Haunted

by Dawn Bently

She didn't want to admit that thoughts of him haunted her. That for months, him and Quidditch comprised the majority of her thoughts and it drove her mad. Knowing that the only things she wanted were unobtainable was bad enough, let alone saying it out loud. (Lily/Scorpius) (Scorpius/OC)

Present Day

Lily stood awkwardly at Scorpius' side, though she had been performing for the media for years. Scorpius knew the photos from that night would show only practiced grace on Lily's part, despite her obvious reservations. She clutched his hand tightly, but he mostly ignored it as he smiled one way and the other, letting photographers snap shots candidly.

The annual Crowne Club Wine Tasting was the event of the year for the high elitist society, and Scorpius Malfoy had been expected to attend from the beginning. It was Lily's presence that caused quite the stir, and though she was relieved to get away from the press that lined the entryway, she was only slightly at ease inside the Crowne Club. It was a club that catered to the traditional elitist families, to which Lily did not belong. Though pureblood by law, Lily was a Potter, and a Weasley to boot. She was there only on Scorpius' arm and it was painfully clear to her that cordial interactions was the most she could hope for that night.

"That's the worst part," Scorpius promised as he bent down to whisper in her ear. She looked up at him, and he knew she was there only because he had asked. Smiling, he moved for a kiss but Lily turned from it, letting it land instead on her cheek.

"She's here, Scorpius," Lily said under her breath and he drew in a breath as he stood up straighter and rolled his shoulders out.

"Our lives do not depend on her anymore," Scorpius argued as they went forward and continued further into the venue. Most people were congregated into small groups and nearly everyone held a clear crystal glass partially full with wine.

"But tonight?" Lily asked as she looked around the room. She recognized most of the faces as old classmates, which was not to say she was friendly with any of them. Some were even colleges, but in recent months many of those who were from the old families had become rather cold to her, despite Scorpius' best attempts to make Lily feel accepted into his social circle. "Tonight is all about her, Scorpius. The Flint's are hosting," she said under her breath as she turned slightly towards him.

"Well we would be hosting with them if my father hadn't bought us out three months ago," Scorpius replied.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? I feel like your mistress and I'm crashing your wife's party."

Scorpius stopped and moved to stand in front of her, forcing her gaze to meet his. "Stop, please," he said, nearly pleading as he took her hands in his. "You are not my mistress, Lily. Nor were you ever."

"Are we being technical?" Lily asked, and Scorpius said nothing as he took an empty wine glass from a passing server's try.

"Just have some wine," he told her as he held out the glass between them. "Once Lacey and Ian get here, you can relax a little, right?"

Lily promised nothing as she took the wineglass from him and held it by the stem. She turned and went towards the wine bar, Scorpius following on her heels. She had hardly let go of his hand since they left the Manor, but Scorpius was in no hurry to be apart from her, especially when Lacey Zabini had yet to show up—even fashionably late. Lily and Lacey had always been close, even at Hogwarts when they had been in the same year. They had constructed rivals within each other as children, but the competition had never left the Quidditch field, despite their different houses and social circles. Ian had significantly less in common with Lily, but he had been Scorpius' friend since they were babies. He even knew the event would not be easy for Lily, and Scorpius had faith her would do his best to buffer Lily from the worst of it.

"Is that from the farm in the north?" Lacey asked as she came towards Lily from behind. "Their son has a crush on me and sends wine every month. It's the best."

"You're an hour late," Lily remarked as she turned and quickly embraced her friend paying no regard to her opening remark. Lacey kissed her cheek before she went to Scorpius and greeted him with equal affection.

"I had someone to attend to," Lacey said and Lily smiled and even laughed. Scorpius was immediately at ease, and Lacey saw it in his eyes. Lily hadn't laughed all day, not even that morning before she'd even left the Manor.

"Was he worth it?"

"Of course," Lacey answered as she looped an arm through Lily's. "Tell me which ones are good," she said as she started to pull Lily away from Scorpius and towards the wine. Scorpius had thought it odd, but when Marcus Flint approached him moments later, he understood why Lacey had spirited Lily away.

"Scorpius," he said coldly as he met Scorpius' eyes.

"Mr. Flint," Scorpius greeted, feeling as uncomfortable as he always had around his ex-wife's father. Marcus Flint was certainly not an easy man to look at, and it was even more difficult to have conversation with him. Since ending his marriage to Fiona, Scorpius felt no motivation to even attempt a conversation, and so the two men stared back and forth at each other as though sizing each other up.

"Marcus," Draco called as he approached the pair, a wine glass in his hand. "This looks stunning. Your event planner must be a keeper." He was diffusing the situation, Scorpius knew. It was a certain talent of his father's Scorpius hadn't known was there until the separation and divorce. "And all those lights," Draco continued as he began to lead Marcus Flint away from Scorpius. "I hope you've a sponsor for all this. The Apothecary just took too big a hit this year to really pull through. You know I did my best, but we all have bad years."

"Yes, the Apothecary must have been the reason," Scorpius heard Marcus reply before the two disappeared into the crowd.

"That looked rough," Ian said in Scorpius' ear, startling him.

"Why are you late?" Scorpius snapped as he looked over his shoulder.

"There was a girl," Ian answered in his usual fashion, a wide and all encompassing grin taking hold on his face, though Scorpius rolled his eyes. Scorpius took Ian's wine glass and down the wine glass before he put the glass back in Ian's hand. "There are buckets, Score. You're supposed to spit so you don't get drunk."

When Scorpius met his gaze, Ian grinned again, and Scorpius groaned before he turned to look for Lily and Lacey. He was glad to find them near a wall, looking neither conspicuous nor withdrawn as they spoke with each other animatedly. They were probably talking about Quidditch, Scorpius mused, as he watched Lily wave her arm to emphasize a point.

"Can't fault me for getting distracted by a girl, mate," Ian remarked from the side, and Scorpius turned to him, one eyebrow raised. "Just trying to catch up, you know. They don't all come like that." Ian motioned to Lily and Lacey with a tilt of his head before he turned and went back towards the wine to refill his taste he'd yet to have.

X Three Years Ago X

Lily flinched when she tried to step on her bad leg. Cursing under her breath, she looked up, hoping no one had seen, but of course her mother's hawk eyes had spotted her. Ginny wasted no time in rushing to her daughter's side, despite Lily's pleas to be left alone.

"You cannot get around by yourself, Lily," Ginny insisted as she stepped back to avoid getting swatted by her daughter.

"I am fine," Lily insisted as she limped forward and sat herself at the table. Harry watched on from the doorway, siding with neither stubborn woman. He knew far better than that.

"Alright," Lacey exclaimed as she came into the kitchen from the hallway. "Everything is set up per the Healer's instructions." She looked over at Ginny rather than Lily, and Harry smiled amusedly at his daughter's choice in friends. "She can hobble in and out of the shower to her heart's content."

"Lacey," Lily groaned, and Lacey attempted to hide her smirk, one which was reminiscent of her mother, Harry thought. Lacey did not, however, have the famous Parkinson nose, but she certainly had all her mother's attitude. Since Lily was so clearly her mother's daughter, Harry often wondered if Ginny and Pansy might have gotten on well in another life.

"You really should just come and stay at home," Ginny insisted and Lily groaned again as she turned to her mother.

"No," Lily repeated for nearly the hundredth time. "I'm staying with Lacey, and I will be fine. The Healer said I only need to take two seasons off, and then I'll be back playing." Lily looked away when she knew what look would come over her mother's eyes. It was the same look Lacey had when Lily talked of returning to the pitch in a few years after she'd completely healed up. It was a fool's hope, yes, but one Lily clung too like a lifeline. She could not imagine her life without Quidditch and she was not mentally equipped to face the reality of a career ending injury. She was determined to get back on a broom as soon as she could stand, and back in the pitch as soon as she could take another hit.

"She'll be fine, Mrs. Potter," Lacey said quite politely as she came forward and stood behind Lily, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Really. I made a killing betting on Puddlemere last season. It's in my best interest to get Lily back on that broom."

Lily laughed despite the situation, and Lacey smiled. Ginny was clearly unamused but when she whipped back around for support from her husband, she found Harry smiling as well. Defeated, Ginny stepped back from the kitchen table and forced herself to let her daughter take care of herself. It had been difficult to let Lily go into Quidditch in the first place, knowing firsthand what she did about the business. Now that the effects of that decision had come full circle, Ginny couldn't help but regret letting her daughter follow in her footsteps. Nonetheless, Ginny turned and went from the room, Harry lingering a little longer to put a kiss on Lily's head and one on Lacey's cheek. She was like a second daughter to him, even if Ginny had never much cared for her influence on Lily. Conversely, Harry was certain it had been Lily who influenced Lacey.

