Blain and Lily settled more comfortably in the soft chairs in front of the fire. It was warm and inviting, but the look on Blain's face was for from content. He sat stiffly with his hands clenched in front of him. Lily sat silently, watching him. It was a trick she had learned from her dad. People often did not like silence, and if you sat long enough, they would fill the silence. You often learned the most when not talking.
The minutes stretched on, yet neither spoke. Blain began to fidget and lily forced her body to remain calm and serene. Not an easy task for someone who moved even when she talked. Finally Blain looked up, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"You and Scorpius." Blain scowled at her.
"There's nothing to talk about." And the two lapsed into silence again. Lily sat perfectly still and focused on the fire. She noticed small groups of people wandering off. Some to the library, some to their dorms, and some to meet with other friends. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Marcus get up and stretch. She caught his eye and he mouthed, "I'll see you later." She winked and gave him a small smile. With a slight chuckle, he headed off to his dorm. Still the two remained silent. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, Blain looked up again.
"He's just so…so…Merlin I don't know. He always seems to have girls flock to him. He goes out with them for a few weeks and he dumps them and yet they still flock to him. He knows what he wants to do with his life. He is so sure and cocky and…and…so Scorpius. I used to know what he was thinking just by looking at him and it dawned on me today, I don't know that any more.
I can see he's happier than when we were growing up and that is because of you. You are the one that helps his through problems and the one he talks to. He makes decisions based on what you think and he is always talking about how wonderful you are. So I thought maybe you could help me with some things, but he is always around you, or you are always surrounded, and I always feel like I am intruding on a great party if I go up to you when he is there. You know, I knew you first, and yet I feel like I can't even come over and ask you a simple question when he is around!"
With this out, Blain lowered his head to his hands and took a deep breath. Lily had not moved an inch since Blain had started talking. Was Scorpius right? Did Blain like her? It was Lily's turn to take a deep calming breath. She may regret what she had started later, but she had started it. Lord please don't let him like me.
"So tell me now. Scorpius is up in the library."
He shot a glance her way, but he remained quiet. She could see him debating the idea of finally talking to her. She rolled her eyes, "Honestly, you boys are impossible. Look Blain, Scorpius is worried about you. He doesn't know what he did wrong and the only thing that makes sense to him right now is that you like me and he is somehow standing in your way."
Blain looked up with a startled look upon his face. He interrupted "Of course I like you."
Lily paled slightly. Shit. She was trying to compose an answer to that. An answer that would let him down gently. He was already having a slight crisis over not knowing what he would be doing after Hogwarts and she did not need his pride to be wounded. It would be awkward if she didn't do this right. Blain continued to talk.
"I mean you are like this great little sister that I never had. I mean, it's not like I got to watch you grow up from a baby or anything, but I did get to see you get your first wand and well, you have grown a lot since I first met you."
"You think of me as a sister?" Lily was afraid she had heard wrong and she wanted to make sure she had not.
Blain looked up and gave a sheepish smile. "I know you already have brothers and girls don't like to think of themselves as sisters to other guys, but yeah, I do. I've never had a sibling and you and I just get along so well I think that this must be what it's like." He blushed, "Sorry, I'm rambling on like an idiot."
Lily gave a small laugh of relief. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm honored that you think of me as a sister."
He looked up at her in surprise. "Really?"
"Really. You are like a combination of James and Al rolled into one. You have James' sense of humor and Al's calm demeanor. I think of you as another brother." Blain smiled at her. "So as your sister, what has been bothering you?"
He laughed at that. "Ok, but only because you are my sister." He gave her a little wink before growing more serious. "I like someone."
Lily waited a few minutes but he didn't continue. "Ok, and who are we talking about?"
Blain heaved a sigh and stared at his hands again. "Someone Scorpius has already dated. That's the problem, I am his friend which means I'm not supposed to date someone he already has and it just started to dawn on me that he has dated a lot of girls. He is making it really hard to ask someone out because he has already dated half the population of Hogwarts." He leaned back with a frustrated shake of his head.
"I see. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news Blain, but how often do you talk to Scorpius about why he decides to no longer see a girl?"
"Well, never. I just know he goes through them within months. It puts a lot of pressure on a guy to ask out someone before he does just so I have a dating option."
Lily laughed "Well, your friend isn't exactly head over heels for these girls. I think the last one laughed funny, or crinkled her nose wrong. This one will probably tuck her hair behind her ears and he will think how annoying that gesture is and he will be done. I love Scorpius, I do, but he is a fickle playboy. The only one that stuck around long enough was Melinda."
