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Chapter Thirty Seven

All the Expected Issues

Lily touched Scorpius hand. They were sitting on the couch before the fire in Dad's office. All waiting for Dad or Mum to start in on Albus about his secret Muggle.

Scorpius had been tense since yesterday when he had found out about Albus and Calla. Lily knew that the real problem was that his best mate hadn't told him something so important. She also knew that with Albus so protective of his fiancé anyone criticizing his relationship was immediately an enemy. As Scorpius had criticized the relationship and was inadvertently the reason that the whole family showed up to met Calla instead of just the immediate family, he was terrified of losing his best mate.

Plus there was whole Duke of Rutland issue that Scorpius was convinced Albus knew nothing about. Lily wasn't so sure. She'd been watching her brother and Calla closely since they'd arrived. Calla had hung on Albus' every word, watched him with love in her eyes and even chastised him silently for being mean to Scorpius. Lily decided that Calla wasn't the sort of woman who would keep something that serious from a man she loved. And Lily was convinced that she loved Albus.

"When Hermione and Ron found out about Hugo and Ruby they knew right away that he'd told her about being a wizard long before her brother exhibited magical power," her Dad said.

Lily gaped at her father. If he knew why didn't he do anything?

"It was decided that it would be best to let things alone because they'd been together so long and were both convinced that they would one day marry. I can't help thinking that we were very lucky that they did. Even more so that her brother turned out to be a wizard. It could have all ended very badly had those things not happened. So now Albus I have to ask how you met Calla, I have to know what you've told her and when you told her."

Lily glanced over at her brother; he looked like he wanted to kill Dad.

"This isn't an attack. You've decided to marry the girl, so there is no risk of her losing her memory. I don't want secrets in this family, Albus."

He was quiet for a long time. Looking at his feet then at Calla. He must have seen something in her eyes because he admitted, "I met her during the Marconi case. He'd taken her captive in one of the dance studios. After I'd incapacitated Marconi she and I began talking. I didn't want to Obliviate her. I didn't want anyone else to Obliviate her. So when Hugo arrived to take Marconi back to the Ministry I covered her in your Invisibility Cloak. By that time she'd already figured out what I was."

"When I was younger I'd seen a man holding a wand disappear and another man with a wand summon a giant purple bus. When I saw Albus' wand I knew," Calla said.

"I took her back to Grimmauld Place and we came up with a plan to see each other in secret until we knew how we really felt about each other. I certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love so quickly but I did. And when I realized the depth of my feelings for her I knew that I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. She's just too important. I also knew that the only way I could introduce her to the family would be as my fiancé. We didn't want to pretend like Hugo did with Ruby about her not knowing when she really did."

Lily took a deep breath and looked at Scorpius. She'd never seen him so mad in her life. She gripped his hand and some of the anger leached from his face. Now he just looked distraught.

"Are you really engaged?" Mum asked.

"I've already spoken to her father. He sent the family wedding set about a week ago."

"The Rutland wedding set," Scorpius snapped.

Calla paled and Albus' eyes blazed. "How do you know about that?" he demanded.

"I'm your best mate and your supervisor, after you spewed that pack of lies in my office looked up your little girlfriend and found out some interesting things."

Albus stood up and got in Scorpius' face.

"You had no right," he snapped.

Scorpius got up, the two men stood nose to nose.

"I'm your best mate, Albus. When I hear you're dating a Muggle-"

"I'M MARRYING HER!"

"FINE! You're marrying her. I had to look out for you! You've only known her three months, Albus."

"We're not getting married tomorrow."

"Yes I'm sure it'll take longer to plan a wedding to the daughter of Rutland."

"What is going on?" Dad demanded.

"Yeah. I am totally lost," James said.

"Me too. What's a Rutland?" Kira asked.

Calla sighed. "Rutland is one of richest Dukedoms in England."

The silence in the office was thick.

"Your father is a duke?" Mum asked.

"Yes."

"So… what?"

"For almost ten generations the Rutlands have been very lucky… in a sense. There has only ever been one living heir, but that heir has been male for ten generations… until me. My parents tried and tried and tried until my mother got cancer and died."

"I'm sorry," Dad said, gently.

"Me too, it was years ago but it still… burns sometimes. My father refused to remarry. He loved my mother and was certain that they could find a cousin twenty times removed to take the title. But there's no one and my father is far too old to have another child. Besides he likes Albus."

Albus moved back to Calla's side.

