Here's another chapter! Thank you so much for your positive reviews and to those of you who have taken time to PM me. I hope you all love this chapter and don't forget to tell me what you guys think!

I don't own anything from Harry Potter.

When Lily was little she always dreamt of going to Hogwarts. She wanted to explore the ageless castle and discover its hidden secrets, to be part of its history. She cried when both James and Albus had left to start their first years respectively and not even the promise of sweets could calm her as they normally had. When the day had finally arrived and Lily no longer found herself being left behind no one could wipe the smile off of her face. The moment she came face to face with the breathtaking castle had been one of the happiest moments of her life and even to the date, Lily was happy to catch a glimpse of her second home.

"Home," she murmured, staring up at the majestic castle.

"I missed it too but what I don't miss are the professors drowning us in work," Alice spoke as she followed her friends off of the train and to the carriages lining up Hogsmede station.

"You only find yourself drowning in work because you choose to leave all your essays for last possible moment," Lysander pointed out.

Alice made a face at the back of his head. "It's not my fault I have an actual life to live," she replied hotly.

Opening the carriage door, Lorcan turned to face the pursed-lipped girl. "You won't have a life to live if Neville kills you for not passing your OWL exams."

Lily giggled as the two began to go at it as they most often did. Lorcan and Alice had a very different view on education and sometimes it was a wonder they were even friends. Taking Lysander's offered hand, Lily made to get into the carriage when she remembered her forgotten sketch book.

"Oh no," she mumbled, looking through her schoolbag for the small book.

"What is it?" Lysander asked in worry.

"Nothing. I just left my sketch book on the train."

"I'll go get it," he offered already moving towards the express.

"No it's alright I'll go," Lily stopped him.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile. "It'll only be a minute. I'll meet you guys up at the castle."

Lorcan and Alice stopped their bickering when they saw her heading back to the train. "Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"I forgot my sketchbook."

"Want me to stay with you?" her friend offered just as Lysander had.

"No, just head back with the guys. I'll take another carriage," Lily replied.

"If you say so, but hurry so you don't have to walk up to Hogwarts."

"I'll be fine mum," she teased with a wave of her hand.

To be honest, Lily didn't mind being left alone for just a few more moments. She wasn't too excited to have her cousins and brother talk about how they would crush the Slytherin team or Alice daydream about her brother. She was happy to be back at Hogwarts, but some peace before the noise was always welcomed by her. Walking back into the opened compartment she and her friends had claimed, she spotted her leather sketchbook where she had left it. Lily placed in her bag and headed back into the cold, dark night just as the final carriage began its journey to the castle.

"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned. Her green eyes looking at the bridge leading to Hogwarts in disappointment. "You just had to forget your sketchbook!"

With a shiver, she started the trek using the light of the moon as her guide. Growing up on her father's stories of battling Voldemort and Death Eaters, she could imagine a couple jumping out at her. Surely she was an easy target at the moment for any dark wizard should they choose to attack her.

Lily let out a shriek as a dry voice interrupted her musings, "Are you getting in or would you like to continue pouting your way up to Hogwarts?"

"Malfoy, you scared me half to death," Lily said clutching a small hand to her racing heart.

Scorpius made no move to apologize instead looking at her with a clear expression that read either get in or start walking.

Scrambling into the carriage she sat across from the handsome Slytherin. Just like her he was already dressed in his house robes, but his looked more expensive and neatly pressed to perfection. She forced herself not to stare like an absolute moron and instead focus her attention on the upholstery's design, her finger tracing over its pattern.

"Nervous, Potter?" she heard him ask with a trace of humor lacing through his words.

She moved her head up, her eyes locking with his. For a moment she wondered if she was dreaming. How could she be so lucky to have had more than one encounter with him in the space of two days? Maybe she should pinch herself…

"I know you can talk baby Potter."

Clearing her head, she spoke to him in what she hoped was a steady voice. "I'm sorry about Albus, he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."

He tilted his head to the side. Like on the train she found him studying her, searching for every secret she had hidden behind her schoolgirl façade. "Your brother is a nuisance. Believe me my feelings weren't hurt by him," he scoffed.

"Still. You weren't doing anything to him and he acted like a prat."

He hummed in acknowledge, his attention turning to the small carriage window.

Feeling brave and knowing this might be the last moment where she would be able to speak to him, she decided not to waste the opportunity. "Congratulations on making Head Boy."

Scorpius brought his attention back to her. "Thank you, I was sure it was going to your brother so I really didn't expect the badge at all."

Lily smiled, "Albus thought it was going to him too. James hasn't stopped teasing him about it." She didn't mention that James was teasing him about losing out to a Malfoy. Scorpius just gave a brief smile at that. Lily racked her brains trying to think of something else to say and coming up short.

"I'm surprised you didn't make prefect," Scorpius said back, pulling Lily out of her frantic search for a new topic.

She shrugged. "I'm happy Alice got it."

"Why didn't you get it? I'm sure being a Potter has its advantages."

Lily didn't know how to respond to that. Part of her wanted to tell him the truth and the other wasn't sure she could. "Maybe I'm not smart enough," she offered.

"Doubtful."

Now it was her turn to look away. She wanted to talk to him, she craved the sound of his voice as a man craved water in the desert, but she didn't want to talk about her family. She didn't need another reminder as to why she would never truly feel like one of them.

"He shouldn't have treated you like that either. You're his sister not his pet," he murmured in what sounded to her as disgust.

"Albus got what he deserved," she smiled, remembering her brother's angry cries at having been hexed.

Scorpius arched a brow. "You did that to him, didn't you?"

"Did what?" She bit down on her lip in amusement.

"Hexing your own brother," he tsked, "wouldn't think you had it in you."

