Author's Note: This is going to turn into slash. Yes, it is. That means boy on boy. I don't want to hear about how that offends you or whatnot. Burn reviews are very uncool. If you don't like it, don't read it. Otherwise, please do! (and reviews would be nice too!)

For those of you who read my other fics: This idea had been sitting around in my head for a while (if you've read TTG you can probably guess since when ;) )

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it. If not, no hard feelings, I'm sure you'll find something out there to read :)

-SQ

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Harry. Potter. Enough said.

Chapter One: All To Ourselves

Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy had been best friends since their very first train ride to Hogwarts...

"Come on Al," said Rose impatiently, "let's find a compartment."

Albus followed his more outgoing cousin onto the Hogwarts Express, eyes wide with nervous wonder as he swiveled his head this way and that to take it all in.

The first compartment they came to was occupied by Albus's older brother James and his friends. James looked up when they entered.

"Scram, kids," he said. "Find your own compartment. This one's taken."

"Come on, Al," said Rose, turning on her heel, "we don't want to sit here anyway."

They continued to the end of the train. The last compartment appeared at first to be empty, but when they stepped through the doorway they noticed that there was in fact someone already inside it. A small, pointy-faced, blond boy sat on one of the benches, staring out of the window.

"Al," hissed Rose, "that's Scorpius Malfoy, the boy we saw on the platform, the one my dad told us not to talk to."

Rose turned around and left the compartment, obviously expecting Albus to follow her, but Albus remained standing in the doorway. Something about the blond boy inexplicably intrigued him.

Malfoy, as if sensing Albus's gaze (or maybe he just saw his reflection in the window), looked up.

"Hello."

Albus went red. "I—er—h-hi," he stammered, staring at his feet.

"My name's Scorpius Malfoy, said the other boy. "What's yours?"

"A-Alb-bus S-Sev-verus P-Pot-tter," said Albus. He was immediately mortified. Why did he have to stutter, why?"

"Nice to meet you, Albus Severus Potter," said Scorpius, sounding slightly amused. "Would you like to sit down?"

"I—er—w-well—I—"

"I don't bite you know," said Scorpius.

"Oh y-yes—of c-course," mumbled Albus. He sat down beside Scorpius, still staring at the floor.

"You're shy, aren't you?" said Scorpius knowledgeably.

Albus nodded miserably.

"That's okay," said Scorpius. "I talk enough for the both of us."

****TWAMM****

By the time Rose came looking for him, Albus and Scorpius were both laughing easily as they played with Scorpius's new deck of Exploding Snap and munched on goodies they had bought from the food trolley.

"Oh there you are, Albus," said Rose bossily. "I've been looking..." she trailed off, staring at Albus and Scorpius as if she had suddenly encountered a two-headed monster. "Al, what are you doing here? With him?" She pointed rather rudely at Scorpius.

Scorpius raised his pale eyebrows. "I believe he is playing Exploding Snap."

"I didn't ask you," snapped Rose. "Albus, you don't want to play with him. Let's go, there's a girl named Megan Finnegan who has the most adorable cat."

"Maybe he doesn't want to go," said Scorpius coldly, rising to his feet. "Maybe you should let him decide who he wants to play with for himself, instead of bossing him around."

"He's my cousin," said Rose. "I know him best."

Albus's cousin and new friend stood there, staring daggers at each other. Albus shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"I—er—th-think I'd b-better g-g-o, Scorpius," said Albus. "I'll—er—s-see y-you ar-r-round."

Scorpius smiled at him. "Definitely. See you later, Albus Severus Potter."

*****TWAMM*****

Albus smiled at the memory. He had been so painfully shy as a child; it had taken him the better part of two years at Hogwarts to even bring himself to have a real conversation with someone other than his family and Scorpius. The two boys had both been Sorted into Ravenclaw, much to Albus's relief. He knew he wasn't brave enough to be in Gryffindor, and, despite his father's reassurances he really didn't fancy being in Slytherin. And his new best friend was with him, so that made everything better. Rose had also become a Ravenclaw. Though at first she and Scorpius had fought nearly every time they saw each other, their animosity had slowly developed into a friendly rivalry, and the three Ravenclaws had become nearly inseparable.

*****TWAMM*****

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose were now just finishing their sixth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and, although Albus was still the least outgoing of the three of them by far, he was no longer debilitatingly shy. He still stuttered occasionally, but very rarely, really only when he was stressed or nervous or embarrassed, and not nearly as badly as he used to.

The school year was over, and Scorpius had just invited the other two to spend three weeks of their summer holidays at Malfoy Manor.

"It'll be really awesome," gushed the talkative blond. "My parents are going to the Mediterranean so we'll have the whole house to ourselves."

Albus smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. "Of course," he said. "We'd love to come, wouldn't we, Rose?"

"Sorry, Scor," said Rose regretfully, "Hugo and I are spending that month with our Mum's family."

Scorpius wrinkled his nose. "With Muggles? You'd rather spend time with Muggles than with me?"

"If you're going to have that attitude then maybe I would," said Rose.

Albus rolled his eyes at his friends. "I guess it's just going to be you and me, Scor," he said.

"We'll have more fun by ourselves anyways," said Scorpius haughtily, putting an arm around Albus's shoulders.

"Boys," Rose muttered disdainfully.

*****TWAMM*****

Scorpius inserted the large old key into the lock in the imposing oak front door and swung it open.

"Here we are, Albus Severus," he announced. "The illustrious Malfoy Manor!"

"I've been here before, Scor," said Albus, shaking his head at his friend. Scorpius was the only one who ever called him by his full name.

"I know," said Scorpius, "but this time it's different, this time we have it all to ourselves."

The two boys trekked up the stairs and deposited their trunks in Scorpius's room, then they went back down to the main floor.

"So, said Scorpius, "what do you want to do now?"

Albus shrugged. "I dunno," he said, walking over to the fridge and pulling it open. "What have you got to eat?"

"You and food," laughed Scorpius. "Look for yourself. It's all ours for the next three weeks. Don't eat it all in one go though."

Albus closed the fridge and pulled a bag of crisps out of the cabinet. He opened them, grabbed a handful, put it in his mouth, and gagged.

"Shrimp flavored? !"

Scorpius doubled over laughing.

Albus threw a handful of crisps at him.

"Hey!" protested Scorpius. "You're making a mess!"

"Tragedy," said Albus, and chucked another crisp.

AN: Sorry for the kind of long author's note at the beginning there. But I like author's notes. I like writing them and I like reading them when I read fics.

Your comments are not mandatory (how I would make them so I have no idea anyway) but they are very welcome! I do reply to all my reviews ;)

-SQ