A/N: Happy belated Christmas and Merry New Year! I focused extra hard to write this fast. My intention was to have it out in time for Christmas, but I'm only a few days late, right?!

This one is less plot heavy, and quite fluffy, but I hope you all enjoy it just the same!

As Always, reviews are EXTREMELY appreciated and it really brightens my day to see them in my inbox!

(I don't own HP.)

-Wagic

King's Cross Station was busy and roaring when The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9 ¾ on a frosty, blustering December afternoon. It was the end of term, and spirits were high as the many Hogwarts students who had opted to go home for the holidays greeted their families, and said their goodbyes to their friends. Scorpius should have been joyful, but he was troubled. He was, at that moment, stuck in a long embrace with Willa, in full view of her disapproving parents, while the Potter family, (and Lily), waited nearby and pretended not to notice. Willa gave him one last long, lingering kiss, and he thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Lily make a gagging motion.

"Until next time, my love!" Willa cried dramatically.

"Er, yea. I'll see you when term starts!" Scorpius said with forced enthusiasm.

He extricated himself from her embrace, and finally joined the Potters. Al smirked when he walked up, and he felt his face glow red. All that stuff was fine at school, in private, but he felt awkward about the scene the train station (and Lily), had just been forced to witness. He didn't really blame Lily for gagging.

The only thing Scorpius knew for sure was that his lips were chapped. Over the course of their two month relationship, Willa had barely let him come up for air.

Luckily, his parents had agreed to let him spend the Christmas holidays with the Potters, perhaps as apology for keeping him on lockdown the previous summer.

Instead of taking the car, they walked to the Ministry of Magic to meet up with Harry and floo to Godric's Hollow. Scorpius had never been to the Ministry; his father sometimes did business there, but had always opted to leave Scorpius at home. (That, perhaps, having something to do with the continued animosity felt towards the Malfoys by the larger wizarding population. It was easy to forget the prejudice his dad still faced, when Gryffindor had proven such a welcoming place for him.)

Scorpius was impressed by the sprawl of the atrium, with all the gilded surfaces and chittering people. A large statue of a Phoenix stood in the middle of the floor, magically shimmering red and gold in the gray light. It's wings were spread out in flight, and a single pearly tear hung from it's left eye. The Potter children, having seen this display many times, headed over to a roasted almond cart.

"Don't you dare spoil your dinners!" Ginny shouted after them. She noticed Scorpius studying the statue and smiled.

"It's supposed to represent healing and rising up from the ashes. What with everything that happened here, it seemed appropriate.

"Yea?" Scorpius encouraged, his interest piqued.

"It's designed after Albus Dumbledore's own phoenix, Fawkes. That bird saved my life, once," She added absentmindedly.

Scorpius was quite glad she left out the part where it had been his grandfather who'd made her life in need of saving. Still, he blushed violently.

Ginny, realizing his embarrassment, added sagely, "It was always Dumbledore who said, it doesn't matter where you come from, but who you choose to be."

He blushed harder still when she smiled again, and he couldn't help thinking that she looked very like Lily. Of course they had the same long, red hair, but it was more than that; they had the same expressive brown eyes, and the same gentle smile.

He wondered, being her child, if Lily could draw any parallels between their lives. It was common knowledge that Ginny, at the age of 11, had been possessed by Voldemort, and she was integral to defeating his forces at both the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and the Battle of Hogwarts. By the time she was his age, she had already joined an underground resistance movement and fought in several major battles of one of the biggest wars in history. He knew all this about Ginevra Potter nee Weasley, but it was quite hard to reconcile the image of that girl with Mrs. Potter, Al and Lily's mom, who made them bacon and eggs, yelled at them for soiling the carpet, and sung along to every Weird Sisters' song on the radio.

He wondered if it was very hard to see any of yourself in your parents at all, when you were reading about them in your history books. Perhaps now, at fifteen, Scorpius was finally beginning to comprehend what it must be for them to have grown up the children of heroes. Their parents were famous: they couldn't walk down Diagon Alley, or show up at a Quidditch game without making Rita Skeeter's gossip column. He thought that maybe it was lucky that nobody ever wanted to mention his father.

