Bound for Greatness
written by: albe-chan
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to J.K. Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental. This work will contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (mentions of graphic sex, nudity, etc.), and violence. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! You have been warned!
XXX
Lily woke late the next morning, to the sound of a cell phone set to vibrate buzzing on the night stand. "Make it stop," Scorpius rumbled.
Lily cracked an eyelid, and frowned as the buzzing started up again. "Ugh," she grunted, reaching for her cell. It was silent. "It's yours," she grunted, rolling over.
"Make it stop," Scorpius repeated. She poked his ribs. "Fuck," he grunted, and pulled her close as the buzzing stopped. It started again.
"Your phone," Lily mumbled through a yawn. "Get it."
Scorpius rolled onto his back, taking Lily with him, and picked it up without looking. "What?" he said as she pressed her mouth to his throat. "For you," he grunted, holding his cell out.
Lily frowned, yawning again and sitting up on his morning wood. "Hello?"
"Did I wake you?" asked a familiar voice that sounded equally surprised and apologetic.
"Who is this?" she asked, rubbing her eyes, trying to clear the fog in her brain, even as Scorpius rolled them again so he was on top and started kissing her neck.
"It's Alexia," said the voice and Lily could hear the smile in it. Her face went red.
"Oh, shit, sorry. Uh, yeah, you did wake me, but it's not a problem," she mumbled, pushing Scorpius away. He frowned sleepily, moving lower.
"Sorry, but it is almost eleven." Lily smiled a little at that. "Late night?" she teased.
"Um, yeah," she admitted. Scorpius nipped her nipple and she shot him a warning look. He smirked, dark grey eyes half-lidded.
"I was wondering if you wanted to meet. For lunch? I know a great sushi place not far from Scorpius's place called Mr. Makemono's."
"Sure," she said, distracted as Scorpius sucked her other nipple. "When?"
"Noon? That should give you time to get ready."
"Sure," Lily said again.
"Excellent. See you then."
"Bye." She ended the call, and glanced at the time display. It was indeed ten forty-seven.
"Is that who I think it was?" Scorpius murmured, from the vicinity of her belly button.
"If you thought it was Alexia, then yes," she muttered.
"And why is she calling at the crack of fucking dawn?" he growled looking up grumpily.
Lily smiled, sitting up on her elbows. "She wants to have lunch with me." Scorpius frowned. "What?"
"I don't know that I like you having lunch with her," he rumbled, giving her a teasing lick between her legs then moving back up. "She's not the best influence." Lily rolled her eyes and then gasped as he nipped the underside of one breast. "And she probably wants to talk about the two of you getting naked together."
"You're not jealous are you?" she teased, then groaned as he kissed her.
"No. Like you said last night, I have a flesh and blood cock and I know for a fact she doesn't."
Lily snorted. "That's not what-"
"Close enough. Besides, she should know better than to try to lure you away from me. She might be a woman and tiny, but I have no qualms stomping her like I would anyone else who might try and get you naked in their bed." Lily grinned.
"I'm sure it's not going to be anything sexual," she said.
At noon, Lily met Alexia outside Mr. Makemono's, and they got a table and placed their orders. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to lunch," the lovely asian woman said.
"A little," Lily admitted. "Not that I mind. I love sushi."
"This is the best place in the city, I promise you," Alexia said. "I was wondering…" She hesitated then forged onward. "I was wondering if you were serious last night."
Lily's brows went up a little even as her cheeks went pink. Well then. "About-?" She glanced around at the other patrons. Alexia grinned.
"Yes, about that." She took a sip of her lemon water. "I know you're not necessarily looking for someone in that regard, but I like to consider it a life skill. Have you and Scorpius spoken about it?"
"Sort of. He's not opposed to it, providing he can supervise, he said."
Alexia smiled again. "Constantine said the same. So, is that a yes? And please don't think you have to protect my feelings, Lily. I know you're young, and relatively new, and if it's a no, that's fine and I won't be offended."
Lily bit her lip. "I've never really… I'm not opposed to it. It's just kind of scary."
"It is. I get that, really. I almost threw up just from nerves alone the first time. But you're tough, and quite brave. And I think, with the right instruction, you have a lot of promise." Lily smiled. "And I like you, so it would be a pleasure for me." The redhead's eyes widened a little and Alexia laughed. "Not like that. I'm only very slightly bent."
Lily blew out a breath. "Sorry, it's just a lot." Alexia reached out and grasped Lily's hand on the table briefly.
"It is. Take your time, think about it, talk to Scorpius about it some more if you need to." Lily hesitated then smiled.
"I want to. So, yes." Alexia smiled.
After their food arrived, Lily worked up the courage to ask something that had been bothering her. "So, this might sound weird, but...you and Constantine," she murmured. "What's the deal? Scorpius said you two have a mutually beneficial arrangement, but you're not together."
