Chapter Six
Scheming and Dreaming
The ceremony was beautiful and that afternoon the two lovebirds finally said 'I do'. This wedding had been the DA reunion essentially for all those who had attended were the same as the party one year ago on this date. Mrs. Weasley hadn't even made it through the first words without tearing up.
Lily and Scorpious shared their first kiss as husband and wife, and the garden exploded with applause, cheers, whistles, and fireworks (George's doing).
"It was so lovely, wasn't it, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley dried her tears on her own handkerchief as Mr. Weasley escorted his wife to a nearby table after the wedding.
"Yes, it was, dear." He took his wife of almost fifty-five years into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips. Lily smirked.
"I hope we can be just as in love with each other in fifty years…"she whispered happily.
"Don't worry, we will be, Mrs. Malfoy." Scorpious replied.
"I like the sound of that… Mr. Malfoy," Lily kissed him and they headed to their table to enjoy the reception.
Later that evening after most of the guests had gone, Lucius Malfoy swept over to Lily and Cor, Narcissa on his arm, ready to depart.
'Congratulations to you both." Lucius nodded politely as Narcissa kissed Lily and Scorpious goodbye.
"Have fun, darlings!" Narcissa called as they headed to the edge of the garden and disapperated. Lily proceeded to giggle as Scorpious wrapped his arms around her.
"What's so funny?" he inquired, as his wife continued chuckling at the memory of her something new.
"Nothing, dear." She answered.
"Good cause I have something to show you." He pulled her by the arm and they vanished together. A moment later they were standing high on a hill, overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole. The sun was setting, casting gorgeous orange shadows across the sky.
"What are we doing up here?" Lily asked.
"Look behind you…" he pointed. She turned and gasped. There sat a charming little house, ivy climbing the walls and flowers surrounding the fenced-in garden. It reminded Lily of Andromeda's house.
"Welcome home, Lily." Scorpious smiled.
"Really?!" Lily shouted excitedly. He nodded.
"I had it furnished this week, and it's not far from your grandparents and the Lovegood/Longbottoms…" Lily interrupted him with a passionate kiss.
"It's perfect, Cor." She whispered and he pulled her up into his arms as she screamed in shock. He turned the knob of the front door and they didn't come out again that night.
After the Malfoys had arrived home, Narcissa headed to bed, exhausted after the day they'd had.
"Good Night, dear." Lucius kissed her graciously on the cheek and she smiled up at him.
"I like the new Lucius, so calm and sweet." She gave him a wink as she swept up the stairs. He waited until she was surely in their bedroom before rushing down the hall to his study. He slammed the door hurriedly.
"Handshaking and smiling with all those blood-traitors! Ah taking a bath in all the soap in Europe couldn't take away the stench!" he fumed, instantly shedding his dress robes and pulling on his smoking jacket. With a flick of his wand, he lit the logs in the fire. He swished his wand again until the ghostly appearance of a serpent emerged, his patronus.
"Come at once, Master Goyle. It is time for our meeting, summon the other Death Eaters." Lucius smiled evilly as the serpent slipped out the cracked window and flew into the now-dark sky.
In a matter of moments, twelve cloaked figures appeared. Some of them elderly, some of them young who had taken their fathers places, and some Lucius hardly remembered. No matter.
Lucius grinned out at them all, but a few were very hostile towards him.
"Over a year, Lucius…" one of them croaked. "We've waited for your call faithfully for so long."
"Indeed, McNair. But I am afraid another year we must wait." Lucius replied. Grumbles and groans could be heard.
"What for?"
"You're mad."
"Patience, as what I have told Goyle here. I have heard tales of a magic that occurs once every hundred years. After sun-down on October Thirty-first of next year is our target. The only way to grab hold of the opportunity is through the head of Hogwarts…which my… granddaughter-in-law…will be then. I have been thinking long and hard. For years we have been living in exile, hell as a more appropriate term. The wheels in my head have been turning and I will tell you of my plan when it comes time. Be on the alert. When I need you, Master Goyle here will summon as he did tonight…" Lucius paused as he heard distant footsteps coming down the hall.
