Slow Down Sister

Disclaimer: Okay, go back to the first word and read it over. If I owned any of this, would I have to use that horrible, horrible word? No. So, yeah, as you've probably figured out the moment you saw this in fan fiction… it's not mine.

(A/N: The song is Slow Down Sister by Lady Antebellum, I changed the lyrics a bit. Hope you enjoy :)

i. slow down sister, cause I just can't love ya,
but I just can't get you off my mind

Scorpius Malfoy was not the type of guy to fall in love. No, to him, love was a four-letter word and girlfriend… well, he wasn't sure if the wordeven existed in his vocabulary. He had kissed and broken more girls' hearts than he cared to count and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at Albus when he practically begged him for help to plan an anniversary gift for his girlfriend (a different one each month) For the record, they'd gone out with almost the same amount of girls, the only difference was that Albus was always one to go for labels. (If you asked Scorpius, the only one to blame for that was his mother, because seriously: Ginny Weasley? That woman was the most hopeless romantic the boy had ever met. He figured, though, that if she'd managed to snag Harry Bloody Potter himself, she mustn't be that bad.) So, Scorpius never paid much attention when his friend told him he thought he should settle down with someone. (A talk they had about once a month as they hunted for chocolates and cards and Scorpius helped Albus learn another song on the guitar so he could play it to the flavor of the month.)

And so, he couldn't wrap his mind around the mystery that was Lily Luna Potter. Because she, with all her weird quirks and random conversations, was the only girl that had managed to hold Scorpius' attention long enough for him to get to know her. But there was something about her, and Scorpius found that he did know a lot more about her than any other of the nameless girls he'd kissed. (If he was honest, sometimes he couldn't even remember their face.) He knew she liked ice cream only if it was in a cone and had some sort of sprinkling over it. He knew her eyes turned darker or lighter depending on her mood. He knew she loved apples but hated apple juice. He knew she hated playing piano but loved the guitar. He knew she had a rather interesting habit of biting her lip whenever she had to say something she didn't want to. And she, in turn, knew a lot of things about him that no one else knew (Not even Albus, and the dude was his best friend.) She knew how he wore his grandparents' wedding rings on a chain underneath his shirt because it made him feel like they were closer. She knew that he liked to sing and even play a little guitar when he was bored. She knew he liked when it rained at night because it lulled him to sleep. She even knew about his strange fascination with belly buttons. So, as she liked to point out to him when he was being an ass (which sadly was often), they knew everything about one another.

And it was true. Kind of. The only thing Scorpius didn't know about her was when she'd manage to weasel her way into his heart. Or when she'd gotten him thinking that maybe being someone's boyfriend wouldn't be that bad. (Or rather, being her boyfriend, because he'd be damned if he ever let any of the faceless girls call him their boyfriend.)

But he wouldn't (couldn't) go there, chick was his best friend and his other best friend (her older brother, thank you very much) would probably kill him if he tried anything with her.

ii. I ain't your fool, I'm not falling
I'm not falling in love with you

Sirius didn't know what the hell it was about her that kept drawing him in. But ever since they'd met, the first time Albus had brought him home for dinner during Winter Break and a nine-year-old Lily had practically dragged Scorpius away from the rest of her cousins (Because, really, what had possessed Albus to bring a Malfoy – a Malfoy! – over to a family dinner? The poor boy had been terrified. And no one could really blame him, with the evil looks he was getting from her uncle Ron) and had somehow managed to talk him into catching fireflies with her, the two had been inseparable. Up to the point where her parents had actually bought Lily her own owl (much to Ron's displeasure) so that she wouldn't keep stealing the family owl for the letters she and Scorpius sent back and forth almost everyday.

When it had finally been time for Lily to go to Diagon Alley and buy her own school stuff, rather than just tag along with her brother and his best friend, Scorpius had been the one who'd helped her choose her notebooks and quills and even the color of the new shoes her mother had insisted on buying. And when Lily (finally!) set foot on the Hogwarts' Express Scorpius had been the one holding her hand.

Scorpius and Albus had been the ones to explain the castle to her (after she'd gotten into Gryffindor – just like them) practically dragging her away from the rest of the group that was being led by a prefect. They'd gotten lost after wandering for a while (even if the boys would never admit it) and they'd spent the best part of the night trying to find their way back to the Gryffindor tower.

And when she'd formed her own little group of friends, Scorpius had been the first one she'd thought of telling. To celebrate he'd brought back from Hogsmeade two butterbeers, a box of Bertie Bott's (her favorite), and a box of Chocolate Frogs (his) and they'd snuck out to the Astronomy Tower to chat.

She'd been the first Scorpius told after Jenna Macmillan had kissed him, and she was the only one that knew that Scorpius thought Jenna crossed her eyes funny when they kissed. Scorpius, in turn, had been the first to know when Mark Abbott had kissed Lily. (And he hadn't been jealous, really, but the girl was like his sister – and he had a right to be angry when an asshole like Mark Abbott kissed his sister, right?)

