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Anyone who knew Albus knew he was a textbook introvert. Unlike his older brother, James Sirius, who lived for flying, or his father, Harry, who was always at the epicenter of battles, Albus preferred to immerse himself in a potions lab filled with the scent of herbs. He was currently one of the finest Potions Masters at the Ministry of Magic. For Albus, a perfect day consisted of staying home, reading, and enjoying the peace. He hated traveling, and he hated outdoor physical activities even more.
Yet, at this very moment, Albus was standing under the scorching Greek sun, holding a Muggle map.
"Albus! Look over there! That’s the Parthenon I read about in that book at Malfoy Manor when I was ten!"
Scorpius cheered, his grey eyes gleaming with the pure joy of a child seeing candy. Having been isolated from the world since childhood, the Malfoy heir had only ever experienced reality through the pages of old books. Scorpius’s dream was to touch historical ruins and cultural landmarks across the globe with his own hands.
Albus smiled softly, reaching up to gently wipe a few beads of sweat from his husband’s forehead. To afford this month-long honeymoon around the world, Albus had worked like a man possessed for the past half-year, pulling all-nighters in the Ministry’s brewing rooms to accumulate enough vacation days. He had absolutely no interest in these places, but he loved Scorpius’s smile. For Scorpius, a naturally sedentary Albus was more than willing to walk miles under the summer sun.
"Yes, I see it. It’s beautiful, Scorpius," Albus said tenderly, intertwining his fingers with Scorpius’s.
"Where do you want to go next? The Egyptian pyramids?"
————
While the couple was enjoying their sweet moments on the other side of the hemisphere, a tense atmosphere hung over the Ministry of Magic Headquarters in London.
A massive leakage of highly toxic potions had just occurred in the dungeon of a former Death Eater. The poison was exceedingly complex, and the Ministry leadership immediately mobilized all available experts and Potions Masters to study it. This included young Albus Potter. An emergency summon had just been drafted, demanding Albus cut his vacation short and return immediately.
"This is outrageous! I won't allow it!"
James Sirius Potter slammed his hand down on the Head Auror's desk. As a senior Auror, and more importantly, as Albus’s older brother, James was absolutely furious.
Normally at home or back during their school days, the two brothers seemed to constantly bicker and clash—one a Gryffindor, the other a Slytherin. But it had never amounted to more than childish arguments or typical brotherly wrestling. Their relationship had never truly been strained. Furthermore, although James was someone who constantly pulled mischievous, somewhat mean pranks on his younger siblings, he was still the eldest brother. James had learned how to care for and worry about them; he just refused to admit it out loud.
"Do you have any idea how hard he worked himself to death to get this vacation, Dad? He hasn’t taken a single day off since he joined the Ministry! This is his and Scorpius's honeymoon!" James roared, shielding the younger brother he used to love teasing so much as a child.
James knew exactly what Albus had endured, and he refused to let anyone ruin his brother's hard-won happiness.
Harry Potter sat behind his desk, his face etched with exhaustion. He looked years older, caught between his responsibilities as a leader and his love as a father.
"James, calm down. I’m trying to block this summons myself," Harry sighed, taking off his glasses to rub them clean.
In truth, Harry wanted to protect his son, but a part of him was also deeply afraid. Harry knew Albus's temperament. The boy had always been sensitive, harboring a deep-seated resentment toward the heavy title of "Son of the Chosen One." If Harry allowed the Ministry to recall him now, Albus would undoubtedly fly into a towering rage. The boy would think his father was using authority to force his hand again, or that the Ministry was disregarding his personal life. A furious confrontation with his second son was the last thing Harry wanted, even if it wasn't his fault.
"I’ll lead the team to handle this case directly," James said decisively, adjusting his Auror robes. "We have twelve of the finest Aurors right here. If we can't clean up a puddle of toxic waste without dragging a man back from his honeymoon, then this office might as well close down."
Harry looked at his eldest son, a flicker of pride crossing his eyes, though the knot of worry in his chest didn't loosen. He knew this case ultimately required Albus's expertise, and that he and James could only delay the order for so long.
Despite James Sirius leading the elite Auror squad to the site, the scale of the potion leak quickly spiraled beyond the Ministry's control. The toxin was constantly mutating, threatening the groundwater of an entire wizarding settlement. Under immense pressure from the Wizengamot, Harry was left with no choice. He was forced to personally pen the emergency summons for Albus.
However, things quickly took a bizarre turn.
The first owl dispatched by the Ministry returned two hours later, the letter still securely tied to its leg. It flew circles around Harry's office, looking thoroughly dazed, as though it couldn't locate its coordinates.
