Written for…
Hogwarts
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
Prompts:
(HoH OTP) Scorily
(Scenario) The moment I let you go, I regretted it. Now I see you standing in front of the altar with another man/woman. When I hear the line "If there is anyone here having objections to this couple getting married, let them speak now or forever hold your peace," I cannot help myself but speak up.
(Dialogue) "You are too important to just... die!" / "I'm not important. Everyone will do just fine without me." / "Who cares about everyone? What about me?" (Veronica Roth, Divergent)
(Quote) "perhaps it's our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another." ~ Jane Austen
Roald Dahl Day- Brown Room- (color) brown
Writing Club- |Showtime, Act One| 22. Dear Theodosia: (dialogue) "I'll do whatever it takes."
Writing Club- |Showtime, Days of the Month| Pardon Day - Write about forgiveness.
HPFC
Are You Crazy Enough to Do It Challenge- 559. (title) Yesterday I Was Yours
100 Ways to Say I Love You- 100. "I love you."
Word Count: 2268
"Lily, please, don't go," pleaded Scorpius desperately. "I love you."
Her eyes were glittering with unshed tears. This was tearing her apart too, shred by shred, but she needed to let go. Their love was dead.
"No, Scor," she said miserably, "if you really loved me, you wouldn't have lied. You wouldn't have let Rose take you so easily. I'm sorry, Scorpius, but this is the way it has to be. Lysander is perfect for me; he'll heal the wounds caused by your heartbreak."
Tears were threatening to spill; she mustered up the strength to keep them at bay. Deliberately avoiding her ex-boyfriend's eyes, she walked away, not hearing the ensuing sobs of a boy with a shattered heart.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace." The priest surveyed the crowd, peering at the onlookers over his round spectacles.
Scorpius was among the gathered, watching heart-wrenchingly as the love of his life stood at the altar with someone that was not him.
What had happened to their future that they had so lovingly planned? Had it just disintegrated into dust? Was it just...gone?
He could not watch any longer. This was his last opportunity to get back what once was his.
Scorpius reacted impulsively. Jumping to his feet, he called, "Lily, wait, I love you!"
Murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd. With his heart pounding erratically against his chest, Scorpius plunged on with haste, "Lily, I love you, and I always have. I know I wronged you, and I regret it dearly. Please, Lily, just give me a second chance to redeem myself."
He paused to gauge Lily's reaction. Her face had gone from glowing with happiness to deathly pale in a matter of seconds. For a split second, she swayed precariously, and then with a resounding thump, she fell to the ground.
Admittedly, Scorpius had not been expecting that dramatic of a reaction, but he was swept toward the unconscious bride before he could really mull over it.
The crowd was jostling madly in order to aid the Potters' only daughter; Scorpius was surrounded by many red-haired relatives all trying to reach Lily. Amidst the pandemonium, he could hear the priest shouting for calm, but it was futile.
He finally caught a glimpse of her. Her translucent veil was fanned around her head. Her peach face, smothered with makeup, was unusually blank.
A deafening bang sounded through the tent and a sudden hush fell over the massive group. Scorpius released a small sigh of relief. It appeared the priest had finally lost his temper and silenced the surging crowd with his wand.
But the relief was only temporary. One redheaded boy—he did know or even remotely recognize him—glared at him accusingly. Scorpius gulped.
Meanwhile, the priest was issuing orders. He asked Ginny Potter to stay with her daughter, Harry to fetch a cloth soaked in water, and Hermione to watch over and keep the peace of the guests, while he went to St. Mungo's to get a Healer, since it was too risky to move her until a medical person cleared her.
Meanwhile, Scorpius wedged through the tightly-packed throng, finally squeezing between a black-haired couple and completed his escape.
Yes, he knew he should stay behind and see if Lily woke up, but he had a mob of temperamental redheads angry at him and that was something Scorpius wanted to face on his own. Sure, he would be willing to endure that for Lily, but he had no idea how she felt about him and his unexpected declaration.
And so, with one last look at the group huddled around Lily's body, he Apparated away.
