Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.

Note - So, here is the next chapter. I mostly focused on the relationship between Lily and Scorpius. Mainly on it's development since its beginning. There's also the start of some new feelings, good and bad. Fights are brewing and problems are arising. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the chapter.

Slytherin's Potter

Chapter Fifty-Four: Full of Guilty and Full of Love

Lily hated the odd feeling that kept clawing her in her gut. Her classes were almost done, which meant that she would be talking with her parents soon. And since her last class today happened to be History of Magic, she had a lot of time to think since she didn't have the focus to listen to Professor Binns.

She hated Brunt with every fiber of her being. She wanted to watch that woman burn, and Lily had promised herself and her friends this morning that she would. No one crossed Lily Luna without getting bit in the ass.

"Lily! Wake up! Class is over!" Lola exclaimed, pushing on Lily's shoulder.

Lily blinked a few times, coming out of her thoughts. She stood up and picked up her bag, her movements on autopilot. Hugo, Jace, and Lola were all waiting for her.

"So, what's your next move, cuz?" Hugo asked as they left the classroom.

"I'm supposed to go straight to the Brown's office. My mum and dad are waiting there, I guess," she muttered.

"Just tell them the truth," Lola told her.

"Aunt Ginny does like brute honesty," Hugo said with a small scoff. He glanced at Lily. "Want me to come with?"

Lily shook her head. "No, I think I need to go this alone." They stopped walking just near the stairs. She sighed. "Well, I'll see you guys later. Hugh, you coming to our common room after dinner?"

Hugo nodded. "Totally. I need help with that Transfiguration essay, so Lola's gunna help me," he replied.

Lily nodded, ignoring her best friend's eager look. "Cool. If I don't come to dinner, I'll see you there."

"Alright. Later, cuz."

"See ya 'round, Lil."

"Good luck, Lily."

Lily watched as the three descended the stairs, and hurried to get onto another set before it moved away from them. Then with another sigh, she turned around and began to walk towards the headmaster's office.

"Hey, Potter!"

Lily tensed at the name, and at the sound of Wilde's voice. Lily turned and glared immediately at her and McLaggen. "What the fuck do you want, Wilde?" she hissed.

"Keep your boyfriend away from Cody and Logan!" Wilde exclaimed angrily.

Although still annoyed and angry, Lily looked at Wilde with suspicion and confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Try to keep your boyfriend's leash a bit tighter. I mean, I didn't think he and his friends were really low enough to jump two fifth years for no reason," Wilde spat.

Lily's mind flashed back to her and Scorpius's argument from the night before. He'd been furious, but it hadn't actually crossed her mind that Scorpius had beaten anyone up. But as Lily thought about it harder, he did slightly hint at it. And his friends? Had he really gotten his friends to jump two boys? And now that she thought more about it . . .

"I didn't see Cody or Murdock in class today," Lily mentioned quietly.

"Yeah, they're resting in the Hospital Wing. They're waiting for their bruises and cuts to fade, and for some of their bones to move back in place," McLaggen sneered.

Lily rubbed her temples. This was too much to deal with today. "Look, I've got to go to the headmaster's office, which is much more important than two little boys getting their asses kicked," she told them. Then without a thought, she brushed by them, walking away.

She sighed as she waited for the gargoyle to move. Another thing to deal with. How to react to Scorpius's actions. The odd thing for Lily was that even though they all seemed to know that Scorpius and the other guys jumped those boys, Scorpius wasn't in trouble. No detentions that she heard of, nothing. Why hadn't those girls or boys ratted him out?

Lily knocked, but this time waited before walking in. She was in no hurry for this to happen.

"Come in, Lily!" Professor Brown called.

With a deep breath, Lily opened the door and stepped inside. Her insides churned at the sight of her mum and dad in the room. Her mum was sitting down, but her dad was pacing the floor. Professor Brown was standing behind his desk.

Lily forced a smile. "Hello, sir. Mum, Dad," she greeted as she stepped farther into the room. Professor Brown moved around his desk.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "They've requested to speak to you alone," he said quietly. "Be calm, and good luck." And then he was leaving her alone in the room . . . with her parents.

Lily glanced over at both of them. Her father had stopped pacing, and now stood next to the desk. Her mum was still sitting. "So, you wanted to talk to me?" Lily ventured, feeling awkward around them.

Harry pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. Lily could tell that it was a clipping from a newspaper, and her money was guessing that it was the article about her. "Imagine our surprise when we read this," he said, his face eerily calm.

