Dinner was over much too soon
Dinner was over much too soon. Scorpius and Lily spent the entire meal laughing and catching up. At one point she looked at him and quietly said, "I'm sorry. I know I was cruel not letting you explain. I just needed to be mad for a little bit, but I am sorry all the same."
Scorpius leaned his forehead onto hers. "I'll accept your apology if you accept mine. I was an idiot and I can only hope that I will not continue to be an idiot in the future. But no promises."
Lily laughed at that. "Deal." Everything was getting back to normal. The two parted after dinner, and he was feeling on top of the world. That was, until he started his climb down the stairs to his dorm. Oh this was going to be a nightmare. He slowed his pace, hoping to delay the inevitable.
All too soon, he arrived at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. When he opened the door, he thought he was in luck. No one was there right now. Most had gone to bed after a long week. He scanned the room, waiting for Oz to jump out at him. No one did. He walked slowly up to his room. As he opened the door, he knew his luck had run out.
There were his four friends, all sitting on his bed waiting for him. Grayson sat looking bored, while the girls still looked in shock. Oz was glaring at him, his arms crossed. Before he could explain, Oz started in on him.
"Merlin Scor, I thought you had gotten over this little phase."
Scorpius was taken aback. This was not how he pictured this little chat. "What phase?"
"Don't play dumb with me. I knew you had been seeing Little Potter last year, but it was a phase. I thought you had come to your senses and realized that we are your friends, not that Brat!"
"Wait, you knew I was friends with Lily?"
Oz rolled his eyes. "I saw you spending a lot of time with her end of last year in the library. But that was right after you started to hang out with Blain again, so I just figured it was a little phase. But you blew us off for that..that…GRYFINDOR! And a Potter no less! Don't you have any sense left? Or have they twisted your thinking?"
Scorpius held up his hands, "Whoo whoo whoo. Pause. Look, I started making friends with Lily Potter last year, but I haven't traded you in for her. I have made sure of that. You are my friends and I don't want that to change. But Lily is also my friend, even if she is a Gryfindor. I'm sorry you had to find out like that, I imagine it came as a shock."
Persephone looked up, she was angry. "You think? We expect you to come spend time with us, and all you can think about is your little friend sitting across the room. You don't tell us anything Scor, and yet you expect us to just forgive and forget. It was one thing to date a Ravenclaw, I mean we figured you would eventually come around, but a Potter? You despise the Potters. You can't honestly expect us to just miraculously be ok with that. I mean, is this where you disappear to in the mornings? To see your little friend?"
Persephone looked hurt. Scorpius didn't know what to say. He had known that it would be hard to get them to understand, but he didn't expect it to be this hard. It was then that he realized that they felt betrayed. He was their friend, and yet he had never given the slightest hint that he was out with another.
"Look, I'm sorry. But this would hardly be a first. I mean Blain is in Gryfindor too, and you don't have a problem with him."
Grayson stepped forward, "Blain was already one of us. We grew up with him. It was…unfortunate…when he was placed with the Dorks, but this is little perfect Potter. The one with all the fame and glory. The one you always complain about, and you just expect us to accept it. We don't, plain and simple."
"Look, if you just give her a chance. She isn't what I thought she would be. She's different. And she is really talented." Merlin, listen to him, he was starting to whine. This was not going well.
"Guys I'm sorry, but I can't just give up a friendship like that."
Persephone spoke, "Well, it's her or us. You need to make that choice Scor."
He looked at them with sad eyes, "Guys, don't make me choose."
Persephone looked hurt. "It appears you already have. Have fun with you little Potter friend. Come on Bernadette. If you come to your senses, you know where to find us." With a final look, the girls were out the door.
Scorpius looked to the guys. Grayson just gave him a disgusted look and turned away. He looked at Oswald. "Oz, don't do this. Please, my friend." Oz gave him a sad look, and he too turned away. Scorpius was left, feeling very alone.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next few weeks were fire and ice. He was so happy to have Lily back, and as an added bonus, he didn't feel the need to hide in the library with her. He could proudly with her by his side. That time with her, he felt so warm, and so alive. He felt he could laugh more in public.