Lily threw an almond at his face and knocked him out of his reverie. He snapped his hand out just in time, and managed a fumbling catch. He popped the sugary little bit in his mouth, and was pleasantly surprised by the warm, nutty flavor. He wondered where German Roasted Almonds had been his whole life. Scorpius helped himself to a heaping handful from the cone-shaped bag Lily clutched in her hand, and earned a scathing look.

"Get your own, Malfoy!" She growled.

He stuck his tongue out at her and smugly popped another almond into his mouth. Scorpius missed this the past semester; it was so easy to be around her. He was looking forward to falling back into that easiness, aided by the pleasant, meandering cadence he'd grown to associate with holidays in Godric's Hollow. It had not been easy, with him seeing Willa, and Lily still going steady with that smug prat, Lysander. He'd resumed "tutoring" her, but between boyfriends and girlfriends, and Quidditch, and O.W.L. revisions, and actually tutoring Lily in transfiguration, they'd had little time for serious discussions, let alone socializing.. He found himself wistful for the familiar bite of her sarcasm, and the way she snorted every time she laughed.

They walked to the end of the atrium, Lily's shoulder occasionally bumping him in the crowd, and down towards a pair of golden gates, which turned out to lead to the lifts. They entered a gold-wrought lift, already full of disgruntled ministry officials, and started the journey up to Harry's office.

"Oh, damn!" Ginny cursed suddenly, "I forgot your dad was in court today, we'll have to go to the West Chambers."

They got off on level 2 and walked down a great hall towards the new courtrooms. The feel of the building changed suddenly, from ancient to new. The West Chambers had been installed after the War, to handle the influx of indictments following the fall of Voldemort. Scorpius knew his grandfather had been convicted in these courts, shortly before taking his own life. The man chose death, rather than face the condemnation that awaited him. He would never mention it to his father, but Scorpius privately felt that his grandfather had been a coward. (As if anyone needed further proof that he was a Gryffindor, through and through.)

While it was clear this part of the complex was a newer update, it had still been designed in the style of the old. Large pillars rose up on either side of the long, wide passage, which was lined with great, gilded double-doors that opened up to the many courtrooms and offices located in the wing.

The small group had made it halfway down the hall when Scorpius felt Lily stop dead in her tracks. Her whole, tiny body seized up, and her breath caught in her throat. He shot her a questioning look; she shook her head a fraction of an inch and, gave a meaningful look towards her brothers and mother. Scorpius understood the gesture as a warning. And they'd been having such a pleasant afternoon.

"He's in Courtroom 8. We'll just wait outside for him to be done, then!" Ginny called back to them cheerfully. She didn't make any indication of detecting the odd exchange between Scorpius and Lily.

Albus and James shadow-boxed in the empty hall, much to their mother's enduring consternation, and Scorpius and Lily hung back a bit, weaving their way around the ornate pillars.

"What was that about?" Scorpius whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"It felt… familiar. Have you ever heard of deja vu?" She whispered back.

"That's when- when something feels like it happened before."

He looked around, and his blood ran cold.

"You don't think- is this where? So you think it's really going to happen?"

"I don't know," she answered solemnly. "But now we know it's an actual, physical place and not just some conjured-up dream place."

"You don't think the images could have been informed by being here before?" He questioned. After all, her father had worked at the ministry her entire life.

"I've never been to the West Chambers."

They exchanged another meaningful look, and a dizziness overcame him. He felt for sure Lily had seen the future. The "thin-air" dream she had strongly resembled the few documented examples of prophetic dream he had managed to locate in the Hogwart's library. (Honestly, Divination was a wooly subject, and it was exceedingly difficult to find any actual proof of anything.) They had no timetables, no points-of-reference, except smoke and screaming- and now this hall. How much time did they have?

It was like reaching inside a man's chest, and touching something raw and sticky. It was like running your fingers through the muscle of the universe. It felt wrong and frightening, and Scorpius had the urge to get sick all over his loafers. He looked back at Lily's worried face and steeled himself against the nausea: if he was frightened, she must be terrified.

