Chapter Four: Breaking Away

After a fierce telling off from McGonagall, James and Albus were allowed only to see their cousin Hugo being sorted, before being escorted out of the hall. Hugo joined the Gryffindor table and smiled over at Lily, before giving her thumbs up. Lily smiled back and began tucking into the feast that lay before her.

"I don't believe this, how can we all be in different houses? It's just not possible," seethed James, pacing up and down the corridor outside McGonagall's office.

"Lily probably chose to be in Ravenclaw, because of what you said to her about being in Slytherin," retorted Albus.

"You can't choose houses, Al. Anyway, if anything, she was probably afraid of ending up like you," snorted James.

"I should think ending up like either of you would be no great thing," came a voice from behind them.

"Professor McGonagall, I'm so sorry about our behaviour. It'll never happen again, I swear. It was just a misunderstanding between brothers," stammered Albus, apologetically.

"Slow down there, Albus. What do you have to say for yourself, James?" she asked, addressing the older brother. James said nothing and folded his arms.

"Let's start with the basics. What were you two fighting about?" she asked, gesturing for them to sit down in her office.

"James kept goading Lily about becoming a Slytherin, I was defending her," explained Albus.

"I see, and why would it be so terrible if Lily was a Slytherin, James?" she asked, looking down her glasses at him. James ran a hand through his chestnut hair and sighed.

"Because they're rotten to the core, and our family aren't Slytherins," he replied, giving Albus a meaningful look.

"Your brother is a Slytherin, and he's not evil at all. He's a fantastic student," she beamed.

"So was Tom Riddle," grunted James.

"Never mention that name in this castle, Potter. You should know better, especially with you being who you are," she chided.

"Harry Potter's son, how could I forget?" he sneered.

"Listen boys, despite your interests, interrupting the sorting ceremony like that was unforgivable. I will have to call your parents in; perhaps it would be prudent for them to choose your punishments. I've run out of ideas for you, James," she sighed.

"We're sorry, Professor," said Albus, hanging his head.

"You may leave," said McGonagall.

"James, wait!" called Albus.

"It's over, Al. Three strikes and you're out. I've had about twelve now, this is it," he sighed, walking away.

"No, come back. James!"

"I have nothing left to say to you that I haven't said already. I don't know who I am anymore," called James. Albus watched him go, sadly. As he made his way back to the castle, he wished that he understood his brother better.

Lily sat in her common room; talking to a girl she had met at the feast, who was called Samantha.

"Lily, there's a Slytherin boy waiting outside for you," said Jennifer, as she stepped through the portrait.

"First year?" asked Samantha.

"Third, his name's Scorpio or something," said Jennifer, sitting down with a magazine.

"Scorpius Malfoy, he's a friend of Albus'," Lily informed them.

"Ooh, he is fine," said Samantha.

"I'd better go and see what he wants," said Lily, blushing.

"Lily, how are you?" he asked, breathlessly.

"As good as can be expected, considering the way my brothers showed me up earlier," she said, irritably.

"I'm sure they're sorry," said Scorpius, giving her a look that could have made the Roman Empire fall.

"Did Albus send you?" she asked, in a bored tone.

"No, I just brought you these. I thought you might need cheering up a bit," he said, brandishing a bunch of wildflowers.

"Thank you, Scorpius," she gushed.

"You do like flowers, don't you?" he asked her, his eyes liquid mint.

"Well I was named after one, I love them, thank you," she said, smiling. She considered adding that she'd love anything he gave her, but decided against it.

"I'm glad and I'm also glad you're okay, well...err," he hesitated, rotating on the spot.

"I'd invite you in, but you might get harassed," she joked, indicating the portrait hole. He smiled a beautiful smile and laughed.

"Well, I'd best be off then, would you like me to give Albus a message?" he asked.

"Ask him to meet me tomorrow by the lake, please," she said.

"Will do," said Scorpius, nodding.

"Oh, and Scorpius, I'm having a little get together on Tuesday, because it's my birthday. You're welcome to come along if you'd like," she said, half expecting him to laugh in her face.

"I'd like that, hug?" he asked, opening his arms wide. Lily thought she had misheard, but leaned in nonetheless. She suddenly became conscious of her thudding heart, and cut the hug short.

"Goodnight, Scorpius," she said, awkwardly.

"Goodnight, Lily," he replied. Before she stepped back into her common room, Lily leaned against the portrait. Despite the fact he was way above her league, was two years older than her, was her brother's best friend and probably felt sorry for her, Lily fancied Scorpius Malfoy so much that it hurt.

"You must be starting to feel like you're adopted or something, Potter, what with all the different houses," a boy joked in the dorm room.

"Hilarious," said James, heading for the shower. If he resented his family now, it was nothing compared to what was coming tomorrow.

"Did she seem okay, Scorpius?" asked Albus, once they were in the common room.

"She wants to speak to you tomorrow, by the lake. She seemed fine, she invited me to her birthday party thing," said Scorpius, shrugging.

"I love her just as much, even though she's not a Slytherin. It wouldn't matter if she was a troll, she's my sister and I love her so much," said Albus, thoughtfully.

"Tell her that tomorrow, she can't be angry if you tell her that," reasoned Scorpius. Albus settled into bed, it had been a long day.