Alexia's mouth quirked up a little, her dark eyes sparkling. "That's not a bad way to put it." She poked at some California roll with her chopsticks. "We were together, like you and Scorpius, at first. But Constantine doesn't want to be tied down, and I don't want to share, or be shared by, my husband." She smiled. "So I told him we could see each other, and have fun doing our thing, but he doesn't own me."
Lily's brows drew together slightly. "I don't get it," she admitted.
"Sometimes I don't either. I want Mr. Right, a husband, father for my babies, a guy who drives a minivan and cleans the gutters, all that. And I thought Constantine was that man when I first met him, and I was blinded by his charm." The asian woman smiled ruefully, tucking a wisp of black hair behind her ear. "Then he traded me for a night, and it hurt. A lot. I was really mad." She took a deep breath. "I was in love with him, and I thought he felt the same. Which isn't to say there's no love there, but he's European, and very blase about these things. To him there's not much difference from loving and being in love." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, the next morning I told him he either married me, or I moved out. He said he didn't want to get married, so I moved out. But," she smirked, "he's very charming. About a week later, I bumped into him, and he said there wasn't any harm in us enjoying one another's company, so long as it was what we both wanted." She sighed. "And he does have those lovely teeth."
"Are you still in love with him?" Lily realized, as soon as the words were out, that it was none of her business. "No, don't answer that. I'm sorry, that was rude."
Alexia smiled. "I don't know," she admitted. "Sometimes I think yes, and then he'll go and do something so utterly chauvinistic or obtuse it makes me wonder. But I have love for him, of course, and we have history." She smiled. "And I'm still looking for Mr. Right in my spare time."
"So, it's like the perks of being with someone without all the...commitment and emotional stuff?" Lily asked quietly.
"Yes." Lily sat back, thinking about that. "And if you're wondering, I can assure you, you and Scorpius are together. Relationship status for sure; commitment and the whole nine yards."
Lily blushed, because she had been wondering about that. "Do you…?" She tried to phrase the question properly. "It's just, you've obviously known him for a while, Scorpius, right?" Alexia nodded, dunking her vegetable tempura in soy sauce before transferring it to her mouth. "I just wonder sometimes…" The redhead didn't know how to ask without exposing herself and her vulnerability.
"You're in love with him," Alexia said, smiling. Lily blushed. "It's painfully obvious to just about everyone, except maybe Scorpius himself. That's why Constantine wanted to know if he told you yet."
Lily frowned. "Told me what?"
Dark eyes rolled, as though Alexia thought Lily was slightly daft. "He feels the same about you." Lily's mouth dropped open and she giggled, a little hysterically.
"No, I don't think-"
"He does," Alexia cut in. Lily's face went more red. "I heard about that whole business with Charlotte and your step brother when he came back from out of town." Lily looked away. "Don't be embarrassed, Constantine has a big mouth, and he loves drama more than a teenage girl." Lily smiled at that. "But from what I hear, Scorpius was a mess in the aftermath. Constantine found him drowning his sorrows in a bar and he threatened to knock all of Con's lovely teeth out for mentioning he might take a bite out of you if you wanted. And I know he's possessive, but Scorpius is different around you. Hell, with Charlotte, he loaned her out to us after a month. Mind you it was only for a few hours, but still. He doesn't even let you out of his sight for the most part, and when you are in his sight, he's observing every movement you make and reads you very well."
Lily shook her head, trying valiantly to squash the hope that had blossomed. "No, I don't think so," she said. Alexia frowned, still impossibly lovely. "He would've said so by now if that were the case. He's not exactly known for subterfuge."
The asian woman shook her head back. "No. Scorpius isn't the sort to just spout off emotional stuff. He's a little stunted that way. I don't know him well enough to speculate why, but he doesn't even tell Albus and Constantine he likes them and they've all been friends for ages." Lily smirked. It was her experience that most men didn't speak about emotions at all. "Besides, I can tell," Alexia said confidently. "He loves you. And he's in love with you."
Lily privately disagreed. He'd certainly never made mention of any feelings, other than lust, for her, and she was way too afraid to ask. "Anyway," Lily said, changing the subject to one that was less awkward, "you're totally right about this place. The food here is amazing."
"I told you," Alexia said, letting it drop, but Lily had a feeling, when she met those dark eyes again, that Alexia would go out of her way to prove her statements to Lily. And for her part, the redhead wasn't sure if she wanted to be proven right or wrong. Because after hearing Alexia say it out loud, she had started to realize, with a frightening clarity, that she was, if not already completely, at least starting to fall in love with Scorpius. And that terrified her, because she didn't know if he would be there to catch her, or if she'd fall on her face.
After lunch, they made plans to meet up again the next day, at the same restaurant, because Lily was already craving more chicken tempura roll despite feeling stuffed, after which they would start work on Lily's newest branch of sexual education. The redhead was still nervous, but she trusted Alexia, and tried to think about the whole thing objectively. Like it really was just another life skill, like cooking a turkey or changing a flat tire. Not that she knew how to do either of those things, but still, useful knowledge to have when in a pinch.
