Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all the characters get put into. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's just the way the lawyers say it has to be. Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Single Weakness

Most everyone in the world had some sort of vice or weakness. Something that manipulated or controlled that person in some tangible or intangible way. And there was nothing Scorpius despised more than weakness. He was a Malfoy after all, first, second, third and last.

He strove every day of his life to be everything his father was supposed to have been.

His grandfather had been the major influence of his life, his own father too weak and cowardly to stand against Lucius Malfoy's strength. His father was a failure, an embarrassment, a man who was looked down upon by most everyone. He would not be. He was strong, intelligent, and without any obvious flaws. He had had to earn the respect of every Slytherin in his house and he had. He'd made sure of it. The other houses didn't feel the same, but they weren't supposed to. He asked only that they fear him, and they did.

There was only one fly in his ointment. One itch he just couldn't scratch. Al Potter. His natural born enemy. Just the sight of the man had Scorpius's gorges rising. It was genetic. Their ancestors had been hating each other since the beginning of their names. So technically, in order to be a perfect Malfoy, he had to fight with the current Potter in residence. It was tradition.

There was only one problem with that. Potter wasn't cooperating.

Al Potter was what most parents wanted in a son. The Gryffindor was always polite, kind, and eager to help. He loved animals and children, and never even tried to get past second base with any of the girls he dated. Potter, in short, was a friggin saint. Scorpius doubted the man had ever said a mean thing to anyone, including him. Every attempt on his part to pick fights with the man for the past seven years had proved fruitless. His words and actions were simply ignored.

It was so frustrating Scorpius was sure he was headed for an ulcer if Potter didn't crack soon.

He could pick fights with every other member of the man's family easily, but Potter remained aloof, like nothing Scorpius could do was worth his time and interest. The bastard. He'd thought about simply turning his attention to the prat's younger sister, but that was just too low. She was a girl and two years younger than them.

His grandfather and grandfather had both been taken down by Al's father and it now rested on Scorpius's shoulders to regain the honor that had been stripped from them. Their wealth, lands, pride, all had been taken from them after the war. They lived off the wealth of his mother, dependant on her family for everything.

Taking down a Potter, that would be something, would mean something. An eye for an eye as his grandfather said. But how? There was no war, no dueling a man who refused to duel you. It had to be a somewhat fair fight, otherwise it would be meaningless. There was no honor in simply poisoning or blasting Potter into little pieces.

Not that he hadn't wanted to countless times.

So deep in thought was he that Scorpius almost missed overhearing the two teacher's speaking around the corner, his ears tuning in at the word Potter.

)

"So Al wasn't terribly hurt then? Harry and Ginny haven't been called?" Professor Longbottom asked Professor Sinistra, having just heard about the incident from the Potions instructor.

"He should be fine in the morning." The Astronomy teacher assured him. "Apparently they're just keeping him overnight for observation. Well that and they didn't want anyone taking advantage of the fact that for the next six hours or so Potter is incapable of lying."

"Especially since those morons mixed the Veritaserum with Godiva wine." Shaking his head Neville could only imagine the state his friend's son was in. Apparently a few students had thought to trick their potion's professor into revealing the answers to an upcoming test by putting the truth telling potion in with the wine the professor drank nightly. When they'd arrived to question Professor Blackwood they'd been very surprised to find Al there as well. Both were more than willing to tell the truth, but Al had apparently been aware enough to shut the professor up and get them both to the Medical wing before the students could get much out of them.

The two shared a look of wry amusement, pondering the lengths their students would go for good grades without studying. Really, if they'd only apply as much effort to their school work…

Glad to know that Al was going to be alright Neville bid his fellow teacher adieu and decided to head out. He'd visit Al tomorrow.

Watching the two teachers walk away Scorpius's smile was downright feral. He knew what had happened of course, he'd heard all about the plan, having been offered the opportunity to be a part of it. He didn't need to cheat to excel academically, and he didn't like cheating period. Only losers cheated, as it meant admitting openly that you couldn't do it otherwise.

So Potter had been visiting the potions professor for some reason and had been offered some wine before he left. Godiva wine tended to make people dreamy and out of it, which made the Veritaserum that much more effective. Right now, in the Medical Wing, Potter was not only incapable of lying but would be utterly defenseless. More to the point, he would be utterly vulnerable.

All thoughts of returning to his dormitory gone Scorpius changed directions, his cunning mind going a mile a minute as he thought up his plan of action. If ever there had been a time to find Potter's weakness this was it. He could ask the man outright and Potter would have to tell him.

