"Something's missing," Rosie pondered as she looked over the plans again. The special Hogsmeade visit that the staff was setting up for each year in the Room of Requirement was only a week away, and they had to have their plans in by morning. Being Head Girl, it was Rosie's job to ensure all the bits of the plan were ready before they were turned it over to Professor McGonagall.
"It's all there, Rosie," Albus replied with a sigh. "We checked it over twice. Everything is in line."
"No, no, something's not right…" Rosie argued. "Zonko's, Three Broomsticks, Madam Paddfoot's… Wait! Where's the Shrieking Shack?"
Rosie looked up into Albus' eyes which were peering at her in disbelief. She started to get angry when she remembered Scorpius and Draco.
"Oh, right. We should be all set then," she said quietly. "Let's get some sleep. I know we could all use it.
The other Gryffindor prefects nodded and got up to leave. Albus stayed behind, as did Lily, who was in her second year as prefect. Once everyone was gone, Rosie spoke.
"How could I have forgotten that?" she asked to nobody in particular.
"Its okay, Rosie," Lily comforted. "I had forgotten, too. It's been nearly four years."
"Besides, we're not even sure Scorpius is going," Albus added. "If he has a date, or has any intentions of going, he hasn't shared it with me."
Lily successfully suppressed her smile. Neither Albus nor Rosie had any idea what she had planned for her Hogsmeade day, let alone that it involved Scorpius. She couldn't respond because doing so would give it away. Instead, she bowed her head a little and nodded slightly.
"He needs to get out," Rosie said. "He's worrying himself sick. If he doesn't stop brooding and let himself have some fun, he's going to get an ulcer."
Sensing an opportunity to form an alibi, Lily said, "I agree."
"Well, I wouldn't put it to him directly," Albus stated sadly. "The last time we tried to drag him out, he got all upset and wouldn't speak to us for a week."
"Ugh, he's impossible," Rosie said in frustration.
"Let me talk to him," Lily said as she stood up. "I think I might have a way to get him to go. Leave it to me."
"What are you going to do, threaten to bat-bogey hex him if he doesn't go?" Albus asked in jest.
Lily smiled slyly as she turned to leave. "Maybe."
"I wouldn't talk to him tonight, though," Rosie warned. "He's probably already asleep."
"I wasn't going to," Lily mused, smiling broadly as she reached the hallway. "I just figured you two would like some time alone." She lingered just long enough to watch Albus and Lily's cheeks turn pink before heading up the stairs to her room.
"Tell me again: Exactly why am I coming to this?" Scorpius asked Lily for what had to be the tenth time. Lily sighed again as they approached the door to the Room of Requirement. "Because you've been sulking for too long and need to get out, and because something's going to happen today that you don't want to miss." "And this something is happening in Hogsmeade?" Scorpius asked, trying to keep up his air of irritability.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, Scorpius, it's happening in Hogsmeade."
Scorpius sighed. "Well, all right, but this had better be good."
Lily turned to look at Scorpius, a glint in her eyes. "Have I ever been wJamesg about something like this?"
Scorpius recalled the many times Lily had predicted when certain events were going to happen in the lives of his classmates, notably when Akaishahad gotten together with Ryley Thomas, and seemed to know days in advance when Dean would be breaking up with his latest girlfriend.
"You have a point," Scorpius allowed.
"Just so you know, I fully expect you to at least try to have some fun," Lily explained. "If you don't, I have many methods of expressing my displeasure. Got that?"
Scorpius suppressed a grin as well as he could and nodded. "Got it." Deciding to take the high road, Scorpius offered his arm to Lily. She seemed a bit taken for a brief moment, then smiled and took his arm. As they walked through the door, Scorpius took a moment to reflect how he had gotten into this.
