Valley Lilies

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Because when you live in an extremely overprotective family, falling in love is an act of rebellion in itself.

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"I'm sorry, Lily. We had our fun, but can we go back to being friends?"

Every girl would have been pissed because of what he just said. Every girl would definitely have been insulted. But Lily Potter wasn't every girl.

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You'll be the flower of May…

There are people whose only wish is fame. All they want is the attention of everyone around them; they want to be in the spotlight. And they do everything to achieve that goal.

Lily detested these people. She had everything they wanted, and she would easily give it to them. She didn't want the fame, the well-known parents, or the admiration; what had she done to deserve it?

Nothing, nothing, nothing. It was her parents who were brave, who had fought Voldemort, who saved the world – not her. And she considered herself lucky for realizing this, because that way she knew that she didn't have to be heroic, and she didn't have to live up to her father's name and actions.

Realizing that made her stop feeling the pressure, the unbearable weight – quite unlike her brothers. James did everything he could to escape from the name; he was a player, a prankster, a rule breaker. Albus, on the other hand, did his best to meet everyone's expectations about Harry Potter's son; he was a proud Gryffindor, a Quidditch player, and a prefect – always the one to follow the rules.

Were they happy that way? Were they themselves? Was that what they truly wanted? Spending their whole lives proving everyone right or wrong?

Like father like daughter, everyone always told her. You'll have a bright future, they also told her, even though she hadn't even started Hogwarts yet. And while everyone – including her parents – were happy to hear these remarks, exclaiming to Lily, "They compliment you, honey, you should be flattered," she wasn't.

For her, it meant that everything she would achieve would be seen as a result of her family's past. But she didn't want her life to be that way. She didn't want to think of her reputationthroughout her life, feel the unbearable weight to be better or good enough.

She would be herself – just Lily, not Potter. She loved her family – she truly did – but she felt different. She had a different way of dealing with life. But that didn't matter; they were still family, after all.

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…a flame, and you'll burn…

Harry Potter's daughter shouldn't have been a Slytherin. Harry Potter's daughter shouldn't have been reckless and overly ambitious. And above all, Harry Potter's daughter should not have been Scorpius Malfoy's best friend.

But Lily was never the one to follow the rules or care about the expectations of the public. She was herself and proud of it. As long as her family was okay with it, she didn't mind the press and their pompous headlines.

Being a rebel didn't always mean rebelling against your family, though. Sometimes you rebelled against your lifestyle, against the opinions of the world. And that's what Lily did.

No one was surprised when she was sorted into Slytherin. Her rebellious character, harsh tongue and selfish nature wouldn't fit in anywhere else. And, as a true Slytherin would feel, she wasn't scared to be the first Potter or Weasley in the house. She moved on – laughing at the headline of the paper that read, "Harry Potter's Slytherin Daughter," making friends, and being a really sarcastic eleven year old.

And then she met Scorpius Malfoy, a Slytherin just a year older than her who was really, really handsome. At first he was just another member of her house to Lily, a cool guy to hang around. However, during her fifth year, she saw another side in him, in which blossomed a person who could fully understand her.

They spent hours talking, and soon they became friends. She enjoyed his company and witty humor more than anything else in the school. He was distant and often appeared indifferent, but he was exactly the kind of person she needed in her life. Someone to spend hours talking to about their families and reputations and mock the immaturity of their classmates with.

And then, one cold December night of her sixth year, everything changed. They were the only two who hadn't left the common room. He had been mocking the Head Girl's firm scolding just a couple of minutes ago, but then they had both fallen silent. Glancing over, she found him staring into the fireplace, a skeptical expression on his face. He turned to her and smiled. That was when she leaned in and kissed him. That simply. It was always simple with them, anyway.

She had been flirting with the idea of them as a couple for a long time, but never before had she found the courage to bring it up. She liked Scorpius, she truly did; and if she didn't consider herself a smart girl, she would have said she was in love with him. But she had the rest of her life for love; she believed she was just too young for that.

When she pulled back, he was smirking.

"I figured you'd be attracted to my charm."

She rolled her eyes, and he laughed, leaning down for another kiss.

Her goal wasn't to upset her family. She definitely knew that they weren't going to be pleased. But at the moment, she was thinking more about what she wanted than about what they did.

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…walking on air, just to fall.

Their relationship became the inspiration for new headlines, new stories, but suddenly it stopped; she had blocked everyone out. Scorpius was a great boyfriend – not the one to give her a sappy romance, but the one to provide the challenging chase she wanted. And she loved being with him.

Then, June came. Exams started, and he became distant. She told herself it was because of the anxiety and stress, but she knew him too well to believe that. He was certainly worried about exams and career choice, but there was more. And it had to do with her.

When you were dating your best friend, the relationship was always complicated. You had feelings for the other person, but sometimes you couldn't understand what those feelings truly were. That's what was happening with them. By then, Lily realized that Scorpius had figured it out.

So she waited for him to inevitably break up with her, thinking and thinking and, well, thinking and trying to understand their relationship better. They had a great time together; they laughed and talked and shared their secrets everything. She had believed she was in love with him. But was she really?

"I'm sorry, Lily. We had our fun, but can we go back to being friends?"

That's how he told her. She could tell he was nervous and unsure – probably for the first time in his eighteen years.

She laughed after he said it.

We had our fun? Seriously, Malfoy needs to learn some manners…

"Whatever, Scorp."

"Really?" His eyes opened wide, and his voice also gave away his surprise.

"We had our fun, Scorpie. Now go find someone else to have fun with," she said with a mocking smile.

He sighed happily, relieved by her easygoing response. "And to think I was so nervous about it! But you're just laughing, Lil! You're great!"

She chuckled. "Why wouldn't I? I just wanted you to get over with it. After all, starting September, you'll be a man! Grown-up life starts, you know?"

He laughed, pulling her into a hug. "I love you, Lily."

Only then she understood. He loved her, yes, and she loved him back – a lot – but not in the way she wanted to be loved. In her search for ordinary life, in her search for her real self, she had lost the truth: their relationship hadn't been perfect enough for her.

It was exactly what she had wanted, true, but she hadn't been in love. Not in the way that would sweep her off her feet, not how her parents were in love. Never before had she sought this love. But from now on, she would.

My first Lily/Scorpius... No, Amy, I'm not becoming open-minded. And yes, it was of my own free will:p

Well, It's basically a Lily fic. Anyway, written for Pooja's birthday. They were on June 20th, same day with me. So, HAPPY- really, really, really, really late- BIRTHDAY!

Based on mew's Because of Love challenge, quote on the beginning written by Amy (is rocking).

A huge 'thank you' to rileyluvr13 who beta read this and helped me improve the plot:)

You know... REVIEW!