Chapter 3

As customers watched the scene with bated breath, Avery and Montague re-entered the inn. Avery was a little worse for wear; embarrassed by being floored by a girl and anxious about what Mikhail would do to him for being late for their meeting. He'd honestly thought the other man would have come close to killing him if he hadn't offered him another form of entertainment. Luckily he'd had enough wits about him to mutter the wench's name before he passed out into oblivion once more, in hopes that Mikhail would be able to let off some of his steam on her before he had to face the man himself. That she had managed fire the jinx surprised him. Of course he'd heard about her habit of sending men to their knees but he hadn't believed half the rumours; she'd never been good with her wand- it was well known that potions were more her thing. His eyes narrowed menacingly at the redhead and he was eager to get his own bad; it was a matter pride. He cricked his neck, easing the tension there.

Lily didn't notice his gaze on her; her attention was divided between two men; the git in front of her and the man by her side. His arm was still draped around her shoulders. She held herself stiffly, unused to the contact; not that anyone other than Lily and the blonde sensed her discomfort.

Seeing their leader being confronted by Potter and the blonde, both stumbled to Dolohov's flank to make the numbers tip in his favour. Mikhail tore his gaze from the redhead to acknowledge his two stooges in turn. Amusement danced in Mikhail's eyes when his gaze returned to Lily; that was until another blonde identical to the first joined the fix.

Lily sought comfort by the twins support even with one of them still touching her and she desperately wanted to shrug him off. However, as much as she hated prolonged contact from anyone. She knew which one it was- Lysander; Lorcan wouldn't dare. She bore the familiarity only because it threw Mikhail off balance. His lips thinned as his disciplined composure began to crack.

Mikhail disliked the smug look on Potter's face now that she had her reinforcements; not that the Scamander twins concerned him in any way. But it did ruin his mood, especially since they had company. He cast a calculating gaze briefly over their audience. There were more people observing them than he would have liked. It made his options limited. He prided himself on being a genius, but he couldn't alter the memory of all those present; it was a physical impossibility. He quickly realised that no matter what transpired next, news of what happened would spread like Splattergroit. He couldn't afford to be the subject of gossip, not in the negative sense. He'd managed to avoid such a thing in his thirty years of life and he didn't intend to fall pray now. Besides, considering what he had planned, it wasn't smart to be seen in a confrontation now, especially not with the Chosen One's daughter.

Choosing to keep up appearances in favour of his desire to see the redhead squirm, he backed away. After all, he had far more pressing business to attend to and a reputation to uphold; as far as everyone was concerned he was all smiles and charm after all. "My apologies Miss Potter. I didn't mean for you to take offence." He said regretfully and loudly for the benefit of the onlookers. It was better he come across as another of Potter's rejections. It was likely to gain him some sympathy from the ladies. They could be very generous and creative while offering up their sympathy. Plus they'll all be talking about how arrogant and picky Lily Potter was if the like of Mikhail Dolohov wasn't good enough for her. From the way every woman stared speculatively at the redhead and their quiet murmurs as they shook their heads; his plan was working.

Lily grinded her teeth as she held the conniving bastards gaze; not that she cared what people thought about her. People loved the opportunity to look down at her; it made them feel better about themselves for some reason. She bit her bottom lip as she decided on her next move. Oh he was clever, she'd give him that, but two could play at that game. She knew which buttons to press. He'd hate for his moral standards to be called into question; anything that would compromise the fake reputation he had managed to build. Although physical contact with anyone- even her friend- made her tense; she slipped her arm possessively around Lysander's waist and leaned in to his embrace; knowing that he wouldn't read in to it and it would irritate the bastard.

Mikhail's lips turned into a snarl. He disliked the new take on the situation; people would see him in meddling in other people's relationships and that wasn't the sort of attention he liked to attract. He had to pretend to have morals at least. Eyes flashing dangerously after being bested by such a simple action, he refused to leave it there; he needed the upper hand in this. He held his hand out for Lysander Scamander to shake, an apologetic gesture to convey there were no hard feelings.

