Chapter 2

He had first heard of the 'Queen' from Aconite Parkinson. His vicious former classmate had a particular sore spot with the red head, as did many other young women who frequented the club. The Queen attracted the attention of all of the males, and even though their affections were very rarely returned, they continued to pursue her making all of the other women frustrated and jealous.

Aconite had been trying for a few weeks to woo a certain male who always seemed too preoccupied with the Queen to notice her inviting clothing and stares. She had come to Scorpius for his help, knowing he would eagerly pick up the challenge and successfully expose the girl. He was well versed in the language of women, having gained many a lesson and practice from charming and romancing his fellow classmates during his last few years at Hogwarts, and from a few other partners during the four years of his post Hogwarts life.

He had first accepted Aconite's challenge to humor her, planning nothing more than to go to the club and have a few drinks before calling it a night, but after seeing her and observing her behavior, Scorpius Malfoy was addicted. She stayed out of the spot light for most of the night, unlike many of the other witches who came to find a date, which made him originally think she was the sort that liked to be pursued. However, he noticed her subtle whispers and wand motions she made before drinking the gifts of her admirers, which he thought meant she was just picky. But then her eyes had locked on his and she had flashed him that look that said it all: he was to be her prey.

He had watched her as she danced a few dances on the dance floor before he decided to play her game. Dancing with her had made going to the place worth it. She knew how to move against him, making him focus hard on the words he spoke to her. After pulling her away from the blaring music he made his move in hopes to surprise her, suggesting a plan that had been gradually developing in his mind throughout the course of the night.

She had accepted, completing step one. Now on to step two. Creating his own list of questions and answers to bring to their first meeting would be simple. The challenge would be setting up the first date. On the bright side, even if their first meeting was a flop (which it most certainly would not be) she was still contracted to see him another four times. However, Scorpius figured this meeting would set the tone for all of the rest. A good start always leads to a greater finish.

Xxx

Lily caught herself fingering the snake charm again and mentally slapped herself. That guy she met last night knew what he was doing alright. It was a particularly slow day at work and Lily found her mind wandering back to him quite often as she brewed stock potions for the store. It was almost as if he had sought her out on purpose, she thought. He knew of her reputation and the name others had given her, yet said he didn't know anyone in the place. Did he have an outside source, or had her legacy spread further than she thought? He had proposed a very interesting situation for the two of them, rather quickly and much to her style. Was he really that quick of a thinker, or had he been watching her for a while? On top of all of that, he seemed to know that she enjoyed a chase, seemed to know that she liked to figure people out.

Her head was spinning as fast as the mini whirl pool she had made in the sleeping draft she was concocting. He certainly seemed to know a lot about her. What did she know about him? He was extremely attractive with his playful, yet sleek, blond hair, piercing gray eyes, and she had felt while they were dancing that he was well built with muscles only Quidditch could give. His skin was pale and flawless sin freckles and blemishes. Based on his appearance, she guessed he was about her age, maybe a year older. His voice was icy, yet soothing. He knew how to dance. He seemed very confident with his words and actions towards her, the sort of confidence that might scare away less experience girls, yet it wasn't a threatening confidence. The air about him reminded her of the confidence people have when they know something another does not. This brought her back full circle: what did he know about her?

Lily let out a shriek when she felt something hot touch her chest. She looked down, expecting to see that her potion had exploded, but it had not; it looked fine, great actually. Her boss peered into the potion prep room with concerned eyes. "Everything okay back there Lily?" Malcom Baddock asked.

Lily nodded quickly. "I lost track of the potion for a moment, thought it was going to boil over," she said.

Baddock raised an eyebrow. "That's not like you Lily."

"Late night last night," she offered.

"Hmm," Baddock responded. "Is everything okay now?"

Lily nodded. "Yes sir. This one is almost finished!"

He nodded in approval before disappearing into the main storage area. As soon as he was out of sight, Lily looked down to see the eyes of the snake charm were glowing green. It was now warm to the touch (she would have to remember to tell her date to turn that feature down a few degrees) and she could make out a light script on the snake's underside as she held it up to her eyes. It read, 'Next Friday, 8 pm, The Gold Cauldron. Don't forget your list.'

Lily smiled as she stared the silver snake in the eyes and spoke the words, "Game on." Immediately the snake's eyes glowed green and the message was gone. She assumed this meant her message was sent successfully. She pulled her now completed potion off of the fire, set it on the stone floor, and waved her wand at a set of glass vials on the stock shelf. As soon as the vials had emptied the cauldron, Lily magically cleaned it and gathered the ingredients for the next potion on her list. Unfortunately, it was one that would require a significant amount of attention, meaning she had to be careful not to let her mind wander. Drafting the list would have to wait until she returned home.

