Jumping up from the couch, Scorpius ran to the mirror to look at his mouth. There was a bite size mark on his lip that was still wet with fresh blood and he dabbed it gently. His head spun.
What he had just experienced felt so real, was it possible that he really was with Lily. The idea thrilled him and devastated him at the same time.
He replayed the dream over in his head. What were the words that she had said?
"Have you decided if you are you coming, mate?" Teddy asked walking into the room. He had a toothbrush in one hand and was fixing his tie with the other. His hair was dark black and his face looked solemn.
"Lily would want you to wear your hair pink, like that day at Shell Cottage," Scorpius said looking at him. Teddy raised an eyebrow.
"How would you know that? Did she tell you about that day?" Teddy turned pink with embarrassment. The reaction made Scorpius' head spin even more.
"No…" Scorpius trailed off. The realization hit him hard; it had to have been Lily he was with, not just a dream version of her.
Scorpius didn't even realize that Teddy tucked away down the hall to avoid any questions he would ask, but Scorpius' questions had nothing to do with hair color and embarrassing stories.
With conviction he hadn't possessed since before Lily's death, Scorpius grabbed the photo and the bracelet and apparated to his apartment. He wracked his brain trying to remember every word Lily had said in his dream: "Ours is the kind of love that saves." The words hit his brain hard, and he repeated them over and over again.
Scorpius hadn't brought all his books with him when he moved into his apartment on Diagon Alley, but he remembered bringing a dream dictionary that his mother used to use. He tore his apartment into two trying to find it, and once he did quickly began scanning through it.
"L" for love, "D" for death. All the initials and symbols he could think of that would help him bring meaning to the dream. It was the way in which she said it in the dream, simple as a fact, intriguing as a mystery that made him hopeful at the idea of maybe their love was strong enough for him to save her. At the very least if there was a chance, he had to try.
He looked at the clock and it was already 10:30, only thirty minutes till Lily's funeral began.
Throwing the dream dictionary aside – it was not very helpful – he washed up and dressed in black. Leaving his apartment in a hurry, he grabbed Lily's bracelet and rushed out the door. If there was one person who would have the answers, he knew who it would be.
Racing down the street to Knockturn Alley, Scorpius ran as fast as he could. Matil was the key to all of this, only she could help him with the answers he sought. On some level, Scorpius realized it was foolish to think that his love could save Lily, but he had to try, anything was better than saying goodbye.
"Matil" he yelled out of breath. He slammed the heel of his hand on her door. "Open up!" he slammed on it again with no response. He brought his hand to the door handle to test if it was open, and when it wouldn't budge he brought out his wand.
Stepping across the threshold, the house was dark and lifeless. He meandered through the rooms, looking for a sign of anyone or anything, but the house had been empty for days. Returning to the room he had originally entered he fell to the floor in desperation.
This was it, this was the end. Soon Lily would be buried, and any hope he had at saving her vanished. He cried on the floor of the dark room, entirely alone.
It was sunny in Godric's Hollow the day of Lily's funeral, and people found that ironic and heartwarming. On the saddest day any of them had known, the sun shone brightest, but it shone for the brightest witch they ever knew.
The Potter family stood next to Lily's body, receiving the throngs of people coming to pay their respects. Mechanically they shook hands, and thanked people for their condolences, but their grief and anger had them on another planet.
Ginny kept glancing over at her daughter's body. They had dressed her in a white robe, and laid her down so that her hair folded out neatly beneath her. It wasn't right that it was Lily laying on the stone slab, Ginny would have given anything to trade places with her daughter. She started crying as she fixed her daughter's robe, this wasn't how it was supposed to be.
"Come on, dear," Molly whimpered at her daughter, taking her by the arms and guiding her to a seat.
"Oh mum," Ginny whispered to her mother resting her head against her shoulder. "How do I go on?" Losing Fred had been hard for the whole family, but Ginny had never understood how hard it was for her mother until right now.