There was always the chance the man would simply answer his family, but that was a weakness he already knew about. Scorpius had considered and than discarded the idea of forcing Potter's hand by threatening or causing harm to a member of the man's huge, annoying family. He could do that, but Potter's family tended to attack in packs. If he attacked one, the whole lot of them would come after him, not just Al. That would remain in reserve.

But if the man had some other weakness…

Oh the possibilities.

)

Arriving at the Medical Wing Scorpius easily let himself in, heading straight for the currently occupied bed. The lamp on the bedside was on, and Scorpius could see his prey perfectly as he took a seat on the chair someone had left at Potter's bedside.

"Potter." Scorpius sneered in greeting, taking in the perfectly groomed boy, already in his pajamas and ready for bed. Well, perfectly groomed except for the Potter hair, Scorpius silently corrected as he watched Potter sit up in the bed. No one and nothing could apparently keep the back hairs on a Potter's head down.

"Malfoy." Inclining his head Al took a slow, calming breath as he watched Scorpius watch him. There was no one and nothing that got his goat like Malfoy, and even in his current fog he knew he was in trouble.

"So I hear you're having problems handling your liquor, Potter. Setting such a bad example for everyone, aren't you? Did you take points off yourself already?" Potter was, of course, Head Boy after all.

Refusing to jump at the bait as per usual Al eyed the Slytherin with knowing eyes. "Do you ever get tired of trying to provoke me? I can't see what sport there is for you, seeing as you're wasting all your zingers on someone who could care less what you think."

Since this was true Scorpius was only that much more determined to get a reaction. While he was a perfect Malfoy Al was not the perfect Potter. Potters were supposed to react, to fight back, to do something other than treat him like a cranky child.

Hence Scorpius's extreme problem with the other man.

"Do you ever get tired of pretending to be perfect?" Scorpius shot back.

"I've never claimed to be perfect."

"But you can't tell me you're as wonderful and nice as you let people think you are."

"Of course I'm not." Rolling his eyes Al gave Scorpius an 'are you stupid' look. "But unlike you I try to be a better person than I am. People watch me all the time because of who my Dad is and everything I do reflects on him and vice versa. Unlike you we Potters do have a reputation worth living up to. And for that matter, better I pretend to be a better person than I really am than be like you, a windup toy who simply does what it's told without a single original thought."

"Excuse me? A Wind up toy?"

"You're so busy being what you think a Malfoy should be that you never do anything because YOU want to. You're so focused on living up to your grandfather's standards that you never even question if you believe or want to do half the things you do. You're a Malfoy and that's ALL you are."

"And aren't you ALL Potter?" Scorpius sneered, annoyed as hell.

"Would you say I'm a clone of my father?" Al returned.

Scorpius wished he could, but that just wasn't the case. Though there were definite similarities he couldn't say that Al wasn't an original. Unfortunately. He and Al's father would have definitely gone at in a number of times already.

Opting to get this over with before he really took advantage of Potter's current state Scorpius got straight to the point. "So tell me, Potter. Do you have any weaknesses other than your family? Something I could blackmail you with, maybe?"

"Chocolate."

"Chocolate?"

"Yup. I love the stuff. Any kind, in any form." Grinning at just the thought of the stuff Al suddenly wished he had some. Of course Scorpius wouldn't have any for him to snitch, the man wouldn't know sweetness if it bit him on the ass.

Rolling his eyes Scorpius called himself every kind of fool for thinking there would be something else. "You've probably never done an illegal thing in your life. Have you ever done anything worth even being yelled at?"

"I've been yelled at." Al protested, insulted. "When I was a kid."

"You probably don't even think bad things. What's the worst thing you've ever thought about doing, for Merlin sakes." Scorpius snarled, more pissed off at himself than Potter, not even really thinking about what he was saying as he dropped his head into his hands.

"Screwing your brains out."

Very, very, slowly Scorpius looked up, grey eyes huge as they met Al's slightly vacant ones. "Come again?"

"You asked me what was the worst thing I've ever thought of doing. That would be it. Having sex with you."

"You're joking."

"You do realize that I drank a glass that was half Godiva wine, half Veritaserum. Joking isn't really an option here. I have to tell the truth, unfortunately." And since the damn potion was making him feel talkative… "It surprises you that much? That's good to know. I worried a couple times that you'd figured it out. That that was one of the reasons you're always particularly nasty to me. Good to know it was just your sparkling personality. Does this mean you're going to avoid me like the plague now? Cause I would really appreciate that. That would really make this whole mess worth while."