She looked up to see Blain blushing. He met her eyes and gave another sheepish grin. "See my problem?"
Lily's eyes went wide, "Ohhhhh." Before he could react, Lily flung herself at him and gave him a hug. "Blain that is wonderful. I should have known you would have taste." She leaned back to look at his startled eyes. "So when are you going to ask her out?"
"What? No, no, I don't think you are following. I can't date Mel, Scorpius already did and I , I , I don't think she even knows I am alive, never mind dating me." He began to stutter more and more and the red color began to creep up his neck.
"You are cute when you blush Blain." This only caused him to blush even more scarlet. She took pity on him. "I know Scorpius wouldn't mind Blain. That was years ago."
"Yeah, but like you said, she's the only one that lasted long enough to meet anyone. What makes it worse is, she dumped him, not the other way around."
"How does that make it worse?"
"Well, she is the one that got away. I think she is the reason he goes through all the girls. He is comparing them to Mel, and they are not Mel. I can't date her Lily. She was the one that actually meant something."
"Well, I have a crazy idea."
"What is that?"
"You could always talk to Scorpius about it. Ask him what he thinks about you dating someone he used to."
Blain held up his hands. "No way. Sorry, Lils, but we guys don't do that. Besides, I don't know if he would be lying to save masculine pride and I would be stuck in the same problem. If I dated her, he could get mad at me and I would be miserable, and if I don't date her I could be miserable. It's a lose lose situation."
They sat for a few minutes watching the fire dance in the grate. She looked up and quietly spoke. "I think you are making a mistake Blain. He had his chance, and I think Scor knows that. You may be right about the many girls, but I think he knows that he and Mel are done. We don't even talk about her at all, and I think I would know if he wanted a second chance with her. It is your choice about what you do. I won't say anything to Scor, but so me a favor and start talking to him again. He really misses you."
Blain sat quietly and nodded, smiling slightly. "And Blain, smile. You aren't going to get any action mopping around." Blain actually laughed at that.
Lily smiled and stood up. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You are a good guy Blain. It all works out in the end." When he looked up and smiled. "One more thing. Don't tell Scor about our talk, please. You are right about the masculine pride and he would hate that you would talk to me and not him."
Blain smiled up at her and nodded. "No problem Lily. Goodnight." She was almost to the door when he looked up. "What am I thinking? You can't go wandering the halls alone at night! Shit Lily, you know better. C'mon, I'll walk you to the dorms."
She rolled her eyes, but she took his arm and the two walked off to Gryfindor tower.
XXXXXXXXXX
The weeks after that sped by. Blain and Scorpius made up much to Scorpius' delight. When Lily passed the two talking and commented Blain had smiled and winked at her. It was turning out to be a wonderful year except for all the work. It seemed that they were always doing homework. Even her mornings with Scor seemed dedicated to homework and studying. Usually she went through a few sketch books a year, but the way this year was going, she would be lucky to finish one.
Scorpius broke up with his first girlfriend of the year so Lily got a chance to see him more often again. Unfortunately for him, she was still seeing Marcus so if he wanted to sit with her, he had to be in the presence of Marcus a lot more. He was trying she noticed. He was civil and had even laughed at some jokes Marcus told.
She was even beginning to feel safer in the halls by herself. Because she had not landed in the hospital wing again, it seemed that her family was starting to breathe easier again and her brothers and Scor were not so adamant about following her everywhere. She smiled at the freedom she was regaining. Her birthday came and went and she was feeling exceptionally happy.
It had started snowing and she found herself outside more often. She would go out, followed by a few friends, and she would start a snowball fight. It became a daily occurrence, a chance to relieve study tensions.
As they neared Christmas, the final Hogmeade trip of the year was taken. Lily went with Marcus, though Scorpius was not happy about it. He was grumpy. Lily always walked in with him and nothing was appeasing him.
"We'll meet up for lunch, but I would like to spend some time with Marcus."
"You are always out with Marcus, what about the rest of us? I don't get to see you as much Lily."
"Quit whining Scor. I see you more of you on my own than I do with Marcus. I promise, we will meet up for lunch and I will spend the rest of the day with you."
Scorpius had not liked it, but he had agreed to meet for lunch. Lily found she really liked spending the time alone with Marcus. Usually they were surrounded by people in the common room or in the library. Every time they snuck off to have the alone time, it always backfired. Someone would stumble on them and it broke the mood, or they would stumble upon another couple. Scorpius and Blain also seemed to be everywhere, always asking them questions or walking with them. They had not had a minute alone in weeks.