Xxx

Scorpius glanced at himself in his mirror one last time, made sure he had his list, cast the enchantment, and disapparated from his flat. He arrived at the designated apparation zone in the village of Hogsmeade. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, waiting for the spinning to sensation to leave his body. For obvious reasons, Scorpius apparated as little as possible, and greatly preferred his broomstick or muggle transportation to the sickness he felt after apparating. It was a good thing that losing your lunch did not count as splinching yourself during the apparation exam, or he would have failed – multiple times.

His eyes opened and he immediately began searching for the bright fireworks, revealing the general location of Weasley's Wizard Weezes, and conveniently his dinner destination. After watching a red fox be chased in circles by a pointed blue hat (or was it the fox chasing the hat?) for a few minutes, he started walking towards them.

He was early, and paused to admire the new broomstick model on display, as well as a new breed of sleek black owls made to travel long distances across water. He passed the war memorial quickly, as to not disturb the visiting families as they paid their respects to family members and friends. Finally, he arrived (with a few minutes to spare) at a black stone building whose door was framed by two golden cauldrons, sizzling and steaming, producing the most mouth watering scents imaginable.

Scorpius walked inside, intending on waiting for his date in the entry way. He checked in for his reservation, and was about to decline the offer to sit and wait in the bar area when a flash of red hair caught his attention. Apparently the Queen also believed in being places on time...and still being able to dress to impress. He admired the way her charcoal skinny jeans hugged her legs and were complemented by a flowing yellow top.

"Ah, got here a little bit ago she did. Seems to have a lot of admirers already," the host commented when he saw what Scorpius was looking at. "She said she's waiting for someone though, so don't get too excited. Said she'd dine with me if she gets stood up," he continued smugly.

"She did, did she?" Scorpius smiled, not taking his eyes off of her back.

"Yeah, but who'd stand up a girl like that?" the host shook his head sadly.

"Only a fool," Scorpius played along.

"You're right there," the host laughed.

The red head turned around and looked at Scorpius, who paused and turned to the host, smiling. "Well then it is a good thing I am no fool."

The host gaped at him as he walked towards his awaiting date.

Xxx

Lily glanced at the clock at the bar. She respected a man who showed up for a date slightly early. In her opinion, it showed that he respected her time and that he was a man of his word. However, showing up too early meant he was overly excited, clingy, or had nothing to do with his time. No good, in other words. Showing up in the next few minutes was the target zone.

She glanced at the lobby area and saw him standing, exchanging a few words with the evening's host, who she almost hexed after the fifth time he stopped to check on her and order her a drink (she had only been there for three minutes!). His gray eyes locked on her and she saw him smile, conjuring a set of dimples she had not noticed before. As he made his final comments to the host, who looked shocked, she took in his attire for the evening. He wore dark jeans, black loafers, a matching black belt, an a casual green and silver striped button up shirt – tucked in of course. A good choice for the evening and setting, she decided as he reached his hand out for hers.

Lily placed her hand into his open palm and let him help her off of the high stool she had been sitting on. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I had only just gotten here."

She saw him look pointedly at the five empty glasses in front of her seat. "Don't worry, they won't be put on your tab; the host assured me that it would be coming out of his evening's check," she said, grinning.

"I bet he'd cry if he knew he was really paying for water," her date whispered in her ear as he lead her toward their booth in the corner. She shivered when his breath tickled her ear.

"Perhaps, but why ruin his night even more than you apparently already have," she said as she slid into the booth.

Lily looked around for their server. "I'm guessing you have not been here before," he commented.

She looked at him questioningly, suddenly feeling very exposed and vunerable. "It's very similar to a buffet in a way. Usually, you walk over to the glass food bar you can see over my shoulder. Just grab a bowl and fill it to your heart's desire. Then it will be cooked and served over rice or pasta," he explained.

Lily's eyes lit up. What a perfect place to take someone who, like herself for example, could never decide on just one dish; she always had the urge to mix certain parts of one with another. "Well, let's go then," she said.

He held up a hand to stop her. "I said usually. Usually that is how it works."

Lily raised her eyebrow, well wasn't he just full of surprises. "People enjoy food because it brings the comfort, pleasure, and adventure. This date will be about first impressions and establishing trust. So, based on our first impressions of each other, we will prepare each other's meals," he finished.

"And the trust?" she asked.

"You have to trust that I will not make you something horrendous," he smiled. "The fastest way to a guy's heart is through his stomach," he winked.

Lily laughed. "Who said I'm after your heart?"