It was too easy, really. In fact, it was all Lily's doing. After the incident at the shrieking shack, Lily had started spending more and more time with him. Scorpius quickly found himself distracted when she was around, though he really didn't catch on to why at first. It was the first day of Quidditch practice this school year when it hit him. One of the new (and younger) players commented on how pretty he thought Lily was. Scorpius thought he had been hit by a bludger, but instead he discovered it was just the blindingly obvious truth: Lily was beautiful, and he had been suppressing his true feelings on the matter.
That night he couldn't get her out of his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had been avoiding Lily only because he knew she had a crush on him before. He discovered he had been feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that he was attracted to her because of this. But why should he be? She wasn't the eleven-year-old girl that sent him a singing Valentine five years ago. They had both grown up considerably since then. So now he found himself wishing he had a way to spend some quality time with her and possibly find a way to tell her how he felt, and hopefully try to determine if she thought there was a chance they could get to know each other better. Little did Lily know that she was falling into his plans when she asked him to go to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day. He couldn't let on that he wanted to go, though, so he had dressed up in his best robes and kept up his façade of being grumpy about it. Lily had dressed in a stunning white dress which did much too good of a job accenting her shapely form. He hoped that whatever Lily was planning would present an opportunity for them to talk.
Arm in arm, Lily led Scorpius into the streets of the substitute Hogsmeade. As in times past, the Room of Requirement did not disappoint. If not for the obvious door and wall, one would have thought they were indeed in the real Hogsmeade. Scorpius scanned the area and marvelled at how accurate the reproduction was, watching his fellow Gryffindor running around like they owned the place. After a few moments, one glaring exception presented itself.
"You left out the Shrieking Shack," Scorpius said as they walked.
Scorpius felt Lily tense. "We left it out on purpose," she said somewhat solemnly.
Scorpius caught the tone of her voice. "You left it out because of me?"
Lily nodded. "We didn't want it to depress you if you decided to come today."
Scorpius took a moment to let her words humble him. He was constantly amazed at how far his friends would go to look out for him, especially since the Death Eaters had become more active.
"Thank you," he said simply.
Lily seemed genuinely surprised. "You're welcome."
They said nothing else to each other until they reached Zonko's. As they approached, Lily said, "Come on, Scorpius. Today's first surprise is in here."
"First surprise?" Scorpius asked as they entered. Lily didn't answer, but she didn't have to. The shop was full of gleeful Gryffindors, and Scorpius soon understood why. Standing behind the counter were none other than Fred and George Weasley.
"Oy! Scorpius! Over here, mate!" George yelled in greeting.
"We aren't," he explained, turning back to the twins. "Lily seemed erm, rather insistent that I come today."
The obviousness of the situation hit Scorpius suddenly. "Wait a minute, what are you two doing here? Where's Zonko?"
"Mr. Zonko couldn't be here today," George said without a hint of humour.
"So we agreed to tend shop for him," Fred added.
"Besides, we wanted to see how Gryffindor House was faring," George went on.
"And to check in with our lickle neice, of course," Fred admitted.
"Right," Lily said with an accusing voice. "And does Zonko know you're hocking your own wares in his store? You two just behave yourselves," Lily continued. "Remember, I'm a prefect, and I'm not afraid to turn you two in."
Lily turned and walked out of the shop, navigating her way through the crowd and dragging Scorpius along with her. As soon as they were outside, Scorpius asked, "You would actually turn in your own uncles?"
Lily smiled and laughed. "No, but I like to keep them guessing anyway."
Scorpius allowed himself to smile a bit. He wondered of all of today's surprises would be like this. He then wondered if the twins would really be so amused if he and Lily really did get together. He was pulled from his thoughts by Lily saying, "There they are."
Scorpius glanced over to where Lily was looking just in time to catch Rosie following James into Scrivenshaft's.
"What's James doing going into Scrivenshaft's?" Scorpius asked, knowing that James wasn't the particularly academic type.
Lily smiled and raised an eyebrow. "He's buying Rosie a Valentine's present."
Now he was even more anxious to find a way to talk to her. He had to consider the very real possibility that she was just being friendly, but something in the way she looked at him made him hope for the best.
