Greenland Ranch

by Reiko Katsura

::Part 2::

If Draco thought his son was going to miss out on the opportunity to gain knowledge on their history, then Scorpius reckoned he didn't know him so well.

As soon as the door to the kitchen closed, he pointed his wand at the wooden frame and murmured the spell that would allow anyone on his side to hear.

"Finite Incantantum!"

Scorpius jumped, startled, and turned around in surprise. Albus was standing three feet away from him, arms crossed defensively and looking absolutely livid.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Scorpius thought he looked better smiling..

"Listening, of course." he said matter-of-fact, his eyes never leaving Albus' face.

Albus narrowed his eyes further. "What business is it of yours to eavesdrop into their conversation? It's none of your business!"

"He's my father. Anything he does is my business."

Albus snorted, and it wasn't in humor.

Scorpius frowned. "What's got you in a tiff?"

Blue eyes, the color of sapphires, opened wide. Albus looked absolutely incredulous.

"What's got me in a tiff? You, you prat!"

Scorpius scowled. "For eavesdropping? What are you, a hufflepuff?"

Albus growled at him. "I've never been to Hogwarts, firstly--"

"Nothing to do with it--"

"--And secondly," Albus continued, gritting his teeth, "It's because you're a liar!"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes, stunned. "Liar? How am I a liar?

"Don't play with me, you! You… you completely pretended to be a dog!"

Scorpius stared at Al like he was growing a second head.

"What else was I to have done? Talk to you? Write to you?"

Al turned his head to the side petulantly, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You could have done something," he said, and his voice was low and angry. "Anything. I completely made a fool of myself! For Merlin's sake, I told you everything!"

Scorpius continued to watch Al fluster about, fascinated. He hadn't an idea of what he was getting at, since he knew he was right that there was nothing he could have done, but he watched him, regardless.

Albus had his jaw clenched tightly and black brows furrowed. His skin was about the same shade as Scorpius', maybe a little pinker, and his frame was much smaller, too. His hair, black waves that curled at the ends and dipped into his collar, was black and wild, almost moving about his head as if were animate.

He was absolutely adorable when he was angry, with his cheeks flushed and his lips pouted.

"Things I've never told anyone else, not even my father!" he continued ranting, "I completely trusted you and… and… and this happens!"

Scorpius was absolutely, irrevocably, and undeniably flabbergasted.

"God, I even took a bath with you!" Al's cheeks flushed rubicund. "What are you, some kind of pervert? Did you enjoy watching me bathe? Merlin, you are, aren't you?!"

At his stricken expression, Scorpius growled in exasperation. "Don't you dare blame for that! Firstly, I tried to get away, but you weren't having it! And who takes a bath with a dog, anyways?!"

Al clenched his jaw again, and a slight muscle throbbed in his neck. He didn't answer, instead choosing to glare at Scorpius. After a few moments he turned his head and stared at the ground, his eyes suspiciously bright.

Scorpius sighed, and cursed whatever god it was who liked getting him into trouble.

"Listen, Al--"

"Don't you call me by name like you know me!" he hissed, lifting up his head.

Scorpius froze at the sight of glistening eyes.

Al blinked twice, and then looked down again.

Fuck. He couldn't handle tears. He just couldn't.

Especially not from his brunette angel.

"I--"

"I don't want to talk to you."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Quit acting like a child, will you? I'm trying to apologize."

When Al said nothing, Scorpius sighed again and continued. "Sorry, alright? You're angry, I get that. Why you're angry, I can kind of get that, too. Other than that, you're not making any sense."

Al kept quiet, and Scorpius groaned.

"What would you have had me done? Write you a letter with my thumb-less paws? Tell you and hope you understand dog? You're not being reasonable!"

"Whatever," he said, bitterly.

Scorpius watched Al. He watched as his chest rose and fell with each sharp breath, he watched as he worried his bottom lip almost painfully, and he watched as his shoulders began to lose their stiffness, and fell into a slump that was almost dejected.

