Bound for Glory

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned, I am making no money from this, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental. This work will contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing graphic sex, nudity, etc.), and/or violence. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! You have been warned!

XXX

Lily sighed in a resigned sort of way, standing outside the condo building she now called home, waiting for her mother to come and pick her up for the highly dreaded Ladies' Society luncheon. She'd even gone so far as thinking about pretending to be sick, but she'd had a feeling her mother wouldn't buy it. She never had when Lily tried it to get out of school as a kid, anyway.

So the young redhead had gotten dressed up in some of her sexiest, if not quite naughty, lingerie beneath her most respectable clothes. It was a juxtaposition that made her smile. Her real self and the woman she was with her fiance in the privacy of their own home underneath the demure, refined look their mothers expected her to emulate through looking bland and fashionably boring. At least, as bland and boring as a tall, violently redheaded woman who sometimes, in the worst possible moments, said the wrong thing, could be.

And when she slid into her mother's car, noting the elder redhead's look of forced cheerfulness, Lily was certain her day was bound to be awful. "Oh Lily, honey, you look just darling," Ginny Potter gushed.

Lily glanced down at her fitted pencil skirt in soft charcoal that almost flawlessly matched Scorpius's charcoal Armani suit, and the white button down blouse with subtle, but pretty, lace accents. She'd risked her mother's wrath by donning her newest pair of shoes, the almost blinding, lime green pumps with the wicked, pencil thin, four inch heels in silver, fashioned to look like snakes. "Thanks, Mom," she sighed, and pulled her sunglasses off her head as they pulled out of the condo building's drive. "Although, just for the record, these clothes are completely overpriced."

Ginny waved a vague hand. "Talk to Astoria, honey, you know how she is. And you must admit, the woman has divine taste and a damn good eye. You really do look lovely, Lily." The redhead pulled a face, because that wasn't the point. The point was, she didn't want Scorpius's mother to go out and buy her a four thousand dollar suit, from some high end designer, because that, while it had fit her like a glove, was something she didn't think remotely necessary or appropriate. Even for a belated 'birthday gift' that had been delivered early that morning with a note instructing her to wear it for lunch.

"I just wonder, honey…" Ginny said after a moment of silence where Lily cursed her future mother in law, "are you really just going to leave your hair...free like that?"

The younger redhead narrowed her hazel eyes, the green and gold flecked brown orbs almost disappearing. "Yes, Mother, that was the plan," she said, bitterness evident in her tone. She'd spent loads of time deep conditioning and combing out the ever-present snarls from her mane that morning, and even woven in a few heat-enhanced curls to make her tresses seem a tad less unruly. But her mother, of course, had to point out that she could still never claim to have succeeded in taming the dark red beast.

"Hm," Ginny said, with a quick glance at her daughter. Seeing her grouchy, mulish expression the older woman quickly pasted on a smile. "At least it suits you," she added at last, and Lily rolled her eyes after she'd turned to look out the window.

They finally arrived at the exclusive country club, the valet taking Ginny's car, and Lily pasted on a smile that made her cheeks hurt with the effort as they breezed into the dining area. Most of the women from Lily's last attendance were already seated, and drinking, and she quickly ordered herself a mimosa after they said their hellos and were seated, ignoring her mother's warning look. Alcohol, Lily was certain, could only make this endeavor bearable.

By the time Lily got home, all she wanted was to have Scorpius fold her into his arms and promise her that once they were officially married, she'd never, ever, have to have lunch with his mother ever again. She unlocked the front door to Scorpius's condo, undoing the buttons on her blouse with her free hand with the intention of taking her bra off the second she walked in the door. She sighed as the door closed behind her, kicking off her shoes as she turned the deadbolt, and managed the first genuine smile of the afternoon when she heard, quite distinctly from behind, "I almost wondered if you would be home before dinner."

The redhead turned, golden hazel eyes meeting dark, storming grey ones, and she let her fiance pull her into a tight hug. "Never let me go to one of those things again," she sighed, melting into his embrace, and Scorpius lifted his brows.

"You mean it wasn't all your idea in the first place, darling?" he teased.

"Fuck off," Lily sighed, and the tall blond chuckled. "Your mother is awful," she added, and Scorpius felt something akin to fury rising within him. He was painfully aware that his mother would never dole out affection, or praise, and was the epitome of cruel and cold hearted when she chose to knock someone down to size, and for an instant, Scorpius couldn't help but wonder if his loathsome mother had possibly said something to offend the lovely redhead who curled into him further, arms around his neck and face buried in his collar. "But you're amazing, so I can't even hate her."

