A/N: This chapter is mostly about Lily Rose, but the next one will focus on a few of the other characters. Hope you enjoy this fun little interlude!

- 3 -

Sweet Sixteen

Summer 2020

*.*.*.*.*

Lily Rose was sitting on the couch at Pemberley Books, reading a paperback copy of The Princess Bride. She'd been absorbed in the tale of adventure for most of the afternoon because hardly any customers had stopped by. The day was much too beautiful for spending indoors. In fact, she was eager to leave the bookshop and get out in the sunshine. Lily Rose glanced down at her wristwatch. 2:52. Her shift was nearly over! She took off her square reading glasses and started packing up her tote bag. JiJi the black cat gave a yawn, stretching out his toes.

"Bye, JiJi," she said, giving him a scratch between his ears. "I'll see you again on Monday."

Lily Rose padded barefoot down the hallway. Scorpius' white-blond head was bent over a desk in the writing room. He was scribbling furiously in a composition notebook. His pen stilled just long enough for him to brush the fringe from his eyes. Scorpius wasn't a part-time worker like she was, but he spent a lot of time at the bookshop. He said it had a better atmosphere for writing than Malfoy Manor did. Plus, he was able to get feedback on his stories from the bestselling crime author, Tristan Azuma.

When Scorpius finally set his pen down, the corners of his mouth lifted in a little smile of satisfaction. Lily Rose alerted him to her presence by entering the room. "Oh, hey, Lily," he said, blinking up at her. "How long have you been there?"

"Just a few minutes," she replied. "Want to come with me to Florean Fortescue's? I'm desperate for an ice cream."

He grinned. "Yeah! Let me pack up my things."

Lily Rose sent off a quick text message to her father. Me and Scorpius are going to Diagon Alley. Can you pick us up at The Leaky Cauldron in 2 hours?

He replied a moment later with: How are you getting there?

Lily Rose: Muggle bus. Don't worry, we'll be fine.

Harry: Ok, sweetie. See you at 5.

They opened the courtyard window to let Amy know they were leaving now.

"Oh, can I come too?" Piper asked excitedly.

"You can if Lily and Scorpius don't mind," Amy replied.

Piper cast them a pleading look. Lily Rose smiled. "Sure, Pip. Come on."

"Yay!" she cheered, scrambling out of the chair. "I just have to fix my hair. Won't be long!"

Lily Rose explained about her father picking them up. "He can Apparate back with Piper before taking me and Scorpius home."

"Sounds good. Thank you for including her. She's been restless here all day."

They left the bookshop five minutes later. "Ah, it actually feels like summer," Lily Rose declared, gazing up at the blue sky. "I'm so glad it isn't raining!" London had been experiencing a wet and miserable July, but according to the extended weather report, that was about to change. "I feel so happy right now. Let's skip to the bus stop!"

Lily Rose didn't give them much of a choice because she linked her arms with theirs, forcing them to skip along. There was a lot of embarrassed laughter and even some amused glances from people passing by.

When they got to the bus stop, Piper ran a hand through her long, black ponytail. "Has the wind messed up my hair?"

"No, it looks fine. Don't worry so much." But Piper was twelve (going on thirteen), and appearances mattered to her now.

The trio climbed aboard the bus at 3:15. Luckily, the seats along the back wall were open and they were able to sit together. "I'll be glad when I can Apparate next year," she whispered to Scorpius.

"You'll take me by side-along, won't you?"

"Of course. We'll go to all sorts of fun places together. I do hope I pass on the first try though… I've heard some horror stories about splinching."

"I can't imagine that happening to you," Scorpius said. "I'll probably have trouble with it though."

They got off at Charing Cross Road, went into The Leaky Cauldron, and entered Diagon Alley through the small courtyard. The narrow street was teeming with witches and wizards.

"Wow. I've never seen it this busy in July before," Piper commented.

"Must be the nice weather. Hang onto me so we don't get separated."