"Tell none of this to my family… go!" Lucius hissed as there was a knock on the door. The men all disapperated as Narcissa quietly entered.
"Lucius, is everything all right? Your patronus flew past the window…" She crossed her arms. Lucius shook his head, and took his wife into his arms.
"Nothing is the matter; I just wanted to tell Draco not to forget our chess game tomorrow evening. I have been practicing and I think I can finally beat him." He lied.
"Oh…sorry to bother you. Silly nonsense thoughts I suppose." She smiled weakly.
"Not a problem, I'll be up later. I have some last minute details to attend to before heading off to bed."
Narcissa nodded and left the room, shutting the door. Lucius sunk down into his wing-backed chair in front of the fire, summoning a glass of mead as he did. He sighed in frustration, pulling the cork out of the bottle.
"Must she ruin everything?' he mumbled. "She never lets me be, I mean honestly. What business is it of hers to come snooping around my office?"
"Ah, she will find out soon enough…" he chuckled wickedly to himself before extinguishing the fire and going upstairs.
Lily and Scorpious could not have been happier. They lived serenely in their house on the hill. Scorpious did not go back to Hogwarts the following September but decided that he wanted one last year with his wife before they both became full-fledged Hogwarts staff. Lily had told her family of course but was hesitant about telling Lucius. He had been kicked off the Governor's board several years ago and making him angry was not really in Lily's future plans.
So it was one afternoon, when the two newlyweds were shopping in Diagon Alley, when Lily noticed her grandfather-in-law slip down into what was once known as Knockturn Alley. She excused herself from Scorpious, who was memorized by the new broom in the Quality Quidditch Supplies window and followed after him. Lucius turned swiftly down another windy street, unaware of his follower. Lily hid behind a barrel of particulary horrific smelling objects as she watched Lucius slip into a empty shop and come out carrying a rotted old book. She ducked as he pocketed it, but a sudden gust of wind blew a page out, unnoticed by Lucius. He turned back onto the main stretch and Lily snatched the discarded parchment. It read
Dear Master Malfoy,
This book I held for you "Legends and Secrets of the Hogwarts Heads" is missing a few pages I am afraid. As I was thumbing it through it I came across spots where it seemed as if someone had torn them out and on the next page the handwritten initials "AD" were scrawled. Hoepfully this will not affect your dire need of this manuscript. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Masters Augustus and Markley
Blotted Pages Publishing House
Knockturn Alley
London
Lily stared confused at the page, but not wanting to worry her husband about her whereabouts, simply pocketed it and rushed back to find Scorpious. She nearly fainted when she turned the corner and saw Lucius chatting with his grandson. She regained some decorum and approached.
"Lucius how are you?" Lily asked, slipping her arm around her husband's waist.
"Fine, my dear." He answered cheerily. "I left Narcissa in Madam Malkin's. She always needs new dress robes for all the fall parties. Are you two busy for Halloween?" he asked and they would their heads.
"Do come for our festivities. We wanted to throw a party for all your friends and family. Should a load of fun! 8:00 sharp!" He called, strolling casually off to find his wife.
'Of course. See you then!" Lily replied then thrusting the note into her husband's hands.
"Does that seem odd to you?" she inquired.
"Oh Lily, so the man bought a book? Are we going to arrest him for it?" Scorpious chuckled. "I had better get this to him."
Scorpious hurried after him, handed his grandfather the note, which he greatly appreciated and walked on again. But Lily could not help feeling a nervous nausea feeling in her stomach. Perhaps she was just paranoid or maybe she had some bad kippers. She smiled as her husband rejoined her and kissed her tenderly in the fall sunshine.
"You are beautiful, you know that? Despite your nervous antics…" he said leading her down the cobblestone lane. She giggled.
"Thank you dear, and yes I did know." Lily presumed and Scorpious simply laughed.