Lily sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Look, a lot of that article was a lie. Except for the part about my excellence at potions," she admitted.

"So you really took your O.W.L. your third year? And your N.E.W.T. last year?" Ginny questioned.

Lily nodded. "Yeah. Perfect scores on both."

"And you didn't tell us this? I mean, Lily this is fantastic!" Ginny told her.

Lily shrugged as she moved a little closer to them. "James and Albus were always around, and I wasn't going to let them downgrade something I was proud of."

"They wouldn't do that," Ginny argued.

"Yes they would have, Mum," Lily retorted. "That's why I hate that it's public. If I ever run into Albus, he's probably had time to line a dozen half-witted remarks about it. Like, I cheated, Slughorn showed favoritism, the list could go on. And Merlin knows what James could cook up!"

"Look, Lily, your brothers love you, no matter what fight you're having," Harry protested.

Lily scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Love me? James denies having a sister. Albus calls me a tramp and attacks me during Quidditch matches. They ostracize Hugo because he hangs out with me. They hate me. And honestly, that's fine with me, because I hate both of them," she replied.

"You three are family," Ginny pointed out.

"Family has to do with love, which has nothing to do with us three anymore. Teddy is the only brother I admit to having now. I want no part of James and Albus. They are both terrible and disgusting egomaniacs. My image happens to be a bit cleaner than theirs," Lily told them.

"This fight–,"

Lily interrupted her father. "It has nothing to do with the fight anymore!" she exclaimed. "I've seen and heard of what they've done. I want no part of it. If I'd been a Gryffindor with them, I probably would be a whore. James sleeps around, even with his brother's girlfriend, Albus has sex with a drunk girl in a closet, they both hate all Slytherins just because of a past that has nothing to do with them, and then they try to act superior while they do it all. I want nothing to do with them!"

"So that's what the article meant by 'renouncing the Potter name?'" Harry said with steel in his tone.

"I haven't renounced my name," Lily argued.

"Even the headmaster admitted that you don't like to be called Lily Potter," Ginny told her.

"No, I don't. Because at Hogwarts, it's associated with Albus and James. And you know my feelings about them. And I don't like to be called it outside of school because when I model, I like that I'm popular because of myself and not my father. I like being out of a shadow and in my own light," Lily explained. "The social idea of the name Potter is like a chain, and I don't want to be tied down with it. But that doesn't mean I hate it or renounce my family. I just like being known by my name without my dad's legacy trailing behind."

"Lily," Ginny said softly, "I can understand that you don't want be cast in your father's shadow. It's a lot to live up to. But this thing with your brothers . . . it has to stop."

"It's not just with them," Lily retorted. "Rose follows along too. And it's not just with me. They hate and disregard anyone who doesn't conform to the 'high and mighty ways of Gryffindor.' They argue with, and disapprove of, Dominique because she's in love with Mitch, they hate me for being a Slytherin, and they ignore Hugo because he finally got tired of being a robot. Don't make it seem like it's just between me and James and Albus. We might have started it, but they went and spread their attitude around to whoever they could." She looked at both of her parents firmly. "And honestly, I think it's time that people learn that they aren't saints!"

A silence rang around the room, and Lily almost felt choked by it. She knew it was pointless. Her parents would probably never see James or Albus in the way they really were. Yet they could see how Lily was making mistakes easily.

"And you are a saint?" Harry asked.

Lily scoffed. "I'm no saint, and I've never claimed to be one. And it seems that some people will never understand that I'm not perfect," the last part came out as a whisper. Her parents looked at each other, and then her mother opened her mouth to speak, so Lily beat her to it. "Is there anything else we need to talk about? I told the others I would meet them in the common room. And I need to talk to Scorpius before he goes and studies for his N.E.W.T.s."

Harry wrapped his knuckles on the desk. "You know, from what I hear, you spend an awful lot of time with Scorpius," he mentioned.

Lily raised a brow. "He is my boyfriend. But, who is your source?" she demanded.

"This is according to Albus and Rose. I hear that he hardly leaves your side. And that he punched your brother," Harry commented.

"Yeah, he did. After Albus called me a tramp. I know, it's terrible that a boy would stick up for a girlfriend. Lysander had it right when he let other guys call me a bitch," Lily mocked.

"From what I'm hearing, I don't like this relationship between the two of you," Harry replied.

Lily glared at her father. "Isn't that a tragedy, because I'm not breaking up with him. And besides, what you've probably heard is a crap ton of biased lies, seeing as how Rose and Albus don't like Scorpius or me."