Piper waved to a fellow Hufflepuff as they headed towards the bright yellow awnings of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. A cheerful bell jingled when they stepped inside. Lily Rose spotted a familiar face behind the counter. Molly was wearing a yellow apron and a hat that looked like an upside-down waffle cone.

"Oh, doesn't Molly look cute in her uniform?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Best not tell her that unless you want a death glare."

They were in the queue for about five minutes. "Hey, Molly. You sure are working hard!"

She sighed. "Yeah, it's been like this all day. Everyone wants ice cream when it's sunny out. So, what can I get you?"

Lily Rose ordered a strawberry-vanilla frozen yogurt; Scorpius, a dish of pistachio chocolate chip; and Piper, an orange marmalade milkshake. Molly had to operate the soft-serve machines herself, but an enchanted scoop took care of Scorpius' order. The cup even floated over to him.

Molly returned half a minute later carrying a pink and white swirled cone in one hand, and a tall glass topped with whipped cream in the other. Scorpius slid the coins across the counter before Lily Rose could object. He usually made a point of treating his friends whenever they were out together.

"Gabe, I'm taking my break now," Molly said to the gangly boy beside her. Then she ordered a cup of chocolate-caramel for herself. "I get a free one during my shift," she informed them as they sat in a booth near the back.

"Lucky! If I didn't already have a job at my grandmother's bookshop, I would definitely want to work here."

Molly took off her waffle cone hat. "Yeah, it's not a bad place to be, but the uniform is hideous."

Lily Rose laughed. "I think it's adorable!"

"You're the only one who does. Lucy and Freddie tease me every time they come in here."

"Lucy's working at Fleur's boutique, right?"

"Yeah. Auntie Fleur gives her a discount, so she's already spent her entire paycheck on new outfits."

"That's hardly surprising," Scorpius said, taking a bite of ice cream. "Are Freddie and Louis at Quidditch camp?"

"Not yet. They leave for Bulgaria on Sunday."

"How long are they going to be there?" asked Piper.

"Three weeks. I think they get back on August ninth."

"I'm glad they won't miss my birthday party," Lily Rose added. "Molly, make sure you request the sixteenth and seventeenth off. We're having a camp-out at Shell Cottage."

"Oh, yeah! I'll leave the owner a note today."

They finished their ice creams, said goodbye to Molly, and headed back outside.

"I need to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies. My dad wants me to get Jamie a starter kit for his birthday next week."

She recognized the clerk as Ajax Okorie, the Hufflepuff Captain who was in the same year as her. His face split into a grin. "Hey, Potter! Have you finally decided to take up Quidditch?"

She laughed. "No, I'm here for my little brother." Lily Rose told him what she was after and he pointed them in the right direction.

"It's kind of expensive," Scorpius said when he saw the price tag. "Want me to lend you some money?"

"Thanks for the offer, but there's no need. My parents told me to charge it to my WizCard. They'll reimburse me since the present is from them. I already got Jamie some Dragon Prince merchandise."

She paid for the kit and shrunk the package down to fit into her tote bag. "Have a good weekend, Ajax."

"Yeah, you too. See ya around, Potter."

They stopped by Flourish & Blotts next. When she spotted the children's area with the little cottage, she turned to Scorpius and said: "That's where we first met! Do you remember?"

He smiled. "How could I forget?"

"I always said that it was just like Wendy's cottage – that's probably why I've always thought of you as Peter Pan."

"Really? Even though Louis was the one who played him?"

"Yes. You have Peter's child-like spirit and imagination. All Louis wants to do is grow up, but you're perfectly content with things not changing."

He frowned. "That's exactly what my father doesn't like about me."

"What? Did he actually tell you that?" she asked indignantly.

"Yeah. According to him, wanting to be a writer is 'childish and unrealistic' – not to mention being a 'completely unsuitable profession for the Malfoy heir.'" His mouth tightened. "He wants me to get a ministry job like everyone else in my family."

"No offense, but your father doesn't know what he's talking about! I hope you don't believe that rubbish."