Scorpius sighed, putting his chin on her head, hands smoothing with relish up and down her back, at last sliding up under her untucked and undone blouse. Lily's lips pressed against his throat. "You can hate her," he murmured. Everyone else does.

"Not really," the redhead murmured, even as her lips kissed and sucked ever so gently up his neck.

"Why ever not?" he asked, smirking as he unzipped her skirt. She moaned, soft and quiet, in the back of her throat as he smoothed his hands over the curve of her ass.

"She made you," Lily said simply, pulling away enough to tilt her head up and kiss him on the mouth. "And I love you," she added, her lips brushing over his at the admission and Scorpius smiled, heart swelling with love and desire.

"A happy accident, I'm sure," he rumbled. "At least the part where that vile harpy managed to spawn such a delightfully loveable, and detestably attractive, man as myself," he added, and the redhead smiled, then lifted onto her toes, pressing her breasts and the long, lithe expanse of her body against him more firmly. He shoved her skirt down and Lily stepped out of the puddled fabric as he lifted her and carried her back to the second bedroom.

Much later, after dinner, Lily had crawled into the massive raised bed in the master bedroom to sleep, while Scorpius stayed up, finishing a few things for a new case he'd been leafing through at work and the next few days in court, making notes to go over the possible angles for cross examination from the prosecution team with his star witness. When he finally flicked off the light in the living room room, moving to the bedroom where Lily was snuggled up under the sheets, fast asleep already after her day, and probably due to the four mimosas she'd admitted to having with lunch, he couldn't help but smile a little.

His fiancee was mumbling to herself while she dreamed, and as Scorpius undressed and got ready to slide into bed with her, he listened in. She groaned and then whimpered in sleep, and mumbled something again, but when the blond finally turned to glance at her, his smile faded. Lily was moving her legs, as if she was running, and moaned loudly. Only it wasn't the sort of moans he was used to hearing and coaxing from his redheaded love. It was the sort that made something like dread curl in his belly, and his brows pull together in concern. He watched and listened as she quieted, pulling on pyjama pants and nothing else, and then padded over to the bed.

Just as he was about to slide in with her, Lily moaned again and said, quite clearly, "No, no… I don't want it." Scorpius's brows pulled together further still, concern now etching his brow and framing his mouth in deep frown lines.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen Lily have a nightmare in the admittedly short time they'd lived together. Hell, even including before that, when she'd half lived with him without actually getting her mail delivered, he'd seen a few nightmares. They were usually wrestling matches with the linens, and there was occasionally grunting or mumbling, but it seemed, of late, Lily's nightmares had become not just more vocal and clear, but, if the thrashing was any indicator, much more intense overall. And he'd also noticed they'd become much more frequent in recent weeks.

Of course, Scorpius knew that stress undoubtedly played a factor, what with Lily on the verge of her first exams for art school, the wedding planning and both of their godawful mothers. And perhaps most of all, the whole mess with two murdered women and a man who seemed entirely too preoccupied with her in the blond's private opinion. But Lily hadn't brought it up in the slightest, even the few times he'd woken her from her nightmares, and Scorpius was hesitant to do so himself. He couldn't fix the problem for her, with money or muscle, and there was a part of him the hated that helplessness, and didn't want to draw attention to it. Scorpius was so used to being in control, almost obsessively at times, that when he wasn't, and he couldn't influence or change the situation, he felt so far out of his depth he feared those he loved most, namely Lily, would think less of him. And now, with the sexy and soft redhead's nightmares, there was a distinct sense of letting her down by not helping her fix the problem, or even doing it for her.

Just as he reached for her, Lily's golden hazel eyes popped open, mouth parted as if to scream, and she jerked back, half sitting up with a choked cry. The blond, helpless as he felt, tried not to let the rejection sting, and in the next breath Lily let out a sob, climbed into his lap, and grasped him, throwing both arms around him and squeezing tight, as if to reassure herself he was truly there. "Oh God, Scorpius," the redhead gasped, and Scorpius felt her shuddering breath against his neck as she buried her face into him before the hot drops of her tears.

