A Girl Worth Fighting For

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for some sexual content, violence and language. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!

Author's Note: one of my only stories with no warning. LMAO. And no M rating… Any hoot, this is for my very dear friend Cowah (hee hee) who is a doll, and who was lamenting over the small number of fictions in this pairing. So here you are darling, and I hope you enjoy. XD Cheers.

PS. – This is my first crack at a post-book story, so please be nice.

XXX

Lily Potter hated that she was in her OWL year. It was going to be a nightmare; she knew it. She had watched her brothers (with much amusement might she add) wail and bemoan the cursed exams, and now it was her turn. And they were horrendously too close for comfort; only three months away. AHH!!

She sighed and sank down into the squashy armchair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, rubbing her temples. Just as she was debating throwing herself into the flames, her brother, Albus, strolled through the portrait hole with his friend (despite the boy's Slytherin status) Scorpius Malfoy.

Albus smirked as he recognized the look on his sister's face. "It won't help. Plus mum and dad would probably blame me if you threw yourself in." Lily sighed depressively. "I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder to Scorpius, dashing up the stairs to his dorm above. Scorpius settled himself on the arm of Lily's chair.

"Stressed over OWLs?" he asked, deciding to be sympathetic to her plight.

"Yeah."

"Well just think, Al and I have NEWTs this year, so we're all screwed." Lily smiled up at the blond boy. He was really quite good-looking the more she thought about it. And she was embarrassed to admit it, even to herself, but she had been thinking about it a lot lately. Despite the act he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy, he seemed like and honest-to-goodness decent person.

"Let's go!" Albus cried, dashing down the last steps to the dorms.

Scorpius gave Lily one last look, smiled, and followed after his exuberant friend, out of the common room. Lily sighed. How depressing. She had OWLs coming up and absolutely no chance with a guy she might truly like. Fate was a cruel, cruel woman.

XXX

"So…" Scorpius said, a tad uneasily as he and Albus strolled to the kitchens, the Marauder's Map (handy bit of parchment it was) in tow. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot," said Albus absently, pausing to look at the Map, but deciding they had enough time to sneak down the corridor before the octogenarian Filch turned in and caught them.

"Would you be offended if I asked your sister out?"

Albus snorted. "You're hilarious, man. Really. Pfft, you go out with Lily… Your parents would love that."

"Screw my parents. And I'm serious," Scorpius snapped. Albus looked as though he'd been punched.

"You can't date my sister!"

"Why?"

Albus shook his head, looking horrified. "It's…it's against the code!"

Scorpius raised a brow in a movement eerily similar to that of his father. "What?"

"The code!! You aren't supposed to date your friends' siblings! Besides, I thought you liked that bird in Slytherin?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "That was at the beginning of term. And I have no idea what sort of 'code' you're talking about."

"Well you can't date her anyway," said Albus firmly.

"Excuse me?" Scorpius asked.

"You. Cannot. Date. My. Sister."

The blond boy glared. "Why? Am I not good enough or something?"

"No. You're not. Besides, she doesn't like you anyway."

Scorpius felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. "Well since I'm obviously not good enough for you, Potter, I'll just go then. But know one thing, I'm going to ask her out whether you like it or not." He turned sharply on his heel, and stormed back to the Slytherin common room, shouting loudly at several first years for laughing.

XXX

"You did what!?" Lily raged, red hair flying over her shoulder as she whipped her head around to look at her older brother.

"Lily," said Albus, attempting to sound reasonable, "you can't date Scorpius."

"Why the bloody hell not?" the redhead demanded.

"One, he's my friend. Two, he's older than you. Three, he's in Slytherin. And four, he's my friend!!"

"I don't give a damn if he's the bloody queen of England! I will date whom I please, and you will not get in my way!"

Rose and Hugo rolled their eyes at one another. The weird mash-up of Potter/Weasley genes seemed to make the two siblings enjoy having shouting matches. Or perhaps they were merely channeling their paternal grandparents…

"Lily, I know him, he's-"

"I don't care what you think you know Albus! It's my life. Maybe you should find a girlfriend of your own and stay out of my life!" Albus, along with the rest of the Gryffindors assembled in the common room watched the youngest Potter storm up the stairs to her dorm.