"I don't. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me though." He looked down at the floor. "I just wish he'd accept me for who I am. Maybe that's stupid – maybe I shouldn't even care what he thinks."

Lily Rose reached for his hand. "It isn't stupid; we all want our parents to accept us. But please promise me that you'll never try to become someone else just to please him."

His light blue eyes met hers. "I promise."

Scorpius didn't pull away, so they continued to walk through the shop hand-in-hand. At one point, two younger girls came up to them and asked if they were a couple. "No, we aren't," Lily Rose said tartly. "It's perfectly fine for friends to hold hands."

"I don't know anyone else who does that," commented the one with pigtails.

"Yeah, it's kind of strange," piped the other.

Lily Rose narrowed her eyes. "And you're kind of rude to interrupt people you don't even know and give narrow-minded opinions that nobody asked for."

That shut them up right enough and the girls made a hasty retreat. Scorpius started laughing. "Ah, the looks on their faces! You just went off."

"Of course I did! I'm so sick of everyone assuming that boys and girls can't be affectionate unless they're dating," she huffed. "You're not embarrassed about what they said, are you? Because we aren't weird."

"I know that. And I'm not embarrassed. I like it when you hold my hand. I don't want that to change just because other people misunderstand what we are to each other."

"You'd think 'platonic soulmates' wouldn't be such a difficult concept to grasp, but I suppose you can't reason with dimwitted people," Lily Rose ranted.

Scorpius grinned at her. "You're really on a roll."

"Oh, I'm just getting started…"

*.*.*

On the following day, Lily Rose was sitting in the garden at Twelve Grimmauld Place, helping Willow Weasley sketch a clump of wild pansies. "Now you try," she said, handing the pencil back to Luna and Charlie's eleven-year-old daughter.

A gust of wind tugged at her long, copper waves. "Could you tie my hair back please? It keeps getting in the way."

"Sure." She gathered Willow's hair into a ponytail, securing it with one of her extra scrunchies. "There you go."

"Thanks, Lily." She sketched in silence for another minute. "I'm going to miss coming here. I don't think I'll like Hogwarts much. Writing essays and studying for exams won't be any fun."

"You're right, that bit isn't much fun at all. But attending classes and learning magic is. You'll love herbology because it's like gardening; we even get to sketch the plants sometimes. Astronomy is interesting too – you'll be able to stay up late and stargaze."

"That does sound rather nice," Willow agreed.

"And if you're sorted into Ravenclaw like me, I'll be able to help you with assignments in our common room."

Her storm-cloud eyes brightened. "I suppose Hogwarts won't be so bad then."

Lily Rose smiled. "I'm glad you're warming up to the idea. So, what does your brother think about being a first-year?"

"Rowan's nervous that he might not be in the same house as Gavin." Gareth and Ginny's son was Rowan's best friend. In fact, the boys were more like twins than cousins. This left Willow as the odd one out, and she'd turned into a bit of a loner because of it.

"You know, I'm sure you'll like some of the girls in your dormitory. Making new friends is another thing for you to look forward to."

"I suppose." Willow finished up her sketch and they went back inside to paint with watercolors.

During their afternoon break, the kids gathered in the basement kitchen for Jamie's early birthday party. The baking club had made a delicious confetti cake with lemon frosting. As always, Roxanne and Brendan were sitting on either side of her brother. Jamie's best friends had faces full of freckles and the trademark Weasley hair. Brendan's was more of a fiery orange like his father Ron's, while Roxanne's was a deeper mahogany red.

Jamie blew out his candles in one go.

"What did you wish for?" Starla Davies asked.

"To play Quidditch for Gryffindor," he replied.

Jamie still had a year to go until Hogwarts, but he was a Gryffindor through and through. It was the same for Brendan and Roxanne. Lily Rose could easily picture the three of them playing for their house team someday.

Scorpius' seven-year-old sister tugged on his shirt sleeve. "Let me sit with you, Scorpy."