Silver-blonde eyebrows raised towards his hairline as Lysander considered the offered hand. He cocked his head to the side to try and gage Lily's expression. Unfortunately she didn't look his way so he had to wing it. Not entirely sure what was going on, but understanding Lily didn't want the younger of the Dolohov siblings anywhere near her, Lysander shook his hand in an attempt to get him to clear off quickly.

Dolohov's voice was low enough not to be overheard but the warning was there. "I'm bored now. See you when your lapdog isn't around." He said and directed a condescending glance towards Lily and the Scamander twins. Lily withheld a shudder. She'd avoided the man for thirteen years; surely she could make it another thirteen years without running into him again.

Lysander may not know the detail of what had transpired, but he heard the threat and responded. His muscles tensed and he made a step towards the older male. Feeling a gentle squeeze his waist, prevented him from shoving the man's threats where they belonged.

"I look forward to it. Buh-bye." Lily said and forced a smile. Mikhail held her gaze a moment longer before turning on his heel and strutting out of the bar, Montague and Avery followed obediently, much to Lily's relief. Finally that part of her disaster of a day was over.

Lily sighed when she felt the gazes of their audience leave her. Many of the single women were pleased with the knowledge that Mikhail would not be getting mixed up the likes of her. Others were speculation about the fact Lily seemed to be involved with the twin brother of her cousin's husband, while others were relieved that the incident had ended peacefully. Now that she was no longer being watched, Lily pinched the middle finger of his hand now resting on her shoulder, forcing his hand to lift as she directed it off her shoulder. Her body relaxed as soon as the contact ended. Lily had never been one to indulge in unnecessary physical contact, despite being part of the Weasley/Potter clan who were always finding excuses to hug and pat each other on the back. Her smile was less forced as she leant against the bar with the Scamander twins as company, the aura radiating from her warning them that she did not want to talk about what happened.

That didn't surprise Lysander one bit. He often found that Slytherins were reluctant to make their concerns known, not that that prevented him from attempting to squeeze the information he wanted out of them. Since he both worked and lived with former Slytherins, he had a lot of experience dealing with them, especially this one. "Thanks for saving by butt there Ly, I'm so glad you were here – No problem Lily, you know I'm always here for you – I know that and because you are so amazing, as a reward I'm going to let you in on what was going on." Lysander teased throwing his voice in a poor imitation of him and Lily having a conversation.

Lily frowned and crossed her arms in front of her while Lorcan rolled his eyes at his twin brother's usual tactic for getting information out of Lily Potter. It worked occasionally, but when she was trying so hard not to reduce him to ashes. The redhead was too cautious about what she said to people; even her friends- as if fearing to reveal her vulnerabilities, even to those who cared about her.

"Putting words in my mouth Ly? That's not like you." Lily scolded but there was tiredness about her actions as she climbed onto the bar stool that worried Lysander. He didn't know what had passed between Lily and Mikhail but there was definitely history there; history that his friend didn't want to share but he sensed it was too important for him not to know. The only way to get that kind of information from her was to provoke her infamous anger. That way she concentrated so much on not killing him that she often let her guard down. It was a dangerous task, amusing, but dangerous nonetheless. However, someone had to save the redhead from imploding from her own troubles and secrets.

Knowing very well that his next move may get him maimed or worse, Lysander began his taunting. "It's better than what they seemed to want to put in your mouth."

Lily's nostril flared and eyes narrowed into slits, her whole body tensed and mouth twitched as she contemplated whether casting a curse to temporarily close up every one of his orifices would count as attempted murder; her godmother may never forgive her; maybe she should just close up his mouth. Lysander loved to push her limits and had gone too far this time. Lily decided as she acknowledged the man was pretty dim for a Ravenclaw. She kept her arms tight around herself so not to strike out. The fact that he had helped her get rid of Dolohov was the only reason he stood completely unscathed, Cordelia Weasley and her bloody pub be damned. "I'd rather do without the imagery thank you very much." Lily said, her tone warning the blonde that it would be wise to leave the subject alone. There was no way she was going to spill the secrets of her childhood. She was going to lock them away in her subconscious and try to pretend they never happened.

