Taming

“Okay, keep them closed! No peeking!”

“I said I wasn’t peeking!”

“I believe you. Just keep your eyes closed, all right?”

“I am! When can I open them?”

“Just a minute! Blasted key… C’mon… Just one more second,” Scorpius warned. He pushed on the door that had been giving him trouble and finally got it open.

He scooped Albus up and carried him over the threshold.

“Scorpius! What’re you doing?”

“Open your eyes.”

Albus did. He looked around, and Scorpius could see him taking in the spacious, sunny flat with its highly polished wooden floors and large windows.

“Where are we?”

Scorpius put him down. “This is our new place.”

“Ours? Really?” He turned and hugged Scorpius. “How did you…? I mean… It’s really ours?”

Scorpius laughed. “It’s really ours. As for how, our parents helped, of course. But I picked it out. Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Albus shouted, already running into the other rooms to look at the kitchen and dining room. Scorpius went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, waiting for Albus to finish exploring.

“Did you know that there are four bedrooms here?”

“Well, yeah. I’ve just said that I picked it out, didn’t I?”

“Isn’t this a little extravagant?”

“Well, you’re the one who said that you wanted a house full of children.”

Albus’s eyes filled with tears, and he threw his arms around Scorpius, burying his face in Scorpius’s neck. His voice was muffled as he said, “You picked this out for our family. Not just you and me, but our family, too.”

“Yes, I did. I want you to have everything. Everything your heart desires.”

Albus squeezed him more tightly. “I love you so much!”

“I love you, too. Now you do know that with my busy schedule, you’re going to have to do all the decorating and pick out all the furniture and get everything set up, right?”

Albus pulled away, any sign of tears gone from his eyes. He clapped his hands together. “Well, I think with all the windows that yellow would be lovely for the main room. That is, if you agree,” he said nervously.

“I honestly don’t care, as long as you’re here, it’s home to me,” Scorpius told him. “Get my mother to help you with the decisions. She’s brilliant at decorating.”

“What a wonderful idea! I’ll ask her tonight!”

“She’d be insulted if you didn’t ask her to help. She’s going to be a mess when we move out, but we can’t keep living with them forever.”

“True. Especially since your father nearly caught us shagging in the bathroom the other day,” Albus said with a grin.

“Yes, that would’ve been awkward, to say the least,” Scorpius said wryly, returning the grin. “And speaking of shagging, we have a lot of rooms here to christen. Where do you fancy starting?”

“Scorpius, I hate to point it out, but there’s no furniture in here.”

“Since when have we needed furniture? Wasn’t it just a couple of months ago that I fucked you on a balcony in a Paris hotel? I could bend you over this counter right now and…”

“Well, then,” Albus said enthusiastically. “What are you waiting for?”

“Always so impatient,” Scorpius murmured. But he was already reaching for Albus’s pants.

*********************

Scorpius carefully placed his notes in his briefcase and shut off his desk lamp. He strolled out his office door and into the corridor. “Belinda!” he called to the receptionist. “You’re still coming tonight, right?”

“Of course, dear! I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Splendid! Well, I’ll see you at eight, then. I promised Albus I’d pick up a few last minute things at the store on my way home, so I’d better hurry.”

“I can’t wait to see what Albus has done with the flat,” she told him.

“You’ll be impressed,” he promised, stepping on to the lift.

“See you later!” she called.

Scorpius apparated into the alley outside the little local grocery, and rushed inside, shaking snow off his coat. He picked out a few items and rushed back into the alley, apparating quickly to their nice, warm lobby before he could get too damp.

Albus popped his head out of the kitchen. He was wearing an apron. Scorpius grinned at him. “Did you remember the limes?”

“Yes, dear.”

“And the flowers?”

“Right here.”

“And the…”

“Yes,” Scorpius interrupted him. “I got everything on the list. Now come take these things. I got all snowed on,” he mock-pouted.

“Oh, poor baby,” Albus teased. “I’ve been slaving over a hot stove all day, and you’re complaining about a little snow?”