When Al wrapped his arms around his chest once again, and turned his back on Scorpius, Scorpius finally understood:

Albus was lonely.

He hadn't been over-dramatizing. He'd truly seen Scorpius-- or Strawberry, rather-- as a friend. The first person he'd spoken to in a while, he'd said. They were both home-schooled, but their circumstances were completely different. Scorpius was taught by the most established tutors the Wizarding World had to offer, along with his friends Peatrice Nott, Alazar and Turnsley Parkinson-Goyle, Mithrope Crabbe , and Alahandamont Bulstrode. The tutoring sessions were always held at one of their Manors. Scorpius had never been alone. He wasn't overly sociable by nature, usually choosing to be by himself, but when he did need someone, there was always someone there. His father, his friends, his grandparents who visited often enough…

But Albus really had no one aside from his father, who from the sound of it, spent most of his time searching for jewels to give to Scorpius' father.

The prat!

"Al, listen--"

"What did I tell you--"

"I'll be your friend."

Albus whipped around so fast Scorpius thought his head would fall off. He looked at Scorpius with wide eyes, as if completely disbelieving what he said.

"What?"

Scorpius huffed. "I said I'd be your friend."

Albus narrowed his eyes. "What If I don't want to be your friend?"

A quirked brow. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" was the snapped retort.

Albus folded his arms again, and Scorpius realized that it was a gesture of insecurity.

He pushed forward. "By the look of it, you don't have many friends."

"I do--"

"And since I have time on my hands, and most of my friends are out of the country at the moment, I'll be your friend."

Albus glowered. "No thanks, Malfoy. I'd rather not be someone's friend because I'm pitied."

Scorpius quirked a brow and looked down at him condescendingly, "My father is Malfoy. I'm Scorpius. Second, if I truly pitied you, I would never have offered."

Al gave him a confused look.

"Father always told me not to offer assistance to pitiable people. They don't deserve it." He explained.

Al's eyes grew wide and he gaped at Scorpius.

"So. Friends?"

Al shook his head, and Scorpius couldn't discern if it was because of the sudden change of subject, or because he was still in awe of his explanation.

At least Scorpius knew one thing, now. His father had been right:: some people truly didn't understand Malfoys.

"I don't like you," Al said, suddenly.

Scorpius cocked his head and frowned.

"Why?"

"Because you're a liar."

"Back to that, are we?"

"And a pervert."

"I said I wasn't--,"

"And your hair's not strawberry blonde at all."

Scorpius glared. "Of course it isn't! I'm a Malfoy and father--,"

"I've only known you-- the human version of you-- for less than an hour and already I know we're polar opposites."

Scorpius paused. "What?"

"You're egotistical and pampered and flimsy and patronizing and probably a perverted ponce with a bad mouth and is too nosy for his own good."

Scorpius scowled. "You don't even know me--,"

"But I suppose I can give you a chance."

Scorpius stared at Al.

"What?" he repeated.

Al sighed. "I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I'm usually shy and quiet, not an out doors person at all. I'm not articulate, I'm secretive, hate being overpowered, am possessive and jealous, I'm moody and stubborn, I get depressed easily and I don't trust many people. I brood that I'm alone but I push away most people who try to get close, too."

Scorpius knew that his eyes were as wide as a giants', but he didn't really care. He was too surprised.

"I'm a Scorpio, you know. Scorpio and Scorpius. We kind of match."

"…You're rather random, aren't you?"

Al snorted.

"Why'd you tell me all that? That was spilling an awful lot to someone you said you didn't like."

Al arched a brow. "And I don't."

"Then why tell me?!" Scorpius demanded. Salazar, he didn't understand Al at all!

Al hesitated, did that lip-biting thing that made the bottom of Scorpius's stomach heat, then glanced at him. "I've already told you most of who I am," he shot Scorpius a dirty look, "why not include a bit more info?"