Albus kicked a sofa venomously, snatched up his discarded broom, and stalked through the portrait hole, headed for the Quidditch pitch.

Lily stuffed her face into her pillow and wished she could cry. Wished she wasn't so effing angry. She didn't know what to feel. She understood Albus was just trying to look out for her but…honestly! What was there to possibly look out for? Sure he was a Slytherin, but he seemed nice enough… And yeah, he was Albus' friend but…she hadn't made a huge deal when the stupid git had showed some interest in her friends.

Sighing, she rolled over, looking up at the ceiling. Things were so messed up… She hated the thought of sneaking around behind her brother's back, but she wanted to try things with Scorpius even more. Stupid morals…

Albus felt the same exhilarating rush he always felt when he kicked off from the soft turf of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, and sighed as the wind dragged through his hair, messing it even more than it normally was. The usual sense of calm didn't come though as he rose above the low-lying clouds.

He was too distracted to relax. He wanted his sister to be happy, ultimately. Really, he did. And he didn't doubt that Scorpius and her would be a good match it was just… Old habits died hard. And he came from a family tree that didn't exactly trust Malfoys. He sighed mentally. He was really just going to have to suck up his pride, apologize to Scorpius, and deal with it.

But Merlin help him - if Albus caught on whiff of him doing anything to hurt his sister, he would nail his bollocks to the nearest wall.

XXX

"Scorpius! Scorpius, wait! Wait up!!" Albus cried the next morning as he saw his rival housed friend strolling to Transfiguration. The blond boy deigned to pause and Albus caught up, panting heavily. "Merlin, do you have to run everywhere?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I have long legs. What do you want? Or have you decided I might just be up to your standards today?"

"Look, I didn't mean… I…" Come on Potter just say it! "I didn't mean you weren't good enough for Lily. I mean… I'm never going to think anyone is good enough for her. But I guess if I had to pick, I would rather it be you than some jerk without a brain who just wants…y'know."

"In her knickers?"

Albus' mouth twisted at the mere thought. "Never, ever say that. Again. Especially in reference to my little sister."

Scorpius was grinning now though. "Oh I dunno mate, I might just be inclined to confide every sordid minute detail with you."

Albus glared sourly. "Yeah, all you have to do is get her to say yes when you ask her out." Scorpius' smile faded.

XXX

Lily tired to contain her excitement and breathe like a normal human being. It was hard though, because she kept remembering she was going on a date with Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy!! She verily quivered with anticipation.

Albus frowned when she exited the portrait hole, but refrained from saying anything about her clothes or the date itself, for which she was grateful. Maybe she wouldn't use that Bulbadox powder she'd found in her Uncle George's cabinet and pocketed on her last visit on him… Then again, one never knew. He was still her brother…

Scorpius smiled a smidge nervously when he spotted her. "Hello."

She smiled shyly back. "Hi."

"Ready?" She nodded, and he took her arm gallantly as they made their way into Hogsmeade.

As they browsed around the shops, and wandered through the village, the surprisingly warm early-spring sunshine poured onto them and the conversation flowed easily. "So how did you manage to get Al off your back for this?" he asked after a gentle lull in their conversing.

Her lips twisted wryly and took his hand boldly, entwining their fingers and eliciting a smile from him. "I have my ways…" She sobered though. "I heard you two rowed about it."

"How?"

Lily shrugged. "People talk too much. I hope…I hope you're still friends…"

He sighed and paused on the sidewalk. She stopped with him. "We did. But I told him too bad if he didn't like it."

"Bet he loved that."

Scorpius let his grin turn lopsided, and leaned in intimately. His lips brushed hesitantly over hers, and she responded eagerly, pressing their mouths fully together. They broke apart, both a little pink, but grinning like fools. "What can I say? You're a girl worth fighting for."

FIN

XXX

Author's Note: so I thought this turned out pretty well (if a smidge fluffy). Tell me what you all thought (with a review or two?)? I know it's not my usual (slash and smut and graphic-ness) but I like it. The change was lovely. Hope you like it Cowah. (wink). Cheers!!