Scorpius was a thirteen-year-old, handsome, Pureblood, filthy rich boy who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was a Slytherin. He was a third year, and in his third week of school since returning from summer. To be honest, he wasn't feeling the strain of homework and studying that his family and older friends had warned him about, but Scorpius was most definitely not a dumb child and knew more than most of his age.

Scorpius's weakness, however, was his best friend's little sister.

Lily Luna Potter was a little redheaded eleven-year-old, Gryffindor, just starting her first year at Hogwarts. She was about average height for her age, but her body was very slight and skinny, despite her air of being pampered, as the only girl born to the Saviour. Her sleeves were too long on her arms and she had to roll them up three times to get her hands out. Her eyes were the same brown as chocolate and oak. Her hair was like tongues of fire sprouting from her head and it flickered whenever she turned her head, maybe to make a joke with her friends or to look at Scorpius.

She did that a lot.

She smiled a lot. Her eyes went a little squinty when she smiled, but she didn't half-heartedly lift one corner of her mouth – she smiled properly, widening her mouth from cheek to cheek and showing a few of her pearly teeth. She had a gap where her canine should be, but the adult tooth was already growing.

And Scorpius loved her.

He wasn't sure why, or how, or when it happened, but Lily was the apple of his eye and one day he was going to make her his. But he couldn't right now. She was too innocent.

Innocence is a virtue.