DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. I especially do not own Harry Potter and anything that you may recognize.
Chapter 2
Lily opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. She was met with a smiling face of Puddlemere United's former keeper Oliver Wood. The first thing she thought was where the hell am I? She closed her eyes again, not wanting to see the poster. This wasn't her apartment, so where was she? She opened her mouth and screamed. With her eyes still shut, she groped around for her blankets and pulled them over her head. When she was a little girl, whenever she was scared of something she would crawl into her bed and pull the covers over her. She then heard the sounds of rushing footsteps and the door banged open. She screamed again and began to tremble.
"Lil" a familiar voice called and she felt herself being poked through the blankets.
"Dad?" she asked incredulously and threw the blankets off.
She was met with the concerned face of her father, the puzzled face of her mother and a very gleeful brother. They all looked as though they had just woken up. She began to blush furiously.
"Are you alright darling?" her father asked peering worriedly at her through his round framed spectacles.
"You gave us quite a scare dear" her mother said gently "what happened? Why did you scream?"
"I – I thought that I was kidnapped" she said feeling foolish. "I woke up and I found that poster on the ceiling and I thought that I had been kidnapped. I forgot I was staying here so that we could all go together for that ministry ball tonight". She smiled sheepishly at her family.
"It's ok darling, and I wonder who put that poster there?" Harry said turning to look accusingly at Sirius.
Sirius began humming a tune and looked around the room, trying to look anywhere but at his parents and sister. When he realized that his mother, father and sister were not going to stop glaring till he confessed, he gave in.
"Oh alright, it was me" Sirius admitted looking irritated. "I put that poster up there when you were sleeping".
"What?" Lily snapped "you little creep, wait till I tell mum and dad about…" she broke off at the wild look Sirius threw her.
"Tell us about what?" her father asked looking curious.
"Nothing" she replied and then to change the subject she said "why did you do it Si?"
"I just wanted to bring back some memories" he replied shrugging his shoulders "you used to be obsessed with Oliver Wood when you were younger remember? Even when he used to come round for drinks with dad and Uncle Ron, you would always blush and run away and besides why would you think someone's kidnapped you just because there is a poster of Oliver Wood on your ceiling".
"Sirius, I was ten years old back then and I just thought I was kidnapped ok. I mean I knew I definitely wasn't in my apartment" she replied looking mutinous.
"Anyway darling, I thought you would be glad to be back in your old room" her mother replied sitting down on Lily's bed.
"I am glad mum, but it's just that now that I'm older being back here just doesn't seem to fit with the person that I've now become" she said looking around her old room.
Sirius rested his lean frame against the doorway "oh how dramatic" he sighed and cringed when his father smacked the back of his head.
"Wise guy" Harry mumbled.
"Anyway" Ginny said clapping her hands together and standing up "what are we standing around for; we have a Ministry ball to get ready for so let's get going people".
"You mean now?" Sirius spluttered looking wide eyed at Harry who mirrored his expression.
"Yes now! We're burning daylight!" his mother replied firmly "It's ten in the morning which only gives us nine hours to prepare for the ball!"
"N-nine hours?" Harry asked.
"Yes nine hours" his wife replied.
"But Ginny love"-
"Harry James Potter" she said glaring at him "if you were even thinking of suggesting that nine hours is more than enough for a woman to get dressed, you are seriously misguided in the ways of women and will be sleeping on the couch for the next week". She looked at him as he gulped nervously. "Now darling what were you going to say?" she asked looking sweetly at him.
"Nothing Ginny love" he replied "now let's get going shall we?" he asked his children.
Ginny and Lily walked out, leaving Sirius and Harry alone together in the room.
"Great going dad, why don't you just ask her to buy you a leash and be done with it? You are such a trained poodle when it comes to mum; you're a disgrace to men everywhere!" Sirius lectured.
"I don't expect you to understand now son, but when you find the one and get married, you'll understand" Harry replied.
"All I know dad, is that when mum says jump, you say how high?" Sirius said pacing around the room. "Whatever happened to standing up for yourself and being a man?" he asked looking accusingly at his father.
"Well son you see, your mother is a very smart woman, and she knows how to get what she wants and what she says goes" Harry explained.
"Yes but why can't you put your foot down and exercise your authority, you are the man of the house aren't you dad?" Sirius asked his father.
"Yes but if I don't give your mother what she wants, she will revoke my… err…privileges" Harry said looking uncomfortable.
"Privileges?" Sirius asked looking confused and then he made the connection "Oh I see those privileges. As in the hanky panky kind of privileges" Sirius said grinning cheekily and nudging his father "Oh I get it now".
"Yes, those privileges" Harry replied clearing his throat awkwardly "and a man has his needs son…and when a man does not get his needs, he…uh…he becomes…err…an unhappy….erm…man…and when he becomes an unhappy man he…"
"STOP! DAD! PLEASE STOP! Oh for the love of Merlin! STOP" Sirius yelled and covered his ears "please no more, I don't think I can take much more of your sexually frustrated jabbering" he said looking seriously tortured. (A/N: No pun intended on the seriously tortured bit)
"Err ok" his father replied.
"Look let's just get this over and done with dad, if only James and Al were here we could have over thrown the women with our numbers" Sirius replied.
"Never fear son, I have a plan and I think this might work" Harry replied and he gave a loud whistle and within seconds the family's eagle owl Athena had swooped into the room and landed on his shoulder.
Sirius watched with interest as his father summoned a quill and some parchment and began to scribble furiously. Not a word was spoken during the time his father was writing the letter and when he had finished, Harry looked up satisfied. He sent off the owl and Sirius looked questioningly at his father.