She got back to Scorpius's condo and he met her in the living room. She wondered what he'd gotten up to in her absence. "Did you have fun?" he asked, pulling her flush against his front.
"Yes. I like Alexia, she's nice." Scorpius half smiled, and unbuttoned her jeans. "What did you get up to?"
"This and that," he replied evasively. "I have a surprise for you." She arched a brow and he grinned wickedly.
"You know I don't like surprises," she murmured.
"You liked the surprise last time," he countered, pulling her t-shirt over her head. "If memory serves me correctly, in fact, you liked it rather a lot. Twice."
Lily rolled her eyes, blushing a little. "Is it going to be another one of those surprises?" she asked huskily. He put her hand against his crotch and she felt his rock hard length.
"Yes." She felt her nipples getting hard, and he toyed with them. "I want to fast track your training," he rumbled. "If you want."
"I always want," she said. He smirked.
"Slut."
"Deviant." She gasped as he tugged hard at her nipples. "Ah!"
"Fuck, I love it when you make that noise," he grunted. "Come, I'm horny, and I want to give you your surprise." He lead the way to the second bedroom, closing the door behind them. Lily looked at the black box thing, the vibrating torture device he'd used to punish her after her birthday party, sitting benignly on the floor, only this time there was a substantial-sized dildo attached to it. She looked up at Scorpius as he put her collar on, wanting to ask if this was really a surprise or more punishment. "Both, slut," he said, smirking as he read her mind. "But I can promise you, you'll enjoy it this time, much more than last time."
Lily looked back at the black box thing, hesitant. "Yes, Master," she said quietly, and he lead her gently toward the bed, where some kind of multi-buckled leather contraption sat, opened up and waiting. Her eyes widened.
"Arms behind your back," he said, and she cast him a look, swallowing nervously, but complied. Scorpius gently readjusted her, then picked up the leather contraption, and slid it up under her arms. "This is an armbinder," he murmured, adjusting her limbs again, fastening the topmost buckle across the middle of her biceps. He kissed her shoulder. "Relax, slut, or you're going to be very stiff. You need to tell me immediately if yours hands go numb, understood?" He buckled the next buckle, just above her elbows, then the next just below her elbows, and then the last, just above her wrists.
"Yes, Master." He turned her around and grunted.
"Fuck, that looks so good on you, my slut," he rumbled, then teased her nipples until she was panting. "Your tits looks fantastic." Lily licked her lips, wet and aching for him. Scorpius pulled on her nipples and she gasped. "Mmm, but I think you need something." He moved away, to the dresser, and opened the nipple clamp drawer, and Lily felt herself getting more aroused.
Scorpius came back over, flicking her nipples some more, then put the largest silver hoops on her, the tight rings biting into her nipples, the weight of the metal hoops tugging downward, making her hiss and then groan. He toyed with the hoops and she whimpered, biting her lip because she felt dangerously close to coming already.
"Do you want to come, my naughty slut?" he murmured, cupping her breasts.
"Yes, Master." He smirked and tugged on her clamps. "Ah!"
"Right now? Without me even touching that sweet, wet pussy?"
"Mmm, yes, Master." He tugged the clamps again, harder and she gasped.
"Do it. Come for me." Lily's eyes widened, wondering if she was being tested again. "Come on slut, you want to come, don't you?" She nodded and he kept flicking the hoops, up and down, up and down. He tugged and she groaned. "Then come for me. I want to see you come just from having your nipples played with."
Lily took a deep breath and licked her lips. "Ah!" she cried out as he tugged the hoops harder. "Master," she panted.
"I know it feels good, slut. Give in. Come for me." She sucked in some air, getting closer. He pulled harder still at the clamps and she moaned. "I'm not touching your pussy until you come for me," he rumbled. "Be a good little slut and come for me. Get those panties nice and wet. Do you want it?"
"Unh, yes, Master," she moaned, and whimpered as he flicked her nipples again. "Ah!" He cupped the weight of her breasts, smirking as he watched her, and pinched the left clamp tighter. "Ahh!"
"Come on, Lily. As soon as you come for me you'll get your reward, and I'll make sure that pussy gets nice and full. Hurry up. Come for me. Now." His voice went from teasing to stern, and Lily gasped and moaned. She groaned again, almost there, and he tugged on her clamps again, then again, and on the third consecutive tug she lost it, crying out as a sharp, although woefully too short, orgasm crested, ripped through her, and dissipated.
"Unh, mmm, Master," she panted. He grinned.
"Such a slut. But I like when you do as you're told. Do you want to come again?"
"Yes, Master," she groaned.
"Do you want that pussy filled up?" he asked, stripping her panties. "Mmm, look how wet these are. Answer the question."
"Yes, Master," she repeated.
"Good," he rumbled. He pointed at the black box thing. "Sit on it." She bit her lip but moved toward it, straddled it, and went down to her knees, casting him a questioning look. "All the way down, slut." Lily eased herself down further, spreading her legs, her bound arms making balance slightly more challenging, but she made it, leaning back a little, grunting and rocking. "Is it good, slut?"
