Albus Severus Potter's Story

One of the most important things that anyone had to know about Albus Severus Potter was that although he did not partake in the drugs that Teddy had to offer, and that he did not particularly get along with either Scorpius or Louis, he had never once missed one of their parties.

The Shrieking Shack was a special place to the Hogwarts students that attended the late night getaways. But it was not as special a place to them as it was to Albus. Long before the parties, long before James shared the secret passages with the others, Albus had been coming to the Shack in secret.

It had been a place to think, to reflect on the history kept within its walls. At the quietest, stillest of moments, Albus could hear the sounds, the whispers of the past, reaching through the folds of Time to speak to him.

The scratches on the floorboards spoke of a friendship so deep, Death could not destroy it. Torn sheets and curtains sang of the loyalty amongst friends, but wept at the betrayal of a dear one. The black blood stains that accented the interior whispered the loudest: family, family, family.

It took Albus a long time to come to terms with the presence of others in the Shack. First came James, stumbling through the passage from the Whomping Willow. Then followed Scorpius and Louis, Teddy and Kingsley. Orion had been the only one Albus had brought in of his own accord, back when things were still fresh, new, and lovely between them.

Then came the parties, the students, drunk and drugged, and unfortunate. Albus did not care much for the comings and goings of every student in Hogwarts, yet he could not allow himself to turn a blind eye when they needed it the most.

Safe rooms, clean clothes and water, and a secret deal between a Potter and the House-Elves provided the intoxicated adolescents with safe escorts back to their dormitories. Nobody had asked him to do it; Albus himself had not volunteered for the job. Still, it got done.

Putting out the last of his cigarette on the sole of his shoe, Albus checked on the charms on his clothing; there would be no point in trying to be sober if he succumbed to the stray fumes of the burning Moondew.

The scene on display was like all the others before it: dirty, sexual, drugged. Albus gilded around, sidestepping bodies and stopping to take an offered kiss every now and then. Only a light peck, nothing more. Whimpers and whines begged him for more, but he had no time for that.

Out of the corner of his eye, Albus noticed how a fellow Slytherin seemed to be forcing too much of himself into someone’s personal space. Exhaling with exasperation, Albus neared the antagonist in question and gave him a hard shove. “Come on now, man,” he said, “No means no.”

Much to Piper's surprise, another Slytherin stepped to her defense. She watched the boy who was harassing her fall back into his friends, his face a slideshow of surprise and aggravation. Once properly back on his feet he looked around for his attacker, ready to make heads roll....until his eyes landed on her rescuer. Piper took a moment to take in the scene. The boy, her rescuer, stood at odds with the Asshat Slytherin. In that frozen second between standoff and fighting, she saw Asshat's eyes flicker from Piper to him, assessing the situation, hesitation flickering across his face.

"Defending a Hufflepuff, Potter? You gonna hit that?" He sneered as he advanced on Albus.

Piper felt her face heat at his words. Her fists clenched, but she didn’t want to continue this scene, it was attracting too much attention.

Albus felt that curve in his lips that he sometimes let show; the one that so often got him in trouble.

“No,” he said. “I’m going to hit you.”

His fist flew fast, sharp, and true. The guy flew back, landing on his ass. Before he could do anything else, Albus spelled him unconscious. He kicked his feet out of his way, his glare daring anyone else to join in the fray.

“Round two?”

They scattered, leaving their fallen comrade behind. Albus scoffed, smirking devilishly. He turned to Piper and his grin faded.

“What are you doing here, Longbottom?”

Albus, good lord, it was A L B U S. How had she not recognized him immediately? Fists flew and Piper's brain scattered momentarily, as the fight ensued. How had she not recognized the dark haired boy immediately? His eyes landed on Piper and she almost took a step back, the full force of his gaze was somewhat disorienting for her. She realized he had asked her a question.

"Oh...ah...causing trouble evidently..." She said with a half hearted smile.

"Just came to...cut loose, I suppose. Drink?" She asked gesturing towards the bar area. Good lord, she needed a goddamn drink.

Albus raised a single eyebrow, taking Piper in with grave consideration. She looked unsettled, nervous. Clearly she had not expected what she’d found at the Shack. He shook his head slightly.

“I don’t drink.” He didn’t specify that he did not drink here at the Shrieking Shack. “But I’ll accompany you nonetheless.”

He motioned for her to go ahead, following at a safe distance behind.

"Oh, okay." Piper said mildly surprised by his words. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that he didn't drink, or that he agreed to come with her.

"Ah, well, I'll have to find some other way to thank you then." She said. Piper's face heated suddenly as her own words rang in her ears. A blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face was on fire. Mortified, she turned away from him to hide her cheeks in the dark waves of her hair. As she moved through the crowd, she tried to gather her thoughts. Once at the bar she ordered two single shots of Beetle Berry Whiskey. She took them both within seconds of each other. The sweet burn took her mind off of the pitfalls of socialization.

"So what do you do?" She asked, curiosity coloring her voice.

Piper amused him. The way she tried to hide her face from him as she embarrassed herself unnecessarily, the way she wanted so much to “cut loose,” but still clung so desperately to sobriety.