He scooted his chair out, giving her enough room to scramble onto his lap. At first glance, the Malfoy siblings didn't resemble each other all that much. Calista had their mother's golden-brown hair, peach complexion, and hazel eyes. They did have a few traits in common though… the same pointed chins, delicate features, and bright smiles.

Seeing them cozy like this made Lily Rose miss Jamie at that age. Her brother was too embarrassed to hug her in public now, and she couldn't even remember the last time he'd sat on her lap. Getting older was certainly bittersweet.

*.*.*

Lily Rose, Aisling, and Scorpius took a Portkey to Shell Cottage on August the 16th. Seconds later, they were stumbling onto a sandy beach. "Hey guys – over here!" Molly and Lucy were lounging beneath giant umbrellas, waving at them. The Ravenclaw trio went over to say hello.

"Where's Louis and Freddie?" Aisling asked, plopping down on the blanket.

"Inside getting some snacks," Molly replied.

"I should go up to the cottage too," Lily Rose said. "I need to thank Bill and Fleur for hosting my party. I'll be right back, okay?"

She left her friends and started walking barefoot through the sand. She shaded her eyes against the sun, gazing out at the endless expanse of sky and sea. Lily Rose had been coming here every summer, but the view never failed to impress her.

Two male voices shouted her name. When she turned her head, she saw Freddie and Louis jogging towards her. "Hi!" she yelled back, smiling. Lily Rose hadn't seen the boys in over a month. Louis was taller than she remembered (and a lot more freckled). "Have you gone through a growth spurt?" she asked, pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah, I'm 5'9 now," he answered proudly. "I might even surpass Freddie's 5'11 by year's end."

Freddie looked different too. Not only was he sporting a mini-afro, but his skin was several shades darker. "Look at you – you're so brown!"

He chuckled as he enveloped her in his muscular embrace. "Well, I am half-black, Lils."

"Oh, you know what I mean! It must have been hot in Bulgaria for you to tan up so nicely."

"Yeah, it was. Loads of scorching days." Freddie pulled back and smiled at her. His eyes looked amber in the sunlight.

"I like your hair by the way," she told him.

"Thanks. I'll probably keep this style for a bit."

Lily Rose walked between them along the shore. "Did you two have fun at camp?"

"Course we did. It was brilliant."

"Freddie enjoyed it more than me." Louis gave her a sly smirk. "On account of all the snogging, that is."

"Oi! Lily doesn't need to hear about that."

Freddie's discomfort amused her, and she couldn't resist this rare opportunity to tease him a little. "Hmm, is that so, Fred Weasley? Does this mean you finally got yourself a girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "It was just for the summer. No big deal."

"Freddie says that, but he was depressed about it for days after we got home."

"Dammit, Louis – you swore you wouldn't tell!" He pulled him into a headlock. "Keep your gob shut already!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! Dear gods above, let me go!" When his cousin released him, Louis rubbed the back of his neck and muttered an oath that sounded awfully like 'Helga's ugly socks.'

Freddie let out a laugh. "Oh, come on – I know you can swear better than that! I heard some real creative ones from you while we were at camp. Why don't I tell Lily some of them?"

Louis flushed. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Oh, knock it off, Freddie," Lily Rose said sternly. "You're just trying to change the subject from your summer romance, but I'm not letting you off that easily. I have questions that I want answered."

The smile fell from his face. "What do you want to know, Miss Bossy?"

"Her name, where she's from, what she's like. Just the basics."

He sighed. "Her name is Bianca and she's a Chaser from Italy. I'd describe her as bold, confident, and gorgeous. There. Are you satisfied?"

"No. I want to know if you're planning on writing to each other."

He shook his head. "We agreed not to do the whole long-distance thing."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," she said, softening her tone.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me. I'm over it. Really."

But she didn't believe him. Freddie was always like this when it came to his feelings. He'd pretend he didn't care, but it was only his way of protecting himself. And if she had to venture a guess, ending things had probably been Bianca's decision. Freddie was the type of guy who wouldn't mind a long-distance relationship if he really liked someone.