XXX

Draco stared down at the newspaper, a grin on his face. Astoria had already warned him to put it away before Scorpius and Lily came down from breakfast, but Draco kept reading through it anyway. Pictures of Fiona littered the thing, and from the captions, it seemed to Draco that the entire night had been just one huge blowout between Scorpius' love interests: past vs. present. He found the entirely thing amusing to no end.

"She looks like a right idiot spinning like a little girl in her dress," Draco remarked as he folded it over and leaned forward to show Astoria the photo of Fiona. Though stunning and charming, Fiona had always been found wanting, at least in Draco's eyes.

"That's a Park's gown," Astoria remarked after just one look at the photo. "I'd spin in it, too."

"With heels?" Draco asked, the tone of the conversation suddenly vastly different. Astoria smiled into her morning coffee, even as Draco's hand snaked across the table to poke at her elbow. When they heard footsteps on the stairwell, Draco leaned back and quickly tossed the newspaper to the bar, where it landed behind some glassware.

"Good morning," Draco remarked as Lily came into the room first and sat across from Astoria. Scorpius was behind her, but he continued into the kitchen to fetch their coffee and meals. "I trust you slept well? I know that penthouse bed isn't quite like the one's here."

"Draco," Astoria half scolded as she shook her head, though Lily smiled. She genuinely enjoyed the company of Scorpius' parents. They reminded her a great deal of her own parents, and of the kind of marriage she wanted to have. "Let the girl wake up at least."

"I'm only striking up conversation, dear," Draco told her as he held Lily's gaze. "How was your first Wine Tasting? Terrifyingly dull?"

"Dad," Scorpius groaned from the next room, and Lily smiled as her eyes darted up to the doorway. Draco smiled. Fiona's eyes never sparkled just at the sound of Scorpius' voice. "Could we all just pretend last night never happened?" Scorpius asked as he reemerged into the dining hall, two plates in his hands and mugs hovering in front of him. Lily plucked her coffee out of the air and Scorpius set her breakfast in front of her before he sat. "That was probably the worst Wine Tasting we've had in years."

"It wasn't so terrible," Draco laughed, then sipped his coffee. He earned that stare from Astoria, but Lily was smiling too, so Draco didn't really mind all that much. "So Fiona is a little unhappy. That's all last night proved."

"And I'm the laughing stock of Britain now."

"At least you have a reason not to invite all of them to your wedding. You don't need another big one, right?" Draco replied as he looked up at his son over his coffee mug. "And besides, it really was Fiona's fault, Scorpius. Nobody doubts that, and if they do, they're deluded. She had way too much to drink."

"She stood up in front of the entire room and declared that I was impotent and that our entire marriage was one performance difficulty after another, then proceeded to apologize to Lily for the man she was to marry."

"Oh, honey-" Astoria started, but Draco replied first.

"We know you're not impotent, Son. Don't worry. We are, however, concerned that you cannot cast a Silencing Spell. They teach that in second year."

"Draco," Astoria scolded more forcefully as Scorpius stood from the table and left through the kitchen door. "Lily, we're sorry-"

"Sweetheart," Draco said as he shook his head. "She's a Weasley. You think we're chaotic? Have you ever been the Burrow? On a regular day. Not even a birthday or something. There's nothing we can do that'll surprise this one." Draco leaned back in his chair and finished his coffee as he glanced over at Lily. She was still smiling, amused by the entire morning thus far. Draco was right, she'd seen far more chaotic scenes play out at The Burrow, but Astoria still shook her head ashamedly. Astoria didn't understand how much easier it was for Draco to have Lily there instead of Fiona. He had always been on pins and needles with that girl, but he knew there was next to nothing he could do to offend Lily.

X Three Years Ago X

Lily walked with Lacey through Diagon Alley. It had been only a few weeks since Lily could put her weight on her leg, but she insisted on going out that day with Lacey, who had a list of errands to run. So far, Lily had been stopped by a few children wanting autographs, and though she'd obliged, she felt her heart sink every time Quidditch came into the conversation. She'd yet to tell Lacey, but in her heart of hearts, she knew it was unlikely she could ever really support herself on a broom again. That was not to say she had given up on the idea, however.

They went into the bookstore, which was quite still, since the children were all away for the school year. Only adults looked through the shelves, leaving the entire store calmingly quiet. Lacey went straight to the back, needing to speak with the shopkeeper about a specific rare manuscript she had been eyeing for time, so Lily lingered near the front of the store. After looking through a few of the books, Lily's eyes had drifted up out of the window, where she spotted the Malfoy Apothecary.

It was beginning to look a little more worn than Lily had remembered. In her school days, the Malfoy Apothecary was always new and shinny, but over the years the newness had given way to time. Venturing out of the bookstore, Lily was careful to watch her step on the curb, then went across to the Apothecary, which was empty save one man behind the counter. At the bell, he turned around and tilted his head as he stared across the store at Lily, eyes narrowed.

"Lily Potter," Draco remarked as she came forward and stopped at the front of the counter. "What can I do for you?"

"I was curious if you had anything particularly strong."

Draco raised an eyebrow as he leaned down to put his elbows on the countertop. "If you mean some firewhisky, I do have some but I think it's from my school days. You'd be better off just buying some on your own, Miss Weasley. Potter. You look like your mother."

"So I've heard. I mean something for the pain," Lily answered directly, opting not to dance around the reason she had been so intrigued by the Apothecary. Growing up, she remembered hearing her father raving over how the Malfoy Apothecary could cure anything, and she was curious to see if Draco Malfoy could live up to his hype.

"Bum leg," Draco said, and had he not sounded so straight forward about it, Lily might've though him insulting. "Too bad. You're a good player. Got that from your mother, too."

"I would guess my father didn't hurt either," she replied and Draco smiled briefly. Even in his middle aged years he could barely stand to admit Harry might've fairly beaten him to a snitch or two, but something about Lily's quick tongue made him appreciate the remark.

"I might have something," Draco said as he nodded. "Not in stock, I'll have to get some ingredients and make it tonight, but if you have trouble waiting I can send you an owl."

"And it'll make the instability go away?"

"I don't know about that," Draco said as he tilted his head. "But the pain, sure. The Healers aren't cutting it?"

"They want to get me back to basic functioning."

"And you want to get back on a broom."

"Wouldn't you?"

Draco shrugged. "It depends."

"Quidditch is my life. I can't give it up because some asshole doesn't know the difference between a fair hit and blind one." She held his gaze unwaveringly and Draco found himself smiling brighter at the girl who appeared to embody both her parents quite clearly. He thought that combination might've annoyed him, but he found Lily endearing. She was bold and unafraid, yet terrified of losing her career.

"Quidditch is nice, but it's not everything, Miss Potter. You are staying with Lacey, yes? Shall I just send you the potion when it's ready?"

"Yes," Lily answered as she nodded hesitantly.

"Pansy and Blaise are my oldest friends. I'm not stalking you, I promise." Lily only nodded as she held Draco's gaze. He looked away from her when the bell rang again, and Lily stepped back from the counter. She'd begun to turn to leave, but she paused when she saw Scorpius, a woman beside him.

Fiona Flint had always been a pretty girl at Hogwarts, but as an adult she was downright gorgeous. Her flat hair had gained some curls and her figure had become more womanly. In her high end outfit and heels, she looked every bit the Malfoy bride, right down to her manicured nails.

"Lily," Scorpius said, surprised to find her in his father's Apothecary.

"Scorpius," she replied, before she looked then to Fiona. "You look well, Flint."

"Malfoy, now," Fiona replied as she put up her hand to show off her ring. It was big and bold and shiny, and Fiona beamed as she looked down at it.

"Right," Lily said as she nodded slowly. "Congratulations on the by the way. I don't think I've seen either of you since you left Hogwarts. You've been well, I assume?"

"Better than ever," Fiona answered before she released Scorpius' hand and went forward. She nodded cordially at Draco before disappearing into the back room. Lily had watched her walk away, before she looked back at Scorpius once more.

"You look good," Lily told him as she began forward again, pausing in the doorway when Scorpius replied.

"You, too. I hope you get better, Lily. Lacey's worried about you."