Lorcan sensed the danger and wanted no part in it. He loved his brother and Lily, he really did. But there was no way he was going to be there when her temper snapped. If his brother had any sense he would leave the subject alone. But then, his brother was reckless for a Ravenclaw, it was a wonder he hadn't been made a Gryffindor.

"And on that note I'll leave you. I need to pick up the kids from their grandparent's." He announced. Lily nodded but her narrowed gaze remained focused on Lysander, However Lysander looked betrayed at his twin's abandonment- where was the family loyalty? Lorcan sighed and refused to allow his brother to persuade him to stay. His mother-in-law was more than happy to watch the twins for an immeasurable amount of time as long as they didn't destroy her books; however her husband found the four a handful and would likely be tearing his hair out as they spoke. "Rose wanted me to mention that she's thinking of popping by tomorrow lunchtime with the kids. If that is okay with you?" he added uncertainly. After the bad day she was clearly having, he wasn't certain she would welcome the visit.

Lily did however welcome being distracted from her intense urge to maim one of her best friends; she'd feel guilty about it in the morning if she hurt him. "That's fine Loran. Ask her to bring the little imps to the house and not my lab as usual. I'll make sure I'm in."

As Lorcan and Lily quickly made their arrangements, Lysander listened curiously. Everyone knew that Lily spent the large majority of her time in her potions lab. The woman even had a bed there for when she felt her creations needed close observations. There was even a small living space away where she received gusets. "What's wrong with the lab?"

Lily shifted in her chair uncomfortable by the question. "You'll find out when you get home." Lily offered vaguely.

It was Lysander's turn to glare daggers. "Right, well I better be off." Lorcan said decisively and left to rescue his in-laws before either Lily or Lysander noticed his exit. The duo didn't even notice the wary glances other customers now sent their way.

"You blew it up again didn't you?" he accused, coming to stand in front of Lily.

Lily would have normally rejoiced her triumph but she didn't want Lysander to know she was purposely directing the conversation away from unpleasant subjects. "Technically it was more my potion than me."

Lysander's eye began to twitch at her blasé response. He brought his fingers up to massage his temples. This was not the first time Lily had blown up her lab. "Please tell me the house is intact."

"Is that all you care about? I tell you my potion blew up my lab and you ask about the house."

"I have to live in that house." He shouted, his voice reaching an octave that attracted attention, reminding them they were not alone.

Lily winced and massaged her ears. They weren't used to that kind of abuse, especially not from Lysander. Folding her arms in front of her, Lily gave him a levelled look. "Yes, and it's not only me you have to live with." She reminded.

Lysander winced. It was one thing him trying to get what he wanted from the redhead, it was quite another when he considered his other housemates. They would be more sympathetic to his plight and may even help him discover what was between Lily and Mikhail, if he wasn't one to add to Lily's dark mood. Out of all those living there, Lily was the one that could have the most dramatic affect on the ambiance. When she was miserable, they all were. It wasn't that she intentionally meant for them to share her misery, they just didn't like seeing her that way. "Right, yeah. So you've had a bad day then?"

"Seriously bad."

Lysander snorted when she failed to elaborate. Maybe he should push her for information. He could always crash at his parent's house for a week to avoid the backlash from his housemates for what he was about to do- if it went wrong. He needed to gather information in order to help her; being a Slytherin she'd never admit she needed help. Now he knew nothing about Mikhail but he did now a little about his elder brother Nikolia; something he was sure Lily didn't know he knew. Hopefully the surprise would loosen her tongue. "I can see how running in with little Dolohov is less appealing than his brother. Don't you agree?" he hinted suggestively.