"Yes, Master." She licked her lips and tried not to ride the length of artificial cock within her, wondering what he had in store for her.
Scorpius arched a brow, half smiling and she gulped, because he looked so goddamn sexy and deliciously sinful. "How are you going to come if you just sit there, slut?" Her mouth parted, and he grinned. "Do you want to come again or not?"
"Yes, Master," she said thickly. "I want to come again."
"Then ride it, slut." She sucked in a deep breath and rocked forward and back, forward and back, the angle of the dildo hitting just the right spot, and she closed her eyes as she moaned. "No. Eyes open and look at me." She bit her lip, rocking harder now, but looked at him, his eyes dark and hypnotizing. "Fuck, those tits," he grunted moving toward her. "Bounce a little, slut." She groaned, bouncing a little, and licked her lips as he pulled his cock out and swiped the head across her lips.
Lily opened her mouth, but he moved away again, picking up something from the bedside table, and then grinned at her. She cried out, green-gold eyes going wide as the vibrating started up, and she felt herself almost coming. "M-Master," she huffed.
"Give in, slut. Come if you need to." Lily rocked more, her thighs clenched to keep her balance, and in three hard, fast gyrations of her hips, she was coming, moaning loud, crying out. Scorpius cranked up the vibrations, sitting on the side of the bed as he touched himself and Lily felt another orgasm ripping through her mere seconds after, and she may have screamed a little. The vibration lowered and she tried to catch her breath, looking at Scorpius, licking her lips, pelvis still rocking. "Was that two in a row?" he murmured.
"Yes, Master," she groaned, voice ragged.
"Mmm. Do you want more?" Her brows went up and he smirked. "I told you you'd enjoy it more this time. Do you want to come again?"
"I… Unh! Yes, Master!" she cried as he cranked the vibrating up again, then turned it down.
"Do it. Come again." She bit her lip, looking at him, and licked her lips, eyes flicking down to his cock. "No, slut. You're not sucking my cock yet. One more and I'll think about it."
"Please, Master," she grunted, hips rocking hard now, feeling very wet, her body on fire, all her nerve endings seeming to tingle at the same time. He smirked.
"I enjoy that you're begging for my cock in your mouth, my naughty slut, but I want to see you come again." He turned up the vibrating a bit and she moaned, rocking harder. "Bounce, slut. I like when those tits jiggle." She bounced, hissing, and groaned, setting a ruthless pace on the machine. "Beg when you need more vibrating."
She panted and gasped. "Please, Master." The vibrating increased. "Ohh, fuck yes, please, Master." It intensified even more and she felt another orgasm building. "Unh, please, Master." His brows lifted but he turned it up yet more and she cried out, bouncing hard, trying to maintain her balance through another gut-wrenching orgasm followed quickly by another. "Ohh, Master," she cried out. "Yes, Master, yes, Master, yesss, ah, ah!"
"Another two in a row?" he said, turning down the vibrating to the lowest setting, letting her catch her breath. She nodded. "Mmm, do you still want my cock, naughty girl?" he rumbled, getting up.
"Yes, Master," she panted, beyond horny still, her inner thighs wet from her juices.
"You fucking slut," he groaned, rubbing his prick over her lips. Her tongue swirled around the head of his cock and she looked up at him. "Can you come again?"
"Yes, Master," she breathed, still rocking furiously. He grinned, stepped back, and she whimpered.
"You can have my cock when you can't come anymore," he grunted and she cried out. "Beg for more, slut."
"Please, Master, please…" He turned up the vibrating and she rocked, hard and fast. "Unh, please, Master!" The vibrating increased again and it was too much and yet not enough, and Lily didn't actually know if she could come again but wanted to, and bad. She also wanted to know where the hell he'd gotten this machine, because she was seriously considering investing in one for herself. "Please, Master, please!" The vibrating was almost brutal, painfully exquisite, and she felt her breathing coming in sharp gasps, chest heaving, and she was either going to explode, or implode, or have a fucking stroke. "Fuck, Master, AH!"
And just when she was pretty sure she was going to stroke out, she came again, harder than she ever had, and it was painfully intense, wretchedly pleasurable, and she closed her eyes tight against the onslaught. When she opened her eyes, chest still heaving and trying to suck in enough oxygen, she realized her arms were free, there was, thankfully, no more vibrating anywhere near her, and Scorpius was lifting her into his arms.
She groaned as he removed her clamps, unable to move. She felt like she'd just sprinted a mile in a minute and her pussy was aching, but not for fulfilment. "Just breathe," Scorpius murmured, and she tried to focus on breathing and having her legs, which felt weaker than jell-o, hold her up.
"Fuck," she breathed after several long moments, and they both moved to sit on the bed. Lily realized she was, literally, soaked between her legs and flopped backward. Scorpius leaned back on one arm, half smiling down at her. "That was…" She tried to find an appropriate word, but all the adjectives seemed too inferior. She shook her head.
"You set a new record, darling," he rumbled.