"What are you two whispering about?" Albus demanded.

He eyed them suspiciously, still on the floor from his tussle with James.

"Your crushing defeat," Lily called cheekily.

Lily remained reticent and subdued over the next several days, and Scorpius had little opportunity to pick her brain. It was hard to find time to discuss things with Albus and James somehow being around every corner, and dragging him in every direction. The Potter brothers had long been his greatest friends, but he found himself curiously annoyed at not being able to talk to Lily. He'd been looking forward to her company, but he found it hard to come by.

It had been a particularly full day when they'd all settled in front of the television, and Albus and James turned on their games console. Scorpius was now proficient enough at their video games to hold his own, but he preferred to merely keep them company, and was content to sink into a good book. Lily joined them shortly, a massive down comforter in tow. She spared a contemptuous look towards her brothers- sprawled out on the carpet- and, after twirling around in an impressive blanket cocoon, joined Scorpius on the plush sofa.

He turned the pages leisurely and Lily leaned into him, reading over his shoulder. The volume on the television was turned down low, but Al and James occasionally punctured the silence with cries of victory and moans of defeat. It was easy enough to tune out their chatter, and the book was quite good, after all. The calm of the evening washed over him, and a pleasant, flowery smell permeated his senses. Lily sighed, and he glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. She crinkled her nose, and reached out to turn the page.

"I was reading that," he admonished quietly.

"Read faster," she teased.

He turned the page back defiantly, and Lily smirked.

"I'll allow it," she decided, "But only because tomorrow is Christmas Eve,"

Scorpius turned his attention back to his novel, and Lily leaned in closer, her recently freed arm resting on his.

It was an odd thing, but he found himself suddenly aware of their closeness. He could feel the warmth of her beside him, and her breath on his arm. Her cheek rested on his shoulder, and her hair tickled his chin. If her brothers had turned around just then, they would have been thoroughly scandalized. He realized the flowery smell was her shampoo.

It's not like he didn't notice her; he did. How could he not? But they were friends, and friends didn't notice those things, and if they did, they didn't talk about it. Besides, he had a completely gorgeous girlfriend, and he doubted Lily ever thought of him like that.

But he couldn't control the way his skin burned where she touched him, or the heat below his collar. A bubbly feeling simmered in the pit of his stomach as he felt her wiggle beside him, like he was getting away with breaking the rules.

Scorpius had been having a very pleasant dream, when Al snored violently and roused him from his sleep. A quick glance at his watch told him it was only 5 in the morning- much too early for anybody else to be awake. He let out a long sigh and climbed out of bed, careful to not make any noise when he exited the room. A quick glance down the hall told him he wasn't the only early riser; dim light spilled out of Lily's open door and onto the soft carpet.

Scorpius peaked in- yellow walls, rumpled bedclothes- but Lily wasn't to be seen. He crept quietly down the stairs and into the den, where he found her poking the cinders of the previous night's fire, still wrapped in her blanket. Careful not to startle her, he cleared his throat as he crossed the threshold, and she looked up and gave him a weak smile.

"Couldn't sleep," She mumbled, stating the obvious.

He joined her by the fire and watched awhile as she poked, trying to coax the ashes into something light-giving. His hand itched for the wand he didn't have in his pocket; school had made him complacent, and he cursed the fact they couldn't do magic outside of school. It wasn't as though the Potters just had matches lying about. They would have to wait until Harry or Ginny awoke to start the hearth once more.

Giving up, they sat together on the sofa. Lily unfurled herself from her blanket, and laid it across both of them. The same heat that had crossed his collar the night before now pooled in his stomach, and he was quite glad that Albus and James lay peacefully in their beds above them.

"I always forget how much I miss home, until I'm here," Lily whispered.

"I never miss home at all," Scorpius whispered back, "I miss my mum, and my father, I suppose. But not my house. It doesn't feel like here."

He realized what he really meant was, "It doesn't feel like being with you."

"Is your dad a good dad?" Lily asked, gently.

