Lily POV
Our anniversary had been amazing and so peaceful. I was half tempted to refuse to return to the castle and see what Scorpius would do. On our way back he had looked around and almost spoken on many occasions. He usually paused after mentioning some place we would go after I graduated; as if he was about to say we should visit now. As I pondered all this I brushed my hair and sat in the windowsill my 'Prince Charming' had so often swept me out of. It had been a little over a month and I had two weeks until my Holiday Break.
Holiday Break was to be spent, for the most part, at Malfoy Manor with Christmas dinner and New Years Eve to be with my parents. Thankfully I knew the time would pass quickly and that was just what it did.
It was the morning of our trip home when a lone owl swept over the breakfast tables towards me with a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate and a note. It was dropped in my lap before the handsome owl pivoted and returned to his master's shoulder in HogsmeadVillage. My note was sealed shut, meaning for secrecy so I left it for a more private setting and admired the chocolate bar, my favorite, yogurt filled. All the commotion caused from the owl faded and we ate amongst the lower murmur of chatter in the hall.
I returned to GryffindorTower to finish packing and read this secret note. I must admit, for Scorpius it was vague and a little dull, but I did what it said none the less.
L
You should probably dress warm for your trip home.
S
It dropped very few clues and frustrated me but when I went back down to the main entrance and marched down to the scarlet steam engine at the train station it became clear. Scorpius stood waiting in his best black robes and scarf, looking both warm and well dressed. He noticed me running toward him and caught me in a spinning hug once I arrived. He looked older already, like working at the pub had aged him a bit. I knew why and knew he was super man for putting up with the slender girl I could just see out of the corner of my eye. Madeline had come to wish him off, was my guess, and sat dejected in the windy station.
"Ms. Potter, I'm glad you followed my advice."
He pointed his wand at my school things and they vanished, already safely home I presumed. Scorpius was up to something.
"Our family is taking our yacht through the Mediterranean waters during Christmas Break. I thought it would be pointless for you to take the train to London only to find yourself traveling again so I decided to pick you up myself and we can head over together!"
He had been vague intentionally. He wanted to put on a show for me to put those same boys, who had now taken to sabotaging the classroom I was in, in their places. They had been trying to one up each other, saying they were going to Italy or Romania for break. Scorpius had shot all of their plans to dust. We were going aboard the Malfoy yacht and sailing wherever wee wanted to go.
Scorpius offered me a hand, I said goodbye to my smiling friends, and helped me onto his broomstick. Without another word he swept us into the sky in a straight spiral and shot off towards what I assumed to be east and the place our most recent adventure would begin. We actually landed in the forbidden forest where Hagrid had harnessed two Thestrals to a carriage for our voyage. After moving to the carriage and bundling up under blankets we were in the air again and catching up to the Hogwarts Express on it's was back to London Proper. My friends flung themselves out of their window to scream and wave and wish me a happy holiday. I yelled back and wished them similarly just as we gained speed and zipped passed the rest of the steam pumping train.
I fell asleep about four hours into our ride as I leaned against Scorpius shoulder. He woke me up as the sun set over a hazy blue ocean. A silver and white yacht swayed in the tide as it waited for us to arrive. On the top deck under a canopy of white Astoria and Draco were eating dessert and waved as we neared. Our carriage stopped level to the top deck as it was one easy step from my current transportation to the other. Scorpius pet both Thestrals for a moment before sending them racing back towards Hogwarts for a well deserved rest.
Dessert of strawberries and whipped cream was set before us along with a sweet late harvest wine. I was on seconds before Scorpius had eaten more than three. We lingered and talked about my schooling, Scorpius job, Madeline, Astoria's new hobby of painting the walls of Malfoy manor, in a Muggle fashion, and Draco's newer assignments. We talked about everything that struck our fancies and late into the night Draco excused himself for bed and requested Scorpius speak with him in private before bed.
Both the men were gone and Astoria and I remained sipping on our wine and carrying on quiet conversation. She moved behind me at one point and began to intricately braid and weave my hair. Last time I wrote her I mentioned my hair not growing fast enough or getting long enough and now as she braided I began to notice my hair get heavier. Was it a trick of the pattern she put in or was she helping me along? I hoped and figured it was the latter. In the Malfoy family we wanted for nothing. If someone so much as mentioned what they wanted in passing it would be there within a day. Hair was too short or not behaving and Astoria fixed it the first chance she had.
"Astoria, you would happen to be enchanting my hair, would you?"
"Oh, no dear, only braiding it."
