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McLaggen was an absolute idiot. He didn't want anything other than to get between Lily's legs. His Potter. The way he had so childishly tried getting her to go out with him was nothing short of ridiculous, and Scorpius couldn't understand how so many witches fell for his supposed charm. Archimedes had more charm in his feathers than McLaggen had in a single piece of hair on that oversized head of his.

A wave of possession rolled over him as he sat in the library, trying and failing to work on the assignment in front of him. She was his witch. He'd all but claimed her the moment he decided to give into his desire and ignore every bit of his family's teachings. And then the girl didn't even know how to get rid of someone without offering her friendship as consolation! He would have to talk to Lily about that habit of hers. If she wanted people to listen to her then she should speak up, and not allow them to talk over her. Scorpius wouldn't play older brother to her nor would he baby her as the rest of her family seemed to do. She wanted to be treated like an adult and she would, so long as she acted like one.

Scorpius could accept her silly friendship with the Scamander twin – having been friends since infancy – but he wouldn't allow her to give hope to every man that crossed her path. He just couldn't take it. Sharing had never been his strongest suit, and he didn't expect that to change anytime soon.

If she continued lacking a spine, Scorpius would need to give her lessons in more than just Defense against the Dart Arts. Years of being resented and taunted for his family's ties to the Dark Lord had only hardened him from a young age, and strengthened his resolve to be better than all those that looked down at him.

Ironic. The people that had made his life miserable from the moment he had stepped foot on the train to Hogwarts were the same people he was for lack of a better word: stealing from. He could only imagine what her darling brothers would think of him kissing her, holding her, and showing her the passion she desired in her monotone life. Scorpius had tainted her as much as she had tainted him.

"They say those that laugh alone remember their wickedness." Corrina sits across from him, her eyebrows raised.

"Something like that," he replied.

"Won't you tell me what has you smiling? Surely it isn't the Ancient Runes assignment in front of you."

"Nothing of importance, cousin. Shouldn't you be warning people of the gruesome fate that awaits them? I heard you made a Hufflepuff cry the other day."

She grins, twirling a blonde curl around her finger. "It's not my fault warts run in her family."

"No one can accuse you of being soft," he teased.

"Must run in the family."

"Tell me, cousin. Have you looked into your own future?"

"I rather my future be a surprise," she tells him. "No reason to excite myself with something as my parents selling me off to one of the many arrogant men in our circle. Which reminds me, Cassie won't be happy about her own future. Little Maxon won't always be a child…"

Scorpius laughed heartily. If Corrina proved correct, his mother would be delighted to know their little Cassiopeia would indeed obtain the Yaxley name. "Let's keep that to ourselves. No need for Cassie to throw another tantrum over something that is years away."

"Not too far away. Time is always moving and us with it."

"Careful. Damen's right, you are sounding an awful lot like Trelawney."

She threw her quill at him which he easily caught with his seeker reflexes.

"You can have killed me or worst marred my beautiful face," he told her with a hand over his heart as if he were honestly hurt by her actions.

"You know what they about bad weeds and never dying," she said with no ounce of remorse.

"I take you comment into offence."

She laughs. "Good. You were supposed to."

"And I thought I was your favorite cousin," he gave a pout.

"It's between you and Anton," she nodded. "Although, I have to admit I only say either one of you is my favorite to get something out of it."

"At least she's honest," Scorpius says.

"Honesty is the best policy."

"Not all the time. Some things are better kept to ourselves."

She looks at him with curiosity. Her eyes digging into him and scrutinizing the lack of emotion on his face. "Do you have any secrets?" she asks, pulling her head closer to his.

"I'm an open book," he replies. "Everyone would know my secrets before I even had time to know them myself."

"I don't think that's true. You're right, however, a person always needs their secrets."

"Secrets make the world go round."

"Indeed they do," Corrina said softly. "Mother wrote to me saying Bastian is back from his honeymoon…"

"How is our dear cousin?"

Corrina hummed her reply. "Anton is in England as well, and you know how great they get along. I'll never understand what drove them apart. They used to be the best of friends."

Scorpius thought of his elder cousins. How they had always been together until one day Anton couldn't be in the same room as Bastian. "You know how they are. Bastian isn't one for jokes and Anton doesn't take anything seriously," he told her.