"I can be very charming when I want to be," he said smiling fondly at her. The smile she gave him was lovely.

"What will happen if you marry?" Dad asked.

"There is no if," Albus snapped.

"Please just answer the question."

"Nothing will happen until my father dies," Calla said.

"Okay what will happen then?"

Both Calla and Albus were quiet for a bit. "Albus will inherit the title."

"What does that mean?" James asked.

"It means that I will one day be the Duke of Rutland," Albus said.

"What about your children?" Kira asked. "They'll be witches and wizards. They'll have to go to school. How can the future Duke of Rutland go to Hogwarts?"

"I don't see how that would be a problem," Albus said.

"I don't see how that wouldn't be a problem," Scorpius said. "All of your children will have to straddle the fence between the Muggle and magical world. One foot in both. It'll be worse for your first born son. He'll be raised knowing that he's to inherit a title but he has to go to school with commoners."

"Commoners who don't care about his title," Calla said. "You have no idea what it's like, Scorpius. Knowing what your future is, knowing there's nothing you can do about it. I would have given anything for the freedom of seven years surrounded by people who just saw me as a girl and nothing more. I've always been Lady Calla of Rutland. I've never been allowed by the people around me to be anything else until I met Albus. And with him I am just a girl. I can only imagine this being a good thing. Having one foot in the magical world will keep my first son humble, knowing there are people out there, people he respects who respect him for more than his title."

"What about school?" Harry asked. "I'm sure your father expects your children to go to Muggle schools and I can tell you now that that won't work."

"I've already talked to him about it," Albus said. "I might have Confunded him, but he approved of my ultra private school that only caters to a select few. I've thought about this, Dad. I'm not walking into this situation blind."

"You won't be able to be an Auror once her father dies," Scorpius said.

"I know."

"You're willing to abandon-"

"You turned your back on your family for Lily. Quitting my job seems like a very small price to pay to be with Calla."

"You've worked to be an Auror for years, Al-"

"You don't seem to get it, Scorpius. Calla and I are getting married. There's nothing you can do or say to change my mind. And if you were really my best mate you would want me to be happy."

"If I was really your best mate you would have told me the truth right away instead of lying to me."

There was no more to be said. Well actually that's not true. There was plenty more to be said but neither man was willing to let go of their anger long enough to say it.

Three hours later Lily and Scorpius were the first to leave the Potter house and for the first time they left without saying a word to anyone. He was mad and Albus was mad and Lily realized she needed to stand by her man even though he was being an idiot. They walked up to their room in silence. Scorpius sat on the side of the bed staring at his feet. Lily didn't know what to do. She helped him out of his clothes and stayed quiet while he gently stripped her of her own. Their joining was slow and quiet and Scorpius lay awake for a long time afterward. Lily pretended to be asleep and eventually he rolled over and began to snore.

Lily was restless, filled with nervous energy. She got up, pulled on a robe and went down to the kitchen. Albus and Calla had yet to get back. The young Muggle was in hot demand with Granddad Arthur who wanted to know all about Muggle nobility, as there was no such thing in the Wizarding world. She made herself a cup of chocolate and went up to the parlor. Lily finished her drink but still wasn't tired. Her mind was a whirl with what happened that night. Nothing could ever be normal or simple. It was bad enough that Al lied about having a girlfriend but she just had to be the only living heir of a duke.

Lily ran her fingers over the spines of the books lining the walls of the parlor. For the life of her she just couldn't sleep. In a huff she pulled a book out at random and opened it. To her surprise something popped out and when she looked down she remembered. When Al and Scorpius moved in the summer after they graduated Lily had hidden the ring she found in Scorpius' room in one of the books hoping he'd find it and think he'd hidden it there and forgotten. It seemed that that had never happened though. Here she was in the middle of the night holding the ring she'd accidentally stolen from her boyfriend years ago.

Lily flipped the book closed and rolled the ring in her hand thinking about Scorpius. She felt like she spent most of her free time thinking about him. He had turned out to be a rather high maintenance boyfriend. If he wasn't freaking out about his parents he was upset over his best mate. And all the while he managed to avoid a proper proposal.

Lily threw herself down on the couch and laid her head back. Her Mum wouldn't have taken this crap from Dad, but then other shit had been going on during their courtship and while her grandparents (both sets) were dating. Lily held the ring up, gazed at it in the moon light and wondered how her paternal grandmother, her namesake, would have dealt with her family's current drama.

"She'd handle it competently I'd imagine," Lily said.