On the other hand, he felt cold whenever he was in his own common room. No one would talk to him. They gave him a cold shoulder. He was left a lone, but ignored. Eating at his own table became a nightmare. Often times, he would join Lily just so he could feel that happiness again.
Then one day, an owl came to make his day even worse. It was his grandfather's owl, and it was carrying a howler. Shit!
His grandfather's voice filled the Great Hall. His grandfather did not yell, no his voice was hard and cold. It gave Scorpius shivers to think about what his grandfather might do when he went home for the holidays.
Disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful. To think that a great pureblood has stooped so low. I have never in all my life been so embarrassed to carry the name of Malfoy. My only grandson, fraternizing with a Potter. You should be ashamed of yourself. You have brought disgrace to your name and you should hang your head in shame. You no longer are my grandson. This goes beyond anything I could have imagined. Think long and hard about what you have done, for it will not be easily forgiven.
Lily had skipped out of her class just to spend some extra time with him. He had needed it. That letter had shaken him up. His friends in Slytherin had merely looked up at the letter, but they soon turned away. Only Oz had looked at him with worried eyes. Oz knew what his grandfather was capable of. But that still didn't seem to be enough for forgiveness. Lily took his hand and led him out of the Great Hall.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He smiled at her. She looked at him, with a slight frown.
"If only we could have you over to our common room, I think you would really love it. I think you could use a little extra support."
"Yes, well we agreed that the house common rooms need to stay house only. You know you can't go giving out the password to other houses, and me being there, well, it doesn't help house unity."
"How are things in your House? Any better?"
"They are...bearable." He looked at her frown, and he reached a finger out to smooth away the worry line creasing her forehead. "Don't worry about me. I would prefer this to you not talking to me."
"I'm sorry Scor. I didn't think it would get this bad. I am so sorry."
He smiled as she leaned in to hug him. She was great at making him feel better. "Lily, you were right, they needed to know. I would have grown sick of hiding the friendship. I am not ashamed to be your friend and they will either come around or they won't. Now come on, your uncle sent some new things to try out on Filtch!"
He grabbed her had and ran off, never noticing Melinda's eyes following them.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Winter came and went, and it was still no better with his housemates. He spent most of his time with Lily now, and when he couldn't be with her, they were talking using the mirrors and the parchment. It was the only way to keep sane.
At least Lily was no longer giving him worried looks. In fact, she seemed to be up to something. It seemed Bludger was always bringing her letters. And she wasn't letting him look at her sketches. She was claiming they weren't ready, but he knew something was up. She had that twinkle. Damn he hated that twinkle.
He sighed. Well his House may hate him, but at least he had Lily. One thing they couldn't fault him on was his skill on the quidditch pitch. He had helped lead his team to victory every game. He had even beaten Lily to the snitch this year. At least they couldn't say that he let her win because she was his friend, and considering how he had been playing lately, they couldn't claim she let him win.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As spring started up, he was feeling pretty good. Harry Potter was at Hogwarts for a week giving lectures. He had even found time to sit and talk with Scorpius about everything going on. He felt he could confide in the wizard. He was always very attentive and quietly contemplated what was said.
It was a relief to talk to someone other than Lily. Some things you needed fatherly advise on, and he didn't think his father would give him the greatest considering the circumstances. Knowing Draco, he would tell Scorpius he had dug this hole and he needed to use his Slytherin wiles to get out of it.
Harry had invited Scorpius to join him for lunch. He had heard about his difficult time with other Slytherins and they started to talk about everything. Harry had sat quietly through the tale. He raised an eyebrow when Scor mentioned sitting with Lily. When everything was finished, Harry smiled.
"I knew my trust in you was well deserved."
"Yeah, but it has made life miserable in my rooms. They all hate me."
Harry sat quietly. He seemed to think about things before he spoke, and that showed Scorpius that he was serious. "You know someone very wise once told me that it takes great courage to stand up to your enemies. It takes more courage to stand up to your friends. You did what you thought was right. It may not be easy right now, but it will all work out in the end. You'll see."
"Yeah, but they haven't talked to me for months. They aren't trying to hex me, but they just act as if I don't exist."
"You know, I am going to tell you a little something. You see me now. Do you imagine I had similar problems?"
Scorpius looked up at the boy who lived. "Well, I imagine not like this. I mean you are famous, so I imagine everyone wanted to know you and be beside you. I doubt they would ignore you."