Albus could feel a not so pleasant smile threatening to show. He leaned his back against the bar, elbows on the smooth surface. Surveying the scene that continued to play in the room, he said with an unidentifiable chuckle: “I’m the guard dog of this place.”

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Thank you Em for your words!

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Thank you to josten_fox10 for the epic writing of Albus

Albus could not help it, he had to laugh. It wasn’t a mean laugh, though. He placed his forehead against her shoulder, dipping his head to keep her from seeing the wide smile on his face.

Piper Longbottom had always been as incredibly amusing as she was pretty. The embodiment of a true Hufflepuff and her father’s daughter, Piper had made her way through the ranks at Hogwarts with a bounce in her step and a sass to her voice.

Albus had never thought much about Piper. She had always been a pretty girl in the background of his life; a family friend that he had grown up with and seen at holidays. Orion had eclipsed her, Albus realized. Had kept this diamond in the rough from catching his eye.

His grin widening, Albus’ tongue slid across the exposed skin of her neck.

Piper felt a sense of triumph as Albus’s head pressed against her shoulder. She was ready to make a cheeky remark but all thought flew from her brain as she felt his tongue slide across her neck. She made a sound, somewhere between a gasp and a squeak before she felt her knees get weak. The sensation sent a thousand volts of lightning through her, and she melted into Albus. Her hand slid up his chest slowly, hesitant, and yet curious. She paused momentarily as she felt his heart beat under her palm, steady and strong, like him. She slid her delicate fingers up and through his hair, admiring the feel for a moment before she gave a lock a playful tug.

“You’re not playing fair….I like it.” She laughed breathily as she pressed closer to him.

Albus did not know where the sudden desire came from. Perhaps it was the way Piper seemed to be changing right before him. He worked at the flesh of her neck, his hand sliding onto her lower back.

Once, when they were children, Piper had arrived at the Potters’ house holding a big pot with a budding sunflower for his mum. She’d smelled of wet earth, sunlight, and wildflowers. She smelled like that now too, albeit slightly more refined and grown up.

Albus liked that. He liked that she did not smell like perfume, that she kept her natural scent. A slow growl escaped him as he bit down, sucking, licking. Holding her up.

Piper felt his teeth sink into her neck and she moaned low in her throat. What a goddamn delight! Her mind went fuzzy for a second and she was sincerely happy he was holding her up, because she was fairly certain she was no longer capable of standing. Her hands traced the lines of his back as she took a second indulge in the sensations. She felt giddy and …other unexplainable things.

With a surge of courage, she brought her hands to his jaw line, gently drawing his face up. She grinned up at him before she pressing her lips gently to his. She was hesitant and uncertain, but unafraid.

He did not think that Piper had it in her to kiss him. Her lips were soft; they tasted of apple honey lip balm. He licked the artificial flavor off until he could taste her. He liked her flavor. He liked it a lot more than he’d ever liked anything before.

Blood rushing, skin hot, Albus drew away from Piper. If she kept kissing him like that, he might do something she would later regret.

“This might be a bad idea for you, Longbottom.”

He didn’t say that it was a bad idea for him because he did not believe that. Piper seemed like a very, very good idea. A very good, delicious idea.

Albus stepped back, keeping his arms around her tender body. He couldn’t help himself as he looked her over, devouring her with those bright, emerald green eyes.

Piper fell victim to the kiss, she wanted to fall into it, make the feeling last forever. His mouth was hot, demanding, and she was more than willing to give. When he drew away from her, she pouted. His arms where still around her, and yet she missed the heat of his body.

“And why is that, Potter?” She asked in a teasing tone. She met his gaze and felt heat spread though her in waves. She wanted to pull him close again, to kiss him and feel him against her but she sensed his hesitation.

“Scared, Potter?” She said with a grin in her best Malfoy impersonation, trying to lighten the mood. Wouldn’t want to be seen with a Hufflepuff?” She liked Albus, she liked him more than she wanted to admit. It scared her how badly she yearned for him so suddenly…and yet she felt relaxed and safe with him. He made her feel like a different Piper, someone she had always wanted to be.

Albus could not help it, he laughed. He laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace. He threaded his fingers through her hair, debating whether he should continue or not. With a sigh, he took her by the hand and lead her through a door that nobody seemed to be paying attention to.

Years ago, Albus had made sure that there were rooms available for those that could not make it back to the castle--among other things. He had never used those rooms before. Orion had always kissed him in public and he had never liked that much despite how good it had felt.

Now, he opened the door to the room that had been his long before the parties had started. It was the room in which his father had discovered that he had Sirius. There was broken furniture all around, save for a couch that he had refurbished by hand.

Albus tugged Piper along. He sat on the soft cushions and pulled her onto his lap, hands hard and needy on her hips, mouth hungry for her kiss.

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Collab with the lovely emotionless

“What is the most interesting story your dad has told you?”

If Albus started talking about his father, he would never stop. He had so many stories that he wished to share with everyone, so many little facts that no one ever considered to ask of Harry Potter except for his own son.

