Written for the Months of the Year Competition. May: Write about twins. Prompts: (emotion) content, (dialogue) "The sun's shining; the birds are singing. What's not to love?", (phrase) heart on his sleeve, (word) indecisive

Opposites

Lysander woke to the sound of birds chiming through the window. Sunlight was pouring into the room, with not a cloud in the sky. It was the most perfect day one could ever hope for, he mused as he climbed out of his bed.

His fellow Hufflepuff room mates were still sound asleep, taking advantage of every minute possible for this weekend. For the fifth years, their O. W. Ls started next Monday, which would mean the common room and library would be hectic as everybody tried to cram in as much knowledge as possible before that first exam in two days.

Let them sleep, Lysander thought as he made his way into the shared Hufflepuff space. It'll be the last little bit they get for a while.

It was quiet in the common room, with most still asleep. A group of fourth years were by the window, whispering quietly to one another. In the corner of the opposite room were a few seventh years, who would be starting their N. E. W. Ts at almost the same time.

And, sitting by the table was a lone student; books were sprawled out across it, and it appeared as if she hadn't slept a wink last night.

"Hey," Lysander said by way of greeting. He plonked himself in the chair opposite her. "I hope you've slept."

The girl opposite him turned pink.

"What're you so worried about?" Lysander went on to say. "You don't have your OWLs til next year."

The girl was a deep shade of red now.

It was always the case with her, Lysander realised. She was the most hardworking of the lot of them, choosing to spend her weekends inside with her homework rather than outside and enjoying the summer sun.

"They're just fourth year exams," Lysander continued, but he realised he'd said the wrong thing fairly quickly, for her expression darkened and she returned to scribbling notes onto a piece of parchment. "I'm sorry."

For Lysander, Lucy Weasley was what someone else might call 'the one'. She was smart, pretty, and, albeit very quiet, was able to hold a conversation about a topic that interested him. She checked off almost every box on his metaphorical list, and ever since his second year and her first, he'd made her acquaintance.

It was only last year that he realised he fancied the pants off of her, but it seemed that she was yet to come to that realisation (if she ever did). It was both frustrating and a challenge to try and win her affection, but saying it was 'just fourth year exams' probably wasn't the way to go about it.

Maybe offering to help her, or supporting her, would have been better. He always seemed to say stupid things around her.

Stupid feelings, he scolded internally. You ruin everything.

"Well, I can help," he said after a moment.

Lucy smiled at him. "I'm just struggling with Potions," she said.

Lysander grinned. "Ah, my specialty!" and he snatched the parchment away from her to read it.

He wasn't going to tell her that Potions was the subject he'd almost failed last year.

…

That same morning, as he climbed out of bed, Lysander's twin brother in the Ravenclaw common room was having an almost identical dilemma. He'd woken to the bright, blue sky through the window and his roommates still fast asleep. The only difference was that rather than trying to force the affections of the girl he fancied, he was greeted by a kiss.

"You're happy today," Winona Smith commented.

"The sun's shining; the birds are singing. What's not to love?"

Generally speaking, Lorcan was not as outgoing as his brother was. It was probably what landed them in different houses. Personally, Lorcan wasn't overly convinced he was the stereotypical Ravenclaw student who dedicated most of his time to study, but he also wasn't as adventurous as his twin, either.

Lysander saw things through his own eyes. He saw through the outside appearance of people and liked them for whatever he found on the inside. Lorcan was a little more judgemental than that.

Winona was gorgeous, and he was the one dating her. He liked to rub that into people's faces whenever he found the chance.

However, perhaps that was all he liked about her, for he was finding himself resenting the fact that he was forced to spend this wonderful Saturday with her. Sure, he got plenty of attention from others, but was it really worth letting her drag him down to the lake to snog him senseless for the whole day.

Idiot! he scolded himself. Of course it was. After all, who else was going to have the chance to make out for the whole day other than him?

"Let's have some breakfast and then we can go to the lake, yeah?" Winona said, pulling his arm to lead him from the tower.

Lorcan grinned. He wouldn't have it any other way.

…

Lysander had never felt more content in his life than he did in that very moment. He had it all; a family, an education, and the most wonderful girl walking beside him. It was all he could do not to reach out and take her hand.

Lucy had become increasingly frustrated by her study of Potions, and before the quiet, gentle Weasley girl threw her book across the room, Lysander had quickly suggested a walk by the lake.

They had walked on in silence for quite some time, Lysander thinking about what he was to say to her. It was such a peaceful moment, it almost felt as if saying anything would ruin it.