Lily blanched and felt her chest tighten at the mention of Mikhail's elder brother; the two men were polar opposites and it was easy to forget that they were related. Since Lily had had nothing to do with Mikhail for the past thirteen years, she'd found it easy for forget about the familial connection between her Potion's mentor and her enemy. They had sort of dated for a while, before her underlining feelings for another had gotten in the way. Feelings that she still hadn't acted on, nor did she intend to doing so. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked cautiously; wondering how much he knew. She dropped her arms to her side, her intention being to not appear defensive.

"I mean he mentored you in more than your Potion Master apprenticeship, if you know what I mean?" Lysander stated and shrugged, hiding his pleasure that he'd managed to catch her off guard.

Hazel eyes widened in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Don't be coy, Lily. I've lived with you for six years and my room overlooks your potions lab. There was no way I could avoid finding out. What with you two getting down and dirty right there among the-"

Lily's hands quickly covered his mouth to get him to stop, it was better than reaching for her wand. She really hoped her cheeks were not as red as they felt. She was too shocked that he knew about the one relationship she ever tried to keep secret, to be angry at him. Besides she was smart enough to know his game; they'd played it often enough. He would provoke her anger in order to get information out of her and she would pretend his tactics worked, allowing him to offer advice and solutions for her problems without having to ask. She wouldn't talk about Mikhail but she was willing to let it play out. At least it would keep her mind off things until her parents turned up. "I get your point Ly. I suck as discretion. I hope you're better than I because there is no way I want anyone to know about Niki and I."

Lysander laughed. "You're a couple of years too late. Hey, don't look at me like that. It's not like I told Mika. She worked it out herself and demanded to know if anyone else was in the know. So naturally Caleb and Andie found out. I'm not sure if Scorpius or Stephanie worked it out. But I'd assume they did if I were you. But since none of us are likely to mention it to anyone else, I think you're safe. Especially since it has been over between you two for what- eighteen months now?"

Lily huffed at the revelation. "And you couldn't leave me ignorant that you knew?" she complained.

"Where's the fun in that?" Lysander smirked.

Lily gave an exasperated sigh at his superior tone. "Since you seem to be enjoying yourself so much, why don't you meet up with my mother instead of me? She seems to like you more than me."

Lysander struggled to stop the smile from showing. He failed but Lily appreciated his efforts. "Is she still trying to get you to settle down?" he asked and continued when the withering look she shot his way confirmed his suspicions. "Maybe you need her help since your taste in men leaves much to be desired- Nikolai Dolohov, Tristan Bole, Jedd Lympsham and who was the latest one. You know Stephanie's half brother; the one Rose used to have a thing for before she saw sense and married my brother."

Lily shook her head when he listed off her Ex-s. It wasn't a long list but that wasn't surprising. There were few people she could tolerate for long. Even her best friends were hard for her to deal with from time to time; as Lysander was proving. "Now who's playing coy? You had that fling with his sister as I recall. Satine was a demon before that and now she's the neighbour from hell. I think the less said about her the better."

From Lily tone it was evident that something had happened between the two women recently, he'd leave the questioning of that for another day. "Ah yes, sweet Satan." Lysander mused; his eyes glazing over as the memories came flooding back. The little hellion knew how to have a good time.

Lily slapped him on the upside of his head to regain his attention. "Precisely! So it is fair to say that both our tastes suck, but my mum's idea of the ideal guy for me isn't much better. Do you know she had the audacity to try and set me up with Joel Finch-Fletchley."

"I remember Joel. He was in my year- nice guy." Lysander began then paused when he realised what that meant. He had great respect for Ginny Potter, but setting her daughter up with a Hufflepuff wasn't a bright thing to do. "Merlin! Doesn't she know you eat guys like that for breakfast? Please tell me you at least pretended to be someone other than yourself. There is no way a Hufflepuff could handle you without being emotionally scarred for life."

A ghost af a smile toyed with her lips as she finally found some amusement today. Lily couldn't disagree with his words. There were only three Hufflepuffs Lily could tolerate and even liked. All three were married to her cousins, one being her father's godson Teddy Lupin who she regarded a brother, the others being Delia and Lucy's husband- Christian Vane. "Well he certainly wasn't looking for a second date, that's for sure." She admitted, thankful that she had managed to distract Lysander sufficiently from her quest.