"Hey, why don't we go swimming?" Louis suggested.

"That's a good idea. I hope you brought your suit, Lils."

"Yeah, I'm wearing it under my dress."

And before she knew what was happening, Freddie had scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder as though she weighed nothing at all.

"Put me down this instant, Fred Weasley!" But he only laughed and hurried towards the sea. Droplets kicked up, spraying her in the face as he ran. The blood rushed to her head. "Freddie, I'm serious!" And then she was right-side up and in his arms. Her feet and ankles were now submerged in the water. "You stupid arse! You made me dizzy."

"Ah, then I better wait until you get your bearings," he said, eyes shining with amusement.

"You're enjoying this way too much. I'm really cross, you know!"

"Shall I put you down then?" he asked sweetly.

"Yes!"

"As you wish," he replied, tossing her in.

The water was only waist-deep, but the coldness of it was a shock to her system. "That's it," she spluttered, jumping onto his back. He overbalanced and fell in too. Lily Rose let out a triumphant whoop. But to her annoyance, Freddie didn't even mind. He just stood back up and laughed.

"You've got quite the temper, don't you?"

"It's because you tossed me in while I was still wearing my dress! You could have let me take it off first."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Wow… I never imagined you saying those words to me, Lils. I kinda like it."

Her face heated. "Oh, do shut up," she said, splashing him. He splashed her right back, which turned into a water war. Lily Rose slipped on some seaweed and fell towards Freddie. He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Their eyes met – and for the briefest of moments – she thought he might kiss her again.

"Sorry," he mumbled, letting go of her.

Lily Rose felt something almost like disappointment. She looked away, flustered.

"I shouldn't have thrown you in," he continued. "Hex me later and call it even?"

"Sure. I'm going back now." Her heart was still racing as she waded through the water. Freddie had always played tricks on her of course, but this felt completely different. There'd been a flirtatious undercurrent – a kind of mutual attraction between them. Lily Rose couldn't make sense of it.

Louis was there on the beach when she climbed out. "You okay? Here, take this," he said, holding out his white hoodie.

She pulled the warm sweatshirt over her head. "Thanks, Louis."

"No problem. Guess I shouldn't have suggested swimming, huh?"

"You were just trying to distract Freddie from his breakup."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have teased him about Bianca. He's pretty torn up over it."

"I know. I can tell." Is that why he was flirting with me? Because he's heartbroken and lonely? Lily Rose thought it likely. Although that didn't explain her reaction towards him. No, maybe it's the same for me… maybe I just miss having a boyfriend. It wasn't loneliness exactly, but a sort of longing to be held and kissed. Freddie's physical proximity had only reminded her of this sad fact. Yes, I'm sure that's all it is, she decided, pushing her worries aside.

*.*.*

Louis broke out in a sweat when he heard the dreaded words 'truth or dare.'

"We're not playing that," Lily Rose said.

"Oh, come on! Everyone plays truth or dare around a campfire," wheedled Lucy.

"No. I'd rather tell scary stories. And this is my party, so what I say goes."

Louis breathed a sigh of relief. He knew without a doubt that Lucy would have dared him to kiss Lily Rose. And that wasn't how he wanted it to go at all. She deserved something special – something romantic. In fact, Louis already had the perfect confession planned. It would take place under a sky full of stars… he'd tell Lily Rose how much he loved her, kiss her softly on the lips, and ask her to be his girlfriend. She always said yes in his daydreams, but Louis wasn't sure how she'd respond in real life. As scared as he was to hear her answer, he couldn't keep wondering about it forever. That's why he'd decided to make his move this school year.

"Have any of you seen Typewriter on Netflix?" Lily Rose asked.

"I have," Aisling replied. "But that's because we watched it together."

No one else had seen it, so she started telling them the chilling tale of a vengeful ghost trapped in a typewriter. Lily Rose was a natural when it came to storytelling; she was animated with her gestures, and she built up the suspense by making her voice sound spooky.

"I'm glad there's no typewriter in my house," Freddie said when she reached the end.