It was nice to just talk and not have to worry about including someone else in the conversation. They walked to the shrieking shack and spent a wonderful morning wrapped together. They wandered the streets of Hogsmeade and watched the snow fall. They walked in comfortable silence. She smiled thinking about how she usually only had these silences with Scorpius.
By the time lunch rolled around, the two were ready for the warmth of a fire and a nice butterbeer. Scorpius and Blain were already holding a table for them. Lily slid in grateful for the dry booth and the warm drink. Lily looked at the boys.
"So how was your morning?"
"Pretty good, we did some shopping. You will want to swing by the shop, James is working. Said he is doing a check up on you and he has something new for you to try out." Blain said.
Scorpius just grumped into his butterbeer. So he's still bent out of shape. Scorpius looked up, seeming to know what she was thinking.
"I am taking you over there after this. I promised James." He looked at her and smiled unabashedly. She was getting ready to tell him off. She did not take order well, not even from him. He again seemed to read her mind. She saw his eyes soften and his smile became sweeter. "That is, if it's ok with you Lily."
"That's better. I would love to go with you." She turned to Marcus, "Do you want to go? James will be there and possibly my uncle. I don't know if you are up to meeting family right now, I mean we have only been dating a few months and James can be…well intense."
"How intense?"
Lily glanced at Scorpius. "Ok, you know how Scorpius reacted to us first dating?"
"Yeah…"
The other three looked at Marcus, "He's worse." They said together and then they began to laugh. Marcus joined in.
"Hmmm, I think I'll pass on this one." Lily laughed at him.
"I don't blame you. Want to meet up by the gates in a few hours? We can all head to the castle together then."
The plan was agreed upon and they all split up, heading in different directions. Lily and Scorpius headed to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Blain went to find Albus and his girlfriend, and Marcus headed to meet with some of his Ravenclaw friends.
The rest of her afternoon was spent with Scorpius. They stopped by to see James. Then they wandered in and out of shops. Lily was able to do most of her Christmas shopping. Again, she felt the comfortable silence settle over her. This was just as good as this morning. She slipped her hand in his hand as they walked. He smiled down at her with a twinkle in his eye.
"So did you have fun this morning?"
"Yeah, I did. Marcus and I went for a nice long walk and some alone time."
Scorpius snorted, "Yeah I bet." When she glared he added, "Sorry. I really am trying Lily, but it's hard."
"He's a good guy Scorpius."
"I know, but he is taking you away from me, so you can't expect me to be ok with it right away."
"Why Scorpius, how perceptive of you. I am impressed by your honesty."
"Laugh if you want Lils, but it's true. You don't date a ton, so it always takes me awhile to get used to the new one."
"Please, you don't get along with them until we break up." Lily rolled her eyes.
"That's not true."
"Oh no? What about Nathan?"
"He's a great guy. He had a great sense of humor and he was really smart."
"Yeah, that wasn't your opinion until we broke up."
"Yeah, well what about your opinions of my girlfriends?"
"You mean the weekly idiot?"
"See, if I am trying to be good, you could do the same."
"And I told you Scor, I am happy to meet and talk to your girlfriend civilly, as soon as one lasts longer than two months."
"That's not nice." He said while trying not to laugh. It was quickly becoming a running joke between them.
"Sorry, not my fault I have some decent criteria in a partner."
"Hey now, I have criteria."
"Yep, big boobs and a small IQ. Again the only one that was decent was Melinda. How is she by the way?" She might as well use this to help out Blain.
"She's doing well. She says she's still looking for…" He seemed to rethink what he was saying. His words trailed off. That was odd.
"Still looking for what?"
"Someone who makes her feel special." But Scorpius wasn't looking at her. What was this about? She decided to look into this, but later.
"So you wouldn't care if she started dating someone else?"
"Huh?" He gave her a blank stare. "Of course not. She deserves to be happy. Of course, I want her to date someone else. I can't be the one to make her happy." Lily smiled at him.
"That's the perfect answer. Your girlfriend qualifications may be substandard, but when it comes to friends, you are the best."
He chuckled. "I know. That's why you put up with me." The two continues toward their rendezvous spot.
Behind them, two black eyes followed them. A low voice laughed. "Have fun Lily. Soon, very soon, I will finish what I started. You have been lucky until now, but not for long."
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Hope you like.
