Written for the Quidditch League Forum Competition
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Captain
Round 10
Music prompt - 2010s: Uptown Funk — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
I have found a new fondness for the song even though it probably isn't one of my favorites. Lily/Scorpius.
o0o
It was none of these things that made Scorpius love her but at the same time, it was everything.
o0o
It was a well known fact to any of the Weasley-Potter clan — or at least to any of them with a half a brain, so James was out — that a certain blond Scorpius Malfoy had a crush. A adorable little crush on a girl.
Scorpius was quite aware that this large family knew this and once he got over the feeling that he might get murdered by one or two older Weasleys one day, he took Albus aside and told him who exactly he had a crush on. The results were typical.
The shocked look.
The disappointed look.
Scorpius could only guess that maybe he had lost a bet.
Albus asked miserably, "You mean, it isn't Rose?"
Scorpius rolled his eyes. So there had been a bet. "Don't be daft. That girl hates me."
"I just thought it was..." Albus made a motion with his hands that was supposed to mean something, but it just ended up looking like he was strangling a cat, "...you know."
Scorpius raised an eyebrow, "No. I don't."
Albus threw his hands in the air, exasperated, "You know, the girl and boy hate each other. They annoy each other to the point of almost physical violence. Then they fall in love and live happily ever after."
What?
Staring horrified at his best friend, Scorpius asked, "That really happens?"
"In the movies!" Albus paused, "In the books too."
He scoffed, "Well, we are in neither. That would be fictional."
Albus mused, "They do it theatre plays too..."
"Would you shut up and tell me how to confess to the girl of my dreams?"
"Now who's the daft one?" Albus crossed his arms and stared at him challengingly, "What bloke in his right mind would ask the brother on advice on how to date his sister?"
"You're my best friend!" Scorpius defended his choice. Like who else was he going to ask? Hugo? The boy could hardly keep his nose out of a book long enough to give him any advice. Teddy Lupin was highly protective of his sort-of-little-sister so he might've as well asked Mr. Potter himself for advice, and James would, well, destroy him. Albus was the only one bonkers enough to help him.
"I'm not asking you for kissing advice, am I?" Scorpius pointed out, "Not that you would have any anyway."
Albus scowled.
"Just a simple way to confess my love to your sister!"
Albus raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Is that all? Just simple non-lasting love? That's all my sister is worth?"
"Fine. My undying love."
Albus smiled. "Because you're my best friend. I'll help you."
Scorpius felt unnaturally affectionate towards his friend at that particular moment, "Thank you."
"Because I know Lily will personally destroy you physically, mentally, and emotionally if you ever broke her heart."
"...thanks."
"First step, catch the girl in her natural habitat."
"Right. What does that mean?"
"No clue. Found it in this magazine for pretty boy wizards."
"...why did I even ask you?"
"Because you're an introverted slob who comes from a family of brats. Honestly, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm your only friend."
Two weeks and nothing had happened. Scorpius could only hang his head down as he entered the Potter's mansion — it was not a house, it was a bloody mansion. Albus has been a reasonable amount of help, to be fair, but what was the use of a single guy asking another single guy to help? Obviously one of them was doing it wrong to begin with.
They had tried a written note of Scorpius's undying affections.
But the owl lost it. Just with his luck, he had gotten a reply from seventy-year old Rita Skeeter in the following weeks on how he was such a charmer.
They had tried flowers but James accidently burned them.
Don't ask.
As a last resort, Scorpius decided to be old-fashioned and approach her.
However, it must've been some sense, some hunt of the prey, or something, because Mr. Potter was always around. Whenever Scorpius went to approach Lily, he could feel the stare of round spectacles burning into his back.
More than once he had to glance in the mirror to make sure his sweater wasn't smoking.
He let out a long-suffering sigh and started down the familiar path in the hallway towards Albus' room.
" - them good girls, straight masterpieces - "
He stopped. Muggle music? Curiously, he backtracked a few steps to peer into a room that he had always avoided since a small child. It was wide and so colourful that it made Scorpius wonder if a someone had exploded a wide range of pink paint-cans inside. Considering his experience with James, that could very well be true.