"You'll see" was all his father replied and putting an arm around his son's shoulder, they went downstairs for breakfast.
At the dining table, Lilly looked curiously at her father and her brother; they looked calm and collected not at all how she'd expected them to be, considering that they had nine hours of primping to do with the women.
"What's up with you lot, why do you look so unaffected by all this?" she asked her father as her mother was bustling around the kitchen getting the breakfast things ready.
"Oh you'll see" was all her father said and he went back to his sausages.
She looked questioningly at Sirius and whispered "what's up with dad?"
"I have no idea, but he said to trust him" Sirius replied shrugging his shoulders. "I think it has something to do with mum" Sirius said.
The three Potters at the dining table looked at Ginny, whose back was facing them. She was humming to herself and flipping smiley face shaped pancakes and frying sausages at the same time. They turned back to face each other. Harry looked at his watch a few times.
"What's taking them so long?" he muttered to himself "they should be here by now".
"Who? Who are you talking about daddy?" Lily whispered.
As if on cue the doorbell rang and the three Potters at the dining table looked at each other.
"Reinforcements" Harry replied smiling triumphantly at his children.
"I'll get it" Ginny replied in a sing song voice and swished her wand and the pancakes landed on Sirius's plate.
"Aww mum, I told you I've had enough" he groaned.
"You have to eat more Si, you're getting too thin" Ginny replied lovingly as she made her way to the door.
Harry, Lily and Sirius looked anxiously as Ginny opened the door.
"We're here" a friendly booming voice called from the doorway.
"Oh thank Merlin" Harry sighed.
"Uncle Ron!" Lily shrieked and bounded from the table to hug her favorite uncle.
"Hello Lils" Ron said hugging her "I haven't seen you in a while"
"Yes, sorry about that I've been busy working on my book and you know with the part time job at the prophet, Rosie!" Lily shrieked when she spied her cousin. Although the girls shared an apartment, Rose had been living with her parents for the past month and a half as Hermione wanted some company since Ron had to go out of the country on work.
"Hey Lil" Rosie greeted, her blue eyes sparkling with delight.
"So what do we owe this surprise" Ginny asked Ron and Hermione.
"Oh I'm not too sure myself" Hermione replied "Ron said that he and Harry have something planned".
Meanwhile Hugo and Sirius, who were conversing softly, looked up at their parents.
"Harry, Ron, What's going on?" Ginny asked looking at the two stuttering men before her.
"Well you see Ginny, I-I thought that it would be nice if the girls got ready together and the men got ready together" Harry said raking his hand through his hair.
"Yes, Harry thought it'll be nice to get ready with some company" Ron supplied eagerly.
"Does your dad have the hanky panky needs too?" Sirius whispered to Hugo.
"Yep, he sure does" Hugo whispered back and they both snickered.
The Potter and Weasley men awaited their wives responses.
"Oh darling that's a wonderful idea" Hermione gushed and kissed Ron on the cheek.
All four men looked relieved. "At least dad's plan worked, now we can be off doing our own thing and the girls can do their own thing" Sirius whispered to Hugo.
"Alright, let's get going then shall we?" Hermione exclaimed and Ginny nodded enthusiastically.
"Going?" asked Ron dumbly.
"Going where?" Harry asked looking equally dumbstruck.
"We're going to get our nails done" Ginny replied "and it so happens that the place we're going has two free appointments after us and I asked Hermione and Rosie to join us".
"Yes well it was your idea after all Harry wasn't it? To get ready with company?" Hermione asked looking at Harry.
"Err…yes it was but I meant …I meant that"- Harry stuttered still in shock that his plan had backfired.
"Well let's get going then" Ginny replied and grabbed her cloak.
The men looked defeated and Ron looked like he was about to run, when Harry said "Oh no you don't. If I suffer you have to suffer too" and grabbed his arm.
"Well on the bright side" Sirius put in "there's only seven hours and thirty four minutes to go".
Harry and Ron groaned in unison and they dragged their feet out the door, following their wives.
"It's a good thing you intercepted the owl Hermione" Ginny whispered to her best friend and sister in law "If not we wouldn't have known any better and they'd all be at the pub doing Merlin knows what".
"You're right" Hermione replied softly "I've been threatening that if Ron doesn't come with us to get ready for the ball tonight, he'd be sleeping in Rosie's old bedroom for the rest of his natural life".
"Poor thing" Ginny sympathized "I've done the same to Harry as well" she said then she giggled girlishly.
"My, aren't we evil" Hermione mused as they turned behind to look at their husbands' gloomy faces.
"Poor dad" Lily whispered to Rose.
"I know, look at them, they look so tortured" her cousin agreed.
"We should help them" Lily replied.
"How about if we tell our mums that we've sent them off on an errand to collect the dresses from Madam Malkins and then they can do that and take as much time as they want" Rose replied.
"Yes, that sounds good" Lily replied and then hung back to speak to her father. "Daddy, Rosie and I think we might be able to help you and Uncle Ron". She whispered the plan into his ears and he beamed at her.
"That's my darling girl" he replied and kissed her forehead.
He got the attention of the other three males and whispered what Lily had told him. One by one their faces lit up.
"Hey mum" Rose called out to her mother "Me and Lil have sent the male specimens of our family to go and collect the dresses for tonight ok?"
"Yes that's fine" Hermione replied "but if I catch you near a pub Ronald just see what happens" she warned.
"Same goes for you Harry James" Ginny warned.
"And boys, you watch your fathers" Hermione said wagging her finger at the two youths who nodded their heads diligently.