Harry narrowed his eyes and personally summoned a powerful Great Horned Owl, but the result was exactly the same. Growing anxious and worried, Harry drew his wand and focused on his happiest memory:
"Expecto Patronum!"
A brilliant silver stag burst from the tip of his wand. "Find Albus. Tell him the Ministry has an emergency," Harry commanded. The stag bounded through the window, but a mere fifteen minutes later, it trotted back inside. Its silver body flickered unsteadily before dissolving into tiny sparks of light. It had been unable to reach its target.
A father’s instinctual panic flared instantly. The Floo Network, Patronuses, messenger owls... all signals were dead. Were Albus and Scorpius in danger? Had Death Eater remnants ambushed them?
Without wasting another second, Harry Flooed straight to Malfoy Manor.
———-
When Harry burst into the drawing-room, pale-faced and wand drawn, Draco Malfoy was elegantly sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea. Catching sight of the Savior's frantic state, Draco merely raised an eyebrow. "What on earth has possessed you to kick my door down like you're arresting a war criminal, Potter?"
"Albus and Scorpius! I can't reach them! The owls can't find them, and even my Patronus was bounced right back!" Harry said breathlessly, his voice trembling. "Draco, we have to go find them right now!"
Draco stared at Harry for a long moment, then leisurely picked up a parchment letter resting on the table, waving it lightly in front of him.
"Calm yourself, Mr. Head Auror. Scorpius wrote to me just half an hour ago via a Floo connection from a hidden post office in a Muggle area in Italy. He says the weather in Venice is lovely, and they are about to grab some pasta at a café near the Leaning Tower of Pisa."
Harry froze. He snatched the letter from Draco’s hand; it was indeed Scorpius’s neat, meticulous handwriting.
"What? You can still contact them? Then why are the Ministry's magic and my Patronus..."
At this, Draco let out a soft laugh—a knowing, profoundly Slytherin smirk. "Potter, have you forgotten who your son is? He’s a Slytherin. Did you honestly think he would meekly let your Ministry bark orders at him while he’s enjoying the honeymoon he practically killed himself to earn?"
Harry blinked, a sudden realization dawning on him. Albus was a genius when it came to combining potions and charms. The boy had undoubtedly brewed a specialized concealment powder or erected a defensive array around their luggage. Any creature or magical stream bearing the tracking signature or emblem of the Ministry of Magic would have its flight path warped or blocked entirely. He was perfectly willing to accept Draco’s Muggle-routed mail, but he had entirely severed ties with the Potter household—the place most likely to drag him back to work.
Harry let out a long sigh, the heavy boulder in his chest finally lifting. He felt a mixture of amusement and silent admiration. “The clever little snake...” Harry thought. “He even anticipated I’d try using a Patronus.” He bid Draco goodbye and departed from Malfoy Manor.
Upon his return to the Ministry, Harry used the excuse that Albus's location was untraceable, temporarily saving his son from facing disciplinary action for his absence. However, an urgent warrant to search Albus’s office was issued, in hopes of finding some notes related to his research.
———
In a small coastal town along the Mediterranean, Scorpius was sitting by the windowsill, excitedly flipping through a book about the ancient libraries of Alexandria, when a sudden “thud” echoed. A dull impact hit the glass, followed by the pitiful “screech” of a winged creature.
Scorpius startled, poking his head out. "Oh? Albus, what was that noise outside the window? I thought I heard something hit our room."
Albus, who was leisurely pouring two cups of tea, cast a casual glance toward the glass. Through the invisible layers of his protective wards, he could clearly see a large horned owl carrying a parchment scroll stamped with the Ministry of Magic’s crimson Ministry seal. The owl was flying unsteadily, thoroughly concussed from colliding with a literal wall of air. Shaking its head wildly, the bird appeared completely disoriented before flapping its wings to retreat back into the sky, leaving a single ash-grey feather drifting down onto the sill.
The corner of Albus’s lips twitched up into a knowing, subtle smile. He walked over, drew the curtains shut, and gently placed a warm teacup into Scorpius’s hands.
"Nothing worth worrying about," Albus said softly, his tone as casual as if nothing had happened. "Probably just a wild bird losing its way in the dusk."
Scorpius blinked, his innocent nature prompting him to believe his husband immediately. He smiled, leaning his head against Albus's shoulder as he resumed murmuring about his favorite historical chapters.
Albus wrapped his arm around Scorpius’s slender shoulders, casting a fleeting glance at the stray owl feather left outside. He had spent his entire youth living under the shadow of the Auror Office and the Potter name. Now that he had secured a happiness of his own, a true Slytherin like him knew exactly what had to be done to protect it.
The Ministry of Magic, or even his father, could send as many letters as they pleased. For now, Albus's entire world was reduced to the blonde boy smiling in his arms.