Mint Chocolate Chip

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 coincidence with real life is purely coincidental. This work may contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (mentions of 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!

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Lily called her parents after they dropped Bandit off with Marlena, and got her mother. "Lily, what a surprise, honey! You never call me anymore." Hazel eyes rolled.

"Hi, Mom," she said. "I'm not sure you'll want me to call anymore, after this," she added teasingly.

"Why not?" Ginny Potter demanded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said, and Scorpius smirked. It's actually all disturbingly great. "I'm just calling to let you now I won't be at Sunday dinner tomorrow. Or the week after that." There was a long pause, and the redhead fidgeted nervously, leaning against Scorpius's car in his parking garage.

"Why not?" Ginny Potter demanded immediately.

"Um, well," Lily said and then sucked in a fortifying breath. "I'm not going to be in town," she admitted at last. And then word vomit began spewing out of her, because she felt nervous, and anxious, and part of her was half hoping her mother would be furious with her, even if it was a tiny, inconsequential part. The rest was still feeling a definite sense of dread. Because even though she actually really wanted to go to Key West with Scorpius, there was almost no way, she was positive, if she did go, she wouldn't start feeling something other than simple lust for the tall, ripped, utterly handsome blond. "I'm going away with Scorpius, to Florida, and I've gotten the time off and everything, and even though I really want to have whatever you're making, I'm just not going to be here. Because I'm going to be with Scorpius. Although I'm almost positive the second I have dinner at a restaurant, I'm going to be thinking about how you could make everything taste better, but I really kind of want to go, so I'm not coming to dinner." She paused to draw breath and Scorpius laughed at her, making her temper flash. She shot him a dirty look.

"Oh Lily, honey, that's wonderful," her mother gushed. "A romantic getaway. Oh dear, I hope this means wedding bells might be ringing for you soon, honey." Lily grimaced.

"Not really, Mom," she said flatly, but Ginny merely sighed.

"Of course, it's perfectly fine if you miss dinner, honey. But I'm going to expect to hear all about this trip of your when you come back, you know. Oh, Lily, this is such great news!" Ginny said passionately. "Do you think he could be the one?" her mother added in a hushed voice.

"Mom, I am so not having this conversation with you," she said, blushing at the mere mention of things like the one, or wedding bells, with Scorpius standing right there, two feet from her. Her mother was off her rocker. "And don't expect anything anytime soon."

"Oh we'll see!" Ginny said. "I'll talk to you later, honey. And just remember, if you get pregnant, he'll pretty much have to marry you, so-"

"Goodbye, Mother," Lily said firmly, and hung up, feeling a little rattled, because there was a sliver of her that rather liked the thought of that. Things like marriage, and maybe a baby someday, with Scorpius.

"Good to go?" Scorpius asked, looking her over, and then frowned ever so slightly, the slightest furrow of his brows, the merest downward tilt to the corners of his mouth. "Or not?"

Lily wanted to tell him she was afraid if she went she'd fall in love with him. But that would mean admitting she might have more feelings than strictly lust for him, which was not an option. "Um, as good as expected," she said, because there was also no way in hell or heaven she could ever tell Scorpius what her mother had said to her. He'd run, probably laughing, for the hills for sure.

"Which makes me wonder if you're second guessing going altogether," Scorpius added. "Because you look like you're regretting even running it by your mother and surmounting all the reasons not to."

"I want to go," Lily said, because she did. She really fucking did. A week in someplace tropical, lying a beach, with absolutely no worries until she had to go home? Hell yeah! And Scorpius on top of that all, undoubtedly looking to continue the regular, phenomenal, sex they'd become accustomed to. "Really," she said, hazel eyes meeting his dark grey ones. "But…" She looked down, because she simply couldn't say it. "It's a lot," she said instead.

"Barely." He moved toward her, pulling her into his chest, and she couldn't resist snuggling in, feeling more secure while pressed against his solid warmth. "I want you to come because I'm a selfish bastard, and the thought of being away from you for the better part of a week makes me cringe a little. But if you feel uncomfortable, you don't have-"

Lily kissed him to cut him off, feeling a burst of joy at his words, because she wanted him more than ever, and decided she could handle another breaking of her heart. She couldn't handle not having him, even if it was foolish. The redhead simply had to have Scorpius while she could, because there was still a looming expiration date on her almost-relationship.

Lily called Rose as she started packing, Scorpius having gone to do the same after dropping her at her apartment. And even as she pulled her giant neon orange suitcase out of the very back of her closet, she felt numb by the prospect of, suddenly, going away for a week. "Hey, girl, what's up?" Rose asked after the line clicked on through the second ring.

"I'm packing to go to Key West, Florida, and I have nothing to wear," she complained. She had a few bikinis, most of them in okay shape, but nothing fantastic, or new, that would wow Scorpius. She didn't think about why she wanted him to be wowed by her swimwear.

"Whoa, what? Since when are you going to Florida?" Rose said, sounding shocked.