"Now run" Lily hissed and Potter men and the Weasley men didn't need to be told twice, they zoomed off in the opposite direction.
"I wonder if they'll really bring back our dresses" Rose said wonderingly.
"Who knows?" Lily replied.
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Scorpius Malfoy sat at the dining table by himself. He was eating lunch alone today because his father was called away to work and Pansy was out getting her hair done for the Ministry ball that night. He liked the silence, he could think in peace, not that it wasn't already silent with his father and mother there but it was a matter of the silence being a comfortable one. Usually when dining with his mother and father, there was always an uncomfortable and awkward silence.
"Doner" he called out for the house elf.
"Yes master" Doner called out "what can Doner do for you?"
"Do you know what time mother and father are coming back?" he asked politely.
"Master and Mistress will be back later, in time to get ready for the ball. Master will be back around five in the evening to change and mistress will be back soon because mistress said she needs her make up done".
"Thank you Doner" Scorpius replied and got up from the table. He decided to work on the De Winters case now, since he had nothing to do.
The De Winters case was a case that was of utmost importance in Scorpius's mind. He was worried about old Mrs. De Winters, he felt sorry for her. The De Winters Case was one of the most prominent murder cases of all time and when the Ministry's law department could not solve the case, old Mrs. De Winters had come to Scorpius's firm to seek help. Scorpius had agreed to help the old woman for no fee at all. He didn't have the heart to charge her and add to her financial burden. He rifled through the case notes and came across a piece of parchment.
Cyril De Winters was one of the ministry's top aurors working on a case, investigating a shipment of illegal potions when he was intercepted and killed on duty. His wife, Linda De Winters blames the Ministry for her husband's death and is currently suing the Ministry for negligence.
Scorpius looked at his notes for a while longer and only looked up from them when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in" he called expecting it to be Doner but to his great surprise, his father was standing in the middle of his doorway looking very uncomfortable.
"Erm…hello father" Scorpius greeted.
"Hello Scorpius, this place had changed a lot since I'd last been in here" Draco said looking around the room.
"Yes father especially since the last time you've come in here was when I was seven years old, about fourteen years ago".
Draco cleared his throat awkwardly "yes son" he said "by the way, how is the case going?"
"It's going ok father although there are a few gaps here and there that need to be filled in but I think I'll manage" Scorpius replied.
"You know Scorpius, I know I've not been as involved in your life as you might like but I do know what you do and I want to say to you, don't give up. Keep going and you will make it there in the end" Draco said as he sat down on Scorpius's bed.
"Erm…thank you father" Scorpius replied and faced his father.
"I also wanted to thank you for deciding to come with your mother and myself to the ministry ball. I had hoped that you would come and I was so glad when you said you would. And I wanted to say that you have made me so proud by accompanying Melody Flint to the ball. It had always been a tradition of Malfoys to marry young and soon, the time will come when you will marry too" Draco told his son who was nodding obediently.
"Yes father" Scorpius said.
"Did you know that when I was your age I married your mother" Draco looked at Scorpius with subtle fondness.
"Really?" he asked his father looking surprised.
"Yes son it is true and we tried for years and years to have a child and then we finally did, your mother was so pleased" Draco said with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Wow father I didn't know" Scorpius said.
"Yes before we had you we were supposed to have a pair of twins, but your mother miscarried" he said solemnly.
"Oh, I'm sorry father I had no idea"
"It's ok you know Scorpius, the other night during dinner made me realize that I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you. You're all I have left" Draco said seriously and looked into his son's grey orbs.
"Nothing's going to happen to me dad, I'll be fine" Scorpius said and tried to lighten the mood. This whole conversation that his father was having with him was making him nervous. His father was not one to get all emotional but this was pretty much as about emotional as he would get.
"Yes I know but I just wanted to tell you that…" - The door banged open and standing in the doorway was Pansy in all her shining glory.
"I'm home my darlings! I just got my hair done!" she announced.
Draco and Scorpius stared at Pansy. Draco looked slightly alarmed and Scorpius's jaw had dropped a little. Pansy looked a sight for sore eyes. Her hair was piled up, giving Scorpius the impression that she had a stuffed vulture perched on the top of her head. If he wasn't so angry with her for interrupting his conversation with his father, Scorpius would have laughed out aloud.
"Well what do you think?" Pansy asked the two men before her.
"It l-looks great mother" Scorpius said feeling the guilt pool in his stomach for lying.
"Yes Pansy dear, it looks lovely" Draco agreed blinking rapidly. He stood up and cleared his throat "it's getting late, I'd better start getting ready and I suggest you do the same Scorpius" he said and stalked out of the room, his black cloak billowing behind him.
Scorpius felt slightly irritated that Pansy had interrupted his conversation with his father. He felt like he was finally getting through to his father and then typical Pansy, comes along and ruins everything. It was always the case, even when he was young it was the same scenario.
"Yes Scorpius darling, you'd better get dressed Melody will be here soon" Pansy replied sweetly and then went out the door, her enormous stuffed vulture like hair do and all.
Scorpius went into his on suite bathroom and turned on the taps. He was looking forward to a nice soak in the tub. Looking into the mirror he spotted the dark shadows under his eyes and surveyed his reflection.
"Scorp old chap, you really need some rest" he said to himself and began to undress.