Scorpius stared at him, not even remotely sure how to respond to anything Potter had just said. His head felt like it would explode, it was trying to absorb so much. "But you don't even like me." He finally blurted out, feeling he had to say something.

"I didn't say I wanted to date you. I said I want to have sex with you. Big difference. I love your face and your bitchin body, but your personality has all the appeal of a bogie flavored bean."

What was a man supposed to say to that? "You make my head hurt."

"You make mine hurt too. And other regions of my anatomy occasionally." Amused at them both and too drugged to think how royally screwed he was Al grinned at the Slytherin. "Don't take it personally, Malfoy. Goody two shoes like me are supposed to crush on bad boys like you. It's like a rule or something."

Staring at Potter Scorpius felt like he'd never seen the man before. How the hell could he have missed this? How could everyone have missed this? How was this even possible? But it had to be true, unless Potter was pulling a very elaborate prank on him. But why would he do it this way? It made no sense. It made no sense unless it was true. And if it was true…

"So you're gay?"

"Yup."

"But you date girls?"

"If you were a gay wizard you'd know that it's illegal to be one. There are still laws, unused but there, that says men like me can be executed if it can be proven we've gotten naked with another man. Until my Aunt Hermione can get those laws thrown out I can't come out without risking my life and whoever I'm seeing. As you no doubt know, since you study me extensively for weaknesses, I never date the same girl for long and I more often than not find them someone better suited before I break up with them. I'm not a complete asshole, but yes, I do date girls for the sole purpose of keeping others from questioning my sexual preferences."

"So you have done something illegal then."

"No, I haven't. It's not actually illegal to be gay, it's just illegal to have gay sex. I actually have to be getting some before I can be charged."

"Wait…so you've NEVER had sex before?"

"No need to rub it in."

"Actually yes, there is, but my head hurts too much to do it." Digging his fingers into his temples Scorpius couldn't see any way he could use this against Potter, no one would believe him. He wouldn't believe him if he hadn't heard it all with his own ears. Exposing Potter for his sexuality would definitely be fun, but proving it would be difficult at hell given Potter's refusal to break the law until it wasn't a law any more. "Only you would forgo sex because it would be breaking the law."

"Well, you want a one night stand, I'm willing to risk your life."

"You would consider sex with me worth dying for?"

"Nah, they like me. I'd get off with penalties. You, on the other hand, well they'd just love an excuse to end your family line permanently. Sleeping with you is the least I can do for my country."

"Very funny."

"Not really, no."

Now that his brain was starting to function Scorpius could see what Potter meant. Well at least he now knew the annoying git was suffering as much as he was, though for entirely other reasons. He suffered because Al was such a goody two shoes, Al suffered because he wanted his body and couldn't have it.

There had to be a way to use that.

And that random thought had Scorpius slowly getting to his feet, all emotion leaving his face as he looked down at his mortal enemy. "I should be going now, before you make my head ht anymore."

"I know that look. You're plotting something. Crap. That something involves me, doesn't it?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and find out."

)

Heading back towards his dorm, using invisibility to avoid detection, Scorpius's mind was recharged and ready for use. Because he needed to be able to think cunningly and clearly. There had to be some way to use what he'd just learned to his advantage. He should have asked if there was any other man in Hogwarts Potter was interested in, but that was hindsight. His brain was only now functioning fully. He could set Potter up, and that would be fun, but it just wasn't good enough. There had to be more.

It wasn't enough to make Potter a joke, or even to make him pay a little. There had to be some way he could really royally screw Potter over. Maybe by screwing him period.

Pausing in midstride Scorpius's head tilted thoughtfully to the side, lost in thought. Potter had said he didn't like him, but the green eyed pain had also pointed out that since the beginning of time goody two shoes had been led astray by bad boys. And more often than not became more than a little bad themselves. Ruined by their flirtation with the dark side.

Why shouldn't he follow such a time honored tradition?

Al Potter was a healthy young man, frustrated probably didn't begin to describe him. He would be ripe for the picking really. And using that, and his attraction to him, Scorpius saw no reason why he couldn't seduce the git to his way of thinking. Of course he'd have to sex with the other man, and that wasn't overly appealing, but then neither was the woman his grandfather had picked out for him to marry. One had to make sacrifices for the greater good.

How bad could it be?

It would probably take until the end of the school year; he'd have to ease the man into it after all. Potter's morals were too ingrained for him to abandon them quickly or easily. But if he could do it, if he could enamor Potter to the point where the man would do anything for him…well then…he could think of a number of things he wouldn't mind asking Potter to do for him.

And all of them would make Harry Potter rue the day he'd pulled his own father from the Room of Requirement.