"Since earlier today, when I got the okay to go from my boss at work. Which was kind of shocking, honestly."

"Holy shit. Do you need to come raid my closet?"

Lily bit her lip. "Yeah, kind of," she admitted, and sighed. "And I need to talk to you," she added, because although she was terrified of saying she might like Scorpius in a more than bedroom related type way, she knew Rose would give her sound advice.

"See you in fifteen then."

Ten minutes later, she was pulling up at Rose's building and hustled up the stairs after buzzing up, because she could get to the third floor faster than the dilapidated elevator, and knocked on her cousin's door, feeling a little on edge. And when Rose opened the door, smiling, Lily couldn't help but blurt out, "This is going to sound stupid-crazy, but I think I'm falling for him."

The redhead half expected her cousin to make a remark about that being obvious, or some such, but instead Rose's blue eyes widened, and her mouth fell open, and she looked absolutely floored. "What?" she breathed.

Lily licked her lips and swallowed thickly. "I…" She steeled her flagging courage and used sheer will to force her mouth and vocal chords to keep going. "I think I'm falling for Scorpius. Falling in love with him," she said and then hung her head in shame. The little fling that was supposed to be nothing but a bit of fun had, somehow, turned into a mess of feelings and wanting and needing the deliciously sexy blond. The redhead was confused even more when her cousin abruptly pulled her into her apartment, looking fierce, and all but slammed the door behind them.

"This is bad," Rose said once the door had shut and she'd locked them in, and pushed a glass of wine into Lily's hand.

"Why is this-?" the redhead began, but Rose merely gestured her to drink, doing the same from her own glass as Lily drank, before interrupting.

"I was going to ask you to come over tonight anyway because I need advice," Rose finally said desperately, looking almost manic. Lily sat on the couch as her cousin paced. "Only now with you doing what you always do and falling for a guy who gives you a few good orgasms, I don't even know if I can trust your judgement!"

"Rose, calm down," Lily said, ignoring the slight against her character. "Come and sit and breathe and tell me what the hell you're going on about."

"What the hell could I be possibly going on about other than having a fucking panic attack about the guy I've been fucking, and occasionally going out on shitty dates with, asking me to go to his fucking cousin's wedding with him!?" Rose said, even as she sat. Lily's jaw, appropriately, fell open, but she still felt like she was in more need of a sympathetic ear from a girlfriend and cousin than Rose about her own dilemma. Because Scorpius wanted to take her to Florida, and she was already starting to develop feelings for him. Which she desperately wanted to be told firmly, and without any suggestion otherwise, not to whatsoever. Or to break things off with the sexy blond man she'd been having such fun with both inside and out of the bedroom and unwittingly fallen for because she'd felt something for the man behind the douchebag, asshole facade..

"Well," Lily said, trying not to sound petulant and selfish, because obviously her cousin needed some advice, and Lily, despite her own feelings, could be a good friend for her cousin, "I mean, he's Italian, right?" At Rose's nod Lily shrugged. "So he probably has a million cousins. Like us."

Rose paused, wine glass lifting to her mouth and let out a breath of what sounded like relief that echoed within the glass and out. "You're right," she said, and took a drink. "Oh God, you're probably so right. He didn't even say who! For all I know, he's got like a thousand cousins, because I've obviously got a million, and everyone knows Italians have huge families." Lily smiled as Rose did and opened her mouth to return conversation to her own problem. The knowing that if she went on vacation with Scorpius she'd, without a doubt, fall for him, and there was simply no fucking way she could ever do long term feelings for the tall, deliciously attractive and sinfully talented in the tongue department, blond man she'd been seeing. He was all wrong for her. He was the antithesis of her almost, and she knew there was absolutely no way she could fall for him because her heart couldn't handle the eventual break she was certain. But then Rose's face fell. "Or maybe not."

"Rose," Lily sighed, and her cousin pulled a face. "Come on, girl. You sound like a fucking thirteen year old. Get it together. You'll handle whatever you feel like handling, and if not, you'll call it off." Hazel eyes rolled. "You know how to handle your problems." But I, on the other hand, do not.

"Right. Oh God, I'm sorry, you're supposed to be packing, aren't you?" Rose sighed, and motioned Lily to stand. "Let's go see what I've got and talk about why you think you've got feelings for a man you're only supposed to be fucking while you raid my closet for whatever you like." Lily shoulders sank with relief and she let out a sigh.

"You're almost too good to me," the redhead murmured as she followed in her older cousin's wake to the bedroom.

"I know," Rose said easily. "That's why I'm putting aside my own panic attack to help you go away with a guy you're obviously going to fall for unless you become a bitch overnight and develop enough bitterness to realize the fucker's going to break your heart if you give it to him."

