Scorpius Malfoys’s shockingly blond hair was in stark contrast with the muted greens and browns of the hills behind the Granger-Weasleys’ house. He was visible all the way from the building’s top floor window, hundreds of feet back and just as many up, where Albus Potter’s face was pressed against the smudged glass. His remarkable green eyes followed the pale blur in the distance as it traveled a bit further across the vast expanse before halting at a seemingly random spot. Curiosity getting the best of him, Albus spun away from the window and made a hurried descent, ignoring the old staircase’s groans of protest when he covered four steps at a time.
Muffled conversation from the kitchen leaked into the other first floor rooms. Albus thought he could hear his father’s voice amongst the mumbles, asking Uncle Ron how many more people he was planning to cram into the house for a visit before school started next month. The response wasn’t clearly audible. He glanced towards the noise only momentarily before pulling open the front door and slipping out into the thick summer air.
Albus wandered blindly for minutes, blinking hard to save his eyes from the harsh sunlight. He traveled up and down the curves in the earth in an uneven trot. When he finally spotted his boyfriend, sitting cross-legged in a cloud of delicate ivory flowers, he could’ve sworn he was seeing a second sun.
He stopped several feet behind Scorpius, just close enough to watch as the other boy’s fingers twisted the pale blossoms around each other, forming a lovely string of flora that spilled off his lap and curled around his bare toes. A similar chain was thoughtfully placed on top of his head. Albus didn’t speak; the moment seemed too fragile, as if any sounds besides Scorpius’s absent-minded humming would cause the world around him to shatter like a hand-mirror.
He inched forward in soundless steps and lowered himself into a seated position next to Scorpius. The warm smile he directed at his boyfriend was not returned; the blond-haired boy’s focus was locked on his work. He added a final flower before tying the two ends in a loose bow. Albus watched, silent and unmoving, as Scorpius gingerly lifted the creation and set it over Albus’s chocolate curls. The two boys’ eyes caught, and all at once, the color seemed to drain from the world around them. When the connection broke, Scorpius went back to plucking flowers from the soft dirt, as if he’d forgotten about Albus completely. Albus hesitated before leaning to the side and resting his head on Scorpius’s shoulder. Though no words were spoken and no more glances were exchanged, Albus could tell his presence was noticed, could feel Scorpius adjusting himself to make Albus’s position more comfortable.
Albus smiled, though no one could see it. He smiled there, pressed against Scorpius’s side in a cloud of delicate ivory flowers, amongst the muted greens and browns of the hills behind the Granger-Weasleys’ house, and though he’d lived his whole life surrounded by waving wands and the whispers of spell incantations, he swore he’d never been in such a magical moment before.
