Title: Secrets and Misunderstandings

Author: dem bones

Genres: Romance/Drama

Summary: Rose has a secret, Lily has a crush, Lorcan wants to be a good friend and Scorpius fancies Lily. With one misunderstanding, friendships fall apart. Can it all be mended?

Pairings: Past SM/RW, SM/LLP, LS/RW

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

A/N: For Guilty Pleasure Fic Exchange. Written for acciohope15, sorry it's a little late. My computer was out for quite sometime.

-HP-

If everyone were perfect, we'd live in a boring world. So then, why do we still pick out the things that are wrong in people that are a little different than ourselves.

She is talking with Lily in the distance wearing an ugly grimace on her face.

"Say Lily who do you like?" she asks.

Her cousin giggles. "That's a secret."

Lily leaves briefly. I see him turning the corner now, she blushes. If I was drunk then I would have instantly felt sober.

He stares coldly in her directly and the expression on her face fades. The stormy look makes her look pale and ghastly. It isn't one that suits her.

I want to punch the man that made her cry. I want to make Malfoy pay.

She seems to be begging and pleading for him to accept her. It makes my blood boil but a smile from him makes her happy.

His eyes aren't glistening with the luster of one whose love is like an explosion, a wave of lustful emotion that consumes but rather the affection of what one might feel towards a sibling.

He'll never love her like I do.

Unfortunately he nods and she stays watching him with her loving gaze at a distance.

I wish she looked at me that way.

She's so beautiful the way her red curly hair flows in the breeze holding tightly to her books.

I walk towards her.

"Hey Rose isn't that your ex-boyfriend." I ask feeling rather stupid. Of course it's her sodding ex-boyfriend.

"Hey, he's not my ex." Rose retorted. "We want to give it another go."

I want to tell her that I love her to tell her he isn't interested but the words don't come out.

"How is your mum coping with the divorce?"

"She's irritable on most days but she's alright I suppose."

"How are you coping with it?" Rose asks.

"I'm managing."

Rose was deep in thought. It certainly wasn't me that took up her thoughts though.

"Say Lorcan, I've been wondering."

"Yes?"

"What kind of qualities does Scorpius love in a woman?"

I grit my teeth because I don't want to find out whether Rose is his kind of girl. Those two were always quite close with being sorted in the same house.

I leave knowing I'll talk with him despite what I want simply because I love her.

Later during lunch, I take a spot at Gryffindor despite being a Ravenclaw nudged between Rose and Scorpius. Rose leaves early saying she has quidditch practice.

Lily strides towards us with a cheerful smile on her face.

RWLS

I'd thought it was love before this amiable affection I had felt for Rose Weasley.

Throughout my memories I never recalled referring to any of the Weasleys as cute. Certainly not one to Harry Potter.

I see her flaming red hair, green eyes and freckled face and feel my face heat up.

She's looking at me. I'm sure our eyes have met.

Her face flushes.

Someone pokes me on my left side, I turn.

Lorcan with his mossy blonde hair manages to get my attention.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I'm curious." Lorcan said narrowing his eyes at me. If I didn't know better I'd say he was angry with me.

"Well spit it out."

"What kind of girl interests you?"

I sputter on my pumpkin juice.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer the question." He says it like he'd rather be talking to anyone else but me.

"Uh I don't know." I look back towards Lily. "Maybe a girl with red hair, and a freckled face."

Lorcan put both hands on my shoulders and turns me forcibly towards him.

"If you break her heart..."

I don't know exactly who he is refering to. I now can only think about Lily Potter and the way her hairs moves like a flowing red flag fluttering in the breeze.

"Why are you staring at her?"

Who is he talking about?

It seems he's read my mind.

"Lily, why do you stare at her?"

"I don't know."

"The way you look at her, it's like you just noticed her."

"She's kind of cute."

"Scorpius, aren't you dating Rose?"

I'm irritated at his persistant presence.

"Then just tell her that I want to break up with her."

RWLS

I gritted my teeth. How dare he use me as some guinea pig to break the heart of one of my best friends?

He doesn't have the guts to tell her he doesn't feel the same. A coward. It's a rather fitting word for Scorpius Malfoy.

I run into Lily in the hall.

"Hey Lorcan."

"What is it?"

"Is Scorpius seeing anyone?"

"Don't ask me."

"Should I ask him out on a date."

"Why are you asking me? If you love him why don't you ask him out on a date." I said.