And so, as he'd overheard her telling to one of her friends: he was an amazing friend. Lily was absolutely certain about that. (Heck! He had learned all of her favorites songs to play them for her when Jason Woods – the jerk – had broken up with her. He had to be a good friend after that.) But a boyfriend? Lily wasn't even sure if he knew what the word meant. (Seriously, he had kissed about half of the Hogwarts' female population – and Lily was sure he hadn't kissed the rest because Albus had beat him to it – and he'd never ever had a girlfriend.) And Scorpius couldn't really understand the pang he'd felt after hearing that sentence.

iii. I play by my rules and believe me
you don't want me too close to you

When Lily was thirteen and Jason Woods asked her on a date to Hogsmeade he was half expecting her to say no, but who was he kidding? Lily had had a crush on Woods for almost a year now. So when she came running toward him at the end of the day and told him that Jason Woods was taking her to Hogsmeade (On a date, Scorp! Can you believe that?) he'd forced himself to smile and nod when she asked him if he could help her choose an outfit. It had been harder to pretend to be happy for her than he'd expected it to be. (He told himself it was because he wanted her to go with him the first time she went there, because they were friends, right? Best friends. And they'd done all of her other firsts together too – except her first kiss. Fuck Mark Abbott. And why was he even thinking about that?)

The next day he'd asked Jenna Macmillan to go with him, because the girl was hot and she was a good kisser – even if she crossed her eyes funny before their lips touched. (Really, it had nothing to do with the fact that he knew that Lily hated her.) But when they'd seen Lily and her date (damn Woods) holding hands as they entered Honeydukes and Scorpius had caught sight of the smile she was giving Woods (the smile he thought was only for him) he'd lost it.

So when Lily had found him a few hours later perched on one of the windows of the owlery, handed him a butterbeer (because it had kind of become a tradition to sit down and drink butterbeers every Saturday after Hogsmeade) and told him about her date with Woods, he'd rolled his eyes at her and grinned conspiratorially as if he knew something she didn't:

"Jenna crosses her eyes when she is doing other things too, you know?"

Lily had wrinkled her nose, slapped his arm and told him that she "Didn't really need to know that, Scorp. Thanks." And then everything had been back to normal. Or as normal as it could be when he hated his best friend's boyfriend and couldn't figure out why the heck he was so jealous. (It was probably the fact that she'd known the girl since she was nine, right? Something like a protective brotherly streak.)

If he was being truthful, it had been the worst two months of his life. And nothing (not even the multiple anniversaries he'd helped Albus plan) could have prepared him for the day she comes and asks him for help with her anniversary gift and he can't really say no because, well because she's her. (And because, fuck, had it really been a month already?) So, an hour later, they're both haunting for chocolates and CDs (because Woods is a half-blood and, of course he had to like the only thing that Scorpius has absolutely no idea where to find. Luckily, Albus comes in at the last minute and saves the day finding some in a shop in Hogsmeade.) It had also been the months in which he'd kissed more nameless girls than ever and he'd been in a mood foul enough to kill a dragon. (Just ask Albus; he'd nearly given him a concussion at quidditch practice the other day.)

When the asshole had gone and broken up with her (to go out with Clare Johnson) he totally hadn't gone to beat him up along with Albus. (And what if he had? She was his best friend's sister; he was expected to do shit like that.) And then, he totally hadn't spent four hours (four hours!) learning every damn song he thought she liked to go cheer her up. He kind of thinks the fact that his fingers hurt and his throat is raw from singing all afternoon is worth it when she is nestled against his side and is telling him how much of an idiot Wood is. (He couldn't agree more.)

And when the next Saturday she'd walked into Honeydukes holding his hand instead of Wood's, he'd felt an insane amount of satisfaction he couldn't really explain. (But, really, he couldn't bring himself to care after she'd given him that smile that was only his again.)

iv. and even though you look so fine
I've been on this broken road one too many times

The first time they fight (really fight) it's because of a boy. Scorpius has no idea why he's so angry (only he does, he can't stand the thought of her being with anyone else, but he's not about to tell her that) it's not like they're going out or anything – he's nothing but her best friend. But when Lily tells him she thinks she might be falling in love (Love, really?) with the boy she's been dating for six months all Scorpius wants to do is go break his nose (or his arm, or his legs, or anything he can get his hands on, really.) So, before he makes a fool of himself in front of her, he tells her he has somewhere to be and goes looking for the fourth-grade girl that told him he was good-looking the other day.