"What your father is afraid of," Ginny interceded, "is that you and Scorpius might be moving a little too fast. You haven't been dating for that long."

"I never thought we were moving too fast," Lily replied.

"From my understanding, and my own eyes now, you're wearing his ring!" Harry argued.

Lily glanced down at the Slytherin ring on her finger. "Yes, I am. It was a birthday gift."

"So you started wearing his ring after, what, a month or so of dating? And that's not moving too fast?" Harry retorted.

"You're putting too much meaning into it," Lily argued. "It simply means that I'm important to him."

"And he's a bit too old."

"He's only two years older than I am. We've been over that," Lily sighed.

"But you know what boys his age think!"

Lily rolled her eyes. Hadn't she just had this discussion last night with Scorpius? "Yes, Dad. I know that he thinks he's ok with waiting until I'm ready. And I know that I'm not," she mumbled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She ran a hand through her hair. "Look, can I go now? Because as fun and uncomfortable this conversation is, I still have homework to do, people to see, and a boyfriend to talk to."

"About what?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"About something concerning me and him," Lily retorted dryly. "Don't worry. Your thoughts are probably worse than what it's actually about."

Ginny sighed as she stood from where she sat and approached her daughter. "Look, sweetie, we're not angry or anything. We just want this problem with you and your brothers to be done. It's been five years now."

"As long as Albus stays away from me and keeps his mouth shut, then we really won't have a problem. As long as we avoid each other. We only have problems when we're together."


When she stepped into the common room, Lily scanned the people. She saw her friends over in a corner, but at the moment, they were the low on her priority list. And then the person she wanted to see came down the stairs with Lars and Mitch in tow. She stormed over to him.

Scorpius saw her coming, and smirked. "Hey, babe," he greeted. "Where were you, ya missed dinner?"

Lily grabbed his wrist. "We need to talk now!" she hissed, and began to pull him back up the stairs. She pulled him into his dorm room, and found Rex and Justin there, looking over a magazine with a band on the cover.

"Hey, Lil, Scor," Rex greeted.

Lily glared at them. "Get out," she commanded.

They both quickly stood up and moved out the door. Lily heard Rex whisper, "Good luck, bro." to Scorpius as he went by. The door closed, and Lily turned on her boyfriend.

Scorpius looked hesitant. "Is everything alright, babe?"

Lily glared at him too. "Where were you and the others when I was studying with the girls last night?" she demanded.

Scorpius's face contorted into thought. "We were hanging out around the common room. Why?"

Lily raised a brow. "Oh, so you and your friends weren't out jumping Logan Murdock and Cody Thomas? That wasn't what made you demand that I stop modeling?"

Scorpius's eyes shone with understanding. "Yeah, we were out doing that too. Why do you ask?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You beat up two little boys! Five big guys jumped two little boys!" she exclaimed.

Scorpius shrugged. "Shouldn't have had sick thoughts toward my girlfriend," he commented.

Lily made an exasperated sound. "You're impossible!" she groaned.

"You didn't mind when I hit Potter after he called you a tramp," Scorpius pointed out.

"Yeah, but these boys didn't actually do anything to me," Lily retorted.

"They treated you like a tramp in their heads. I consider it just as bad," Scorpius argued calmly.

She rolled her eyes again. "I think I actually give up," she muttered. She leaned her back against the door.

Scorpius chuckled as he moved to hover over her, placing his hands on the door, trapping her. His body vibrated as he chuckled. "Good, because you're stuck with me," he murmured, his lips brushing against hers. He then fully kissed her, his lips gentle and warm. He bit softly at her bottom lip, so Lily parted her lips. His tongue slid into her mouth immediately, probing and rubbing the inside of her mouth.

Lily sighed as she pulled away from his lips. "I guess I can live with that," she teased.


"I don't think I'll ever have a conversation with my parents that doesn't leave me feeling guilty," Lily whispered as she laid next to Scorpius that night. Her head was resting on his chest, his arm around her, the other under his own head. "Every time we talk, I never feel comfortable. My mind reminds me how I feel much more at home with your parents, and then I can't get rid of the guilt."

"It's not your fault. You can't help how you feel. Besides, it's not your fault they've found a way to see faults in you but not Albus or James," Scorpius murmured.

"It seems like all I ever do is disappoint them. For fighting with Albus and James, for going to a party, for getting in fights, having detentions. Like anything I do good is small and tossed aside." Lily closed her eyes and side. "They probably don't mean to."