She runs off and her older brother James runs into me in the hall.

"Lorcan, can you do me a favour?"

It seems everyone wants favours from me.

"I need you to watch Diamond here. My dad gave me a scolding after Professor McGonagall caught me with a snake in her class."

I sigh rubbing the bridge of my nose.

The next time I run into Rose is in Charms class. It's one of the classes that Ravenclaw has with Gryffindor.

I creep closer to Rose whose silently reading at her desk. She turns towards me and sees the snake wrapped around my wrist.

"Like my snake?" I ask.

Rose isn't surprised nor is she creeped out at the sight.

"Lorcan, why'd you bring that snake to class?" Rose scolded. "You are aware that Professor Flitwick won't allow it in his class."

"Eek is that a snake?" Lily asked gazing at the reptilian just upon leaving the classroom.

"Don't worry it's going to be alright." Scorpius said, his eyes gleamed with spite. "Professor, Lorcan has brought a snake to class."

As usual it appears Scorpius is looking forward to getting me into detention AGAIN.

RWLS

The next day after I've finished Transfiguration I walk to her last class. She has just finished class with Professor Longbottom.

"Should I walk with you to the common room."

"Sure." Lily replied her face flush.

We walk together. She's oddly quiet.

By the time we arrive in front of the Gryffindor portrait, I turn to look at her.

She has green eyes that consume me. Her face is flush and her feet are shaking.

It's like she finally gathered the courage to talk to me.

"Um...I..."

"What is it?" I ask.

"Are you dating anyone?"

"No. OF COURSE NOT." I sputter, absently lunging towards her.

Lily took a step back.

"It's a pity that Rose never got the courage to ask you out."

Unfortunately she's wrong. We dated off and on for several years. Rose had wanted to keep it a secret only telling her close friends about our relationship.

I'm surprised she hadn't told Lily about us.

"Rose always says good things about you." Lily said.

"Would you go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?"

She blushes and it looks cute.

"Of course."

Though she says nothing about keeping our relationship quiet. I get the feeling that she wants to keep our relationship a secret.

The next day Rose asks me to go to Hogsmeade with her. I agree and I tell her I've invited Lily as well.

Her face flushes but she quickly recovers. I find it odd she's so happy after I told Lorcan to give her the news that I've broken up with her.

Lily is unpreturbed at the appearance of Rose and I realise I made a grave error in my conclusions. The truth of the matter is Lily is everything but secretive. She enjoys talking to anyone and everyone in her proximity.

Our date was anything but romantic. I find that knowing these things about her though completely satisfies me just the same.

It's our sixth year, when Lily finally wants to tell her father about us. The relationship between our parents isn't as bad as Rose's parents. Somehow this gives me hope.

Her mother invites me to dinner.

RWLS

The sight of them kissing burns my eyes and I feel bile in the back of my throat.

I hate the way they flaunt their relationship. It's as if Rose never mattered.

He grabs her hair and seems to be devouring her if their intermingled groans are anything to go by.

It's inevitable Rose would see them one day.

We were walking back from dinner when she sees them snogging in a darkened corridor.

Lily seems oblivious to all vigilant eyes as the two practically have their tongues down each other's throats. The groans make the bile gather at the back of my throat.

Once she sees us, Lily pulls away as if she felt ashamed.

I see the tears, and Rose runs off.

It's all Lily's fault, maybe if she hadn't flaunted their little snog session it would be easier for Rose to get over their breakup.

Rose is sitting in the common room. There are tears at the corner of her eyes, I can tell she has been crying.

I see the quil and the piece of parchment and come to the conclusion that she's writing to her father.

"Can you believe him?" She said rambling angrily. "That no-good two timer."

I want to comfort her and tell her everything is going to be okay. There is this sort of sixth sense I feel if I try to comfort her I might get shunned.

The next day she isn't crying anymore and is calm enough to talk to me in the common room in the evening sitting by the fire.

Rose and Lily are no longer friends.

RWLS

Somehow I feel this is all my fault.

I see the looks she gave us when she saw me and Lily together.

My heart shatters in two at the look on Lily's face as Rose ends their friendship.

"Scorpius." She asks me one day.

My heart is filled with dread.

"Were you and Rose dating at some point?"

I'm honest because I fear I'd lose her otherwise.

"Yes."

Her face is red and she looks pensive.

"We broke up though." I say quickly.

She looks at me with disbelief.

I remember the look she gave us. The look that Rose had given us.