The redhead frowned at that, because she couldn't help but always see the best in people, even when she knew it was doing her a disservice. Hell, that last few months of her relationship with Matt were proof enough of that. But all of her interactions thus far had made her nothing but undeniably comfortable and utterly relaxed with the blond, unless she was screaming her pleasure and clenching with completion courtesy of said blond man, of course. "It's different this time. I'm different," she said firmly. Rose rolled her baby blues.

"Sure you are, honey. That's why you just told me you think you might be falling for this guy, right? Because you're so different now?" Lily brows drew together sharply. "C'mon, Lily. It's not a bad thing to be a softie. It's just...not in your nature to be a bitch. Which works for you, obviously. And hey, for all I know, Scorpius is a keeper, or the one, or whatever. But I can't tell you not to be yourself, girl, because we both know if you go on vacay with him, you're going to fall ass over tits for Scorpius, because you obviously already have started falling, and you're not me, honey. I know you won't just ditch him the second that plane touches back down here, even though that might be for the best, honestly honey, because you won't want to end things come September."

Even as she registered Rose's words, part of her rebelled at them. It was like being told too many years ago when she was a kid by her older brothers and Rose, especially Rose, who'd been almost like a sister growing up, she couldn't do whatever the were doing because she was too little. That same burning desire to prove her cousin wrong took her at the auburn haired woman's words. If she could simply harden her heart, and just freeze whatever burgeoning feelings she had for Scorpius, by being more like her cousin, surely she'd protect it. And she could do it! She could be like Rose if she had to! Surely it was better to skirt a broken heart in the long run, after wasting more time than necessary to boot, and bite the bullet now. Because although she kind of wanted more from Scorpius, and maybe something long term, Lily knew going their separate ways would be better for them both. And maybe Rose was right, she should just dump Scorpius, though perhaps not the second the plane touched down, before September rolled around. Because she would try to make it work, even if she couldn't picture fitting Scorpius into her orderly life during the school year, and probably either have the relationship fall apart, or work herself to misery trying to save it.

Then again, look at Rose's love life. The snide voice in her head was quickly silenced, but she couldn't unhear the thought. Lily pushed it deep down, firming up her resolve not to fall even the tiniest bit more for the sexy blond man she'd be going on vacation with soon. It was a summer fling, nothing more, and even if she did fall ass over tits for Scorpius, come September, she'd make a clean break.

The next morning, at an ungodly hour of the morning that the redhead was barely functional at to boot, Lily met her almost-boyfriend at the airport, feeling unbearably, almost tangibly, nervous. Not just because she'd be flying, but also because she'd worked the whole way there on just how she felt about the unbearably attractive blond, and the second she laid eyes on him, it was all shot to hell. Because there was that oh so potent half smile of his, and those utterly magnetic dark grey eyes that undressed her where she stood, and best of all, his lean, hard, perfect body encased in jeans and a casual white cotton tee that made her want to get him naked without delay. Her mental pep talks and one-sided conversations with herself meant nothing to the thundering of her pulse and the rapid flutter of her heart upon seeing Scorpius. And when he pulled her into a fervent embrace, tilting her head up to kiss her, Lily forgot all about the looming deadline only a month or so away for her summer fling. Common sense was washed away by eager excitement, laced liberally with a dollop of animal lust for the tall, built blond, and wrapped in his delicious arms, lost in the panty-soaking scent of his cologne, Lily forgot all about anything other than Scorpius.

"Hi," he murmured against her lips, making Lily smile up at him.

"Good morning," she replied huskily. Scorpius's eyes darkened and she felt a wicked thrill of desire as his eyes traced the shape of her mouth, then dropped down to the modest cleavage peeking out of her tank top.

"Ready to go?" Scorpius purred, shooting her that perfect smirk and pushing his blond fringe from his eyes as he released her at last. Lily gulped, her hard nipples and slightly damp panties testament to just how ready she was, and she blushed ever so slightly as Scorpius lifted a brow and made a show of ogling her breasts and the telltale signs of her lust for him.

"You bet," she said, and after lacing her fingers through his, followed his lead onto the plane, stomach alight with nerves and anticipation, and as they took off, all thoughts of Lily hardening her heart and trying to stop the inevitable, and any notions of her ending what was turning into one of the best times of her life thus far, stayed firmly on the ground.

Especially when they'd cleared the low-lying clouds and Scorpius murmured against her ear, in a suggestive whisper that had her biting her lip and clenching her thighs together, "Wanna join the mile high club with me, babe?"

Eight days later, Lily was sporting a dozen new freckles, the tiniest sun-kissed glow of a tan, and was practically floating as they landed and disembarked the plane. It had been the very best of vacations, in the redhead's opinion at least. The hotel accommodations had been luxurious, the food was exquisite at every restaurant they tried, and Lily had even managed to get Scorpius to take her dancing on their last night in Key West. Of course, there was also the very attentive man she'd spent the last week with almost exclusively himself, and that alone would have made the trip worthwhile. As it was, when she climbed into Scorpius's car, she wasn't sure just how she could ever go back to her life before the blond sex god she'd most definitely fallen for. I hope September never comes.

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