"You definitely filled out," Lily replied, as though that were the natural course of the conversation. Draco was more than amused at that Potter girl he'd only met once or twice. Had he known she was so fiery, he might've gone out of his way to really speak with her sooner. "You're not nearly as scrawny as you used to be in school." Without another word, Lily turned and went from the shop, meeting Lacey in the middle of the road.

Scorpius, dumbfounded, watched out the window as Lacey had begun to walk towards the Apothecary, but Lily took hold her arm and shook her head. They said something to each other Scorpius couldn't make out before they went away from the Apothecary to the next place Lacey needed to stop at.

XXX

"I like the lilies," she declared as she stared at the bouquet of lilies, which was just one of several that lined the dining table in the Malfoy Manor.

"Then get the lilies," Scorpius replied simply. Lily lifted her eyes to look at Scorpius, who stood across the table from her.

"But that seems too…"

"Obvious?" Draco suggested as he strolled through the dining hall casually and into the kitchen before Lily even responded.

"See?" Lily said as she motioned to the door swinging behind Draco's exit, her eyes on Scorpius. "But I don't want roses, either."

"Too predictable," Draco said as he came back though the kitchen door carrying two glasses lemonade. "And not the jasmines either," he added as he paused at the other doorway to turn around and meet Lily's gaze. "That was what Fiona insisted on, even though they were out of season and we had to have them shipped in. Cost a bloody fortune." Draco turned on his heel and went from the room, Scorpius staring at the spot he'd just been at in shock, though Lily continued on looking at the bouquets as usual.

"I like the orchids," she declared as she looked up at Scorpius. He turned back to her and nodded before he glanced down at them.

"I like them, too." They went down the length of the dining hall before Scorpius took her hand and led her from the room through the kitchen door. "Have you any ideas for venue?" Scorpius asked as they went through the kitchen to the mudroom, which led then to the back of the manor. The gardens were more vibrant than ever, since Astoria had so much more free time to tend to them. Though Malfoy brides never needed to work, Astoria had only recently retired from her position at St. Mungo's hospital.

"Is your father concerned I might marry at The Burrow?" Lily asked as she tilted her head up at Scorpius. He glanced down at her sideways as they made their way to a stone bench situated in front of a fountain.

"He might've have voiced such a concern, but I swear he loves you more than me. He might not even care."

Lily laughed as she pushed herself up to kiss Scorpius on the cheek. "Your father does not love me more than you, Score," she protested, even as he put his arms about her waist and pulled her to his lap. Her arms instinctively went around his neck and he kissed her before meeting her gaze. "We just got on quite well."

"Yes, well I didn't even think that was possible," Scorpius replied.

"Why? Because I'm a Potter and a Weasley and she is a Flint?" Lily asked. Scorpius did so hate conversations about Fiona, and generally, Lily did as well. At that moment, however, Scorpius saw the brightness in Lily's eyes hadn't dimmed at the mention of her.

"Partially, yes," Scorpius admitted. "I didn't expect him to take to you as well as he had, and I expected my mother to get along with you better than she does. You are just so full of surprises."

"Your mother is sweet, Score, but I'm always afraid I'm stepping on her delicate toes painted by pixies with polish collected by baby dragons."

Scorpius laughed as he kissed her again. "She likes you," Scorpius assured her as they pulled apart. "She's just not open like you and your whole family is. Are we inviting the entire Weasley family?"

Lily was quiet a moment as she pressed her lips together, and Scorpius had his answer. "It would be rude, Score, to invite only certain cousins and uncles and not the rest of them."

"So we should have the entire Weasley army stomping through our wedding?"

"Scorpius, they are not careless and insensitive. They are just numerous."

"And loud, and they all hate me."

"Not all of them," Lily protested, and Scorpius raised an eyebrow her. "Dad likes you. And Al doesn't insult you to your face, anymore."

"Well, how could a man not feel invited by those prospects?" Scorpius asked sarcastically, but Lily kissed him instead of answering.

X Two and a Half Years Ago X

Lily could walk up and down stairs like a normal person. She could even dance, and she had convinced Lacey to take her out that night when Lacey had planned a night out with Scorpius and Ian. It was a Muggle bar chosen because Scorpius could be an ordinary man rather than a Malfoy, and Lily found she rather liked it as well. Muggles didn't recognized Quidditch players, and it made her much more at ease.

"The Crowne Club still has better drinks," Ian protested stubbornly as the four sat at a table. Scorpius said nothing as Lacey meet Ian's gaze and narrowed her eyes. Lily had no qualms keeping her silence among Lacey's friends. She was there as a tag along and it did not bother her. Since her injury, she realized her only friends in adulthood beyond Lacey were in the business and during the season, all were too busy to ever sit and spend time with her. Lily was perfectly content to finally get out of Lacey's apartment, even if she was an awkward fourth wheel among Lacey's childhood friends.

"They're not that bad. Just have a few more and you'll forget," Lacey said after the waitress had brought their drinks. Lily only sipped her wine slowly, not sure how baddly she wanted to mix alcohol with Draco's potions. They had done wonders for the pain, letting her focus entirely on improving her strength. Though she had her balance back, Lily knew she wasn't fit to get back on a broom just yet.

"And the music is odd," Ian remarked. Scorpius downed his drink before turning to meet Ian's gaze.

"Would you relax?" Scorpius asked him. "This is a nice night out, Ian." Scorpius' shoulders were squared off and tense, so much so that even Ian noticed.

"Trouble in paradise, mate?" Ian replied as he raised an eyebrow and looked over at Scorpius. "Where is Fiona anyway?"

"Milan. Or Venice. Paris, maybe. I don't know," Scorpius admitted as he shook his head. "The rate she goes, you'd think the Flints were paupers and she's only just realized the Malfoys aren't."

"Have you seen their vault? Maybe they are," Ian replied, and Lacey hit his arm before she looked to Scorpius.

"You always knew Fiona needed nice things, Scorpius. That's hardly a new trait of hers."

"I know, but it used to be nice brooms and boots. Not necklaces and perfume. And we used to go together," Scorpius answered as he looked across the table at Lacey. "And I know I'm busier now than I was when were dating, but I swear sometimes she doesn't want me there."

Lily sipped her wine as she looked over at another table, eyes focusing on one of the men who had caught her gaze.

"Apologies, Lily. I'm sure you didn't come to hear me prattle on," Scorpius remarked, and Lily turned back to him only at the sound of her name. It was an acquired trait to block out all noise around her, but as a Weasley, it was one she'd mastered as a child. Weasley family gatherings were pure hell without such a skill.

"No worries, Malfoy," Lily answered before she took another drink of her wine and slipped out from the table. She went straight to the table she had been eyeing and spoke with the man who'd been watching her for a few moments. Lacey watched dumbfounded as the man stood and went with Lily to the dance floor, the pair quickly finding themselves entangled in a rather physical dance.

"I don't see it, Lacey," Scorpius said and Lacey turned back to her friends. "She's so off putting all the time. Just a few weeks ago, she basically told me I was unattractive when we in school."

"Did you mention her leg?"

"Not… Not directly, but-"

"Well, that's why," Lacey said with a shrug. She finished her drink and put her hand out to Ian, who grinned at the invitation.

"But that's no reason to be so rude."

"Yes, because Malfoys are never rude," Lacey replied as she and Ian stood from the table. "Loosen up, Scorpius. You look like you haven't relaxed in weeks." Without another word, Lacey and Ian went from the table to dance. They had danced with each other for only a few minutes before each found other partners, both moving on so effortlessly Scorpius wondered if they realized how odd they seemed to an outside party.

When the current song had ended, Lily left the arms of the Muggle man she'd taken with her to the dance floor and returned to the table, despite not having Lacey to shield her from conversation with Scorpius. She slipped into her seat and took another sip of her wine before she relaxed back into her seat. Within the next few minutes, she had finished her wine, realizing too late that she should not have.

"Just looking at you makes me stressed," Lily remarked in the quiet and Scorpius stared back at her, flabbergasted at her forwardness. "You need to relax a little. My career is probably over and I'm not even as stressed as you. So your wife is a little distant lately. At least you've got one. My romantic prospects have been dead on arrival since I was 18."

As Lily continued speaking, Scorpius felt less insulted by her. As she opened up to him, he felt a sense of friendship, however false it might be, forming between them. "That's ridiculous. You've always been pretty, Lily. And you're a… Athlete. You usually date each other, right?"

"Oh yes, because athletes make such stellar boyfriends," she answered, both skirting around magical terms with relative ease. "Maybe I shouldn't have started playing so young. My mom never wanted me to, but it was all I wanted, and now look at me. I've got nothing to show for it."