"For myself, too," she mumbled. "Fucking hell, was that six?"
"Seven." Her brow furrowed. "Nipples once, the other half dozen on the Sybian." She frowned.
"No, it was only five." He grinned.
"It was six, darling." Her mouth pursed a little, and he leaned down and kissed her. "You doubled up on the last one too."
"Damn. Well, I think my pussy is out of commission for awhile then," she sighed, and looked at him, eyes wide. "Wait, did you-?"
Scorpius chuckled. "Oh yes. Halfway through your round three." She grinned. "It was very hot. Until you passed out, of course. That was slightly worrisome for a moment."
Lily yawned. "Sorry, that was exhausting," she murmured. "I need a shower."
"Take a bath, instead," he murmured, laying down beside her, pulling her in toward himself. "But in a minute."
"Mmm'kay." Her eyelids fluttered and she put her hand on his chest. "I like that thing," she said dreamily. He chuckled again. "Seriously. What's it called again?"
"A Sybian."
"I want one. And if there's ever a fire, that has to be saved."
"You can use mine whenever you're a very good girl, darling." Lily opened her eyes.
"So that's what lives in the bottom drawer I imagine." He smirked.
"Amongst other things." She arched a brow.
"Like what?" He shook his head and grinned. "Come on, that is so not fair."
"If you can guess, I'll tell you. Until then, go take your bath, darling." Lily groaned.
"I don't know if I can move," she admitted. Scorpius kissed her again.
"Then I'll carry you. Come on, sit up at least." She sat up, groaning some more, and he carried her to the bathroom. She drew a bath and he brought her cellphone in a few minutes later. It was ringing and the ringtone told the redhead it was her mother.
"Hello, Mother," she answered, sighing and slipping a little deeper into the massive tub. Scorpius got undressed and her eyes widened with mingled shock and delight when he climbed in with her.
"Lily, where are you? I've been calling you for ages, I must have left at least four messages."
"I'm in the bathtub at the moment, Mom," she said smiling as Scorpius lifted her foot.
"What have you been doing? There's no way you've been in the tub for two hours."
She smirked. "Well I wouldn't want to break any rules by giving you details, Mother," she said. "I was busy we'll say." Lily could picture her mother's expression.
"Lily, it is the middle of the day!"
"Ah, that tickles!" she said to Scorpius who teased her arch. "Yes, Mother, I know what time it is." Mostly. "I also went to lunch and didn't bring my phone," she added. "Scorpius, stop!" she hissed as he tickled her again and he grinned, then rubbed up her calf and she hummed.
"Lily, is he-?"
"No details, Mom," she interrupted. "So what's up?"
Ginny made a disgruntled noise. "We're having a family dinner tonight," she said. "And I'd like you to be there. Six sharp."
Lily smirked. "Can I bring Scorpius?"
He looked up, brows questioning. "Lily," her mother said sternly, "this is a family dinner."
"Hmm, well I might be occupied otherwise around six," she said, and Scorpius nipped at the arch of her foot. "Ah! Scorpius, stop, that seriously tickles!" She almost went under the bubbles as she jerked her leg back, but he released her foot, smirking.
"Lily Luna O'Shea," her mother barked and Scorpius raised a brow, clearly overhearing.
"Ginevra Molly Potter," she shot back. "Yes, he is in the tub with me, happy? God!"
"I'll expect to see you at six, young lady," her mother growled.
"We'll be there," she said sweetly, and hung up, tossing her cell onto the bathroom floor. She sighed, floated over toward Scorpius, and snuggled up to him. "Sorry, but I may have just dragged you under the bus with me."
"Sounds delightful," he murmured. "In that case, you owe me big, darling," he added. She smiled.
"Deal."
He kissed her softly. "So your middle name is Luna?" Lily sighed, mouth twisting.
"Unfortunately. A gift from my esteemed father, I'm afraid. It was a full moon when I was born apparently, and since my mom vetoed it for the first name, it became the middle, although she wanted to give me her middle name." He grinned. "Why, what's yours?"
"I'm not telling you." She arched both brows. "Mine's far worse, darling. I promise."
Lily smirked. "I'll find out, you know," she warned, looking at him from under her lashes. "I'll ask Constantine," she threatened. Scorpius grinned.
"He doesn't know."
"I'll ask Tweedle-Dum, then," she said and could tell she'd found a weakness in his armour when his eyes narrowed slightly. "And if I have to do that, I'll tell everyone."
Scorpius grasped her hips under the water, easily shifting her atop himself, and pulled her flush to himself. "He won't tell you in the first place."
Lily smiled. "Wanna bet?" she breathed, shifting up, kissing his neck. "Or you could just tell me and I won't tell another soul."
"No. But I'll take that bet." She pulled back, tawny hazel eyes narrowed in determination. "If he tells you, you can tell whoever you like. When he doesn't, I'll throw you under the two ton bus that is your mother, saving myself."
