Amelia woke not to the sound of birds singing from the windows, nor to a kiss from Scorpius. She awoke suddenly when she heard a loud thump followed swiftly by a curse word in a sleepy, deep and attractive voice. She rubbed her eyes and looked up, yawning, as Scorpius sat up on the floor in his boxers, his hair sticking up.

‘What...?’ Amelia asked, still not fully awake since she trailed off at that sentence.

‘Can we not spend nights on a sofa that can barely let one person sleep on it without falling off?’ Scorpius grumbled, standing up and clutching his lower back with a frown, ‘or just wait until we can find a proper bed...’

‘Come here,’ Amelia smirked, waking up a little now. She sat up, dragging the sheets around her body and told him to sit in front of her, his back to him. Scorpius did so and groaned appreciatively as Amelia rubbed his back and smiled, ‘so, nights? In the plural? Does that mean we can do this again?’

‘Only if you enjoyed it this time?’ Scorpius said, closing his eyes as her hands worked on his back. Amelia thought to last night and blushed bright red, staying silent. Scorpius misunderstood her silence and frowned, ‘promise it gets better after the first time.’

‘It was great, really,’ Amelia said truthfully. She had to admit that it hurt but Scorpius took it slow and made it so much easier for her, he was everything she could have hoped for. Scorpius stopped and turned to her, worry on his face when he saw her expression. She didn't look particularly happy. Amelia sighed and tried to smile, ‘you couldn't have been better.’

‘Something tells me there’s a “but” after that sentence,’ Scorpius muttered, reaching out and playing with a strand of her hair, something he had been doing quite a lot since last night. Amelia shifted forwards until they were close enough, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his chest, ‘did I do something wrong?’

‘No! As I said, you couldn’t have been better but,’ Amelia frowned as he rolled his eyes. She looked down at his chest, ‘I think we really need to let people know we’re together now.’

‘Oh, that’s the reason? Great! You had me worrying about my ability in bed,’ Scorpius chuckled and took her face in his hands. Amelia looked up, into his eyes, and waited for him to say something else. He shrugged, ‘fine, if you want people to know we’re together, I have no problem with that.’

‘Oh really? You had a problem before, why not now?’ Amelia asked, lifting the sheets a little to cover her better.

‘Because I love you... and I don’t want anyone to think that they’ll have a chance with you, not when I’m around,’ Scorpius said, once again playing with a strand of her hair. He followed the strand down, down, down towards her stomach and then stopped there, putting a hand on her waist, as he whispered, ‘you should wear some clothes.’

‘Don’t look,’ she whispered, kissing him before standing up with the sheets still around her. She turned back to him and grinned, ‘close your eyes!’

‘Hey, I’ve already seen you naked. You’ll never take that away from me,’ Scorpius smirked but he stood up and turned his back on her, putting on his own clothes. Amelia wore her bra and pants in silence, thinking to herself. Scorpius sighed, ‘I have Quidditch practice with Potter today, just so you know. You can come and watch me beat him, if you want?’

‘I would but I have homework and studying to do. I already missed half of it because I had to come here with you,’ Amelia pretended to be annoyed and then chuckled, wearing the dress that she wore last night again. She turned, watching him put on his trousers, ‘we could study together, you know, since our relationship is public now.’

‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I want to study with my girlfriend,’ Scorpius said, pulling on his shirt as he sighed, ‘you’re such a nerd, Amelia! Are you done changing now?’

‘First of all, I got changed before you did. Second, I’m not a nerd, I just need to do well in Hogwarts for my future,’ Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, ‘and third... I hope James beats you in Quidditch.’

‘Have you seen me play Quidditch?’ Scorpius asked, turning around and walking towards her. Amelia lifted her hands and placed them on his chest as he came forwards, ‘I could beat him any day!’

‘No, you couldn’t, love. It’s cute that you think that,’ Amelia smirked, knowing she was getting at him. Scorpius narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head before he moved to the sofa and got rid of the sheet they had slept in.

‘Whatever. We should leave or I’ll be late for beating Potter’s ass at Quidditch,’ Scorpius said, walking over to the door. Amelia followed him but he stopped, turning to her, ‘you should probably get your bag from the empty classroom before going to your common room.’

‘Love you,’ she murmured, stretching up to give him a kiss as Scorpius rolled his eyes but he pecked her lips anyway, ushering her out of the room without another word. Amelia looked both ways down the corridor as Scorpius shut the door behind him.

‘See you whenever,’ Scorpius shrugged before turning away and walking, sort of jogging after checking the time, down the corridor. Amelia watched him go, feeling a little bad that she once again made it look like she favoured James over her boyfriend.

---

‘Where the bloody hell have you been?!’ James shot a glare at her as soon as she entered the Gryffindor common room, dressed in what she wore yesterday before the dress.