"Don't feel guilty for feeling appreciated by those that love you," Scorpius told her. "My parents adore you. They're proud of you no matter what trouble you get into."

"That's the thing though. If I get into trouble, my parents are always disappointed in me, and then are suspicious that I'll make a mistake again. Like it's a crime for me to make a mistake. But . . . your parents are happy that I tried not to, and they understand that people make mistakes," Lily replied softly.

"My father understands the concepts of making mistakes. He admits that most of the things he did at Hogwarts and during the war were mistakes. He understands that all you can do is move on and try not to make another. And he understands when other people make mistakes," Scorpius explained. "Actually, if this problem with your parents starts to really get to you, you should write to him. He would probably understand the feeling of obligation toward parents more than anyone."

That idea floated around in her mind as Lily began to fall asleep. Yes. She would write to Draco.


Lily tapped her quill against the table in Transfiguration. She was still trying to figure out what to write in her letter to Draco. She didn't want to say something that could accidently offend him. Finally, she dipped the quill and ink and began to write.

"Dear Draco,

It might seem kind of weird that I'm writing to you, but you're probably the only person that can help me. It has to do with me feeling like part of the Malfoy family. Now, don't get me wrong, I love feeling like you're my father. But . . . I think that my feelings are starting to cause problems with my mum and dad. It's just that . . . every time we talk I'm not completely comfortable talking with them. And it makes me think of how comfortable I feel talking to you and Astoria. And then it makes me feel guilty. I . . . I feel like a bad daughter! I mean, I don't feel like their daughter. But . . . I feel guilty about it! I feel like I should feel more like their daughter! I . . . I just don't know what to do. Scorpius said that you would understand the most about feeling obligated to your parents. What should I do?

Love,

Lily"

Lily finished her letter and quickly folded it up and put it into her pocket. Then she looked back to Professor Bell, who was explaining what they would be working on for the next couple of lessons. She didn't pay full attention, her mind still on the letter in her pocket. Maybe she should write a letter to Astoria too.

"Now, let's all give it a try!" Professor Bell stated with a smile.

Lily sighed. Well, maybe she'd write it later.

"Thank Merlin it's time for break!" Jace said with a bit of cheer as they walked out of the classroom.

"I actually agree with you. I still need to finish up part of my Arithmacy essay," Lola murmured.

"You are no fun," Jace mocked.

"Um, Lily," a small and timid voice said from behind the three. They stopped and turned to see a surprising sight. Well, a sight that made Lily hesitant. Cody Thomas and Logan Murdock were standing there, their eyes looking anywhere but her, and their stances a little shaky.

"Yes?" Lily asked hesitantly. The two looked ready to melt or explode.

They both thrust something toward her. Lily looked at it in surprise. Each boy had a small stack of magazines in their hands. And on the top cover were pictures of her. "Here," Cody said with an almost hysterical voice. "Take 'em!"

"And we're really sorry if we upset or offended you," Logan rambled. "Please, just take them."

Lily heard Lola sighed. "I think a certain leader among Slytherins had something to do with this," she stated.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure he did." But at the boys' insistence, she took the magazines, and tried to tell them that it was "in the past and forgiven." The boys just nodded and then hurried away.

"Dude, Scor is the man!" Jace laughed.

"Little boys beware," Lola mocked with a laugh. "Lily's dating the B.M.C."

Lily laughed, but Jace looked confused. "The what?"

Lola rolled her eyes, but Lily spoke before she could. "It means 'Big Man on Campus,'" she told him.

"Oh," Jace said with a nod. Then he laughed. "Yeah, you are, huh?"

"Idiot," Lola muttered. Thankfully, Jace either ignored her, or just didn't hear her.

When the three entered the common room, Lily caught sight of Scorpius sitting with Lars and Tanner near the fireplace. She walked over to them, and without a word, dropped the magazines onto the table with a small slam. Tanner and Lars both looked over what she'd dropped, but Scorpius looked at Lily.

Lily raised a brow. "Explain?"

Scorpius shrugged as he grabbed the stack of magazines. "I couldn't very well let them keep them. They might do it again. So I told them they had three days to give the magazines to you and apologize for their disgusting actions," he explained, leaning back on the couch.

"When was this one taken, Lil? It's hot," Tanner complimented, looking at one of her in a green top and black lace skirt. Scorpius picked up one of the magazines, rolled it up, and smacked his cousin on the top of his head. "Ow!" Tanner complained, dropping the magazine in his own hands.

"Did you learn nothing from when we all jumped those two idiots?" Scorpius demanded.