"That's very probably true."

Lily looked over her shoulder to the origin of the unfamiliar voice, squeaked and fell off the couch.

"Very graceful, dear," Lily Potter said, coming around to the couch. "You might not want to make that sound in front of your brothers. I highly doubt they'd ever let you live it down."

"What is- how are you- how is this- am I dreaming-?"

"Now, now, darling, we haven't a lot of time before Albus and Calla get back. That ring your holding, the stone in the center is the Resurrection Stone. Oh! Before I forget. Sirius has been pitching a fit over you finding it. Apparently he and your fiancé had a deal of some sort about a book. Something like 'A Marauder's Tale' or 'For Mischief Makers in the Making,' something ridiculous like that, so be sure to leave that somewhere where Scorpius can find it."

Lily stared wide-eyed up at her dead grandmother, with her mouth agape. Of all the things to find in her boyfriend's pocket…

"So," Lily pulled a strained look at her granddaughter, "I must apologize for popping in but you did invite me… Other than that I have been eavesdropping. Can't help it really. There's not much else to do except for listen to Sirius exploits. Honestly! Only he would remain the same coming out of Azkaban. Though I will say that it makes for something entertaining to do while the lot of you are sleeping…"

"My Merlin, how much have seen?" The thought occurred to the younger Lily that the older Lily might have seen her shag the pants off her boyfriend at some point. If she only stopped watching over them while they were sleeping…

"Oh don't be disgusting! Like I have any interest in seeing my grandchildren shag. Though I will say that your grandfather found out about you and Scorpius and freaked out a bit. He might have followed Sirius to earth a few years ago and threatened him. Didn't do much good as you probably already know."

"Wait! That was real?" the younger Lily demanded, remembering the odd dream she had in her sixth year. It had always rubbed her the wrong way. It all seemed too real.

"Yes. By the way I apologize for your grandfather. He can be a bit of a dolt sometimes."

The younger Lily shifted onto the couch and crossed her arms. She'd been very angry at her subconscious for making her father's father out to be such a meany, now she was just confused. It didn't help that now she was finally getting tired but Lily figured that was very likely due to mental exhaustion. This was all just too ridiculous.

"I'm sorry Grand-" the younger Lily began.

"Oh! I just love hearing you call me that!"

"Right, but… um… what brings you here?"

"Well… literally you did, but… ah… I've been wanting to see you for a while. It just didn't seem right that James and Sirius got to come visit but I was all cooped up just watching and waiting while they stuck their noses where they most certainly did not belong. But really, Lily, you did want to know how I would deal with this current predicament, didn't you?"

Lily bit her lip. When she'd thought that she would like to know how her grandmother would handle this issue she hadn't thought that she'd ever get the chance to ask but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Especially since she would be giving the ring back to Scorpius so that he might write that book about Sirius Black.

Mind made up, Lily looked over at her grandmother.

"In fact I would like some advice. My brother's being a dunderhead, my boyfriend is being pigheaded and if I don't stop one of them being dense their friendship is over and damn it I don't need a reprieve from that man every once and a while."

"Which man, your brother or Scorpius?"

"Pick one, they're both annoying in too high doses."

The older Lily smiled knowingly.

"Men are far more emotional than they like to think they are. Why Sirius got drunk at my wedding and told me that I'd never be as emotionally connected to James as he was. The thing is that men want to believe that women are the emotional roller coasters and they're the emotional rocks, as it were. But when one man feels platonically passionate about another man they also feel vulnerable and they don't like at all.

"To make it worse when a woman comes into the picture all of the sudden their mate is feeling passionate about someone else and they don't how to handle it. They could lose their mate to this woman. Some men, like Albus, can deal with it. They just don't worry about losing their mate and lo and behold they don't! Other men, like Scorpius and Sirius, freak out and act stupidly. Sirius tried to maul me when James and I got serious about our relationship. Scorpius doesn't know how to react. Albus, like James is to Sirius, is a like a brother to Scorpius. Albus is family, so he worries and in worrying he screws up."

"So what can I do?"

"Well you have two options really and only one I think you'll do. You can keep your opinion to yourself and let him learn that Albus isn't going to stop being his brother just because he's got a new woman in his life."

"Pass. What else've you got?"

"Or you can go back into that room wake him up and tell him to stop being so bloody stupid and that if he doesn't he will lose Albus."

"But you just said he wouldn't?"

"I know, but he doesn't."

The Lilys smiled at each other.