Harry chuckled. "Ah, but you see, that was a problem. What most people do not understand is that I never wanted to be famous. No one believes that. I am a quiet person, and I like my privacy. I can't go anywhere without someone gawking at me, or asking me questions. My best friend, Ron, was ok with that most of the time. He knew it wasn't something I wanted."
"But Ron comes from a big family where you do not get a ton of attention. You have to share it with six or more other people. There was a time that he did not talk to me for months. It was awful. He thought I doing something to get more attention, and it hurt our friendship. He didn't talk to me for a very long time."
"You see, Scor, people were always talking about me, and that bothered me. But as long as I had Ron and Hermione, I was ok. When Ron stopped talking to me, it made life a living hell. But in the end, he came around. And to this day, we are inseparable. Now do you understand why I am telling you this?"
Scorpius looked at Harry. This was someone who did not talk about his past. He was notorious for wanting privacy, and here he was talking to Scorpius about events from his past. It made Scorpius feel very grown up and important. "So, what you are saying is, you had a friend who ignored you and it worked out in the end."
"Exactly. If they are really your friends, they will come around in time. It all works out in the end. In the meantime, all you can do is remain approachable. Make sure to keep trying with them, because sometimes when they realize they have made a mistake, pride gets in the way of fixing the mistake."
Scorpius sat back "Thank you sir."
With a pat on his back, Harry simple said, "Your welcome." The two finished their meal in silence.
XXXXXXXXX
It was almost perfect, until Lily landed in the hospital wing again. This time, Scorpius had not been with her. It was one of the few times he was not by her side. She had been walking back to Gryfindor Tower when she had been hit with a very nasty hex with caused very painful burns all over her body.
Luckily, the twins, Lor and Ly, had been with her. They couldn't see who had thrown the curse, and they didn't stop to look. Lily needed medical help. They rushed their friend to the hospital wing.
Blain had come rushing down to the dungeons and started banging on the portrait and causing a stir. Finally, someone had peeked their head out and he had yelled for Scorpius. One look, and he had known it was Lily.
"Damn! What is it this time?"
Scorpius yelled at Blain as the two began to run to the hospital wing. This was becoming an all too familiar pattern. It seemed Lily ended up in the hospital wing on a regular basis. She had just been hit recently in the chest with a bludger during practice, though no one could remember hitting it. It had almost knocked her off her broom, but it had cracked a few ribs.
Before that, she had been standing by a suit of armor that had fallen over. She had almost been sliced by the sword in the suit's hands. That one thank goodness had not required a hospital stay.
Scorpius burst through the doors right into Madam Pomfrey. She was used to this routine by now. "She is over there Mr. Malfoy. She is fine. I think a little stay and she will be right as rain. Don't stay too long, she needs rest."
Malfoy thanked her and ran to Lily. "Lord, Lils, you really need to stay outta this place. Or do you think its fun to give me heart attacks."
He had long ago learned that Lily appreciated the humor rather than the concern. She always felt bad when people worried. She laughed, "Sorry Scor, but its just a few burns. Nothing Poppy can't handle. Personally I think I can go now, but I mentioned it to her and got nothing but a glare."
He looked at the red scorch marks that still covered her skin. They were on her face, her arms, and he was guessing her legs.
"Who did you piss off in the halls?"
"Haha, very funny." She looked a little worried. "You know, I had the feeling I was being watched, and then this happened. Thank goodness Lor and Ly were with me."
Lily looked up at Scor. She was very still, "Scor, I think someone is after me."
He laughed, "Lily, don't be silly. Who would be after you?"
She still looked serious, "I don't know. But I swear I was being followed. Think about all the accidents I have had this year."
She reached out and took his hand. She was serious. He stopped laughing. "Lily, you know I will do everything to make sure you are alright."
"I know Scor." She shook her head, "I think the potions are getting to me. Forget what I said, I'm being delusional. You're right, who would be after me?" She laughed and changed the subject.
Scorpius stayed until he was shooed out. He smiled and kissed Lily on the cheek before heading back to his room. As soon as he left, he lost his smile. He started to replay all the accidents in his head. Don't be silly Scor. No one is after Lily.
But somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.