"I don't think that's true," Scorpius replied, and Lily raised an eyebrow. "A boyfriend—or lack thereof—doesn't mean you don't have anything."

"All my 'friends' are in the middle of a season, and Merlin forbid they take a night off from partying to come have dinner with crippled ol' me."

"You're not a cripple," Scorpius laughed, and Lily held his gaze as she begun to smile.

"To be an athlete, I am crippled." Her tongue was looser from the wine, but her mind was a little fuzzy too, so it didn't hurt so much to say it out loud.

"Come on," Scorpius said as he began to stand and hold out his hand.

"What? You want to dance with a cripple?" she asked, putting her hand in his.

"Cripples can't dance," he told her as they went to the dance floor. As they moved together—neither coming nearly as close to the other as most other dance partners did—they carried on the conversation. By the end of the night, if they weren't really friends, Scorpius didn't care. He'd had more fun than he'd had in a long while, and Lily found herself breathing a little easier than she had since her fall. When they went home to their separate beds, neither thought of the other, but both slept a little better than the night before.

XXX

If the Annual Crowne Club Wine Tasting was the biggest event of the year for the high elitists families, the Memorial Gala was the biggest event for the rest of the magical society. Harry almost always made a speech, and his family were always announced together, forcing Lily to face the crowds as nothing more than a war hero's daughter. That year, however, Lily opted not to descend the stairs with her parents and brothers, instead entering with the Malfoys, who were sponsoring the event that year. No doubt, it was a slight against Marcus Flint on Draco's part, but such pettiness never intrigued Lily, so she hadn't even bothered asking about it.

On Scorpius' arm, she walked into the ball room behind Draco and Astoria. They had no grand entrance as the Potter's did, but that was what Lily had craved. She had enough media exposure after the Wine Tasting some few months ago. In comparison to the Wine Tasting, the Memorial Gala was downright casual. Nobody clamored to speak with Scorpius or his parents, waning to speak of some investment or another. The Memorial was a social event as they were meant to be. People spoke about what they pleased, and very little of the night was some scheme or game between one powerful family and another.

"Congratulations on your engagement," Declan Finnegan remarked when Lily and Scorpius had passed by him and his friends. "Hope you get your problem sorted out before the wedding night, Malfoy," he added when Lily had paused to thank him. Declan was beaming, clearly amused by his own cleverness.

"You are so very original, Declan," Lily replied, her tone of voice taking on a colder edge Scorpius rarely heard from her. "Really, that is an unheard remark. But let's not talk about Scorpius. Why don't you tell me about the Yule Ball? You went with Ava Thomas, didn't you? How was that night?"

Declan stared back at Lily, lost for a response, though clearly Lily expected one. Smiling a false sweet smile, Lily leaned in and put her arms about Declan's shoulders, as though to hug an old friend, then turned her lips to his ear. "Perhaps we should not condemn others for a problem we have ourselves, hm? And I assure you, Scorpius has no such problem." Pulling away, Lily kissed each of his cheeks, then turned and continued walking with Scorpius, their arms looped together.

When Harry was announced, he appeared at the balcony above the dance floor, and gave his usual speech about family and unity. Ginny, James, and Albus stood behind him, James' date nowhere to be found, though Albus' girlfriend stood at his side proudly. When Harry finished, the family descended the stairs, where Lily waited to greet her father with a hug and kiss on the cheek. She hugged Ginny as well, but only nodded to each of her brothers before she turned and stepped away, moving to Harry's other side for the annual Potter family portrait. Though Lily had adored her brothers when they had been children, she had not issue treating them coldly for so long as they treated Scorpius that way.

After the picture had been taken, Lily had turned to head back to Scorpius' side but Albus took hold of her wrist. "A dance?" he asked her, and she had little room to decline her brother with so many people still watching them. Smiling, Lily let him lead her to the dance floor, where he put his hands respectably on her waist. "I know you're still angry with me, Lily."

"Don't take it personally, Al," she replied as they began to move through the steps mindlessly. They had been dancing at the Memorial since they were children hiding under the skirt of their mother's gown. Steps of most dances had been ingrained into their minds. "I'm still angry with everyone in the family who thinks I shouldn't marry him."

"I don't think you shouldn't marry him," Albus told her, and his voice made her eyes soften. "I just don't like the way he treated you."

"Al, why would you ever believe half the things that get printed in a newspaper or magazine?"

"He was married, Lily," Al told her under his breath as though it were some secret he was letting her in on. "There's no way you two started dating after the divorce and are engaged now."

Lily stepped back from her brother and pushed him back with one hand. "How dare you, Al. There was nothing between Scorpius and I when he was still with his wife, regardless of what anyone thinks. He never cheated on her with me, nor would I have ever let that happen."

They had gained a small audience, but before most of the room noticed, Harry stepped in between his son and daughter and swept Lily into the dance steps, as though the change in dance partner had been planned. "He means well, sweetheart," Harry said as they danced together across the dance floor. Lily looked up at her father, doubt clear in her Potter green eyes.

"He accused me of being Scorpius' mistress."

"To be fair, you never did tell us exactly how the whole thing started, which is not to say that I think Scorpius was anything less than honorable towards you. Surely, you can at least understand your brothers' hesitance."

"Their hesitance is not my problem. I am marrying him at the end of the year, regardless of they are hesitant or not."

"I don't think they expect anything less from you. They would just like to be part of your life again. Having you have in London is nice, Lily, but it means nothing if you won't even come to family dinner. It's like you're still playing with how often we see you."

Lily said nothing, realizing that she had neglected her family since the engagement. In her defense, she so hated seeing the way James and Albus treated Scorpius, but hearing it from her father made her feel guilty for avoiding family gatherings. When the dance ended, Harry released Lily's hand and bent to kiss her cheek. Scorpius had stepped forward and nodding to Harry respectfully before Lily turned and stepped into the next dance with Scorpius.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, sounding quite concerned.

"Yes," she answered as she nodded and looked up to meet his gaze. "Would you mind if we had dinner with my parents next weekend?"

Scorpius held her gaze for a long moment and she nearly thought he would refuse. Smiling, he shook his head. "Of course not, love."

It was not until they switched partners and Ian swept Lily into his arms that she even realized Ian and Lacey had been dancing beside them.

X Two and a Half Years Ago X

"You're going out with her again?" Fiona asked as she looked up at Scorpius. She had been trying on her new shoes with the dress she bought earlier that week, Scorpius seated on the edge of their bed as he watched her.

"What? No, Fiona. I'm going out with Lacey and Ian, too. Lily is just Lacey's friend."

"You went to coffee with her just yesterday. Can't imagine there's more to say to her," Fiona replied as she stepped out of the closet. She turned her back to him and he zipped her dress up before she turned around to look at him.

"That was a week ago," Scorpius replied. "And it was spontaneous. I ran into her at the Apothecary. Why does it matter so much?"

"It's just weird," Fiona said as she stepped further back from Scorpius. "What do you think? Are the heels too much?"

Scorpius looked down at her footwear, remembering a time when she used to only wear heels like those to bed. "No, I guess not," he said, meeting her gaze again. "What would you ever wear this to, though?"

"Date night," she answered as she smiled at him over her shoulder. When she bent down to kiss him, he let his eyes wander and she pulled a lip coyly between her teeth. "I just think it's sad. She was a Quidditch star, for Merlin's sake, and now she clings to you and your friends like she's desperate."

"I don't know. She and I get along quite well, I think."

Fiona didn't say anything as she smiled at Scorpius over one shoulder. When she disappeared into the closet, he stood from the end of the bed. Without another word, he went from the bedroom and left the penthouse through the floo, meeting Ian at their usual place in Diagon Alley. They were heading to their usual Muggle club, where Lacey and Lily had already been waiting.

"He's cute," Lacey said as she motioned to one of the men waiting at the bar. Lily made a show of looking up at him and nodding in agreement, but she said nothing about him as she turned back to Lacey. "What's the matter with you, Lily? You haven't gone on a date in ages."

"So?" Lily asked as she held Lacey's gaze. "Dating here isn't nearly as easy as it is at home." There was a distinct difference between dating a Muggle or a wizard, and not even Lacey could debate that.

"You used to date here," Lacey protested. Whenever Lily had not come home, it usually meant she was away with some Muggle man enjoying her free time to the fullest, but that had stopped recently.