"No, I don't think that's it. Calliope and I have very different attitudes, but I do love her. Anton looks at Bastian with so much resentment and…hurt, almost."

"Don't you think you're looking too far into it?" Scorpius questioned. "If I were you I wouldn't get into everyone's business, cousin."

"We're family. Our business is everyone's business," she retorts. "You can't eat a custard without them knowing."

Scorpius knew she was in the right. There wasn't much one could do without their whole circle finding something to use against them. Lily was a secret he would have to take to the grave, else both would be ruined by it. How simple it would be to just be one of those muggles. He doubted they had to worry about status or disownment.

"Scorpius?"

"Sorry, say again."

"Is there something wrong? You seem distracted."

He shakes his head, gathering his books into his messenger bag. "Just thinking about Bastian and Anton."

She doesn't look convinced, but holds her tongue in respect for him either way. There was no point arguing when he'd only silence her with a look.

"I may be younger than you Scorpius and perhaps you think me a fool as most people do, but I'm always willing to listen."

"You're not a fool. Not my cousin."

"And you're sweet," she pecks him on the cheek. "I think deep down we're all fools, but we just like to pretend we aren't."

Not waiting for his reply, she walked out of the library in search of Calliope or someone else to torment with her cards, leaving him just as alone as before. He wished he could tell her or anyone for that matter, but he didn't exactly know what he'd say first. There was more than just his arrangement with Lily that he could never bring himself to speak out loud.

He pressed his hands over his face, his fingers soothing the ache at his temples. Scorpius wouldn't allow himself to think like that. There was no point in wishing in vain or allowing his defenses to crumble. He knew his place, and he wouldn't hurt anyone over his own childish fantasies of having more.

Ridding himself of that train of thought, his mind drifted to Bastian and Anton. The importance of family had been installed in his head since Scorpius could remember, and yet everyone had seen how their relationship had deteriorated out of the blue. It hadn't, though. Not really. Scorpius still remembered the day his cousins had built a bridge between them.

"Do you have any idea what this will cause? You'll destroy this family, Anton!" Bastian snarled at his brother, his green eyes filled with anger and disappointment.

Scorpius, only eleven years old, watched from his place behind a stone wall with his toddler sister in his arms. Cassiopeia babbled happily and pulled at his tie, oblivious to the tension at such a fragile age.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Anton tried reasoning with his older brother. "You have to understand –"

"Understand! You beg me to understand when you gave this family no care, brother. Tell me how am I supposed to understand this?"

Anton looked on with tears rolling down his handsome face, his breathing short as he fought to control what little hold he had on his emotions. "Please, Bastian…"

"If you want to leave then leave," Bastian said more calmly than before. "But remember the moment you turn from us, you no longer exist to this family. I'll tell them everything and they'll hate you for it."

"Bas –"

"Choose!" Bastian roared. His tone forcing Anton to flinch and startling Cassiopeia, causing her lips to tremble before letting out a loud cry.

"Shh, Cassie. Don't cry," Scorpius tried to soothe her cries, bouncing her up and down in his arms.

At the sound of the toddler's wailing, Bastian and Anton turned to where Scorpius had hidden.

"Come here, Scorpius," Bastian ordered the younger boy.

Knowing better than to disobey his cousin, Scorpius slowly walked up to them. Bastian took Cassiopeia from his arms and coaxed her into silence, her cries turning into hiccups as she snuggled into her cousin's shoulder.

Bastian turned back to his brother, pushing Scorpius towards him. "Tell them," he said. "If you wish to leave should you not give your reasons?"

Scorpius looked up at Bastian and then at Anton in confusion.

"Please…"

"Tell them," Bastian forced again. "Cassiopeia is far too young to even understand and I doubt she'll even remember you as time goes by, but surely Scorpius will. Look him in the eye and tell him."

"Bastian, enough."

"Are you a coward? Only moments ago you seemed so sure of yourself."

Cassiopeia reached for Anton at that moment and the young man couldn't stop from looking at her in despair. As he tried taking her into his own embrace, Bastian pulled her away and ignored Cassiopeia's cry in protest.

"You have no right to touch her or any claim to this family."

"Aunt Tori, I found them!" Calliope sang happily as she spotted her cousins.

Anton spun around to see his aunt and cousin walking towards them, Astoria's heels clicking softly against the stone path as her scarlet gown bellowed out behind her.