Lucy, however, didn't seem to agree. "Maybe I should get back to it."

No. No, you can't do that! I haven't even held your hand yet! Luckily he managed to keep that to himself. Things could have become awkward quickly, otherwise.

"Sure," he managed to get out, not liking the words. I really like you, Lucy, sounded much better.

They walked by the lake, and upon their ascent back up to the castle, Lysander caught a glimpse of the back of a head that looked almost identical to his own. He rolled his eyes.

"Disgusting," he muttered.

Lucy looked at him, eyes filled with surprise.

"Oh, no, not you!" he said quickly. "Never you. You're not disgusting, Lucy. No, never! I'm talking about my brother." He indicated where Lorcan had not yet come up for breath from his make out session with Winona Smith. "Honestly, they say Ravenclaw is the smart house, but I swear, combined, the pair of them have a brain half the size as mine."

Lucy frowned.

Idiot, Lysander scolded. She never did like one talking badly about another.

"What I mean is… he only fancies her because she has big –"

"I think we should go back inside," Lucy interrupted.

They walked on in silence after that, and Lysander knew he'd blown his chance of telling her how he felt today.

…

Lorcan gasped, pulling away from Winona.

"What is it?" she asked, as if not kissing her would kill him.

Lorcan coughed. "I just… needed air."

She laughed. "Oops! Sorry." She tried to grab him, enticing him to start again, but he backed away.

"Maybe we should do something else." It wasn't going to be any use. All they did was snog.

"Like what?" Winona furrowed her brow, obviously really straining to think of something that would be better than what they had already been doing. It was, after all, how they spent most of their spare time.

Lorcan wracked his brain for something – anything – that would let him catch his breath back, but the only option that came up was not appropriate for the lake. It wasn't like they hadn't discussed it, but they had not yet taken that next step. It seemed that every time the idea popped into one of their heads, the others was busy with something else.

Lorcan sucked in a breath. "Well, we could –"

"You want to?"

Lorcan was surprised by the eagerness in her question. "Well… yeah."

"Here?"

"I was thinking – what?"

Winona ran smooth fingers along his torso, enticing him. He had had it in his head that they'd go back to the common room and… but if she was asking for here then –

"We'll be seen!"

"Not if we go into the shrubs. No one sees anything in there." And without waiting for a response, she pulled him into some thick water plants, where he collapsed on top of her.

Oh well, no point in waiting any longer, he reasoned, and he tore his shirt off in one swift movement.

…

Lucy sat in the same chair they had left thirty minutes ago. Her work was still sprawled out, untouched by anyone who may have passed it. She sighed.

"Come on, Loo, if anyone should be studying, it's me. I have two exams on Monday, but I'm making the most of my last free day. You're exams aren't for… three weeks?"

Lucy looked at him, and it was in that moment Lysander noticed she was close to tears. His smiled dropped.

"Hey, it's okay!" He moved his chair so that he was sitting beside her, and threw a comforting arm across her shoulders. "Please don't cry!"

But tears had already started to run down Lucy's face. "I'm just so stupid!" she cried.

"What? No you're not! You're one of the smartest people I know."

"My dad was getting Os in every exam by now, and I know nothing!"

"So? You're still smart. Didn't you just can an O in Herbology the other day for an essay?"

Sniffling, Lucy nodded.

"See, you're smart," Lysander encouraged. He patted her arm. "Sometimes I wish I was as smart as you."

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes red. "You… you do?"

Lysander nodded encouragingly. "Yeah, all the time. That Potions study… pfft. I only passed Potions last year because Professor Zabini finds my jokes funny. Not because I'm any good at it."

This seemed to cheer Lucy up slightly, but Lysander didn't have time to worry about the fact that his bad marks caused her happiness. The only thing that concerned him was that he had brought her happiness.

Was now the right time to –

No. This was the first time he'd ever really touched her in any way. To ruin that now would be the worst mistake he'd ever made.

But she's vulnerable and looking for comfort.

Exactly why he just needed to be a friend.

Sighing internally, Lysander patted her arm. "Let's just spend the rest of today away from any work," he said.

Surprisingly, Lucy nodded. "What do you want to do instead?"

…

Lorcan lay spread out in the shrubs, spent. Usually, the girls he… the ones who fancied him with his clothes off, were inexperienced and rather timid. It seemed Winona, however, was ready to try anything, and was extremely experienced in that area.

She wore a smirk as she dressed. "Worth the wait?" she asked knowingly.

Still trying to catch his breath, Lorcan could only nod.

Winona grinned.

