Enjoy chapter 10!

Darkness. The only thing that it could enwrap you in was emptiness. But the feeling was fading away. That freedom... the freedom of flying in the darkness was being replaced by confused colours. Lily slowly opened her eyes. She could see black and green walls around her and realized where she was. Malfoy manor. She couldn't recognize the room though, or how she ended up there. She was lying in a bed, her last memory: the need to go to her father for some reason. Had she passed out? Moreover, why was she on a bed? How much had she been there? Minutes? Hours? Was everyone looking for her? Just then the door opened. Scorpius came in. When he saw her, he frowned. " And what would you be doing on MY bed, in my room?"

" I... I don't quite know how I ended up here. I just woke up..."

" Have you been drinking, Potter?"

" Of course not. I told you. I don't remember anything. It's as if I'm missing the last moments of my life, as if I lost my memory."

" Well, I believe I told you to go to your father, just a few minutes ago. Maybe you got lost and hit your head. Now please recompose yourself and get out." Lily blushed as she realized her dress wasn't covering her legs anymore. She pushed it down and angrily stood up. She made for the door. He was in the way but let her pass as soon as she got close. She looked at him for a brief moment and got out of the room. It's as if he suddenly changed his mind, as if nothing ever happened between us. He likes to use me, hurt me. But it's better for him to stay out of my way. For my sake. He's just making things easier for me right now. She tried to find her way back to her family. And eventually, she did.

OoO

January... February... did all these months count? March... April... May... they were just months and days that went by... they were filled with emptiness and looked all the same. Was there any difference between February and May? No, there wasn't. Lily Luna Potter sat under a tree besides the lake every day at sunset and nothing changed. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes, one day it would be raining, the next it would be windy, but what did it matter? There was no difference inside her. She was as cold as stone. Her happiness was never complete. A part of her was somewhere distant and it was imprisoned in another person's heart. She couldn't gain it back, no matter what she did. If at the beginning she had felt desperate, desperation had now been replaced by indifference. Dead apathy. She really couldn't be the happiest person on earth even if she tried and pretended to. Four months had gone by since the party at Malfoy manor. Four months filled with nothing. Her life had gone back to normal, but it missed the spark it had had when she was involved with Scorpius. Oswald was always with her and they had learnt to understand each other, maybe even love. He had given her time to think and wasn't forcing things. They weren't together, because they didn't need it right now. The relationship they had built was enough. For now. And when time would come, who knows? Maybe they could share more. But that time was still far away and this made them both peaceful but kind of frozen. No need to rush or, on the other hand, say goodbye. People just saw the couple getting along and slowly learning to love each other. Some liked it, others, maybe didn't. As for Lily, she just thought that the more time went by, the more things would start to fix. She could imagine a future with Oswald and was happy about it. For now, though, she wanted things to stay the way they were. A voice in her head told her so. She felt like she had lived something that was stopping her from being with Oswald but she never really lived it either. What she hoped for the most, though, was for that piece of her heart to free itself and fly back to her. She would be complete then.

OoO

" Gosh, this school is empty... I hate it this time of the year!"

" I know, Hugo. But every student has exams. We just finished early because we don't have OWLs or NEWTs..."

" Boring..."

" Come on... don't you want to be with Rose and join her happiness festival? She's nearly in her 7th year and can't stop talking about it. Now she can finally have her NEWTs!" Lily joked.

" Merlin! Please don't talk about Rose... I beg you!" they burst out laughing. Hugo didn't really like his sister either. And the thought, made her laugh even more.

The corridor was empty and the rare sounds echoed around. She stopped suddenly. All her senses frozen. Scorpius Malfoy passed by. Alone.

How exceptional... Wonder where Rosie is.

He looked deeply in her eyes before turning away. Was it really possible to forget him? Presently, it wasn't. She still longed for him, in a way. In more than a way... Her thoughts focused back on the here and now when just round the corner she spotted her brother standing in front of a small case. Tom Riddle's memorial. " Al, what are you doing?" asked Hugo.

" Nothing. Only, you know what day it is?"

" 2nd of May. War ended 25 years ago..." she replied.

" Exactly. So... I was just having a look." Lily didn't even bother to answer. He was lying. Always. She didn't believe a single word of what he said anymore. She knew he was meddling with dark stuff but was too scared to ask. She didn't want to make things worse. School would be over at the end of May and she had a whole summer in front of her... Time to think things over.

" Are you coming to the great hall this evening? There's going to be a feast and I heard madame Rosmerta will supply us with delicious butterbeer."

" I hope so, Hugo."

" Come on, let's go," she said, a deep frown marring her brows.

OoO

That evening, before going to the great hall, she went to the lake. There were no clouds. No wind. The air was still. Warm. The sun a red staring eye. Her favourite tree cast a long spidery shadow and she sat under its branches. As much as she tried, she really couldn't forget Scorpius. The image of his confident, elegant gait earlier in the corridor was tormenting her. How could he possibly have done this to her? Just have a girlfriend and never explain anything? Her thoughts were abruptly brought to a halt when she heard someone sitting besides her. Actually very close to her. She turned her head and slowly, deliberately moved her eyes to his. So close. So very close for the first time... Wasn't it? With a twist of her stomach, she realized it wasn't the first time. She had already been in this situation. In this very position. No. Not possible. She was probably just imagining things. And yet... A few minutes passed. No word uttered until he broke the stare contest, got up and walked away. Had she already been in the eye of the tempest? Where? When? Maybe in a dream...

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