Scorpius frowned, and narrowed his eyes. "I don't--"

"Plus, I said I didn't like you now. Maybe you're not as bad as I think you are and I can come to like you."

Scorpius gaped.

Al smiled at him, a soft, almost seductive smile. "I treat humans and dogs very differently, you know."

He smiled at Scorpius again, turned on his heel, and walked right out of the living room. Scorpius' eyes followed him out.

There were footsteps heading up the stairs, and moments later the sound of a door being shut, and Scorpius presumed that it was Al's room.

Scorpius looked to the floor, shook his head, and allowed a grin to break over his face

Albus Severus Potter was a complete mystery.

Scorpius smirked: there was nothing he loved more than getting to the bottom of things.

"I can't believe you, Draco!"

Draco flinched at the volume of Harry's voice. As soon as the boys had left the kitchen, Harry had turned on Draco and started to yell.

"You kept all those things when you told me you didn't? What the hell is that supposed to mean? That you don't want to be with me, is that it?"

Draco sighed tiredly, and rubbed at his temples. He was getting too old for this.

"Quit your yelling, wont you? And sit down."

Harry seethed. "I will not."

"Bloody hell, Harry! Why must you always make things so difficult?"

Harry gaped, incredulously. "Me making things difficult? Draco, you--," Harry exhaled sharply and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked up at the ceiling, and repeated the breathing process.

"Merlin, Draco. What do you want?"

Draco started at Harry's resigned tone.

"It's been thirteen years, and I'm still as clueless about what it is you want! But I've been trying, Draco! Bloody hell, I've traveled the world looking, and I still haven't found it! What the hell do you want!"

Draco stared at Harry, hard.

"Don't use me as an excuse to travel, Harry. You're the one who didn't want to settle down!"

Harry's nostrils flared. "That was thirteen years ago years ago, Draco. What did you expect? I just got divorced with my wife, and I was tired of being cooped up in one place. It's not like that now. You know that."

Draco glared, and leaned his face down. Blonde hair fell over his shoulders, and he whipped it back with a shake of his head.

"Who told you to get married, then?" he sneered, bitterly.

Harry stared at him, blankly. "It's been years, Draco. Please tell me that you are still not angry about that. You were married too, for Merlin's sake!"

Draco hissed, "Don't you dare compare this to that, Potter! Of course I got married! You fucking left. Disappeared for two whole years with that Weaslette bint, exploring the fucking world, without even thinking of sending me an owl!"

"As if an owl would have sufficed."

"It would have been better than nothing!" Draco shouted, his chest heaving in anger.

Harry looked the epitome of calm, but Draco wasn't fooled. He saw how his vibrant green eyes danced in anger, and the provocative way his tanned jaw clenched.

"Is this the reason why you don't want to be with me? Because I married Ginny? But I told you, Draco! There was nothing I could have done! She was pregnant--,"

"Then you shouldn't have knocked her up!"

"We were drunk out of our fucking minds--,"

"No excuse, Potter--,"

"And I spent two years married to her, living a fucking miserable life!" he shouted.

Draco glared. "You deserved it."

"Maybe I did, but that's not the point. I was miserable as fuck, Draco. The only light of those years had been because of my son, and for that I would never ask to do it again." Harry paused, to control his temper, then added, "Not even for you."

Draco clenched his jaw. He pulled out his wand, took slight satisfaction in the way Harry flinched, and summoned a chair. As soon as he placed it behind him, he plopped down and sunk into it, absolutely tired.

"What is it you want, Draco?"

Draco placed his face in his hands, and exhaled into his palms.

"Commitment. Stablity. Security. That's what I want, Harry. And that's what your not giving."

Harry stormed over to Draco's chair and stood over him, casting a dark shadow over his figure.

Draco didn't look up.

