Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I promise to respond soon! I'm technically supposed to be studying for my summer finals...But I got this little gem done; and wanted to share it with you!
Thank you so very much! Enjoy!
Look After You
Lily sat in the middle of the dusty hardwood floors of the shop she had purchased just staring at all of the promise before her. Honestly, the space required so much work she had no idea where to begin…
"Ahh, the promise of a decrepit old building…" Scorpius smiled from the doorway of the shop. Today was his day off, so he was in a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt with a grey sweater over top of it.
She smiled from her spot on the floor. "Hey there….Come to help the cause?" She teased. "I wasn't aware you'd gotten good at cleaning charms…"
He sauntered into the room, wordlessly charming a counter clean before placing his black winter robes on top of it. "Me?" He smirked with a wink. "I can't believe you question my skills, Princess Potter, for I am a wiz with cleaning and glamour charms."
"Well then, I hope your idea of a jolly Chirstmas Eve day is to clean old decrepit buildings like this one." She smirked as she pulled her dark loose curls into a ponytail, a few whisps of hair floating out of the rubber and framing her face.
"If it means I get to spend the day with you, then there is absolutely no where else I'd rather be." He smiled sweetly as she began to blush and laughed as she turned away from him.
"Then to the stock room you go my boy!" She mock ordered causing him to salute her before making his way through the heavy wooden door.
"Adora!" Astoria smiled as she kissed her niece on the cheek, not expecting to see her in her dining room.
"Hey Aunt Astoria." She smiled kissing her aunt. "I was really only dropping by to see if you knew where that building is Lily and Uncle Draco bought for her store? I told her I'd meet her there later today, but I'm afraid I haven't a clue where she said it was…" She blushed as her aunt raised an eyebrow. "I was a bit busy."
"I see…" Astoria smiled lightly. "It's by the apothecary we own in Diagon Alley."
"Thanks, you're a gem Auntie!" She kissed her bemused aunt's cheek before fleeing the house with a resounding pop.
"Lil-sie!" Adora called with a grin as she entered the dusty old shop. "Oh, Lily-Dearest!"
"In here Adora!"
She recognized the male voice that had called out, though she wasn't sure why. It wasn't her uncle…or any of the Potter's. "Scorpius!?" She smirked as she saw Scorpius sprawled out in the middle of the room with dust covering his black shirt, causing her to giggle. "What happened to you?"
"The stockroom almost won." Lily smirked from her perch on top of a counter in the middle of the space. "But with a little team effort, we conquered the great evil known as dust!" She joked with a smirk as Adora continued to snicker.
"But you're all clean…What happened to him?" Her smirk was contagious causing Lily to snicker too.
Scorpius glared at his cousin and Lily ruefully. "I didn't know it was charmed to stick dust…Damned previous owners…It attacked me! The dust attacked me!" He slightly squealed causing the girls to double-over in laughter.
"Oh Scorpy, you should stick to managing business accounts and money." Adora whipped out her wand and pointed it at Scorpius' shirt, cleaning it with one sweeping motion.
"Ohhh, but I enjoyed his help!" Lily laughed. "What say you to next Saturday, Scorpius?" She wiggled her eyebrows causing him to sigh and nod.
"All right then." He stood up dusting his jeans off as Adora lifter herself up onto the counter beside Lily. "Shall I see you at the ball tonight?"
"We shall be there…" Adora said in a debonair voice and smirked as Scorpius rolled his eyes. "See you later!"
"Sooo how'd he really get all of that dust on him!?" Adora winked with a mischevious smirk.
"Adora!" Lily laughed as she pushed her. "As if…Come on, let's get ready at your's then." She smiled and shook her head as she locked up the shop and they began their walk arm-in-arm.
"Happy Christmas Eve!" Astoria smiled as Scorpius shuffled down the stairs with a broad grin. "You look rather dashing tonight, Sweetie." She smiled as she hugged her son and kissed one of his cheeks. "Although you always do. I think it's your stellar genes." Her eyes glinted playfully as she smirked and Draco squeezed her to him with a grin on his own face.
"And the Malfoy charm certainly doesn't hurt either." Draco winked teasingly at his son as they all started laughing.
"I'll have the most handsome date at the entire ball." Narcissa cooed as she looped her arm through her grandson's and gave them all a cheeky smile. "What say you about getting us there? Andromeda is waiting on me to start a card game." She raised an eyebrow as her long lavender dress swayed slightly as she moved.
"As long as you save me a dance?" His eyes twinkled charmingly as his Grandmother laughed and patted his arm.
"Oh, you're just too charming for your own good!" Narcissa's smile was light as she squeezed her grandson's arm.
Scorpius narrowed his eyes teasingly as he looked at his Grandmother carefully. "Don't pretend like Mr. Montpellier hasn't been trying to woo you. He can't have all of your dances."