Amelia got to him, looking her cousin up and down since he was dressed in his Quidditch gear and was standing with two other Quidditch players. One of them was a beater and the other was Jake, the boy from the library. Amelia glanced at Jake who was standing with James with a broom over his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows at her in greeting with a little smile that showed a dimple on one of his cheeks. Amelia smiled back but James clicked his fingers in her face, turning her attention towards him again.

‘Oh... yeah... I fell asleep while studying. No big deal,’ she shrugged, patting the side of his arm, ‘I’ll see you at lunch, okay?’

‘Seriously,’ James said, grabbing her arm as she tried to slink past him slowly. He turned her around so that they were face to face and glanced at Jake and the other boy before saying, in a quieter voice, ‘why are you lying to me? Remember before when we told each other everything and didn't lie? Yeah, let’s go back to that.’

‘We share too much with each other anyway,’ Amelia shrugged, not meeting his eyes, ‘I need to... to... hold a couple of things to myself that you don’t know about, James.’

‘So, you’re basically telling me to mind my own business? I hate how we’re not as close as we used to be and you know why that is?’ Scorpius asked her, leaning in and grimacing, ‘because of Malfoy, of course. I never see you anymore, Amelia. You never want to hang out with me or do anything with me yet you can spend the night with...’

Scorpius’ sentence trailed off at the word night. His eyes widened suddenly and he mouthed the word ‘no’ as though he couldn't muster the strength to speak. Amelia bit her lip, waiting for him finally to figure it out as his eyes swept from her hair to her bag to her last nights clothes.

‘Don’t, James,’ Amelia warned him as he glared at her with a fixed expression, ‘you knew it was going to happen sooner or later!’

‘I’ll kill him,’ James said, warning her just as Jake called out that they had to go now for practice. James glared at her before leaving the common room and walking furiously down the corridor with more than just two of the other Quidditch members following  him.

‘You’re alright to play?’ Jake asked, dropping into step with him but he ended up nearly jogging to keep up. James ignored him, thinking about Amelia and Scorpius, as Jake chuckled, ‘so your cousin was a virgin until last night? Seriously?’

James stopped and turned immediately, intimidating Jake only with his eyes. He glared at him, the other stopping to stare, as Jake stammered an apology with his hands held up as though in surrender.

‘I would punch you but I think I’ll keep that for Malfoy,’ Scorpius growled, grabbing the front of Jakes’ uniform and twisting it so that the shirt cut the back of his neck harshly, ‘if I catch you looking at Amelia or even thinking about her, I’ll make sure you won’t be able to ride a broom ever again.’

James turned after pushing Jake back so that he hit the wall behind him. The others waited a little while in the corridor for Jake to regain his composure before following James, letting him go first. He knew they were probably talking about him right now, behind his back, but he didn't care at all. He marched out of the castle and towards the Quidditch pitch where they would be practicing against the Slytherins.

‘Now, remember, we’re just going to play one game with them. No foul play, like always. Potter! Keep your head in the game!’ James didn't listen to the keeper as he talked when they got to the pitch. He saw Scorpius chatting to one of his team members, already on the Quidditch pitch. Without a warning, he was stalking towards him, his team members calling out to him, ‘Potter! Back here!’

‘In a minute,’ he said to himself, staring at Scorpius with eyes that could kill even the friendliest of things.

Scorpius turned around when the boy he was talking to gestured to James. Scorpius raised his eyebrows at him, watching as his girlfriend’s cousin tracked over to him with a sneer. He took a step forwards, some of the boys behind him smirked, sensing a fight or some sort of argument.

‘Well, well, well, Potter. Walking away from the team, are you? Have you finally realised that our team is way better than yours?’ Scorpius asked, smirking as he set his broom’s handle on the ground and leaned on it, glancing at his team members  behind him, ‘we don’t accept rookies on our team. You can leave.’

‘You slept with her,’ James growled under his breath, stopping in front of Scorpius, trying to restrain his hands from flying out to hurt him.

‘She... She told you? Well, I wouldn’t put it past her. She tells you everything, right?’ Scorpius asked, sounding a little annoyed and ignoring the sound of the guys behind him who were trying to figure out who they were talking about. He couldn't believe that Amelia would actually tell her cousin that they slept together for the first time...

‘You slept with Amelia... you... you slept with her! The thought of your grimy hands on her sickens me... If you don’t stay away from her...’ James started, taking a step forwards and letting his sentence waver off dramatically. Scorpius rolled his eyes as he leaned forwards, just about James’ height, so that their faces were close.

‘Then what? What if I don’t stay away from her?’ Scorpius asked, pushing James backwards so that he staggered a few steps. Sounds of appreciation came from behind him as James pushed Scorpius back with only half his strength. Scorpius chuckled without humour, ‘that all you got, Potter?’