"Shh, it's alright, everything's fine, darling. I'm right here with you, my love," Scorpius said in a low reassuring tone, as if coaxing her to try something new in their playroom, like the time he'd tried her in the sling that could hang from the ceiling. His hands rubbed soothing circles against her naked back and he let out a breath slowly as she began to relax against him.

"Sorry," she breathed several moments later, after she'd calmed and all but melted against him, and he felt her lips against his neck, brushing his skin tenderly.

"Nothing to be sorry for, darling," Scorpius said, and even as he felt her hips roll ever so slightly against him, as if testing the waters of his wanting for her, he pulled back. "But this is the second time in as many weeks you've woken up from a nightmare that had you on the verge of screaming in fear, Lily," he said softly, hoping she'd be willing to open up to him, give him some angle, some possibility to help her. Something more than a warm willing body to distract her from whatever was eating at her subconscious.

The redhead shrugged, not looking at him, and pushed a hand through her hair, which Scorpius read as hesitance. "Some people have nightmares," she said softly, obviously trying to dismiss the event.

Scorpius hesitated himself, not wanting to push her past being comfortable, but still wanting to help. "You don't have to talk about it, Lily," he said, lacing his fingers through hers as he grasped both her hands. "But if you want to," he continued when she finally looked up, tawny hazel eyes filled with uncertainty meeting his gaze, "I'll listen and try to help any way I can." He lifted their joined hands to brush his mouth against the middle knuckle of her ring finger, the emerald winking at him in the dim light Scorpius hadn't yet flicked off.

"I love you," Lily said, leaning in to kiss him, soft and slow, and Scorpius, despite habit, let her lead until she broke away. "I just… I can't…" The blond waited, patiently hopeful, as she tried to find the right words. "It's usually the same nightmare," she said. "Sometimes there's minor differences, but it's always the same. I'm running, and I don't want to look behind me, because the person chasing me is gaining, and I just need to keep running," she said, keeping her eyes open to try and stave off the curling tendril of terror resurfacing in her belly. "But I always hit a dead end, and then…" She sucked in a breath, trying to get ahold of herself, resisting the silly urge to make sure nothing was actually around her throat, and said, "And then the person chasing me catches me, and…" The redhead hesitated, half afraid to tell the truth, and then, knowing she couldn't keep it from him forever, she said, "And then they try to strangle me to death." Scorpius opened his mouth to say something, but then Lily, knowing she had to tell her fiance everything, added, "And it's Avery. He's trying to strangle me, like-"

Scorpius released her hands to catch her as she broke off abruptly, crumpling into him again, back to being an irrational, emotional mess. "Lily," he breathed, holding her close, rubbing those soothing circles on her back as she tried to hold back the urge to sob all over him. "Let it go, darling," he murmured, kissing her cheek, and the redhead broke down.

And as her defences crumbled the rest of it, the truths she'd never mentioned before, through the tears, and sniffles, and hiccups, it all came pouring out. Even when Scorpius's face turned stony, and his eyes grew ominously flat, she told him about every last time she'd seemingly accidentally bumped into Avery outside Scorpius's presence since their first meeting. And how, when she'd last seen him, he'd scared the living shit out of her, and kick started the terrifying nightmares that went from weird, scary dreams to absolutely terrifying night terrors that left her a wreck. She was all but certain, when she stuttered to a stop, her fiance loathed her. Hell, she'd all but lied, hadn't she? Omission of the truth, to Lily, was just as bad, and they already knew just how serious they both took their unequivocal trust in one another. She was positive Scorpius would see her failing to mention that she'd run into Avery, knowing how he felt about the man already around her, as breaking his trust.

"I'm going to take care of that," Scorpius said, blinking and looking into her eyes after tilting her chin up, then kissed her gently. "And you can stop looking like you're braced for the worst, my darling. There is no way my displeasure in what you've just told me is in any way directed at you." The redhead could only blink, still braced for the fight she'd been all but certain would arise. "I do wish you'd told me sooner," the blond admitted, frowning for a beat, but then his face smoothed when he stroked her cheek, "because I'd have made sure that much sooner that bastard never makes an appearance in our life again."