She said it in a sugary sweet mocking tone with quick pauses, meaning she was keeping with the pace of the spell and keeping my hair equal all through out. Most would die for this sort of treatment, been bred into this lifestyle and hardly noted on it except for moment like this: quiet, soft waves swaying us back and forth on a gentle ocean. These were the moments anyone could have and they were the only ones which made me feel all the wealth around me. I was surrounded, enveloped, raised, and cradled in it. I was born into the highest society of the Wizarding world, every child had known my name and all the spoils had been given to me from day one. Toys of gold and silver were given to me as a toddler and I had a new wardrobe every year, new shoes every month, new cradles and beds and pillow and cushions and curtains and jewelry and baubles and gemstones and experiences. Everything I had ever wanted. Everything. Quite honestly I wondered if there was something I would want in life that I wouldn't get. How would I react in a situation like that? I could only pray I would handle it civilly.
Astoria had dozed off after finishing her braid, something she called 'The Crown of Royalty'. It was alone that I pondered life's questions and decision of the future. All these thoughts sucked me in and chewed me up for an endless amount of time. I would have spent all night in their terrors and promises if Scorpius hadn't touched my shoulder and scooped me up for bed.
He set me down in a room with crimson and silver curtains and hardwood furniture then left the room to open the door across the hall for his father who held a sleeping Astoria in his arms. Draco bade me a goodnight before nodding at Scorpius and shutting his door. Soon Scorpius was curled up behind me, stroking my hair and neck. He was whispering about things we could do on spring break and asking how I was and what he could do to make me more comfortable. Did he not understand that being on a boat with my future family and enjoying their company was all that I needed. This was the life. He kept stroking my back and talking about nothing and everything until I fell asleep. I briefly remember him kissing my cheek and wishing me sweet dreams before curling into my back and slipping in to dreams himself.
Scorpius POV
Lily slept all day as we flew here and around four fell asleep, sleeping the same amount she would in a night. It was noon before she and her tangled mane of hair popped around the corner of the boat, singing to herself, and scavenging for food. The sun streamed through her red locks and cast a golden halo around her face and shoulders.
"Good morning, Sun Goddess, care for a swim?"
We had left the shore early this morning and now sat in a blue bay of an island I didn't know the name of. From the clear water where I lounged I yelled up to her. My parents had gone onto the island behind me for an adventure and left me to enjoy Lily's company. Which I planned on doing thoroughly. She looked down at me and reminded me of a fact I had forgotten: I was not wearing pants or trousers. My mother had left a note on my side table letting me know they wouldn't be back until they got hungry and they always brought snacks with them on these sort of adventures; I would be expecting them around dinner time. Since they were gone and I was alone I had jumped into the clear waters immediately after leaving my room.
"Scorpius Malfoy, do you always skinny dip on vacations?"
"Not when my parents are around. I doubt they care to see the gifts of their mingled genetics. They won't be back for about five hours."
She looked side to side as though looking for them on the island or ship before taking off her dress and jumping in with me. She was still too concerned my parents would come back and catch us swimming and splashing around in our most natural forms. Her matching pink bra and bikini-style bottoms darkened and matched the color of lip gloss she wore, making her even more charming and alluring than she had been aboard the boat. (It was saying something since she already looked like a goddess coming to greet me.) I think of the word 'sexy' as so little in comparison to what a girl is or what makes her attractive. My girl was powerful, strong, cunning, sassy, and more beautiful than the area now surrounding us. Sexy, she definitely was, but it fell short. Lily was ravishing.
We swam around for hours and once we got tired of swimming climbed out onto the sand, coating ourselves and every exposed inch of skin in the grainy white powder. Lily, in the sassiest tone I had ever heard commented on what my brain refused to let me say.
"Bet you wish you had your trousers now! You have sand in places you can't reach."
"Yes, but there is no boat to take us back to the yacht. I will have to swim and rinse off before I get there anyway. I'm not worried about sand or anything else for that matter!"
"You should be!"
"Why?"
She pointed behind me and when I turned both my parents faces flushed and my mother shielded my father's eyes as she laughed. They told me they would be back late! How awkward. I sprinted back into the water and began swimming towards the boat, trying to keep my butt under the surface of the water. Lily could be heard laughing from the beach until I swam around to the side opposite to check for a ladder. There was only one, as it turned out, and it was on the side facing the beach. Steeling myself and bracing for the laughter that would come my way I swam to the ladder, hoisted myself up and climbed then ran as fast as possible to my room for my swim pants.
Once I got back out and leaned on the deck I watched the paddleboat my parents took out grow nearer and my father's face grow more animated.