‘I’m warning you now. You stay away from her or else I wont be so easy on you,’ James said, growling under his breath.

‘She’s good in bed, you know, for her first time anyway,’ Scorpius said, pushing James just that bit further. He smirked at the way his hands twitched, going for his wand. Scorpius continued, ‘oh and you should know that she was the one wanting me to-’

James forgot about his wand, forgot he was in Hogwarts, forgot anyone else was looking. He lunged for Scorpius, his fist crashing with a painful crunch to his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. James towered over him, his fist still clenched, as Scorpius spat blood on the ground and grinned at him.

‘You hit like a wimp,’ Scorpius managed to mumble as he lay on the grass. The strands of grass spattered with blood that was gushing from his mouth as James sneered down at him.

James growled again, ‘don’t see Amelia again or I’ll do much worse.’

‘I love her,’ Scorpius said, managing to stand up again, supporting his jaw with one hand, ‘and she loves me. She wanted what she got last night with someone that meant something special to her and that’s what she got. Hit me as much as you want, I wont leave her.’

‘Well, since you’re alright with being hit...’ James growled, unable to control his anger anymore.

He let it pour out in the form of punches, straight to Scorpius’ stomach which made a wheezing noise as the air blew out of it. Scorpius managed to stand on his feet but James punched him again and again in different places whilst Scorpius only managed to breathe out a wheezy breath until he was sprawled out on the grass, nearing the point of unconsciousness. James threw in a couple of kicks before he was dragged away by someone.

---

‘Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy, when I heard that two boys were fighting on the Quidditch pitch, I didn't have a moments doubt that it was you two.’

A few hours after Scorpius and James’ fight, they were admitted to the hospital wing. Scorpius had a bruised left eye and many purple bruises on his stomach, back and ribs courtesy of James. Madam Pomfrey did her best to heal him up but his breathing still came out wheezy which she assured him would wear off soon. James had broken knuckles and would just stay there one night although he wasn’t too happy about that fact. Their beds were opposite one another’s and Professor McGonagall stood between them, arms crossed, back straight, looking at them both with disapproval.

‘Fighting is not tolerated at Hogwarts and I’m very disappointed in both of you,’ McGonagall continued, pursing her lips, ‘this has happened many, many times but physical fighting has never happened-’

‘You just don’t see it happening,’ Scorpius interrupted, massaging the side of his stomach as he struggled to sit up, ‘but, yeah, it does happen.’

‘It’s not been so serious, Mr Malfoy. You are in the hospital wing because of another student in Hogwarts and that has serious consequences,’ McGonagall said, frowning at James as he laughed nastily since Scorpius groaned in pain when he sat up. James shrugged at her.

‘Professor, I’ll do a detention or whatever. Save us the speech,’ James said, rolling his light brown eyes towards the ceiling, ‘I think we have a special bond, Professor, don’t you? We’ve seen a lot of each other throughout my years in Hogwarts and I know what you’re going to say and it always ends in detention so please, don’t waste your time.’

‘The consequences are very severe this time, Mr Potter, and being bold will not in any way lessen what your punishment is,’ McGonagall said, ‘both of your parents will be called in to school and that means you too Mr Malfoy.’

‘My mother can’t make it,’ Scorpius said casually, ‘you know, because she left me with my incapable father when I was barely a day old.’

‘Enough of your depressing life, Malfoy,’ James retorted, ‘no body cares about your sob story.’

‘As I said, your parents will be called into school and I will discuss with them privately about your behaviour. After that we will discuss your punishment which will consist of... an exclusion from Hogwarts,’ she said, looking from one pair of grey shocked eyes to the next pair of brown, ‘I’m sorry but it’s not up to me. Your parents will arrive tomorrow morning.’

Without another word or letting any of them speak, she turned and left with the sound of her shoes clicking on the polished floor. There was a dragging silence until the door behind McGonagall closed but it was opened very soon after and Amelia came stalking in as though she had waited outside for this moment. She glared at both of them.

‘Exclusion? You’re going to get excluded for fighting?! James, your dad’s going to kill you! Scorpius... are you okay?’ she asked, her anger fading when she saw him massaging his stomach again. She walked over to him, her hand went to his stomach and she rubbed it softly, ‘let me say I’m sorry for stupid cousin.’

‘Amelia!’ James grumbled from the opposite bed but he was ignored, ‘at least don’t touch him in front of me.’

‘James, I’ll deal with you later,’ Amelia said, closing the curtains around Scorpius’ bed so that James couldn't see them. She ignored his grumbles and walked over to Scorpius, sitting on the bed beside him, ‘I really, truly, am sorry for this. I didn't know he was going to hit you...’