She frowned. "Fine. Bet it shall be, Malfoy," she said crisply, then pulled away completely and dunked her head under water. "But just for the record, you can't throw me under the bus that is my mother. I'm driving it."
He grinned. "We'll see, darling."
That night they arrived at the Potter residence a full fifteen minutes early, and Lily glanced sidelong at Scorpius as they went up the walkway. "There's still time to back out," she teased. He half smiled.
"You're never going to get it out of him, darling." She shrugged and they went in.
Lily hugged her mother when they went into the living room, and smiled politely at James and his wife Priscilla, both of whom looked slightly surprised to see Scorpius there with her. "I love your dress," Priscilla said, breaking the awkward tension and silence after the perfunctory greetings were out of the way.
Lily smiled. "Thanks. I got it forever ago and found it digging through my closet." She smoothed the skirt of the emerald green, empire-waisted knit dress she had indeed found while searching for the peridot necklace. "I love your shoes," she said, nodding to Priscilla's flashy pink wedges with spikes along the straps.
The dark-haired blue-eyed woman beamed. "James says I need to get rid of some, but I can't bring myself to do it," she admitted.
"The closet is an avalanche waiting to happen," James mumbled.
"You can't get rid of shoes," Lily said. "They're like freckles. Once they're with you, they stay forever."
"Exactly!" Priscilla said. "A girl needs shoes for any and every occasion."
"James, you should just get the girl a bigger closet," Ginny said. Lily laughed. Her own mother's closet was bigger than the average college dorm room.
"Where's Al?" James asked, changing the subject and glancing at his watch.
"Late again," Harry Potter said, rolling his eyes. Scorpius smirked at the long-standing joke. "So, Malfoy, I heard your firm has taken on that big case with the football guy, Melvin Lamar and you got named lead counsel."
"Yes," he said. "We go to court in two weeks."
"Is he guilty?" Priscilla asked. Lily, who had heard only vaguely about the case of a college football star, charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault on a minor because one of the victims was reportedly under age, frowned. She hadn't known Scorpius had taken such a high profile case, and had already found Lamar guilty in her mind after hearing some of the details. From what she'd heard, he'd taken advantage of some girl at a college party, when the under age girl shouldn't have been there, or drinking obviously, in the first place, and Lamar had claimed drunken ignorance. Then two other women had come forward and said he'd done the same to them. It hit a little too close to home for Lily, and she hoped he rotted in jail for a good long time, personally.
"He can't talk about it, dear," James said. "Lawyer-client confidentiality or whatever."
"It's not up to me to decide anyway," Scorpius said blandly, and glanced at Lily, who was still frowning.
"Well I hope he's not guilty," Priscilla said. "Or the Tigers are going to be fucked this season. I mean screwed," she said, glancing at Ginny.
"Football fan?" Scorpius asked.
James rolled his eyes and Priscilla beamed. "Absolutely. But then, I went to State myself."
Just then Albus came in and Ginny said promptly, "Let's all go sit at the table."
Lily didn't talk much through dinner, although the conversation was lively, but the topic of Melvin Lamar resumed at the dining room table, and, since she didn't have anything nice to say, Lily kept her mouth shut, even though Scorpius glanced at her questioningly more than once. Finally, by dessert, the conversation moved onto the merits of cake over pie, which was a subject Lily had much more enthusiasm for.
"Cake is so much better," she said. "There's just so much more variety. Pie is just pastry and filling."
"But pie is more than dessert," Albus said. "You could live a whole life on nothing but various types of pie."
Lily snorted. "Pie is alright, but cake is where it's at."
Green eyes narrowed. "The only redeeming factor for cake is icing, which isn't even a prerequisite for cake."
The redhead glared across the table. "But even sub-par cake is good. Bad pie is terrible."
Albus grinned. "I've never met a pie I didn't like, but I can only think of one type of cake that isn't disgusting."
Lily smiled back. "That's because you have no taste."
A dark brow arched. "Maybe, but I have better taste than others." His eyes flicked to Scorpius briefly. Lily's green-gold gaze narrowed, but then she put her most charming smile on.
"I'll concede to that if," she said, "you tell me his middle name." She hooked a thumb at Scorpius to her left.
Albus looked surprised. "If I told you I'd have to kill you." The blond smirked.
Lily lifted her brows. "Fine, then you clearly have no taste. At least, not as good as some." Albus half-glared, then his gaze flicked to Scorpius again.
"That might be blackmail."
"It is," Scorpius murmured, giving his friend a significant look.
"Isn't it amazing how it works?" Lily asked.
"What's the deal about your middle name?" Priscilla asked.
"It's embarrassing," Albus said. "Like really. If I were him, I'd have it changed legally."
Scorpius glared. "And yours isn't just as bad?" James murmured, amused.
"Oh, mine's awful," Albus admitted, grinning. "But still not as bad as Scor's." Harry frowned.
"I'll have you know your middle name was one of the best Professors I had in university, Albus." Green eyes, inherited from his father, rolled.
"Can't be worse than mine," Priscilla said. "I got stuck with Mildred." Albus snorted.