"You're an idiot, man," Lars laughed.

Tanner just rubbed his head with a bit of a sour look. "Sorry, sorry. Just asking," he mumbled.

Lily picked up a magazine, rolled it up as well, and then smacked Scorpius lightly on the head. But he didn't complain like Tanner. He just looked at Lily with a raised brow of his own. Lily dropped the magazine. "Look, I don't want these. I have my own copies. So do what you want with them. In fact, you can prove me right on how you are no better than they are," she said as she walked away from the couch. But what she heard from Scorpius's mouth made her blush.

"Maybe I will."


"I am so pumped for the match next month!" Tanner exclaimed. The Slytherin team was walking to the pitch. It was their day to practice. One of the many days they practiced a week. And despite the chilly wind in the air, Tanner was the most pumped of any of them.

Lily stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets, trying to stay warm. "Yeah, let's just pray it's not this freaking cold!" she muttered.

Scorpius pulled her closer. "Ah, it's not so bad, babe. Once we get in the air and moving, you'll warm up," he assured.

Lily rested her head against his arm. "Air gets colder the higher you are," she pointed out.

"Don't be a downer, Lil! Be pumped!" Tanner told her as he opened the door to the locker room. Lily, and most of the others, sighed in relief once they walked into the warm locker room. They each moved to their individual lockers, and began to open them. Lily kicked off her shoes and pulled off her jacket. She slipped her shirt off, and she soon felt the burning gaze of Scorpius on her figure. Although Lily had kind of gotten used to his stare while she changed for practices, it still made her blush. Not that she was embarrassed really. It was always her back, and his gaze always left when she slid off her pants. But it was the intensity that made her flustered.

Once they had all gotten dressed, they each picked up their brooms. But Scorpius stopped them. "Wait a minute. We need to discuss our tactics for our match against Gryffindor," he told them.

"What's our plan?" Lars asked as he dropped down onto one of the benches.

"Well, remember Potter's challenge from earlier this year. I want their team crushed! I want Potter's mouth knocked off his face. He needs to remember just which team has been at the top of the school for years now. And if possible, I want Potter taken out!" Then he rolled his shoulders and sighed. "And I obviously got no problem with the guy, but I want Hugo taken out of the match. The best way to demolish them is to take out their Keeper and their Seeker. But, since he's a good kid, let's play fair with Hugo. Potter . . . play dirty if we have to when taking him out," Scorpius told them. He smirked. "Now let's go practice and freeze our asses off."

After practice, Lily was slow to shower. She was eager for the warmth of the water to take away the icy feel from her skin. She was practically shivering where she stood. She had been right. Once they were in the air, it was colder than on the ground. And when it started to sprinkle, the water only made it worse.

Lily could hear a muffled pounding on the door that led to the girls' showers. Then she could hear a quiet voice. "Babe? You still in there?"

Lily sighed as she turned off the water. The boys were probably dressed already. She'd been in there a long time. "Yeah, I'm just drying off," she yelled back as she picked up her towel.

"Well, I'll wait for ya out here then," he called back.

Lily sighed against she began to dry off. She didn't want to keep him waiting too long, so she quickly got dressed and threw her towel and practice uniform into the hamper for the elves to clean. When she stepped back into the locker room, Scorpius was the last one there. She smiled at him, and he smirked back. They were in a comfortable silence as she closed up her locker and slipped on her shoes. She picked up her broom and looked at him. He was looking back at her serenely.

"What are you thinking about?" Lily asked softly, not wanting to break the calming mood around the two of them.

"I'm thinking that I have the most beautiful and the loveliest girlfriend in the world," he murmured, his eyes never leaving her.

Lily blushed lightly as she stood from where she sat on the bench. "You seem very sure about that," she whispered as she approached him.

Scorpius wrapped his arms around her middle, his smirk turning into a small smile. "I am. I've yet to see anyone more beautiful, and for the most part, I have been around the world," he said gently. He pushed her hair away from her face.

"You are quite the charmer," she mocked weakly, trying to ignore how her heart was hammering.

He shrugged. "I call it being in love."

Lily felt her blood, her limbs, and time itself freeze. But her mind was still running. Running too fast for her to really focus. But one thing was obvious in her mind.

Love? Scorpius said he was in love. Scorpius admitted to being in love. Scorpius was in love . . . with her! Scorpius loved her! Scorpius Malfoy loves her! But . . .

Lily pulled away from his embrace and ran for the door. "I've gotta go!"