Lily almost choked on her relief as she hugged Scorpius tight again, one hand pushing up the back of his neck and into his hair as all the love and adoration and respect for the grey eyed, blond, well built man who'd gone from her lover to the love of her life poured through her in the wake of her relief. "I thought you were going to hate me," she said, voice wobbly as tears of mingled joy and the release of her fears threatened to spill from her eyes and all over her fiance. Again. "I thought you'd be mad I didn't-"

"Lily," Scorpius murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth and smiling adoringly, looking at her with those dark grey eyes that knew every intimate inch of her body and soul. "I've told you before, my love. You can keep your secrets, for now, but if I'd asked if you bumped into him, or you'd withheld that information to hurt me, then I would be angry with you." She snuggled into the comfortable space between neck and shoulder, and breathed deep the comforting smell that was just Scorpius. "And I could never, in this lifetime or probably the next if you actually believe in that esoteric reincarnation business I've seen you reading, hate you, Lily," Scorpius breathed.

Lily couldn't resist smiling at that, just a little bit, and shifted herself slightly upon Scorpius's lap, rubbing her breasts against his chest as she did, mouth puckering into a lazy kiss against his flesh. "I love you," she breathed.

"And I love you," he murmured, hands smoothing, slow and gentle, down her back before lightly grasping her ass cheeks, one perfect creamy globe in each hand. "Are you feeling better now, my darling?" he purred, voice lowering and roughening into her most favourite bedroom voice.

"Yes," she gasped, unable to resist rolling her pelvis teasingly against Scorpius's, feeling the growing ridge of his arousal through only a thin barrier of cotton that was still too far away from being enough.

"Very good. And would you like to put all the unpleasantness we've just discussed aside until the morning, my slut?" Scorpius asked, eyes going that perfect charcoal hue that made her only think of coming for him, as hard and loud as she could.

"Yes," she panted, the word coming out in a squealing almost-whine, even as her pelvis rocked steadily against Scorpius's erection, trying for more despite the barrier of his damnable pyjama pants.

"Yes?" Scorpius prompted one blond eyebrow cocking expectantly as he grasped her hips hard enough to cease her motions, and making Lily's nipples tighten as her pussy started drooling in anticipation. She might have laughed at how easily Scorpius could turn her on entirely, and how he'd damn near trained her pussy for a Pavlovian response, but she was too excited by the prospect of late night sex on a weeknight to focus on much else.

"Yes, Master," she amended quickly, and groaned as her fiance, the man she loved entirely and trusted with her life, dipped his head and pressed a kiss atop her left breast.

"Very well," he murmured, and his gaze flicked back up as he lifted a hand, cupped her cheek, and kissed her with all the tenderness she knew he could possess, when the mood struck, or when he was making love to her. And when he pulled back she smiled, because Lily knew that after a kiss like that, her soon to be husband was going to make her scream with delight before they fell asleep. And she couldn't fucking wait.

By the time Lily woke the next morning, the sun had risen fully and then some, and came pouring through the wall of windows, leaving her feeling exquisitely warm as she stretched and sat up, Scorpius was long gone, and she felt better than she had in ages. The heavy weight that had lifted after her confession last night was still gone, and she felt, especially feeling pleasurably sore as she slid out of bed and padded, naked, to the bathroom, light as air. And with a smile, she started her day, trying to think of a way she could repay Scorpius for being so utterly understanding as she showered and dressed and tried to tame her hair as best she could by braiding it into a thick plait that drooped over her shoulder.

Six hours later, Lily, dressed in slacks, a blouse, and a jacket she'd never worn before then, a Christmas gift a couple years back from her mother she reckoned, slid behind the wheel of her new birthday present, took a deep breath, and started the thing up. She looked for a beat, as she adjusted her mirrors, at her reflection and the green-gold eyes that stared back at her, and said firmly, "If you scratch it, it's not a big deal. He can probably afford a new one anyway, and you're only driving to do something unexpected and nice for him." Lily gulped, trying to convince herself with one last hard glare, then carefully backed out of her parking space and out of the parking garage. She donned her sunglasses after a faintly nerve wracking twenty minute drive, feeling like she was almost taking her damn test again, fed the meter a handful of coins after beeping her shiny and now very blue in the sun car locked, and hurried up the steps into the courthouse.

Lily had always wondered what seeing Scorpius in court would be like, how he would look, and handle himself, unable to help picturing a suave television persona in her ignorance. And, she had noticed, that throughout the case he'd been working on lately, especially since things had apparently started to turn around for them, her fiance seemed relatively certain his client might actually be innocent. So she'd made the decision to surprise him, and after a few phone calls and an internet search or two, Lily had finally come to not only watch Scorpius in action, but be there to root for his side, not necessarily the client but her fiance's efforts still.

