Thank you for reading and reviewing. I also want to thank Klaudia (Emily Swain) who has been a tremendous help when editing this chapter.
Chapter 49: A Summer's Day.
Lily sat in her kitchen nibbling on a piece of French toast while reading her latest letter from Jaz. Several months ago he had moved to Spain with his new job and to be nearer to Fernando and his family. Jaz's own parents had not yet come to terms with his sexuality but Fernando's parents had warmly welcomed Jaz into their family. Fernando and Jaz were currently sharing a flat in the bustling city of Madrid; in his letter, Jaz had assured his beloved friend that he and his man were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Feeling happy that her friend was doing well, Lily set the letter aside until the time she would pen her response.
"What have you got planned for today?" Lily heard Scorpius ask as he came to join her at the table. Since Jaz's departure Scorpius had all but moved into the flat with her. He certainly did spend more time here than he did back at the manor. She glanced up to see Scorpius tuck into his breakfast she'd made him. It had taken her several months but she was finally able to find her way around the kitchen without being in danger of poisoning anyone.
Though she was happy to see Scorpius enjoy his food, he was bound to get indigestion if he continued to shovel food down him at that speed. Anyone would think he was in a hurry to leave her. Lily frowned but kept those thoughts to herself. No doubt she was overreacting. She was still reeling from the new changes at work.
"I have a couple of new girls starting in the shop today since Maggie and Margarita left to set up their beauty parlour with Dominique." Lily sighed. She was happy for her friends but she did miss having them around everyday. "They need some training up and Delia doesn't have the time to spare since she'll be the only one working on the shop floor otherwise." Lily explained. Lucy wasn't available either, since she was on maternity leave after the birth of her son Hope. It also didn't help that it was August and several of her staff had gone on holiday.
Scorpius paused his eating long enough to shoot her a sympathetic glance and say: "It must be good to have the others close by though."
Lily inclined her head in agreement and grinned. "Yes. If they had to leave I guess them moving next door isn't so bad. It is weird not working with them though. What are you doing today?" Lily asked to change the subject and to find out why he was in such a hurry to finish his breakfast. It was a Saturday so Scorpius didn't have work today.
"I have a few errands to run for my mother before the charity ball at the Manor tomorrow. But I'll be meeting up with Albus and Duanne later on," he explained quickly and washed down his food with a few gulps of freshly squeezed orange juice. Lily's curiosity began to spark up as she looked at Scorpius inquiringly.
"You're seeing a lot of them recently," she commented. Not that she had anything against him spending time with Albus and Duanne; it had been a huge adjustment having Scorpius at the flat as often as he was. Nevertheless they had managed to master the art of compromise, at least to their satisfaction.
"They're helping me with some research." Scorpius shrugged evasively not quite meeting her eye.
With her interest peaked, Lily raised her eyebrows at him. "And you're not going to explain further I suppose." She smirked as she tried to fight down her curiosity. He was up to something, she was sure of it, though for the life of her couldn't figure it out.
Scorpius grinned mysteriously. "You'll find out soon enough," he said and winked at her. Lily sighed andmentally ordered herself to be patient. If he didn't want to tell her yet then there was no way she could get him to fess up before he was ready. Well, no way if she resigned herself to playing fair. She was sure she could wriggle it out of him if she put her mind to it.
As if fearing she would attempt to do just that, Scorpius stood up and kissed her on the forehead before hurrying out of the door. Lily watched him go with various degrees of amusement and curiosity. He was definitely up to something. Directing her thoughts away from Scorpius, Lily focused on the task ahead of her. Training Lucinda Jones and Poppy Moorland: two former Hufflepuffs who had decided not to return to Hogwarts after their OWLs.
x
By the early afternoon, Lily was exhausted. She had sent the two girls home early since it was their first day. She wanted to ease them into things but she was also unsure whether she could have coped with any more of their questions. She had the deepest respect for Delia and Lucy who usually took up the task of training the new shop assistants. With them gone it was only her, Delia and Minky the House Elf on the shop floor. Jess was also on site; she'd recently taken over the company's accounts and an office had been set up on the first floor.