Lily slammed the door to her dorm room open. She opened her mouth to speak, but was beat to it by an ecstatic Lola.

"Hugo asked me out!" Lola squealed. "Can you believe it! He's got some awesome date planned! Says it's a surprise!" Lola was practically dancing where she stood.

"Yeah, we've been listening to this for fifteen minutes. Thanks for joining us in the torture," Megan muttered.

But Shannon seemed to notice Lily's windblown hair and uncertain and freaked out eyes. "Lily? Did something happen?" she asked carefully. Now, the other three girls also seemed to notice Lily's look. Lola stopped bouncing, Izzy put down her book, and Megan recapped her lip gloss.

Lily closed the door and took in a few deep breaths. "Scorpius . . . Scorpius told me that he loves me," she told them.

Four squeals sounded after her statement.

"That's fantastic!" Shannon exclaimed.

"You are soo lucky!" Izzy told her.

"Only you could bag a man like that," Megan complimented.

But before Lola said anything, she seemed to notice that Lily still wasn't excited or happy. "Lily, what happened?"

Lily pulled in a slow gulp. "He basically said that he loves me . . . and then I basically ran away," she admitted.

"You what?" Megan demanded.

"You ran away from him?" Lola asked a little more gently. She grabbed Lily's wrist and slowly pulled her to a bed, and forced her to sit. "Explain."

Lily sighed as she fell onto her back. "I don't know. It just . . . it threw me off guard! I didn't even know what to say."

"Well do you love him?" Lola asked gently.

Lily closed her eyes as the question ran across and paced her mind. Did she love him? Was that what she felt? She knew in her heart that Scorpius would always be a part of her life. Her mind couldn't even conjure an image of her future without him in it. Life without Scorpius seemed like an impossibility. And she knew that if she were to try and imagine the perfect man that Scorpius would come first to mind. He was the perfect balance of imperfections and perfections, as odd as it sounded. He knew when to be a gentleman, but he knew when to fool around and be a bit of a jerk. He knew when to take it slow, but he knew when Lily was in no mood for a slow pace. And yeah, he could be territorial, recent incidents being proof, but she knew that in the back of her mind, she thought it was slightly sweet. Not to mention thrilling.

But most of all, Scorpius balanced her. He helped her be calm when she was angry. Helped her feel better when it came to problems with her parents, or fights with her cousins or James and Albus. And he made her feel safe. She knew that when she told him something that he listened. That he cared. And when she was scared or hurt, or even just depressed and upset, he was comforting, and she always felt better.

Lily grabbed the pillow and brought it over her face. "How do you tell a man that you do love him, but just got freaked out when he said it?" she muttered through the pillow.

Squeals issued around her, but there was also a comforting pat on her knee. "You tell him exactly that. It's Scorpius. He'll understand," Lola assured.

"I hope so," Lily whispered.


Lily slept in her bed that night, and she found it painfully cold and depressing. Her morning was much the same, with the added worry that Scorpius would avoid her, or worse, break up with her. Of anything, that was her biggest fear.

"You're about to bite your lip off," Lola mocked lightly as she and Lily walked to the Great Hall. Lily had been biting her lip at different intervals since they woke up.

Lily licked where she'd just bitten. "Sorry. I'm just . . ."

"Nervous?" Lola offered.

"Among other things," Lily sighed. But then she pushed thoughts of the possible doom her relationship was about to face, and looked at her friend. "So, I never asked you how Hugo ended up asking you out?"

Lola giggled girlishly, which made Lily giggle as well. "Well, he asked me if I would help him revise for our O.W.L.s, since he had nothing going on and you had Quidditch practice. So we met up in the library, studied for a couple hours. But then he offered to walk me back. And when we got to the outside of the common room, he held out a book to me, and asked me to open it. Well, a page was marked by something, so I opened to that page. Inside was a pressed rose and a little paper that said 'Will you go out with me?'" she explained.

Lily almost laughed. "Wow. Huey thought of something semi-romantic?"

Lola did laugh. "Oh, I'm sure he had help with the idea. But the fact that he wanted something cute and romantic for me is enough in my mind," she sighed.

"And speaking of your knight in shining armor," Lily mentioned as they came up the stairs into the Entrance Hall. Hugo was standing near the doors to the Great Hall, apparently waiting for someone.

Hugo grinned as the two girls approached. He wore his sunglasses, which Lily guessed had to do with his look more than necessity. "Well, I wait for one of my favorite girls, and then I end up getting both," he complimented with a chuckle. Then, like a flash, he stuck his hand in his bag and then pulled it out again. In-between his fingers now laid a pale pink rose. He held it out to Lola.

