It had been 8 months. Lily Potter reminded herself that she had only dated the boy for 8 months, and now 8 months after their breakup she still couldn't couldn't believe that Bryant Finnigan had broken their relationship off. The red head was seated in a quiet café in Hogsmead, hoping not to run into Bryant and his new girlfriend. Earlier that day in the castle, Lily watched at a distance as Bryant snogged Jaycee Thomas and toyed with a piece of her hair. Her hair was down, the brown strands falling in her face, and Lily remembered how he used to criticize her when she let her auburn locks fall loose around her shoulders. She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd moved on, after all it had been several
months since the break up. Still, it stung to see him with his arms wrapped around another girl, arms that she was used to. In an attempt to divert her thoughts she pulled out a quill and piece of parchment and began working on her potions paper.
She didn't notice when a small group of seventh years walked into the café, taking a seat across from where she sat. But one of them noticed her immediately. The tall blonde took a seat with his peers and ordered a drink. The group of boys began debating about their impending Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, but Scorpius Malfoy found his attention drifting to thoughts of the pretty redhead who was sitting all alone. As his friends droned on and on about player match ups, Scorpius couldn't help but wonder what the girl was doing in the hidden café and why she was sitting alone. Without really thinking about it he nonchalantly stood up and strode over to where the girl sat. His friends took notice, but resumed their conversation without missing a beat.
Lily wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and was startled when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up expectantly, waiting for the tall blond to speak. She studied his face for a moment, admiring his chiseled jaw and stormy grey eyes. Of course she knew who he was, but she'd never really spoken to him.
"Hi," he finally said after a long, awkward silence.
Skepticism etched across Lily's soft features before she finally responded. "Hi," she squeaked.
"Would you mind if I join you?" Scorpius asked, noticing a small smile grace her soft features.
"Well," she started, hesitating. She looked towards a table of his friends, who were openly staring at them, but not saying a word. She couldn't really think of a reason to say no, or maybe she was just tired of being alone, and despite herself she nodded.
He grinned and pulled out the chair across from her. The conversation was awkward at first, neither one quite knowing what to say. However, soon the pair found common ground with their studies and their mutual interest in becoming healers.
"I didn't know you took an interest in potions," Scorpius remarked. He was surprisingly at ease with the soft-spoken girl. "I've got a few books that might help you with your OWLS."
"Really?" Lily asked smiling a little wider. Her thirst for knowledge was what landed her in Ravenclaw, where she felt she truly belonged. "I wouldn't want to be a bother," she trailed off as she spoke.
"It's no bother," he assured her.
"Well, my cousin Rose promised to lend me some of her books, but she marks them up so they are completely unreadable," she rolled her eyes at the thought of trying to find the text beneath Rose's endless notes. "She's completely mental when it comes to her books." Scorpius chuckled at Lily's complaint and she registered how she wasn't used to making others laugh. Bryant had always made it known that he didn't think Lily's sense of humour was funny at all.
"Yeah, I've seen how she yells at your brother when he tries to cheat off her." He chucked, "Of course, half the time it blows up in his face. Literally!" The pair laughed more audibly and Scorpius enjoyed the melodious laughter of the girl across from him. Scorpius ran his hands through his hair as his friends got out of their seats and approached the table.
"We're out of here, mate," Knott said, eyeing the girl across from Scorpius. "You coming?"
"That's alright," Scorpius said acknowledging the group. "I'll catch up with you guys later." He turned his attention back to the girl across from him who was slowly captivating him. The group then exited without another word.
She looked outside as his friends walked out of sight. "I should probably get back to the castle," she sighed almost imperceptibly.
"I can walk you back if you'd like," he said as he stood and offered her his hand, helping her out if her seat.
"Thank you," she said accepting his invitation. His hand was cool against her warm skin, and it almost felt as though she would burn him. With their hands released, Scorpius wanted desperately to grab his hand in an effort to savor the feel of her soft, warm skin against his own. He held the door open for Lily and the two exited the building.
They were quiet on their walk back, neither one wanting to interrupt the peaceful bliss of walking through the beautiful landscape together. When they were approaching the castle gates Scorpius broke the silence. "So maybe we can meet up in the library tomorrow?" He paused. "You know," he continued, " so you can take a look at a couple of my books." His blond brows raised in anticipation of her response.
"Sure," she smiled feeling excited at the thought. "I would really appreciate that."
The both came to a stop as they approached the gate to the castle. Scorpius couldn't deny the fact that he was trying to prolong the moment. Taking a deep breath his voice was quiet when he spoke. "Until tomorrow, Lily." It was the first time he'd ever used her first name, and it felt oddly thrilling for him to say it.
He detected a slight pink tint to her cheeks before she fumbled with her words. "Thank you for today, Scorpius." He was sure Lily would notice his reaction after she spoke his name in almost a whisper. He hadn't realized the depth of Lily's gratitude, for he was unaware that she was struggling with seeing her ex boyfriend with another girl just that morning.
Still, Lily couldn't help but smile, because for the first time in a very long time she didn't really care about who Bryant Finnigan was snogging.