"I'm just trying to take some time for myself," Lily answered with a shrug. "Besides, I might start playing again soon, and I've been spending a lot of time with the trainers."

"That's exciting," Lacey said, and Lily nodded, smiling as she took a sip of her wine. Scorpius and Ian came to the table within the next few minutes, Scorpius taking the seat next to Lily. They ordered drinks before expressing any interest in the conversation.

"What are we talking about?" Scorpius asked, looking to Lacey first, then Lily.

"Nothing," Lily answered before Lacey did. "Care to dance?" she asked as she looked from Lacey to Scorpius and put up her hand.

"Sure," he told her, letting her lead him onto the dance floor.

XXX

Scorpius swallowed as his looked at himself in the mirror. He was dressed more formally than everyday clothes, but wasn't in his dress robes either. He'd gone through three different shirts so far, and was unbuttoning the fourth when Lily came into the bedroom.

"Scorpius, stop," she laughed as she went forward and swatted his hands away from his shirt buttons. "You look great. Could you please stop fussing?" She turned away from him to check her hair in the mirror. After readjusting a few curls, she turned back to Scorpius and began buttoning his shirt. After she straightened his collar, she looked up and smiled at him.

"I'm just nervous."

"I know, but I think it'll be ok," she said as she put her hand in his and went with him from the room.

Albus and James were already at the house when Lily and Scorpius arrived. They were greeted by Albus' girlfriend, who smiled warmly at Lily, then looked up at Scorpius. "You look well, Alice," Lily said simply as she stepped into the house and walked past her to continue further into the home. Ginny was in the kitchen, Harry hovering around her with a drink in his hand. James was outside in the backyard with his most recent girlfriend, while Albus wiped down the dining table.

When he spotted Lily and Scorpius, Albus paused and stood, offering his hand out to Scorpius, who shook it cordially. Albus didn't say a word as he turned back to finish cleaning the table. "Glad you came, Lily," Harry said as Lily continued further into the kitchen to hug each of her parents. "Have you been well Scorpius?" Harry asked, looking over a Scorpius as Lily went to assist her mother.

"Yes, sir," Scorpius answered with a nod.

"I hear you're expanding."

"To Hogsmeade," Scorpius answered with a nod.

"That'll take you away from the city, won't it?" Harry asked, and Lily turned to look at her father over one shoulder. He always hated when one his children had something to take them away from the family.

"Yeah, to Hogwarts, dad," Lily remarked, and Harry turned to her. He held her gaze as he sipped from his coffee mug. "It's better than the Manor," she offered. Scorpius turned to look at Lily, but she avoided his gaze as she turned back to her mother.

"At least the Manor is in the country," Harry remarked. "And I thought you were living in the penthouse of Parkinson Tower."

"We were," Lily agreed as she took a plate from Ginny and moved to carry it to the table. Albus had finished setting the table and joined the conversation in the kitchen, though he appeared content to keep his silence. "But somebody has yet to clean out all of her things, and somebody else won't let me chuck them from the window."

"Oh yeah, Lily. We wouldn't even be able to read about it the next day because there would be no newspapers left in the whole country if the headline read 'Potter-Flint War Ignited Again'." Usually, Scorpius kept his tone quite mild when around Lily's family, so she knew she'd struck a chord when an edge rose in his voice.

"At least I'd have room for my shoes," Lily replied as she looked over at him and held his gaze. "And I don't care what the newspapers print. I'm sure one of your other friends can build a skyscraper and we can live there instead. I don't even want to think of all the things you've done to her in that penthouse."

Scorpius was quiet as he fought the heat in his cheeks. Lily came towards him and pushed herself to her toes before kissing his cheek affectionately and smiling her usual falsely innocent smile. "In front of both your parents, no less," he remarked under his breath, though he was not so foolish to think only Lily had heard him.

"I'm sorry," she said, then laughed as she went away.

"The Nott's do have a hotel in Prague, if you'd care to live there instead," Scorpius offered as he watched Lily walk further into the kitchen to fetch herself and Scorpius glasses. "Or the Zabini Villa, but it's seen better days."

"Are those our only options?" Lily replied sarcastically as she poured some of her mother's lemonade into the two glasses and offered one to Scorpius.

"You asked. I happen to like the penthouse."

"Well, it doesn't matter if we go to Hogsmeade, does it?"

"Then Fiona's things shouldn't bother you for so much longer."

"It's just ridiculous-"

"I know," Scorpius said before Lily could continue. "I agreed with you ages ago when we first had this fight, Lily. She said she would get when she wanted them and that I was to under no circumstances touch her things." Lily appeared to drop the topic as she went from Scorpius' side to take a cookie from the plate on the far side of the kitchen. Scorpius' eyes followed her, and when she turned around, she met his gaze. When she tossed a cookie, he caught it, eyes never wavering from hers.

X Two Years Ago X

It was stupid, but it bothered Scorpius to no end. Fiona had made it habit as of late to make plans for herself and commit Scorpius to them while she was at it. He didn't mind attending her events, of course, but she had always made it a point not to tell him about it until the night before. After finally getting through a month of the Apothecary's books—a task he had taken over from his father some time ago—he was promptly told that his plans to lounge with Ian the next day were to be scrapped in favor of attending one of Fiona's dinner parties. And in a suit, no less.

He could not reach Ian or Lacey that night, and so after promptly telling Fiona what he really thought of her plans, he left for the Muggle bar he usually frequented with friends. It seemed pathetic to him to go to a bar alone after having a rather explosive fight with his wife, but when he spotted a familiar face at a window table, he let some of his frustration go.

"I'm not interested, so you can just-" Lily started as soon as she heard someone slip into the chair across from hers, but she stopped when she looked up and saw Scorpius. He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing as he turned to order another round of drinks. "What are you doing here?" she asked before downing the drink in her hand. When the waitress brought two more drinks, Lily put her empty glass on the tray before she picked up the full one Scorpius had ordered.

"I could ask you the same," he replied then drank half of his drink. Only the space of a heartbeat passed before he finished the rest of the drink and set the glass upside down on the table.

"I think you need to do some catching up," Lily remarked as she handed over the second drink and Scorpius took it without argument. Lily ordered another round before she looked across at Scorpius again. "You look miserable."

Scorpius peered up at her over the tip of his glass before he downed the rest of it. "So do you," he replied as he set the empty glass down and narrowed his eyes at her. He still had a good ten minutes before he felt the alcohol.

"I failed my physical exam," Lily said just as the waitress brought the next round. Lily picked up the glass in front of her and held it up as though to toast, but Scorpius knew it was a pathetic kind of toast, one that was the glaring end of her career. She laughed, a maniacal kind of laugh, before she sipped her drink, apparently no longer in a rush to drink away what was left of her small fortune. "You?"

"I'm married," Scorpius replied, and Lily's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "I'm sorry you failed. Can you take it again?"

She scoffed as she shook her head and rolled her eyes. He swore he saw a tear fall from the corner of her eye, but she turned away from him briefly and when she faced him again, her eyes were dry. "Yeah, I can, but what's the point? Why take me after failing the first one, when there's a hoard of new recruits every year? And they're all 17, no less. I can't compete with some 17 year old straight from Hogwarts," she said, dropping her voice just enough so only Scorpius could hear. "They can stay up all night, have sex, then play a full game just fine, and I can't even go down the stairs sometimes."

Scorpius had coughed slightly on his drink at Lily's remark, but he was unsure of why it had shocked him. Lily wasn't nearly as demure as most thought of her as.

"You're still young."

"For all the good it's done me," Lily replied sharply then finished her drink. "What's wrong with marriage, now? Did Cinderella lose her glass slipper?"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at Lily, obviously unfamiliar with the Muggle tale, which was just as well. Lily knew Fiona Flint was nothing close to a disregarded step sister, even if every newspaper hailed the Malfoys' love story as the greatest one ever.

"Never mind," Lily told him as she pushed their empty glasses to the end of the table. "I'm tired of being sad."

"Don't be sad anymore."

"That's what all the drinks were for," Lily told him and he nodded, as though in agreement. "And do you happen to know where Lacey is tonight? I wanted to spend the night with her, crying about my ended career and I can't find her anywhere."

"You and me both," Scorpius replied bitterly. "But we have each other," he then added as he put out his hand. "Your career might be over, Potter, but you're still not a cripple."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she questioned, taking his hand and letting him take her to the dance floor.