"You go on for Harry and the boys," Molly said giving her a squeeze. Ginny hated herself for it, but she partially blamed her husband and sons for her daughter's death. Not completely, but enough that it made her sick. Even if they hadn't contributed to what killed her directly, they hadn't helped driving Lily away because of her relationship with Scorpius.
Ginny had found out that they convinced Hermione to send a note to Scorpius not to come, but she had been too upset to fight back. Scorpius had as much right to be there as any of them, it's what Lily would want, but she hoped that he knew that she didn't blame him.
As the line dwindled down, the Minister of Magic took to the podium to deliver the address. Those closest to Lily were too devastated by her loss to be able to deliver any kind of speech or eulogy, and Minister Whitehorn had offered to kindly read notes on the loved ones behalf's.
James had been cool to Teddy when he arrived, but Albus and Harry had welcomed him with more open arms than he had been expecting. He hadn't realized how nervous he had been that he wouldn't be accepted by the Potter's for taking in Scorpius, and was relived that he was still counted as family.
Before the funeral started, Teddy had stood off to the side, taking in the scene when Rose had approached him. Her eyes were almost as red as her hair, and she looked like she had been crying all week.
"Teddy," Rose said, sniffling.
"Hey Rosie," Teddy responded solemnly. He opened his arms to hug her, and she crashed into him.
"I feel like I can't breathe," she said sobbing into him, he stroked her hair gently.
"I know, I know," he comforted her. She continued to cry.
"The last time we talked we argued, I called her a fool. She died thinking I was mad at her."
"Lily knew that being with Scorpius would make people mad," he said not letting go of Rose. "But she knew people would be mad because they loved her. Don't think that Lily didn't know you loved her, Rose. She did."
Teddy felt Rose relax in his arms, and he could tell this was the first time she had probably relaxed in days.
"Do you really not blame Scorpius, Teddy?" Rose asked looking up at him so they met each other's gaze.
"I don't," he whispered as he watched her lip trembling. "And one day, James won't either."
"Rose, dad wants you," Hugo said walking over to them. Rose nodded at Teddy and walked in the direction Hugo had come from. Hugo stood there awkwardly for a moment before speaking.
"Is he coming?" Hugo asked, not making eye contact with Teddy.
"I don't know," Teddy said sticking his hands in his pocket. He had expected to Hugo to turn away but he didn't.
"I didn't ask my mum to send that letter," Hugo confessed, and Teddy was surprised.
"James, then?" Hugo nodded.
"I mean… Albus and I were standing there when he asked her to, but I didn't ask her too." Hugo brought his gaze up to Teddy. "I heard Uncle Harry tell my dad what happened with that old witch."
"Do you still blame Scorpius then?" Teddy asked.
"A bit," he replied honestly. "But I know it wasn't his fault, and I know it wasn't hers. I just wish I could tell her that."
"I'm sure she knows," Teddy said comfortingly. The two men nodded at each other before they both walked back to the seat of chairs. Hugo sat next to his sister and Teddy next to his grandmother.
After a few moments, the Minister began talking.
"We are all gathered here today under the worst circumstances imaginable, the tragic ending of a young life," The Minster said, and people could hear sniffles throughout the crowd.
"Where is Scorpius?" Andromeda whispered to her grandson Ted. When Teddy had arrived, Andromeda had had chastised him for having bright bubble gum pink hair, saying it wasn't appropriate to wear to a funeral. But before Teddy could respond that it's what Lily would want – however Scorpius knew that – his grandmother was on him for not knowing where his cousin was.
"I thought he was coming," he said, casually craning his neck to see if Scorpius was anywhere in the massive crowd that had gathered, but he didn't see him. He lowered his head, sad and angry for his cousin. He was glad to know that some of the family was coming around, but he wished they never sent the letter in the first place.
Scorpius had apparated to Godric's Hollow and realizing that he was already late, slowly walked down the country lane. As many times as he had visited her at her house, they had never taken to walking about. Wishing she was there with him now, he pictured all of the story's Lily told him about growing up in Godric's Hollow; climbing in the apple trees, playing quidditch in the orchards with her brothers. It wasn't right that she was gone.