Scorpius looked terrified. "I have one in my room. I use it for my manuscripts."

Lily Rose laughed. "It's just a story! Don't be scared."

"But there are ghosts in Malfoy Manor," he told them. "Quite a few actually. There's a really vicious one that hangs around in the basement. I got lost down there when I was a kid, and it chased me into an old wardrobe. He kept sticking his head through the wall and laughing while I screamed." Scorpius shivered at the memory. "I'm still traumatized to this day."

"That's awful," Lucy said. "See, Lily, we should have played 'truth or dare.' Now you've gone and triggered Scorpius with your bloody ghost story!"

"I'm so sorry," Lily Rose said in a tone of deepest remorse. "I didn't know."

Scorpius waved a hand dismissively. "It's okay. I've never really talked about it before. To be honest, I'm glad I got it off my chest."

"Even so, we won't tell scary stories anymore."

Lucy perked up. "Does this mean we can play my game now?"

"Nope. It means we're going to get some marshmallows. And then we should probably set up the tents."

Louis' father helped them with that. There was one for the boys and one for the girls. Both contained bunkbeds, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette. Molly got out her pack of Exploding Snap cards and they played a few rounds sitting on the floor of the girls' tent.

"It's past 11:30," Freddie whispered. "We need to get things ready."

Louis nodded and stuck to the plan. "Well, I'm feeling a bit tired. Think I'll head out now," he announced.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "Have you suddenly become a grandpa?"

Louis ignored her and stood up. "Goodnight everyone."

"I'm going to bed too," Freddie added, faking a yawn. "See ya in the morning."

The overcast skies made it even darker outside, but they used 'Lumos' to find their way to the shed. Inside were two large rucksacks filled with fireworks. They slung the bags over their shoulders and hurried back to the beach. It took about fifteen minutes to set everything up.

"Be right back," Freddie said. "Need to use the toilet."

Louis sat down on the sand, pulling his knees up to shield himself from the chilly breeze. He closed his eyes and listened to the waves sweeping over the shore. Louis knew that he'd always want to live near the sea. A few summer's back, his family had taken a trip to the French Riviera. He'd fallen in love with the clear, turquoise water and the warm, Mediterranean climate. Marseille and Nice both had professional Quidditch teams. Louis wondered if Lily Rose would ever consider moving to the South of France. I'll ask her that if we start dating, he thought. And if she wants to stay in England, we could always get a vacation home there instead…

"Okay, it's five to midnight," Freddie said, interrupting his musings. "Let's get this show started!"

Louis stood up and dusted off his jeans. "Only light one though – just to call them out here."

"Sure thing." Freddie hurried over to a Wildfire Whiz-bang, pointed at it with his wand, and shouted: "Incendio!"

It went off like a rocket, shooting high into the air with a shrill squeal. A golden hippogriff burst forth, galloping across the inky sky.

Their friends emerged from the tent a moment later. Lily Rose hurried over to them, grinning. "You were planning this the entire time?"

"Yeah, we got the fireworks from my dad," Freddie replied.

"Thank you so much," she said, giving each of them a quick hug.

Freddie went around the beach, setting off the rest. The fireworks turned out to be very impressive. There were swooping dragons and soaring thunderbirds; blooming flowers and hopping rabbits; showers of shooting stars that fell into the sea, making the water come alive with lights.

Louis stood next to Lily Rose. And when the show concluded, he pressed a kiss to her petal soft cheek. "Happy sweet sixteen."

The lovely smile she cast upon him made his heart skip a beat. Louis nearly said 'I love you' right then, but he managed to hold back the words. He did, however, drape an arm around her shoulders; she put hers round his waist. For now, that was more than enough.

Closing note: You're probably starting to get an idea of where this might be heading now. Believe me, I feel bad too ;_; That being said, I'd love to hear your thoughts on shipping. Who do you like with Lily Rose?

Oh, and are there any fans of The Princess Bride movie? Cookies for everyone who noticed the line I stuck in there!