Scorpius was half-asleep, his face pressed against Rigel's shoulder and an arm flung across his waist as his friend dictated a letter to a self-writing quill.
" - In my opinion, the Wizenmagot would blahblahblah - "
Scorpius wasn't paying attention. Olivia poked him in the foot with her own.
"Scorpius?"
"Hmm?" he inquired, barely lifting his head, even when Rigel shifted his shoulder.
Olivia sat with her back against the bedpost at the foot of the bed, a book forgotten in her lap. "Why were you staring at Albus Potter in class today?"
Scorpius tensed and Rigel certainly felt it, pausing in his dictation.
"What d'you mean?" he questioned, mumbling and slurring the words together as his face heated in embarrassment. He wondered if Rigel could feel that through his robes.
"You kept looking over at him - "
" - Every other minute," Rigel concluded, adding his own testimony.
"Is he bothering you?" Olivia asked.
Scorpius pushed away from his friend, sitting up on the bed to find their eyes peering at him with concern, curiosity, and -
Presumption. Like they already knew the answer.
"It wasn't every other minute."
"Do you fancy him?" came the critically asked question from Rigel.
Scorpius cowered into the pillows, turning his red face away from his friends.
"Rigel! We said we wouldn't - "
"Oh, Merlin. He does. He fancies Albus Potter. Look how he acts - "
"So what if I do?" he shot hotly at his friend, clambering to his feet. He was glad the Slytherin dorms were empty of anyone else. "If you've got a problem with it - "
Olivia grabbed at his wrist. "We don't."
"You don't?" He looked at Rigel.
"No, of course not. You have to stop thinking I'll abandon you at any opportunity. I haven't and I won't. I'm only - " Rigel took a deep breath. "Processing."
"He's been processing for weeks," Olivia murmured to him, quirking an eyebrow at her boyfriend.
"I still fancy girls too," Scorpius murmured. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought about Annabeth. Annabeth, who he couldn't talk about because of the complications of Milliways.
Rigel shook his head. "He's Harry Potter's son."
Scorpius climbed back into the bed, shrugging his shoulders. "He's Albus."
"You've been talking to him?" Olivia asked interestedly, scooting forward on the duvet.
Rigel was wide-eyed. "Does he fancy blokes too?"
"I - I don't know." And Scorpius didn't. His stomach churned unpleasantly. "Could we not talk about this?"
Rigel shrugged and Olivia smiled. Neither pushed.
Rigel started his letter again as Scorpius curled up against him once more.
"I think he's cute," Olivia whispered with finality to end the conversation. Scorpius grinned as Rigel groaned and rolled his eyes.
A few moments later the lid of Rigel's trunk burst open and Red clambered out, pulling at a bit of fabric with her teeth.
"Your cat is stealing my dress robes," his friend complained.
Scorpius closed his eyes, burying his face against Rigel's shoulder once more. "I wouldn't fight her about it. She'll only win."
" - In my opinion, the Wizenmagot would blahblahblah - "
Scorpius wasn't paying attention. Olivia poked him in the foot with her own.
"Scorpius?"
"Hmm?" he inquired, barely lifting his head, even when Rigel shifted his shoulder.
Olivia sat with her back against the bedpost at the foot of the bed, a book forgotten in her lap. "Why were you staring at Albus Potter in class today?"
Scorpius tensed and Rigel certainly felt it, pausing in his dictation.
"What d'you mean?" he questioned, mumbling and slurring the words together as his face heated in embarrassment. He wondered if Rigel could feel that through his robes.
"You kept looking over at him - "
" - Every other minute," Rigel concluded, adding his own testimony.
"Is he bothering you?" Olivia asked.
Scorpius pushed away from his friend, sitting up on the bed to find their eyes peering at him with concern, curiosity, and -
Presumption. Like they already knew the answer.
"It wasn't every other minute."
"Do you fancy him?" came the critically asked question from Rigel.
Scorpius cowered into the pillows, turning his red face away from his friends.
"Rigel! We said we wouldn't - "
"Oh, Merlin. He does. He fancies Albus Potter. Look how he acts - "
"So what if I do?" he shot hotly at his friend, clambering to his feet. He was glad the Slytherin dorms were empty of anyone else. "If you've got a problem with it - "
Olivia grabbed at his wrist. "We don't."
"You don't?" He looked at Rigel.
"No, of course not. You have to stop thinking I'll abandon you at any opportunity. I haven't and I won't. I'm only - " Rigel took a deep breath. "Processing."
"He's been processing for weeks," Olivia murmured to him, quirking an eyebrow at her boyfriend.
"I still fancy girls too," Scorpius murmured. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought about Annabeth. Annabeth, who he couldn't talk about because of the complications of Milliways.
Rigel shook his head. "He's Harry Potter's son."
Scorpius climbed back into the bed, shrugging his shoulders. "He's Albus."
"You've been talking to him?" Olivia asked interestedly, scooting forward on the duvet.
Rigel was wide-eyed. "Does he fancy blokes too?"
"I - I don't know." And Scorpius didn't. His stomach churned unpleasantly. "Could we not talk about this?"
Rigel shrugged and Olivia smiled. Neither pushed.
Rigel started his letter again as Scorpius curled up against him once more.
"I think he's cute," Olivia whispered with finality to end the conversation. Scorpius grinned as Rigel groaned and rolled his eyes.
A few moments later the lid of Rigel's trunk burst open and Red clambered out, pulling at a bit of fabric with her teeth.
"Your cat is stealing my dress robes," his friend complained.
Scorpius closed his eyes, burying his face against Rigel's shoulder once more. "I wouldn't fight her about it. She'll only win."