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around." It sounded harsher out loud than it did in his head, but in that moment, Lorcan cared little. And it seemed the words passed Winona.

"So, after that how would you liked the spend the rest of today?"

Lorcan knew exactly how he would like to spend it, but he was exhausted after just one round. He'd need a few hours before even contemplating another.

He waved her away. "I'll tell you in a moment," and slowly sat to get dressed again.

…

Lysander and Lorcan crossed paths in one of the corridors. Lorcan had Winona attached to his arm, causing Lysander to feel sick. Lucy was walking by Lysander's side, which made Lorcan smile knowingly.

"Ah, so you two have finally got your acts together, eh?" he said by way of greeting, winking at Lucy. "About time. I mean, Lysander's been pining after you since last year."

Lysander's eyes were so wide that they almost popped out of his head. Was this what it was like to die a painful death? His face was on fire, that was for sure, and it felt as if his stomach was going to drop out of him.

Still hanging off Lorcan's arm, Winona giggled. Lorcan, however, at least noticed his brother's horror. "Er, well I guess you know now." He shrugged.

Lysander wasn't sure if Lucy had caught on that what his brother had said wasn't a joke, but an anger had bubbled inside of him that he'd always been taught by his parents not to feel. His hand twitched to his wand pocket, but that was the easy answer.

"Have you told your floozy yet that the only reason she's here is because you are horny for her… literally? That all you want is a few good times in the bedroom and then be done with her? At least I care about Lucy! At least one day I could see myself marrying her!"

IDIOT!

Lysander's face was red that he didn't dare turn to find out what Lucy's was like. Was Lorcan an idiot? Could he really be that thick to blurt it out like he just had? His feelings for Lucy was something he'd confided in his brother in confidence. He'd needed to express it, and Lorcan was all he had.

Winona's face darkened. "That's not true!" she said. She turned to Lorcan.

"Of course not," Lorcan assured her. "My brother's just jealous that he doesn't get any action from his girl."

"You. Leave. Her. Out. Of. This." This time Lysander did draw his wand, pointing it at his brother. How dare Lorcan talk of Lucy as he spoke of any other girl. She was not just a girl, she was Lucy. She was better than any other girl; sweeter, kinder.

Lorcan's eyes flashed with anger. "Then you leave my girl out of it!" he snapped.

Lysander opened his mouth, ready to hex his twin into the next century, when a gentle hand on his wand arm prevented him.

"Stop."

Lysander's skin prickled at Lucy's touch, and instinctively, he lowered his wand.

Lorcan appeared relieved, knowing full-well who was the better duellist between them.

"Lysander, you need to stop. He didn't mean what he said."

"He didn't mean it?" Lysander asked, keeping his temper down. He couldn't take his frustration out on Lucy.

"No," Lucy said firmly.

"Well, I forgive you, too," Winona jumped in.

"Shut it," Lorcan growled at her. "This is between me and my brother."

Winona huffed.

It was in that moment, the eyes of the Scamander brothers drew realisation. When they looked at each other, it was as if they were looking in the mirror; but that was where the similarities stopped.

Lysander, who was in complete and absolute love with Lucy Weasley, had stopped when she'd asked. He'd do anything for her, and never pushed the boundaries to make her feel comfortable. Her happiness was important to him.

Lorcan, the older brother by ten minutes, had a girl by his side with big breasts and who was willing to sleep with him when he asked. Did he really fancy her? No, he didn't think so. Did he care about her? Not in the sense Lysander cared about Lucy. Did he want what Lysander had? No. He wanted what every boy his age wanted, without the consequences.

He knew Lysander found the concept horrific, but was it bad when Winona was using him for her own pleasure, too?

He didn't think so.

"I'm sorry," Lorcan said, looking at his brother. "I didn't realise you hadn't… I didn't realise she didn't know." He looked apologetically at Lucy.

"And I'm sorry I said what I did," Lysander added. "I didn't mean it."

Lorcan nodded.

"Shall we agree what we're just different?" Lysander asked.

Lorcan nodded. "You don't like the way I am with girls, and I'm not interested in having deep feelings right now."

Lysander nodded. "We're still brothers, though."

Lorcan smiled. "Always will be. Just… opposite."

They parted ways after that, Winona clinging to Lorcan's arm like her life depended on it, and Lucy walking silently beside Lysander.

Neither brother spoke to either of them, both lost in their own thoughts.

…

When they returned to the Hufflepuff common room, Lysander had made up his mind. Although he didn't agree with the way Lorcan went about dating, there were some aspects he was envious about. His brother's confidence, for one thing.