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Lily stood in front of the full length mirror in her old bedroom. She was surprised to see a very different young woman staring back at her. Her deep red hair cascaded down her back in large curls. Her mother and godmother's expertise with make up had accentuated her long lashed chocolate eyes, high cheekbones and pouting lips. The dress that her mother had chosen had really seemed to bring her new life. The forest green and the gold work of the fabric seemed to make her look like a nature goddess. She was thankful that the combination of her father's black hair and mother's auburn hair had produced her blood red locks.
"This can't be me" she said out aloud. She heard a knocking on her bedroom door and sauntered over.
"You can't stay in there forever" her cousin Rose called from the other side of the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming" she called and let her cousin in.
Rose gasped when she saw her cousin "oh my, is that little baby Lily?" she said and laughed as Lily smacked her lightly on the shoulder.
"Shut up Rosie" she said although a smile tugged at her lips.
"You look beautiful" her cousin gushed.
"Thanks and so do you!" Lily exclaimed as she noted Rose's pale blue dress robes.
"Yeah my dad's already had a fit about how revealing it is" Rose whispered as the two cousins descended the staircase.
"Oh no, well hopefully my dad doesn't say anything. I think it comes with being the only girls in the family" Lily replied looking worried.
"Wow Lil, you look hot" Sirius exclaimed as he caught sight of her.
"Thank you Si" she replied looking pleased. She had a right to be pleased; Sirius never paid anyone complements unless he really felt they deserved them.
"Oh darling, you look wonderful" her mother exclaimed looking beside herself. "That color really does wonders for your complexion".
Hermione and Ron agreed with her mother and Lily beamed at them. It wasn't long before her mother had whipped out her camera and began taking snaps of the family. It wasn't till now when she looked at her mother and father's beaming faces that she realized how much she had missed this. She had missed her mother's constant fussing over her and her father's non stop doting. She now half wished that she hadn't moved out.
"You look beautiful darling" her father whispered into her ear as he hugged her.
"Thank you daddy" she replied and was surprised that he didn't have anything else to say about her outfit. She was expecting some sort of protest at her going out in public dressed the way she was or something along the lines of that, but nothing came.
"Can we hurry up people?" Sirius asked looking impatient.
"Yes dear let's get going shall we?" Harry asked his wife.
"Let's wait a little while longer" Ginny said and bustled around the room.
"What's the hold up?" Sirius asked and the rest looked puzzled.
"Oh nothing" his mother replied absent mindedly and Hermione and Ron looked at her strangely.
Out of the blue the doorbell rang startling them. Ginny looked up excitedly but didn't make a move.
"Aren't you going to answer it mum?" Lily asked.
"Why don't you answer it dear?" her mother told her and Lily went to get the door, holding up her dress as she went.
Lily opened the door to reveal a handsome young man with a lily tucked into his breast pocket. He smiled widely revealing his pearly white teeth. He was athletically built with broad shoulders. If she wasn't mistaken, he played Quidditch for Ireland.
"Hi, I'm Alex Lynch" he said holding out his hand.
"I'm Lily" she said simply. She was going to murder her mother. This was one of her mother's plans to set her up with someone. She was about to shut the door in his face when her mother hurried over.
"Darling" Ginny said gritting her teeth a little, "Alex is a Quidditch player on your brother's team why don't you let him in".
Lily reluctantly obliged and let him in. Ginny and Alex followed her and he handed Lily a white lily corsage with a green ribbon.
"Thank you" she said flatly and glared at her father.
"I had nothing to do with this" he whispered in her ear "it was all your mother's doing". He gestured towards Ginny and Alex who were chatting lightly in the corner with Ron and Hermione.
"Excuse us for a minute Alex" she said smiling plastically at him and pulling her mother by the arm into the kitchen.
"Mum what do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed as soon as they were in the kitchen.
"What? I'm not doing anything" Ginny replied calmly and examined her fingernails.
"Oh mum, don't give me that. You're doing it all over again. First you tried to set me up with Mitchell Longbottom and now this guy? Mum I already told you I'm quite happy the way I am now and I don't want to be set up with anyone"
"Oh Lily dear, it's just that I thought it would be nice for you to have someone since you broke up with that whats- his- face a while ago".
"His name was Peter Boot mum, don't tell me you've forgotten already. He was in James's year at Hogwarts and he was also a junior auror under dad. How can you not know him?" she asked. Her mother looked around the kitchen trying to avert her gaze. "Mum!" Lily exclaimed frustrated "his father, Terry Boot and dad work together at the auror department. In fact Terry is dad's second in command and he used to come round for drinks with dad all the time and you should know this" she lectured.
"Well Terry was always such a nice man, sadly his son didn't turn out to be" Ginny sighed.
"But mum, look I know me and Peter didn't work out but that's because I didn't love him mum. I don't want to be set up with someone, that's not romantic".
"Darling, I just want you to meet the right person; I don't want to see you get hurt again" her mother replied touching her shoulder.
"I know mum, but somehow the right person will come my way, we just have to be patient. I'm sure he'll find me".
"Ok darling if you say so. I promise I won't try to meddle anymore, this is the last time" Ginny replied defeated.
"Thank you mum, but I really do appreciate you trying to help. I'm lucky to have you as my mum" Lily told her mother and hugged her. "But if it means that much to you, then I'll give Alex a go anyway, for your sake".
"Thanks you darling, now let's get back out there and get going or we'll be late" Ginny said and she and Lily went back outside.
Sirius, Hugo and Alex who were in deep discussion about Quidditch, looked up as they entered. Alex smiled at Lily and she smiled back slightly uneasily.
"We're ready to go" Ginny announce and Harry looked relieved.
"It's about bloody time" Sirius mumbled darkly to Hugo.
"Shall we?" Alex asked Lily as they were about to walk out the door.