"What are you all doing out here?" she asked. "It's not polite to abandon an event where we are guests."

"Our aunt is asking a question, Anton. Will you not answer her?"

Astoria looked over Anton's tear streaked face, her eyes softening at the pitiful sight. "Anton, what is it?" she ran a hand over his strong cheek.

Anton bowed his head, unable to answer her when his cousins looked up at him in innocence. It was Cassiopeia that sealed his fate, forcing the final nail to his coffin.

"Anton! Anton!" she reached for him again with chubby arms. Her expressive green eyes staring at him with the love only a child could give so purely and honestly.

His eyes closed as he drowned every feeling that ran through him. "It's nothing," he murmured, pulling Cassiopeia to him and kissing her brow. "I just needed air."

"Is that all?" Astoria asked unconvinced.

"Yes," he bit out. "We should go inside its getting cold for the children."

"Anton –"

"I'm fine, Aunt Tori."

Walking past Bastian, Anton ignored his brother's nod of approval and instead ushered his cousins into the Ministry building where the ball was being held.

"What was that about, Bastian?"

"Nothing to worry about," Bastian told her. "You know how dramatic Anton is, but I'm positive things will change."

And indeed they had. The next morning Anton no longer spoke to his brother with jest in his tone and admiration in his eye. They no longer spoke at all.

Scorpius never understood what had happened that night. All he remembered was staring at Anton in silence as Bastian belittled him to tears, shouting at him to make a choice. That night was never mentioned again. Anton had fled England on a world tour with his friends and spent most of his time drinking or shagging every witch he laid eyes on. That night had been the first time Scorpius had ever seen his cousin shed a tear, and he hadn't been able to do anything. He didn't know what he would've done. He didn't know if could've done anything.

He had been right in saying to Corrina that secrets were the driving force in this world. Scorpius had witnessed his own family hiding secrets that could perhaps tarnish the perfection that they all tried to present to the rest of their community. Whatever had occurred that night was a secret Anton and Bastian would never speak of again, not even to each other.

Scorpius wondered if his own secret would lead him down a similar path. He prayed it didn't. He wouldn't survive losing the only thing that mattered to him: his family.

Knowing he would no longer be able to concentrate on his work, Scorpius gathered his things and left to prepare the night's patrolling rota. He wasn't looking forward to hearing Albus whine at finding out he'd be in charge of the grounds, but Scorpius would be willing to deal with it so long as little Potter made up for it with her lips.

"Malfoy!" Rose called loudly, causing Scorpius to grimace as he turned to her.

"My ears, Weasley."

The redhead didn't offer an apology, only looking up at her counterpart in distaste. "Have you gone over the rota? I don't want to find out that you've been neglecting your duties, and end up making me look bad when I have to help Flitwick tonight."

Choosing to be the adult and not say something as "go fuck yourself" or "do everyone a favor and jump out of a tower", he merely swallowed his pride and replied smoothly. "I have everything under control, Weasley. There is a reason McGonagall chose me as Head Boy after all."

"Yes, well, I don't need something going amiss the one night I can't supervise."

"Supervise," he spat out the word. "I am not a child that needs a toy broom to fly, darling. I think I can handle a night without your superb guidance and your overpitched voice at my ear one night."

"How dare you?" she said offended at his last comment.

"I rather not argue with you, Weaslette. I have things to do and listening to you drone on consistently isn't at the top of my list as unbelievable as that may seem."

"Look, Malfoy. I'm not asking for us to be friends or anything of the sort, but let's try to keep the peace until we're both on that train back to London. After that you are free to live in your vile little world and hate me for having a family that was on the right side of the war."

Scorpius gave a humorless laugh, his hand rubbing his jaw as he took in her not so subtle comment. "I don't hate you, Weasley. I'd have to actually care about your pathetic existence to feel something other than boredom every time I look at you, but you must be used to that. There isn't much to you other than the intellect you possess."

He plucked at Rose's hair, looking at her coldly. "You should do something about your appearance, perhaps then most men won't find you disagreeable. I'd start with a brush…"

A flash of hurt clouded her eyes and for a moment he felt sorry for having insulted the witch, but she'd attacked him first. Hurt him first.

"If we're done here, Weasley, I'll take my leave."