"I'll bet. Just what did you do to him?" Lysander wanted to know.

Lily combed her fingers through her luxurious red-wine hair and twirled a curl around her finger. "What makes you think I just wasn't his type?"

Lysander placed his hand on her shoulder so she would listen. "Lily I know you like to act all badass and everything. But the way you look, I don't think there's a man out there who'd say you weren't his type. You're like Jessica Rabbit in the flesh. Hell, they'd even be willing to put up with your crap if they got to wake up next to you every morning."

Lily rolled her eyes and quickly shrugged his hand off her shoulder. She didn't pretend to know what he was on about. "Jessica Rabbit?"

"She's a Muggle cartoon character which was voted the sexiest cartoon character of all time."

Lily shook her head gently. "Let's just pretend I didn't take that as an insult. At least I'm not your type." Lily announced. They may have acted more than friends in front of Mikhail but there was nothing other than friendship between Lily and Lysander. They'd snogged years ago but the lack of chemistry between them hadn't encouraged them to try going any further than the odd chaste kiss he inflicted on her every now and then.

"True. But I'm the exception. So what did you do to him?"

"He was so annoying thought me incapable of opening a damned door, then he held out the chair for me. I managed to stay my hand until he announced that he'd already ordered from the menu for me without knowing what I liked. What do you think I did to him?" Lily explained, getting irritated as she recollected the incident.

Lysander's laughter filled the room. It took him a while to regain control but Lily waited to hear his opinion, knowing she wouldn't agree with it. "I believe he was trying to act a gentleman and impress you. Only a Slytherin would punish him for that." Lily couldn't argue with that, nor could she see that she'd done anything wrong. "You're an aberration you know that?"

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked to change the subject. She knew she was strange for a Potter, people told her that every day, she didn't need reminding.

Lysander didn't comment on the swift change in topic. He acknowledged his plan had failed but then he had plenty of time to work on her in the future. "I was actually on the way home to find you." He conceded. "Mika has some news to share with us all and she wants to meet here around two. If your meal with your family runs after that it will be easy to explain that you'll join us later. We'll be at our usual table of course. It must be important since Scorpius will be coming and you know how rarely he ventures here."

Lily cocked her head and looked up at the blonde intrigued that Scorpius would be joining them in public. It wasn't often that the man ventured anywhere other than Malfoy Manor or the house Lily shared with Lysander and a few others. Plus if Mika had important news to share, then she wouldn't let her friend down. "I don't know if I'll be much company after lunch with my mother but I'll be there regardless." Lily replied and Lysander sent her a that's-my-girl smile.

At the mention of her mother, Ginny Potter walked into the Leaky cauldron with her husband, two sons and Teddy. They caught her eye and motioned to table which had been saved for them. Lily stepped away from the bar. "I better go. I can't keep mummy and daddy waiting." Lily sighed. "And you better go before my mother tries to play matchmaker for us." She warned in all seriousness.

"You're years too late. Our parents have been talking about it for years." Lysander laughed.

"If only you didn't know how much of a sarcastic bitch I can be." Lily teased to hide her cringe at the idea.

"That I could handle, it's the other men drooling over you that would drive me insane." He admitted and kissed her on the cheek. She didn't flinch but when he made the move to hug her, the glare stopped him. Having arms wrapped around her, even for such a brief period of time made her feel trapped. She avoided that feeling wherever possible.

"Stop over exaggerating, it's rather tiresome." She said, disregarded his insinuation that men considered her attractive, before she left to join her parents and brothers. She wasn't looking forward to it. However the sooner she joined them, the sooner the meal ended and the sooner she could join her friends and find out what Mika wanted to share with them.

So it wasn't Scorpius earlier but you will meet him soon. This will be the last update for a while since I have too much work and a couple of holidays coming up. Thank you for reading, I hope you choose to review :)