Andromeda's words from the night before rung in his ears, that saying goodbye to Lily would set him free and he shook his head. He didn't want to be free of Lily Potter. The moments he realized that she was dead, that she was gone, and that she was never coming back were the moments where his own death seemed the only alternative. Scorpius knew that if he said goodbye to Lily that day, he would have to accept that she was truly gone, and he couldn't do that.
Scorpius' feet brought him to the entrance of the cemetery much quicker than he realized or wanted, and he stood there steeling himself. Looking at the crowds of people who had gathered to pay their respects, the sheer size of the audience overwhelmed him. His mother's funeral had been small, ten people including him. It had been on a dreary day, and only few words were proffered on her passing. Scorpius had been embarrassed to show his grief then, today though he didn't care who saw.
"So he appears," a voice stated from his right. He turned quickly to find Matil standing underneath the shade of a maple tree. She looked even smaller standing next to such a large tree, and despite the warmth of the day she had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"Matil" he said stepping closer to her, his heart soared with hope. "I was looking for you."
"I know, and I don't have the answers you are looking for." She let the words hang in the air.
"But you don't even know what I'm going to ask," but Scorpius knew that wasn't true, Matil knew all.
"Love is the most powerful magic there is Mr. Malfoy," she said clutching onto her cane. "But it always comes with a cost. In dying to protect her son, Lily's grandmother saved Harry. In dying to break the curse, Lily saved you," Matil said referencing the power needed to enact love-produced magic. "Sacrifice is the ultimate act of love."
"She came to me last night," he said kicking a pebble with his shoe. "She was so real."
"You're tethering her here. You need to let her go, you need to say goodbye."
"I'm not ready to say goodbye," he looked up at the witch, tears in his eyes.
"We rarely are ever ready to say goodbye to the ones we love." She let the words hang in the air and Scorpius took a deep breath. "Your mother chose a fate worse for you than your father, and for that I am sorry. But be grateful for the time you had with Lily, be grateful that she set you free. And in return, find the strength to say goodbye and you'll release her."
Scorpius' lip quivered and he turned to face the funeral. Without another word, he began his march down the long pathway, and stood in the back listening to the Minister of Magic speak about Lily Potter, his one true love.
He listened to the Minister's words, the stories that the family had asked him to share before concluding with his own.
"I only had the pleasure of meeting Lily a handful of times, and never was there such an intelligent, vivacious young girl with such potential. It saddens me deeply that I find myself standing here today, remarking on her too short life. From hearing so many of the stories that Lily's friends and family had to share, it is clear to me that Lily Potter made this world better for having lived in it, and I hope I speak for her when I ask that we strive to live each day like Lily would, happy, kind and free."
Scorpius quietly sobbed.
"I now invite everyone to pay their final respects and say good bye to the girl, gone too young and before her time, Lily Potter."
Soft, sad music began to play, and the crowd sat in silence as Lily's immediate family rose from their seats and each grabbed a white lily flower. Scorpius watched as Albus approached his sister's body and placed the flower down. Leaning over her, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead, and Scorpius watched him flick away a tear. James followed Albus, and while he was much more stony face, Scorpius could see how deeply saddened he was. Harry, with his hand on the small of Ginny's back followed their sons. Scorpius watched as Harry removed his glasses to wipe away tears, and the crowd sobbed along with Ginny who could barely keep her composure. Ginny took extra time in saying goodbye to her daughter, fixing her hair and kissing her forehead before she found the courage to step away.
Scorpius watched as row after row rose to pay their final respects. In a matter of minutes the lilies that were being placed around her began cascading to the ground with the sheer quantity that were being bestowed.
Scorpius wanted to leave. Realizing that his time to say goodbye was coming, he felt as though he'd rather run to the other side of the country.
Before he could run the other way though, Scorpius' feet were moving in the direction of Lily. Everything inside him slowed down, but the world around him sped up. Tears fell from his eyes as his heart clenched in a pain he had never experienced before.
