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It was Valentine’s Day. For Albus and Scorpius it had never meant much, really. First of all, neither of them had ever dated anyone - until now, of course - and therefore had never been on romantic Valentine’s Day dates, either - until today, of course.For them, Valentine’s Day usually meant just doing something simple and nice, like playing Exploding Snap and eating way too many sweets until they felt sick. It meant taking a short break from school work and having a little fun together. Scorpius, always the geek, had taught Albus during their first year that “in some countries, Valentine’s Day is actually called Friends’ Day!” and that had always been their excuse to spend the day together even though, for the rest of the kids at Hogwarts, it meant snogging their significant others behind tapestries and sending and receiving elaborate Valentine’s Day cards. The amount of cards Scorpius had heard singing Celestina Warbeck songs was ridiculous.This year was the first Albus and Scorpius had spent Valentine’s Day together not only as friends, but boyfriends. Valentine’s Day had also, quite conveniently, landed on a Hogsmeade weekend so Albus and Scorpius had, for the first time, decided to deviate from their usual traditions and go on an actual date. It had been their first date outside of Hogwarts, too. They had been dating for nearly half a year, but somehow they’d never gone on an actual date before - they’d gone back to school very soon after they’d first confessed to each other about their crushes on one another a few weeks before the start of their sixth year at Hogwarts and started dating (Scorpius still got excited tingles whenever he thought about that day). Every Hogsmeade weekend afterwards they’d preferred to stay in the school, enjoying the hours of quiet together while almost everyone else had gone to visit the nearby village. This time they’d decided to join the rest.It hadn’t been anything too special. They’d gone to their usual shops - Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop for Scorpius, Gladrags Wizardwear for Albus (he needed a new pair of jeans, he was growing out of his old ones), and Honeydukes for them both. They’d had drinks at the Three Broomsticks (they wouldn’t even think about going to Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, especially on Valentine’s Day) and then had come back to the school for dinner, holding hands on their way. It had been nothing special, quite ordinary really, but Scorpius had still enjoyed it a lot. It hadn't been too different to their previous Hogsmeade trips - except the added hand-holding and a few shared kisses - but there was just something about not calling it a day trip with his best mate, but a date with his boyfriend. It had been the very first date with his boyfriend, too, so for Scorpius the day had felt special.Currently they were sitting cross-legged on the black leather sofa in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room, a huge pile of Honeydukes products spread between them. Scorpius watched his boyfriend who was trying to choose between two chocolate frog packages in front of him, pondering aloud about which one would more likely include the special edition card of Merlin, that he still missed. Scorpius thought he looked very cute in his hoodie and new pair of jeans. Albus had only ever worn the usual grey-blue jeans, but these new ones were black and a bit tighter than the old ones. Scorpius didn't complain.
"There's actually something I wanted to give you," Scorpius said suddenly. Albus looked up from the chocolate frogs with a raised eyebrow.
"I... thought we agreed to not give each other presents on Valentine's Day?"
"Yes, we did!" Scorpius hurried to reply. "But this is just as much for me as it is for you."
He picked up his bag from the floor where he'd left it next to the couch, rummaging for something. Finally, after dropping many empty sweet wrappers on the sofa and the floor, he found what he was looking for. He hesitated for a second but then showed the two identical items to Albus. On his palm lay two intricately and beautifully woven bracelets, the exact same shade of green as in the Slytherin crest. Albus looked at them with obvious amusement.
"Friendship bracelets?" Albus chuckled. "But Scorpius, we're not just friends anymore, remember? We're dating now. We literally just came back from a date. On Valentine's Day, even. In case you forgot."
"I know! But - whatever other titles we might have now, or in the future - you'll always first and foremost be my best friend."Albus smiled (his eyes crinkling as he did so, Scorpius noticed and his heart skipped a beat), taking one of the bracelets in his hand and studying it. Scorpius watched him rub the leathery material between his fingers. He remembered how Albus had often joked about the colorful, glittering bracelets full of beads and charms that his sister Lily often wore, and had deliberately chosen something much simpler and plainer. He knew Albus would prefer that.
"Did you make them yourself?" Albus asked.
"Ah, no. You know I'm not very good at anything crafty."
"So you bought them, when I was at the...?"
"While you were at the apothecary, yes. I visited the shop next door, you know, the one that sells all that touristy stuff and all other sorts of junk?” Scorpius reminded him. “They are... they're nothing special, really. They were really cheap too, but I saw them and thought of you, and if you don't want to wear them, you..."
But Albus was beaming at him as he rambled.
"You're a hopeless romantic and full of huge clichés, aren't you?" he said, shaking his head a little. "Come on, then", he added, rolling up his sleeve and then handing the bracelet back to Scorpius. Scorpius just blinked at Albus’ hand a couple times before looking back up at him.
"Um. Sorry?"
"The bracelet. You're supposed to wear it on your wrist, aren't you?"
"Oh!" Scorpius said, laughing a little. "Yeah."
He placed the first bracelet to wait on his knee, wrapping the second one a bit shyly around Albus' wrist and knotting it carefully, not too tight but just tight enough that it wouldn't fall off Albus' hand too easily. Albus continued beaming, grabbing the other bracelet and copying Scorpius, tying it on his boyfriend's left wrist. He then laced his fingers with Scorpius' and held his hand, still smiling at him. Scorpius thought it might have been the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. He rubbed his thumb on the back of Albus’ hand, enjoying the familiar feeling of his boyfriend’s slightly smaller hand in his. Both of them seemed to have momentarily forgotten that there were other people in the common room too, but no one said anything about these public displays of affection, so they didn't care.
"I feel like we just got married", Scorpius joked with a small voice and a shy smile playing on his lips. He looked down at their joined hands and didn't see the sudden blush rising on Albus' face.
"...just wait, Malfoy, maybe one day..." he muttered, barely audible. Scorpius raised his head.
"What was that?"
Albus shook his head.
"Nothing!" He smiled, leaning forwards and cupping Scorpius’ cheek, the string of his new bracelet brushing against Scorpius’ jawline. "I'm just so ridiculously in love with you."
Scorpius smiled widely and leaned in for the kiss.
Maybe the bracelets might not have been anything fancy, maybe they were just cheap trinkets, but somehow they found themselves wearing them daily for years to come. Until they replaced them with something golden on their fingers, at least.