He past her quickly and ignored the regret at having been driven to such pettiness. There was no reason to think himself wrong when she'd thrown an unnecessary jab at his family. Death Eaters or no, they were his family. And Rose was nothing more than a fucking nuisance alongside the rest of her family.

"Oh!" a feminine voice cried out as their soft body collided with his, landing the person against the hard ground.

Recognizing the melodic tone of Lily's voice, he is brought back to the present and to the petite witch on the ground.

"It's just not my day, is it?" she pouted before gathering her fallen books.

"I'd say to watch where you're going, but it was completely my fault this time. I was distracted," he offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet easily.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing of importance," he replied. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"You're lying," Lily said, ignoring his question.

Scorpius was surprised by her statement. It was rare for anyone other than those close to him to call him out for hiding his true feelings. He didn't understand how she'd so easily seen through him.

"What did they do this time?"

He didn't need to ask whom she was referring to just as she hadn't needed for him to say it had been someone of her own family.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"I believe I told you before how irritating it is for you to apologize for everything you didn't do."

She flinched at his tone. Her eyes downcast and looking out of place standing in front of him, their morning meeting forgotten in seconds.

"I'll just go…"

"Don't," he murmurs, taking her by the arm and pulling her back to him. "You can stay."

"Surely I'm the last person you want to see," she tells him.

"You'd think that."

"What did they say, Scorpius?"

Exhaling, he gave her a half-smile. "Our Head Girl only wanted to remind me of my place. I'm sure she'll tell you the rest, especially the part where I called her unpleasant to look at."

Her delicate features saddened as she looked tiredly at him. He waited for her to shout at him and defend her cousin. For her to look at him like they all did. She didn't do any of that.

"I won't say she didn't deserve it, but I rather not get involved. Seems like whatever I say will only make the situation worse."

"You aren't upset at having your cousin be called nothing short of ugly?"

"I can only imagine what she said about you," she replies. "Rose isn't as innocent as she makes people believe her to be. It may not matter to you, but she's wrong in whatever she said. They all are."

He didn't reply to her and instead pushed her against a pillar, losing himself in her lips. He wanted to taint her just as he was in the eyes of the world. Ruin her for Lysander, McLaggen, and her family. He'd take every bit of her innocence and leave them with nothing but the knowledge that she was his. That one of their perfect members wanted the horrid son of a Death Eater.

Scorpius felt Lily pull at his arms, interlacing their fingers only to gently push him away from her. "Someone could see," she whispered. Her fingers traced over his lip and wiped the remnants of lip gloss she had left behind. "I don't want to cause you more trouble."

"I think we're already past that."

She bit her lip, nodding in agreement. "And I think you're right. I'll deal with Rose and the others."

"I don't need you playing savior, Lily."

"You're risking a lot with me. It's only fair I do something, for someone to finally say something."

But she was doing something. Scorpius didn't need her pointing her wand at anyone or trying to reason with those that held contempt for him. The mere action of having her see him as something other than the son of a man that had no choice was enough.

He didn't tell her that. Scorpius didn't know how to let anyone in.

"As I've said, they're just a nuisance to me."

Before she made to reply he walked around her and to the dungeons. "Don't be late tonight, Lily."

He felt her eyes on him even as he turned the corner and down the darkened hall. The coldness he had shown to her words wasn't something he wanted to do, but it was the only way he knew how. It was the only way to keep pretending.

"Scorpius!" Derrik ran up to him, swinging a heavy arm over his shoulders.

"Bloody hell, Bletchley!" Scorpius groaned as pain shot through his recovering arm. "Do you not see the sling? And what's with everyone shouting? I'm not fucking deaf."

"Someone pissed in your oatmeal this morning,'' Derrik laughed. "What's with the temper, love?"

"Sod off."

"Now I really want to know who poked at you."

"If I tell you, will you shut up?"

"There's a fifty-fifty chance," Derrik told him.

"Weaslette," Scorpius answered simply.

"No, not one of them!" Derrik cried in mock. "Honestly, Scorpius, why do you let that cunt get to you? She's a boar that thinks we're all her bloody slaves."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about this, Bletchley.''

"Then don't let someone like Rose Weasley get to you! I know my family was neutral during the war but I get it, Scorp. They look down their bloody noses at as, showing off the shiny medals bestowed on their heroic parents and shite, and we get their reproach for something we had nothing to do with. They're just a bunch of petty arseholes that probably wouldn't even last a second in a damn war."