Xxx

Scorpius watched as she walked away, slightly surprised at her answer. He took a deep breath before following after her. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, could he really trust her not to poison him? He laughed to himself and grabbed a bowl. She might seem heartless at times, but not enough to try to kill him. He would have noticed if numerous men his age started going missing or reported dead by the Prophet.

He looked at his date, watching as she carefully contemplated each vegetable and meat she added to what was to be his meal. Making a decision, he grabbed the tongs in front of him and placed some shrimp into her bowl. She did not seem like a red meat person, definitely not pork, but he wasn't sure if she was a vegetarian or not. He magically adjusted the size of the shrimp so she would be able to easily eat them, and after making sure that the tails had been removed, he proceeded to the vegetables. She was bold, yet slightly reserved in nature...he added some chopped scallions to the shrimp. She quickly adapted to any situation he had thrown at her...he added a few mushrooms. Gorgeous red hair and stunning green eyes...tomatoes and zucchini went in next. She had the ability to surprise him...a sprig of cilantro, and a smidgen of crushed garlic. She liked to unravel people...definitely cavatappi noodles. Finishing touch...basil pesto, uncommon, yet extremely delicious. He added some salt and pepper, and added a cooking note to the chef indicating that freshly grated Parmesan cheese was to be added to the top of the dish.

He placed his creation on the counter and headed back to the booth where his date was waiting. "No poison I hope," she smiled as she sipped the lemonade she had ordered.

"As long as you put none in mine, Red."

"Is that going to be my name during this game?" she asked him.

"Yes, because you see with me you have not yet earned the title 'Queen,'" he smiled.

He watched as she thought for a few moments, most likely on what she was going to call him. Before she could answer, their bowls appeared on the table in front of them. Scorpius laughed when she let out a gasp, which she tried to pass as a cough. He swiftly switched their bowls around and found himself staring into what he could only describe as a piece of art. "What's in this?" he asked, moving things around with his fork, licking his lips.

"Taste and you will see," she said, watching him. "And none of that 'ladies first' business. The first thing you will probably learn about me is that I don't do traditional dating scenes."

"If you insist," he said spearing a few different things onto his fork. She had chosen pasta as well, a delicate penne. He tasted chicken with some type of coating, a buttery, lemon chicken broth for the sauce, hints of garlic, chive and onion, he had also eaten a tomato on the first serving. He looked into the bowl and picked up a few of the remaining vegetables and admired how well the sauced went with the zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli. It was topped off with Parmesan cheese, although he thought he could taste subtle hints of cheddar perhaps? It was one of the best things he had eaten. "Was it what you were expecting?" she asked, a sly smirk on her face; she could obviously tell how much he was enjoying it. "It doesn't look like much, but the flavors blend well, don't you think?"

He nodded as he finished his bite. "I think I've identified most of the main things," he said, and proceeded to list the things he had tasted.

She smiled. "It's a base of butter, chicken broth, garlic and chives. Next, white onion was added, followed by zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes. The penne was added next, along with cheddar cheese which melts and makes the sauce thicker. The dish is finished with the Parmesan crusted chicken and grated Italian cheeses," she said proudly.

"It's such a wide variety, yet it all blends so well," he commented

She smiled at him. "It's very much like making a potion, which is something I'm particularly good at."

"Well you're next," he said, not wanting to stray too far into the subject of their personal lives just yet.

She loaded up her fork and placed it into her mouth, closing her eyes. She chewed slowly, and he felt a surge of victory when she smiled. "Shrimp, tomato, mushroom, basil sauce, garlic, zucchini, onion, and there is definitely something else," she said. She reached in for another taste. "A certain kick...oh it must be cilantro!"

"All correct," he replied. "I wasn't aware that part of the training to be a potions master included culinary arts," he joked.

She laughed. "No, no it does not. It does however train the tongue to separate flavors. Useful for antidote creation and substance identification," she said. "I suppose my love for potions did spring from helping my grandmother in the kitchen when I was young."

He nodded. They ate the rest of their meal, talking about this and that. The general basic information, without too much depth of course. Scorpius noticed that shew as very careful not to reveal any information that might link her to a specific family or even place of employment. He did learn however that she was two years his junior, was working towards the mastery of potions, she used to play Quidditch, and that she still lived at home with her parents, something he hadn't expected.

He in turn told her that he worked in marketing and international sales, had also played Quidditch, and lived in his own flat. He found that she was very easy to talk to, and it was very hard to hold back everything about his general life, things that he might normally have told a date. She seemed to have a wide range of interests, many of which matched his own. They both enjoyed art, although she claimed that she was not very skilled. They both enjoyed a good book, no matter the genre. And, obviously, they both enjoyed good food. It was all in all a very refreshing conversation. Many girls he had dated in the past had tried to be overly flirty on the first day, something he found annoying a very fake.