But that wasn't what caught his attention in that moment. It was the dancing figure boucing like a mad bunny rabbit on her bed.
Vaguely amused, he leant against the doorway to watch.
" - gotta kiss myself, I'm so pretty - "
To say that Lily Luna Potter was one of the few girls who could make him stop and stare was an understatement. Poetic description weren't really some thing that he was practiced in and to be honest, Lily wasn't perfect. Her teeth were slightly crooked, her smile was too shy, and her personality seemed to be torn between being the girliest girl or being someone who could punch the living daylights out of someone. It was none of these things that made Scorpius love her but at the same time, it was everything. It was all these pieces of Lily Luna Potter combined that made Scorpius see someone beautiful.
Oh.
Scorpius froze.
Lily had stopped flipping her hair in the air and she was gaping at him, her cheeks turning light red from being caught in the act of silly dancing.
Instantly, Scorpius was flustered. What was he thinking? Staring at her? Wait, was his face turning red as well? Now they were both embarrased. He stared absently at anything, the walls, the ceiling, the bedsheets. Inwardly he wondered why Lily had blue bedsheets with such a bright pink room. Didn't she have any colour-cordination at all — He coughed. Okay, shut up, mind.
"'ello, Scorp," Lily said awkwardly.
"- 'cause Uptown Funk gon' give it to you, -"
If anything, Lily's face got slightly redder, "It's a popular Muggle song. Or... it was, um, back in the day."
Yep. He knew that, of course he did, no, wait, of course he didn't. Scorpius nodded anyway, "Nice dance moves," he complimented sarcastically, keeping a steady gaze on her and thinking how cute she looked while embarrased.
She huffed while hopping off her bed, "I'd like to see you do better. " Lily smiled at him, no — more like smirked.
"Nope."
"Come on."
"Nope."
She grabbed his hand, "Then dance with me?" Lily tugged him. "Come on! The song is almost over." She dragged him over to the middle of her bedroom floor and placed his — only slightly — unwilling hands on her hips.
"- Girls hit your hallelujahs -"
"Don't you know how to dance?"
Scorpius frowned, " Of course I know how to dance." Or at least, his mother had forced a few lessons on her less than elegant son at a young age, he added mentally.
Lily twirled a little, keeping his hand above her before bringing it down. "Then show me, Scorp."
Scorpius wasn't sure if it was from the several weeks of wanting to confess his feelings, the last few moments of watching her be a complete goof, or maybe it was from her holding his hand. Perhaps it was that insufferable Muggle song that was now stuck in his head. He shifted his right arm around her waist and dipped her. Lily yelped in surprise before laughing brightly.
"Do you want to go on a date?" Scorpius asked abruptly, still holding her.
Lily stared at him.
"- Uptown Funk you up -"
Scorpius desperately wanted to turn off the radio. It was just ruining everything.
"Okay," she agreed quietly.
"Really?"
Lily tightened her arms around his neck and he remembered that he was still holding her in the dip position. Hastily, he drew her back up.
She smiled breathlessly with her hair sticking up everywhere and she attempted to pat it down fruitlessly, "Really, really."
"Okay," Scorpius grinned at her nervously, "I think I... really like you, you know."
Her cheeks were still lightly pink and she glanced up at him, "Oh, okay. Me too... oh, I'm really bad at this.' Lily ran her hand through her hair, making it even more of a mess than it was.
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out together." Scorpius said. He glanced down at their intertwined hands before hastily disconnecting them. "I'll owl you tomorrow, okay?"
The magical radio was still playing but neither of them could hear it anymore. Lily nodded at him once and then twice.
Before things got too awkward, Scorpius quickly darted out the door and towards Albus' room.
Oh, Merlin.
He did it. Scorpius wanted to jump in the air and yell out in victory, but he knew that Mr. Potter was taking a nap down the hall and that would be too awkward to explain.
Approach her in her natural habitat, huh.
Albus had helped him. Amazing. But like he would ever tell him.
"So, Scorp, how's it going?"
"Fine. You, Albus?"
"Fine. You know a little birdy told me that you asked Lily out."
"How di-"
"'cause Uptown Funk gon' give it to you!"
"...why are we even friends?"