"So what's Scorpius's middle name then?" Lily pushed.
"Can't say it," Albus said. "It goes against the code."
"What code?" Ginny asked.
"The man code," Albus said. "Bros before hoes." Ginny arched an icy brow. "Er, no offence, I suppose," he added hastily. "Just a phrase, that." The blond smirked and Lily frowned.
"Doesn't this man code also mention something about not hooking up with-" Lily began, but Scorpius cut her off with a hand on her thigh under the table sliding up under her dress.
"Not hooking up with what?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"I've always detested that term," Ginny muttered. "So vulgar."
"Ugly women," Lily supplied quickly. "Obviously it's a genetic abnormality, because the rest of you Potter men have good taste." The two Mrs. Potters beamed.
Scorpius smirked again as Albus glared. James laughed, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "It's not his fault," he said, "Al's always been an odd duck."
"I'm sure Lily is familiar with odd ducks," Albus said, shooting the redhead a pointed look that clearly stated if she got one more dig in, he'd spill it all.
She smiled back. "Oh, I've met my fair share," she said equably, then glanced at Scorpius. "Right?" she asked sweetly. "The difference is, my ducks have taste."
"Well, at least Constantine has taste," Albus said wryly. "For the most part."
"Was that your friend we met at the spa, Lily?" Ginny asked. The redhead felt her cheeks going pink a little.
"One and the same, Mother," she said, hoping her mother wouldn't push the issue.
"How is Constantine?" Harry asked, looking from Albus to Scorpius. "Is he still seeing that asian woman? What was her name? I only met her the one time."
"Her name is Alexia, Dad," Albus said. "I haven't seen Con in a while, though. Scor, do you know how he's doing? You've seen him quite recently, haven't you?"
Lily stared at her dessert plate, trying not to blush. "He's the same as ever. Rather he was the last time I saw him," Scorpius said easily.
"He's quite handsome," Ginny said casually, then slanted a sly look at Scorpius. "Lily agrees with me, don't you, honey?"
She looked up. "Yes. He is."
Priscilla looked at her new husband. "See? It's not weird for me to still think other men are good looking, James."
"Jamie's sensitive," Albus said, clapping his brother on the shoulder now. "He likes to think he's always the best looking man in the room, when he's usually not."
"I usually am," James replied darkly. "Especially if you're the only other man there." Albus rolled his eyes.
Ginny got up and began clearing the dishes, Harry rising to assist her, and Albus looked back at Lily. "So you think Con's hot? I'll be sure to mention that next time I see him."
Lily shrugged. "I think he's good looking, and I'm sure he knows it. A little too tall, dark and handsome for my taste, but not bad. And you're right about him, Albus, he does have great taste. Alexia is very pretty."
"This is true," he drawled, absently twirling his wineglass. "Prettier than most I'd reckon." He smirked, slanted a look at his brother, who didn't appear to have cottoned on to the undertone of the conversation. "And she's definitely not tall dark and handsome. Is she more to your taste?"
Lily blushed, thinking back to her earlier conversation with Alexia. "I don't know," she said coolly. "Is she to yours? I thought you had a thing for blonde bimbos."
"Huh, I thought you did too."
"Ouch," Scorpius drawled. "I am right here, Al."
James smacked his little brother upside the head. "Be nice you little prick," he said gruffly.
Ginny and Harry came back, offering coffee. James and Priscilla declined, and headed out, Albus quick on their heels, and Lily was over the whole quality family time thing herself. "That sounds delightful," Scorpius said before she could decline, his fingertips tracing up the inside of her thigh, swirling erotically.
Ginny frowned slightly, but, ever the hostess, went to prepare it. Harry sat back down and once more, the subject of Melvin Lamar came up. Lily bit back a sigh. "You're awfully quiet on the subject, Lily," Harry commented. "What do you think?"
"He's probably guilty," she said tightly. Scorpius's hand stilled on her.
"What makes you say that?" the blond murmured.
She forced a shrug, but looked at him very levelly. "Why would those women lie? And, since the statistics of sexual assaults that go unreported are staggering, and there are three separate women staking their reputations on their claims, what sense would it make for them to lie? Do you really think they'd be willing to lie about something so vulgar for fifteen minutes of fame? And if the statistics are accurate, there's probably a good number out there who are too scared, or embarrassed, or wracked with guilt, whichever the case may be, to come forward and add their voices. I just think it looks pretty fucking bad for him, personally." She pushed his hand off her thigh. "I have to use the restroom, excuse me," she said, standing up and walking out of the dining room abruptly.
She went upstairs, breathing deep, trying to stay rational, but the remembrance of her own experience made her feel shaky. How many more, indeed, were out there, too ashamed to admit they'd put themselves in a precarious position for whatever reason, and wound up being taken advantage of? She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and glared at her reflection. Don't go there, it's over and done, and you're not an almost-eighteen year old anymore.
There was a knock at the bathroom door and she took another deep breath before opening it. Scorpius looked back at her, dark grey eyes assessing. "You're upset," he said quietly.