Those eyes glistened with realisation as we broke apart as if this were the first time news of our relationship was brought to light.

I gritted my teeth.

"You don't believe me do you?"

She's silent but the way she avoids my eyes tells me everything.

"I was dating Rose for a while before you asked me out but I had Lorcan tell her that I wanted to break up with her."

"Why?" She asked.

Her question catches me off guard.

"What?" I sputter.

"Why did you ask Lorcan to do it? Why didn't you do it yourself?" She asks, green eyes bulging cutely, gazing at me curiously.

"Uh-I-I-" I stammer trying to think of the reason. Was I afraid of the consequences to breaking her heart? Was it because I was eager to date Lily?

"It's because I didn't want to hurt her feelings." I blurted out. "I figured if she heard the news from Lorcan it would make her feel better than if she heard it from me."

"There's two flaws in that judgement." Lily said.

I groaned.

"Oh relax, I won't be too harsh." Lily grinned. "First off if it were me and you were someone I truly loved I'd think I would want the news straight from the horse's mouth."

I sighed with my elbow on my knee as my hand was stroking my forehead with defeat.

"Second, this might be news to you but I'm not the only one who is behind on the gossip. Lorcan fancies Rose." She says non-chalantly.

My eyes widen.

"H-How did you know? Was it that obvious?"

"Not at all. Lorcan told me."

Way to go Lily, make me question the intelligence of your statements.

"If it were me and love were illogical, I'd do the illogical thing and refrain from hurting the person."

RWLS

I avoid him. I feel I'd be betraying Rose otherwise.

Rose decides to write her father, asking him for advice. I shudder in horror because her father was against them from the start.

I try to convince her that the letter isn't needed but I know my words won't be heeded.

Now I have to fear for one of my friend's life.

My original intents on talking to him are skewered at the fact he manages to ensnare me into a trap of his own.

His arms surround me on both sides of my head. He is leaning against me in such a provocative manner.

He knows this intimidates me.

"Back off." I sputter.

"No." He spat.

Feeling intimidated by his proximity I try to push him away but he doesn't budge.

"You love her, don't you?" He says this in such a mocking tone I feel a sudden desire to punch him, silly.

I feel my face heat up. "And you are completely immune? What was so bad about Rose?"

"Our relationship was a farce. We'd date each other happy with each other and then the next moment she'd be down my throat."

"How's it different with her?"

"She's very attractive, her hair burns like fire, I like how the freckles cover her face it's very cute and her eyes...they could melt quicksand."

"The same words you used to describe her." I said. If I wasn't mistaken I hear someone shuffle outside the door.

"Not at all. Lily's eyes are a blazing green emerald, and she has straight and sleek hair that feels soft to the touch and smells like strawberries." Scorpius says this in awe. "When she stares at me I feel like I could climb any mountain or any tree."

"You are heartless, are you aware that you are making Rose cry?"

"As if you are completely innocent, you're the one who forgot to tell her that I was breaking up with her."

I rummage my thoughts trying to recall our previous conversations but my mind is blank.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said.

"You forgot to tell her, didn't you?" He snarls.

I flinch when I see his fists clinch. He looks like he's going to hit me.

His anger makes me recall the dreadful truth.

I sigh in resignation. "Yes, I did. I'm sorry."

This submission causes him to relax, his posture no longer tense.

"No, it's my fault." He says. "I should have told her myself. You must really love her if you wanted to spare her feelings."

SMLLP

After confrontation during breakfast, I went to classes looking forward to meeting Lily but she was nowhere to be seen.

"She left early." Roxanne, one of her friends had said.

On the way to lunch, I stumbled upon her heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

She yanked my arm off from her shoulder, staring at me with cold green eyes.

"Lily." I pleaded to her. "What's wrong?"

"Is it true?" Lily asked.

"What?" I ask completely clueless to what she's talking about.

"Am I just a replacement for her?" She asked. "Do you think just because we get along that I'm just another replacement for Rose?"

I gasp. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard you talking with Lorcan."

"How much did you hear from our conversation?"

"Does it matter?" Lily retorted angrily. "The way you woo me is the same way that you courted her. I won't listen to your flattering lies."

"They are not flattering lies. There are plenty of things that distinguish you from Rose." I said. "I bet you didn't hear that part however."

Mustering a cute puppy dog face she looks at me curiously seeming to be beckoning me for something.

"Can you tell me?" She asked.