His favorite story was nothing like Piper’s, no. It had everything to do with Harry, it was the time he had to learn how to ride Sirius’ bike. He had shown Albus the memory on a Pensive once, but Albus always liked how he told it best.

Harry would mimic his own actions. He mounted the bike, only to have it fall on its side and pin him to the ground. He always said that the way he groaned and cursed. That was the first time that he had made fun of his own success at defeating Voldemort. He’d screamed at the top of his lungs that he had not defeated the Dark Lord just so a motorcycle could crush his legs.

That’s when Harry knew he would be alright. And Albus loved that.

Piper watched an array of emotions flash over Albus's face, though he said nothing. She imagined he was replaying the memory to himself.

“You know, sharing is caring.” She said with a smile, though the timid part of her told her not to pry. She squelched that feeling with a brutality she didn't know she had. Piper wanted to know Albus and she'd be damned if she was going to let embarrassment stop her.

Albus laughed softly. He shared his favorite stories with her, whispering softly in a way that made the area around them intimate. He told her about the time Harry had set the python loose on uncle Dudley just before his Hogwarts letters arrived. He shared the time Harry mistook Fred and George for a full month and the twins did nothing about it. He shared between laughs the stack of really bad poetry that he had written to Ginny.

Albus talked for so long that it startled him when a small, gentle house elf placed a hand on his knee.

“Master Potter, sir,” said the kindly creature. “It is nearly time.”

He stopped playing with Piper’s hair, his thoughts scattered in memories of his father’s life before the war. She was curled into him, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Albus fought the feelings of embarrassment that trickled up his neck to his cheeks.

Clearing his throat, he nodded at the house elf. “Thank you, Peony. You can escort Ms. Longbottom back first.”

Piper was startled by the arrival of the house elf. Her lids heavy, she yawned and stretched as she disentangled herself from Albus. His stories had made her laugh so hard her face hurt, and the deep rumble of his voice had pulled her into such a comfortable state she had forgotten where they were. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew it was time to go back to reality.

Piper tugged Albus closer by the collar of his shirt before pressing her lips to his in a gentle, yet need filled kiss.

“Goodnight, sweet dreams Potter.” She said with a grin before she turned to follow the house elf.

Piper disappeared in a soft swirl of color as the elf disapparated. He stared at the spot where she had just stood, then looked out the window. The sky was black, but not pitch black as it would be during the witching hour.

Scorpius’ time was up.

In one swift motion, Albus stood. He checked his image, running a hand to smooth down his perfectly styled hair. He could feel the bags under his eyes forming, the exhaustion settling deep in his bones.

“First day will be a bloody fucker.”

Slowly, Albus made his rounds, collecting the most intoxicated of his schoolmates. He would tag them with a small charm and the house elves would take them back to Hogwarts Castle. Harry’s history with house elves and Albus’ surname granted him the loyalty of the magical creatures. They swore to keep the Potters’ secrets. Even the most dangerous ones.

It took him the better part of an hour to clear out the Shack. The parties had grown out of proportion. There was a mess of spilled drugs and alcohol, glitter and puke on the ground. A group of elves would stop by in the afternoon to clean it up, and Albus would join them after lessons.

He found Scorpius and Louis making out on the dance floor. Those two would not go to class, but they had to be back in the castle nonetheless. Scorpius shoved him aside hard when he attempted to interrupt.

“Malfoy, don’t make me stun you in front of my cousin.”

Scorpius flipped him off, but he knew better than to argue with Albus. It was Albus’ Shack now. Time was up and they had to head back to their dormitories before morning.

”Piss off, Potter,” he grumbled as he took Louis’ hand and allowed the tiny house elf beside Albus to take him by the elbow.
Sighing, Albus walked to the last two people in the room: Langston and Orion.

They were laying on one of the overly expensive, plush couches that Scorpius had brought in. Langston held Orion close to his chest, his fingers tangled in her hair. Orion slept soundly, her makeup smeared by kisses and sweat. On her arms were thin red trails. They weren’t deep enough to break skin, but the irritation still glared.

Albus’ heart clenched painfully. He looked from Orion’s abused arms to Langston’s drugged eyes. There was no use in telling him about Orion’s anxious tics. No use in telling him to make sure that she kept her nails short. He was too far gone, too far into his own sorrows and problems to see hers.

“Langston. Time to go.”

Albus did not stay to see them disappear.

“Master Potter,” came a soft, childlike voice from beside him. “All of the guest have been returned to their respective dormitories safely.”

Albus nodded, kneeling to take the hand of the young elf and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you, Blossom. You’ve done exceptionally good work, as always.”

Blossom smiled at him, her big blue eyes glowing in the dim lights. “Master Potter should head back too.”

He nodded again. Albus was tired. Maybe he would sleep in tomorrow and miss the first lesson. Would it be too suspicious?

There was no sound, but Albus still heard the pounding of the bass in his head. He couldn’t stay in the Shack, not at the moment, not with the echoes of the party still bouncing off the walls.

He took Blossom’s offered hand. “Yes,” he said, “let us go home.”

They vanished. And the Shrieking Shack was eerily silent.

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Thank you emotionless for the lovely words