"I will, Draco! Merlin, how many times have I told you that, in person or in letters? How many years have I been searching for the thing that you want most?"

He dropped to his knees and grabbed Draco's hand.

Draco was too tired to pull away.

"The only reason I'm still traveling is because of you, Draco. My desire to settle down is long past due. For me, and for Albus." Harry breathed deeply. "Back when we were in sixth year, you told me that you're favorite treasure of all time was your family's jewels. You wanted, one day, to have your own collection of treasures and prizes. Draco, I've been to countless countries and states, cities after cities, searching! I'm at the end, Draco! I don't know what you want anymore!"

Moments passed, and when Draco finally looked up, his eyes were hard. "You do know, Harry. You do. You've already given it to someone else, but that had never mattered to me. I still wanted it. Why could you give it to her, and not to me?"

Draco hissed, and tore his hands from under Harry's. "You've just been playing games this entire time! Buying me priceless gems and rubies… I don't want that! You should have seen it long ago that that was never what I wanted! But clearly, you don't want the same!"

Harry shot up, angrily.

"Fuck you, Draco! I don't know what you want from me!"

"Commitment, god damnit!"

Harry glared, angrily. "I said I would give that, didn't I? Why don't you understand that I will! Security, stability, commitment… those are things I would offer to you, and only you! Why the hell can't you see that?!"

Draco turned from Harry, his arms over his chest and his face pink.

"What?" Harry asked, missing what Draco just said.

"Marry me, you fucking moron!" Draco shouted, turning around and glaring furiously. "If you're so keen on giving me what I want, why haven't you asked me to marry you?!"

Harry froze, and stared at Draco blankly.

"What?"

Draco scowled. "For fucks sake, Harry, marriage! You know, exchanging rings and vows, dresses and gowns, a ceremony with fucking flying hippogriffs scattering mandrake leaves? Marriage!"

Harry's mouth dropped open. He repeated the movement several times, hoping to find words to express how confused he was. When finally he managed, the words blurted from his lips like a squeal. "But, Draco… men can't get married. It's illegal."

Draco looked at Harry as if he was a complete nut-case. "Quit playing stupid, Harry. Of course men can get married. If this is your fucking excuse not to marry me, then--!"

Harry clamped his hand over Draco's mouth, effectively shutting him up. He shook his head, and said wearily, "No, no… Draco, men can't get married. It's illegal. In Britain, in America, In Africa, In Asia…it's illegal! I know, I looked into those things when I was abroad."

Draco stared at Harry, not even berthing to remove Harry's hand from him mouth.

They stared at each other for long moments without speaking. In the end, it was Harry who broke the silence.

"Please, please don't tell me that Wizards can get married."

Draco nodded, dumbly, with Harry's hand still on his mouth.

"Oh, Merlin…"

Draco nodded again.

"Men… Wizards, can get married?!" he squeaked, loudly.

Draco was still nodding.

"B-but… how come no one's ever told me that?!"

Draco shook his head.

When Harry finally removed it, he slumped to the floor absolutely deflated, and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.

"Merlin…"

As soon as the shock wore off a bit, and Harry removed his face from his hands, he looked up at Draco who had an expression of absolute shock on his face.

Quickly, Harry got to his knees and kneeled over to him. He grabbed Draco's hands and held them firmly in his own, then looked into Draco's dark, gray eyes.

"Fuck, Draco, I swear I didn't know! Honestly, I had no idea wizards could get married! Same-sex marriages are completely illegal in the muggle world! God, If I'd known, I swear I would have asked you to marry me years ago! I swear, Draco. I--,"

"Heh..."

Harry breathed in sharply, and frowned as Draco suddenly smiled. His smile grew wider, into an all out grin, and escalated into chuckles. The chuckles increased into giggles, which turned to laughs, then chortling, then all out guffaws. Harry scooted back wearily, and watched as Draco laughed so hard it look like it hurt. He was grasping at his stomach, and there were absolute tears running down his face.