The redhead was still nervous as she was checked through security, got pointed in the right direction for the correct courtroom, and filed into the large, rather plain courtroom and shuffled along with other curious members of the public to sit somewhere in the middle, on the right side of the room. She noticed a few members of press, all crowding the front and carrying recording devices and notepads, and she wondered if that was normal, and how Scorpius could actually do his job under that kind of pressure. She was certain she'd never have the balls for that sort of public display, even if she'd, on occasion, gotten off in public.

She watched with delight as the various players came into the courtroom, unable to resist watching Scorpius, who hadn't spotted her, talking quietly to his client, who nodded, looking distinctly edgy, while some other man got several things ready for Scorpius. Lily then peeked at the other side, seeing the prosecution lawyers shuffling their notes, also talking amongst themselves, and suddenly she felt inexplicably nervous. She let her tawny hazel eyes drift back to Scorpius, watching the back of his blond head, and she smiled faintly to herself. The room quieted and they all stood when the judge came out and the jury members, looking like normal enough people to Lily, filed into their little box.

The redhead found the process droned on a little more than television had made her believe, but then a witness was called and she watched Scorpius rise from his seat after the woman had been sworn in, and clap his client on the shoulder briefly before moving forward. Her spot wasn't the greatest, but she still managed to be able to see her fiance, and she could certainly hear the familiar timbre of his voice.

She sat there the entire time he questioned his witness, the smooth delivery of words that the redhead would've definitely stumbled over, in awe. But Scorpius, as she watched him, almost mesmerized, didn't falter, and she felt her heart pounding with admiration and pride as he questioned his witness. This not only flawlessly handsome and physically beautiful man, with the biggest heart buried under a sometimes prickly and oftentimes cocky veneer, was also eloquent, well-spoken, and wickedly smart. And he was all hers, forever.

"Just one last question, Miss Jackson," he said, and Lily, along with everyone else, waited with bated breath. "What colour is Mr. Mercer's car?"

Lily, who could only see the tiniest bit of the witness, could hear the obvious confusion, as if that were something Scorpius hadn't intended to ask her while she was on the stand, when the girl replied. "It's white. A white Ford."

"Thank you so much," he replied warmly, and then added, with a pointed glance to the prosecution, "Nothing further."

By the time Scorpius's questioning had wrapped up, Lily was feeling so unbearably proud of Scorpius she wanted to run up and throw her arms around him while kissing him silly, but held herself in check. She glanced at her phone, realized she would run out of time on her meter in about a half hour, and as the prosecutor stood and made his way forward to cross examine the witness, the redhead slid, with a few murmured apologies to those between her and the aisle, out of her row and toward the exit. She glanced back just as she reached the large double doors where a guard stood, looking sombre, and smiled a tiny bit at the back of Scorpius's head.

"Thank you," Lily whispered as the bailiff stood aside to let her exit, and as she crossed the threshold, the redhead glanced back one last time at her fiance, to find a pair of curious, mildly confused grey eyes looking back at her. She gave a tiny wave of her fingers with a dazzling grin and slipped out. Once back in her car, she pulled out her phone to send a text to Scorpius, knowing he'd wonder why the hell she'd randomly shown up to the trial, and for such a short time, when she'd never showed much interest in seeing him working before.

Just wanted to lend some moral support for the best defence counsellor in the city before I go play with my paints. You were amazing! I'm so proud of you, Scorpius, and I hope the rest of your day in court goes as well as your line of questioning. :) XO

By the time Scorpius read the message, Lily was far into the zone painting with her phone turned to silent and didn't see the text that he sent in reply until she was getting ready to drive home to her fiance and, hopefully, dinner already prepared.

You missed the best part where my witness told the prosecutor, politely of course, she might serve fried chicken for a living, but she wasn't stupid, during cross examination. And how she proceeded to name off four different orders, what time they usually came in at, and the even the totals for regulars she knew by name at her establishment, until the judge cut her short.

But I never thought having someone watch me in court would make my day like you did, darling. I'm looking forward to repaying the favour later tonight.

XXX

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy new year everyone! May all your hopes and dreams come true, and may you be healthy and happy! :) Thanks for making it a wonderful year, and I can't wait to see you all in 2020.