"Oh don't blush like that Scorpius, your mother and I both knew you would be a good looking kid! How could you go wrong with both of our traits in you? Anyway, we now have living proof, we make lovely babies!"
Lily climbed up the ladder and fell giggling in my arms, saying it was nothing she hadn't seen before. My mother was next up the ladder and kissed my cheek before she spoke.
"Don't be so hard on yourself dear. Your father and I used to do crazy things all the time. At least you were caught by us. You should have seen poor McGonagall's face when she caught us in the BlackLake!"
My father came up chuckling and warned her not to go into too much detail on that one. Eww. Did they think I wanted to know? Our talk quickly turned to other, more important things like what we were eating for dinner and where we would be venturing tomorrow. After a few rounds of Exploding Snap Lily left to shower and I switched to her empty chair, next to my mother. We played another round and my father looked slowly from my mother to me before asking what I dreaded.
I had a secret I wasn't telling Lily about yet. I hadn't wanted to. I didn't want to hurt her or get her hopes up only to let her down. I hoped to avoid speaking about this with my parents but since I had originally received this dream from my father I could hardly keep them in the dark. It was he who now spoke to me.
"So, have you talked to Lily yet or hinted at it in any way?"
"Nope. There is no reason to yet. I want a firm answer one way or the other first."
Lily came back on deck and we grew quiet; obviously not wanting her to hear something. She caught on and quickly asked if this had something to do with the conversation last night. Luckily my father answered first and told her it was one of those things better waited for. She was obviously unhappy but didn't push the subject. Instead she took the seat across from me and sipped juice until she could join in the next round. We played late into the night and just as we were going to bed a well-kept owl landed on the balcony and dropped a letter into my father's lap.
My mother, recognizing the effort and envelope style immediately had it in her hands before her beloved could react and reach down for it. She pulled the blue and grey designer paper from it's silver envelope. After a quick look at the intended recipient and who it was from she tore the top open and laughed, perhaps 'squealed' would be a better name for the sound that came out of her mouth. After a quick and quiet read through she glanced at Lily and began to read.
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Lewis
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Kate Laree
to
James Sirius Potter
Saturday the 30th of July
At the Potter Estates, England
Ceremony to begin at Five in the Evening
Reception, dinner, and dancing to follow at 7
Lily squealed and reached for the invitation to believe it for herself. James was engaged and had already set a date! I wondered if she had heard about things getting serious between him and Kate or if this was news to her as well. I doubted she was as shocked as I was. All of the Potter's talked often and knew each other's business better than their own. It was obvious she hadn't heard about the proposal or intent to get married before. This must have happened between end of summer and now! Lily looked at me and smiled and though I knew she was quiet happy for him she was reminded of her age once again. Lily wanted so desperately to get married and move in together. Whenever anyone else got what she wanted it put a bit of a damper on her mood. She would recover quickly and be back to her self in no time. Did she not realize how young she was? Everyone tries to appear older until the day they feel old; then they spend the rest trying to get younger. It made no sense.
"I'm going to go congratulate James then get ready for bed. I'll be in my room if you want me, love."
"I always want you."
She left and I decided to give her and hour or so. Judging by her rigidness she was upset and would cry for a bit. She was definitely very happy for them but she would have done better with a bit of notice. I knew she assumed that her wedding would come before either of her siblings.
Sooner than I had said I was knocking on the door and asking to come in. Lily sat cross legged on the bed and flipped through a spell book. Her eyes were puffy and sore looking as I expected them to be.
"Hey you, don't cry. Our time is coming and we will have a wedding like no one else can afford. We will have a lovely house. A huge plot of land to enjoy. Many years together. Everything will be alright. Just give it a year or so and everything will be different. I promise."
"Do you really think it will be so soon?"
"Why not? You graduate in a year and I will have money saved up by then. Everything will be right before you know it. You really should enjoy this last year of school though. It will be so fast and in the years to follow you might realize you missed it. We are fine. Besides, you have to be happy to finally have a sister. Surely you have wanted one. I know I've wanted another sibling in the past."
"I'm very excited! I love Kate and she is a perfect fit for James and the family. This was just so unexpected and so surreal and so soon. I'll be alright. It just shocked me more than anything. Scorpius, I hate begin young..."
"You are not the first or the last."
She crawled into my arms and I cradled her until her breathing became soft and even and she no longer supported her head. Once she was asleep I tucked the covers around her, kissed her forehead, and left to bed with a whisper.
"Goodnight my firecracker."