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It had been a long, lazy stretch of summer so far. James knew he had to work on getting a job soon - there were spots at the Ministry, positions his dad had been nudging him into looking after for a few weeks or so now. But it was his last summer, the last time he'd get to spend time off with Albus and Lily, so the job hunt hadn't been pressing. That'll change in the fall, Harry had warned, and that had been perfectly alright with James: he was looking forward to getting his own flat and escaping from the house as quickly as he could.

"Hey," he greets, opening the door to Albus's room without so much as a knock, "grab your broom, I thought we might go flying-"

When his eyes land on Scorpius's face, the words die on his tongue.

"-what are you doing here?"

Never has there been a more accusing sentence in the English language.

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Scorpius looks unperturbed as usual, sitting calmly on Albus's bed beside his friend. Their hands were awfully close to one another, weren't they? But on second glance, James might see that they're turning runes over. Joke runes from George's shop. There's a big grin on Al's face until he hears James's tone and then he's sighing, looking over his shoulder.

"He is staying for a few weeks. Didn't Dad tell you?" Al asks. "Anyway, what do you want to flying with me for?" They weren't exactly close on the best of days. Al always got the feeling James didn't like him very much.

"I'll go with you," Scorpius says, sneering. Oh come on. He couldn't resist!

"Dad didn't tell me anything," he shoots back, but he knows why: probably because he'd overreact. James huffs and shoves his hands into his pockets, lingering in the doorway, suddenly utterly unsure of where to go. "And this is sort of the last time we'll be living in the same roof, Al," he mutters, but his eyes cut to Scorpius, lip curling in distaste at his little sneer.

And then he simply shrugs.

"Fine, then. Grab your broom, come on."

Both Al and Scorpius look over, wide-eyed. The sneer drops from Scorpius's face in shock. "Erm..."

"Oh, go on," Al yawns, nudging Scorpius off the bed. "I told Mum I'd help her at Grandma Weasley's today, and I was trying to figure out the best way to break it to you."

Scorpius hops to his feet. Flying with James was about a thousand times better than enduring the Weasley's aggression towards him. Hugo, in particular, had a hatred for his surname akin to James.

"Fine, whatever," Scorpius groans, stretching out. "I suppose you've got a spare broom?"

"Borrow mine," Al offers. He gives James a look. "And James. Be nice."

James shoots Al a look that's meant to imply that he's offended, holding one hand up - palm out - toward him. "I'm always nice, dunno what you're talking about. But tell everyone I said hey, alright? And that I'm still waiting on my presents for passing my exams."

It's clear that he's just joking, though, and despite the irritation that was apparent the moment he saw Scorpius, he can't help but grin - a little half-expression that he hardly realizes is there at all. "Come along, then."

Another look toward Al - this one a little more guarded, quiet - before he heads out of the bedroom.

Al nods, gathering up his runes as Scorpius follows James out towards the backyard. He'd known this was a bad idea, coming to stay at Al's, not only because of who his parents were and their relationship with Al's parents (believe him, it was not an easy conversation at the Malfoy household) but also because Scorpius knew James would be there, and James had been especially bitter towards him since that night at the Owlery.

"You're not going to pelt me with hexes once I'm fifty feet in the air, are you?" he asked, scowling a little. James no longer had to worry about the whole 'underage magic' thing, after all.

"Yeah, and deal with my parents about that? No, thanks." He heads to the shed when they get outside, retrieving the brooms and catching Scorpius's attention before tossing Al's his way. "Besides, I'm meant to be an adult now. 'Magine how well it'd go over to have 'Potter finishes school, uses hexes to injure underage Malfoy' all over the tabloids."

He swings his leg over his own broom, expression flat, waiting on him.

Scorpius has to grin at that. "Honestly, that would make my father's day to see a Potter name smeared in the press." Old grudges died hard.

