If you recognise is, it belongs to JK.

Scorpius

Scorpius sat in the library with Advanced Potion-Making open to the poisons page. He was trying to study the properties different ingredients had when concocting various antidotes. His piece of parchment that he had intended to fill with notes was almost completely empty. He couldn't stop thinking about his conversation 3 hours earlier with Baby Potter - with Lily.

He couldn't decide what had surprised him the most about her. It wasn't the fact that she was an actual, decent human being. He had suspected as much from previous interactions with her.

No, if anything that was the least surprising thing. Scorpius had been trained his entire life to keep a poker face at all times when around other people, even around friends and family. Especially around friends and family. And yet here came Baby Potter able to pull not just a smile, but a blush and laughter out of him. Several times, too!

Then there was the fact that he had trusted her! He only realised afterwards, but when they had been talking about the muggle mover things, he had actually trusted what she was saying. If it had been anyone else in the world, he wouldn't have believed them for a second. And yet here he was, only sceptical.

Or perhaps it was that she had actually invited him over to her house! He honestly believed she had invited him over because she wanted to spend time with him. Him, a Malfoy. Her reaction when she had realised she had actually invited him over seemed very genuine to Scorpius. She had blushed and couldn't meet his eyes. She looked very cute.

And there was another thing! Scorpius found Baby Potter cute. He actually wanted to see her again. But not in the hallways at school. Scorpius wanted to see her somewhere where he could talk to her properly again. He wanted to look into her eyes again. He had never seen such gorgeous eyes before.

For Merlin's sake Scorpius, he thought. Snap out of it!

He had had one conversation with Baby Potter and he was absolutely entranced. He would almost have suspected a love potion, but he had gone over them and their effects 3 days ago. People didn't doubt themselves or tell themselves off when they had taken a love potion.

Scorpius knew the best thing for him to do was to never speak to her again, and to absolutely not, under any circumstances, go to her house. She was a Potter. Potter's and Malfoy's did not get along. That's how it was. That's how it should be.

But Scorpius didn't feel like a Malfoy when he was with her. He just felt like Scorpius. No one else had ever made him feel that way. His cool exterior had come undone so easily around her. It wasn't like his facade slipped and he was trying desperately to pull it back up to regain control of the situation, it just seemed to wash away and suddenly he was just Scorpius. The effect was intoxicating. It was like taking a sip of firewhiskey and always wanting more, just to keep the feeling going.

Getting addicted to firewhiskey was not a good thing though. Getting addicted to anything was bad. Merlin forbid he get addicted to Lily Potter. That would be catastrophic.

Yet he felt as though she was the only person he'd ever met that didn't care about his name, his money, his parent's past actions, especially his father's. Surely it wasn't bad to see her every now and then? A glass of firewhiskey here and there never did anyone any harm.

For the love of Merlin's beard, Scorpius, STOP IT!

Scorpius groaned and dropped his head onto Advanced Potion-Making. What was wrong with him?

"Let me guess, ancient rune studying?"

Scorpius looked up. Diego Zabini was smirking down at him. Scorpius snorted.

"Potions. Poisons and antidotes. Do you think they'll fail me if I just tell them to shove a bezoar down their throat?"

Diego chuckled, taking a seat opposite him.

"Don't let Professor Beirmann hear you say that."

Scorpius allowed a smirk. The potions professor, Professor Beirmann, always stressed that there were absolutely no ways to take shortcuts in potions, unless you wanted to poison yourself.

Diego opened his copy of Advanced Rune Translation. Scorpius shut his potions book and put it in his bag. He pulled out his own copy of Advanced Rune Translation as well. He figured it was better to study the same thing as his friend. It was harder for a certain red-head to take over his thoughts if he had a study partner to work with.

Scorpius and Diego studied for about half an hour before they moved on to quizzing each other on certain runes. Eventually they paused to go to lunch. On their way there they passed a crowd of Gryffindors. To Scorpius's annoyance, Potter and Weaslette were among them. Scorpius's stomach leapt as he noticed Lily with them too.

Potter spotted them before Scorpius could do anything to avoid or start a confrontation.

"Hey look everyone! It's the biggest loser on the quidditch pitch." Potter looked smug as all of his Gryffindor mates laughed. All except Lily.

"I'm looking at him, Potter." Scorpius replied cooly, his face absolutely blank. "As far as I recall I've never lost against you."

Scorpius knew exactly what his reply would be, but it was still satisfying to see Potter's face grow a bit stonier.

"My sister beat you! And she hadn't even been training to play seeker. Here she is. Come and say hi to her, I'm sure she won't humiliate you so badly again."

Potter pulled a struggling Lily to the forefront of the group while everyone around her laughed. Weaslette and one of two boys Scorpius had just noticed were identical were loudly praising Lily. Seeing her like this, when she clearly hated it and had just apologised to Scorpius for it a few short hours ago made Scorpius a lot more angry about their jabs than he normally got.

