Chapter fourteen – News
"Lily please stop looking at that bloody door, you're driving me insane!" Emma cried throwing a scrunched up ball of parchment at me.
"I can't help it, I'm worried!" I grumbled letting my eyes wander once again toward the library door.
"Just relax."
"How can I relax, you saw Al's reaction." I whimpered in fear.
"Well yes but he calmed down after." I wasn't listening, I was back on the edge of my seat straining to see into the corridor in hopes of getting a glimpse of either of them.
"Come on what's the worst that could have happened, Al transformed Scor into a mouse in Transfiguration?" My alarmed eyes shot to hers and she laughed as another spasm of fear rocked my body.
"It's not funny Em!" I grumbled biting my lip anxiously.
"Come on this is Al we're talking about, he's not the irrational rule breaking brother." Every bit of colour drained from my face and I froze.
"Oh no…" I breathed feeling nauseous as I pondered James' reaction.
"What is it? What's wrong?" I rarely heard Emma panic she was always the calm one.
"James is going to kill him…" I grumbled, I knew he wouldn't literally kill him but it felt as bad to think about.
"You don't know that, he might be happy for you." I decided that I'd have to tell James myself, alone and separate from the family, he'd be less prone to losing his temper then.
"See what did I tell you? He's fine." I glanced up and saw Scorpius and Al stride into the library, my heart gave a little leap of joy and I sprang up out of my seat to rush across the room and throw myself into his arms.
"Hey, are you ok?" he asked bewildered and worried.
"I was worried you two might've gotten into another fight or something." I admitted burying my head against Scorpius' shoulder.
"Oh come on Lils, you don't really think I'd attack my best mate do you?" Al gave me a joking wink before going to sit with Emma.
"Idiot." I mumbled under my breath.
"I could get used to this." Scorpius interjected with a grin.
"Get used to what?" I asked curiously enjoying the feeling of being back in his arms.
"Being able to hug you in public." He looked as happy as I felt about finally being able to stop sneaking around, it'd been kind of fun but eventually I'd started to get sick of not being able to hold his hand or even look at him for too long in case people suspected.
"I missed you today." I told him quietly feeling myself blush.
"Not more than I missed you." He silenced any arguments I had with his lips and the library faded. It was our first real public kiss and it felt better than all the secret ones we'd shared even though it was chaste – we were in a public place after all. The kiss was short but sweet and when it ended I was light-headed from elation.
"We'd better not stand here kissing all day I think Mrs King would throw us out if we did." He was right; Mrs King the strict librarian had an aversion to displays of student affection in the library. I let him take my hand entwining his fingers with mine and lead me back to the table where Al and Emma sat.
"Looks like the gossip lines are about to be opened." Emma muttered.
"What?" I frowned and we all followed her gaze, behind us a table of sixth year girls were huddled together whispering and glancing in our direction no doubt having just witnessed Scorpius kissing me and most likely the incident at breakfast.
"Melinda Sawyer, blimey sis of all the people who could see you it ended up being her." Al couldn't keep the amused smile of his face but I didn't understand.
"What's so special about Melinda Sawyer?" all I knew about her was that she was a very beautiful sixth year who'd had over twenty invitations to the last Halloween ball.
"She's the biggest gossip in the year." Emma told me with a pitiful look.
"Oh well, I think most people heard it at breakfast anyway." I grumbled sliding lower down my chair and trying to ignore the feel of their stares burning into my back.
"Well if they want to talk let's give them something to talk about." Scorpius said with a grin, I was about to ask what he meant when he slid his hands into my hair and kissed me enthusiastically. His lips were rough on mine and I liked it, I clung to his robes and pulled him closer wanting more. I was disappointed when he pulled back but the intensity in his eyes knocked me breathless, it was silent apart from our rapid breathing and my heart pounding as my chest rose and fell. A disgusted noise that sounded remarkably like someone gagging came from the other side of the table and we glanced over to see Al looking as though he might vomit or bludgeon Scorpius with a library book.
"Stop looking at us like that!" I hissed angrily, he scowled and threw down the book he was holding causing it to land with a loud thud that echoed around the quiet room.
"You two need to warn people before you do that." He complained bitterly screwing up his face as he tried to banish the image from his mind.
"That's not very nice." I scolded.
"Well it's not very nice watching your little sister and your best mate make out." He retorted haughtily.
"I'm not little! And anyway you'll just have to get used to seeing it." I gave him a sweet smile and he shoved his chair back from the table standing furiously.
"I think I'll leave while I still have my appetite for supper." And with that he turned on his heel and stomped out the library leaving me feeling rather guilty.