He finds her and they kiss. In the owlery, it's their place, he knows – but he is so angry with her for falling in love with the wrong guy that he can't bring himself to care. (He doesn't tell anyone that although Hannah has really nice chocolate eyes, he can't get his mind off green. Or that, even though Hannah is blond, he imagines red hair as he is kissing her.) Hannah and him go out on a few dates but it doesn't last long. Hannah breaks things up with him after they spend one afternoon lying in the common room and he falls asleep at some point as she plays with his hair. When Scorpius asks her why, she tells him he said Lily's name in his sleep, he tells her he's sorry, and she just shrugs whispering a: "I knew all along" under her breath before she leaves. (He doesn't tell anyone that either.)

The next day they're on quidditch practice when Lily asks what happened to Hannah, he just shrugs and says she was not his type. (Lily gives him a look, but doesn't ask anything and Scorpius is almost comically relieved when she doesn't.) With Lily as their seeker and he and Albus as the best beaters Gryffindor's seen since the Weasley twins, Scorpius is convinced that they have the best team this year. (It also makes him feel a little bit better that quidditch, at least, is something the asshole will never get to share with his Lily. He's not sure when he started calling her that, but after a few tries he finds he just can't stop.)

"I'm going to tell him tonight."

Lily says as they walk back to the common room after practice. She is biting her lip and looking up at him almost as if she's asking if it's okay. He shrugs, wishes her good luck, and flees to go find Albus and beg him (ask, he corrects when Albus tells the story afterwards. Malfoys don't beg) to go out with him for a few drinks. Albus agrees because he just broke up with girlfriend number thirty-eight. He's not counting, but Albus informs him of the fact later that night, right after he says: "I thought she was the one", and shakes his head miserably. Scorpius just blinks at him a few times, gives Albus a pat on the shoulder, and that's that. They don't bring up the girl again.

They get back a few hours later and find Lily sitting on the common room couch wringing her hands nervously and looking at the clock every few minutes. When she sees them come in she stands up, walks toward them, and wrinkles her nose when she smells the alcohol on their breath.

"Are you drunk?" she asks, her nose is still wrinkled and her cheeks have turned a bright pink color – like they do when she's mad. (Scorpius can't help but thinking she looks beautiful.)

"Hey, babe," he says with a smirk, tipping an imaginary hat with a wink.

"Scorpius Malfoy, you're an idiot!" she shouts and then slaps him before turning to run up the stairs to her dormitory.

Scorpius can only stand there looking after her wide-eyed, holding a hand to his cheek, and scowling like he can't really understand what happened. (He totally can, it was Albus who drank his weight in firewhiskey – not him.) After a few minutes he hears Albus chuckle behind him and turns around to see him shaking his head.

"Dude, just tell her," he says, it's so slurred Scorpius can barely make it out, but when he does he looks at his best friend wide-eyed before shaking his head.

"Come on, mate," he mutters nervously. "You need to sleep," he says making his way up the stairs. Albus follows behind him still chuckling (Scorpius scowls wondering when his best friend became so perceptive, but he shakes his head and chalks it up to the alcohol he consumed.)

The next day Scorpius makes it a point of getting up early (even if his head is killing him and he can barely stand the light) to go look for some orchids and an apple. He sits down next to Lily during breakfast and hands the stuff to her. She takes them without saying a word and raises an eyebrow at him. Scorpius almost laughs at the gesture, it reminds him so much of her mother it scares him.

"I'm sorry," he says, giving her the side smile he knows she loves (because her eyes twinkle just-a-little-bit every time he does it) and she rolls her eyes at him.

"I was worried, you idiot," she mutters leaning against him and he wraps an arm around her, smiling.

"I'm sorry," he says again kissing the top of her head. "Won't happen again."

"It better not," she deadpans but her eyes twinkle as she looks at him and he knows he's forgiven.

v. I've heard people say that I'm crazy,
crazy for avoiding you

Scorpius is not relieved when Lily and the asshole break up over summer vacation, he really isn't. But he can't help the smile that curls his lips slightly as she cuddles against him in her backyard and tells him why she hates the asshole (the same one she thought she was in love with) and cries. He laughs softly when she runs up to her room and comes back down with a guitar and a teary grin on her face.

"Sing for me?" she asks softly.

And so he does, grinning when she joins in. (He pretends not to notice the amused look Albus gives them as he jogs by, or the thumbs-up he receives from James as he leaves holding hands with his own girlfriend.) He finally stops playing when it gets dark and looks at her. Her hair is all over the place, her eyes red-rimmed from crying, and she is wearing the tackiest set of pants Scorpius has ever seen. She has never looked prettier.

A week later, when James and Albus invite him over for a game of quidditch with the rest of the Weasley cousins and the Scamander twins, because the girls planned a day-out of their own and they are not about to be outdone, Ted asks him what's going on with Lily and him trying to sound innocent (and, in Scorpius' opinion failing miserably) and he honestly doesn't know how to answer. So he just shrugs, runs a hand through his hair, opens his mouth, and finally settles for shrugging again.

"Dude!" Hugo laughs throwing the quaffle at him. "You're so whipped. And she's not even your girlfriend."

