Scorpius Malfoy held the Galleon in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the engraving. It was a nervous tick, something he was not at all proud of doing. But his hands were cold, clammy even, and his heart was racing with a feeling that he couldn't quite pinpoint.
He was glad Albus couldn't see him now, couldn't see the fact that he was making an utter fool of himself as he stood outside the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, tapping his foot erratically on the ground and keeping his gaze averted so he wouldn't have to stare at the Fat Lady.
He didn't know why he had offered to pick her up, the bet had only been to go with her to the ball. For some unknown reason, Scorpius had chosen to go beyond that, and so there he was, adjusting his emerald-green tie and worrying at his lower lip.
He didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified when she finally arrived.
When the portrait swung open, and Lily Luna Potter stepped out, greeting Scorpius with a bright smile.
He cleared his throat as he looked up at her, slipping the Galleon into his pocket as he stammered out, "you look, uh, nice."
Nice was an understatement, really. Lily looked stunning, in a floor-length scarlet gown that hugged her lithe frame before falling into an elegant skirt that trailed all the way down to her heel-clad feet. Her strawberry-blonde hair had been curled into soft waves that cascaded down her shoulders, and her somewhat bashful smile, accentuated by the slightest pinkness on her cheeks, only added to her charm.
Scorpius didn't realize he'd been staring until she looked away, somewhat uncomfortably.
"Sorry," he muttered, hands still stuffed into his pockets.
"Shall we be going then?" Lily asked after a few more stiff beats of silence.
Scorpius nodded. "Sure," he replied, belatedly remembering to offer his hand to her as they walked. She looped her arm through his, starting at a lively pace towards the Great Hall.
Scorpius delved into his pocket again, feeling guilty as his hand closed around the Galleon once more.
For some odd reason, he had no idea why.
Scorpius had never been good at dancing. Tonight was no different. One hand carefully placed on Lily's waist, the other clasped in hers, trying not to stumble as they swayed to the music, he was acutely aware of how fast his heart was beating.
Perhaps it would not have been so bad had he not spotted Albus a few paces away, flashing him a jovial smile and trying not to choke on his pumpkin juice as he laughed.
Seeing his friend struck Scorpius once more with the realization that he was only doing this for a bet.
A favor because Albus had pitied his sister and hadn't wanted her to go alone.
That was all.
It was strange, how quickly Scorpius had forgotten.
Forgotten how he didn't actually like Lily, not as anything more than a friend, not as anything more than his best friend's sister.
That was all.
"Scorpius?" her voice saying his name was startling.
He blinked himself out of a trance, eyes focusing to find hers.
"I had a really good time tonight." They were done dancing now, sitting side by side at a table near the back of the hall. Scorpius was trying not to think too much about the fact that their shoulders were brushing together.
"Me too," he said almost immediately. It seemed to be a knee-jerk response, something he said just to return the sentiment, but…
Maybe there was a chance he actually meant it.
"Thanks for asking me," she continued, and she sounded so genuinely grateful that Scorpius felt a pang in his chest that caused his next breath to catch in his throat.
The Galleon in his pocket felt terribly heavy.
"Oh, um, you're welcome," he mumbled awkwardly looking down at his dress shoes.
He did not say anything further, and neither did she.
But as the festivities continued and the music played on, Lily shifted in her seat to rest her head on his shoulder.
Scorpius did not move for fear of falling apart.
"Here." Scorpius pressed the Galleon into Albus's hand. The ball had since finished, and Scorpius had a feeling that the cold numbness that had encompassed him had very little to do with the draftiness of the Slytherin dorms.
"What?" A quizzical look passed over Albus's face.
"You can have it back," Scorpius said, "I don't want it."
"Why not? I mean, you took her to the ball, it's only fair for me to uphold my side of the bargain," Albus replied, handing it back to him.
"Yeah, but…" But I don't need repayment for doing something I actually liked.
"Just take it. Seriously. I mean, you saved me from having to put up with her all night." He rolled his eyes.
Scorpius could see that this wasn't a battle he was going to win. A Galleon was a Galleon, after all. "Alright," he finally lamented, taking it back.
Albus shook his head. "You okay? I mean, you just tried to give up a whole Galleon for no reason."
Scorpius nodded almost immediately, though really, he wasn't sure.
The cashier at Honeydukes was a cheerful woman, apple-cheeked and curly-haired with a constant smile on her face.
Scorpius deposited all the candy packages he'd gathered onto the counter, tapping his foot while she counted it all up and calculated the price.
"That'll be one Galleon."
Scorpius reached for his wallet, fingers brushing against the only coin inside. A Galleon, ice cold from the bitter chill of winter outside.
A Galleon, frozen and heavy with frigidity and guilt.
"Oh… I don't think I have that much. Sorry…" Scorpius said, schooling his features into an apologetic expression.
"Don't worry about it, dear. Have a lovely day," the woman behind the counter chirped.
Scorpius nodded. "Thanks," he said, turning away and walking out of the shop.
Once he was outside, he grabbed the Galleon and held it tight in his fist before tossing it into the snow.
Then, he turned on his heel and walked away, not once looking back.
Lily tugged at the ends of her scarf, crinkling her nose as the wind lifted the fringed fabric to tickle it. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and there was laughter in her eyes as she chatted amicably with Hugo about the upcoming Quidditch game.
She was mid-sentence when she felt something hard against the toe of her boot. Frowning, she stooped to see what it was.
A shiny gold Galleon, dusted with snow.
"Whose do you think it is?" she wondered aloud, picking it up and peering at the hubbub of people around them.
The streets of Hogsmeade were crowded, everyone in a hurry. No one seemed to be looking for it.
"I guess it's yours," Hugo remarked, grinning. "Nice!"
Lily smiled back. "Yeah," she marveled, flipping it deftly in her hand before catching it once more. "We can use it to buy candy!" she decided, grabbing Hugo's hand and tugging him towards Honeydukes.
She stopped in her tracks suddenly, having spotted a familiar face. "Scorpius?" she whirled around to where she could've sworn she'd caught a glimpse of his white-blonde hair, of his bright smile.
But when she turned to look, there was nobody there.