Scorpius sighed. Honestly, he'd wondered how they'd put off this conversation for so long. He and Al had it ages ago.

"He's not a bad father. I know he seems intimidating, and I know he did a lot of bad things, and I know that's putting it lightly, but I didn't know any of that until I was older. He fought really hard to raise me right, and to not make the same mistakes my grandparents made. My grandfather believed some awful, wicked things. He always made sure I was never exposed to any of that."

"I'm sorry," Lily mumbled, blushing. "It was an awful thing to ask. I just wonder. Because you're brilliant, and I know what your dad did, but if he raised you, he must have a little brilliance in him, too."

She snuggled into his arm, and his heart jumped. She thought he was brilliant?

Feeling brave, he decided to start his own line of questioning, while they were still alone and feeling candid.

"Have you, er, told anyone else your secret?"

"I think you mean, have I told Lysander?"

"Erm, yea."

Lily let out an unflattering snort, and burrowed her head behind his shoulder.

"You know you're the only one who knows, Scor."

He couldn't pretend he didn't feel a little smug.

"What do you see in him, Lils? He's a prat."

"He's my friend."

"Is that all? Couldn't tell by the way you snog him all the time."

Lily rolled over and gave him a shove, and looked affronted.

"You're one to talk!" She accused, her hands still on his chest. "The way you and Willa carry on! Besides, I thought you didn't have to say anything about who I kissed."

"Well, maybe I've changed my mind."

A silence fell between them, during which Scorpius tried not to notice the way she bit down on her bottom lip, or furrowed her brow. She looked absolutely luminous in the light of the predawn, and did he imagine it, or had her face drawn closer?

"Is that how you feel then?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, that's how I feel," he breathed back, surprised at himself.

He hadn't meant to say that.

Her face was so close. Scorpius didn't know what he was doing, but he suddenly felt dizzy and reckless. Her hands were on his chest, and he had a maddening impulse to draw her closer still, to possess her; in the dark and the quiet of the early morning, he found himself overcome with the desire to reach out and touch her smooth skin…

"Lily-"

"Scorpius-"

A door creaked upstairs.

The sun sat high between her open curtains, and Lily lay breathless on her bed. She felt quite light headed, and a curious tingle buzzed throughout her body.

She was pretty sure Scorpius had almost kissed her- and she was absolutely sure she'd wanted him to. In between spurts of fluttering, giddy excitement, she fought back wracking shivers of guilt.

She was an awful person, wasn't she? Lysander was so sweet on her, but she couldn't help the way her heart skipped a beat when she thought of Scorpius' strong, warm body next to her on the sofa. Incidentally, she found herself dreading seeing Lysander again. As new feelings bubbled in her chest, and she wanted to push him far into the distant recesses of her mind.

It was clear now- clearer than ever- that she was going to hurt him. She had always known it, from the moment he had expressed his true feelings, that this was going to happen. With all the extenuating circumstances of her existence, she never assumed, (as teenage girls are wont to do), that they would grow up and get married and live happily ever after. She just didn't think her overwhelming desire to run her fingers through Scorpius's messy hair would be the reason.

The kitchen was bursting when she walked down; in addition to the Potters and Scorpius, her Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were there with Rose and Hugo. The breakfast table had been magically lengthened, and her mum and dad were busying themselves frying up bacon and sausages. Flagons of cold milk and juice were being passed around, and her Aunt and Uncle offered her "Happy Christmas!"'s as she took a seat between Hugo and James. She caught eyes with Scorpius, and they both quickly looked away. Rose offered her a shy smile from across the table, and Lily smiled back weakly.

"Heard about your catch at the first game, Lily. That's brilliant!" Her uncle Ron shouted. "That's a Harry move all over. He almost knocked Malfoy off his broom once."
He chuckled wistfully until Hermione elbowed in him in the ribs and gestured towards Scorpius.

"Ronald! Be polite!"

"it's okay, Mrs. Weasley, I think I would have liked to have seen it," Scorpius joked back.