Scorpius tosses the quaffle back glaring. "Shut up," he mutters. "I'm not whipped." But even he knows he is lying through his teeth and the cousins all laugh at him. (The bludger that hits Hugo later on is a complete accident.)

It's only when Albus is sitting next to him after the game, each nursing a muggle-beer in their hand, that he finally gets him to admit it. (But only because he told him he was sure Lily liked him first, right before dousing him with beer and shouting for the rest of his cousins to join in the fun.)

When Scorpius leaves later that night he can't help but marvel at the fact that even though practically all the Potter-Weasley-plus-Scamanders clan seems to know that he is completely crazy for Lily, (he saw some of the girls shooting him looks as they ran through the yard in their way to Lily's room – and if all the cousins know, well… the parents must know too) they don't seem to have a problem with it. (Except for her uncle Ron, but Scorpius is convinced that has more to do with his last name than him.) So when Lily sends an owl a few days later and invites him to dinner over at her house, he sends back the letter asking her if she'd like to come instead. When she answers back: yes, Scorpius practically runs downstairs and begs his mother not to say anything embarrassing. He scowls at his father when he starts laughing at him and then gives him an embarrassed grin when his father admits that he was also nervous when he took Scorpius' mother home for the first time.

After that, the hours can't go by quickly enough for Scorpius' liking and he alternates between pacing the hall and sitting on the couch he can see the window from, pretending to read that book she gave him last Christmas. When the doorbell finally rings, he is leaning against the door with a hand over his face wondering if this was really a good idea and he practically jumps out of his own skin. He opens the door and is stunned for a moment when he catches sight of her – she is wearing a white sundress that barely reaches her knees and brown sandals and, when she looks up at him and smiles, his breath literally catches in his throat. (Shut up, he's not whipped. He just really likes her.)

The evening goes amazingly well, his mom doesn't tell her any embarrassing stories from when he was a baby and his father doesn't tease him too much. She seems to fit right in; and when they're walking around his garden after dinner Scorpius can't help but smile when he remembers the night all-those-years ago she talked him into chasing fireflies with him (he later learned she actually meant fairies, because now that he thinks about it, fireflies? In winter? Not quite possible.) He guides her to his room (because she asked to see it, he isn't trying anything funny – not with her, she means too much to him) and smiles lightly when she spots the pictures on his wall and lets out a little gasp. (It's impossible not to notice them, really, his mom made sure of that; his whole wall is covered with pictures, most of the two of them. His favorite is one where he and Lily are trying to make something in her kitchen – he thinks it was cookies - and the both of them are covered in flour and bits of chocolate.)

"I like your wall," she says flopping down on his bed with a smile.

"Well, I like you," he answers without thinking as he flops down next to her and immediately regrets it when her wide eyes meet his.

"What?" she asks softly, and he turns to look at her and is about to start explaining himself but when he sees her looking at him like that (with her eyes wide and lips barely parted) he can't help it, he leans down and brushes his lips against hers, softly sucking at her lower lip, before pulling away and narrowing his eyes nervously. She's blushing, still looking at him wide-eyed, and he starts to stand up before she leans over and presses her mouth to his again, practically melting into his arms, and he has enough presence of mind left to wander how the hell it was he got so lucky. Ted comes get her right after that, so they don't get a chance to talk, but Scorpius is even more nervous than he was before she arrived because what if he just completely messed up? He can't lose her.

So, instead, he waits for her to say something the next time they see each other, and when she doesn't, he doesn't bring it up either.

The summer goes by quickly after that. He is invited (like every year after his first year at Hogwarts) over to the annual Potter end-of-summer cook out and he and Lily spend the afternoon chasing each other around her yard each holding a muggle-water-gun in their hand and laughing their heads off. When her dad sits down with him while Lily is taking a bath after getting soaked and hands him a towel, Scorpius feels slightly nervous. (He is just worried Mr. Potter might've realized he is a Malfoy and decided he doesn't want him hanging around his daughter any longer, after all – he and her uncle Ron are best friends.) But he just tells him he is glad he came over and wishes him good luck his last year at Hogwarts before he gets up, squeezes his shoulder, and leaves.

And when they get back on the Hogwarts' express together after having breakfast in the small café of the train station (it is another tradition, the Weasley-Potter-plus-Scamander clan have included him in) and Albus kindly reminds him that it's their last year at the school and asks if he's planning to do anything about his sister. He simply sighs and shakes his head, because, honestly? He doesn't know anymore. (He hasn't told Albus about the kiss, but he kind of thinks his friend already knows.)

vi. but honey I've got my freedom and my reasons
all my reasons for what I do

Even though they haven't mentioned what happened that day in his room at all, Scorpius can't help but notice the looks she gives him sometimes when she thinks he's not looking. Or how, when she's leaning against him, with a book on her lap, and he is playing with her hair as she studies, there seems to be something in the air between them that wasn't there before. (Neither of them mentions it either, but they can't help but notice that Lily has turned down all the offers for dates to Hogsmeade and that Scorpius hasn't kissed anyone since the night in his house.)