Simply, Draco looked like he might've went around the bend.

Harry hesitated, "Draco? You alright?"

When Draco couldn't stop laughing enough to answer, Harry moved back a little more.

"Right…"

Draco continued to laugh, and Harry continued to watch him After a while, the tone of Draco's laughter changed, and Harry had momentarily thought that Draco was crying, instead.

And then Draco let out what was definitely a sob, and he grew panicked.

Harry rushed forward and cupped Draco's chin with this hands. He lifted his face up, and winced at the sight of red, puffy eyes and falling tears.

"Draco…"

"You're so stupid, Harry!" Draco shouted, and all but flung himself at him. He wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders, and pressed his wet face into the dip of his neck. "How the hell could you have made such a mistake! All these years… all these fucking years wasted!" he choked, and then started to sob again.

Harry sighed, and patted Draco's shoulder as he cried into the neck of his shirt. God, he felt like crying, too.

Fourteen years…

He sighed again. Merlin, he messed up.

Even when Draco's sobs subsided, he didn't move himself from Harry's embrace. He stood there, rocking against Harry's chest, his knees in between Harry's legs.

"So stupid, Harry…"

Harry closed his eyes. "I know."

"I'll never forgive you for this."

He sighed harder. "I know that, too."

When finally both of them were feeling a bit calmer, Draco moved away from Harry's hold and wiped at his eyes.

Harry smiled at him. Even after all those years, with slight laugh lines cupping the sides of his lips and soft crows feet at the corners of his eyes, Draco still looked absolutely adorable.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

Draco nodded, absently, and then looked up and glared. "Tell a soul I cried, Harry, and you'll wake up one day wishing you'd never been born."

Harry cringed, knowing full well that Draco had just as much bite as he had bark.

"Really, Draco," Harry tried again. They had to talk about this if they ever wanted to move forward. "Are you alright?"

Draco sighed, "Yes, I suppose so. As alright as one who just found out that thirteen years of his love life's been wasted, anyways."

Harry flinched.

"I won't sugar coat how badly you've messed up, Harry."

Harry nodded in understanding. "But don't put all the blame on me, Draco. It's not just my fault, either. All this could have been sorted out much sooner if you'd just told me what you wanted."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "The point was so you could figure it out, Harry. Maybe you didn't learn, after all."

"Oh shut up, Draco." Harry murmured, and held out his hand.

Draco hesitated only a moment before grabbing it.

"So."

"So."

"What do we do now…?"

"Merlin, Potter, do I need to spell everything out for you?"

Harry scowled.

"I do," Draco groaned, "don't I? Well, listen carefully, Harry. First, you're going to propose to me,"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by a single pale finger to his lips.

"Then, we go outside and tell our sons that we're getting married."

Harry opened his mouth again, but Draco fixed him with a no-nonsense look.

"Next, we're going to go ring shopping."

Harry pulled away from Draco and snapped, "Ring shopping?! How many bloody rings have I given you over the years, Draco! Surely you could wear one of those!"

Draco glared murderously, and Harry rightly shut up.

"After we find a suitable, expensive ring, we are going to plan a dinner with my parents and tell them the news."

Harry groaned.

"From then on will be the preparations. Ooh, mother will be pleased! We'll have to send out invites-- lots of people will be tripping over themselves to go to a Malfoy wedding, you know-- and get fitted for bridal robes. We'll have to find a place… oh! I know of a perfect chapel in Barcelona, or maybe that one we saw in Prague a few years ago…"

"Draco…"

"And of course, we'd have to choose a new house to live in. I mean, your house is far too small, and my Manor will be too when you and your son move in."

"Draco, your house could hold half of Hogwarts!" Harry cried.