Hermione gave him a kind smile, and to his credit, Ron looked slightly mollified. Of all her uncles, Ron was the only one who hadn't quite accepted Scorpius into the fold. Lily loved her uncle Ron- he was hilarious and joyful, and an excellent chess player- but he could be a bit of an arse, sometimes.

Lily looked back over to Scorpius and, for the first time, openly admit to herself her appreciation of the sight; his piercing gray eyes and tousled blonde hair did treacherous things to her insides. Of course she knew he was gorgeous, but she had been more than happy to deny that fact, before. Before, in a moment of joyous confusion, she found her feelings to be a bit more than best friend-ly. (Quite a bit more.)

Somebody asked her a question, and she smiled politely. She pushed her eggs around her plate, and stewed in her thoughts. Everything was different now, wasn't it? No matter what happened, she knew something essential had been irrevocably altered.

She and Scorpius kept glancing up at each other in turns, and she blushed madly when her eyes met his. Did he even feel the same way? Had she only imagined the spark that had jumped between them only that morning? She considered the possibility that he didn't feel the same way, that his heart wasn't beating out of his chest like hers. That line of thought made her stomach hurt.

Eventually, once everyone had their fill of sausage and toast, only Lily and Rose remained in the large kitchen, washing up the remnants of their holiday brunch. Lily washed and Rose dried, and they worked in silence for several minutes before Rose folded her arms and gave Lily a serious look.

"Nice holiday, Lily?" She asked pointedly.

"Er, yes, thank you. It's been a quiet one, I guess."

She felt slightly uncomfortable when Rose continued to stare at her, as if she were trying to see something that wasn't quite there.

Rose pursed her lips.

"No need to lie to me Lily, you've kept my secrets, I can keep yours. Though I must say, I wouldn't have expected this from you."

Lily made no effort to hide her confusion.

"Wait- what? What does that mean?"
"You and Scorpius, of course! Your brothers' best friend- tsk, tsk. You know Albus will be cross. And really, Lily! Lysander is a nice boy. You really shouldn't run him around like that."

"What are you talking about?" Lily demanded, her face growing hot. "There's nothing going on between me and Scorpius. We're good friends, that's all."

"Don't lie to me, Lily Potter!" Rose laughed. "I've played this game, I've looked those looks. I know a thing or two about sneaking around, you know. Don't think I can't connect the dots. I'm quite clever, you see."

"There's nothing going on, really! We're just friends. Friends."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" She asked sternly.

Lily peered guiltily up at her.

"No. But nothings happened, I swear!" She added hastily, "There was this- this moment, and oh! I don't know."

Rose surprised her by pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"I can't tell you what to do, Lils," she sighed sympathetically. "But I do know it's a bridge you'll have to cross eventually. I'm not one to judge: I can't even muster up the courage to tell my parents I have a girlfriend."

She blushed deeply and shrugged.

"Are you in love with her?"

Rose's whole face relaxed, and she allowed a small smile.

"With everything I am. She's just… she's my best friend, you know?"

Lily sighed and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Yea, I know."

Scorpius saw Lily across the room and smiled. He didn't wave or grab her attention. He just stood and observed her from afar. She looked radiant, as always, and he was saving these memories for later. Her red hair danced behind her when she threw her head back in a hearty laugh, and he paid special attention to the delicate curve of her slender neck. He couldn't wait any longer, and he glided across the room to her side.

In one smooth movement, he cupped her lower back and grasped a handful of hair, and dipped her into a long, low, passionate kiss. He felt himself unravel around her soft, full lips. He wanted to touch her, feel her smooth skin against his, he wanted to help her, he wanted to become her, he wanted to-

Scorpius woke up to a loud shout and a shove. Al was nattering on about presents, and he groaned against the harsh sunlight, and the crushing blow of reality. Willa was his girlfriend- Willa, not Lily- and Lily was a friend, just a friend. He wished his brain could wrap itself around those few simple facts, just like he wished he didn't see her biting her lip every time he let his mind wander. His heart beat wildly in his chest, terrified that Al had somehow learned occlumency and could see the images that his traitorous brain had created.