"I'm glad," he responded as platonically as he could manage, glancing up as he did. The pitch had its desired effect; Lily rewarded his compliment with a smile that made him want to melt. He decided to change the subject, and quickly. "Let's head to Honeyduke's; I need to refresh my supply of Chocolate Frogs."
Scorpius offered his arm again, and Lily took it without hesitation. Scorpius walked determinately towards Honeyduke's, trying not to seem too rushed and at the same time trying to contain his growing nervousness. Just as he entered the store, Lily saw some of her classmates among the Gryffindors in the store and left Scorpius to join them. Scorpius took the opportunity to quickly gather a dozen or so Chocolate Frogs into a bag, then, checking to make sure Lily couldn't see him, headed over to the Valentine section of the store. He debated briefly about what to buy, but decided in the end it was best to start slowly, so he bought a small heart-shaped box of chocolates which he buried in his bag underneath the Chocolate Frogs before any of his housemates noticed. Now more nervous than ever, he forced himself to take deep breaths and slow his heart rate.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked himself. It was a perfectly valid question. He looked over at Lily who was looking at a large dancing Chocolate Frog centred on a table in the middle of the store. She glanced at him, smiled, and then turned back to the frog.
Scorpius sighed. "I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'll never get a better opportunity," he told himself.
Steeling his nerves, he walked over towards the table where Lily was. To his relief, she spoke first.
"I'll just be a few more minutes, Scorpius. I hope you don't mind," she said, sounding somewhat apologetic.
"Not at all," Scorpius responded quickly. "I'll be outside."
"Okay," Lily nodded. She then smiled and waved cutely. Scorpius carried this image outside, relishing it as he returned to the grey weather that greeted him. Even the cool dampness of the typical February day couldn't put a damper on his mood. He was so distracted by it that he didn't notice the sudden scurrying and giggling coming from the small group of Gryffindor girls who had surrounded Lily in the store.
As he stood in the street, Scorpius caught a glimpse of some bright red hair from the direction of Scrivenshaft's. Sure enough, James had emerged with Rosie, hand-in-hand. Rosie was carrying a bag with the store's logo on it. Lily had been right. As he watched, they rounded the corner, and Scorpius's mood sank considerably as he realized they were heading towards Madam Paddfoot's.
Just the merest thought of that most tacky of tea shops were enough to send Scorpius into a depression. It had been two years since the incident with Hsiao-pin, but the fiasco still weighed heavily on his mind. No other event in his past, save the deception that led him to the ministry, bothered him more than the very public scene Hsiao-pin had made there. Just thinking about it drained his energy and sucked away his desire to do anything fun.
"Something wJamesg?" a sweet voice asked beside him. Scorpius was not surprised when he turned to discover Lily standing next to him, a Honeyduke's bag in her hand.
Scorpius smiled weakly, no longer needing to feign his grumpiness. "If I said no, would you believe me?"
Lily smirked. "Yeah, right."
Scorpius turned to look back down the street. "Just bad memories, I guess."
"Did Albus and Rosie leave Scrivenshaft's yet?" Lily asked.
Scorpius involuntarily hung his head a little. "Yeah."
To his surprise, Lily took his arm and asked, "You're still upset about what happened with Hsiao-pin, aren't you?"
Scorpius took a deep breath and nodded.
"Well, it's about time you got over it. Come on," Lily said as she took off down the street, pulling Scorpius along with her.
Scorpius was so caught off guard that he nearly tripped trying to keep up with her. "Hey! Hold on, what are you doing?"
"James and Rosie are the whole reason I brought you here, and we are not going to miss it just because you had one bad experience two years ago," Lily explained as she walked, not looking the least bit concerned.
Scorpius found himself torn between his curiosity of Lily's revelation and the desire to avoid the tea shop. "Miss what?" he asked in a desperate attempt to find a way out.
"I'm not going to tell you," Lily said as they rounded the corner. "If you want to find out, and I can assure you you'll want to witness this, you'll stop wallowing in your own self pity and join me for tea."
