Lily Luna and Scorpius Chapter 1
I was so scared and so excited at the same time. It was August the 31st, and I was starting my first year at Hogwarts tomorrow. This time tomorrow I would have been sorted into my House and would be sitting at the house table, probably just finishing pudding and waiting for Professor Longbottom , the new headmaster, now Professor Flitwick had retired, to "say a few words" to start the term. I was stood, gazing out of my bedroom window when mum walked in, her red hair swaying down her back. She was still so pretty it wasn't hard to believe Daddy had fallen in love with her while they were still at school… People sometimes say I look like her, but I'm not nearly as pretty as she is. I have her red hair, and her brown eyes, but I have Dad's eyesight, so I need glasses.
"Are you packed Lily darling?" Mum asked, breaking into my reverie. "Have you got everything? We won't have time to check everything tomorrow, there are a lot of us going, we're meeting Rose and Hugo and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione at the station…" She started going through my trunk, checking I had everything I needed; robes, books, parchment, quills etc… And then suddenly stopped and looked at me, tears in her eyes. "Oh Lily! My last little baby's all grown up!" She wiped her eyes and smiled. "Are you ok mum?" I asked her, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Mum never ever cried in front of us. The only times we ever heard her cry were those times when she had nightmares about the war… "Don't worry darling, I'm being silly. It just seems as if the house is going to be so empty, with you gone to school, and Al and James already growing up." She stood up, wiped her eyes and took my hand.
She blinked a couple more times, then suggested I try on my new robes to show Dad and the boys. We walked downstairs, and narrowly missing tripping over the cat, I stumbled into the sitting room, where Al was reading one of his new textbooks and James and Dad were playing Wizard Chess. Dad glanced up and smiled encouragingly at me: "You look lovely Lily", then returned his undivided attention to the game. Neither of my brothers paid me any attention. Not quite the reaction I'd been hoping for. Mum spoke, slightly sharply, "Harry, look at our last baby in her Hogwarts robes! Doesn't it make you feel old?" Dad looked up, and I think he saw from my face all the nervousness I felt about the next day because he instantly stood up, and at James' protest said "Look, it's almost bedtime, and I was going to beat you anyway" ("Were not!") "so why don't you come give your sister a hug and join in the picture your mother is dying to take?"
In the end, both James and Al got up to join in the picture and Al even told me I looked lovely (a huge compliment coming from him!) and I went to bed much less anxious, comfortable in the knowledge that, annoying as they might be, my brothers would be at Hogwarts too, if I needed help, and I could always send Hedwig, the family owl, to Mum and Dad. I dreamed all night of talking hats and flying pigs and tables turning into hippogriffs…
All too soon it was morning! And my nerves came back with a vengeance. I'd laughed at Al for all his worries about being in Slytherin last year, but I really regretted it, trying to eat my pancakes. James looked at me with uncharacteristic concern: "You ok, Lily? You look a bit green…" I glared at him and he laughed… "Don't worry darling, I'll make sure Peeves knows exactly who you are from your very first day!" "James!" Mum frowned at him and then started rubbing his nose with a warm flannel. "Ow! Mum! Get off!" Dad looked at him and laughed, saying "You just have a bit of dirt on your nose." Then for some weird reason he and mum looked at each other and burst out laughing. James and I looked at each other, confused, but the atmosphere in the kitchen was a lot more relaxed when Albus walked in, pristine in his uniform, his trunk in his hand. He looked at James, who was still in his pyjamas with his messy black hair all over the place, as usual, to my still full plate, and said disapprovingly: "If you two don't hurry up, we'll be late!" Mum smiled approvingly at him.
So soon I was sure someone must have bewitched the clocks to run at twice their normal speed, we were on platform 9 and ¾ with Rose and Hugo. Hugo smiled nervously at me, while Rose ran off quite quickly with her friends, watched wistfully by a boy with dark brown hair and big puppy-like eyes. And then we were hustled onto the train by mum and Aunty Hermione, who was busy reminding Hugo of the spell to make objects fly, while Uncle Ron smiled ironically, saying: "Hermione, what do you expect him to learn in school, if you've already taught him everything?" The whistle blew, we waved and we were gone… As the train started gaining speed, Hugo and I started looking for a compartment. I was worried- James and Al had said they'd look after me, but I couldn't see them anywhere, and everything seemed full.