Draco nodded sadly. "I know. It's too small, right? Well then, maybe we could buy a Manor in France? Or Italy, I hear it's gorgeous out there. What do you think, Harry? And you will be wearing green, yeah? If I catch you even looking at a red robe I swear I'll blind you. Oh, and speaking of, you'd better decide what to do with those horrible glasses of yours because you will not--,"

"Draco!" Harry shouted.

Draco jumped, and frowned. "What, Harry? I'm thinking here!"

Harry groaned. "Merlin, Draco, how long would it even take to plan those things?"

Draco pursued his lips in thought. "Well, for a normal person, it would probably take about a two or three years, but for a Malfoy… I'm sure they'd have everything finished in a year or so. Time is money, you know. And--,"

"Draco," Harry interjected again, and touched Draco's cheek. He pulled his face so close to his their noses were touching.

Draco's breath caught.

"We don't need that stuff, Draco."

Draco frowned. "Of course--,"

"No, Draco," Harry said firmly, and his eyes sparkled. "We don't."

And then he leaned in and pressed his lips to Draco's, and held them there. When he pulled away, Draco looked positively dazed. He leaned in close, and swept his tongue over Draco's top lip.

"I've waited long enough, Draco. We've waited long enough. I want to marry you as quickly as possible. We'll choose a nice place, by a beach or a garden or something, and invite our closest friends and family. We'll have the ceremony is less than a week, and then we'll vacation somewhere. The Bahamas, maybe. Or Hawaii. Or like you said, Italy. Just us. We'll have someone watch the kids, they're old enough, and spend an entire month together making up for lost time."

He kissed Draco again, and he felt Draco melt against his lips.

"What do you think?" Harry breathed, pecking at his lips.

Draco opened his mouth in invitation, and Harry obliged him. He pressed in deeper, first sucking on his lower lip, then his upper one. When he felt Draco's tongue slide against the upper wall of his mouth, he moaned.

They moved slowly and languidly, taking in and tasting each other, trying to drown themselves further. There was no fight for dominance, there was no battle for passion; they didn't need it. Their tongues danced and intertwined together, teeth clanked and saliva was shared. One or twice, Harry's nose had bumped Draco's, or Draco's pursuit to have all of Harry became to fierce, but then they'd mellow down again, simply feeling the other.

When Harry pulled away, a line of saliva went with him. Draco leaned forward and licked it off his lips.

"So what do you think?" Harry reiterated, gazing into Draco's eyes.

Draco smiled. "It's perfect."

*

Epilogue: Two weeks later.

*

"Merlin, it's hot…"

Scorpius and Al were laying on the grass, shoulder to shoulder, and facing a brilliant blue sky. It was as hot as ever on Greenland Ranch, the weather reaching a boiling point of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There were no winds to cool them, not even a warm breeze. It was much cooler inside the house, however, neither of them wanted to be inside just yet. Not when the sky was so blue and the day was so bright.

"Tell me about it," Al muttered, and moved his hand up so that his forearm traced over his head.

"I can't believe they went off to Hawaii and didn't take us." Scorpius grumped.

Al sighed. "Bringing your kids along on your honeymoon is a serious mood killer," he said, ignoring Scorpius' mumble of whatever. "And think about us. I'd rather not be in the same hotel suite as my father when he's having sex."

"Eww, Al!" Scorpius cried and turned to his side. "I won't be able to get that visual out of my head for weeks!"

Albus chuckled, and turned to his side, too, so that his and Scorpius' faces were facing each other. "I told you you were a pervert."

Scorpius scowled. "Quit saying that, will you? I'm not a pervert."

Al grinned. "Whatever you say, Strawberry."

Scorpius cried in exasperation. "Stop calling me that, Al! I'm not a strawberry!"

"But you're sweet like one. And when you're out in the sun too long, like now, you turn as red as one. And your hair looks kind of green in the day light--,"

"My hair is not green!"

Al laughed.

Scorpius huffed, and nestled further into the ground.

"Of all the animals to choose from, I wonder why my father chose to turn me into a dog. He doesn't even like dogs."

