A/N: This is for the 'More than a name' and 'up to 50 pairings' challenges on HPFFC forum.
The light from the candles danced on the walls as I curled up on the sofa in the flat I used to share with Scorpius.
Tears slippied down my face at the thought of him. We had split up two weeks ago because things weren't working out between us, but it didn't meant that it didn't hurt.
My parents had asked if I wanted to stay with them for Christmas, but I'd said no. I didn't think I could cope with being around all the happy couples, and young kids. All it would do is remind me of the future I wanted him; a future we would no longer have.
The floo activated in the the kitchen, and I dreaded who was coming to see me.
"Lily? Are you here?" Molly called.
"I'm in the lounge," I replied croakily.
Molly was two years younger than me, but I got on with her better than all of my other cousins. She just seemed to understand me more.
"Hey," she said before sitting on the sofa next to my feet. "Your mum and dad said you weren't coming over for Christmas so I thought I would come and join you so you weren't alone."
More tears sprung to my eyes.
"Thank you, Molly, but you don't have to."
"Of course I do. I can't leave you alone at a time like this, even if it wasn't Christmas. You're more important to me than a bunch of presents," she insisted.
I sat up and looked at her properly. She had one of her old jumpers on that nana had knitted and a pair of comfy leggings. Her face was full of concern and it took all I had not to start crying again.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"What is there to talk about? We broke up because things didn't work out," I replied.
"You're sitting here in the candlelight crying, and refusing to come to the family Christmas. There must be something to talk about," she pointed out gently.
"You know we have been arguing about some really small things lately?"
Molly nodded.
"The reason we broke up was because we had a huge row. I thought I might have been pregnant, and we disagreed on what to do. He said that he would want to get married straight away if I was, and I wanted to leave it until after the baby was born. It was a moot point in the end as it turned out to be a false alarm, but it showed how different we are and we just couldn't come back from it," I confessed.
If only I had agreed with him.
"I'm sorry, Lily," she said pulling me into a hug.
I accepted her embrace and it was like a balm on my broken soul. I felt as safe and loved with her as I did my mum.
"Is it bad that I'm glad I'm not preganant, so I don't have to have a baby whose parents hate each other?" I asked.
"It's not bad at all. A baby should be brought up in a stable, loving home whether by two parents or one, and you and Scorpius bickering all the time would only upset them," she replied.
Silence enveloped us for a short while, whilst we both thought about what had happened.
I hugged her tighter when the pain came again, but I did't cry as she squeezed me back; reassuring me that I was not alone.
Molly was my rock, and I'm not sure what I would ever do without her. I would, however, have to learn to live without the love of my life.