The news that Lily Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were dating spread like no news ever had since I started at Hogwarts. When we left the library we already had five people rush up to us demanding to know if it was true, whispers stirred as we passed students in the corridors and as we took our seats at the Gryffindor table I could feel the eyes of almost every person in the room on me.
"Bloody hell, I don't think people gossiped this much when Voldemort returned." I muttered keeping my head down to avoid some of the stares.
"Well there's nothing like a controversial couple to get people's tongues wagging." Al replied with an overly cheerful smile, I think he was enjoying our public torment.
"It's not that big of a deal." I grumbled shying away from the attention. I had never been much of a spotlight lover.
"You must be kidding, of all the people you could pick you chose the one that would cause the most uproar." Hugo admitted, smiling apologetically after saying it.
"What do you mean?" Scor asked him, I was quite proud that he'd insisted on sitting with us rather than returning to the Slytherin table even though it meant a lot of stares from people.
"Well think about it, your dads were like Hogwarts' most famous student enemies and here's their son and daughter dating." I knew that was going to be the biggest thing going against us, the relationship – or rather lack of – that our parents had shared. Scorpius' father, Draco, had been particularly cruel to my mother as well as most of my Weasley family not to mention what his grandfather, Lucius, had done to my granddad Arthur over the years. We'd both known from the beginning that it wasn't going to be easy but love never was.
"When do you think they'll shut up?" I asked miserably.
"Probably not until after the holidays." I desperately wanted Emma to be wrong but she rarely was.
Normally I looked forward to the Easter holiday, I got to spend a week with my family and have a nice break from all the school work, and this year I should be thrilled to have the break from my preparation for my O.W.L.S but I wasn't. I sat on the train worried sick wishing we could go back because I knew the dreaded moment was drawing closer – the moment I had to tell my family about Scorpius.
"Stop fretting or you'll bite a hole in your lip." Scorpius said softly reaching up to slide his thumb across my bottom lip prying it away from my teeth.
"Sorry." I mumbled looking at him anxiously.
"It's going to be awful being away from you." A shriek followed by a fit of shrill laughter came from Emma, Al and Hugo who were playing exploding snap on the other side of the compartment.
"I know but I'm coming to stay in the week for your party, at least we'll get to see each other then." He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear and his fingers lingered on my neck.
"Are you sure I'm worth it, your family won't be happy…" he placed a finger on my lips silencing my onrush of fears.
"Lily I don't care if they yell at me or throw me out I'm not leaving you, you're worth everything. I love you." My heart skipped a beat to hear the words from his lips.
"I love you too." I said quietly unable to hide my wide smile. He took my face between his hands gently and kissed me tenderly, the train started to slow as we reached the platform and Scorpius sighed heavily.
"I'll occupy mum and dad for a bit but don't be long." I felt a rush of gratitude for my brother as he offered to help me and Scorpius say goodbye properly despite his own uneasiness about our relationship.
"Thank you Al." I said tearfully hugging him.
"Don't mention it – no seriously don't, and don't start crying because mum will notice." He advised me and then left with Emma and Hugo. As soon as they were gone Scorpius pulled me into his arms clutching me tight against his chest and stroking my hair softly.
"This is harder than I thought it would be." I whimpered as tears rolled silently down my cheeks. It seemed so silly, I'd get to see him again in a few days but it didn't stop me feeling like my heart was going with him.
"Don't cry sweetheart the time will fly by." I knew he didn't believe that, he bent and wiped away my tears with his lips and I kissed him desperately knowing it would be our last kiss for days.
"You'd better go before they come looking for you." He said sadly giving me a last soft kiss.
"Good luck with your parents." I said forcing a smile.
"Right back at you." With one last hug we set off to greet our parents and go home.
My mum, dad and James were busy talking to Al, Emma and her parents Neville and Hannah. I noticed Rose introducing Drew to my Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron and I envied how easy it was for her to announce her new boyfriend.
"There she is, Lily!" I didn't see James until he was hugging me and lifting me up off the ground spinning me round.
"Oh my gosh I've missed you." I told him giggling as he spun me again.
"Looking good sis, how's the exam prep going?" he set me back down on the ground gently.
"It's ok I suppose, I'm trying to keep on top of it so I'm not swamped." He draped his arm around my shoulders and we started towards our parents who were still deep in conversation.
"Just wait till it's time for your N.E.W.T.s, the work load is twice as big."
"Gee thanks James." I scowled at him playfully.
"Welcome home Lils." My dad greeted me with a hug.
"Hi dad." I greeted with a tinge of worry, he would be furious about Scorpius and suddenly I felt sick.
"Good to have you home dear." I felt reassured when my mum hugged me, she would talk to dad and calm him down if he got mad, if anyone could get dad to accept something it was definitely my mum.