This, of course, was not how Scorpius had pictured the day proceeding. If it were anyone but Lily, he would have put his foot down and left right then and there. As it stood, he had an agenda of his own, and resisting her efforts now would be extremely counterproductive to his desired goal.
Keeping with his grumpy front, Scorpius heaved a sigh. "Like I said, this had better be good."
"It will be," Lily assured him in a comforting voice. "I wouldn't put you through this if it wasn't."
Reluctantly, Scorpius let Lily lead him into the very tea shop he had worked so hard to avoid. To his surprise, the shop was nearly full, though the size of the seating area made it easy to fill quickly. This year's decorations were somewhat different than what he remembered, though it was still tacky and over-done. The cherubs that flew around now looked more real; gone was the gold skin, replaced by baby-pink flesh which was covered in white cloth in a dramatically artistic fashion. As they flew around, they shot little arrows at various patrons, which would explode painlessly and soundlessly upon impact, showering the immediate area with confetti and releasing tiny heart-shaped balloons into the air. The rest of the shop was just as gaudy; white frilly tablecloths, red and white heart-shaped candles, streamers and balloons everywhere, even a string quartet playing soft, romantic music. Had it not been so over-the-top, it might have been tolerable.
Scorpius spotted Albus immediately; it was hard for someone as tall as Albus to hide, especially when one's hair is Weasley. He and Rosie were sitting near one corner of the shop. As he watched, he could tell they weren't paying much attention to anything but each other. He also realized that, instead of sitting across from each other, they were sitting next to each other. The pieces of the puzzle finally shifted into place in his mind, but before he could ask Lily about it, she pointed to a table across the room and said, "There, that table would be perfect."
Distracted by Albus and Rosie, Scorpius didn't resist and simply followed her to the table, sitting down in the nearest convenient spot that let him keep his eyes on them. If Albus was bothered by the decorations as Scorpius was, he wasn't showing it. He and Rosie seemed to be having quite a friendly chat; they both smiled an awful lot as they did. After a minute or two, Scorpius looked around to see who else was here. All the couples seemed younger than he, and they all appeared to be preoccupied with each other. Satisfied with the situation, he turned his attention back to James and Rosie.
"Something's going to happen between them today, isn't it?" Scorpius asked as soon as Lily was comfortable.
"Yes, I already told you that," Lily said matter-of-factly.
Scorpius thought for a moment. "He's not going to propose, is he?"
Lily laughed quietly. "No, he's not going to propose. They aren't quite THAT far along."
"So what do you think is going to happen?" Scorpius asked, not looking away from them.
"All indications are that they are going to kiss for the first time today."
Scorpius blinked. "What?" he said as quietly as he could manage, turning to Lily, confused. "I thought they kissed all the time!"
Lily shook her head. "Rosie wanted to be sure things would work out between them, so she wouldn't let him kiss her on the lips. Cheek only."
The implications weren't lost on Scorpius. "But that would probably mean that Rosie is getting pretty serious about the relationship."
"Now do you see why I wanted you to be here?" Lily asked, somewhat triumphantly.
Scorpius nodded as he turned to watch James and Rosie again. Lily was right; knowing what was about to happen, he was glad he was here to witness it. It was like the first step in a new phase of their relationship, and being here made him feel like he was observing a special moment in their history.
"Thanks," Scorpius said suddenly.
Scorpius felt something on his hand. He glanced down to see that Lily had put her hand on his. Scorpius' heart began beating faster; he cautiously looked up at Lily, who had warmly reassuring look in her face.
"You're welcome," she said simply.
Not quite sure how to continue, Scorpius looked back to James and Rosie instead. As if on cue, their banter levelled off as they gazed into each other's eyes. Scorpius could see it coming, and as their lips approached, Lily squeezed his hand somewhat and leaned into him a bit. Scorpius was caught between the spectacle before him and the sensation of Lily being so close and in contact with him. He decided to concentrate on James and Rosie; a moment later, their lips touched in a soft, sweet kiss. It didn't last long, but it was enough. He could tell by the looks on their face that it had been exactly what they had hoped it would be. James wasted no time putting his arm around her shoulder, and Rosie responded by leaning into him. It was done.