Swinging a leg over Al's broom, Scorpius tries to get comfortable, but this isn't his broom, so it doesn't exactly like having him on it, trying to control it. It responded with a bit of a lag, but Scorpius managed to kick off and up with some grace. It was a nice broom, after all. According to Al, one of the few things Harry would always splurge on for his kids.

"So, hey, I won't get in your way while I'm here," he adds. "Promise. Not here to ruin your summer or anything. Just didn't fancy spending another summer stuck attending my mother's excuses for family to drink too much." I.e. the extravagant parties she tended to throw.

The promise catches him off guard, and he goes from silently hoping the broom flings him off to briefly wordless at the promise to stay out of his way. He hovers there, before swinging the broom around and moving to face him. "So, what, you're not here just so you can blow my little brother more conveniently?"

Ah, right - that still stung a little bit. His face seizes a moment later, though, as if realizing then how nasty and bitter that was, before he frowns and snorts. "Race you to that tree."

Scorpius cringes. Yeah. Well. No one ever said James Potter knew when to think first, speak second. Al was like that, but his older brother? Not so much. Still, it does sting. He doesn't really want to be known as the bloke who blows other blokes when they're too inebriated to know better. Much as he'd taunted James, Scorpius really wasn't all that bad. He's just been a little tipsy too. And there was something to enjoy in winding James up like that.

Trying to school his expression a little too late, Scorpius forces a grin. "You're on." Before either of them can count, Scorpius takes off.

James has always been sort of a prankster, a nosy brat, but he's never gotten very good at tempering his reactions. Things come unfiltered, too-honest, colored by his perceptions -- and maybe that's why it's easier to just focus on leaning in and shooting forward when Scorpius takes off. A broomstick race is a lot easier to handle than his brother's personal relationships: they're less sticky, less tricky.

(Truth be told, however, he considers setting the tail of the broomstick on fire, just to mess with Scorpius a little bit, but decides against it. Father would be furious.)

He doesn't hold back, though, and he's good with the broom - he'll be zooming toward that tree as quickly as possible.

While Scorpius has been taught how to handle a broom, and he's not bad at it, he's got a lot of things working against him, not the least of which is that James is a far better flyer in general. Not that Scorpius would ever admit it. He's trying his best to keep Al's broom steady, thighs clenched to hold it straight and fingers curled at the handle to guide it, body bowed down to decrease wind resistance.

And still, James beats him by nearly a full broom length.

Scorpius's hair is wind-blown as he rounds the tree and turns to face James. "Best two out of three?" he asks, grinning.

"You wish," he answers, and despite himself, he's grinning a little, too. It's impossible not to, really, what with the rush of adrenaline that comes with flying. He reaches up to drag his fingers through his own hair, rolling his eyes, before he starts flying again.

"C'mon, this way. In case-" Oh Merlin, this part is hard to say, and he struggles visibly. "-you and Al go flying around later. This is the path we usually take."

It should amuse him, just how hard it is for James to think that Scorpius and Al would be doing anything alone together. But really, it kind of pinches something in his chest to see it. Still, he follows, his grin fading as they go.

The Potters have a good sized flying space. Of course they do. They've got to, right? With such Quidditch stars holding down the fort.

"Look," Scorpius says, suddenly, as they round a treetop. He doesn't look at James. "You don't have to worry about any of that stuff. Okay? So just...don't stress it." He'd already told James that it wouldn't happen again, but apparently Potter didn't believe him.

"Never said that I was worried about it. I was just showing you where to fly. Yeah?" But it's clear that the worry is still there, as unfounded as it is: maybe Al is younger than him, but he's by no means dumb. Quieter, but brilliant, at least in James's eyes, even if he's always done a rubbish job of showing it. That's what older brothers are for, right? Ugh.

"But anyway." Yeah, he's not looking at him either. "Shouldn't you be jumping to make me believe the opposite? Sort of thought that was your M.O. there."

