Lily POV

I was sick the first month of break. I lounged around Potter Manor and spent most of my time outside on the deck. Scorpius visited every day and eventually, about a week in, my parents set up the guest room for him. For the moment I was alone and enjoying the warmth reflecting off the floor and into my face. Scorpius and Albus had run to the store for treats, ribbon, and highly caffeinated beverages. They planned on pulling an all-nighter and had some how dragged me into it as well. My agreement was quick and they both smiled, knowing I would be out cold before two o'clock. They were right about that fact. The warm sun coming off the wood floor seemed to pull me down to it and my body, on it's own free will, flopped off the couch and on to the floor.

The oils on the floor reflected the light in little shimmering colors and seemed to beg for my fingerprint to enlighten. I obliged and watched as the light changed in and out and over my fresh print. Dust floated down in shafts of light and settled on the floor, only to vanish with the charm my mother ran over the floors every morning. As I watched the dust float down the realization of Hogwarts alone hit me. In two months Scorpius and my family would escort me to the train station and I would get on alone. Who would I sit with on the train? I had my friends but they had faded a way a bit in the past year. Everyone who had been in a serious relationship would understand this. It is hard to have a social life and be completely enamored with someone. This next coming year would be hard; my hardest yet. Maybe. The year I had spent without Scorpius might have been harder. (I wouldn't know until later but it was indeed harder without his support.) A Scorpius' sized shadow cast itself in my gaze.

"Did you fall off the couch, love, or did you place yourself for a careful examination of the wood floors? You must be quite ill. I've never seen you act this way before."

"Funny, Malfoy."

"Lily, seriously, are you alright? I don't like how pale you've grown and how sick you feel all the time. How can I help you feel better. pretty lady?"

He helped me back on to the couch and stroked my back as I fell asleep. We spent the next week in that manner and one day I woke up feeling better than before and the next I was all but normal again. Thankfully. I didn't want to spend my summer with Scorpius sick and moping around the house.

We spent countless hours talking and laughing and sitting in silence with each other. I lost track of how many Quidditch matches we tore through. Once we went to his house for the last few weeks of break we spent most of our days at the lake near his house and rode our horses everywhere we went. For the first time in my life I began to look a bit tan! I had never been outside so much in my life and I had fallen in love with the warmth of the sun and the breeze frolicking around me. It seemed nothing could dampen my spirits. I felt invincible until one warm evening during family dinner on the porch. Empty bowls of strawberry shortcake mess sat on the table as Scorpius leaned back and stretched as if trying to make more room in his belly for dessert. Astoria looked over cautiously and spoke.

"Lily, your family will be at King's Cross waiting for you at ten tomorrow. I've had all of your things packed and added a few dresses I thought you'd like. I feel like I'm loosing you back to Hogwarts. I'm really going to miss you this next year, both of you. Malfoy Manor will be especially quiet this next year."

How had time slipped away? In my mind I had weeks left here when now I clung to a few brief hours. After a few silent minutes Draco excused himself to get some work done and Astoria began cleaning.

Scorpius pulled me to my feet and guided me to the stable. We saddled up and walked to the pond in the moonlight. We had never been here after dark before and I fell even more in love with the place as we gazed upon it. Azure light seemed to radiate from it's waters and the grass stood at attention as if waiting to prick at our skin. Above the moon was silver and the trees webbed over us like a canopy.

"I would do anything not to leave tomorrow."

"I know how you feel. I have to leave tomorrow as well. I have no clue what this job entails, where I'm going to sleep, what my days will be like, how I'm going to do outside of Hogwarts. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow. I'm afraid to leave you, to loose you, to miss you."

Above the stars burned and shifted and when the morning sun woke us we rose from the grass and laughed at the lines left printed on our skin as we rode back to the house. Scorpius had more marks than I had as I wore a full dress and he was in thin riding pants. Ever since we began dating my fashion had greatly improved. Most probably thought it was something to do with dating a Malfoy but I knew the real reason: Astoria. She spoiled me to no end. I got a new dress or accessory every week and I loved them all. My tastes were known and precisely purchased. New luggage in my favorite shade of purple had been set on the porch while we were gone and my time at Malfoy Manor drew to a close. Two blondes swayed with the porch swing and turned to greet us once we were close enough to touch them.

Astoria could only hug me and choke back tears before letting me go and hugging Scorpius tightly. Draco pulled me in close and told me to have a good year. I knew I would see them in three months for the Holiday Break. Scorpius picked up my luggage and grabbed my hand, turning us into an alley a block away from King's Cross Station. We ate at a little diner and an hour later we hesitantly walked into the train station, dreading the goodbyes that were soon to come. My father greeted us with a smile and a handshake for Scorpius. Hugs were exchanged and pointless conversation ensued as the clock ticked closer to eleven. I prayed it tick the other direction but the more I focused on it the faster time seemed to go. Five till I hugged my parents goodbye and nearly had my lungs squeezed out of me by Albus, who started a job at Gringotts tomorrow, before Scorpius got on one knee and kissed my right hand as he spoke.