Lola took it with a giggle. "Thank you," she murmured with a blush that matched the rose.

Lily rolled her eyes, but she smiled. She was happy for the two of them. Hugo grinned at Lily, as if he knew her thoughts. "So, where's Jace. Doesn't he usually walk with you two?" he asked as they turned to step into the Great Hall.

"No clue," Lily answered, since Lola didn't seem to care, and was too engrossed with looking over her flower. "We asked Xavier where he was, but he said Jace was gone by the time he'd gotten done with his shower."

"I don't seem him at the table either," Hugo said as he scanned the Slytherin table.

Lily scanned their table's occupants as well, but her target was completely different. And she found him, sitting among the other seventh year boys and the guys on the team, who were all talking around him. He, on the other hand, didn't seem to be saying or listening to a thing.

"Maybe you should talk to him now," Lola suggested to Lily.

"Talk to who?" Hugo asked.

"Later," Lola told him. Then she looked back at Lily. "You might feel better."

Lily began to bit her lip, but stopped herself. "Well, he actually has a free period when we have Potions, so I thought that I might tell Slughorn that I can't make it to help teach. It's just a continuation on what we went over yesterday, and it's not overly important to the O.W.L.s," Lily told them. So when they got to the Slytherin table, they walked passed the group of guys to take seats near the middle. But Lily had continued to look at Scorpius.

Too bad he wouldn't look back at her.

So, she stopped and walked back to the group. The boys got noticeably quieter as she approached, but Scorpius still didn't look at her. Mitch at least gave her a bit of a smile. "'Sup, Lil," he greeted.

Lily nodded. "Hey, Mitch," she greeted in return. Then she looked down at Scorpius. "Hey," she greeted, a little quieter.

Scorpius didn't look at her. "Hey," he said dully.

Lily felt her heart ache at his tone. "Um, can I talk to you after first class?" she asked.

"Don't you have to teach Potions?" Scorpius asked with the same droning voice.

She held back a flinch at his voice. "I'm telling Slughorn that there's something I need to do . . . if you're not doing anything."

He shook his head slowly. "No, I'm not."

Lily nodded, ignoring that sinking feeling in her gut. "Ok. I'll see you in your dorm room then?"

"Ok."

With another nod, Lily walked away from him. But her heart didn't follow her. Only its pain and uncertainty.


Lily and Lola finally saw Jace sitting alone in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was a bit surprising to already seem him ready for class.

"Wow, you're actually early?" Lola mocked playfully.

But Jace slowly turned to look at them, and his eyes were hard and angry. "Wow, you're still a bitch!" he spat lowly.

Even Lily was surprised at his attitude. Usually he was a bit more . . . well a little less hostile when he and Lola exchanged morning banter.

"What the hell is your problem?" Lola hissed.

"Your face!" Jace snapped. "Now why don't you go and sit with the other girls, so you can ramble on and on about all the worthless things you like!"

"Fine, I will!" Lola exclaimed. She picked up her books and moved away from Jace's table, sitting in one closer to the front. Lily just stood in the middle, unsure of what to do. They were both her friends, and Jace was obviously angry with something. But as Lily looked him over, it was obvious that he wasn't going to talk about it. So she trailed over to where Lola was now sitting.

"What's got his wand in a knot?" Lola muttered as she angrily pulled a quill from her bag.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to him since before practice last night," Lily replied. "What's happened since then?"

"How the hell would I know? I was with Hugo," Lola grumbled.

Lily sighed as she glanced back at their other friend. Xavier and Christian were now sitting with him, and they seemed to be talking with each other, obviously trying to include Jace. But Jace was still glaring ahead of him, quite pissed about something.

"I hope he's ok," Lily murmured.

"Well he better get over it, and pull that stick out of his ass!" Lola growled quietly.

Lily rolled her eyes. And just when she thought that fifth year would have a little less drama.


After Defense Against the Dark Arts, Lily gave Lola a note for Slughorn, giving an excuse as to why she wouldn't be there today. And then she rushed back toward the common room. Her heart was pounding at the prospect of finally talking to Scorpius. Why was it that last night seemed like an eternity ago?

When Lily got to the closed door to his dorm, she hesitated. Normally, she would have stepped right in, but now fear gripped her. What if he did break up with her? She wasn't eager to rush into that. So instead, she knocked.

"It's unlocked," Scorpius called out.