He is sitting in the owlery one day, perched on the windowsill, when Albus comes in and leans against the wall, arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. Scorpius glances at his best friend sideways, nods, and turns to glance back out the window.

"What are you two playing at?" he asks, and Scorpius is surprised at the amount of anger in Albus' voice. (Not anger, annoyance, Albus tells him afterward)

"What?"

"You and Lily. What's going on?"

Scorpius shrugs. "We kissed." He laughs bitterly. "She hasn't mentioned it since."

Albus rolls his eyes at him and slaps the back of his head. "Moron," he mutters before he leaves the owlery, leaving Scorpius more confused than he already was.

The next time they go to Hogsmeade and he sees the way Lily keeps stealing glances at him he thinks that maybe, she hasn't mentioned it because she doesn't really want them to be more than just-friends. So he ignores the small pang he feels when he realizes that and pulls her into Honeydukes.

"What are we, Scorp?" she asks later that night as they sit in the astronomy tower with butterbeers in their hands.

"We're friends, right?" He asks, and he wants to kick himself after he says it and her face falls slightly. (He isn't happy about it, even if it means that she's okay with being more than friends. But he can't take it back now or he'll sound like more of an ass than he already is.)

Lily nods, standing up. "Yeah, we're friends," she murmurs. "Listen, Scorp. I gotta go… I'm…" she shrugs and turns to leave without another word.

Scorpius grunts and tosses what's left of his butterbeer against the wall. They sort of avoid each other for about a week after that but Albus doesn't say anything because Scorpius'd already told him how much of an idiot he was. (He'd just rolled his eyes at him, given him a pat in the back, and asked if he minded if he dated Jenna Macmillan.) Turns out the one who came up to him to call him a moron this time was not him, or Lily, but Rose:

"Hey, Malfoy?" she shouts one day from where she is sitting in potions as he walks in. He looks up questioningly. "Fix this, you idiot," she says, and he doesn't even have to ask what she's talking about. He nods at her, earning a satisfied smirk, and sits down in his place next to Albus with his head in his hands. (He wants to fix it, he really does, he just has no idea how to.)

When McGonagal tells them about the Winter Ball that will be held at Hogwarts that year, Scorpius thinks he has his solution. He even goes hunting for orchids again (it kind of bugs him how hard orchids are to find in the area surrounding the school) and has a whole bunch of romantic shit that he knows she'll love planned out to ask her. But when he is walking down the hallway with his guitar hanging from his shoulder and the orchids in his hand to go find her (right in the middle of Care of Magical Creatures, because once they saw a movie where the guy did that and she fucking loved it, but Hagrid's probably the only teacher that will let him get away with it) he overhears two of her friends talking about how good-looking the guy who asked Lily out is and he sighs before turning right back around and sneaking into History of Magic. When Albus glances at him out of the corner of his eye and raises an eyebrow at him Scorpius shakes his head and places his head on his hands.

He catches her afterward when she's walking out of Charms, and he is waiting for her leaning against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest. She stops in front of him, head tilted lightly to the side and books held close against her chest.

"Hey, Scorp."

"Hey," he answers eyeing her over. She looks beautiful (as always) and he's almost scared to talk in case he ruins everything again. "So is it true?" he asks after a while.

"Yeah," she answers shrugging, not even having to ask what he's talking about.

"Oh," he pauses, "Who is it?"

"Luke. Luke Dalton."

"Oh," Scorpius says scowling, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking down at the floor for a few seconds and then back up at her.

"Are you going with anyone?" she asks leaning against the wall next to him, books still hugged close to her chest.

"Yeah," he lies easily. "With Macy Jones."

"The one in sixth?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Scorpius scowls, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering how the hell this got to be so awkward. (And since when has anything been awkward between them?) He leans over and places a finger to the tip of her nose and grins. She blushes a little bit and when her eyes meet his, he realizes how much he missed her that week.

"Wanna go have lunch with me?" he asks, pointing with his head to the statue of the witch a few feet away from them. "My treat."

Lily's eyes twinkle and she smiles, nodding before she follows him and reaches out to take his hand as he opens the statue and helps her in, making sure no one sees them.