"Lily, will you do your best to focus on school this year? Will you promise to write me whenever you are having issues or feeling lonely? Will you promise to think of me often? Remember, I am just down the road if you need something."

"I promise and I won't forget. I can't."

"Then I promise to never leave you, to be forever faithful, and to come at your beck and call. When you graduate we will be together at last. All these promises I seal with a ring.

He kissed my hand one last time and slipped a band of platinum with amethyst inlay on to my ring finger. A promise ring. My mother glanced at my father who was trying his hardest not to say something. I'm sure he would speak with Scorpius after the Hogwarts Express pulled out of station. Scorpius lifted me off the ground and spun in a circle before giving me a modest, tender kiss and setting me inside the door of the scarlet steam engine. He handed me a carry on bag, kissed my cheek one last time, and shut the door as the train lurched and began carrying me away for another year of Hogwarts.

Scorpius POV

I waved to the stunning red head leaning out the window until the train rounded the corner. Slowly my heart and my hand dropped as I turned to face the Potter's. Ginny looked so happy and began to chat amiably with Albus. Harry had a laugh in his eyes as he spoke to me.

"Well, Malfoy, those were the cheesiest lines I heard escape your mouth."

"Those were the cheesiest lines any Malfoy has ever uttered. Luckily, I meant everything I said. I miss that woman already. Its going to be a rough year for both of us."

He invited me out for lunch and I had no plans until later tonight, when I would go back and say goodbye to my parents and send my things to the new room above the shop. We dined on Balsamic and Olive Oil with bread, Oysters, soup, and pasta at a small Italian shop just outside Diagon Alley before going our separate ways. Albus started work in a week and went home with his parents.

For the last time I returned to Malfoy Manor thinking of it was my house. I had my own little house now. My mother had packed sweets and a ton of food to get me started. She had also apparently raided the West Wing for any useful items and decorations for my new place and shrunk them into a bag labeled accordingly. I rode my horse to the lake and ended up stripping out of my clothes to swim freely for a few hours before showering and eating dinner on the porch with my parents. It grew dark and after a solid ten minutes of relaxed quietness my mother began to send things back to the kitchen. It was my father who grabbed my shoulder and pulled me in for a long hug.

"Well, Scorpius, you're on your own now. I've both worried and hoped you would get here one day. It's bittersweet to see it finally come."

He released me to my mother's arms.

"You will call if you need anything, right?"

I promised and hugged them both once again before grabbing my luggage and exhaling deeply as I turned.

Light's shone around me and illuminated the empty path. I had Apparated into an alley and as I peered out and looked at the scarlet engine down at the Hogsmead train station I saw a tall and slender girl detach herself from the talking students. she looked down the empty streets and, I almost thought she saw me, bless a kiss towards the popular pub before rejoining the stream of students. I watched until she got in a carriage with some friends and took off towards the luminescent castle glowing softly in the backdrop of the night. From the tips of my own fingers a kiss flew towards the carriage bumping off into the night. Goodnight, my flower.

Orange light spilled from the doorway of the Three Broomsticks pub as a lean but beautiful witch came out and began to user me inside.

"Scorpius, it is so great to finally have you here. I do hope you like it. There will be plenty of space to work and practice and room to grow. Let me show you to your room so you can get situated. Your room will be the first on the left. Our other bar aid lives across the hall and a little further to the right. Her name is Madeline. I figured you would want to put and enlarging spell on the room. I wasn't sure how much room you would be needing so I left it up to you. Go ahead and get your things situated here and I'll bring up some warm butterbeer and cookies."

I examined the closet of a room and quickly wrote my mother to ask her to first shrink my bed and send it, then to send my curtains as well. I wanted some form of comfort and home-likeness while here. Quickly I worked to make the perfect room. I expanded the room to a size close to my main room at home, created French style windows, altered the wood to be a deep hazelnut shade, set a crackling fire in motion with bookshelves on either side and hade the carpet a perfect grey hue before an owl knocked and dropped a parcel; my requested bed and curtains. Everything had been levitated into place and I sat reading in a fluffy chair when my employer returned with butterbeer and cookies, as promised. She took a look around and praised my skills, saying the downstairs could use some remodeling for some extra galleons before setting the tray on a side table and heading to bed for the night. This independence thing would take some adjusting. After an hour or two of reading I crawled in to bed, noticing how comforting it felt, even if I was in a different place. Concealed by darkness this room could almost pass for mine at Malfoy Manor.

I woke abruptly to the curtains opening and the candles light slowly fading on. It was four in the morning and my work day would begin. On slow days everyone woke at four and deep cleaned until ten when Madame Lolita brought breakfast, special ordered and specific to each person. (It was a small thanks for waking early.) Our afternoon's were our own and at six we would begin the normal bar work. On days we knew we'd be busier we slept in as long as we wanted and at noon we opened shop and began to clean and serve. It was day one of the job and already I couldn't wait for Halloween and the Hogwarts visit it brought. Being this close to Lily and not able to see her was harder than working far away and knowing the distance was vast.