Looking at her mother's smiling face she replied "yes, we shall".
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Scorpius sat with his parents and Melody at one of the round tables in the north corner of the room. He was happy that none of his former auror buddies were there. He looked around the huge ballroom. There was a gargantuan dance floor in the middle of the room and it separated the two ends of the ballroom. He hoped Melody didn't expect to dance with him, although he liked dancing he just didn't want to dance with her. Scorpius was thoroughly bored and he had only been in the ballroom for five minutes.
He turned to his right and saw Melody looking at herself in her compact mirror. Scorpius rolled his eyes inwardly. She had barely said two intelligent words to him in all the time she had been with him. Instead she concentrated her efforts on making him as uncomfortable as possible, by flirting with him and sliding her hand up and down his thigh. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to him and he found himself not minding at all. He was really thankful when it was time for dinner, that way he didn't have to speak to anyone because they'd be too busy eating. He happened to look to his right again and he caught Melody's eye. She winked at him and licked her lips seductively. Scorpius was inwardly disgusted, he wasn't the sort that was interested in girls who practically threw themselves at him and besides Melody was as empty as a washed up shell on a beach. He looked at his watch, the evening had barely started and already he wanted to go home.
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"Lily stop fidgeting"
"I'm not fidgeting mum, just that I feel really uncomfortable" Lily snapped at her mother.
Alex looked mildly amused and when Lily had stopped bickering with her mother he whispered "you look beautiful by the way".
"Thanks" Lily replied smiling at him. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.
"Sirius Ronald Potter" Lily heard her mother hiss at her brother, "will you please behave yourself".
She turned to Rose and they shared a knowing smirk. Sirius was never one to behave himself, even at important events. Although he was usually jumpy at these events, today he was especially nervous and Lily had a faint idea why. However, even Rose seemed to look uncomfortable. What was with her family today, had they all gone mad?
Their table was at the south corner of the hall and Lily looked excitedly at the dance floor in the middle of the room.
"Doesn't that look like fun?" she asked Sirius who didn't seem to hear her.
"Doesn't that look like fun Si?" she asked yet again.
"Hmm? What? Oh yeah" Sirius replied looking distracted.
"What's the matter Si?" she asked her younger brother.
"Nothing" he replied curtly.
"Don't tell me it's nothing Si, I know you're looking for her aren't you? Well don't worry she'll be here" Lily assured him.
"You think so?" he asked.
"Yes. Her father is head of the potions and poisons department after all" Lily replied.
"How do I look?" he asked Lily.
"Handsome as always" she replied and laughing she ruffled his hair fondly.
"I believe it's time for dinner" she heard a deep voice interrupt from beside her.
She turned to look at Alex whose greenish blue eyes were alight. "You know Lily; I don't think I told you how beautiful you look when you smile". She laughed and gently swatted him on the arm. She was about to say something to him when two young girls walked over to their table.
"Mr. Lynch may we have an autograph please?" one of them asked and Alex flashed his brilliant pearly whites.
"Why of course girls" he said and signed their pieces of parchment. "Now stay in school" he said and laughed.
"I don't get it" Sirius whispered on Lily's other side "where did mum pick this guy from?" he asked her.
"I don't know" she replied. "He seems ok, and besides I promised mum that I'd give him a chance".
"Well it's up to you" Sirius replied.
Dinner was a pleasant affair; she didn't have to meet any of her father's friends because she was with Alex. He seemed intent on talking to her and she was getting annoyed. Alex didn't seem to stop asking questions about her and he didn't seem to stop talking about himself.
"So have you been to a Puddlemere United game?" he asked.
"No, not yet" she replied "James has only just switched over to the team so we haven't really got a chance to see him play yet but we will soon".
"You should come sometime, you could watch me" he said. "Do you know that I was voted most eligible quidditch player for this year?"
"No I didn't" she said feigning interest.
"Yes and it was all due to the pass that I made at the trial round with the…" Lily zoned out nodding her head at regular intervals and responding with "uh-huh" and "I see" when she needed to.
When dessert had finished, music began to play and couples detached themselves from their tables to dance. Ron and Hermione got up with Harry and Ginny and they made their way to the dance floor.
"And so when I passed the quaffle to the other chaser Damien Moore, your brother fakes a quick pass and then we- are we going somewhere?" Alex asked as Lily stood up.
"Yes we're going to dance" she said and grabbed his arm. It was the only way to keep him from talking about quidditch. As much as she loved the sport, she did not like every one of Puddlemere's matches being retold by Alex.
Lily and Alex danced and she felt like she was actually having some fun. The pace changed and a slow song, that Lily didn't recognize came on. Alex placed his hands on her waist and she placed hers on his shoulders.
She smiled at him, looking deep into his eyes. This was the most romantic moment that she had had in a long time. Well the most romantic moment she had had since Peter anyway. She felt his hands slide and rest on her hips. Together, she and Alex swayed to the music. He smiled back at her and she felt her heart flutter. His hands were so gentle and smooth and they- they were moving down her bottom.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed as she felt his hands rest on her bottom. She didn't give him time to reply; she lifted up a stiletto heeled shoe, stomped on his foot and stalked off the dance floor and out of the ballroom.
"Jerk" she muttered as she walked out.
She walked further down the corridor when she heard loud voices in the hallway. It was Rose and she seemed to be arguing with someone, a guy probably from the sound of things.
"What do you mean by it's not worth it?" Rose yelled.
"I'm saying that your family is never going to accept me for who I am and I say we just give up on the whole idea" a male voice retorted angrily.