"You can still go down the stairs most of the time, right?" he asked with a shrug, and Lily laughed at how pathetic she was, though Scorpius was smiling down at her. They danced longer together than ever before. Lily had already shot down most of the men there that night, and so no reason to part had presented itself. Lily stayed with Scorpius through a list of songs, her arms around his shoulders as she let herself go in the moment. She had not lost herself in any moment so fully as she had just then, despite realizing how foolish it was to do just that.

There was something about realizing her career was over that made her let go of the world around her. Similarly, there was something about her that made Scorpius' shoulders relax as she guided him though the song. His dancing left much to be desired, but Lily had never seemed to care as she twirled to her heart's desire. She laughed when he nearly fell from a misstep and when she took off her heels, she drew nearer to him.

"Have you ever felt like you weren't sure if you wanted to cry or laugh?" she asked as she stared up at him. Without her shoes, their height difference was considerable, but it appeared to make no difference to Lily.

"Yes," he answered as he nodded. His hands were on her waist, but they weren't dancing anymore. The song overheard was fast paced and the people around them were dancing perhaps more appropriately to the song, but Scorpius and Lily didn't give two flying hippogriffs as they stood there together in the middle of the dance floor more stationary than active.

"What did you do?"

"I moved on."

Lily said nothing as she dropped her eyes. She didn't take her hands from his shoulder just yet, but Scorpius felt suddenly uncomfortable. Lily did not have the strikingly beautiful features Fiona flaunted, but she had a realness to her Scorpius found he rather adored. After taking a breath, Lily looked back up at him, and he stepped back from her, swallowing as he pulled his hands from her sides and balled them into fists. Letting out a breath, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at Lily once more, finding confusion fluttering into her eyes. Eventually, the confusion gave way to disappointment, and he found that even harder to look at.

"I should go home," he said, then turned to walk away before she had said anything.

"Scorpius," she called as she darted after him, reaching for his arm, but he lifted it up again, as though sensing she were there.

"I just had a lot to drink," he told her vaguely, then took his coat from their table and went from the bar. He Apparated to just outside Parkinson Tower and drew in a breath as he tried to release the tension in his shoulders. He had gone from total relaxation to tension in just a few seconds and his body was having trouble adjusting. When he realized there was little he could do about it, he went inside and took the elevator to the penthouse, hardly surprised to find all the front lights off.

Venturing into the bedroom, he found Fiona perched on the edge of their bed as she set her curls with a spell. She looked up at him but said nothing as she turned her eyes back to the mirror. Scorpius went forward and kissed her hard and fast, his hands fumbling to find her tiny waist in her robe.

"Scorpius," Fiona called as she tried to pull away, but he used the opportunity to lift her up and toss her back into the center of the bed. Small as she was, it was no difficult maneuver even after drinking as he had. He crawled over her and kissed her again, forcing her down onto the bed with no thought to the curls she'd meant to preserve for the next night.

It took only a little more convincing for Fiona to give into him, and when she had, he groaned. Her nails scraped his neck, but they were long and pointed, no longer short and stubby like they had been when they were teenagers hiding in a broom closet. The whole tryst lasted no longer than a few minutes, and when Scorpius was finished, he rolled to his side of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The satisfaction hadn't surprised him, but when he looked over at his wife and realized she looked nothing like Lily, the guilt did.

XXX

Lily sat behind the counter of the Apothecary while Draco helped a customer. She was looking through a catalogue Astoria had given her to choose a venue for the wedding and had opted not to go out to Hogsmeade that morning with Scorpius. "I just don't like any of these places," she said as she set the book to the side and looked up.

Draco said nothing as he looked over his shoulder at her, then turned back to the elderly woman Lily failed to notice he was helping. "And the pain hasn't gotten better?" he asked.

"No, not much."

"Give her my old potion," Lily suggested, and Draco looked over at her again. "It did take away the pain."

"That potion is dangerous. I only gave it to you because you were young and could handle it," Draco told her as he looked to the woman once more. "But I think I have something else you could try." Draco turned to find a jar in the cabinet behind the counter and the old woman turned to look at Lily, who smiled back at her.

"You're Lily Potter."

"Yes ma'am." Lily nodded slowly as she slipped down from the back counter and stepped forward. "Draco is the best Potion Master I know. If you can't make it stop hurting, I don't know what will."

When Draco turned back with the jar he'd been searching for, he saw the woman smiling as she reached across to touch Lily's hand. "Try this one, Ida," Draco said as he offered it to her, then declined her coins. She was reluctant at first, but eventually turned and went from the Apothecary.

"Well aren't you a saint," Lily remarked as she pushed herself up to the counter again.

"Why don't you get married at the Manor?" Draco suggested. "The gardens are beautiful."

"If you will go to The Burrow only under extreme coercion, what makes you think I can convince a whole hoard of Weasleys to go The Manor?"

"Well, it's for your wedding. They would be glad to come."

"And you would have to have them all in your home."

"What about the Greengrass Estate?" Draco replied and Lily laughed as she shook her head.

"I'm not getting married where Fiona stomped around first."

"Well, I assumed as much," Draco said with a shrug. "Why didn't you go to Hogsmeade?"

"It's the school year. I'll have students asking for an autograph all day long."

"You told Scorpius you didn't mind relocating to Hogsmeade."

"That was before I realized what that really entailed. Why didn't you go to Paris with Astoria?"

"She's with Daphne and Pansy. I'd sooner invite all the Weasleys over than sit though that conversation. I thought I'd be running the Apothecary alone."

"Well, so did I," Lily replied as she slipped off the counter and began to walk around to the front side. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee."

"Let me guess," Lily said as she paused in the doorway and looked back at him. "Three creams and one sugar?" When Draco smiled, Lily laughed. "Like father like son," she remarked as she went from the Apothecary and shut the door behind her.

Draco started peaking through one of the books behind the counter, one he knew was Astoria's because nobody else who worked behind the counter read those Muggle romance novels. When the door opened and the bell rang, Draco looked up, shocked to find Fiona entering the Apothecary. He set Astoria's book down and watched Fiona carefully as she neared the back counter. She let her eyes wander across nearly all the shelves before she met Draco's gaze and stopped at the counter.

"Might I help you with something, Miss Flint?" Draco asked, and Fiona's lips pressed together tightly. Since the separation, she knew Draco had never cared much for her.

"I'm here for my things. I know I left something here."

"Not that I've noticed," Draco replied, and Fiona held his gaze stubbornly. The bell on the door rang when Lily returned, a cup in each hand.

"They had that pumpkin coffee in this time. Astoria said you liked it once, so I got that one," Lily said as she came forward, unaware of who stood in front of her. As Lily handed the coffee over to Draco, she turned and paused as she met Fiona's gaze. Without a word, Lily lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip before she retrieved her wedding venues catalog and sat back up on the counter.

"You have nothing here, Fiona," Draco said before sipping his coffee and setting to the side.

"But if you want to clean your stuff out of the penthouse, feel free," Lily remarked nonchalantly as she flipped the page of the catalogue. Draco smiled as Fiona's eyes shifted then to Lily, and when Fiona looked back at Draco, he didn't bother hiding his amusement. Needless to say, Draco had never expected to be between two of Scorpius' romantic interests, and now that he was in such a position, he realized what it was about each woman that had drawn his son to them.

"That penthouse was mine before it was ever yours," Fiona replied quite scathingly, and Lily dropped her catalogue to meet Fiona's gaze.

"That penthouse belongs to Lacey's mother. I trust you've not forgotten who owns Parkinson Tower, and it's not either of us, nor is it Scorpius."

The two women stared at each other for a long moment and Draco sipped his coffee, feeling no motivation to intervene. Fiona knew better than to do anything to Lily, and Lily certainly could handle her own against the likes of Fiona, whose bark had always been louder than her bite. Potters and Flints were quite different in that regard, and it was a nice change of pace as far as Draco was concerned. If nothing else, he knew not to push Lily too far, while everything about Fiona had always been one big guessing game to him.

"You shouldn't be so smug," Fiona said then, and Lily turned as she put her legs over the edge of the counter. Fiona's voice was harder than it usually was, and Draco swore the remark had been a threat. Lily's knuckles, curled around the edge of the counter, told Draco she'd interrupted the words similarly. "If he cheated on me, he'll cheat on you."

"He never cheated on you," Lily replied even as Fiona turned and began to walk towards the door. Fiona's laugh was unmistakable and echoed through the store long after the door shut behind her.

X One and A Half Years Ago X

"Got it?" Draco asked as he turned back and raised an eyebrow at Lily. She smiled up at him, looking more like her father at that moment than her mother. Concern flooded his system, but he pushed it back down as he handed over the set of keys to the front and back doors of the shop.