"Umm…"

Scorpius propped up onto his elbow and narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Al grinned. "Well…."

He nudged Al in the side and Al burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright! Don't poke me!"

Al sighed, and then relayed to Scorpius what Harry had told him.

Scorpius gaped at him. "So, you're telling me that my grandfather turned my father into a dog for a week and called him Strawberry? Just because he touched my grandfather's cane?"

Al nodded, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"That bastard! I wonder how he felt being turned into a bloody dog! I can't wait til he comes back…"

"Yes, yes. Now calm down, will you? You'll scare the birds away."

Scorpius glared. "Bloody tosser."

A few more moments of silence, and then Scorpius asked, "How did Harry know it was me, though?"

Al shrugged. "Something about your collar having the Malfoy crest and looking familiar… he didn't get into any specifics."

"Oh. "

"Yeah."

"You're lucky your father tells you everything, you know. I wish mine would do the same."

"Talking about not knowing they were in love?"

"Yeah…"

Al shrugged. "Don't worry too much about it. Our fathers' handle things differently, is all. Plus, Dad keeps a picture of your dad in his room. It was pretty obvious."

"Right…"

Scorpius frowned and bit his lip. He concentrated on Al, who resumed staring into the sky.

"What, Scorp? I can feel you staring. And if you keep on biting your lip like that, you'll chew it off."

"Whatever," he snorted, and then propped himself up again. "Listen, Al.."

Al quirked a brow at his hesitation.

"Yes?" he ushered.

"Do you… would you mind if I tried something? On you?"

Al furrowed his black eyebrows, and shot Scorpius a look of distrust.

"I want to kiss you."

Al's half-open eyes shot open and he stared at Scorpius in shock.

"What?"

"I said," Scorpius told him slowly, "I want to kiss you."

Al opened his mouth then hesitated, as if deciding whether or not he should say what he wanted to. He shook his head, and his black hair rustled around his face, springing tiny droplets of sweat around him.

"Why?"

Scorpius shrugged, and he looked uncertain. "I just want to."

Albus was gazing at him so intently he wanted to look away.

"Well?" he snapped, insecurely.

Al smiled. "Sure."

Oddly enough, Scorpius didn't quite believe him.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hm."

"Then turn over here."

"Last time I checked, it was you who wanted to kiss me."

Scorpius scowled, and sat up. He leaned his arms over Al's torso, moved over him, and peered down into his face.

Al's cheeks were flushed pink, and he was staring up at Scorpius with those same intense, blue eyes.

"Well?" Al breathed.

"Right."

He leaned down, but paused right before their lips brushed. It was Al who leaned his head forward and initiated contact.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, and it was nothing more than a press of lips, but Scorpius felt his stomach coil.

"So?" Al breathed, completely red.

"It was… nice." Scorpius muttered, and hoisted himself up. He sank back down into the grass next to Al, maybe a little closer than he'd been before, and peered up into the clouds.

"Do you know what the muggles call days like these? Really hot days, I mean."

Scorpius turned his head to the side, and smiled when he saw Al tracing his fingers over his lips.

"No, I don't."

"They call them dog days, Strawberry. Dog days of summer."

FIN.

A/N: This story actually gave me quite a headache! It's still not where I need it to be, despite the loads of support and help I received for it. It was a rush job, so I didn't get to spend as much time fixing it as I would have liked. At the moment, I can barely look at it, so I won't be self-editing this story for a while! ^_^ I hope you all enjoyed reading! Review, please: tell me what you think.

Extra: Greenland Ranch is located in Death Valley, California. On July 10th, 1913, temps hit a high of 134 degrees in that area. Death Valley makes the chart for the official highest temp in the Western Hemisphere. Aside from the fact that the location has some serious dog days, "Greenland Ranch" really bears no relation to the fic. It sounded cool, so I stuck with it. Thanks for reading.

- Reiko Katsura