Scorpius let out the breath he was holding. He never realized something so simple could have such an effect on him. As he calmed his nerves, he realized that Lily was sill holding his hand.
"That was so beautiful," Lily said softly.
"Yeah, it was," Scorpius agreed.
Scorpius spent the next several moments wondering if, or when, Lily would let go of his hand. He didn't dare look at her; he didn't want to send the wrong signal. He then pondered on exactly what signal he wanted to give her. If he said nothing, she would think he liked her holding his hand. However, deep down, he really did like her holding his hand, but did he want to admit this to her now? Then again, why was she holding his hand in the first place and why was she continuing to do so? Was this some indication that she liked-liked him? What was he going to do?
Suddenly he knew what he was going to do. It was the perfect way to move along on the topic.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you," he said, pulling his hand gently away from hers and going for his bag.
"As a matter of fact, I have something for you, too," Lily revealed.
Scorpius took the small heart-shaped box of chocolates out of his bag out of Lily's view. He looked at it for a quick moment, took a deep breath, and slowly turned around to present it to her.
He stopped cold when he realized she was holding out a similar box to him, and realized she had come to the same conclusion he had at exactly the same time.
For a moment they just sat there, holding each other's boxes and blushing profusely. There was no way to deny anything now. The only thing left to wonder was who was going to speak first.
"Erm, surprise?" Scorpius said tentatively.
"Surprise is an understatement," Lily replied nervously.
"I suppose this would be a good time to talk," Scorpius offered.
"I was hoping you were going to say something like that," Lily admitted.
Scorpius held the box he was holding a little closer to Lily. Lily took it and handed her box to Scorpius. He took it and set it on the table. Lily did likewise, and then looked patiently at Scorpius. Knowing she had gone out of her way to buy it for him, and assuming it meant what it did, actually made this talk a little easier.
"I have to confess that I was actually glad when you asked me to come today," Scorpius started.
"Oh?" Lily asked somewhat mischievously.
Scorpius grinned and nodded. "I've been avoiding my feelings about you for a while now, though I wasn't entirely certain why. Lately I've come to the conclusion that it would be better if I was honest with myself. I've been looking for the right opportunity to talk to you about it. It seems this would be that opportunity."
Lily nodded quickly. "I agree. So what would you like to talk to me about? What feelings have you been avoiding?"
True to her nature, Lily wasn't about to make things easy on Scorpius. He would have to be very direct with her, or she would force it out of him, one way or another. He realized that, oddly, this was one of the things that attracted him to her.
"I don't know exactly how best to put this, so I'm just going to say it: I have been thinking about you a lot for some time now. You are the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts, and ever since you started talking to me, you have constantly amazed me. You are just as capable of a witch as Rosie, but you have the same sense of fun and adventure that the twins do. You have such a strong mind and personality, yet at the same time you can be very thoughtful and caring. I want to get to know you better, and maybe even… you know, start dating."
Lily looked even more nervous now, which was very unlike her. She put her hand back on Scorpius and asked, "You really mean that?"
Scorpius shifted his hand and worked to entwine his fingers into hers. Lily readily moved to make this easier, watching Scorpius as she did. Scorpius looked her in the eyes as their hands finally clasped together.
"Yes, I do."
Lily averted her eyes away from Scorpius for a moment. "I have a confession to make, too," she revealed.
"You do?" Scorpius asked. "What would that be?"
"My reasons for bringing you here weren't entirely innocent," she explained. "I was using Albus and Rosie's kiss as an alibi. I was actually hoping that we would get a chance to talk."
Scorpius' heart was beating so fast he thought it was going to explode. "About what?"