Lily felt giddy at his almost praise. The pull at the corners of his lips gave her hope at making his cool attitude crack if only a little, but all too soon his face was back to its mask of neutrality. Before she could reply to his previous comment the carriage stopped and Scorpius hopped out, holding his hand out to help her down from the carriage.

She thanked him and took his offered hand, noticing just how her hand seemed to fit with his so well. Lily half expected him to leave her alone and join the rest of the students inside, yet he waiting for her to straighten herself and walk in silence beside her.

"You don't have to wait for me," she told him.

"Worried your family might see you with the big, bad Slytherin?"

"I rather spare you the hassle of dealing with all of them," was her reply.

"I can deal with your people, baby Potter."

She made a face at the nickname. "Please don't call me that."

"What?"

"Don't call me baby Potter, I don't like it."

"Alright, Potter."

She shook her head. "Lily. My name is Lily."

He arched a brow. "Lily…" he sounded each syllable of her name as if it were a foreign word to him.

"Lily," she repeated looking at him from under her long lashes.

"Li –"

"Lily, there you are!" Alice shouted from the courtyard. Her brown eyes observing the closeness between her friend and the Head Boy curiously as she walked over to them. "Everyone's already in the Great Hall."

"I have to help with the sorting, excuse me." Scorpius gave Alice a polite nod and to her astonishment the Slytherin gave her friend a quick smile. "Lily," he murmured before he was out of sight.

"Like to tell me what you were doing walking in with Scorpius Malfoy?" Alice whisper shouted to Lily, making sure no one had seen the strange exchange.

"We rode in the same carriage –"

Alice's eyes widened at the news. "You what!"

"It was the last carriage and I didn't exactly want to walk up to the castle. As Head Boy, he was assigned to take the last carriage and make sure all the students had made it off the train." Lily calmly replied.

"What would Albus say?" Alice questioned, following Lily with a determined pace.

"Alice, I could care less what Albus says and please spare me the lecture. You're acting like I just held hands with Voldemort himself."

"You might as well have, Lils."

Lily glared at the brunette. She was tired of hearing how horrible Scorpius was and how she needed to stay away from him. She was tired of being treated like a child.

"What was I meant to do Alice, start a fight with him for daring to share a carriage with me?" Lily asked emphasizing her name.

"Stoic silence would have been better. Albus –"

"Enough! The only reason you're being like this is because of your stupid crush on my brother! What has Scorpius Malfoy ever done to you? What has he ever done to anyone?"

"I don't have a crush –"

"Oh, please." Lily rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"This isn't about me, Lily. He's spoiled, arrogant, and he's practically screwed half of the witches here. I'm only looking out for you."

"No offense Alice but I don't need you looking out for me. I don't need another person telling me how many things I do wrong and please use another tactic to get in Albus' favor, won't you?"

Alice looked as if she had just been slapped. Never had Lily spoken to her in such a way or anyone for that matter and although a part of her wanted to apologize, she didn't.

"I have noticed Lily. I've only kept my mouth shut for the past couple of years because you were happy to admire from afar but don't take this any deeper. He did his duty as Head Boy making sure you got up here safe, but it's not a good idea for you to look to prolong any interaction between you and Malfoy. Now we'd better get inside before McGonagall starts her speech," Alice said pushing past Lily.

With an angry sigh, Lily followed at a distance. She really didn't feel like having to suffer her way through sorting and a feast. Gone was the glow from her conversation with Malfoy. Now all that remained was a bitter taste from her best friend laying down the law as her family always did.

Her family was scattered around the Great Hall all talking with their friends and feeling at place within their own houses. She spotted Rose keeping a close eye on the sorting ceremony from her place at the Ravenclaw table and no doubt Scorpius was doing the same from the Slytherin table as was their duty as Head Boy and Girl. Albus like always was boasting about something or another at the Gryffindor table, his loud voice reaching her ears from the moment she had entered the hall. She sat down next to Hugo, avoiding her brother's vicious glare and Alice's judging eyes.

Lily felt the annoying sting of tears ready to fall at any second. She wished she could just go up to her dormitory and cry her frustration out. The year was already off to a wonderful start…

The sorting went like it did every year. The students clapped and cheered when their houses received new students, but Lily paid it no mind. The excitement of watching the sorting hat place students with the people that would be like family had worn off the moment she had been sorted. Each year she would watch the sorting and wonder what if… What if she had been brave and accepted the hat's decision. Lily scoffed at the thought. If she had been brave then she would have been placed in Gryffindor in the first place, wouldn't she have?

She looked over the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table to where Scorpius was seated surrounded by his housemates and two equally stunning girls whom she knew were his cousins. She had never spoken to either of the Zabini girls, one being younger and the other older than her, but from what she had seen they were very well-mannered and usually at his side. The Slytherin table was always a fascinating sight to her and not just because Scorpius was there, but because of how refined and different they were from the other houses. They always seemed to be living in their own world, an elite world where she was nothing more than an observer.

"Why are you staring at the Slytherin table?'' Hugo asked.

"Hmm?'' She murmured, ripping her gaze away from the object of her desires and towards her cousin.

"You were staring at the snakes again, why?''

"I was just…lost in thought," she said lamely.

"You sure? You were staring pretty hard at Malfoy," he said from behind his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"No I wasn't.'' Her eyes telling him to stop the interrogation before Albus could hear anything. Merlin forbid her brother heard word from Hugo of her interest in the one person he couldn't stand in the least. He would probably lock her away in Gryffindor tower and then go off to kill Scorpius who barely knew she existed let alone like her in any way.

With a shrug Hugo turned to his friends and left her alone once again to her own thoughts. Feeling as though someone was staring at her, Lily lifted her head and met the one gaze she was incapable of turning from, and not even the Headmistress McGonagall could pull her away.

"A warm welcome to our newest students and to those returning…"