Narcissa's cheeks tinged pink as she flicked her eyes upwards. "Mr. Montpellier is strictly a friend. He just enjoys Dromeda's and my company. Besides, you know the first dance is always yours, Scorpius. And the second is your father's." She smiled at her son who nodded his assent back. "Now take us to the ball before Andromeda decides she's tired of waiting round and goes home."
"Your wish is my command." Scorpius smiled as he ushered his Grandmother onto the veranda and they disappeared with a barely audible 'crack' into the night.
"Sooo, I hear there's a big announcement tonight! Maybe Kingsley's finally decided to retire…old buggar." Dom smirked as she made her way to the high table her cousins and their friends were primarily circled about.
"And how did you come by that information, Dom-i?" Fred raised an eyebrow as Louis groaned.
"I don't want to hear about my elder sister's exploits, Fred." Louis shook his head as his date and veela, Lionella Baudin smiled good naturedly from his arm.
"Oh Dominique…" Lionella's thick French accent was tinged with humor as she kissed Dominique's cheeks. "…How exciting eet would vee to vee you!" She looked at Louis with a loving smile before continuing. "At last I am stuck wiv thees man here."
Dominique merely stared with a slight smile on her face at the nauseatingly gooey couple in front of her…she really hoped Louis would've dumped her by now. "Better get out while you can…Those part veela men, real whores." She smiled tightly before catching an older gentleman's eye and walking off.
Fred elbowed Albus with a grin. "What say you about the duo over there by the punch?" His smirk widened as one of the girl's caught him looking, adding a charming wink before pulling a rather willing Albus with him.
"Ace!" Lily called with a grin from the make-shift card table Narcissa, Andromeda, Draco, Teddy, and she were playing at.
"Ugh…" Teddy groaned with a frown as he sat his cards down. "That's the third game in a row you've won…It's like highway robbery where the robber is your own sister…" He shook his head as Victoire approached the table.
"So, have you lost all of our savings to Lily yet?" Vic joked as Teddy stood up with a smile and a sigh.
"Enough." He nodded as Draco and the women chuckled. "I believe I owe you a dance now…"
"Yes, you do." Vic nodded with a smirk and a wink at the table, pulling a very willing Teddy out onto the dance floor.
"I suppose that's my cue to find Storia too." Draco smiled as he stood up with a flourish and walked off to find his social wife.
"Auntie Andormeda, may I have this dance?" Scorpius smiled as he made his way to the table, having already danced with his grandmother earlier in the night.
"You know Lily,…" Andromeda smiled with a ceratin mischeviousness in her eyes at Narcissa before continuing. "Narcissa and I are just quite too old to dance another dance. However, our Scorpius is such a nice boy – Don't you think?" She smiled and didn't wait for Lily's response as she prodded the younger girl up. "Thank you Dear for dancing with him and making all of our evening."
And just like that Lily and Scorpius stared at the sister duo who were already talking and ignoring them. "I hope you didn't mind…" Scorpius laughed as he and Lily began dancing his grandmother and aunt winking and prviding him gestures of support, causing him to blanche.
"No, of course not." She smiled as she shook her head. "You've always been my favorite dance partner."
"Good." He smiled as they twirled around and the upper Ministry officials took their place on the stage interrupting the music and causing the two of them to pull apart, yet they still stood together looking up at the stage.
Harry stood beside Kingsley Shackelbolt as the older man gave his speech inviting the guests, thanking them for their work, and toasting the planning committee. "Finally, I would like to announce that I will not be running for Minister of Magic this coming year. I have held this position for a total of three terms at various points in my life; and I have decided that in my old age I would like to spend more time with my family, who have graciously allowed me to do the work that I do for the better part of our lives." He smiled as people began speaking, placing his arms up quieting the room once again. "However, I can proudly announce that our Head of the Auoror Department, Mister Harry Potter has decided to announce his intent to run tonight." He stepped back with a smile allowing Harry to take the podium.
Scorpius looked to Lily questioningly, realising that she too wore an expression of complete shock.
Harry smiled as he nervously took the podium. "Thank you Minister." He smiled at Kingsley before looking back at the crowd. "And thank you to everyone that has been supporting me and helping me come to this decision, especially my wife and to the committee that kept this announcement a secret. The only person in my family that knew of this decision was my wife, as it was a decision I've been thinking of for quite some time and didn't make until today. I had never intended to run for this type of position. However, upon reflection and moving forward with life I feel that I would be honored to serve as your Minister of Magic. I would thank you for considering me for this position." He smiled as he stepped back and cameras began clicking.
"He'd talked about it…But I never thought he would." Lily mumbled dazedly to Scorpius. "Well, I'm sure he'll do well…he's always been good with his work." She nodded as Scorpius smiled reassuringly at her.