"You're right," Scorpius concluded. "I just have a lot going on right now."

"This is our last year at Hogwarts, mate! I know this school isn't the mother of all wizarding schools, but let's enjoy it. Before you know it, we'll be on that train back to London, and our parents will be talking about jobs and marriage. I don't know about you, but I plan on living up this year before my dick is sold to a single woman."

"Why is it that even when you're giving advice it all comes down to sex?" Scorpius asked, feeling himself calmer than before.

"Sex is the only good thing in this world, my dear friend. Keeps a man young."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that and you're welcome by the way. I only give my expert advice to people I actually like, and I don't repeat myself twice."

Scorpius chuckled, shaking his head at the goof as he began walking backwards.

"Do yourself a favor, Scorp, and give it all up for this year. You don't want regrets."

LATER that night Scorpius left the Great Hall to the Prefect's usual meeting place, his friend's advice still fresh in mind. He'd sat the whole time at dinner thinking of his family's expectations of him, the future, and of Lily. While they had only been together no more than a day – officially – she was beginning to stir up more than just lust in him. She'd disturbed his very way of thinking, settling. He tried telling himself this was all a need of rebellion, something to remember when he lived out his years, but she was more than that. When he was with her, he felt like he could escape.

She was his escape.

He wouldn't feel guilty for having something he needed. Scorpius was positive he'd treat her better than any of those worthless idiots after her, Scamander included. The Ravenclaw had allowed her to slip through his fingers after years of silence, and Scorpius was anything but a fool to do the same. He'd grasp this opportunity and take it just as Derrik had advised, more or less.

Scorpius would stop thinking and just allow all the pieces to fall in place.

"There's our Head Boy," Albus drawled once he came into view.

"Nice to see you too, Potter,'' Scorpius replied. "Aright, listen up! Flint and Avery, third floor… Weasley and Creevey, Ravenclaw tower…Scamander and Longbottom, east wing…Potter, grounds –"

"What!" Albus cut off Scorpius just as he expected him to. "You're out of your bloody mind. There is no way I'm doing the entire grounds and especially not on my own."

"Everyone is assigned to an area on random, Potter. Do you see anyone else complaining?"

"Random my arse! You did this on purpose," Albus said angrily.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Scorpius looked at Albus in boredom. "Please tell me how I did this on purpose. I'm quite curious."

"Because you're still angry about your stupid arm and it's obvious you hate me."

"Unlike you I'm not a child, Potter. I have better things to do than think of ways to make your life miserable."

"Lysander and I can do the grounds," Alice offered.

"No. I like the rota as is and if any of you disagree, then please leave and turn in your badge while you're at it."

"I'm not doing the grounds," Albus continued.

"Then leave," Scorpius shrugged. "I'm sure we can find your replacement in no time, hopefully someone that isn't afraid of the Forbidden Forest."

"I'm not afraid," he sneered back.

"Are you sure? You're making quite the fuzz over something as easy as ensuring the grounds are clear of students and nothing is happening in the forest."

Scorpius watched as Albus battled with himself. If he walked out he'd not only be in danger of losing his badge, but he'd show everyone he wasn't as brave as he boasted.

"Fine."

"And with that in order I'll continue…"

When the rota had been finished and all the prefects dispersed, Scorpius quickly headed to classroom eleven. The abandoned room wasn't much for his taste, but it was better than a broom closet. He'd look into the other abandoned classrooms when he had a chance or at least someplace with far less shrubs.

The soft click of the door being closed draws him back. With a soft smile, Lily walks up to him and hops onto a desktop, swinging her legs back and forth childishly.

"Told you I wouldn't get caught," she smirks.

"So you did." He sits next to her, their shoulders gently gracing each other.

"Albus?" she asks.

"Pouting his way to the grounds."

"He'll hate you for that."

"I don't know if you've noticed, princess, but I'm not precisely your family's favorite cup of tea. His hatred is redundant," he gives a single laugh.

"Sadly, I think your right."

He looked at her, watching her calmly. "I've decided something," he tells her.

She nods for him to continue, placing all her attention on Scorpius.

"I'm not going to feel guilty about us."

"That's good to know…" she said slowly, watching him oddly.

