September, 2022

He had been born fair haired and blue eyed into a wealthy family that while their love for him was real and deep their expression of this love was little and the boy often wondered whether or not it was there. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, the name he'd been born into. It could've been worse, he thought as he stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom. He could've been named something silly like the name of his best friend, Albus Severus. Not that the boy was insulting the name but he'd be lying if he said it didn't sound kind of silly and was an unwise arrangement on his parents' part. It must've been the 'us' at the end of both names. It sounded like the boy should be a set of twins instead, one named Albus and the other boy named Severus.

Dismissing all thoughts of names and parentage, Scorpius turned around and looked at the school robes neatly folded on his bed waiting for him to don them. He wasn't sure why he needed new robes, because at sixteen and now going into sixth year he still wore the same size he did going into fourth year. He was still shorter than average, still skinny and slight. Buying new robes each year was needless spending and waste of the family's money. There was plenty of that to go around, so now Scorpius also dismissed thoughts of why he had new clothing and was just thankful to have such things.

Breakfast went by uneventfully, just he and his parents eating quietly. The bidding of farewell at the platform went over in the same fashion as any other year- his mum cried and kissed his face and promised to send him sweets everyday, his father gave him a stiff hug and instructed him to rake in top marks. The moment Scorpius entered the compartment he and Albus had claimed as their usual since second year, a wave of relief and relaxation washed over him. Summer was over- no more stiff, boring 'parties.' No more 'yes father, no father, father father father.' Now he could be calm. Now he could be himself. He could be with the only person on Earth that knew him completely.

Scorpius smiled broadly when suddenly a mop of dark brown hair flew at him and covered his face. Arms wound tightly around his shoulders and he knew he'd been missed. While his father claimed he had no objections to the friendship his son had with Harry Potter's youngest son, it came out clearly. Draco Malfoy made sure Scorpius was too busy to go see Albus all summer and that made up excuses as to why Albus couldn't come there. However, in school there was no problem. Scorpius could see the boy all he wanted. Draco couldn't control that and never attempted to. Scorpius wound his arms around the tight, muscular body of his best friend. Occasionally, less civilized Slytherin's called them ponces because they were so often seen together and often very close. Scorpius did his best to convince himself they were just jealous he and Albus had such a good friendship. Mostly he was successful in fooling himself, but there were rare occasions when it was just he and Albus and he felt something, just a little something, more. Being gay wasn't an option, so Scorpius tended to not let himself think about it.

"Did you miss me then," he asked as he and the taller boy broke their embrace. Albus rolled his green eyes and sat back down.

"Of course I missed you, you fuckwit," he answered. He stood up and lifted Scorpius' trunk onto the storage space above- Scorpius didn't have the muscle to do it easily for himself. He sat back down and patted the space beside him on the bench. Scorpius smiled and happily obliged to sitting next to his friend instead of across from him like most other male friends would.

"Good. I missed you as well. Tell me about your summer and don't skip anything," he replied, grinning with excitement and turning his body toward his best friend, tucking a leg beneath him.

Albus gave a him a look and rolled his eyes again, his mop of brown hair shivering as he shook his head. "I can't give you the details of every single day, it's just not interesting enough to remember, but there were some highlights."

"Go on then," Scorpius exclaimed.

"Well, Ted and Victoire married. That was at Nan and Granddad's where my uncle Bill and auntie Fleur married forever ago when my dad wasn't much older than we are. The ceremony took forever, which sucked standing there in that suit trying to keep still and quiet. James is engaged now which got mum in a fit because she says nineteen is way too young but we all know she just doesn't like the girl which I don't blame her, she treats him like shit but James is going to do what James wants to do." He took a breath and thought a little more. "And then there was your birthday. I felt really badly that I couldn't come see you. I have a gift for you, though."

"You didn't have to get me anything," Scorpius said quickly, but smiled anyway, glad his friend had thought of him again.

"You always say that, every year at your birthday and Chrimbo, yet you think you have to get me stuff. Let's just settle this once and for all: we don't have to give each other gifts. We want to. Does that sound about right?" Al said, and smiled when Scorpius didn't protest, just nodded. "Good," he said at last and stood up, grabbing a parcel wrapped in silver paper with an emerald green ribbon around it.

Scorpius took the package reluctantly and started gingerly undoing the ribbon and paper. Albus' eyes widened. "Scorpius, you never save the paper so why are you gentle? Just tear it off man, you're killing me!" His voice sounded irritated, but his eyes held no hostility and his bright, perfect-toothed smile was playing on his lips.

Scorpius yielded a short, apologetic chuckle and pulled the wrapping away quickly. He picked the tape off the box and jumped a little bit, startled when something just twice the size of a snitch zipped up into the air. He grabbed at it and stared in awe. He didn't know where on Earth Albus had found a Jetty- not even his father had been able to obtain one! He pried it open and smiled at his name engraved on the inside. This little thing could reach anyone in the world in less than ten minutes.

"Where the hell did you find one of these!?" He was shocked and excited. He stared at Albus' grinning face in disbelief.

"I won't lie, occasionally having a famed father has it's perks," he admitted, "normally I don't take advantage, you know that, but I just HAD to this time. I was offered one and I couldn't help myself asking for another for my best friend's birthday."

"So we can talk during the summer now," he thought aloud as the realization came to him. "Because it won't take as long. Brilliant!" He hurled himself forward and gave Albus a tight hug. He experienced one of those fleeting moments where their friendship felt like more. He quickly pushed it away from his head. "Thank you, Al."

"You're welcome, Perry!" Albus had called him Perry since they became friends at the end of first year. Scorpius hadn't like his name much then and any way you tried to shorten it sounded worse. So Al had taken 'per' from 'Hyperion' and turned it into 'Perry.'

Scorpius tucked the Jetty back into the box and taped it shut. He tucked it up next to his trunk and sat back down. "Now, what did you do this summer?"

He shrugged, not knowing what to tell Albus. He didn't have any highlights. "It was like any other summer. Uneventful and full of events," he smirked, scrunching his nose.

Note: Hmmn. So, I'm not sure how much I love this but what the hell, right?