. They haven't forgiven me, Teddy doesn't know his parents and I know that feeling. I ihate/i that feeling."

Scorpius put a hand on Harry's arm, a crease between his eyebrows. "Come on, why don't you come to the rectory with me, have a cup of a tea and we can talk about this in private. The prayer group will be in here shortly."

Harry nodded and stood, letting Scorpius drag him from the Church and into the Rectory's living room. Harry sat on the sofa while Scorpius made tea and came in a few minutes later with a steaming teapot, mugs, milk, sugar and biscuits.

Joining Harry on the sofa, the blond sat back and looked at his tortured friend. "Harry, you are a good man despite your childhood or, perhaps, because of it."

"No, your Jesus was a good man. But he didn't have to deal with aftermath, did he? Just died, appeared three days later and then went again. Right?"

"Jesus appeared twelve times after his resurrection."

"Okay, but he didn't have to deal with the shit. The families of people who had died for him, he didn't have to deal with the adoration. I know he's worshipped but he wasn't alive for that, not really. He didn't have a choice to live or die. He couldn't come back to life."

"Are you saying you did?"

"Course I did. I had to, I couldn't let Voldemort win. I had to come back so people like you could live in peace, so you could be alive. If I had have stayed in that place, gone on with Dumbledore, I would have been with my parents and Sirius and Remus. I would have been happy. Instead, I came back, saved the bloody world and I hate it."

"Harry-" There was pity in Scorpius' voice, sadness and worry too.

"I won't kill myself Scorpius, I just hate being so alone all the time. I'll never find someone who wants to spend their life with me."

"Why not?"

Harry raised a hand to touch the grey hairs at his temple "I'm aging slower than my friends. Wizards age slower and live longer than muggles. It's hard for them and it's hard for me, it's why I'm not married. I figure I'd get someone younger so we'd die closer together. I expect I'll live as old as Dumbledore, perhaps older, because of my magic. If I married someone my age they'd die at least fifty years before I would. I don't want that."

"That's got to be so hard, you've got to be nearing the end of your time to find someone."

"I'm nearly fifty Scorpius, I ain't dead."

Scorpius looked back at Harry again in surprise "Fifty? You look forty, late-thirties even."

"Like I said, I age slower."

"Surely you've found someone to love, you must have a reason to get up in the morning."

"Oh I've found someone alright, someone I want to spend my life with, but he's untouchable." Harry sighed and looked at the teapot.

"I'm sure he'd be open to what you're offering. You are a good man, a fierce protector and any man would be lucky to have you love him."

"Maybe, but that doesn't make me lucky to love him."

"Why not? You're lucky to love someone, and be loved in return."

Harry sighed. "But he doesn't love me, not the way I need him to."

Scorpius sighed but said no more, Harry's tone brooked no argument.

~HPSM~

During the following weeks' Mass, Harry participated a bit more. He was learning the words to the songs and the prayers but still didn't do anything during Communion. He was still sitting at the back, Maria avoided him and didn't hunt him out, he only ever talked to Scorpius and he had heard some of the other parishioners complaining that Scorpius hardly talked to them anymore.

As usual, after Mass, Harry and Scorpius started talking but on that day they went outside and away from most of the groups. It was a clear spring day and Harry breathed in deeply. "So what's Lent? Father Toby was going on about it today, and last week."

"Lent is a forty day period before Easter, devoted to penance, abstinence and fasting."

"So people give up sex and food? Why?"

Scorpius blushed, like he usually did when Harry mentioned sex. "Not every food, just one item. A lot of children give up chocolate or sweets, some adults meat. Anything goes really; video games, TV, alcohol. It depends on the person what they give up and whether they stick to it."

"So if I wanted to give something up and failed, once, and said that I did it completely, what would happen? Would I be punished?"

"Not immediately. But God knows what you have done and will punish you accordingly when you stand at the gates of Heaven."

Harry looked around and saw that they were alone "I've died, Scorpius, and I went to King's Cross, there weren't any gates."

"If you had have gone the other way maybe you would have come to some gates."

Harry shrugged ."It doesn't matter really. I'm comfortable with where I'll end up, gates or no gates."

Biting back a smile, Scorpius nudged Harry good-naturedly. "Had any progress with what we talked about last time?"

"Leave it, Scorpius."

The blue eyes widened. "But-"

"Drop it!" Harry's voice was hard and commanding.

Their conversation ended there and they walked around to the front of the church, Harry in a stormy silence while Scorpius shot worried looks at him from the corner of his eye. Harry left Scorpius in the middle of the congregation without saying goodbye.

~HPSM~

Scorpius was sitting in his room at the rectory reading over his Bible. Or trying to at least, he couldn't concentrate, all he could think about was Harry. His melancholic face as he spoke of Hermione, the peace there when he spoke of death, the frustration and hopelessness of his love, the beauty in his face after visiting his parents' graves. That image was the one that stuck in Scorpius' mind the most. His green eyes bright behind his glasses, wet with tears. His cheeks pink from the cold and his mouth turned down in a frown which caused a crease to form between his brows.