"How do you know that, you haven't even tried so how would you know?" Rose asked angrily and it was obvious that she was crying.
"Why should we Rose, your family and mine are on opposite ends of the spectrum" the male voice said. "Hell will freeze over before your parents accept me. They'll hear my name and take one look at me and then they'll hate me and I won't put myself through that".
"Well at least, let me tell my cousin Lily, I know she'll understand" Rose pleaded and Lily felt a burst of pride erupt within her.
"Fine, do what you want" the male voice replied defeated.
"Thank you Varian, you know I love you right?"
"Yes Rose and I love you too" Varian replied.
Lily looked puzzled. Rose was in love with a guy called Varian, whom her parents supposedly didn't like. She knew she had heard the name before and it all sounded familiar but she couldn't make a connection.
"Now come on Rose, let's get back before our parents wonder where we've gone, we don't want to get ourselves into any unnecessary trouble" Varian said and Lily heard footsteps coming towards her.
She panicked and began to look for a place to hide. She didn't want Rose to think that she had been eavesdropping. Lily looked all around her and finally found an archway. She walked through without hesitating and found herself in the most beautiful garden that she had ever seen. It was a magnificent rose garden and it had a majestic fountain in the middle. What was this place? Even when she had attended previous ministry balls, she had never come across this garden. She walked around; this place gave her a sense of peace. She wondered if she could stay here during the whole duration of the ball.
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Scorpius was sitting at his table with Melody, everyone was dancing but them and his parents had gone off to mingle with friends. He wasn't in the mood to dance. Melody looked impatiently at him.
"Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" She asked.
"No, I don't feel like it" he replied back moodily.
"Fine" Melody snapped, "Then I'll just go dance by myself".
"Ok, suit yourself" he said casually.
"You're not going to stop me?" she asked incredulously.
"No" Scorpius replied.
"Fine" she huffed and got up from the table.
At last Scorpius was left in peace. He didn't feel in the mood to do much because his mind was plagued with thoughts about the De Winters case. That poor old woman had already lost her husband and Scorpius wanted to make sure that justice was served. He too got up from the table and wandered around. He bumped into his childhood friend Varian Zabini who was skulking moodily along the corridors.
"Hey Varian, what's up with you?" Scorpius asked.
"Nothing, these Ministry things always suck don't they?" Varian looked frustrated.
"Yes tell me about it, my father set me up with Melody Flint" Scorpius replied wrinkling his nose.
"Melody Flint? As in the lights- are- on- but- nobody's- home Melody Flint?" Varian asked.
"Yes" Scorpius replied gloomily.
"Oh, sorry Scorp but I don't see you two working out, she's about as dumb as a doorknob" Varian replied and he laughed at Scorpius's disgruntled expression.
"Yes, thanks a lot Varian, do you know my father's hoping that I'll marry her?"
"Oh yes, my father told me something about that" Varian replied "Well at least Melody is good looking, my father wants me to get married to Renee Pucey, and you remember her don't you? She's about two years younger than us, won't stop talking and is about as good looking as a troll?"
"Oh that Renee?" Scorpius asked grinning at Varian "well good luck to you then".
"Problem is, I'm in love with someone else and I think my father is going to kill me when he finds out who" Varian replied.
"Who is it?" Scorpius asked.
"It's Rose Weasley" Varian replied looking at his shoes.
"What? How long as this been going on for?" Scorpius asked looking shocked.
"A long time" Varian replied.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know, I guess I'll have to tell my parents especially since I've proposed to Rose"
"What? Are you serious?" Scorpius asked him.
"Yes" Varian replied.
"Well at least she's not a Potter" Scorpius said.
"Imagine what would happen if either one of us brought home a Potter" Varian asked and the two of them thought for a while, then laughed.
"Like that's going to happen" Scorpius replied.
"Come to think of it, I'm not sure if Potter even has any daughters" Varian said thoughtfully.
"Yeah neither am I although I think he has one daughter, but I can't remember but I think she's much younger anyway" Scorpius replied.
"Anyway Scorp, I'd better go my parents would be wondering where I am and why I'm not at the table" Varian replied.
"Yeah, we should meet up sometime Varian, we hardly get to meet up anymore because of our jobs"
"Yeah I will owl you sometime" Varian said and after bidding his friend goodbye, he walked off.
Scorpius wandered around passing a few closed doors and then he came to an archway. He entered cautiously and found himself in the most magnificent garden he had ever seen. It was even more beautiful than the gardens back at Malfoy Manor. He scanned the area and his eyes rested on the fountain in the middle of the garden. But it was not the fountain that caught his eye but rather a person sitting by the fountain.
It was a woman. He could tell because moonlight shone through the enchanted ceiling of the indoor garden and illuminated her. He walked towards the fountain and sat down a little distance away from the woman. Her head was bend forward and locks of deep ruby red hair framed her face.
She looked very briefly up when she felt his presence and bent her head down again, looking at the ground. Scorpius's breath caught in his throat. She was incredibly beautiful. She had a creamy ivory complexion and brown eyes the color of melted milk chocolate framed by long lashes. Although he was quite sure he had seen her before. She suddenly looked up at him as if realizing something and her eyes did a double take. She quickly looked back down again, her long hair shielding her face from his sight.
"Hard day?" he asked kindly.
"You could say that" she replied in a melodious voice and Scorpius knew that he had definitely seen or met her somewhere.
"Have I met you before?" he asked her and she looked up into his face.
"Yes" she said smiling at him and he felt a slight jolt in his chest "We've bumped into each other twice in Diagon Alley and I landed on the ground both times" she replied looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh, I see" he replied "well I'm sorry I bumped into you back then. I just never look where I'm going these days".