The later of which had just run out for the both of them. When the plates had disappeared again, he pulled his folded up list out of his pocket and waved it in front of her face. "Show me yours and I'll show you mine," he smirked.

Xxx

Lily grabbed her silver clutch from beside her and withdrew her list. It had been harder than she had thought, coming up with specific things she looked for or was interested in while seeing someone. It wasn't really something she had really spent much time thinking about. Usually, she went on instincts in these matters, letting the conversations guide her to new discovery. Also while writing the list she had to differentiate between what she found interesting and significant about a man, and what traits a man she would consider marrying should have. This was something she hadn't expected as she had also never thought about what traits she would consider for a man she wished to marry.

All in all, writing the list had shaken her more than she would have liked, but she had finally come up with the following (in no particular order): Where is his soft side? Is he capable of being originally romantic without being cheesy? Does he have an interesting or troubling past? What/who influences him the most in life? And she had also added with blushing cheeks: What is his greatest fantasy? and How do we get along physically?

Some of these questions (especially the last two) she had never discovered about most of her dates before getting bored or figuring out their identity. Answering these questions truthfully, yet not so truthfully that identities are revealed would be quite a challenge, and most failed in the past. However, Lily thought that the case might be different with...oh she really needed to come up with a name for him. A nickname now to hold the place of his real name later, she thought to herself.

Their hands touched as they swapped notes, only giving her a few precious seconds to admire the warmth and softness of his hands once again. She unfolded his list, holding her breath. She had never considered what her dates would want to know from her. Of course previously, they had just wanted to go out with her because she was pretty, not because they were playing the same sort of game she was. Somehow, knowing that they were playing the same game to the same end was nerve wracking, and Lily did not like to feel nervous.

She let out her breath lightly as she glanced down to finally read his neat script. His was slightly longer than hers, ranging from simple to complex facts. She began reading... and analyzing.

What are her favorite flowers? This one surprised her. Was he planning on using this knowledge to woo her? Surely they would not get so involved that flowers would be necessary. She had been with Lysander for much longer than five dates and he had never once gotten her flowers.

Is she adventurous and open to taking risks and trying new things? Well this one was standard, she figured. It also suggested that he was one for adventure and spontaneity.

What are her life goals? Expected...

Has she ever been in love or had her heart broken? She was puzzled by this one, as she had thought that this was typically something men either didn't ask or waited until they were secure enough with the situation to hear about past romances.

Does she have a grasp on reality? Was he used to dating psychos or something?

What does she look like without make up on? Really?

Is she confident in herself? Okay, this was a little more normal. Some of these were things she knew that guys noticed, but never really looked for.

Are we physically compatible? This was also a question she had been expecting, and even hoping he'd write.

Is she clingy? Again, expected, yet caused her to laugh all the same.

Can I trust her and can she trust me? Another great question on his part.

Xxx

Scorpius made sure their hands made contact as they exchanged notes, knowing that there was nothing more intimate and exciting in a new relationship than a few, unexpected, yet very pleasant instances of physical contact. He watched as she began to unfold his list, and noticed that she had become slightly nervous. She doesn't like not being in control, he mused briefly. He entertained the idea for a few seconds before opening the paper she had given him.

Her questions didn't really surprise him, although he found it interesting that she took the extra quill strokes to emphasize that she did not like cheesy romance. He was also pleased that she had been bold and honest enough to state the importance of the physical component of the relationship. Scorpius had hoped she would elude to this somewhere in her list or on their date tonight. He certainly would never do anything she didn't want to do, but he did like to know where his boundaries were. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of the physical part of the relationship that was bound to happen at some point during their meetings. And, since they would only see each other a few times, this aspect would be greatly accelerated, or so he hoped. He was very attracted to her.

He watched her face as she worked through the items on his list, apparently thinking about each one and what it said about him as a person. He was sure she read quite a few surprises. Although no one aside from his best mate would have guessed it, when Scorpius went out with a girl he was constantly getting to know her and trying to form a picture of their future together. This was not because he considered marrying each girl he dated, but rather because he did not want to waste his time on girls that he obviously had no connection with. This case was slightly different, but they had a set amount of time, which meant that if any point he deemed that they were incompatible he would never have to see her again after their time was up. Finding that they were compatible to the point where he considered marriage was very highly unlikely. In most cases, he made his consideration to ask a girl on a date very carefully, making sure he would not even waste one date on a girl that would not be worth his time.