Lucy's silence hadn't exactly comforted him, but she knew now. What was the point in hiding it anymore.

It seemed that most were either enjoying their last day of freedom, or in the library cramming last minute study in, so they were alone save for a few first years playing a game of Exploding Snap.

"Hey, Loo." He stopped in the middle of the common room, turning to face the girl he'd essentially do anything for. "About what Lorcan said –"

Lucy cut him off with a shake of her head. "I heard," she said.

"I know, and I really hated the way you had to find out."

"What do you mean?"

Lysander sucked in a deep breath. No, he had to do it. There was no point in hiding it anymore. "Although Lorcan was just trying to annoy me, most of what he said was true."

Lucy's eyes widened.

"I do like you, Lucy. I have since last year, at least. Probably even before that and I didn't realise. I was always too scared to tell you, because you meant – you still mean – everything to me, and I was content with being your friend for now." He may have had something to say had another bloke showed interest in Lucy, but he chose to leave that out. Truthfully, he'd never had to worry about another guy getting in his way, from their end, or from Lucy's end.

Lucy looked at him without speaking. The longer she stayed silent, the more irritated Lysander became. Okay, so he'd been prepared for rejection when he'd decided to put his heart on the line, but she needed to at least tell him so. That way, he could stop wishing and move on.

If he could.

"Loo, please say something," he pleaded after a moment longer.

Her eyes as round as the moon, Lucy opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again. She stared at him for a while longer, before whispering, "No one has ever liked me before."

"Huh?"

"They don't like me because of… my sister." She was staring at her feet. "Everybody knows about Molly's obsession with Scorpius, and they think I'll be the same if they're nice to me."

"That's ridiculous!" Lysander cried. "They don't know how sweet you are, or how shy you are or –" He took both of her hands into his. "They know nothing about you, Loo."

Lucy smiled. "Lysander, I like you, too. I just never knew how to tell you. And besides, you're older than me, so it felt weird."

Lysander beamed. "Age is nothing," he dismissed, squeezing her hand. "I'd kiss you right now, but I don't want to take away the magic of this moment by ruining with an awkward kiss. Do you mind if I hold your hand instead?"

Lucy giggled, looking at their enclosed hands. "You already are."

"You're amazing, Lucy. You really are." Lysander chanced a kiss to her hands, and Lucy smiled. "Shall we do something more exciting than being here, then?"

"Like what?" Lucy asked.

Lysander shrugged. "No idea, but we'll work it out." He took one of her hands now, dropping the other. "To be honest, I'm so happy right now I wouldn't care if you decided you'd want to clean out a pig sty."

They left the Hufflepuff common room, hand-in-hand, both equally as delighted as the other, but neither knowing it. This was all working out, Lysander was realising. All he needed was a little more confidence like his brother to tell her, and it could have happened a lot earlier.

…

In the Ravenclaw common room, Lorcan was cringing as heads turned to him and his shrieking girlfriend. Apparently the fact that he had told Lysander he wasn't in for anything serious had upset her.

"Oh, come off it, Winona, you were all over me by the lake. All you wanted was a few moments of pleasure."

"So what?"

"So what? Why is it okay for you to do it, but not me?"

"You're using me!"

"I like you!"

"You were still using me!"

"So were you!"

"So?"

"It can work both ways, you know!"

Winona let out a loud shriek, startling the few others who were in the common room.

Lorcan sent them an apologetic look, and then said, "Maybe my brother has the right idea. He's found a sweet, gentle girl to love; not somebody who can do whatever she wants and expects me to do whatever she wants, too. Let's face it, Winona, we were both in it for sex and that was it."

"Oh, please," Winona cried, rolling her eyes, "We did it once, and I've had better."

"Me too!"

"Ha!"

"I'm over this," Lorcan stated. "I'm over you." He made to exit the common room.

"Good riddance!" Winona snapped.

"Pity I have to see you every evening."

"Ha!"

Lorcan exited the common room, fuming. Funny how things worked, he found himself musing. He'd woken up wishing he could get rid of the girl, and somehow, he'd managed it.

As he stormed down the tower, wishing to never see her again, but knowing that would never happen, he couldn't help but think of his brother and the girl that he fancied. Sure, he didn't think Lysander pining after the one girl for so long was healthy, but he had clearly waited for somebody special to come by.

Shaking his head, Lorcan continued on. Never mind that now. He was just glad to be rid of Winona.

I hope you liked this. I don't usually write the Scamander twins, so I jumped at this chance. This has gone unbeta-d, so I hope it's okay.

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