Delia was busy with a customer when the door bell chimed alerting them to the person entering the shop. Lily's face lit up when she recognised Margarita. "Hi, have you come to ask for your job back? I'll give you an obscene pay rise." Lily half teased as she embraced her friend.
Margarita laughed and returned Lily's embrace. The two girls then edged away from the other customers. "The new recruits causing you headaches?" Margarita asked. "I'm afraid I'm very happily situated next door. It's really taking shape. You'll have to come and have a look around before it opens. Just think: people can buy their new clothes here and then pop in next door to get their hair and makeup done." Margarita added in a conspiring tone.
Lily grinned back and then sighed dramatically. "I guess I can give the girls the benefit of the doubt and put this disastrous day down to first day nerves."
The two girls laughed and chatted away. "It's nice that you're missing us as much as we're missing you." Margarita finally added as they circled the shop. "We'll have to get Duanne to knock a hole through the wall so we can all…"
Margarita didn't finish her sentence. They both heard the door bell chime and a wave of ice coursed through Lily when she saw the two people that were just entering the shop. The entire place went still and Lily knew instantly that everyone's attention was now focused on the two Malfoy elders.
Lily felt her initial wave of panic activate her lily pendant but Scorpius didn't materialise as he would normally have done. With no time to dwell on the reason behind his absence, Lily summoned up her courage and stepped forwards with Margarita at her side. "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." Lily greeted them pleasantly. This put the other customers at ease and they returned to what they were doing before Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy stepped into the shop. However, Delia had come to Margarita's side when she saw who had come in the shop and both girls were prepared to jump in if they were needed.
Cold grey eyes were focused solely Lily but she did not let Lucius Malfoy know she was afraid of him. A sneer formed on his lips but he said nothing as he studied her. Careful not to take her eyes off the threat, Lily spoke to Narcissa. She was standing quietly next to her husband and seemed to be as surprised to be there as Lily was. Maintaining her cool, she addressed Mrs. Malfoy,
"I never expected to see you here. Have you come on Astoria's behalf to pick up her formal dress for tomorrow?" Lily asked. "I was planning on sending it over later today. The finishing touches were completed last night."
Narcissa Malfoy inclined her head briefly. She was tense at her husband's side and she stepped forward as if to act as a barrier between Lily and her husband. Lily wasn't fooled; the motion was not to protect her but to no doubt prevent Lucius from doing something in public that he would later regret.
"If it is not too much trouble." Narcissa replied in a painfully polite voice. "Astoria has been talking of little else for weeks.I was hoping to see the dress before anyone else did at the ball tomorrow night. She has been so busy with the preparations for tomorrow so she asked me to come in her stead," she explained.
Lily suspected the last bit of Narcissa's speech to be false. She doubted Astoria knew they were there although she wasn't certain. Narcissa was a skilled liar after all; she'd lied to Tom Riddle's face and got away with it. Regardless, Lily turned to her right where she knew Minky would be standing by the clothes racks. She signalled for the House Elf to go and retrieve Astoria Malfoy's gown then returned her gaze to the two Malfoys.
The door bell chimed again. They all turned to see Scorpius enter the store with Duanne and Albus. "Grandmother, Grandfather." Scorpius said curtly nodding to his grandparents. Albus and Duanne went to join their sisters. They were ready for anything that should occur but were careful not to provoke the tenuous situation.
Luckily Scorpius held his grandfather's sole attention for the time being. "Scorpius. I didn't expect you to be here." Lucius half snarled, clearly put out by his grandson's appearance.
"That makes two of us then." Scorpius acknowledged, then turned to Lily to reassure himself that she was well. She smiled in response as she ignored the fact that Narcissa Malfoy was staring at her intently. The question over his delayed appearance was on her face but he turned back towards his grandfather. "We were just passing since we've been to Gringott's. Then Albus had the sudden urge to see how his sister was doing so we thought to make an appearance." Scorpius explained to his grandfather which in turn answered Lily's question. The connections between their lockets didn't work properly in the Gringott vaults. He would have known that she was in trouble but he wouldn't have been to use it to transport to her side.