“Whose idea was this party, anyway?”

Albus took the bags from his husband. “Well, it’s only appropriate that we have a housewarming party. And since it’s so close to the holidays, it seemed silly not to combine the two into a combination Christmas party and housewarming party.”

“Which mutated into a fabulous gathering for some fifty odd people.”

“We have enough room,” Albus defended himself.

Scorpius just laughed and removed his wet things. He had to admit that the flat looked fabulous. Albus and Astoria had done an amazing job with the decorating, and the addition of holiday decorations made the place look even homier.

The doorbell rang. “That’ll be your mum,” Albus called from the kitchen.

Scorpius opened the door and greeted Astoria, who kissed both of his cheeks.

“Where’s my Albus?” she called.

“In here, Mummy! Come tell me if these taste right!”

Astoria rushed to the kitchen, already saying, “I’m sure they’re divine, Precious!”

Scorpius shook his head.

Then the floo chime sounded and Scorpius ran to greet Rose as she stepped out.

“Darling! You look beautiful, as always,” he greeted, sweeping her into a tight hug.

“I hope you don’t mind me barging in. I didn’t want to go outside to apparate and risk getting snowed on. My hair would be a mess.”

“You know you’re always welcome.”

She smiled. “I thought I’d come over early and see if you needed help.”

“I doubt it. ‘Mummy’ has arrived to help ‘Precious’ in the kitchen, so everything is firmly in hand. But you can keep me company,” he offered with a grin, flopping on the sofa.

She sat down next to him. “Precious, huh? That’s a new one. Those two are really too much.”

“I know. My mother is so Albus’s fag hag.”

Rose dissolved into giggles. “As long as I get to be yours.”

“Always. So how’s training going?”

“Wonderfully. I can’t believe how fast the lessons are going. I’m going to be an actual Healer in no time.”

“The best. Any time I need medical care, I’ll come straight to you.”

“I appreciate that,” she said, grinning at him. “Unless you get something particularly ghastly.”

“Around here, I’m most likely to get an attack of nausea brought on by listening to my mother and Albus gush at each other.”

“There’s no cure for that, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll have to trust your expert opinion on the subject.”

“You’d better.”

“Would I risk getting on your bad side?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” she teased. “And aren’t you going to ask me how Brad is doing?”

“No,” he sniffed.

She rolled her eyes. “You can’t keep me for yourself, you know. You already have a husband. Let me find my own.”

“You know that I don’t like to share.”

“Yes, you’re a selfish, arrogant arse.”

“But you love me.”

“Of course I do. And since you asked so nicely, Brad is fine, thank you. We’re having a lovely time together. Just the other night, he took me out for a lovely dinner, followed by dancing.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “I still don’t like him,” he scoffed.

She took his hand. “Thank you.”

He smiled at her. “Maybe someday he’ll finally prove himself worthy and then he can have you.”

“He can have me? I’m not your property to give away!”

“Don’t you know that the knight has to slay dragons in order to win the hand of the fair princess? Let me know when he’s got a few dragons under his belt.”

“Don’t let my Uncle Charlie hear you talking about slaying dragons.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“So would you slay dragons for Albus?”

“Of course. As many as it took.”

“What about me? Would you slay dragons for me?”

“Maybe one dragon.”

“I’m always second fiddle,” she teased.

“Never! Albus is my fiddle. You can be something else. Maybe a tuba.”

She hit him in the arm. “A tuba?”

“Fine, fine, a piccolo.”

“That’s better,” she laughed.

“How is that better?”

“It just is.”

He rolled his eyes at her logic, and they both started to laugh. Then from the kitchen they heard Astoria call, “Don’t forget to bring the sugar from the pantry, Precious!”

Scorpius stuck his finger down his throat and Rose began to howl with laughter. A second later Scorpius joined in.

Albus stepped out of the kitchen, apron spattered with flour, wooden spoon in hand, and put his hands on his hips. “Can’t you two ever be serious?”

Scorpius laughed until tears started rolling down his cheeks.