Vanilla-
Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was the well known player of Hogwarts. He slept with girls and threw them away like yesterday's trash. He never really cared what anyone thought. Anyone. Well, except a young girl. The fact that he cared about her and her damn opinons was well hidden, not only for the fact that he was Scorpius Malfoy and he "had no emotions," but also because he was a Malfoy and she was a Potter. He, a Slytherin, she a Gryffindor. She was younger than him. And countless other reasons that he constantly reminded himself about. It was so wrong, and maybe that's why he felt it was so right.
He would see her in the hallways and on trips to Hogsmead and her red hair would blow in the wind and he'd stare, until one of her kin would block his view or take her away, and that's just how it was. The Potter-Weasley Clan stood in the way of what Scorpius wanted... no, not wanted. He did not want her.
It was late, after hours but he didn't really care about getting caught. He was a prefect after all. He'd just lie and say he was on duties. He was just with a Hufflepuff girl, Susan... Sarah? Kelly? Hell, he didn't remeber her name. And yes, he pictured the Potter Girl, he refused to say or even think of her first name, was the one he was snogging so heavily in the broom cupboard.
He was walking down to the dungeons when he passed the open music room. From inside he heard the soft stums of a guitar and a voice echo off the walls. Both the voice and guitar stopped occasionally and the voice would curse and then go back to singing.
Scorpius was transfixed into his place. The voice shot down straight to his core and kept him in place. He would recognize that voice anywhere, surely though he had never heard the voice singing, but he recognized it from the countless times he'd over heard her conversations. The Potter Girl.
He could hear the voice but not the words. His body moved without his concent towards her and into the room. He stepped gracefully and quietly into the room, that is until he hit a harp that was lying just out of his eyesight. The strings echoed through the small room and he knew he was caught. He barely caught the harp in time, but his Seeker refelxes took hold and snached it in time.
Potter whipped around in fright nearly dropping the guitar.
"I..." Scorpius tried to explain himself, as he set the harp upright again, but for the first time ever, he lacked the words need to speak. He was tongue-tied. He coughed deep in his throat.
Come on, Malfoy.
"I apologise, I just was passing by and I couldn't help but overhear, I can leave if you wish." His voice lacked the hardness, the coldness that he usually had, a guard up around everything. Sure, he always had his eloquence, but to not sound unattached and disinterested was not Scorpius at all. It surpirsed even him.
Her eye brows shot up.
"No, no... It's fine. You just scared me." There was a small silence.
"I didn't know you played guitar." Scorpius stated. He didn't know why he said that of all things, it just slipped out.
"Well, considering this is the first conversation we've ever had..." she trailed off. He expected her to beangry at him, but her eyes danced in amusement. "Not that many people know anyway."
"Why's that? You have a talent. Why not show it to the world?" He walked closer into the room. She sat back down taking the acoustic in her lap.
"Um... I don't know. I just don't run down the halls screaming 'Hey, guys I know how to play guitar.'" He chuckled.
"Well, that would be one way..." Once again a small silence. "So that song. Did you write it yourself?" She laughed.
"No, not that one. I've written a few others. I was just learning that one for fun."
"Ah." He said. He interlaced his fingers in his lap. "Would you care to keep playing?" She looked reluctantly at the guitar in her hands. "You don't need to. It was just a request."
She smiled. "Well, I can't deny a request." He smirked, then mentally smacked himself for letting his mind wander to more mature things.
She took the guitar back in her hands. She held it so gracefully. The moonlight caught her face just right and her red hair seemed darker in the moonlight.
"I have an idea." Scorpius said. He got out his wand and she looked at him curiously. He closed the door and locked it with a flick of the want. He cast a silencing spell as well and she looked at him warily. "No need to worry, I have only good intentions."
With another wave of his wand the stage in the music room came to life with the lights. Large black theater seats appeared to make an audience. A small sign in lights hung about the stage that read, "Lily Potter," glowed brightly. A mic and stand appeared as well as a tall stool for her to sit on.
"Why not make it a show?" Her eyes light up and she grinned. She squealed as she ran up onto the stage.
"This is what I want to do, you know." She told him as she stared thoughtfully out into the fake audience he had conjured. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but... yeah. It's what I want to do."
"Well, then," he said as he sang into the plush black velvet seats, "take the stage." He waved his hand at his creation, admiring himself for thinking so quickly.
She walked around on the stage to get a feel of it and then sat down on the stool. She adjusted the mic slightly and bit her bottom lip softly, uninteionally driving him crazy.