They don't mention the ball again until Lily practically begs him to go dress shopping with her. (When Scorpius asks her why, she rolls her eyes at him and says: "Because you're a boy Scorp, that's why." He doesn't want to ask her anything else after the look she gives him.) They spent the whole Saturday looking through all the shops that sell dresses in Hogsmeade. (Lily hasn't liked any dress for a bunch of reasons – it's too-tight/short/common/ugly and when they're sitting in The Three Broomsticks afterward and Scorpius catches sight of her frustrated expression he offers apparating her to a little town his mom likes in Ireland.) They spent the rest of the afternoon dress-shopping there and Scorpius feels a little smug when he realizes she trusts him enough to side-apparate with him. (She even turned Albus down when he'd suggested it during the summer.) And then, when they walk back to Hogwarts and Lily has this little smile on her lips (his smile) he feels like he's on top of the world because he hasn't seen her this happy in a while and it's all because of him.

vii. but that last kiss just did me in
and I don't wanna look at you as just a friend

It's really no surprise to anyone when the both of them end up sneaking out of the Great Hall together during the Winter Ball. Lily is wearing a light blue dress that is tight in all the right places and her hair is down in soft curls and Scorpius can't seem to take his eyes off her – he doesn't understand how Luke could be dancing with Jones of all people (she's not even that good-looking, he thinks.) Lily keeps stealing glances at him when she thinks he's not looking and a small smile tugs at his lips every time he notices.

He leads them toward the astronomy tower and plops himself down on one of the couches when they get there. Lily sits down next to him, leaning against his chest and staring up at the stars through the window in the middle of the ceiling.

"Lils?" he asks after they've been quiet for a while. They're both lying down on the couch now, staring up at the window that shows the star-covered sky, he has an arm around her shoulders and is tracing small circles with his thumb on her arm.

"Mmm?"

He turns to look at her, lifting himself up on one elbow, and meets her eyes with a nervous smile. "I think," he says, pausing nervously, "I think I might be falling in love with you." He has to laugh a little as he says it, because he can't help but remember that the last time he heard those words he was about ready to go kill someone. Lily looks at him for a few seconds, eyes narrowed, before her lips curl into the biggest smile he's ever seen and her eyes twinkle and she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging herself to him. Their noses brush and she freezes, almost as if she's expecting him to move away. Instead, he meets his eyes with hers, asking for permission, and then moves in slowly and tilts his mouth over hers as softly as he can before he feels her returning it. And then, he increases the pressure, brushing his thumb gently along her cheekbone. Her hands tangle in his hair and, encouraged, he licks carefully along her lower lip and her tongue darts out to touch his.

The kiss, and the way she feels in his arms, is almost too perfect, and he finds himself wondering if it's real.

He knows it is, when next morning during breakfast she comes running toward him and presses a soft kiss to his lips before taking a seat next to him. Albus gives him an amused grin and Rose gives him a thumbs up and he thinks his face might break if he keeps smiling like that for much longer.

(He discovers it doesn't break when the smile stays on his lips for the rest of the school year.) Dating her, he discovers, is almost the same as being her best friend had been, except now he can kiss her anytime he wants without worrying about the consequences, he has an excuse to take her to all the places that he'd deemed too-over-the-top for when they were just-friends, and he doesn't have to worry about some moron coming to steal her away. (Which doesn't mean that he doesn't almost literally growl at any guy who dares to so much as tell her she looks good.)

The first time they go to Hogsmeade on a date, Lily convinces him to go to Madam Puddifoot's (because she's never gone there and she figures that now is a good a time as any.) They leave almost as quickly as they sit down laughing their heads off. (The place is too pink and too clichéd and everyone is making out like their life depends on it.) Lily makes him promise to never ever take her there again and he complies. (Mostly, he takes her there on their first anniversary as a joke. Only they get it, he tells Albus afterwards when he teases him about it.) They spend the rest of the afternoon at Honeydukes trying out the new flavors. (Both agree it's much more fun than spending their day in the smelly tea shop.) They spend the rest of the night in the Astronomy Tower, drinking butterbeers and making fun of Albus who joined them this time because Jenna Macmillan turned him down.

They don't do anything on Valentine's Day (because Scorpius knows how much she hates it) instead he organizes a picnic-of-sorts in the Astronomy Tower on February 15th with butterbeers and apples and Bertie Bott's and chocolate frogs.

Lily smiles when he tosses her the invitation written hastily on a piece of parchment as they cross in the halls and Albus doesn't get tired of teasing him about how whipped he is for a long time. (Until girlfriend number forty-two comes around and Scorpius helps him with his anniversary gift.)

On March, he tries to take Lily to Ireland for St. Patrick's (he says tries because even though they make it, they have to share the trip with the rest of the Potter-Weasley-plus-Scamander clan. He doesn't mind them though; they make the trip more interesting if anything. And the way Lily kisses him as they walk into Hogwarts at the end of the night makes all the teasing worth it.)

For her birthday, in April, they spend the night in the Astronomy tower with Albus, Rose, and Hugo drinking butterbeer and sharing childhood memories. (They have a lot and they spend most of the night bent over laughing.) Scorpius loves his mum for helping him choose Lily's gift when he sees the smile she gives him. (The fact that she uses the necklace everyday after that also helps.)

For his birthday, in May, Lily somehow convinces the Hogwarts' house elves of making him this huge cookout with all of his favorite food and they spend the day playing Quidditch and eating over at Hagrid's. The Potter-Weasley-plus-Scamander clan gives him a new broom for his birthday and Scorpius is not sure how he manages to keep his eyes inside his eyeballs. Lily gives him a new guitar and laughs when he plays their song for her as he tries it out. Later that night, when Scorpius kisses her goodnight in front of the stairs to her dorm, she gives him a mischievous grin, clasping her hands behind her back.