His stomach dropped as he realized this was the last time he was ever going to see Lily, and he thought he would heave on the ground where he stood.
"Scorpius," Ginny whimpered when she saw that he was the last person in line. The crowd who had come to say goodbye to Lily began to dissipate throughout the cemetery, leaving only family members standing on either side of Lily's body.
Scorpius stopped several feet short of Lily, and a guttural yell escaped him. He couldn't see anything but Lily, but that cry of pain had most of Lily's family crying harder, as it spoke the pain they were all experiencing.
Scorpius feet remained planted on the ground as he sobbed in agony, his hand pulling at his hair. He was caught between knowing he needed to take another step forward and being completely unable to move. He hadn't expected to be in more pain now than he had been, but it felt like there were daggers being stabbed in every part of his body.
"It's okay, mate," Hugo said gulping away his tears. He took a hesitant step forward to approach Scorpius, and wrapped an arm around him in a side embrace so that they were both facing Lily.
The sobs from the family grew louder, and even James had to choke back tears.
Seeing that Scorpius still couldn't bring his foot forward, Albus stepped out to, and stood on Scorpius' other side.
"I'm-I'm sorry," Albus choked out and hugged Scorpius. Scorpius didn't return the hug, not that he didn't want to, but because he physically couldn't. "I'm so sorry," Albus repeated.
The words seemed distant to Scorpius, but they somehow had connected with him causing him to take a step forward, leaving Hugo and Albus behind him.
Reaching Lily's body he crumped against the marble slab she laid upon.
"Lily," he whispered through tears. They splashed against her robe, and the flowers. He shakily reached into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet, the diamonds dancing in the sunlight.
Lily looked beautiful and radiant. Her face was fuller than it had been in recent months, and her hair brighter than Scorpius had ever seen it. Her beauty was truly breathtaking.
Scorpius' hand reached out for hers, and the coldness of her body shocked him, sending him another reminder that she was gone. Shaking with grief, Scorpius gently clasped the bracelet around her wrist and kissed her hand before placing it back with the other.
He sobbed as his gaze turned to her face.
"I didn't deserve you, your kindness, or your love," his voice quivered as he spoke. He brushed some hair out of her face as he always had, and let his hand caress her cheek. "I'm so sorry that my love couldn't save you."
Scorpius bent down so that his face was inches above hers.
"But I hope it can free you. Goodbye, Lily," he whispered so that only she could hear. He placed one last gentle kiss on her lips, lingering to remember this moment almost as much as he wished he could forget it.
Scorpius kneeled so that his head rested on the cool marble, looking at her. He closed his eyes and pictured her laughing, pictured them hugging, pictured her happy. His heart ached for her, but his tears were happy remembering her.
Scorpius felt a hand on his back, and it was Ginny. She squeezed his shoulder and knelt next to him as the family looked on, sharing in the collective grief.
Scorpius felt a gentle, warm breeze blow over them. It caused Lily's hair to stir, rising and then falling around her.
He raised his head only slightly and blinked at what he thought he saw. Color began to creep into Lily's cheeks, turning them rosy, as they always had been. He stood up, no one else seemed to be seeing what he was, and he thought his grief had driven him over the edge.
"Lily?" he whispered, unsure of what was happening.
"Lily!" Scorpius heard Teddy shout, and he felt him take a step closer. Scorpius watched as Lily chest rose with breath, and her eyes fluttered open, finding Scorpius'.
"I told you we'd be together again," she smiled at him. Scorpius heard people gasp with shock, and Ginny began sobbing, unable to pull herself up.
"Lily?" Scorpius asked, unsure if he was dreaming again, he couldn't bare the thought that this wasn't real almost as much as he couldn't believe that it was happening. "Are you?" he asked as he had in his dream the night before.
But instead of sad eyes, Lily's shone brightly and nodded.
"I'm alive," she breathed out gently. Scorpius put his arms underneath her and picked her up, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she brought her lips to his.
"I love you," she said, and her eyes glowed green with joy and happiness. Both Scorpius and Lily were free.