"Hello, everyone." She waved at the fake audience and her eyes settled on his. His hear jumped in his chest. "I'm Lily Potter and tonight upon request of the young gentleman in front, I will be singing a song. It's a muggle song. For those of you who will be confused," she smiled looking directly at him. He gasped in fake shook and placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "about this song, it makes allusions to the famous muggle American outlaw, Jesse James. He was just a guy who stole a lot of stuff and whilst stealing thing the man became a well known Casanova. This is 'Just Like Jesse James."
She cleared her throat and started to play.
"You're struttin' into town like you're slingin' a gun
Just a small town dude with a big city attitude
Honey are ya lookin' for some trouble tonight
Well all right."
Her voice softly crooned out the song. Her voice was soft and beautiful but had an edge to it that made a Scorpius shiver. She made her voice slightly gruff to soot the song and Scorpius tried to keep his mind clear of naughty thoughts.
"You think you're so bad, drive the women folk wild
Shoot 'em all down with the flash of your pearly smile
Honey but you met your match tonight
Oh, that's right"
For a second Scorpius thought that this song might be about him. But quickly shook that thought out of his head and payed attention to her. The way she rocked with the beat of the song. Her left foot tapping on the stool. Her eyes would sometimes close in passion of the song. Her perfect lips making that words seem like more that just words. Her face echoed the emotion of the song. His body started to humm.
"If you can give it, I can take it
'Cause if this heart is gonna break it's gonna take a lot to break it
I know tonight
Somebody's gonna win the fight
So if you're so tough
Come on and prove it
You heart is down for the count and you know you're gonna lose it
Tonight you're gonna go down in flames
Just like Jesse James."
Scorpius's mind had aparently threw itself out the window because he couldn't think straight. All he could think of and process was her. The way her fingers moved suductivly over the metal strings. The small little head movements she made to emphasize a certain part of the song. Everything she did, he memorized.
"You break the laws of love in the name of desire
Take ten steps back cause I'm ready baby
Aim and fire
Baby there's nowhere you gonna run tonight
Ooh that's right"
The power of the voice filled the room and the girl he passed by in the hallways was no more. On the stage was a woman. This was her passion and even he could tell, she was born to do this.
"You think you'll knock me off my feet 'til I'm flat on the floor
'Til my heart is cryin' Indian and I'm beggin for more
So come on baby
Come on baby, come o-oo-oo-on"
That was when his control, his facade that he had worked so hard to build up came crumbling down. He was completely infatuated with her, he was now finally allowing himself to admit it.
"Tonight you're gonna go down in flames
Just like Jesse James
Tonight you're gonna go down in fla-ames
Just like Jesse James"
Scorpius stood, applauding her. He let out a wolf whistle as well. She blushed and said "Thanks for having me." into the mic before stepping down off the stage.
"That was... beautful." Scorpius said. "Absolutely stunning."
"Thanks." She said with a smile. They sat down and talked for a little while but they eventually had to leave. Scorpius quickly put the room back to it's original state and they closed the heavy double doors behind them.
Once again there was a small uncertain silence.
"I'll walk you to your common room?" He said it as a question. He glaced at her eagerly, not wishing for this night to end.
She happily agreed.
As they were walking down the halls of the castle climbing the staircase and getting caught on the trick ones, the Potter Girl took out hand lotion out of a small bag,
"Undetectable extenion charm," she said as she slipped her guitar in it.
She started rubbing the lotion on her hands and he could smell the perfume assult his nose, but it the most pleasent way.
It was vanilla.
It was sweet and inviting. She rubbed in more so over the tips of her fingers.
"The metal guitar stings give you callouses. I hate them, but they are needed. But I just like to keep them as soft as they can be, you know. Callouses feel weird."
He just nodded in agreement, he had calloused quidditch hands, himself.
"See?" she said as she took his arm in hers. She gently brushed her non-calloused fingers across his forarm and then switched. There was only a slight difference. Her fingers were soft and gentle he could barely feel the roughness of the callouses. But her touch made goosbumps erupt all over. "Well, this is me." She said pointing to the portrait on the wall.
The had stopped just outside the Portait of The Fat Lady, who was currently sleeping.
"Oh, yes. Well, I must be going down to the dungeons then, you know the Snake's Pit." They both chuckled.
"Goodnight Scorpius and thank you... for walking me back."
"Yeah. Anytime. Goodnight, Lily." He turned and happily walked down to the Pit, laughing to himself. That was the first time he had ever said her name out loud.
Three weeks later
In Potions, Scorpius was mixing the cauldron with ease as he just put the last ingredient into the Anamortia. He read the instructons.
"Turn three times counter clock-wise." While doing so the sweetest smell wafted up to him the steam turned a pure white color and he could smell...
Scorpius stated out loud in shock,
"Vanilla."