Lily closed her eyes. He still had that same tone to his voice. But she still opened the door. Scorpius was laying on his back on his bed. His hair was a mess around his head, his tie was loose, his collar popped up, and three buttons undone on his shirt. He looked relaxed, but by the look of his clenched jaw, she could see his tension.

She closed the door and stepped farther into the room. "So, . . . how was your first class?" she asked lamely, hating that she'd opted for small talk.

"Same as always. What did you want to talk about?" Scorpius demanded, getting straight to the point.

Lily sighed as she put down her bag and walked over to sit down next to him on the bed. "Can you please stop talking like that, it scares me," she whispered, wanting that tone to leave his voice.

"Like what?" he asked dully.

She closed her eyes briefly. "Like you've been around a dementor too long," she retorted.

"Maybe that's how I feel," he quipped.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, and then felt like an idiot for asking. But Scorpius jumped on it.

"Perhaps I feel like I can't be happy. After all, I admitted to loving a girl, and she ran away from me. I don't know, maybe I'm overacting." As he spoke, his voice slowly got louder, and slowly got angrier.

Lily sighed. "That's what I want to talk about," she told him quickly.

"If you're breaking up with me, then just do it, don't drag this out with a conversation!" Scorpius snapped lowly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "How about you shut up and I explain something," she said with a humorless laugh.

Scorpius shut his mouth and finally looked at her. He nodded, but didn't say a word.

So Lily started, trying to ignore the small blush forming on her cheeks. "Look, Scorpius, . . . when you told me that . . . I was surprised. It kinda shocked me, and . . . I didn't know what to say," she murmured.

"Saying 'I gotta go' was the perfect thing to say," he mocked.

She ignored him. "But once it all sunk in, I thought it over. And . . . and well it didn't take long to realize that . . ." she trailed off, unsure of how to say it. But that was stupid. It was three words, how hard was it to put them in order?

Scorpius sat up, and his gaze on her was intense. "That what?" he urged her to continue.

Lily licked her lips, her throat feeling slightly dry all of a sudden. She looked back at him. Even if his tone had been a bit dull today, his eyes were still stormy as he looked at her. But it was when she looked at him that her fear dissipated. Why was she so afraid to tell Scorpius something? After all . . . it was Scorpius!

"I do love you," she admitted bluntly and proudly. She brought in a deep breath. "I don't care that I'm fifteen, and I don't care if we apparently haven't been dating that long. I still love you."

A weight lifted off of her heart, letting it pound and bounce around her chest. Actually saying it out loud, and to Scorpius especially, it seemed so natural. Like it was the right thing to say. Like she was supposed to say it. It felt . . . right!

Scorpius was quiet for a moment, but it didn't unnerve Lily. He glanced down, his scowl overtaking his expression. "So, I'm not . . . crazy for feeling that way?" he muttered.

Lily shook her head. "No. And even if you are, then I'm ok with being crazy with you," she teased lightly.

Scorpius smirked, and a scoffed escaped his lips. "That's comforting," he murmured. He pulled one knee up and rested his chin on it. His gaze came back to her eyes. "So, you aren't going to break up with me? You don't think I'm too . . . possessive or quick-moving?"

Lily smiled at him, then leaned forward to brush her lips lightly against his. "I think you're just right."

Scorpius kissed her back, his hands moving to her hair like usual. But he pulled away not long after. He dropped back onto his back, but this time he pulled her down with him. She landed with a bit of a bounce next to him on the bed. But she welcomed it. She laid on her side next to him, a hand resting on his cheek. She gazed at him. His hair fell around his forehead and brow. And since he'd taken out the piercing from his brow, he claimed it was too much work to put in each morning, his brow had a slight pink mark from where the piercing had been. The storm that his eyes had been had calmed into a soothing silvery-grey. His jaw and chin were strong. His cheeks were covered in a bit of stubble, showing that he hadn't shaved that morning. Each of these little things made him . . . right.

"So, you really love me? Despite all the problems I include?" Scorpius asked teasingly.

Lily laughed softly. "I think I bring about more problems than you do, so I wouldn't even go there. And secondly, you may be overprotective and a 'primitive ass,' and you may have a tendency to be violent towards those that irritate you. But your pros outweigh the cons. Besides, I even love the cons about you."

Scorpius wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. He buried his face into her hair. "I think that I fell in love with the right girl," he murmured. "Good work for my first try," he joked.

Lily sighed happily, her breath fanning across his neck. This was right. This was perfect. This was home. This . . . this was love.