I supervised as my brush scrubbed every nook and cranny on a wall next to the counter when a brilliantly blonde girl in a tiny shirt and mini shorts launched towards the counter and seductively pulled herself on to it's rounded edge. Her voice was shrill, much like a young bird's and utterly annoying. She put an sugary pause between most of her words.

"Hey! You, sweet thing, must be...Scorpius!"

"That would be me. You are Madeline, yes?"

"Hahahahahaha! Yeah!"

This girl was already on my list of most irritating people.

I continued scrubbing and picked up a pots and pans to polish and shine as this all-legged thing popped gum and a lollipop on the counter. She looked like a girl of modest upbringing and yet her work ethic didn't reflect that she wanted to climb out of the rut and in to something more. Here I was, Malfoy heir, scrubbing dishware while a sugar addict pestered me and took advantage of me with her eyes. When the popping and smacking of candy made my mind close to snapping Madame Lolita came around the corner and ordered Madeline to start cooking the food. Apparently she was the main back end worker. She cooked, cleaned, and prepared all things behind the counter.

I thought I had been saved, until with a squeak of skin on polished oak, she slid off the counter and started stocking cups and bowls right behind the bar. Did she not get the hint? I hadn't said more to her than a confirmation that I was myself and that I knew who she was. She started talking in that voice again, this time with very few pauses, while polishing silverware and mugs.

"Oh my goodness! I was in the dress shop like last week in Diagon Alley and I saw the most amazing dress I had ever seen it was like so silvery and had this amazing burgundy trim on it and I was like oh my god that is the most amazing dress. Next to it were these matching shoes I don't actually think they came with the dress like you had to buy them separately but they matched exactly except they were a lot less sparkly and more shimmery than glittery but the inside color of the shoes was the same burgundy and stuff. They were like the best things I had ever seen but way out of my price range but a girl can dream and at the iced cream store next store they were having a sale on bowls and the tiny cute spoons they serve with their sundaes but slightly bigger and I thought about buying them but I remembered I don't even have my own kitchen! Hahahahahaha!"

It turns out I liked her better smacking her lips on her overdose of corn syrup and food coloring. Every time she spoke I felt like if chewing glass would make her quiet I would do it. Had she been talking to me? Had she taken a breath during that entirely pointless word vomit? I hadn't heard passed something about a silvery dress with burgundy trim. At that point I tried my hardest to ignore her voice and picture Lily in a dress like that. It sounded amazing, and despite who I had learned about it from, it would make a perfect gift for the perfect lady. I had bought a new dress for Lily every Halloween and this year my choice had been made easily. But would I actually get my anniversary off? Madeline began talking again as she put the now clean mugs in the freezer to get frosty. I left the room before her stupidity could seep into my ears.

Outside I cleaned yesterdays dust and dirt off the hanging sign and polished the chain and bar it swayed from. Each of the windows had been cleaned to perfection and the corners cleared of grime before Madeline was chastised and sent to the kitchen to catch up on all the chores she hadn't done yet.

Madame Lolita informed me breakfast would be here soon and timidly asked if Madeline was bothering me. She had a history of making employees quit prematurely. Apparently I was the fifth person in a year and everyone had accused Madeline of being too annoying to work with. At first I wanted to know why she kept her but it was quickly explained. Madeline was her brother's only child and he passed away a year and a half ago. Before he died Madeline didn't have to pay for a thing and never worked. Now she fed off the establishment and helped earn her keep in the kitchen. Madame Lolita sighed an admitted to keeping her in the back while students were around. She knew Madeline would try to seduce the school boys and feed off them as well. I felt bad admitting it but she was the biggest, temptress I had ever met. That comment earned a wide eyed look and a coy smile. I had been specially picked for this job.

"Do you want to know the real reason I chose to hire someone as well off as you? I'll admit. I was a bit shocked when you applied here. Usually men of your status seek higher paying jobs and accept nothing short of spectacular. I understood a few days after throwing away your resume. There was news all over the papers about a secret binding. Could it be true that Scorpius Malfoy, the most promised wealth coming out of Hogwarts would never make the bachelor's top candidate? Had he already sealed himself to Lily Potter? I didn't believe the news until I thought it through. Why else would you want to come work in Hogsmead when you could work from home, work for the ministry, or buy a little flat in some busy city with out of pocket cash? Lily Potter really is the only reason someone like you would work for a little pub."

I flushed. She looked at me now as if I was a lot older than she originally thought. I was a sealed gentleman just biding time and waiting for my lady to catch up. She knew it and lightly punched my arm in jest. It worked and I smiled unashamedly, half expecting her to comment on our ages or maturity levels. Instead her face grew solemn and she spoke once more before turning to leave.

"Maybe you didn't realize this but no one else makes the money you are earning here. You are my special hire for one reason, I knew Madeline couldn't seduce you, scare you away, or break your heart after a week long fling. Investing in you means that, even if it's just for a year or two, I get reliable help and a firm employee. Feel free to tell Madeline off if she gets on your nerves. I won't fire you and she has no where else to go. Besides, it might be good for her to be turned down every time she tries seduction to get her way. I'll be back with breakfast."