Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XXIV

Albus didn't like Scorpius' room much. For one thing, he had a lot of pictures on the wall of his late mum. It gave Albus the creeps, having a dead woman looking at him as he snuck around his brother's room while he was eating in the kitchen.

Annoyingly, Albus could almost feel Astoria Greengrass' eyes on him as he dug around Scorpius' drawers. When his hand closed around a leather-bound journal, Albus grinned. Score!

He wondered if anything in it was written about Erick. Maybe, he could get the two of them back together. Maybe he could fix it all up.

Just as he was about to open it, the door clicked open and Scorpius entered, stopping when he saw what Albus was holding. "What the hell do you think you're doing with that?"

"Just. . .trying to fix you and Erick. Get you back together, yeah?"

"I. . ." he trailed off, but regained his words as he snatched the journal away. "Get out. Now." He didn't wait for a response from Albus before settling at his desk, his hand moving furiously as he wrote.

"Erick told me about the breakup." Scorpius' writing stopped. "I'm sorry, man, really. Are you okay? What even happened?"

"I didn't ask you to be sorry, so go away, " Scorpius told him, not looking up.

"I don't want to leave, " argued Albus, scowling and crossing his arms. "Why can't you just talk to me?"

"Because I don't want to, happy?"

Albus snarled, "No."

"Too bad, now get out."

Angrily, Albus reached down and grabbed the journal, holding it high above his head as Scorpius stood and turned to him, his hands clenched. "What?" asked Albus, "Want it back?"

"Give it to me!" Scorpius said, jumping up in an attempt to grab the notebook. Unfortunately for him, Albus was just tall enough to keep the journal out of his brother's reach.

"Just talk to me!"

Scorpius shouted, "You didn't care at Hogwarts and you don't care now! You just feel sorry for E-Erick and not me!"

"Who says I don't care?"

"You hate me! You didn't help me at all!"

"Woah, " Albus said, holding a hand up in defence. "Are you talking about those bullies? Man, they aren't that bad."

Scorpius opened his mouth to counter Albus' statement when he continued, "What? Are you upset because I don't hang around you as much anymore? Is it because of Astoria?"

Scorpius shoved his brother as hard as he could, knocking him against the wall and onto the ground. Albus groaned from the force of it, giving Scorpius the perfect opportunity to rip the journal from his hands.

Albus groaned, "What is your problem, man?" as two pairs of footsteps began ascending the stairs. He rubbed the back of his head, which was already forming a bump from being smashed against the wall.

Quickly, Scorpius dropped his journal as the door opened, giving Albus the chance to grab it again. "What's going on?" Draco asked as he came into Scorpius' room. "We heard shouting and---"

Scorpius looked down, his hands clasped behind his back.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Scorpius, what happened?"

Albus stood, saying unconvincingly, "I slipped! Nothing happened."

He looked at Scorpius, who was gripping his biceps in a sort of self-hug, keeping his eyes on the floor. Albus found it familiar, and it clicked; it was the same expression his bother wore when Albus had walked in on him and Erick.

Harry told him softly, "Albus, maybe you should go to your room."

Albus opened his mouth to argue, but his father's stern gaze stopped him. He nodded and went into his room, which was the next door over. He frowned as he pulled the journal from under his shirt, his fingers aching with curiosity to open it.

But he could hear his father and Draco's voice from the opposite side of the wall. They were obviously lecturing Scorp, but Albus didn't want to focus on that. It should have been him getting the lecture.

He was the one who initiated the fight and he was sure Scorpius would rat him out. Merlin, he could almost feel the disappointed waves coming from his parents. You almost let him get in trouble for your actions. What does that say about your character, Albus?

But Scorpius' voice never came to rat him out. In fact, throughout the duration of the lecture, Scorpius hadn't said one word. Albus wanted to shout at Scorpius to say something---anything---that could be used against Albus. Hell, he didn't even care if Scorpius cried. He just wanted him to talk.

Soon enough, the lecture ended and he heard Draco and his dad walking downstairs again, speaking in hushed voices that didn't carry. He stepped out of his room and hesitated for only a moment before walking into his room.

But he almost stopped when he saw Scorpius standing in the same spot he had been when Harry had told him to leave. He was wiping at his eyes as he looked up. "What?" he said thickly. "Come to gloat?" His voice cracked as Albus held his hand out, grasping the leather-bound journal.

"I. . .I didn't look at it. If it helps any."

Scorpius took the notebook and set it in his desk drawer, sniffling. Albus didn't understand his brother sometimes. He could be totally normal and then snap in a second, turning him into a blubbering mess.

"I really am sorry about you and Erick."

Scorpius nodded silently.

"I'm sorry, Scorp."

"Okay, " he murmured, claiming into his bed. "Hey, Albus?"

"Yeah?" he asked as he climbed into Scorpius' bed as well, just like they used to do when they were kids.

"Remember when you used to make up stories? Can you. . .do that again? Just to help me fall asleep?"

"Sure, man, " Albus told him, and he made up a good story. Of course, in the original Albus fashion, it revolved around him. He hadn't even finished when Scorpius fell asleep.

Albus climbed out of Scorpius' bed carefully, making sure to keep quiet so that he didn't wake up. He opened Scorpius' desk drawer and pulled out the journal and opened it to the first page, reading.

Hi, Mum.
Believe it or not, you're the only one that'll listen to me.
I don't know why he suddenly seems to care. He never did. At Hogwarts, he stood by and watched. He's pretending and I know it.

Albus frowned as he read. Was Scorpius talking about him? Why was Scorpius writing to Astoria? He continued.

I don't want him to be pretending, though. I want to believe that he cares because he's the only one that might be able to understand. Astoria, I think I'm going crazy. I ended it with him earlier. He told me he loved me and I ruined it. Everyone I love goes away and he wasn't any different.

My best friend hasn't even tried to talk to me for weeks. She's been avoiding me ever since she and Albus found out about us.

Astoria, I miss you so much. . .I don't want to be here. I really don't. I wish you were here. Then, you'd be able to help me. I wouldn't have to worry about Draco or anybody else.

I love you, Mum.

Albus slipped the journal back into Scorpius' desk drawer and tiptoed to his room. He had no idea what time it was, but he flipped the light switch. Too quickly, he found a bit of parchment and fed his owl a few treats and wrote in his messy scrawl Teddy.

He wasn't sure what Scorpius had been going on about, but he was sure that it wasn't good. Teddy was a healer at St Mungo's and he was trained for this sort of thing. Surely, he would be able to help Scorpius.

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