"I don't want to talk about your client anymore," she said evenly, and smiled grimly, then lead the way back downstairs. She drank her coffee as quickly as possible, wanting nothing more than to go to bed.
"Lily, honey, are you staying tonight?" Ginny asked. She hesitated, not wanting to convey she was more than a little peeved at Scorpius, even though it wasn't his fault he got named the lead defense attorney on a case she disagreed wholeheartedly with. But she wanted to be alone.
"No," she said at last. Twenty minutes later, she and Scorpius were getting back into his car.
"Are you going to tell me why you're upset?" he murmured, backing out of the driveway.
"No," she said. She felt him glance at her.
"Why not?"
Lily took a deep breath. "Because I don't want to." She looked over at him. "And I'm not going to."
He shrugged. "Are you going to tell me why you're coming back to my place when you don't want to, then?"
She frowned. "Who says I don't want to?"
He smirked. "Your eyes, darling."
It was Lily's turn to shrug. "It's not that I don't want to, I just...I have lots of work to do." Which wasn't a lie, because she did have more cards than normal, as requested from her publisher, to finish, and a ticking time limit. "But I like waking up with you."
There was a long silence. "Opposed to any other man you've woken up with?" he murmured. She glared, gritting her teeth.
"Yes, Scorpius. And thank you for that reminder."
He sighed. "You're right," he said after another moment. "He's guilty as sin, and I think deep down, he knows he was in the wrong." Lily stared at him, shocked. "He'll deny it, to himself and anyone else, until he dies, but Lamar is as guilty as they come, and the sad part is, even if I was a shitty lawyer, he'll get off with a slap on the wrist, or minimal jail time at worst, and probably still keep his scholarship."
"So why are you defending him?" she demanded.
"Because he has the right to a fair trial with unbiased representation."
Lily snorted. "That's shitty," she mumbled.
"It is. And I'm not looking forward to cross-examining those women."
Despite her better judgement, Lily felt her mouth pursing and folded her arms. "One might think you don't have a conscience," she said scathingly as they pulled up to a red light. He looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Do you?"
She forced a shrug, but unfolded her arms. "I know you do. That's why it's shitty. Because you're still going to do your damnedest to discredit those women, and get paid for it, and like you said, it's not going to matter even if the jury or whoever believes them and you lose, because he'll get off pretty much scot free because he's good at throwing a ball."
"He's a receiver, he catches the ball," Scorpius said as they pulled away from the lights.
"Whatever," she snapped.
He frowned. "You're very passionate about this," he said, then glanced at her appraisingly. "Like you're personally involved."
"I'm not, but it's kind of a piss off. Those poor women, that poor girl who had the most balls to come forward in the first place, are going to be picked apart, and that miserable fuck wad is just going to sit there and tell everyone it's not his fault if some stupid girl got drunk at a college party. And even if she fucking threw herself at him, it doesn't matter, because he still did it, he still fucked her without her explicit permission, and she probably doesn't even remember it." She took a deep breath as they pulled into his parking space.
"Is that what happened to you?" he asked very quietly.
She reeled back as though she'd been slapped. "I'm not answering that," she snarled, slamming the car door. "And I'm not talking about this anymore."
The elevator ride was silent and uncomfortable for the redhead. "Do you want me to drop the case?" he finally asked as they undressed for bed. She swallowed, but shook her head.
"It's your job," she said quietly. "Even though I disagree, the miserable fuck wad is still entitled to his fair trial and unbiased representation."
"Come here," he murmured, and she went to him, laying her head against his chest as he put his arms around her comfortingly. "It's my job, but it's not worth having you hate me when this is all over," he whispered, pulling back and cupping her face.
Lily took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can hate you," she murmured. "I…" The rest of that sentence stuck on her tongue. "I just don't want to talk about it anymore," she said instead.
"Damn it, Lily," he breathed. "I-" She put a finger to his lips.
"No. It doesn't matter. You'll do your job, and I'll pretend he's going to get the same treatment in prison when you lose miserably. Deal?"
He looked at her for a long moment, his dark grey eyes flicking back and forth between her golden hazel ones. "Deal."
"Besides," Lily murmured, pulling away and climbing into bed and sliding between the luxurious sheets, "I have a busy day tomorrow, and I'm tired. Did I mention I'm having lunch with Alexia again? Then we're going to talk about...y'know." She wiggled her eyebrows.
He cracked a smile, climbing into bed with her. "It's unfortunate you're still tender," he rumbled, "because that thought, darling, is very tempting."
Lily grinned back. "You can't have your cake and eat it too," she teased.
"Go to sleep, Lily," he said as she snuggled up to him. "You have a busy day tomorrow."
"Just one more thing," she said.
"Yes, darling?"
"Which do you prefer? Cake or pie?"
"Cake, definitely. More specifically cupcakes. And for the record, my favourite is red velvet."
"And your middle name?" she asked.
"I'm still not telling you."
XXX