Scorpius let out a gasp as he felt his body reacting. Desperately, he pushed his hand against his growing erection muttering "No, no, no."

His erection didn't disappear and Scorpius felt the urge to wrap his hand around himself and bring himself off to thoughts of Harry but he couldn't betray God like that. He couldn't allow for an iinfatuation/i with a man twenty years his senior destroy his relationship with God and the Church.

"Please" ,he sobbed, "please, no." Scorpius' head was tilted back and his eyes raised to the ceiling, Bible clutched in his hands close to his chest and away from his throbbing erection.

"Scorp?" Father Toby's voiced boomed outside the door and the fright of being caught in such a state by him made Scorpius' erection wilt. "Scorp, I'm coming in."

The door opened and Father Toby took in the crying figure on the bed before entering the room and sitting next to Scorpius, waiting for the boy to speak.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I have betrayed God, I have been tempted by mortal man to turn away from God. I love another. I have wi- wishes to participate in- in sex- sex -ual acts with him" Scorpius sobbed harder and Father Toby put his hand on the shaking shoulder.

"Calm down, son. You are a mortal man, you are allowed carnal desires. Have you acted on them?"

The blond shook his head vigorously.

"That is something. Now I'll go put the kettle on for a cup of tea, come down when you're calm and we'll talk about this."

Scorpius took many deep and calming breaths before he got up, cupping his crotch to assure himself that he was limp and not in any way hard. He moved to the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror; blotchy red cheeks, puffy wet eyes and tear tracks over his face. Scorpius washed his face with cold water before heading out to the living room where Father Toby was dipping a digestive into his hot tea, a steaming mug on the table for Scorpius.

"Now then, what is going on?"

"I think I have fallen in love with a man and he is turning me away from God."

"Has he asked you to?" Father Toby was serious, not a common thing for him.

"No. No, he hasn't but I feel that if I choose him, I will lose God and if I choose God I'll never love again and I could come to resent God for that."

"Scorp, son, you don't have to choose. You can still be a part of the Church, you can still have your faith and you can be in love."

"But I can't be a priest. I spent my life wanting to be a priest, to be as involved as possible in the Church."

"You can still do that, just not as a priest. You can still be involved, I think you'd be a good counsellor for people having a crisis of faith or just somebody they can talk to without being judged."

Scorpius said nothing and sipped his tea. "You'd let me remain here, at this church?"

"Yes, son, I think you fit in perfectly with our congregation and we'll be very happy to keep you in whatever role you want." Father Toby placed his mug on the coffee table and rested a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "Don't make your decision now. Think about what you want, pray to God for advice and guidance. Whatever you decide, I will support you." Father Toby stood and left Scorpius to his thoughts.

~HPSM~

Scorpius spent the week thinking and praying and discussing his options with Father Toby and by the time Sunday rolled around, he was confident in his decision. The springtime sun was shining and it was a warm day as he waited outside the church for Harry, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Scorpius missed Harry's entrance into the grounds.

Harry stopped before Scorpius and without thinking let his fingers trail over the scorpion tattoo that was on the inside of his right forearm. Scorpius felt his arm heat up watching as the scorpion preened and moved under Harry's magic and his fingers.

"Shouldn't you be inside?" Harry moved his hand away, leaving Scorpius' arm cold and his tattoo still.

"I wanted to talk to you, walk with me? Father Toby won't mind if I miss Mass, just this once."

"Oh, uh, sure" Harry led the way around the Church grounds to the garden behind the rectory where they wouldn't be disturbed at all. "What is it?"

"Father Toby and I have done a lot of talking and I'm not going to be a priest."

"Why not? It's what you've always wanted Scorpius!"

"It's what I thought I wanted. I, I have decided to stay here in the area and with this Parish but I'm going to become a counsellor of sorts, just somebody to listen and give advice if it's needed. I'm going to be involved in the Church, I won't give that up."

"No one should ask you to, Scorpius. I just don't understand why you're telling me." Harry stopped walking and faced the blond.

"I've never meet anyone like you Harry. You make me feel magic, you confuse and frustrate me-"

"I don't see how-"

"You arouse me, Harry."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise and he stepped closer to the blond. "Careful what you say here, Scorpius."

"I fell in love with you, Harry, and I didn't even know it was happening. You made me love you when you were broken and then you fixed yourself together but I still belonged. You made me belong with you."

Harry cupped Scorpius' flushed cheeks. "That's because you fixed me Scorpius. You put me back together when I was broken beyond hope."

Scorpius leaned up and Harry met him halfway, their lips touching chastely with the barest hint of tongue but Scorpius still gasped as he pulled away.

"Slowly, Scorpius, we'll do this slowly."

Scorpius' smile spread across his face and he let out a delighted laugh. "We have the rest of our lives, Harry."