"That's alright, I guess everyone's really busy and people have a lot on their minds" she added.
"Yeah, you're right" he agreed "so what brings you out here?" he asked making light conversation.
"Nothing really, to be honest I just wanted to get away from my date" she replied truthfully.
"Why?" he probed.
"It's just that it was my parents' idea to set me up with some guy and he turned out to be a bit of a creep" she replied.
"Oh I see, well it looks like we're both in the same boat then" Scorpius replied smiling at her "my parents set me with one of their friends daughters. I always wonder why they don't understand that I'm just not interested".
"I know exactly what you mean sometimes you just want to be left alone and they don't get that" she said.
"Yes and you don't' want to say anything because they never listen and they always think they know what's best for you" Scorpius replied with a bitter smile.
"Yes I know exactly what you mean" Lily replied turning around to face him.
"Well so here we are a pair of misfit loners" he said and laughed.
She grinned at him; the moonlight reflected his silvery blond hair making him glow. His grey eyes were stormy and intense and she felt herself getting lost in them. In fact she was so lost in them that she didn't' hear him talking to her.
"Sorry?" she asked as he looked at her strangely.
"I just asked what you were doing that day in Diagon Alley the first time that we bumped into each other".
"Oh" she replied feeling foolish "I was writing my book and I sort of lost track of the time so I rushed".
"So you're an author?" he asked looking interested.
"Well kind off, I usually edit articles and columns for the daily prophet but I'm also working on a book but that's just my hobby" she replied. "So what about you, what do you do?"
"I'm a lawyer" he said and smiled as he watched her eyes widen.
"Wow, you're a lawyer? You just don't seem the type to be a lawyer" she replied looking at him.
"Really? So what type of job did you reckon I did?" he asked.
"To be honest I thought you were a quidditch player" she said looking sheepish.
"No way" Scorpius said and laughed "Quidditch players are mostly all brawn and no brains".
Lily's face changed "how dare you?" she said angrily. "How dare you say that, my brother is a quidditch player and for your information he is smart" she said and walked off.
Scorpius groaned, that's great Scorp, way to go. You've just driven that girl away from you; I hope you're happy now he said to himself.
He got up and tried to find her. He went in what he presumed to be her direction and found her standing just off the dance floor. She wasn't moving and seemed to be staring at something in front of her but Scorpius didn't take note of that, he was to busy thinking of what he was going to say to her. He approached her cautiously and only then did he realize what she was staring at. His own eyes widened at the scene before him, it was Melody. She seemed to be dancing promiscuously with a guy, whom he recognized to be the quidditch player Alex Lynch.
"I take it he was your date?" Scorpius asked and she nodded.
"Come on, I don't think you should be worrying about them. Although that is my date that your date is dancing with, but not that I care- are you even listening to me?" he asked. "Besides didn't you say this guy was a creep?" Still no answer.
"Hello?" he asked waving a hand in front of her face "anyone home?" he asked again.
She didn't answer him and he tried again. "Look what are you worried about?" he asked her "they're both made for each other; they're both shallow and superficial. Excuse me? Are you listening to me?"
She didn't talk; she merely turned and walked away from him. He had a strong urge to walk after her but he was suddenly pulled away by his mother.
"Scorpius darling where have you been?" she asked him.
"Around, mother" he replied absentmindedly. He was watching her walk away, her slender frame moving slowly to the end of the ballroom. He desperately wanted to follow her, to say something, anything, but his mother was holding his arm in a death grip.
"Come Scorpius, I want you to meet some of your father's friends" she replied and led him away.
As he was being led away, all he could think of was her dismayed face when she saw Alex dancing with Melody. Her beautiful chocolate eyes were filled with sadness. He wasn't a fool, he knew that there had to be something else that was bothering her, not just the fact that Alex had been dancing with Melody. His eyes continued to follow her until she was out of his sight and only then did he realize that he didn't even know her name.
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Lily could not explain how she felt when she saw Alex dancing with another girl. It wasn't that she liked Alex, but the fact that every one of her dates seemed to end in a complete disaster that she felt upset. It was like Peter all over again. She felt tears sting her eyes as she thought of Peter. She had lied to her family about him. She had told them that the reason why they broke up was because she wasn't in love with him but the truth was, it was he who wasn't in love with her. He had cheated on her with a co-worker of hers. Then later when she found out, his explanation was that he wasn't in love with her. In fact he was never in love with her. When he had told her that, it had been a slap in the face. She was just his poster girl; he only liked her so that he could tell everyone that he was going out with Harry Potter's daughter.
When she had seen Alex dancing with that girl, it was the last straw. She felt silly now because she knew that Alex was a wanker and that she shouldn't beat herself up over him but she couldn't help it. It seemed that history was repeating itself. Why did all the guys she knew apart from her family, turn out to be such jerks? Then there was that guy, the one with the grey eyes and the silvery blond hair. She had thought that he was charming and nice but she turned out to be wrong about him as well. She walked down the corridor when she felt an arm reach out and spin her around. It was her brother.
"Lil are you alright?" Sirius asked her looking concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine" She replied trying to brush the tears away from her eyes.
"You're crying" he said simply.
"No" she retorted defensively "it's this bloody mascara that's making my eyes water" she said.
"Hmmm, if you say so" Sirius replied "But I know why you're crying, its Alex isn't it? I saw what he was did to you on the dance floor and then later dancing with that Melody Flint".
