"Dylan offered to help too," he said, forgetting for a moment that Dylan and Scorpius disliked each other. ""And my parents. They might spend most of their time research animals, but they're both aces with Defense." He blushed at the compliment, but didn't deny it. He'd been near the top of his class in every subject, including Defense. "I'd like that, as long as it doesn't take away from your training for the Aurors."
He leaned into the kiss, making happy, needy sounds and losing himself in the sensations. When they were both short of breath, Scorpius drew back again. "You don't need to explain anything," he assured him. "You survived. I'm so proud of you for not giving up. Other people would have." He wasn't sure he could have survived, though he didn't know details.
He was saved from answering about Scorpius' party by owls delivering a large package of letters. From Al, Lori saw grinning at Scor's delight. And then not even a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. He wasn't surprised when it was Al.