"You look worried," she remarked as she pocketed the keys and Draco laughed as he nodded slowly. "At least if I burn it down I can pay for it. My contracts don't run out 'til the end of the year."

"I'll keep that one in mind," Draco remarked as he followed her out to the store front. "You should still keep your sponsorships, though, right?" he asked her as he took his coffee from behind the counter and walked around to the front of the counter. Lily stayed behind the counter and shrugged when Draco turned back to her.

"I might not want to anymore," she admitted, and Draco sensed the shift within her. Usually, Lily made quite a show of keeping her eyes bright and her smile wide. Only a few subjects could make her eyes dim, and her Quidditch career was one of them.

"Whatever you decide, you'll be fine, Lily," Draco told her quite seriously as he stepped forward and leaned on the counter. "You're more than competent at everything I've seen you do, whether or not your feet on the ground."

"Then why are you so worried to leave me here alone?" Lily had been working at the Apothecary for the last four months, but Draco had yet to leave her there alone. A scheduling conflict left him with no choice, and despite knowing Lily would be just fine, he was concerned. Nobody but himself or Scorpius had run the shop alone until then. "Go. And do at least try to enjoy yourself. It's your anniversary for Merlin's sake. I doubt your wife will appreciate your concern for this shop instead of focusing on her."

"Well, once I leave, it'll be fine. It's just the actual leaving."

"What a rare insight to Draco Malfoy's mind," Lily replied so light heartedly Draco might've thought himself transported back to Hogwarts, where Ginny Weasley was taunting him after some lost Quidditch match. Without another word, Draco turned and went from the shop, sipping his coffee as the door shut behind him.

Lily sat there behind the counter for only a few minutes before the door opened. She looked up, but rather than a customer, Scorpius walked into the shop. "My dad in the back?"

"He already left," Lily answered, and Scorpius nodded curtly. He'd avoided Lily since that night six months ago, and she surely had caught on.

"Did he leave the key to the vault?"

"No," Lily answered. "Are you well?"

"Fine," he said curtly as he met her gaze, and Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well don't worry about me, Scorpius. I'm only done playing Quidditch for the rest of my life," she said sharply and he briefly turned away from her before he met her eyes once more.

"I saw. I'm sorry," Scorpius replied. He drew in a breath as his eyes skirted around the room.

"Whatever I did to piss you off, I think we assume I was probably drunk when I did it, Scorpius. I haven't really been sober until a few months ago, but you've been avoiding me since before then."

"Lily, you didn't- I'm not-" Scorpius drew in a breath as he went forward, then stopped. Lily raised an eyebrow at him and he stared at her, desperate for something to say. Clearly, he had hurt her. That much he could see for himself.

"You didn't even come to the retirement party," Lily said, voice softer than before.

"I sent-"

"I don't want your gifts, Scorpius. You think I can't buy a stupid bracelet for myself? I still have all my sponsors and the guaranteed portion of my contract, not to mention whatever family money is piling up in Gringotts. I wanted you to be there. I thought we were friends."

"It's not that simple, Lily."

"Not that simple?" she questioned, eyes narrowing at him critically. "Simple is the definition of friendship. You seem to manage it just fine with Lacey and Ian."

"This is different!" The declaration came out of him before he even thought to censor himself, but when he saw the shift in Lily, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Her eyes clouded as she turned away from him and looked down at the counter. "You can't tell me this is just friendship," Scorpius then dared to continue as he stepped behind the counter. "Because it doesn't feel like this with Lacey, Lily."

"Scorpius-" Lily began as she looked up at him and shook her head.

"Say it then," he challenged her. "Tell me this is the same as any other relationship you have."

Lily stared up at him as she shook her head again.

"Say it out loud," he said as he stepped forward again.

"Stop," she said as she turned away from him. "You're married, Scorpius."

"So Fiona likes to tell me. You think I don't know? You think that didn't ever occur to me when I wanted you instead?"

"Stop it!"

"Just tell me I'm not the only one," Scorpius replied. Silence fell in around them as Lily stared anywhere that wasn't at Scorpius. She could feel his eyes on her, and she swore she could hear his breath coming and going faster than they should. Swallowing, Lily turned to look up at Scorpius, and he could see the conflict in her eyes. She didn't want to admit that thoughts of him haunted her. That for months, him and Quidditch comprised the majority of her thoughts and it drove it mad. Knowing that the only things she wanted were unobtainable was bad enough, let alone saying it out loud.

"You're married," she repeated, tears starting to form in her eyes. Scorpius reached up to wipe one away with his thumb, his eyes never leaving hers. After he wiped a second tear, he leaned forward and kissed her, though it was nothing but a press of lips for a few seconds. Scorpius moved against her, and Lily nearly let herself respond, but she turned away from him and pushed on his chest.

"One last thing, Lily," Draco said as he came back through the door. Lily began to walk away from Scorpius, who reached out for her arm. When she felt him pull on her, she turned back and slapped him, ripping her arm back as he recoiled from the sting.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I can't work this weekend," she declared as she went from the store through the front door, wiping the rest of her tears before she stepped into the road and walk away.

"Did you deserve that?" Draco asked, and Scorpius took his time in meeting his father's gaze.

"Yes."

"Then you can work the weekend."

"I have plans," Scorpius protested.

"Not anymore," Draco replied. "Remember to count the money in the register before closing." Draco said nothing else as he turned and went from the shop, leaving Scorpius alone. When Scorpius finally did get home late that night after closing, Fiona was none too pleased with him. He had forgotten she was having friends over for dinner, a dinner he had been expected to attend.

"I had to stay at the shop," Scorpius told her sharply as he passed the dining room to go into the kitchen. "My dad is out of town for the weekend."

"Well, you said you would be home."

"I had a change in plans," he replied as he reached to a fork to try the plate on the counter. When Fiona took it from him, he looked up at her and swallowed. Her hair was done up and her face was buried under makeup. She looked nothing like the girl he'd played Quidditch with at Hogwarts, and almost nothing like the woman he married.

Without a word, Scorpius went from the kitchen, through the dining room, and towards the bedroom, Fiona trailing behind him. As he pulled his shirt over his head, Fiona offered him a dress shirt, but he didn't take it. "I'm not sitting down there with your friends pretending to care about some stupid organization or another," he told her as he reached for a plain shirt.

"What's the matter with you?"

"The matter with me?" he asked as he looked over at her. He'd already kicked off his shoes and nearly stumbled on one as he tried to walk towards her. "What's the matter with you? At least I had enough decency to not cheat on you," he told her, then laughed when she looked confused by the statement. Turning away he dug through his dresser drawer to pull out a pair of red socks. "These aren't even mine!" he told her as he tossed them to her side of the room. "And if I had cheated on you, I wouldn't have done it here, in our bed!" he added as he turned and began to walk into the bathroom.

"You expect me to believe you haven't had her?" she questioned as she followed him into the bathroom, much to his annoyance.

"I haven't!" he yelled back at her as he reached into the shower to turn it on. "I came back to you instead."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Fiona asked as Scorpius pulled off his shirt again and tossed it to the floor. She knew he was frazzled, because he was never so out of touch with himself as he was just then. "That you wanted her but settled for me instead?"

"I didn't settle for you," Scorpius replied sharply as he looked at her again. "I loved you, but you're not that girl anymore. You're dinner parties and meaningless conversation about politics and business. We used to have fun."

"We used to be children. You never grew up!"

Scorpius scoffed as he turned away from her and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't remember exactly when he'd begun to hate who he had become. He only knew that he couldn't stay that way for very much longer.

In the quiet, Fiona had walked away, but she was still in the bedroom when Scorpius looked out the bathroom door. "I want a divorce," he told her, and Fiona stopped in the doorway. She turned back and met his gaze. If she cried, he didn't see it. He turned away and stepped into the shower, and Fiona went back to her friends downstairs.

XXX

"Scorpius," Lily laughed as she tried to squirm out of his embrace. "It'll burn."

"Let it. We can order out," he said as he put his lips to her neck. Lily laughed as she let go of the wooden spoon and leaned back into Scorpius' body. He had begun to trail the kisses down her neck, one hand pulling the sleeve of her shirt out of the way, when a knock sounded on the door. Groaning, Scorpius pulled away from Lily and glared up at the door.

"Go answer it," Lily laughed as she turned back to their dinner. Scorpius left the kitchen to come around to the door. He paused as he stared at Fiona.