"I tend to overthink everything – a terrible habit if I'm being honest – and I don't want to with this. I don't really want to think at all."

"What do you want then?"

"I don't know…" he murmurs more to himself than to her. "No one's ever asked me what I wanted. I haven't even asked myself that."

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I don't think you'd like me to."

He moves closer to her, touching her soft hand and looking at the broken skin of her palm in hate. "You have to be more careful. I don't like seeing you hurt."

"The teachers have it out for us." She sniffed, looking at the scrapes and bruises on her skin.

"You sound like my cousin. Calliope thinks a bad mark means the teacher hates her, and having to slay away over a cauldron in Potions is useless as it won't actually prepare us for the real world."

"She sounds intelligent."

"The women in my family tend to be," he acknowledges. "But I can't say I agree with her fully on the subject of education."

"Are you close with your cousins?" she asked.

"I am. We're all similar in age and since Cassiopeia didn't make her appearance until I was nine they were the closest I had to siblings."

Days prior, Scorpius would have felt uncomfortable revealing even that bit of himself to anyone, but with Lily it was easy to just open up.

"You have an older cousin as well, Damian?"

"Damen," he corrected. "I actually have two other cousins that are older than me. Bastian and Anton, they're my uncle's children. Bastian is the eldest by a year."

"I think I've seen one of them at the Ministry. Your mother is a Greengrass, correct?"

"Yes, she's my grandparent's youngest. You might have seen Bastian he works in the Department of Mysteries. He actually just returned from his honeymoon."

"My Cousin Victoire just got married too. My grandparents invited all of England and most of France to the Burrow, but it was still a beautiful wedding even with the chaos."

"What's the Burrow?"

"Oh, it's my where my grandparents live," she explained. "It's not a huge or anything, but it's warm. Maybe a little too loud and cluttered, but still it's a home."

"Malfoy Manor is the same, as unbelievable as that may seem. When my parents married my grandparents left to the South of France and my mother took it upon herself to lighten up the place. She hated all the gloom and doom she'd say."

"It must've been an extraordinary place to explore when you were a child. I remember reading somewhere about its history and how it's one of the oldest manors in England."

"It's been in my family for generations," he said. "When I was a boy I'd be too frightened to walk down the halls on my own. Every corridor appears to go on for miles, and as a child that was daunting. My favorite area of the manor are the gardens. It was the only place where my mother would kick off her shoes and let her hair down, and play all day with me until it was time for dinner."

"So your grandmother would take you to watch the stars and your mother didn't mind getting a little dirty," she recapitulated. "Sounds like you had a happy childhood."

"Surprised?" He looked at her mesmerized face as she tried imaging the picture he'd drawn up to her.

"Maybe just a little," Lily confessed. "You hear so many stories that you begin to wonder which are true."

"Well, the one about us sleeping in coffins is true if you're wondering."

Her head drops to her lap as her shoulders shake with laughter. "You're horrible."

"What about you? What was it like growing up with The Boy Who Lived?"

"Loud. The press would always be at our doorstep trying to get the latest news or photograph of us. James and Albus thought it was great, always making faces at the cameras and enjoying the attention."

"And you?"

"And I just wanted be normal. Walk through Diagon Alley without someone asking for either of my parent's autograph. To go one day without anyone telling me how proud I should be to be both parts Potter and Weasley."

"Normal sounds nice," he agrees. "I know how it feels to have your parents on the cover of the Daily Prophet wondering if they're planning the next up-rise of Death Eaters. We can't resent them though, can we? It's not their fault who they are just as it isn't our fault we were born to them."

"It wasn't always bad," she laid her head on his shoulder. "On rainy days we'd stay home and just play games, and my dad would make us hot cocoa with marshmallows on top. Mum would sit me on her lap and play with my hair while Albus and James tried telling spooky stories. It was just us. I was especially happy when my mum retired from playing Quidditch and dad chose to stay more at the office than chasing after dark wizards, because it meant we'd have more moments like those."

"Your mother was one of my favorite Quidditch players growing up. Never told my father that, but she was pretty amazing."

"That's nice of you," she comments, lifting her lips to his jaw.

"Mmm?"

"You called my mother amazing. It's nice of you. I wouldn't expect you to think anything good of them."

"I don't hate your family, Lily. As insufferable as they may be I don't actually hold any ill intentions towards them."

