Lily Luna Potter was crying. And not because she was upset or someone was mad at her. No, Lily wasn't that petty. Lily was crying because no one ever noticed her. Except the one person she wished wouldn't.
Six months earlier:
"Lily! Where're you going? Can I go with you?" asked Hannah Creevey eagerly. She idolized me because Harry Potter's my father. Big deal. He's just my dad to me.
"I'm just going to the library, Hannah. No need to freak out over it." I lied. If Hannah knew I was going to Quidditch practice, she would desperately want to follow. And since this was James' last year (it's my fourth year), then he would desperate to win again. Although I reassured him every day that we would dominate, he kept on being James. As in my brother, the rambling idiot, who, for some reason, every girl at Hogwarts adores. Except my cousins and stuff. That would be freaky.
"You're lying!" said Hannah triumphantly. She didn't look upset, just excited that she figured it out. "Your nose twitched a little! It always does that when you're lying! Where are you really going?"
"Quidditch practice." I sighed. "And no, you can't come. It's team only practice." Hannah looked disappointed.
"Oh, alright. But tell me exactly what happened!" she called after me. I snorted. Third years. So annoying. My dad told me that Hannah's uncle idolized him when he was in school. When I told him Hannah idolized me, he laughed and told me to be nice to her. He still felt bad after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Hannah's uncle died to protect my dad. I walked through the corridors in my Quidditch robes, grinning to myself. I don't think Hannah would have the strength to protect a beetle.
"Lily!" Merlin, there she was again.
"Didn't I tell you to stay-oh, hi Al." I said. It was Albus, my other brother, the one in Slytherin. I looked at him suspiciously. "Are you trying to spy for Slytherin? Because James would have a cow if he knew." I said.
"Of course not." Albus said coolly. "I have a microscopic awareness of sports, so even if I did attempt to spy on your training, I would have no commendable material to relay back. It is all futile codswallop to me." I blinked. Every time Albus talked, there were a few words that were literally 'meaningless codswallop' to me.
"Okay," I said. Half the time I don't even know if he's insulting me or telling me that our parents got stuck in a hole—this never happened, but from the way he spoke, I thought it did. "Then why are you stopping me?" I looked at my watch. "James'll be mad if I'm late. You know him during Quidditch season."
"Yes, he is in verity, a blithering idiot this time of year. But what I require from you was your word. Lately, there's been talk that—"
"Hey, Al!" a boy with light-brown hair and pale eyes walked up and slung his arm around Albus. This boy was seriously hot and I had definitely seen him before. Not sure where, though. "Ah, who's this lovely lady?" he stuck out his hand for me to shake.
"I'm Lily, Al's sister." I shook his hand, my dimples firing and my brown eyes twinkling.
"Malfoy's the name, Scorpius Malfoy." My blood ran cold. That's where I had seen him before! Six years ago, when Albus—and Scorpius—were first going to Hogwarts. Uncle Ron had warned Rose about him, but…what about me? And was Albus friends with him? "What's wrong? Oh, yeah, you're Potters. Al's the only one of your family who isn't out for my blood, isn't that right?" He was still grinning. I just kept staring at him, my mouth agape.
"But—I thought you're blond!" Really, Lily? That's the most you could manage? Scorpius grinned.
"Nah, it changed about four years ago. My mom's brunette, so it started turning slightly darker." I just kept standing there, staring at Al and Scorpius. I could tell Al was watching me, trying to figure out my reaction. What I was really thinking was: how could Al hide a friendship for so long? I looked at my watch and jumped.
"Oh, great, I'm late! James is going to kill me!" I started jogging in the direction of the changing rooms, my red hair billowing out behind me.
"Hope I see you again, Lil!" Scorpius called after me.
"Oh, I hope I don't," I muttered under my breath.
And I convince myself that it's what I want.