"Why don't you congratulate him?" Scorpius smiled as Lily nodded with a more enthusiastic smile. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Yeah, of course." She smiled and nodded as she moved towards her father with the rest of the family congratulating him and laughing at how secret it'd all been.
"Hey, I couldn't find you in there." Lily smiled as she joined Scorpius on the deserted balcony, snow falling around them.
Scorpius turned with a slight smile as Lily stood beside him, leaning against the blacony railing. "So when does the campaigning begin?"
"For me?" Lily smiled with a slight laugh. "I guess I don't know…He failed to tell us after all."
Scorpius chuckled slightly. "He's always been good at keeping a secret." He nodded as Lily smiled slightly, internally confused by the statement. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight…by the way."
"Thank you." She smiled as she hugged him. "You look quite dashing yourself, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." She winked as he chuckled. "I love your laugh…always have." She blushed as she realised what she'd said.
"And I love it when you blush." He smiled as he leaned into her placing a kiss on her lips which she deepened, her hands running through his ice blonde hair – the situation was like second nature to the two of them.
They pulled back at the same time, dazed and embarassed expressions mirroring one another. And with one real kiss, Lily couldn't help but wonder why he still seemed so interested in her when he had been the one to end it. "Why did you break up with me?" She looked at him, tears threatening to fall as he looked at her confusedly.
"What are you talking about?" He shook his head as he looked at her confused. "I would've never broken up with you, Lily Luna Potter - without practically being told to. I have never loved anyone the way I have always loved you."
"Then why did you send me that letter at school saying you thought it'd be best for us to break up for now?! After we spent all of that break together. I thought we were happy."
"We were." He shook his head realising that the events that had happened to long ago had transpired in a shady fashion…just like his grandmother had thought. "Lily, after you boarded that train, your Dad and I…We got a drink together. He told me that I wasn't good for you…that you were wasting your youth and school years away on me when I was so much older." He watched as a single tear fell down her cheek and her hands balled into little fists. "He said that you wanted to end things but didn't feel that you could, so I should do the right thing and end it – let you go." He watched as she clutched the cement banister. "You…Did you not know?"
"Of course I didn't know!" her voice was laced with a surpressed fury as she shook her head, her curls falling out of their hold. "I was in love with you…I was so happy." She shook her head as she looked up at him. "All of those years ago, I thought you broke my heart…He knew how upset I was; and all that time he just let me think that you'd broken my heart!?"
"Lily…" He could sense her anger building into a sharp crescendo, ready to burst. "…I would've never, I swear. I loved you." He took her in his arms, trying to calm her down. "I don't know why your Dad would've done what he did...But I'm sure he had his reasons." He watched as she pulled away and shook her head. "And Lily, I should've never listened to him…"
"No! You respected him; and he knew that! He knew how much you wanted his approval of our relationship and he totally used that against you!" She shook her head. "I'm sorry Scorpius, but I'm not letting you talk me out of this one. I need to go…I'll see you later." She shook her head as he tried to call after her, before she disappeared with a 'pop.'
Lily stood wordlessly in the doorway of her father's home office.
"Hey Lily." Harry smiled with a surprised yet sleepy smile as he stood to hug his daughter. They had all been at the Ministry Ball earlier that night; and he hadn't expected his daughter to show up at her childhood home, not that he wasn't happy to see her because he certainly was. "Is everything okay?" He frowned as he finally noticed her hurt expression and the way she tensed as he hugged her.
"I know what you did." Lily's voice was on the edge of hysteria, somewhere between hot anger and intense tears, as she watched her father's face pale and his expression change rapidly. "How could you?!" Her eyes were ablaze with fire as she stood glaring up at her father as he leaned against the fireplace in the Potter home-office shell-shocked. She felt her body tremble with rage and an engrained sadness. All of those emotions, those feelings about an event that she couldn't wrap her head around at the time that it had happened, surfaced and finally as things became clearer she felt more betrayed then she could've ever imagined.
"Lily…" Harry's voice was laced with a sort of stern apathy as his daughter backed away from him, a disgusted expression on her face as she shook his hand off harshly.
"Don't even. You couldn't possibly ever say anything to make this situation better." She shook her head as angry tears began to spill onto her cheeks.
"What's going on in here?" Ginny appeared in the doorway in her house robe as she looked at her upset husband and teary-eyed daughter. "Harry?" She looked at her silent husband a moment before realizing that he couldn't or wouldn't respond. "Lily? What is it, dear?" As she went to place a comforting hand on her daughter's arm, Lily backed away shaking her head clearly distraught.
"Why don't you ask him? Apparently he can voice everything for me better than I ever could for myself." She shook her head before brushing past her mother and leaving her childhood home without a second glance.
"Harry?" Ginny asked in a level-tone as he slumped into his seat and she sat beside him. "..Harry…" Her voice never quite registering in his mind.
AN: The secret's out! You know what to do - Shoot me a review! :)