Lucius frowned whilst the others stood around all to aware of the tension between them. It was then that Minky appeared with Astoria's dress for Narcissa to collect. Narcissa took it gratefully and urged her husband to leave with her. He made no protests to his wife's desire to get out of there. Before he left, he shot Margarita a surprising glance that had her tensing and had them all pondering over the expression on his face.
With the elder Malfoys out of the shop, Lily nodded for Delia to return to work as the boys crowded around her and Margarita. She would find time to talk to her once their customers had gone.
"Are you two ok?" Albus asked with genuine concern for the both of them. Margarita looked too much like his girlfriend to stop feeling protective of her. The other boys were the same since both girls meant a lot to them and none had liked the look Lucius Malfoy had laid on Margarita. Lily slipped herself into Scorpius' arms knowing that they would both be comforted by the contact.
X
Narcissa Malfoy exited the shop alongside her husband. It wouldn't have taken a genius to know that he was up to something regarding their grandson and Lily Potter. Why else would he have insisted they enter the store after they'd been to the apothecary? It was a good thing that Astoria hadn't collected her dress so the convenient excuse for being there had arrived, courtesy of Lily Potter herself. She wouldn't want news to get back to anyone that her husband had it in for Harry Potter's daughter. Not when she was going to work on dissuading him from the task. Lucius may be a fool at times but he was her fool and she loved him. She didn't want anything to happen to him, not after nearly losing him in the past. It also seemed that young Margarita Zabini had been added to the mix of her husband's plot.
The thoughts unsettled her and she was grateful that her husband was too involved in his own thoughts to question hers. He wouldn't be wanting anything from her at the moment, so she was free to mull over what she had just observed.
She'd been told that her grandson's relationship was for fiscal gains and to aid his own ambitions. She had been informed by her husband and son countless times that their relationship had nothing to do with love. After seeing the two in the same room, she wasn't too sure. She noticed what her husband was too blind to see. The anger Scorpius was keeping concealed when he thought Lily was in danger and the way he looked at her as if nothing else mattered in the world. No, Narcissa was certain that her husband had it wrong. Scorpius was in love with Lily Potter and the feelings were reciprocated.
As she continued to play with her suspicions, her son's recent behaviour suddenly made sense. He was sometimes too persistent in his assurances that Scorpius felt nothing for Harry Potter's youngest. And if she really thought about it, Scorpius' apparent friendship with the Potter's golden child, Albus, would have been enough to further Scorpius ambitions if that had been his real intent. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she was certain that Scorpius did in fact love Lily. She was also certain that her son and Astoria knew about it and were working together to keep the truth from Lucius.
It was not something Narcissa was pleased to uncover, especially considering how confused she felt about the latest development on her grandson's life. She had never expected, all those years ago, to be in the position she found herself in now. She knew she owed Harry Potter the life of her family; by lying to the Dark Lord she gained Harry Potter's respect and if it hadn't been for him, Lucius and Draco would have been in Azkaban. She had been surprised that he not only testified for her but her husband and son as well, both men had gone out of their way to make his life miserable. She could never harbour any ill will towards him nor his family for saving hers.
But her only grandson in love with the Potter girl! She was stunned and unsure of what to feel, especially with the seriousness between the youngsters and their evident devotion to each other. The girl was well off, even without the wealth from her parents. She was her own boss of a popular and successful designer shop. By all accounts she is very intelligent, shrewd almost to the point of cunning; the look she was giving both of them had Narcissa sure that Lily Potter hadn't been fooled by the pretences that they had shown up in her shop. Narcissa found herself begrudgingly respecting the young Potter who had maintained a cool and mature stance despite the predicament she had been in. She inwardly sighed, making sure to keep her emotions from being expressed on her face. She looked sideways to gauge her husband's expression as she contemplated what was to be her next move.