Now Scorpius does look over, grinning a little. "Didn't work out so well for me last time, did it?" he asks, gesturing to his mouth. It's healed; ironically, it was Al who helped him get that sorted, though he didn't know who the punch had come from. Like poking a sleeping dragon, that. Scorpius isn't dumb enough to do it twice.

At least, not for now.

"Guess you have a point." James can't help but laugh a little himself, glancing over to make brief eye contact with Scorpius, before he jerks it away and stares ahead. "-- so did you tell him?"

He's guessing the answer is no, considering the non-reaction he'd gotten from Al.

Scorpius holds his eye contact, long after James looks away. He's not a bad looking bloke, after all. Almost as good looking as Al. Both of them are, sadly, Scorpius's type. Or as much a type as he's old enough to think he has.

"About you punching me for bragging about blowing him?" he scoffs, flying a little closer, able to read James's body well enough to know when he's turning or pulling up. "Don't be daft. I wouldn't be here if I had, and you certainly wouldn't have gone unscathed." Al would have at least hexed him once or twice.

Scorpius was an attractive kid, too. Not that James acknowledged that he appreciated it, but facts were facts, right? It was no wonder that Albus had gotten himself... tangled up, for lack of better phrasing, with such a rotten egg, especially if he was attracted to blokes in the first place.

"If you say so." His voice is tight - he's still not looking at him. "Al showed you the pond out here yet?"

"Nope."

James is an odd one. Scorpius gets the distinct feeling that he doesn't want to talk about those things...but then he makes those offhand comments to stupidly bring it up. Scorpius doesn't quite know if he should talk about it or not.

For now, he settles with not.

"It's quiet here," Scorpius comments, looking out over the grounds as they turn towards the pond. "You planning to stay or get your own flat?"

This is all woefully, woefully new territory for him; James doesn't know if he wants to talk about it or not yet, either. Scorpius isn't quite giving him the ammo that he'd hoped for, either - it'd be easier to prove to Al that his friend was being a prat if Scorpius was actually, you know, being a prat.

He tips his head toward the water, before moving to land.

"Moving out," he answers, and it's quick. "As soon as I can. Love my family, but..." He shrugs as his feet touch down. "Living here is exhausting."

"I get that," Scorpius says, nodding. He tips his broom handle down, but pulls up a bit too late as his feet touch the ground. He's still not used to this broom, so his near tumble is only stopped by his hand on the crook of James's arm. He laughs, a little breathless, as he lets the broom drop. He doesn't at all trust himself to swing his leg over it without managing to wind up in the pond.

"Sorry." Probably should take his hand off now. But well...being a prat. It's in his nature, a bit. Testing the proverbial waters.

James is sort of a jerk at times, but not wanting someone to bail off of a broom and hurt themselves is sort of reflexive habit, here. When the hand goes to the crook of his arm and it seems like Scorpius might fall, his own snaps up, grabbing his elbow and holding it securely, just trying to balance him.

"You alright?"

Oh. Okay. Well. Scorpius didn't expect James to care if he spilled into the pond or not. It's a bit stupid to feel flustered at the touch, but, hey, it's James sodding Potter. Who has never once said a nice thing to him. It's bound to get to any boy.

"Sure you didn't hex the broom before I got on?" he asks, grinning up at James.

Al would have been pissed beyond belief if James had let Scorpius take a spill into the pond - that's what he's telling himself, at least.

"If it was hexed, it sure wasn't me."

And then, belatedly, he releases him, suddenly sure what to say. Awkwardly, then, he tries: "We get ducks sometimes."

"...Sorry?" Scorpius removes his hand, a little belatedly, staring at James in question until he realizes James is changing the subject. "Oh. Right. I imagine that's...fun." He looks out across the pond, but now things are a little awkward. Probably his fault, too. Still, did James have to take everything so annoyingly at face value?

He steps over his broom and aside, walking closer to the bank of the lake, where he squats and peers in.

"Our pond is more of a lake," he says, offhandedly.

lol couldn't resist playing Al; hope that's okay

that's fine!

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