Moving On Is A Lot Like Waltzing

Author's Note: Okay, so I know that I should have updated my Draco/Astoria story first...but this update came to me more easily and naturally. And once Christmas Break is here for me (14 days away now!), you can expect more updates! :)

"You've been spending a lot of time with Cromwell lately..." Cleo glanced sideways at Lily as they made their way to the Slytherin Common Room a couple of weeks after Lily's date with Oliver.

Lily laughed as she leafed through her papers to give Corliss her Divination notes from the previous year. "People do tend to spend time with the person that they're talking to Cleo." Lily smiled, her eyes twinkling as Cleo sat down in an armchair, her back rigid.

Cleo's eyes narrowed as she watched her friend's facial expressions carefully. "You haven't been spending much time with Scorpius lately...actually none at all." Cleo watched as Lily's movements stalled for a moment before she cleared her throat and continued shuffling through papers.

"Haven't I?" Lily put on a fake thoughtfully confused expression. "Hmm, I suppose I haven't." She gave Cleo a small smile, her eyes continuously scanning the common room as she spoke. "I guess we've both been busy. That happens with friendships."

"Not if you want them to last." Cleo cut in sharply as Lily scurried off.

"Sorry Cleo, I have to go give this to Corliss then meet my brothers for dinner!" Lily called over her shoulder as she practically shoved the papers in Corliss' face before striding out of the common room in a few fast paces.

Cleo sighed as she watched Lily's slight form disappear through the wall.

Scorpius sighed as he gracefully fell into the chair beside his cousin's. He sat quietly staring out into space as the fire that had been made in the Room of Requirement flickered against the dark mahogany floors.

"I'm guessing you're here about the fight you had with Lily..." Adora's thin lips curved upwards in a sneer of a smile as she continued to study the star chart that she had just completed.

Scorpius sat up straighter as he faced his cousin, not minding if she knew exactly how he really felt. They had been raised together for so long that Scorpius sometimes viewed her as more of an older sister than a cousin. "She told you about it then?" His voice was petulant and put-out; and all-together it mirrored his father's voice at that age.

Adora laughed as she sat back, her legs crossing at the ankle as she laid them against the ottoman in front of her club chair. "No, I haven't gotten to see her lately. She's never in the common room..." She smiled as she caught Scorpius rolling his eyes in irritation.

"How did you know then?" Scorpius rolled the sleeves of his button-down up to his elbows, letting his tie dangle around his neck. Overall, it gave him a very attractive tousoled appearance.

"Everyone knows Scorpius. It's sort of big news when Slytherin's Prince and the Potter Princess do anything around here." She snickered as he snorted. "Anyways, it's pretty obvious something's up considering you two never spend any time at all together when you used to be attached at the hip."

Scorpius sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I told her, well not directly mind you, but I told her that I thought we shouldn't date..."

"Why on earth would you say something like that!" Adora frowned as she sat up, her feet making a thud as they made contact with the flooring. "You've liked eachother for ages."

"Yeah, well I didn't want to complicate things farther. I like having her as a friend." Scorpius watched as a knowing smile fell onto Adora's lips. "I know, I know. It was rather...stupid. Especially considering now I don't even have her as a friend..."

Adora's expression softened as she patted Scorpius' head in a motherly fashion. "Oh, it'll all work out Scorpius. You're just going to have to make the first move - even if it is just to be friends. I think you probably offended her a bit by it all."

"Mmmm..." Scorpius nodded slightly as he laid with his head against the arm of the sofa. "Stupid balls..." He smiled at Adora's trickling laughter.

"Lily over here!" Oliver Cromwell grinned as he sat at one end of the Gryffindor table, Fred and James sat across from him respectively. "How were classes today?" He smiled as Lily took up the place beside him, Cleo's eyes never leaving her from across the hall at the Slytherin table.

"They were classes." Lily smiled with a shrug as she grabbed for a roll. She was either very good at ignoring people's gaping or she had become immune to it over the years seeing as how she paid no attention to the looks she was recieving around the hall. "I have so much Divination to do tonight it's repulsive..." She sighed with a small pout as Fred and James shared a smirk.

"We told you not to take that class..." Fred's voice sing-songed as James grinned.

Lily frowned as she threw a piece of roll at her brother's smile. "Yes, well some of us actually have some talent in that area, so it'd be stupid to not take the class. Besides, I have friends in it." She sniffed as Fred and James cackled.

"Are you and Malfoy back on good terms then?" Oliver smiled down at Lily as she looked up at him surprise written all over her face.

"I wasn't aware you knew that Scorpius and I had a...difference of opinion." Lily sighed as she moved her mashed potatos around on her plate.