A knock sounded on the door to Scorpius's door, where he had barricaded himself. A muffled "no" came from beneath a pile of blankets. Astoria entered anyway, carrying a platter of tea and biscuits.
"Scorpius," she coaxed, "I made tea. Green, your favorite."
The mountain of blankets shifted as Scorpius poked his head out. One arm snaked out, snatched a cup and pressed the teacup to his lips. A small sigh escaped as he sipped the cup.
Astoria helped him sit up, setting down the platter on his empty nightstand and moving the blankets so she could climb into the bed with him.
Smoothing back his abnormally ruffled hair, she whispered, "It's okay, sweetie, you'll be fine."
Scorpius's body relaxed under his mother's calming touch, but his mind was still frazzled.
"I want to die, Mum," he muttered sullenly. "After that episode, everyone hates me."
Astoria's eyes flared with shock and anger. "You are too important to just...die!"
"I'm not important. Everyone will do just fine without me," he said dully.
"Who cares about everyone? What about me?" Astoria snapped, looking sharply at her son. "And your father as a matter-of-fact? Scorpius, we didn't raise you like this, to just give up. If you run away from your problems, then they're most definitely not going to solve themselves. You need to be strong; find a solution. Your father and I are here to help and support you in whatever you do."
Scorpius, who had been sulkily listening to his mother up to this point, said, "But what about the media? I can't leave the manor without them swarming me and hounding me with questions."
"Where there's a will, there's a way," assured Astoria. "That's the least of your concerns. We'll find a way to get rid of them, but right now, focus on your bigger problems."
Scorpius nodded, his mother's words stirring a determined feeling inside of him. He would get Lily back, no matter the stakes.
"I'll do whatever it takes," he vowed, conviction lacing his confident tone.
Scorpius hesitated slightly before ringing the doorbell to the Potters' quaint little cottage. Tendrils of ivy hung above Scorpius's head, brushing the back of it.
The door opened to reveal Ginny Potter, her red hair contrasting with the exterior of the cottage.
Her face darkened upon seeing Scorpius, indicating that she had not yet forgiven him for his abrupt announcement. He smiled awkwardly, holding out the bouquet of violets he had brought with him as a peace offering. She did not take them.
"Malfoy," she said, a hint of coldness underlying the sardonic tone.
"It's Scorpius," he corrected hastily, immediately regretting it as Mrs. Potter glared heatedly at him.
He was saved by another voice; a man's. Harry Potter appeared behind his wife, asking, "Who's at the door, Gin?"
Mr. Potter faltered for a moment as his emerald eyes locked with Scorpius's. Then his face split into a wide smile.
"Scorpius!" he greeted merrily.
Scorpius was surprised by the Boy-Who-Lived's reaction. He was more warm and friendly with him, as opposed to his wife's.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter," he said, equally as warm.
"No, call me Harry." He waved aside the formality. "Do come inside."
Mrs. Potter redirected her pointed glare at Harry, but the latter ignored it and lightly pushed his wife aside.
"You have a nice home," said Scorpius, trying to avoid Mrs. Potter's eyes burning holes into his skull.
"Thank you! We renovated it a few months ago," Harry replied amicably. Scorpius was becoming more unnerved by the minute. "Gin, dear, why don't you go make some tea for our guest? We don't want to seem inhospitable."
To Scorpius's immense relief, Mrs. Potter went into the kitchen, and he was now devoid of her piercing stare.
"Now," said Harry, his manner changing dramatically, leaning down to his ear, "you're here to see Lily, aren't you?"
Scorpius blinked, taken aback. "Y-Yes, sir. Is s-she here?"
"Yes, she is. Why don't you go talk to her now? First room on the right."
Scorpius was bewildered. Harry was more perceptive than he gave him credit for.
"O-Of course," he stammered. "I'll go right away."
Lily looked up as the door opened, expecting her mother, her father, or one of her brothers. What she was not expecting, however, was Scorpius standing in her doorway, clutching a bouquet of violets.
She was captivated by his mere presence; he always seemed to have this effect on her, even though she was in love with Lysander.
That had been true up till now. Seeing Scorpius, her ex-boyfriend and first love of her life, made her stomach tie itself into knots with nervousness. He had a gentle smile on his face, his blonde hair slicked back, and loozed as handsome as ever. She swallowed.