"They'd say differently in regards to you."

"Believe me, I'm aware," he says, kissing away the sad smile she had given him.

"It got better when I grew up. With so many cousins running around, I was able to fade in the background. I didn't have to be exceptional, but now everyone is wondering what's wrong with me. I'm starting to wonder that myself."

"How so?"

"Everyone seems to have their life figured out and I'm just trying to make it past fifth year," she tells him truthfully.

"That's not true," he counters.

She pulls away from him and gives an "oh really" stare.

"I don't think anyone is really ready to leave Hogwarts. They might think that they are, but I promise you half of them aren't going to do any of the things they had planned. Most of them chose a career just to choose and when they realize how rigorous some of the programs are they'll drop out."

"That's probably true," she sighs. "Still. They make you feel like you're inadequate with all the talk of jobs and life after school."

"There will always be people that will make you feel inadequate, but you learn to ignore them."

"Do you have it all planned out as well?"

He did. Or at least Scorpius thought he did before she waltz into his life. At the moment he couldn't even tell right from wrong.

"Will you marry Heloise Belizaire?"

He turns to her in surprise, not having expected for her to know something like that.

"I may be a half-blood but I do come from a pure-blood line. My grandfather told me a bit of old traditions that are still kept, especially in the older families. Is it an arranged marriage?"

Scorpius doesn't know what to say to her. His mouth is suddenly dry and the thought of marrying soon after graduating turned his stomach, even if he was to marry someone like Heloise.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she went on. "I know your world is different from mine in more ways than one, and I'm not childish enough to believe you'd be able to give me more. To be honest I'm surprised you're giving me this much, but I want you to know that I'm a good listener should you ever need to talk. I like having you as a friend…"

"I'm not your friend," he tells her a little too abrupt.

"Sorry."

"You and I both know friendship isn't what we want, Lily. If I wanted your friendship I wouldn't kiss you as I have, nor would you be the first person I'd care to befriend."

"I'm an excellent friend," she defends herself.

"As I'm aware. You're a much better friend than Longbottom is to you, but as I said I don't want your friendship."

"Alice is a good friend. She's just a bit over the top."

"She give the worst advice I've ever heard, and I was there when your brother tried giving you a talk on sex."

"Don't remind me," she shudders for effect.

"They're both equally idiotic, but I have to say I rather listen to your brother lecture someone that is more able than him over Longbottom living out her wet dreams through you."

"You're rude!" she cried in mortification.

"So I've been told."

"I can't believe you just said that last part to me," Lily flustered, her cheeks reddening attractively.

"The wet dream part?" he asked, enjoying the way she squirmed against the desk.

"Please stop!" she covered his mouth with a hand.

Deciding to tease her more, he nipped at her fingers and watched her eyes darkened slightly. His lips tracing her palm before bringing his teeth against her wrist, forcing a startled gasp from her. Her eyes followed his every move as she stayed silent and obedient under his skillful touch, all innocent and sweet.

His.

Scorpius traced a path up to her swanlike neck, suckling at the place just above her slender shoulder. One of her hands gripped the edge of the desk while the other shyly touched his arm, her soft pants more real than the overly sensual and rehearsed sounds of his past conquests. Her innocence made him want to keep her all to himself, to lock her away and protect her from everyone that could never understand her as he did.

Lily trembled under his lips, waiting for him to lead her somewhere no one had ever taken her. For him to show her everything she'd been hidden away from in her family's need to protect her and ignore the woman she wanted to be. He could easily take her there. Steal her away and take her innocence with him.

He couldn't.

Scorpius wouldn't allow something like lust to blind him. It'd be easy to take her, to lay her on this very table and spread her legs, taint her with his very being. She'd give it to him willingly and that was why he couldn't take it. Just as she wasn't expecting much from him, he wouldn't take more than he wanted to.

Lifting his lips to her ear, he bit at the tender skin. "I told you, you didn't want to be my friend," he purred.

Her eyes opened in an instant, looking at him with sweet passion. He watched as she swallowed heavily and tried getting ahold of her breathing, her hands coming to rest on her lap nervously.

"Come on," he holds out his hand to her. "I'll walk you halfway up to Gryffindor Tower. I need you to rest for tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" she asked.

"We're going to get you to pass Defense."