Lily turned back to face Scorpius. "About us. You know I had a crush on you when I was younger, but I got over that. The fact is, you really are a great guy. I had to be sure my feelings were real and not just something I was holding on to from before. I had worked up the courage to talk to you about it when I asked you to come with me today, hoping the spirit of the day would carry me through."
So it was just as he had hoped. Faced with the opportunity he never dreamed he's actually have, he found himself at a lost for what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but he wasn't about to assume Lily would let him. Instead, he simply asked, "So, does this mean you want me to be your boyfriend?"
Lily smiled and nodded. "Yes, if you want to be."
Scorpius nodded. "I'd like that a lot."
Before he could catch himself, Scorpius glanced down at Lily's lips. He quickly looked back up into her eyes, but she had noticed his glance. She smiled mischievously and blushed at the same time. Then, to Scorpius' amazement, she started to lean in towards him.
Something's not right…
"Not that I'm complaining," Scorpius said, kicking himself as he did, "but I thought you didn't kiss on the first date."
Lily smirked cutely, "Rosie's rule, not mine."
Scorpius blinked, "Oh."
There was another pause as they looked at each other. Something about the situation just didn't sit well with Scorpius. It took another moment before he realized what it was.
"Erm, I would just like to say that I think kissing you right now would be the most enjoyable thing I've done in my life, but I'd really rather do it somewhere else," Scorpius explained.
Lily pouted cutely. "Why is that?"
Scorpius took a clearing breath. "This day and this place will always be special for James and Rosie. They had their first kiss here. I don't mind sharing the day with them, but I'd like us to have our own spot for our first kiss."
Lily gave Scorpius an appreciative look. "That's a wonderful idea. I had no clue you were such a romantic."
Scorpius smirked. "Neither did I."
"Did you have somewhere particular in mind?"
Scorpius didn't have to think long. "Yes, but I want it to be a surprise."
Lily beamed a smile. "Well, should we head that way?"
Scorpius shook his head. "Not yet. We'll have to wait until almost time to leave."
Lily raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why?"
Scorpius grinned slyly. "You'll see."
"Well, in that case, shall we go over and offer James and Rosie our congratulations?" Lily asked.
Towards the end of the trip, Scorpius took Lily, to a cramped but very special place. A slightly uncomfortable silence fell between them. They looked at each other, both knowing what they wanted to do, but neither quite willing to take the first step. Scorpius decided to move first, closing a bit of the distance between them and leaning down a bit towards Lily.
"Just a moment," Lily said suddenly. The reached out and took Scorpius' hands in hers, pulling them around her waist and positioning them just so. She then put her arms around his neck and pulled him in towards her.
"There. Now you can kiss me, Scorpius."
Scorpius needed no further instruction. He leaned in slowly and closed his eyes just as Lily did. He let the kiss happen, letting the sensation of her warm lips on his course through him, making him feel like the luckiest wizard on the planet. After several moments, Lily pulled back and looked at Scorpius sweetly before leaning her head onto his chest.
"Hem, hem!"
The sound of someone clearing their throat above them sent them into shock. They both broke away quickly and looked up to see where it came from.
"You two can come out of hiding now. We know you're down there."
It was the unmistakable voice of Roseanne Weasley. Scorpius looked at Lily; they were both blushing, obviously very busted. Knowing there was no way out of it, and not really needing to hide anything from Rosie, Scorpius held out his hand to Lily. She smiled and took it, and they both walked out from underneath the staircase together.
Rosie and James stood at the top of the staircase, both looking highly amused. Scorpius could really do nothing but look at them and blush.
"So, do you two want to explain yourselves?" Rosie asked as she crossed her arms.
Lily ignored her. "How did you know we were down here, anyway?" she asked.
Albus smiled. "Fred and George saw you come in. Rosie got suspicious when you seemed anxious to leave early, and they told us where you went."
"We had no idea you two had gotten together," Rosie added. "You don't think you should have waited a bit for your first kiss?" she asked, looking at Lily.
Lily smirked and turned to Scorpius. "I reckoned I'd waited long enough."