"If the only way she could beat me was by avoiding training from you, then clearly you're as shitty of a captain as you are as a seeker! The only way the Gryffindor team could ever beat me was by having you hiding away in the hospital wing and not training your replacement, who's clearly better than you. If you really cared about winning the cup, the best thing you can do is resign. Your team is better off without a loser like you."

Scorpius had very rarely seen a look of utter speechless fury on someone's face before. He relished in it, until his eyes caught Lily's wide, shocked eyes. Catching her eyes made him feel terrible. He had just had such a wonderful time with her in the owlery that morning and here he was, ruining it all. Before any of the Gryffindors could start trying to hex him, which he knew they'd try, he stormed down the corridor.

As he rounded the corner he heard Diego shout a shield spell and a spell hit and crack the shield. Then Diego was at his side, cackling with glee, and they were in the great hall.

They made their way to their table. Some of the other Slytherins in their year level were already halfway through lunch. As they made their way over, Scorpius wiped any traces of fury and regret from his features. Scorpius Malfoy should be absolutely thrilled at such a confrontation, and for a second there he was. He tried very hard to focus on the look on Potter's face, not the look in Lily's eyes.

The other Slytherins looked up as Scorpius and Diego sat. Diego was still cackling. Before anyone could ask him what was funny, he launched into a blow-by-blow account of the confrontation that had just occurred. The groups of Slytherins - Timothy Goyle, Henry Smith, Mia Bulstrode and Jasmine Flint - were all howling with laughter by the end of it. Scorpius sat there, eating his sandwiches, with a very cold smile on his face.

Jasmine put her hand on Scorpius's arm. She bent forwards, so that she was staring up at him through her eyelashes.

"Oh Scorpius," she began rather breathlessly. "I wish I was there to see that. The look that must have been on Potter's face! You put his brat of a little sister in her place too. Perfect Lily Luna Potter always flounces around like she owns the school because of who her daddy is."

The other Slytherins chuckled and agreed with him. It took every ounce of Scorpius's self control to maintain a normal facade.

"To be honest, I don't care about her. I don't ever have to see her. It was putting Potter in his place that matters. Arrogant little twit thinks he's the second coming of his father. Too bad daddy is never there to catch the snitch for him."

The other Slytherins howled with laughter again.

"Still," Jasmine said, leaning even closer. "That red-headed bitch caught the snitch first and took away our cup. She deserves to learn a lesson."

The group nodded and agreed with her. Scorpius forced himself to shrug as nonchalantly as possible. He was in dangerous territory here. If he said the wrong thing then Flint might get it in her head to go after Lily.

"She doesn't even matter. My winning streak had to stop at some point or another. I'm just glad it was against her and not her big-headed brother. She's too timid to start any real trouble."

When he saw that everyone else looked unconvinced or even surprised he wasn't going after her the way they expected him to, Scorpius added;

"Besides, she knows she didn't deserve to win. She tries to get Potter and Weaslette to stop using her victory every time I see them. She's terrified. Having her living in such terror is much better than actually hexing her."

Scorpius forced his relief not to show as his housemates shrieked with laughter.

"Oh Scorpius," Jasmine said again after she had calmed down. She was leaning so close to him now that he had to lean sideways.

"You really are a true Slytherin. Your father would be so proud of your cunning."

Jasmine Flint's mother, Pansy, had apparently been desperate to get her hands on a ring from his father. She had clearly passed that same desire onto her daughter, because Flint had been after him from day one of his first year at Hogwarts.

Scorpius puffed his chest out with fake pride. Slightly regretful that he would have to leave half of his sandwich, but way too desperate to leave the situation, he asked Diego if he wanted to go back to the library. Thank Merlin, Diego agreed. Henry Smith, a beater for the Slytherin team and a very nasty person, decided to come too. Flint stood up and said she'd come with them.

"The library isn't for painting your nails, Flint. You don't belong there. Scorpius wants to study, not wipe up your drool."

Scorpius had never been more grateful that Smith had such a barbed tongue.

Flint huffed.

"Just because Potter's bludger to your head killed even more of your tiny brain, doesn't mean you have to be such an arse, Smith. Your father wasn't even a Slytherin."

Smith was unfazed. He waved at her, wiggling his fingers and said;

"Off you toddle."

He then turned to Mia Bulstrode, who did have her books, and asked if she was going to come. Before she could answer, Flint grabbed her arm in a very tight looking grip, and yanked her very harshly with her on her way out of the great hall.

"Well that answers that. Goyle?"

They all turned to Timothy Goyle, who grunted and shook his head. Goyle continued eating his lunch in silence.

Determined not to focus on anything but studying for his exams the next week, Scorpius stood up and walked out of the great hall with the other Slytherin boys.

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