She knew her husbands faults, so she knew he was not going to react well to the news once he finally figured out the truth. She only hoped his current plans for Lily Potter were not fully formed in his mind. That way she may be able to try and convince him to change his mind. With everything she had done and Draco had done to repair the Malfoy name, the last thing she wanted was for Lucius to do something to forever tear their family apart.
x
Lily returned to her flat that evening to find that Scorpius was not there. In his stead was a small note lying next to an everlasting lily. The note read 'Follow your heart. Scorpius x'. Lily paused as she examined the note as she wondered what her man was up to. Probably trying to cheer her up after the disaster of a day she'd just had. Nevertheless the unknown excited her. With a soft smile tugging at her lips, Lily glanced in the mirror and fussed with her hair until it fell in place. Then knowing what Scorpius meant in his note, Lily reached for her flower pendant and closed her eyes. As her excitement to uncover what Scorpius was up to grew, her thoughts were filled with the man she loves. The familiar tingling sensations caressed her skin as the magic of the pendant activated.
She knew the precise moment she was no longer in the flat just off Diagon Alley. She smelt the fresh fragrances of grass and flowers, heard the birds sing in nearby trees and tasted sea salt on the summer's breeze. Before she opened her eyes she knew she'd find herself at their favourite picnic spot.
Hearing movement nearby Lily opened her eyes. She found Scorpius and gasped when she got a proper look at him. His lovely blonde hair, which he'd been growing and usually tied back, hung loose around his shoulders. It was as if it was begging for her to run her fingers through it. His eyes were closed as he lay on a wool blanket and waited for her. A peaceful smile tugged on his lips and Lily hesitated, slightly reluctant to disturb him.
In front of him a delicious feast was laid out. There was also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and two levitating champagne flutes waiting to be drunk. He must have heard her sigh because his eyes opened and his smile broadened in greeting. He offered one of the glasses of champagne to her and Lily was reminded of the first time he had brought her to this spot. Almost a year had past since that time. "Just when I think I know you as well as I do myself, you do something to surprise me." Lily beamed taking the glass from him and sinking onto the blanket beside him.
"Wouldn't want a dull life. Though after today I suppose you would have preferred to curl up in bed with a good book." Scorpius teased and Lily pulled an appalled face.
"Never say such a thing. After a day like today…this is perfect." She assured him as she motioned to the picnic and the setting with her hand. He smiled gratefully and the couple enjoyed their time away from the city. Lily couldn't think of a time when her life was happier, despite what had happened today. Everything was going well between her and the man she loved, her family had all grown to adore him and treat him as one of their own. She also got along well with his parents and her business was still going strong, promising a financially secure future. It almost seemed too good to be true; slight fear began to creep slowly into her subconscious but Lily immediately shrugged it away, choosing to focus on the present and the wonderful evening before her.
The sun fell below the horizon late that evening; though the day was not yet dark, tiny orbs of light scattered on the grass began to glow. Lily laughed with joy as she watched the magical light display the orbs caused. She noticed Scorpius watching her with a peculiar expression on his face. He seemed slightly tense and nervous, but she had long ago proved that there was no reason to feel that way when he was with her. She rolled into his arms laying her cheek against his chest.
"I love you." she whispered as she nestled against him. His arms wrapped around her and he visibly relaxed as if her words had encouraged him to continue.
"From the moment I first saw you I was captivated," he said in a quiet voice, not that there was anyone around who would overhear his words.
Lily rolled out of his embrace and onto her side so that she could see him. He wasn't looking at her, instead he was gazing up at the sky. She didn't understand his words since the first time they had seen each other, they were on the Hogwart's express: Warrington had insulted Jess and Lily had threatened them. Had it been her courage that had captivated him? It sure hadn't seemed that way at the time. "What- When I was a scrawny first year with a wand pointed at you?"
"No. I saw you from the window of the train; when you were a beautiful child so upset that your brothers were leaving you to go to Hogwarts, you chased the train with tears streaming down your face. That's when I first saw you and was captivated." Scorpius admitted and Lily gaped at him in surprise. When she made no move to interrupt him, he continued. "I remember thinking that if I had a sister at home that was that upset to see me go off to school, I would have gladly chosen to stay and be home schooled. I didn't like to see you upset, even then. You visited my thoughts often from that day on. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact day I fell in love with you. I only know that this past year has been the happiest of my life."
"Scorpius!" Lily gasped uncertain what to say to his revelation.