"Firstly I am NOT crying, secondly I do not care about Alex, he's a wanker and I hate him. Thirdly, I didn't know that that was Melody Flint" she said.
"Yes and I don't think you should worry about him" Sirius said simply.
"Why?" Lily asked looking curious.
"Because I've already taken care of it" he replied and led her back to the ballroom. He gestured over to the dance floor where Alex was still dancing with Melody Flint and counted down on his fingers. "5-4-3-2-1".
"ARGH!" came a loud cry and Lily had to stifle a giggle as she watched Alex clutch at his privates.
"What did you do Sirius?" she asked giggling madly as she saw that everyone was staring strangely at Alex who was clutching his privates and doing some sort of wild leg movement.
"Oh let's just say I gave him a few BOILS for making my poor sister BOILING MAD. Get it? Boils? Boiling mad?" Sirius said laughing at his lame joke.
Lily threw back her head and roared with laughter and soon she and Sirius were holding on to each other and laughing like there was no tomorrow. They didn't even stop when their mother and father hurried over to them.
"What on earth is Alex doing?" Her mother asked shrilly.
"I have no idea" Sirius replied innocently but Ginny and Harry eyed him suspiciously.
"If anything happens to Alex I will kill you Sirius Ronald Potter. His father is a good friend of mine and we used to be sports correspondents together" Ginny said and hurried over to Alex.
"What did you do Sirius?" Harry asked his son.
"Nothing dad I just gave him a little present that would go away in a few days, or weeks, or months. I'm not really sure, all courtesy of Uncle George and Uncle Ron" he replied and smiled cheekily.
"You do realize your mother is going to kill you" Harry said pointedly.
"Yes I know dad but I had to avenge my sister's honor!" Sirius said dramatically "he messed with one Potter and he messes with them all! All for one and one for all!" he exclaimed and Harry suddenly looked concerned.
He turned to Lily and asked "What did he do? Did he hurt you? I swear I'll wring that boy's neck if he did anything to you. Did he hurt you? Did he? Did he?"
"No dad" she said and shrugged off his questions "it's nothing major and besides Sirius took care of it" she replied and turned to watch her mother fretting over Alex.
"That's my boy" Harry said fondly and ruffled his son's hair.
"SIRIUS RONALD POTTER!" they heard a voice shout from the dance floor.
"Oh no" Sirius groaned and tried to hide behind his father and sister.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOU COME HERE NOW!" Ginny yelled and the next thing the three potters knew, she had reached them and was pulling Sirius by the ear to the dance floor.
"YOU RECTIFY THIS NOW!" she said and Harry and Lily winced, feeling sorry for Sirius.
"I can't mum" they heard him say feebly "it was an experimental product, Alex will just have to wait till it wears off".
"WHAT?? YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT THE PRODUCT YOU USED HASN'T BEEN TESTED??"
"Yes mum, now seemed like a good time to test it out" Sirius replied weakly, cowering before his mother. Sirius was easily taller than Ginny but when she was angry, she looked menacing.
"OH REALLY?? NOW APOLOGISE TO ALEX YOUNG MAN AND YOUR BROOM WILL BE CONFISCICATED FOR THE NEXT MONTH!! NOW I'M GOING TO CALL YOUR FATHER HERE TO GIVE YOU A GOOD TALKING TO!!" She looked at Harry who was laughing with Lily and when he notice Ginny's death glare, he stopped laughing immediately.
Lily smiled when she saw her father walk towards Sirius, Alex and Ginny. He was torn between berating his son like his wife expected him to and taking his son's side for giving Alex some pay back. She watched her father who looked very flustered while trying to berate his son, who was looking at him with great amusement. Ginny meanwhile had gotten Alex some ice, not that it helped at all. Hermione, Ron, Hugo and Rose had rushed over to join her parents and were enquiring about what had happened.
She watched her family all together and felt her love for them surge through her. No matter what happened, her family was always there, standing right beside her. They meant the world to her and she realized what her father had meant by "even if the world comes crashing down, your family will always be by your side". She smiled as she thought of the truth in her father's words and maybe Sirius understood as well, which was why he did what he did to Alex. Maybe she would stay with her family a while longer, instead of immediately moving back to her shared apartment with Rose. She could do with some family bonding, especially since James and Al were coming back soon. It would be nice to have the whole family together in the house. Just like old times.
She walked over to join her family, not wanting to be alone. She was about to say something to Sirius when she heard her father's gentle loving voice call out to her.
"Lily? Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Yes dad, everything's fine. At least this time no one saw my knickers" she replied and she heard her father laugh.
"That's true" he said.
"But dad, please don't blame Sirius. He was only trying to help me" she said defending her brother who was still getting an earful from his mother.
"I know darling. Sirius understands the importance of family, even though he may not show it, he cares deeply for you" he said.
"I know dad I know, because even if the world comes crashing down, your family will always be by your side" she said simply and looked into her father's warm emerald eyes, thoughts of Rose and her secret love affair and that mysterious grey eyed stranger forgotten.
He smiled at her. "That's right Lily, and don't you forget it".
A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter is kinda long and kinda dragging. I'm also sorry that it's so crap. It's just that I've had a lot of things to do cause someone in my family is getting married and I have to help out. But I'm so sorry about this flop of a chapter. If you have any suggestions about what you want put in or how Scorpius and Lily should meet again in the next chapter please do let me know. I promise more meetings between them in the next chapter. I just wanted to set everything up first and lay the foundation of the story. Once again I'm so sorry. If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve this chapter or even for future chapters, please let me know. I'll greatly appreciate it if you were to read and review as well. Flames are welcome.