Oliver smiled, his voice soft as Fred and James began amusing themselves by throwing food at various people along the table and then pretending innocence. "It's sort of common knowledge. Not to mention that I figured at some point you'd make me hang out with him in that snake pit of yours." He smiled teasingly as Lily looked up at him. "I knew that you two were friends when I asked you out, you know?"

Lily nodded as Oliver wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her softly in a sideways hug. "Why do things always have to be so complicated?"

"Because no one ever says what they really mean." Oliver grinned as he nestled his head against her hair. "Want some help with that Divination homework?"

Lily was about to answer as she felt Scorpius' familiar fingers tap her lightly on the shoulder.

"Lily, I was wandering if we could talk?" Scorpius did his best to smile lightly as he stood akwardly at the end of the Gryffindor table. It wasn't that he didn't like Gryffindors, in fact there were quite a few that he considered fine people. As it was though, he couldn't really call any of them friends; making his current predicament more akward than he'd like.

"I suppose I could manage that." Lily smiled at Oliver before standing up. "I'll catch you later, yeah?"

"Of course." Cromwell smiled widely, his perfect white-teeth shining in the candle light of the Great Hall. "Nice to see you around again Scorpius." Oliver nodded at the younger Slytherin before turning his attention to James and Fred's bemused expressions.

Scorpius nodded curtly at Cromwell before walking out of the hall and towards the Room of Requirement with Lily. He listened as the darkened halls echoed with the in-synch sound of their footfalls. He felt the warmth radiating from her body as they walked beside eachother closely, but carefully not touching.

Lily snuck a sideways glance at Scorpius as they made their way up the winding staircases. She watched as Scorpius paced back and forth in front of the wall before them before following him into the room wordlessly. She sat on the arm of a sofa as Scorpius stared into the fireplace, his back to her.

"Lily, I'm sorry about before." Scorpius faced her, an unreadable expression upon his face. "I was just being very stupid. I figured that if something happened between us I'd lose you as a friend; and I can't lose you Lily." He wore a defeated expression on his face as he knealt before her. "Forgive me?"

Lily stared at Scorpius, her wide eyes not betraying her true emotions. Deep down she felt happy at his admission, greatful that nearly everything was out in the open. But there was another part of her that knew she'd grown closer to Cromwell over the past couple of weeks at an alarming rate - mainly due to the ammount of time they spent together and their maturity. "I don't want to lose you either Scorpius." She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, weighting him down in a tight hug.

"Good!" He smiled as relief flooded through him. "We really need to stop having these...disagreements. They're not beneficial for my Divination grade at all..." He smirked teasingly as he pulled away, laughing when she slapped his arm softly.

"I see how it is. Just using me for my vast knowledge..." She sneered mockingly at him as the corners of her mouth turned upwards. "We should do that tonight though. I haven't even started..." She groaned as he chuckled pulling their books out of his bag.

"Me either." Scorpius smirked as he laid on his stomach against the carpet, pulling Lily down beside him.

Scorpius laughed as he laid on his back many essays and hours later. "So, you and Cromwell then..."

"Mmm..." Lily stared up at the cieling unblinkingly as she laid beside Scorpius, her lack of sleep finally catching up with her. "Cromwell and I..."

"I suppose you're going to the ball with him then?" He asked as he let his eyes slide over to study her profile as best he could at the akward angle.

"Yeah..." Lily nodded as she bit down on her lip. "He's a nice guy Scorpius. I think you'd like him if you knew him actually..." She smiled slightly as she faced the boy beside her.

"...Maybe under different circumstances." Scorpius nodded slightly as he smiled at Lily. "Save me a dance?"

Lily grinned as she let her fingers lay across his hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good." He smiled with a nod as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

Adora smiled as the wind whipped her cloak around her ankles as she stared out into the night from the Owlery.

James Potter tip-toed behind Adora, wrapping his arms around her center as he let his chin rest against her shoulder. "You came..." He smiled as he let out an inaudible breath.

"I always come James." Adora smiled as she turned to face him, her dark hair whipping against her back as she laid her forehead against his. "Your hair is a mess..."

James chuckled as he went to run his hand through his hair again, but decided to let if clasp onto Adora's as she pulled his wrist down lightly. "It's just the way my hair lays." He smiled as he pressed his lips against hers softly. "I can't wait until we can do this all of the time anywhere..." His smiled grew as Adora grinned.

"My parents will lay an egg..." She laughed as she intertwined their fingers, lifted their arms up above her head and allowed herself to do a spin before hugging him. "But I don't care." She laughed as he pulled on the ends of her scarf into a kiss.

Author's Note: I really can't wait for an upcoming chapter that includes the Nott's! Just because Draco and Astoria have become accepting of the new ways (ie: aren't obsessed with blood purity) doesn't mean that Daphne and Theo are onboard...

What do you think? What would you like to see?