"Uh, I-I..." I stammer as I feel heat enveloping my face. I feel embarrassed all of a sudden.

"Well tell me." She begged persistantly.

"It's embarrassing."

"If it makes you feel any better I'd say you were the only boy I know that is a real softie at heart."

"Well, you're blunt, forward and unbelievably beautiful..." I choke on my words.

She nods, smiling at me. It seems like a fraction of a second before her features contort in horror and she is as pale as a bleached skull.

I feel an adult sized hand on my shoulder and deep grunts from behind me causing chills down my spine.

"Mr Weasley!" I gasp in horror.

"I've told you before haven't I, if you break my daughter's heart I'll never forgive you."

"Mr Weasley..." Lily retorted.

"It seems you already have a fanclub that bows to your every whim. You are like the skum beneath my feet. You have the nerve to kiss my niece while courting my daughter."

Looking up I see he's looking at Lily who is sitting across from me.

"It's appalling that your father has even agreed to this." He told Lily.

"What my father agrees to and disagrees to isn't your concern." Lily spat angrily.

"If you touch a single hair on my niece, you'll pay." Mr Weasley pointed his grubby finger at me angrily.

"You will do no such thing." Lily scolded. "Once I tell my father about this..."

"Tell away..." He taunted.

SMLLP

She's flustered...

The presence of her father has set her on age.

It looks like she wasn't expecting him to arrive just to threaten to hit him.

Sighing she turned towards me.

We were sitting on the other side of the table far away from both Scorpius and Lily.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this drama." She said, it looked like the apology was taking a toll on her.

"It's not a problem." I said.

Sighing I try to gather my thoughts, it's very hard to own up to the responsibility of keeping the truth from her.

"I-I have to be honest, I should have told you the truth earlier but my own feelings were getting in the way. Scorpius told me to tell you quite some time ago that he wanted to break up with you before he was even dating Lily." I explain. "I completely forgot about it and if you don't forgive me I understand."

She snorted. "Why would you apologise for something like that? If that jerk can't come up to my face and say that he wants to break up with me, then that's his burden to bear not yours."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but would you forgive Lily?"

"I-I don't know." Her response is uncertain but I know it's got nothing to do with whether or not Lily is dating Scorpius. She's a prideful woman and owning up to her mistake is not something Rose does. Lily on the other hand is quite an expert at goading anger at people with the most pride. I know that Rose is aware of this.

With a couple of words from Lily, Rose knows she may be insulted. It's not something she could take lightly.

SSLLP

During the summer, her father invites me over for dinner again. It's a week after Mr Weasley has made his threat.

If that wasn't awkward enough, today Rose and her brother, Arthur come to visit.

Mr Weasley gives me the most penetrating glare as he enters the door.

At dinner, there is awkward silence. I don't dare speak to anyone. Rose fretfully pokes at her food while Lily it appears eats it unphased by the drowning atmosphere.

"I've had enough of this." Mr Weasley breaks the silence.

"That's one thing that is clear." Mr Potter said after taking a bite of his food and wiping off his face with a napkin.

"I won't stand by and let my niece date this pureblood skum."

"To break a little ice here, let me make something clear." Mr Potter spoke. "My daughter can go with any man she chooses. It isn't up to you to decide that, Ron."

"Oh and this holds true. I don't recall my daughter ever telling me that he has broken up with her. Out of the blue he just decides that one Weasley isn't enough." Mr Weasley splurted out.

I'm amazed that Mr Potter is so calm, like he was used to situations like these before.

"Scorpius, am I correct when I assume that you had already broken up with my niece before you decided to court my daughter."

"Y-Yes, I asked Lorcan if he could do it for me but he had forgot to do so."

"Were you scared that my daughter was going to beat you to the bloody pulp?"

"Not at all. If I could change back time, I probably would have done it myself. It was stupid and foolish to ask that from my best friend."

I stare across the table, Lily looks at me with encouragement and Rose gives me a warm smile. From the looks of it, she has forgiven me.

"Of course, if I had been aware that he had any feelings for Rose at all I wouldn't have told him to do it all."

Mr Weasley glares at me looking a tad flustered like the information took him off guard.

"Who's the name of this best friend of yours?" Mr Weasley growled eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Lorcan Scamander, I believe you know him. He happens to be related to Luna Lovegood."

Rose looks similar with the way the blush colours their faces.

Lily looks at me and she chuckles.

"Thanks." She whispers to me.

For the time being it's enough.