"I got you another gift too, you know?" she says and Scorpius quirks an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, yeah?" he asks and tries to lean down to kiss her again but she steps out of his way and he looks at her, amused. "What is it?"

She lifts her shirt slightly to show him the new, small, silver star on her belly button and then meets her eyes with his. Scorpius grins again and tries to lean down and kiss her, but Lily laughs and runs up the stairs before he can, wiggling her fingers at him before she disappears behind the door. Scorpius would be annoyed at her for being such a tease if she hadn't looked so cute doing it. (Seriously, he thinks he might just love this girl.)

He tells her as much the next Saturday after Hogsmeade when they're sitting in the Astronomy tower. The smile she gives him as she says it back is one of the brightest he has ever seen.

When the school year finally comes to an end and she is one of the people cheering for him the loudest when his name is called by McGonagal he sends her a small wink and a smile, loving the way he can still make her blush with gestures as small as that.

They celebrate his graduation with a few bottles of butterbeer and a blanket in his backyard as they lie down next to each other and look up at the clouds. Because McGonagal wouldn't let them stay in the Astronomy tower for the night seeing as the school was practically empty, and Scorpius couldn't convince Lily of breaking in. (Or trying to, because not even he thinks he can pull off a break in into Hogwarts.) Later that night when they go to the party the Potters organized, her uncle Ron comes seat down next to him when he is waiting for Lily to come back from the kitchen, because no matter how much he insisted neither her nor her mother would let him help with dinner. Scorpius waves at him awkwardly and Ron stares him down for a few minutes and finally laughs when he notices the expression in Scorpius' face. (He was not nervous. He seriously wasn't)

"I suppose you are not that bad," Ron says finally patting his back and offering him a butterbeer that Scorpius takes with a nod.

"Thanks," Scorpius answers, because he doesn't know what else to say, but saying nothing seems rude.

"Yeah." They drink their butterbeers in silence for a few seconds and then Ron clears his throat. "If you break her heart, though, you're dead," he says. "Hear me, Malfoy?" Scorpius nods wide-eyed and Ron gives a satisfied smirk before standing up and going back inside the house. Scorpius stares after him bewildered before Albus calls him over to the quidditch game they're about to start. (The irony of it all isn't lost on Scorpius, because: shouldn't Mr. Potter have been the one to threaten him?)

viii. oh and Lord knows I need ya but I just don't want to
put this roasted heart upon the line

They spend the summer in most the same way they have spent every summer since he was eleven, alternating between her house and his (mostly hers) and Scorpius can honestly say he's never been happier.

Ted and her cousin Victoire have a kid in the middle of July. When he walks into her house one day with Albus and sees Lily holding the little girl and cooing down at her, he literally trips. Albus teases him for about a month after that. Scorpius doesn't mind, though, because now he can't get over the idea of Lily holding their child someday. (When he tells Albus that, he glares at him and tells him to wait at least until Lily finishes Hogwarts. Scorpius rolls his eyes at him at that. "Dude, I'm going to marry her first." Even he is surprised when the words come out of his mouth, but he doesn't regret them.)

All too soon, Lily is leaving for Hogwarts again and, this time, Scorpius is not going with her. He is not nervous, really. But he does make her promise over and over (and over) to write to him everyday and, in turn, promises to meet her at Hogsmeade every chance they get. Lily only laughs at him, stands on her tiptoes, and rolls her eyes as she kisses his cheek.

"I'm not going to replace you, you daft bad. You do know that right?" she says and he grins sheepishly leaning down to kiss her again before she gets into the train.

Albus laughs at him, shaking his head, and pulls him away muttering something about Auror training after the train leaves and Scorpius is still standing there looking after it.

She keeps her promise, writing to him everyday about the most random things. (He is not even kidding, on Wednesday she spent half the page telling him how sad she was because her favorite socks had a hole. He surprises himself when he realizes he knows exactly which her favorite socks were.) He writes back, complaining (whining, she teases him when she answers) about how hard Auror training is and about not being able to see her everyday. (You get used to things like that after doing them five years.) The next letter she writes is barely a page and Scorpius is a bit nervous before he opens it and a huge grin breaks out on his face:

Scorp,

Hogsmeade tomorrow?

Love,

Lily

It's the best letter he's received in a while. He is so happy his coach makes him run ten extra laps because he was not paying attention during the duels. (And that has never ever happened to him before.) Albus rolls his eyes at him when Scorpius tells him the news and wishes him good luck before they both apparate home.