On Halloween, Lily and Scorpious went to Malfoy Manor for the Halloween Bash along with Cassandra, Sean, Victorie, Teddy, Rose, Hugo, James, and Albus, (the Potter boys even had dates!). Olivia Wood and Leslie Finnegan strode proudly in next to them.
"It's so beautiful here…" Olivia said to James, as he rang the bell. James nodded smiling down at his girlfriend.
When they walked into the entrance it was decorated with orange and black silk banners; Jack 0' lanterns and candles were floating everywhere.
"Welcome!" Narcissa exclaimed, wearing a silver Victorian style dress accompanied by a feathered mask. Lily looked down at her own costume, her red and black fitted Victorian dress that Aunt Hermione had made her for the occasion.
"Great minds think alike!" she laughed.
"Yes, they certainly do. Come in, come in. Pansy and Draco are around here somewhere. Lily, I saw your parents by the punch bowl…" Lucius cut her off as he swooped over in his black cape and mask.
"May I have this dance?" he asked. She blushed.
"Excuse me, won't you?" Narcissa giggled.
Teddy followed them, leading Victorie to the dance floor. (The two of them were so glad to be out by themselves.) James and Albus escorted their girls over to the buffet where they introduced Olivia and Leslie to Ginny and Harry, who seemed more than pleased their sons finally were trying to act their ages and not like Fred and George! Rose had run into the Wood's older son, William, and was chatting with him. Hugo had gone straight to the food. Cassandra and Sean were dancing as well, smiling happily at one another. Lily leaned into her husband's shoulder and he grinned down at her.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked bowing politely. She smiled.
"I'm afraid not, sir. My husband is due back any moment and the site of his wife dancing with another man may send him into depression." Lily joked. Scorpious, playing along, thought for a moment.
"Then perhaps we shan't tell him." He took her hand and, giggling, Lily followed.
"Can you believe we have been married almost three months?" he asked as they swayed in time to the romantic waltz being played.
"No…it's seems like only yesterday we were engaged..." Lily sighed, resting her head on his chest.
"And one day we will be old and gray together, with seventeen children and a big crooked house like the Burrow." Scorpious laughed.
"Seventeen children?" Lily laughed.
"Yeah, maybe we should put that on hold. Cause right now, I want to show you something." Scorpious said as they headed off the dance floor and up the staircase. She had never been up here. He led her down the hallway until they reached a door on their right. Scorpious opened it and Lily gasped.
Inside was the biggest bedroom Lily had ever seen, decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver. There was a four-poster bed, a humongous wardrobe, a leather seating set and four windows lined the far wall along with a pair of French doors leading out to a balcony.
"This was my room…before we got married." He said looking at the brooms he had hanging on the walls.
"You didn't live with your parents?" Lily asked, shocked.
"My mum and dad like to travel during the holidays, so I stayed here with Grandmother and Grandfather. I spent most of my time in this room over the summer." Scorpious sighed, walking outside.
"Doing what?" Lily inquired.
"Dreaming…" the smile returned to his face. "Of when school would start and I could see you again. I would picture little things I wished I were seeing like when the sun would bounce of your hair when you walked with your cousins and friends down by the lake, or whenever you caught the snitch during a match you would smile widely as you did your victory lap around the pitch. You are the only thing that got me through the summers. I even snuck a picture of you up here in my fifth year." He pointed at the bedside table, where a picture of Lily sat.
"That is incredibly romantic…" she whispered.
"My dreams came true though…when I would marry the prettiest girl I had ever seen and live with her in a house that could be a home, not a big old mansion that was stuffy and dark. When I could take her in my arms and…" Scorpious took her into his arms and kissed her lovingly on the lips.
"Wow… you certainly know how to make a girl go weak in the knees…" she replied.
"We had better get back to the party." He escorted her into the hall where they could instantly hear the music again.
"Cor…" Lily started as he turned to face her. "Seven kids is my maximum." She smiled at him and he laughed.
"Weasley through and through." He kissed her again and they returned to the party.