"Scorpius."
"Lily." The name fell out of his lips with genuine affection. He was looking at her with an expression that Lysander had never given her before.
Their relationship had been mostly lust and empty praises; of materialistic wealth and toying with each other's hearts. It had filled up the void in Lily's heart and satisfied her thirst for love. But after a little reflection, she realized it hadn't been love; he felt lust, but mistook it for love. And she had been the same way.
But with Scorpius, it had been simple. He never expected too much out of her. Every once in a while, when she was feeling down, he calmed her with a compliment or a token of his love, or even a surprise. They had laughed, cried, and shared some of the best memories of Lily's life.
And he had thrown it away for another girl.
Scorpius crossed the room, knelt at her bedside, and presented her the flowers. "A flower for a flower," he said cheesily, and Lily emitted a small giggle, accepting the flowers.
"It's nice to see you," she said, trying to mask any anxiety her face would try to betray.
"It has," he agreed. For a moment, Lily's eyes met with the silver ones of Scorpius.
"How's Rose?"
She could've slapped herself.
An unreadable expression crossed his features. "She's doing fine. Dating Leo, actually. I thought you had heard." Leo was a family friend of theirs.
"That's-that's great," she replied, her throat dry. "Of-of course I knew."
That was an obvious lie, but neither of them commented on it.
"So..." Scorpius dragged out the word, searching for something reasonable to say, "how are you?"
The tension was palpable; Scorpius could taste it on his tongue. It was uncomfortably salty.
"Fine," she replied shortly.
Scorpius finally snapped. "Why are you acting like this?" he demanded.
"Acting like what?" Her voice was cool.
"Like—you're being so aloof." He glared accusingly at her.
Lily's redhead temper broke. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the one ruining people's weddings with love confessions," she retorted, swinging her legs out from under the duvet. "Do you have any idea how much turmoil has occurred in this family since you declared your love for me when I was just about to get married? If you had really cared for me, you would have let me do whatever made me happy—and for me, that was marrying Lysander."
"But Lily, he was all wrong for you! I could feel it," he said earnestly. "We belong together—"
Lily was seething, her blood boiling and an inevitable storm brewing. "How dare you," she snarled. "You're implying as if I do not have the capability to make my own decisions. You want to do what fits you best, but don't give a damn about my feelings. If you had truly put my feelings above your own and really loved me, then neither of us would have been in this situation at all. And now, you idiot, you've gone and put me in a dilemma about my feelings for you—"
"Woah, Lils, you're ranting," said Scorpius, abruptly calm and trying to soothe her. He reached out to touch her comfortingly, but she slapped his hand away. Hurt and old feelings were brimming in their eyes.
It was like the calm after a raging war, in which both parties had time to reflect and decide what to say or do next.
Scorpius cracked the strained silence. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier, insinuating that you could not make the right choice," he said quietly. "But there will always be a choice and I'll be here for you, no matter what. I love you, but all I ask for is your forgiveness. That'll at least assuage most of my pain and predictably yours as well."
Lily's eyes were watering with emotion. "I forgive you."
"Thank you," he whispered gratefully.
Tears now spilled out of her brown eyes, full of countless emotions. She promptly threw her arms around him and engulfed him in a meaningful hug.
Scorpius stiffened for the slightest moment, clearly not expecting the heartfelt embrace, but regained his senses and leaned in.
His nose was full of the scent of her heavenly jasmine shampoo. It reminded him painfully of older times, when he and Lily were still together and very much enamored with each other.
Maybe hope wasn't lost for him, if he could still believe like this. He still loved her deeply, even though he had thought he had fallen for another.
Lily was perfect in every way possible to him. Her beauty, her kindness, her fierce passion—he loved it all. Sure, she had her imperfections, he wasn't blind to them, but they were flaws that he could learn to live with.
And he? He was imperfect as well, but Lily had the characteristics to counter them—it was a part of the reason why their relationship had worked; they were able to sort out their problems without any hassle, not excluding this one.
Perhaps it's our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another, he mused.
Hope wasn't lost after all.