He glanced at her now and smiled at her look of astonishment. His hand reached out to caress her cheek. "I love you too," he told her. "I love you more than anything else. I don't think I could imagine not loving you." Lily felt her eyes begin to water with tears of joy. He knelt before her and Lily felt compelled to get up and kneel in front of him. As they both knelt there staring at each other, Scorpius reached out for her hand which Lily gave him without hesitation.
Suddenly this all seemed so real. She had a slight suspicion about what was going on but she hardly dared believe it. Scorpius gazed at her for a long time. His free hand reached inside his jacked and he pulled out a small black velvet box. Lily's eyes widened as she noticed the box and she waited for him to speak in anticipation. He didn't leave her waiting long. "I know we're young but I also know what I want in my life. I want to spend it with you. Will you marry me?"
Lily could hardly breathe. She knew that he'd opened the box to show her the engagement ring but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his to even glance at it. Instead she threw her arms around his neck and cried,
"Oh…yes! Yes I'll marry you." The tears she'd been holding back finally escaped. They poured down her cheeks as she felt Scorpius tighten his arms around her waist and heard his laughter.
The proposal was understated and lacking dramatics, which was utterly perfect. When they finally pulled away from their embrace, Lily allowed him to slip the ring onto her finger. She still couldn't tear her eyes away from him in order to look at it, but she knew he wanted to get the ring on her finger. She had to admit she liked the feeling of it there as well. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck again and kissed him passionately on the lips. In the midst of their passion they shed their clothes. He lowered her onto the woollen blanket where they celebrated their love for each other as the stars began to twinkle against the night's sky.
Later, when the stars shone brightly against the darkness of the night, Lily was happily in Scorpius' arms. Another blanket lay on top of them to shield their bodies from the night air. The surrounding orbs gave off enough light so that she could finally examine the ring Scorpius had given her. It was truly beautiful. Two delicate bands, one gold and one silver, entwined each other. In the spaces made between the two bands was set in an alternating pattern either a ruby or emerald. Set on the ring was also a round, deep-cut diamond. Lily could hardly tear her eyes away from it now that she'd seen it.
"Wherever did you get this ring? It's so unique." Lily gasped as she admired it. It was perfect for them. The gold band and rubies symbolising her Gryffindor house while the silver band and emerald's symbolised his Slytherin house. How the rings were forever entwined together was a perfect representation of their love.
"It's a family tradition to choose an engagement ring from the family's collection." Scorpius admitted to Lily's surprise. It looked as if it had been made for them. Scorpius saw that Lily wished to question him further about the ring so he continued. He explained that when he had first seen the ring he'd asked himself the same questions. He wanted to know more about it's origins and the people it had belonged too.
"I found this ring in the family vault at Gringotts. It's goblin made and dates from the 11th century. I've spent some time researching its origins. From the old manuscripts in the vault, the ring was given to Gwendolyn Selwyn by Tiberius Malfoy. They were some of the first students to study at Hogwarts. He was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor. More than that, we haven't been able to find out."
Lily didn't miss the word 'we'. "So that's what you have been doing with Albus and Duanne? Researching this ring once you'd picked it out?" Lily asked and Scorpius' smile turned sheepish.
"Some of the time…yes. However some of the times I said I was with them I was actually asking your parents, grandparents and every one of your uncles for permission to ask you to marry me."
"You didn't!" Lily squealed in astonishment. "How did that go? Did they know you were going to ask me tonight?" Lily was full to the brim with questions.
"Your uncles Ron and George needed more convincing than the others but I managed to get their blessing…obviously," he added with a smile and brushed his lips lovingly against her forehead. "They don't know that I asked you tonight, only that I planned to ask you soon. How should we tell them?"
Lily thought for a moment. There was no way she could keep the news secret for long. She was just too happy about it. "The ball tomorrow seems a perfect time." Lily concluded and Scorpius agreed it was a good idea. "Are you sure your grandfather wont be there. I don't fancy running into him twice in one weekend." Lily asked after a moments pause.
Scorpius held his fiancée and caressed her shoulder reassuringly. "He said not. But should he appear, then he would have to deal with all your family, who will be there as well as many ministry officials. What exactly can he do?" The question was left unanswered. The two young lovers lay in each others arms thinking that their lives were absolutely perfect.
So… what do you think? I really hope you enjoyed reading it. x
