[OOM] Dinner and the Seine

[honourbyname]

Dinner is amazing.

Flammekueche, it turns out, is actually really, really tasty. And kind of pretty too.

Plus? It smells delicious.

They order a large rectangle of it, and between the three of them, it doesn't take too long to disappear. After a full day's worth of tourist activities, it's easy to work up quite the appetite, so it comes to Albus as no surprise.

Once dinner has been consumed and paid for, Albus checks his watch to be sure that they're on schedule for their last tourist activity of the day: a cruise along the Seine.



The day has really led to a beautiful evening. The sky is clear and the sun is just setting, bursting with deep oranges, yellows and blues behind the silhouettes of ornate buildings and bridges.

Down below, along the river, there are a number of boats waiting to take passengers.

Albus is excited.

(He even goes a little snap-happy with his camera in anticipation, taking over Scorpius' previous job.)

Comments

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus pretends to think seriously about this before offering, "Voulez-vous asseoir près de moi sur le bateau?"

Or so says Google Translate.

[honourbyname]

Honestly, it's hard to pretend he can't hear Scorpius and Orpheus talking when he's walking beside them, one of Orpheus' hands shoving him toward the boat.

But he does smile a little, a secret sort of smile to himself, and says nothing to show that he's listening.

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius, who pays no heed to secret smiles, has left himself with very little time to practice. Tickets are about to be exchanged and the boat boarded.

"Voulez-vous asseoir près de moi sur le bateau?" he's muttering to himself as they reach the man who takes their tickets.

He'll ask Albus as soon as they're past him and won't be holding up the line by doing so.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus smirks a bit to himself and repeats, "Voulez-vous asseoir près de moi sur le bateau?" to help with pronunciation.

[alsoagreengrass]

His pronunciation is a bit better the next couple of mutters, thanks to Orpheus.

And, as soon as they've handed off their tickets to the guard, Scorpius pulls Albus off to the side.

"Uhm. Voulez-vous ass- asseoir près de moi sur le bateau?"

[honourbyname]

Okay, it's really cute what Scorpius does.

And while Albus is by no means an expert in French, his skills limited to simple words like 'yes', and 'no' and 'thank you' and 'my name is Albus Potter and I go to Hogwarts', he can appreciate Scorpius' efforts. Especially when they sound pretty convincing.

Albus nods, reaching for the other boy's hand.

"Oui."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus laughs at that, pleased that things are going better.

"Why don't you two head up to the upper deck? I'm going to get a drink first."

[alsoagreengrass]

He said oui! He still has a boyfriend!

Scorpius grins brightly, threading his fingers with Albus'.

"Right, we'll meet you up there," he calls to Orpheus as he tugs his boyfriend toward the stairs that lead to the upper deck.

"So, uhm - What was the whole look before about?"

He has to ask. Blame the Ravenclaw in him.

[honourbyname]

He does, doesn't he?

Oh, Scorpius.

Albus shakes his head, only briefly glancing over his shoulder at Orpheus before allowing himself to be led up the steps.

"Well," he says slowly, "what was with the dramatic flouncing?"

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius shrugs.

"I was messing about. You were supposed to, er - I don't know, come and snog me or something."

[honourbyname]

"I might be a Ravenclaw, but I don't read minds," Albus points out, amused.

"If you want me to snog you, sometimes the best thing to do is just ... um. Ask, maybe."

You know he's horrible at this stuff!

[alsoagreengrass]

" - Ask. You want me to ask?

"What, like - 'Oh, Albus, please snog me'?"

Scorpius wrinkles his nose just slightly.

It sounds weird. Asking his boyfriend to snog him. Too weird.

[honourbyname]

Albus laughs.

"Okay, fine. Maybe - um. Maybe that's not the best idea, but ... at least make it obvious."

So he can grasp that social cue a little better!

[alsoagreengrass]

"Right. I could do obvious," Scorpius says, laughing.

Just before launching himself at Albus. With puckered lips and kissy noises.

(Well. He waits until they've reached the upper deck, anyway.

Tumbling down the stairs? Would not make for a romantic cruise along the Seine.)

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus does not even stop at the on-board bar to get his drink. Instead, he waits at the gangplank until everyone is finished boarding and gets off the boat, heading to the bank where he can watch the boat as it pulls away. Spotting the boys on the top deck, he waves, feeling not the least bit guilty for leaving them alone for an hour or so.

[honourbyname]

It's moments later, after some very obvious snogging, that Albus and Scorpius are waiting on the upper deck.

Passengers have taken their seats, but Albus notes that there is an obvious lack of Orpheus aboard.

"Where's Orphe -"

That's just before he spots a waving figure on the bank.

[alsoagreengrass]

"Hm, said he wanted a drink," Scorpius murmurs, a bit drunk-like himself, hugging his boyfriend's side.

It's just all very -

Well. He sighs, happily.

Before following Albus' line of sight and frowning.

"What's he doing over there?"

[honourbyname]

"I don't know," Albus says.

"Should we - um.





"Well, he doesn't look particularly upset that he's not aboard."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Not when he's waving and grinning like that, no.

"He's ditched us, the right prat," Scorpius adds, shaking his head.

But he's grinning too. He can think of a few reasons as to why Orpheus has done so.

"I guess, uhm - We'll meet up with him after? If not - Well, let's not think about the if not."

He grabs Albus' hand.

"Let's sit."

[honourbyname]

Albus has one last glance at the shore and Orpheus' now retreating figure, and then he's following Scorpius over towards the seats, still holding his hand.

"I'm sure he'll meet us back there once the boat's made its round," he says. "Until then ... well, it's just you and me."

He smiles.

[alsoagreengrass]

"And a boatload of strangers."

Because if it was just Albus and him -

Welllll.

"Your camera, sir," he says, holding the said camera out to him, just before sitting down.

He didn't want to sit on it, after all.

[honourbyname]

Albus bumps his shoulder before accepting his camera back and settling into a seat.

"You know what I mean," he says, rolling his eyes.

[alsoagreengrass]

"Yes, I do know what you mean."

He smiles happily at his boyfriend before turning his gaze toward the sights as the last of the patrons take their seats.

"I'm glad we're here," he adds in a whisper. "Together and, uhm - All that."

[honourbyname]

"Me too."

He really, really is.

"This was a good idea, to come to Paris. I don't remember having such a brilliant time in a long while.

"Especially without someone ... um. Recognizing my dad or wanting an autograph from my mum, or something."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Get stopped a lot in Diagon, do you?"

Scorpius can't know exactly what it's like for Albus being a Potter, but he can understand well enough.

He leans against his boyfriend, just briefly. More of a nudge, really.

"You know I don't care who your family is, right?"