‘Ah, don’t worry about it. But... did you tell him about our night together?’ Scorpius asked, not meeting her eyes. He already didn't like the idea that he had actually talked to James about them but he knew that he would hate it if she admitted it, making it official in some ways.

‘No, no! He found out because... well, you know I can’t lie to him and he also saw my clothes that I hadn’t changed from the day before,’ Amelia shook her head at her stupidity and then bit her lip as Scorpius groaned again, clutching his side, ‘is there... something you can use to lessen the pain?’

‘Well, there is this,’ Scorpius reached over and held up a tube of gel, ‘and Pomfrey also gave me some pills.’

‘Let me help. Take off your shirt, love’ Amelia said, taking the tube from him. Scorpius tried to say no but she glared at him, ‘take it off! I want to see how bad the bruises are. I know a couple of spells to help you.’

Scorpius sighed, ‘you don’t have to do this. I can put it on myself, Amelia.’

‘Scorpius, I swear you are so stubborn sometimes,’ Amelia scolded him, reaching over and unbuttoning his shirt without hesitation. She successfully unbuttoned it and took it off.

‘Geez, you don’t take no for an answer do you?’ Scorpius muttered, watching as her eyes scanned over his body and then turned him around so that she could see his back. Amelia uncapped the tube and took a dollop of gel in her hand, starting to rub it on the bruises.

‘James, you are so dead!’ Amelia yelled furiously as Scorpius managed not to moan at the coolness of the gel.

‘Not before my dad kills me for being excluded,’ James yelled back, sounding closer than before. Amelia looked behind her and saw his shadow through the curtains.

‘You’re not supposed to leave the hospital wing until tomorrow morning. Get back in bed,’ Amelia said, looking back to Scorpius and smiling at the peace on his face with his eye shut.

‘I’m not a wimp like your... your boyfriend,’ James frowned, pacing outside the curtains, ‘you know what, Amelia, if you want to ruin your life and stay with him then go ahead.’

‘James, come on. You need to know that I love him and that I want to be with him. I’m not ruining my life just because you don’t like Scorpius because of the kind of family he comes from,’ Amelia shook her head as Scorpius looked at her. She looked down at his stomach, rubbing some gel on the bruise there, ‘why can’t you, of all people, just be happy for me?’

‘You’re too good for him,’ James muttered, from just outside the curtains. Amelia stopped massaging Scorpius and stood up, wiping her hands on some towels as James sighed, ‘Amelia, I don’t want you getting hurt, alright?’

‘Well, you hurt me by hurting Scorpius,’ Amelia said, walking over to the curtains and opening them so that she could see James who was just putting his shoes on. Amelia sighed, reaching out for his hand, ‘please, I beg you, get over this stupid rivalry. You don’t have to like him but at least don’t punch him or physically harm him. You’re doing the exact opposite of what you don’t want to do which is hurt me. You know that when we leave Hogwarts, Scorpius and I are going to be together and if you cant accept that...’

‘What are you going to do? Stop talking to me? Hate me?’ James asked, taking a step forwards, ‘you couldn't last a day without not talking to me.’

‘I lasted a whole Christmas this year,’ Amelia reminded him and James narrowed his eyes. She sighed, looking back at Scorpius who was watching her, and then turned back to James, ‘I can’t lose you, I can’t lose him. All I want from you is to be happy for me and not to hurt him. Please, James.’

‘I still hate this but,’ James groaned, looking at Scorpius with a frown and then towards Amelia, ‘if it means that much to you...’

‘It means everything to me!’ Amelia said, grabbing both of his arms with shining eyes.

‘Fine, I won’t hurt you,’ James said to Scorpius, hatred still on his face, ‘but if you hurt her, I will kill you... and I’m not exaggerating.’

‘I won’t hurt her,’ Scorpius rolled his eyes, ‘and, for Amelia’s sake, I’ll be civil.’

‘Thank you so much!’ Amelia squealed, hugging James with tight arms as he shrugged and hugged her back. Amelia pulled away, watching as James edged towards the door with his bag. She grabbed his arm, ‘hey, you’re not supposed to leave.’

 ‘I have to,’ James said, checking the time, ‘since I’ll probably be excluded tomorrow, I don’t want to stay holed up in here. See you at dinner.’

‘Bye,’ Amelia muttered but James was already jogging out of the room, watching for Pomfrey behind him. She watched as he left and then went back to Scorpius who lay down again, shutting his eyes. Amelia leaned forwards and kissed him, ‘love you.’

Scorpius half smiled at her, watching as she sat down on the chair beside the bed. Amelia opened up a book, muttering something about studying and how he should probably rest. She was deeply immersed in her book and Scorpius watched her read, thinking about how his parents (in the singular, he hoped) was coming tomorrow.