"My key doesn't work," she told him simply. "Where have you been all week?"

"At the Manor," he answered as he let her in. Fiona strode into the penthouse, pausing when she spotted Lily in the kitchen. "Whose your friend?" Scorpius asked curiously as a man came into the penthouse behind Fiona.

"I'm just here to get the rest of my stuff, Scorpius," Fiona told him as she went past the kitchen and towards the bedroom.

Scorpius said nothing as he looked up at Lily. She kept her gaze on her cooking, but Scorpius was sure he preferred the two not to speak. They heard some clattering around in the bedroom, but it wasn't long before Fiona and her friend remerged, each carrying a box, and a final box floating behind them.

"Find it all?" Scorpius asked as Fiona came back towards the door.

"Yes," she answered, and Scorpius nearly could not remember the last time Fiona had spoken to him so calmly. He only nodded as he opened the door for her, but Fiona lingered. "I do hope your wedding isn't a complete disaster."

"Thank you," Scorpius replied, knowing well Fiona meant it, even if her tone had a bit of an edge to it. Fiona only nodded cordially as she started towards the door. "Nice socks," Scorpius remarked as her friend followed her into the short hallway towards the elevator.

"Scorpius," Fiona scolded, and he laughed as he looked out the doorway at her.

"I didn't say anything, Fiona."

"I know what you're thinking."

"That you have very little grounds to be as upset with me as you have been?"

The elevator opened and Fiona's friend stepped onto it, unaware he'd been identified only by his red socks. Fiona looked back at Scorpius and narrowed her eyes at him. "At least I didn't pretend that what I did didn't matter," she told him scathingly, but Scorpius looked largely unaffected.

"I'm sorry if you think that, Fiona. I didn't do what I did because I was trying to hurt you."

"Well, neither did I."

X One Year Ago X

Lacey told her that Scorpius had been invited, but Lily was certain he wouldn't show. She'd heard the rumors, but rationally, she knew rumors were rarely true. Part of her also didn't want to set herself up for any more heartbreak than necessary. She had been foolish, she knew, to let herself get so attached to Scorpius knowing he was unavailable. To put stock in the rumors that Scorpius and Fiona were divorcing could only set her up for more pain, as though going into the Malfoy Apothecary every morning wasn't painful enough sometimes.

Just as they ordered their drinks, however, Scorpius came into the bar, smiling like he used to. Ian and Lacey were more than glad to see Scorpius out again, but Lily said nothing as Scorpius slid into the seat across from hers. He met her gaze and held it unwaveringly until she turned away, affected by the intensity of it. Clearly, he'd neglected to tell his friends of what had happened between them, so Lily resolved to bury it away in the back of her mind.

"Glad to see you out," Ian remarked as he clapped Scorpius on the back. "Seems like you haven't come out of your marital cave in ages."

"It's not a cave, Ian," Scorpius laughed as he shook his head. Lily turned away from the table, searching for any reason to escape. "And that doesn't matter anymore anyway. Fiona signed the papers this morning."

"Scorpius," Lacey said in pure shock, and Scorpius turned to her, then to Lily last.

"Why didn't you say?" Ian asked, and Scorpius shrugged as he leaned back in his seat, eyes still lingering on Lily. Eventually, Scorpius turned to Ian, twisting his wedding ring off his finger as he did so.

"Wanted it to be a surprise," Scorpius said as he offered the ring out to Ian. "You always did say you wanted to chuck that thing off a mountain, right?"

"Yeah, for betraying the bachelor lifestyle," Lacey scoffed as she rolled her eyes but Ian stared at her as he took Scorpius' wedding ring and palmed it.

"Well, whatever you do, I don't ever want to see that thing again."

"Single is so much better, Scorpius. Welcome back," Ian said as he put an arm around his shoulders again.

"I wouldn't say single is always better," Scorpius remarked, but before Ian could protest, Scorpius stood and went towards the bar to order a drink.

"Can't say we didn't see that one coming," Ian said, turning to Lacey.

"Ian," she scolded as she shook her head.

"Well, can we? Fiona certainly did rear something ugly the second she got that ring. She used to come out with us and you know, and laugh."

"Have you no emotional sensitivity?" Lacey questioned, so wrapped up in reprimanding him that neither noticed when Lily slipped out from the table. She had meant to head for the bathroom, but when she walked past Scorpius, he grabbed her elbow and spun her back to face him.

"Scorpius, I-"

"Hold on," he said putting up a hand. "I'm not leaving her for you. I've left her, regardless of whether or not we'll ever be together. I just thought you should know that."

"Since when have you been separated?" Lily asked curiously as she held his gaze.

"Since the day I tried to kiss you."

Lily said nothing but Scorpius smiled at her.

"I hope you're not still mad at me," he continued when it became clear to him she had nothing to say. "I am sorry that I avoided you and that I hurt you. But the reason I was avoiding you is gone now, which is not to say you have to return how I feel."

"Thank you," Lily said simply and Scorpius' smile widened briefly. "Maybe give it a month at least, though," she added and Scorpius laughed as he nodded. "Wouldn't want to look eager."

"I don't care how it looks," Scorpius replied, sounding so sure of himself that Lily felt herself get drawn in again. "But it is ultimately up to you," he told her before he turned and went back to the table. Lily took her time in the bathroom as she put herself together. Something about Scorpius always put her on edge, and knowing he was no longer married made her inclined to really let herself go.

When she returned to the table, she looked across and Scorpius and held his gaze as unwaveringly as he held hers. Neither Lacey nor Ian were present to notice, both off with various people. "Dance?" Scorpius asked as he offered up a hand, and Lily looked down at his hand before meeting his gaze as though skeptical of the offer. Finally, she nodded and put her hand in his, letting him take her onto the dance floor. They stayed with each other, as they had that night a year ago. Scorpius had no one to go home too, and so he stayed longer than he usually did. With Scorpius there, Lily stayed as well.

Lacey and Ian were unaccustomed to their friends staying out so late, but neither commented on it, attributing it to Scorpius' recent entry into the single life. Ian had even bothered to point out a girl to Scorpius as Scorpius and Lily sat back at the table. Lily took off her heels beneath the table and Scorpius heard them fall to the ground. As he stared at her, he wondered if she remembered the night he had truly fallen for her. When she smiled at him, he was sure that she did.

"Ian, come on," Scorpius laughed as he turned away from Lily to pay his friend some attention before he noticed the attention Scorpius had given Lily the entire night. "I'm not looking for a girl just yet."

"Really?" Lily asked, and Scorpius turned back to her.

"Well, maybe," Scorpius answered, and Lily smiled as she sipped her drink. "I guess it depends on the girl."

XXX

Lily spun the ring around her finger as she laid back against Scorpius' chest. He had yet to wake, but she was in no hurry to leave for their honeymoon. As far as she was concerned, they could stay at the Manor for the rest of the summer before going out to Hogsmeade. After the ceremony, Lily found she didn't care about nearly as many things as she had before. If she was ambushed by a hoard of school children wanting something or another, she doubted she would care, so long as Scorpius was there with her.

"You'll wear the band out at that rate," Scorpius whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her nearer.

"It almost doesn't feel real," she replied as she turned and looked back at him. Scorpius smiled at her as he kept his arm around her waist.

"Trust me, it's real," he told her before he pushed himself up and kissed her. She kissed him back, putting her arms around his neck as she leaned further into him. They were laughing when they came down the stairs later that morning. Draco and Astoria were seated beside each other at the dining table, and both peered up at Scorpius and Lily.

"Good morning," Draco said as Lily slipped into the chair opposite him, unashamedly flashing her ring. "Looks good on you," he told her as he inspected her hand.

"Thank you," she replied, looking away only when Scorpius brought her a cup of coffee.

"I thought you were headed out last night," Astoria said when Scorpius sat beside Lily.

"We were," Scorpius answered, then sipped his coffee. Draco laughed as he leaned back in his seat and put an arm around Astoria's shoulders.

"Are you going to change your name?" Astoria asked as she turned to Lily.

"I don't know," Lily replied quite honestly. "I still have some offers for sponsorship coming in. I was thinking about taking a couple of them," she explained as she looked then to Scorpius.

"Let me guess, Lily Malfoy doesn't quite sell," Scorpius remarked, and Lily laughed as she leaned over to kiss him.

"Well, I didn't play when I was married to you," she told him before she leaned back.

"I thought you were done with Quidditch."

"I thought I was, too," she answered, holding Scorpius' gaze. "But some things haunt you forever, I guess."