Scorpius shrugged. "Perfectly okay with me.
Rosie rolled her eyes. "Well, Missy, we're going to be late, so we'd best move along."
Scorpius and Lily sighed together. He followed her up the staircase, and together the four of them headed towards the door. Undeterred by Albus and Rosie's presence, Scorpius held hands with Lily all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. The rest of Gryffindor House had already left, so they didn't start getting odd looks until they were through the portrait hole. At first, nobody gave them a second glance. When people noticed them holding hands, the shocked looks and smiles began. Scorpius was glad everyone was mostly occupied with their own dates; it gave him time to prepare for the questions that were sure to come later. None of that mattered just then. Lily was leading him to the big chairs near the fire. As they arrived she nodded towards the stairs to the dorm rooms. Scorpius turned to see Albus and Rosie enjoying a long good night kiss. As he watched, he put his arm around Lily's shoulders; Lily put her arms around his chest and squeezed gently. Most of their housemates had already left as well. By the time Albus and Rosie were out of sight, Scorpius and Lily were alone in the Library.
Lily turned to Scorpius and took his hands in hers. "I just want you to know that you made a dream of mine come true today. I'm not sure where this will go, or even how long it will last, but I know I've never wanted to be with someone like I want to be with you."
Once again, Scorpius' heart started beating like mad. "You have been there for me when I needed you, and there isn't another witch in the world like you. Somehow, being with you feels right, like a piece of me that was missing has finally been found."
Lily was giving Scorpius an odd look, but he felt he should be happy she was looking at him that way. "I'm very happy we're together," she said, "but I also think there is something to Rosie's method. I really want this to work, so I think we should take it one step at a time."
Scorpius' heart sank. "Does this mean I can't kiss you again?"
Lily gave Scorpius the sweetest, most heart-melting smile he had ever seen just before she pulled him to her, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a long kiss right on his lips. Scorpius quickly put his arms around her waist and enjoyed every moment. Eventually Lily pulled back and looked Scorpius in the eye.
"Does that answer your question?" she asked mischievously.
Scorpius nodded and smiled. "I think so."
"Oh good," Lily said, pulling back and taking Scorpius' hand. "Walk me to my common room?"
"Absolutely."
Scorpius and Lily walked side by side up to the fat lady. When they arrived, Lily turned and gave Scorpius a sweet kiss on the cheek. She then opened the door and stepped in, letting go of Scorpius' hand slowly as she did. She turned and waved good-night cutely to Scorpius as she shut the door.
Scorpius stood for what had to be several minutes just staring at the door. He let the facts of what had just happened sink into his mind. He couldn't stop smiling. Finally he took a deep breath, let it out and turned towards his own room. A tall boy with dark brown hair blocked his path.
"Scorpius," Albus said simply, looking down at his dad's bully's son.
Scorpius gulped. "Yes Albus?"
Albus stared at him with undue seriousness. Scorpius blinked.
"Curfew was three minutes ago," Albus said without a hint of jest.
Scorpius blinked again. "Oh. Right."
Albus stepped aside, clearing enough space in the hallway for Scorpius to pass. Scorpius started uncomfortably down the hall. Scorpius felt Albus put something on his back, he pulled it of, it was a sign, it said, lover boy. Albus managed to hold on for another second before breaking out into joyous laughter.
"Very funny, Albus," Scorpius said, relieved.
Albus approached Scorpius deliberately, stopping a step away. "You know I've always wanted you and Lily to get together, but that doesn't mean I won't have my eye on you," he explained. "And if you hurt her, I will hint you down and hurt you twice as bad!"
Scorpius nodded. "I know. You don't have anything to worry about."
Albus watched Scorpius for a moment, then leaned over and whispered, "Rosie and I share rounds on Friday night. We'll leave the door to the astronomy tower unlocked for you."
With that, Albus turned on his heals and walked out of the portrait hole to start his rounds, leaving Scorpius more than a little stunned.