"So what now?" a voice said from across the table.

Scorpius looked up from his thoughts and smiled. "We keep each other's lists. If there is anything we can answer now, we do so if we choose. The other items we each need to incorporate into future dates, so start planning for the last four."

She nodded and turned back to the list. "Well I supposed I could tell you my favorite flowers, so you can be prepared for future dates naturally," she smirked.

He rolled his eyes, knowing that she would poke a bit of fun at this question; if only she knew how well versed he was in flowers. "These would make an overwhelmingly awful arrangement, but alone I find them unique," she started, taking another sip of her lemonade. "Dahlias, preferably a pinky orange color, amaryllis, orchids, daffodils, tuberoses, and Queen Anne's lace, the purple kind," she said, ticking the types off on her dainty fingers.

As she listed them off, his brain clicked to their meanings. True, the language of flowers usually applied to gift giving so one could speak without words. Even the way a flower was accepted spoke volumes. However, Scorpius believed that a person's favorite flower also revealed something about them. Dahlias signified good taste. Amaryllis represented pride and beauty, and similarly orchids represented maturity, charms and beauty. Daffodils meant a longing for returned affections or unrequited love. Tuberoses signified dangerous pleasures and voluptuousness. Finally, Queen Anne's Lace represented fantasy and delicateness.

"Now don't get all formal on me. If you read my list to the full extent you will have noticed that I don't like cheesy," she teased.

Scorpius grinned at her. "Don't worry, I speak your language," he said.

She grinned and twisted her head slightly to the left. "Unfortunately," he continued, "there isn't really anything I can share with you on this particular date."

"Oh, there might be," she said. "Or at least a partial."

It was his turn to cock his head to the side. She dipped her spoon into the bowl of chocolate ice cream that had just appeared between them. He was unable to take his eyes from her as she brought it up to her pink lips, and had to remember to breath when she slowly dragged it back out of her mouth between pressed lips. She smiled. "Mmmm, heavenly," she sighed.

"Yes," he said softly.

She laughed lightly at him. "If you want me to keep looking like I do, you best pick your spoon up as well."

He laughed lightly and did as she told. The ice cream disappeared slowly, each playing the same game and holding each other's hot gaze. It was ridiculous and sexy at the same time. The empty dish disappeared, soon replaced by the check. Scorpius swiftly grabbed it and pulled a few coins out of his pocket before he stood up to leave.

His date followed his lead, grabbing her silver bag from the seat next to her. He motioned that she should lead the way out, and she did with a light smile. He almost laughed out loud when she waved at the host, who smiled dumbly back at her. Scorpius placed his hand on the small of her back and offered his thanks to the host as well, who in return sent him a glare equal to that of a basilisk.

His date burst into laughter when they had safely made it through the set of double glass doors and onto the streets of Hogsmeade. "I'll remember that face forever!" she said.

He laughed along with her, also making a permanent copy of the expression in his mind. He held out his arm to her after their laughing passed. She mocked him by straightening up her posture and placing her arm on top of his in a regal manner. He rolled his eyes and quickly snaked his arm around her waist instead, walking them towards the apparation zone.

They shared a comfortable silence during their short walk. When they arrived Scorpius pulled out his wand. "Let's make this our meeting spot for each date, and then we can go off on our plans from there," he suggested.

She quickly, yet gracefully moved in his arms so they were now nose to nose. Scorpius was slightly thrown off guard at the sudden appearance of her gorgeous green eyes. They were quiet for a moment, and we wasn't really sure what to do, he hadn't planned on giving her a kiss good night...well not tonight at least. His eyes moved down her face, admiring the freckles on her nose and cheeks, and finally settled at her lips. He unconciuosly licked his own, and saw hers curve into a smile. Her face moved even close to his and he found himself holding his breath. The absence of her floral scented perfume was immediately missed by his nose. She tilted her head slightly and held her lips directly over his and paused. Control yourself, he warned, using all of his strength to stand his ground.

She laughed lightly, her breath tickling his lips. He groaned slightly. "I'm really liking this game," she whispered, lips grazing his as she spoke.

"Mmm," was all he managed to say.

Her green eyes disappeared behind her lids and he felt her lips press lightly against his own. He kissed her back lightly as well, but when he tried to tighten his hold on her waist to deepen the moment, she pulled away from him. "Till next time then," she said, grinning.

He nodded. "Till next time."

She disapparated.

A/N: Sorry this took forever! I've been busy and have had some trouble writing. I hope you all enjoy anyway! Thanks for reading and for the reviews! I got my flower meanings from a webpage, so I apologize if any of them are a bit off. I did try a few pages, so I hope I'm not far off.