Finally we found a carriage with only one boy in it. "Do you mind if we sit here?" Hugo asked him. "Not at all" the boy said. "Are you two new then?" Hugo glanced at me, and seeming to realise that I was completely unable to say anything, replied for both of us. "Yeah. Are you?". "No, this is my second year." he said.
He was gorgeous. There was no other way to describe him. He had beautiful very pale blonde hair and deep stormy grey eyes that seemed as if they were bottomless. Through lips that were perfect, rounded but no too full, you could just see perfectly straight white teeth. He smiled at us and I felt myself blushing. "You must be related to the Weasleys" he said, looking at me, curiosity in his eyes. Hugo looked at me again and, when I opened my mouth and no sound came out, he came to my rescue again. "I'm Hugo Weasley, and this is my cousin, Lily Potter." "Scorpius Malfoy"
My heart stopped for a moment, and for the first time I noticed his Slytherin uniform. Draco Malfoy's son. I thought about all the stories that Uncle Ron had told about Draco Malfoy and his parents, during You Know Who's time. I thought about some of the things that Daddy had said about the Malfoys and their involvement with the Dark side in the War. But then I thought about what Rose had said about him too me, how he was one of the nicest boys in her year, that he was much nicer than many of the Gryffindor boys, who she thought were too show-offy and how he was just as smart as many of the Ravenclaws. I also remembered that Dad had told Mum, sounding impressed, that Draco Malfoy had left his father's home immediately after the War, and had become a Healer, in order to try and help others. Surely Scorpius couldn't be that bad…
After a bit more small talk with Hugo, and a couple of curious glances at me, probably wondering why I seemed incapable of speech, Scorpius picked up his book again (he was reading Quidditch Through The Ages), and Hugo, after an exasperated glare at me pulled out some parchment and began to write (I discovered later he was making notes on what he remembered from what his mum had told him about 1st year work…). Happy just to sit and stare, I spent almost two blissful hours looking at him, memorising the lines of his face. My daydreams, involving long romantic walks along the side of the lake were interrupted by the compartment door opening and a furious Albus barging in.
"Lily Potter! Where on earth have you been all this time? I've been looking everywhere for you? Why didn't you follow me onto the train? And Hugo, how irresponsible are you? You could have looked after your cousin better, and made sure she'd found her family!" He drew a long breath in, clearly preparing to continue his rant when Scorpius politely interrupted him. "What the big deal?" he asked calmly. "What's the…" spluttered Al "She could've…" Scorpius put up one appeasing hand. "I know this is none of my business Albus, but I think Lily and Hugo managed alright for a couple of lost first years" He flashed a small smile in my direction and my insides melted. "They found a compartment with seats, settled down and seemed alright… He", gesturing at Hugo, "was working, and your sister was, um, resting, I guess. Go easy on them." To my great surprise, Al calmed down and smiled at Scorpius. "Sorry, you're right. I was just a bit worried about her." He then turned to me and told me, surprisingly nicely, that I should probably change into my robes soon, as we'd be arriving in less than an hour.
My stomach, which so far during the journey, had been filled with butterflies, suddenly seemed to be filled with lead. All my worries about Hogwarts, which I'd forgotten, looking at a pair of beautiful grey eyes, suddenly came back. I must have shown my nervousness because Scorpius smiled at me again and said, gently, "Don't worry Lily, Hogwarts is a wonderful place, and I'm sure you'll fit right in. If ever you need anything, don't hesitate to…" his face suddenly twisted slightly, as if a sudden slightly annoying ironic thought had hit him, "Well, I guess you have your brothers or cousins as well…" Come on Lily! Talk to him! Answer him for goodness' sake- you must look ridiculous! my thoughts screamed at me. "Um, thanks" I muttered, blushing scarlet. He smiled again and turned back to his book, his "ironic" expression back. I took the opportunity of having to go change to hide my mortifying blushes and practically ran down the train to the girls' loos.