He had hardly been able to speak to Lily since their almost-kiss the previous morning. eavesdropping brothers aside, what would he even say? He had a girlfriend, and she had a boyfriend, and it couldn't have been more simple. Still, that couldn't explain the way his heart now beat out a new rhythm every time she walked into the room. She was all fire and life, and he'd only recently begun to appreciate the ways she added color to his days. The unbelievable heartache he felt when he thought of her was entirely new, and it terrified him.

Everyone else was already lounging about when they arrived in the den; Lily lay stretched across the rug, playing with Wendelyn and kicking her legs back and forth. Scorpius forced himself to look away when Al had shouted towards him, and he nodded vaguely at whatever had been said. Mrs. Potter gave him a weird look and he set himself on the far side of the rug, absentmindedly opening his own pile of presents, courtesy of the parents and friends.

From his parents, he received several new self-tailoring shirts, a set of ruby-studded cuff-links, and an elegant set of quills. Mr. and Mrs. Potter gave him a large box of his favorite sweets, and his Weasley sweater this year was a wintry gray with a white "S". Lily had already pulled hers over her head, and the crimson (dotted with tiny Golden Snitches) clashed magnificently with her hair. Willa had bequeathed him a rather hideous, albeit fashionable scarf, that he swore to himself he would "lose" at the earliest available opportunity.

Scorpius was somewhat disappointed that he did not seem to have a gift from Lily.

After all the presents were opened and thanks were made, the boys wandered

back upstairs, to the game room, and Lily excused herself to her bedroom. Scorpius was a little relieved, because being around her was beginning to feel exhausting, because what would you say to your best friend if he ever caught you staring at his baby sister?

James and Albus argued over which of their new games they were going to play first, as per usual, and Scorpius set himself to the novel his Aunt Daphne had sent him. He didn't see much of his Aunt- she'd expatriated to the United States while he was still a child- but she always managed to remember him at Christmas, and she had fabulous tastes in literature. He wondered if perhaps Lily would like to read it, too. He resolved to ask her company on the sofa. It was only reading, and they were only friends, after all. At least that's what he told himself when he knocked on her door.

Lily threw opened the door, face screwed up and ready to yell at one brother or another to go away, by the looks of it. She blushed slightly when she saw that it was Scorpius, but relaxed her face. They stared at each other for a moment, both suddenly unsure of what to say. Lily gestured he should enter the room proper, and so he did.

"Erm," Lily cleared her throat.

"So…," Scorpius started awkwardly.

Lily looked up at him from beneath her lashes, and giggled. Scorpius smiled back and relaxed. He'd known Lily for years! Why was he getting uptight over some weird, hormonal moment?

"Are you here because I didn't give you a present?" Lily asked coyly.

"No. I mean yes," he grinned, changing his mind. "I was rather hoping for a hat to match my new scarf."

Lily snorted unattractively and rolled her eyes.

"That atrocity needs to be set aflame."

Scorpius chuckled. (Maybe he'd let her.)

"So, what did you get me?" He teased.

"Well, see, I didn't get you anything. I couldn't think of what to get you," She sighed, crossing the room to her window.

Scorpius followed her, and they looked out over the frozen orchard.

"And now I'm feeling awfully bad about it, because the new journal you gave me is quite lovely, and I'm just a louse."

"You could still give me a gift," he reasoned.

"Shops aren't open," she mumbled.

"You don't have to buy anything," he said quietly.

Just standing so close to her, mere inches away, sent his stomach into a gymnastics routine.

Lily turned around quickly, eyes dark and heart beating wildly.

"What do you want, Scorpius?"

They only looked at each other for a moment, but it felt like an eternity. He towered over her, and she bit her lip and trembled.

It may or may not have been entirely reckless, and it may or may not destroy several friendships, and it may or may not have been a terrible thing to do- but he kissed her. God, did he kiss her. He put one hand into her long, silky hair, and he kissed her like she was the only girl in the world.

Really, she always had been.

I hope everyone enjoyed!

Also, I think I need a beta. Will anyone be my beta?