He sees her before she sees him, waiting for him in the bench in front of Honeydukes, and he grins. He sits down next to her without saying anything and produces a pair of green socks from his coat, placing them in front of her. (He'd spent the better part of a Sunday searching for a replacement of her favorites socks, so what?) Her eyes widen a bit and then she launches herself at him, raining kisses on his face before pressing her lips against his, and Scorpius wanders - not for the first time (definitely not for the first time) - how it was that he got so lucky.

They spend the rest of her Hogwarts career in almost the same fashion, writing daily letters and seeing each other every chance they get in Hogsmeade. It gets easier during her seventh year, when she can apparate, and she surprises him sometimes waiting for him crossed leg in his bed as he comes back from training.

They fight, a lot, especially during the month that Scorpius has Jenna Macmillan as a partner and Lily gets jealous. Reading her angry letters Scorpius almost has to laugh, he can imagine her saying everything that she's written. (With that small pout she gets and her cheeks tinted pink.) But then, Scorpius and Albus finally finish Auror training and she is one of the very few people that the two invite to celebrate. Scorpius and Lily spend most of the night in his backyard, gazing up at the stars and sharing stories (and kisses, mostly kisses) until he has to take her back to Hogwarts again.

When Lily finally graduates, Scorpius decides now is a good a time as any to ask her to marry him (They both have known he would since he mentioned it about a year ago during Winter Break after he saw her walking down the aisle in her cousin's Dominique wedding, and the idea got stuck in his head, but neither has said brought it up again.) Scorpius asks for Mr. Potter's permission before planning anything, and the man just laughs at him:

"Son, you're the only one I can see marrying my daughter," he says before wishing him good luck and apparating home.

Albus helps him plan the perfect evening. (All the while laughing at him for being so whipped. "By my sister!" he laughs, as they taste cakes for the occasion, "Who would've thought?" Scorpius just glares at him and rolls his eyes, because the dude is helping him after all.) He asks his dad for help to choose Lily's ring and they spend the better part of a week going to all the jewelries his father knows before Scorpius finally finds one he likes. He glares at his father when he laughs at him but is silently thankful for his patience. (He'd briefly considered given her his grandmother's ring but decided against it. Lily was nothing like Narcissa after all.) And he asks his mom for help to set up the table they'll be having dinner at (something his mother is a little too-happy to do, immediately blabbing on about flowers and tablecloth colors that Scorpius had no idea existed.)

In the end, he decides that dinner in his backyard is their best bet. With a bunch of flowers he doesn't know the name of but look good and the tablecloth they used to use for their after-Hogsmeade-butterbeers in the owlery. For food he gets butterbeer, makes some pasta (because that's about where the extent of his cooking gets without burning the kitchen), and chocolate cake.

That night, Scorpius is so nervous he blurts out the question when they sit down on the table he'd prepared for the occasion. She laughs gleefully, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. They do end up doing all the stuff he'd planned and Scorpius is sure he has never seen her smile so bright when he plays their song for her at the end of the evening.

ix. so slow down sister cuz I just can't love ya
but I just can't get you off my mind

They get married during December of the year she turns twenty in her garden. ("It makes sense," she tells him one night when they're laying on his bed as she fills him in on the plans her mother has for the wedding while he rubs her back and plays with her hair. "That's where we met." Scorpius just smiles and nods at her leaning down to kiss her softly, it's cute that she's so excited over marrying him.)

His best man Albus (who laughs at him when he has to help him with his tie because he's so nervous he can't seem to get it right) and her maid of honor is Rose (who seems almost as excited as Lily about the wedding.)

They keep it simple, inviting just their family (although, on Lily's side, that makes easily about one hundred people) and some friends (Jenna Macmillan, though, is not invited even if Scorpius got along with her during the months of Auror training.) For drinks there are a lot of butterbeers and some wine (but only because their parents insisted) and Scorpius has no idea what they will eat, they left that part of the planning to Albus (or rather, Albus did that part of the planning and told them to "mind their own bloody business".)

As he watches her walk down the aisle in a white dress that makes her hair and eyes (and just her, really) stand out and kind of reminds him of the dress she wore the first time she came over for dinner at his house, he can't keep the smile that curls his lips as he thinks about the Lily Potter he met when she was nine. The Lily that thought fairies were fireflies and who'd somehow weaseled his way into his heart and taught him that, yeah, Scorpius Malfoy was the type of guy to fall in love. Twelve years later, she's finally going to be his. (Not Mark Abbott's or Jason Wood's or Luke Dalton's, but his.)

He decides it's the happiest day of his life as she is sleeping next to him that night, her red hair sprayed across his chest, because finally - twelve years later - Lily Luna Potter is finally Lily Luna Malfoy and it feels so right it almost scares him. He changes his mind three years later when she tells him she's pregnant, then changes it again when he sees her holding and cooing down at their little boy, and again when said little boy calls her "mum" and she is practically glowing. (Oh well, Scorpius thinks after he's changes his favorite day again for the fifth time, practically any day that has her in it is the happiest day of his life.)

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