Authors Note-

So for this story, just go with me. I've changed some things a bit. Rose and Lily and Scorpius are the same age with Hugo being younger and not really featured much, at least in the beginning. Albus and James are older and already graduated. I've made Lily look a lot like Harry instead of a redhead, and I've made Rose I believe the same in the books.

I think that's all the changes I've made. Just know that there's a pretty big plot point that's not very nice that is going to be incorporated into the story down the road.

Ok, well, as I'm not one for story warnings read at your own risk. It's rated M so that I have freedom in the future to do what I want.

6th Year

Lily Potter sat at a table in the library alone. Other students came and went but she paid them no mind. Halfway through a foot long piece of parchment, she reached up with her wand to tie her hair back and then got back to work.

"Potter, you're late for the prefects meeting."

She looked up, startled to see Scorpius Malfoy standing above her. Then she realized he was right and smacked her forehead. "Dammit," she muttered, standing up and waving a wand over the piles of books and parchment so that they all flew neatly into her bag. "The time…" It had all escaped her in the moment.

"Isn't the paper on Patronuses not due until three days from now?"

"Stalk much?" Irritated that he obviously been watching her work, she pulled her bag tighter.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm stalking you, Potter. Whatever. Hurry up. We're late."

The meeting went by quickly and she was able to make it down afterwards to catch the last of dinner in the Great Hall. The rest of her family, including her cousin and best friend Rose, were already gone so she sat by herself towards the back of the Gryffindor table.

She didn't really have friends, per se, except for Rose and she wasn't interested in making any. She'd learned the hard way that people couldn't be trusted and she was better off alone. Maybe after Hogwarts things would be different but for now this was best.

Throughout her years at Hogwarts and even before, people had proven unkind to her. Had tried to get close for all the wrong reasons. Had lied to her face and used her and family name for fame. Every time she'd figured it out, she felt crushed and started all over. Now over the last couple years, she kept to herself and Rose, and worked very hard to be top of her class. Boys were also a no-no, as more than one had tried to cozy up and take advantage of her naivete.

One particularly painful memory since pierced her heart whenever she thought about him. She glanced up over at the Slytherin table where Douglas Green, a Seventh year, sat laughing with his friends and current girlfriend. He'd been Lily's boyfriend last year and then she'd learned that he'd only started dating her to get close to her father. It was his dream to be an Auror after graduation and he'd hoped Harry Potter's daughter could pave the way for him. On top of that, he'd cheated on her too.

She'd been devastated.

Suddenly, she became aware of someone watching her and flicked her gaze to see Scorpius watching her stare at her ex. Mortified, she hurried up and finished her meal and then stood up to leave the Great Hall.

"Hey! Potter!"

She looked up to see Dougie's girlfriend, Maeve, sneering at her. Coldly, Lily turned away and ignored her but Maeve and Douglas always did itch for a fight. They waylaid her at the end of her table, their friends flanking them. Including Scoprius. She didn't know why she noticed him but she did.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, hitching her bag up higher on her shoulder.

Maeve sneered and held out a rolled newspaper. "Tomorrow's edition. My uncle sent me an early copy as a favor."

Maeve's uncle owned the Daily Prophet. Lily smiled thinly and took the paper. "So he's the scumbag who prints all those lies? I should've known you were related."

Maeve flushed in anger and stepped forward to do what Lily didn't know, but Douglas stopped her, putting up an arm. "She's just bitter, Maeve, because she thinks she's smarter than she really is."

Lily, unfolding the paper to discover what horrible damaging thing they'd printed about her now, replied mildly, "I'm certainly smarter than you. And that toadface you like kissing. And all your imbecilic friends."

"You think you're so funny, huh? What do you think about that?"

Douglas smacked the Society section of the paper that she'd turned to, knowing that was where they printed all the trash about her family. There was a picture of her over the summer in a bathing suit, bent over to pick something up off the beach.

Lily feigned indifference and looked up at him. "I've seen worse. Actually, my arse doesn't look too bad here. Try again." She shoved the paper back at him but he just laughed and pushed it back toward her.

"No, not your arse, Potter. This." A smug smile spread over his face as she quickly read what was printed under the picture of her in her bathing.

There was another picture of her, a society headshot she'd had taken for a modeling thing she'd tried when she was fourteen, featured underneath, and then an article.

It was humiliating, as usual. There were hurtful things printed about how everyone at Hogwarts hated her, how she was so stuck up, how she faked her grades and paid other students to do her homework for her. Her temper flared high.

The part that pained her the most was that some of the stuff printed seemed to come only from someone who knew her extremely well. Like family.

Did someone in her family do this to her? But who would it be? Not Rose. They were closer than sisters. More like soulmates.

She didn't know for sure at the moment, but she did know that she couldn't show weakness in front these people. They were like sharks smelling blood. Schooling her expression into one of indifference, she looked up at them and handed the paper back.

"Is that all? Some rumors and half-baked lies? You think I haven't heard all this my whole life?" Douglas scowled and took the paper. "You're uncle's going to have to try harder than that. Honestly, the Daily Prophet really has gone to hell." And with that she spun on her heel and walked away.

"Don't you wanna know who talked?"

Maeve's high-pitched voice stopped her for just a second. If she said yes, they would know it bothered her. If she said no, she'd never find out who did this to her.

Ugh. She kept walking, right out of the Great Hall, refusing to rise to the bait. But those stupid tears were pricking her eyes and she knew it was just a matter of time before they spilled.

Wanting to be alone and not trusting her own house anymore, she made a beeline for the Astronomy Tower, hoping that no one was there. It felt like she barely made it before she got there and sank to the floor to let the tears spill over.

Douglas still had the power to hurt her. She hated to admit it but he did. Knowing that he was with Maeve and other girls the whole time he was with her stung deeply. He was so nice to her, so warm and open. He didn't seem to mind all the cameras and reporters. He even got her dad to like him which was hard given that her dad didn't like anyone.

Sometimes she thought he didn't even like her.

She was crying so hard she didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late.

"Here."

She jerked back in surprise. "Malfoy? What are you doing here?"

He held out a handkerchief for her which she reluctantly took. "I come up here sometimes at night to be alone."

She quickly scrubbed away at her face and then shoved the scrap of material back to him. "I suppose you think this is funny? Something to tell all your friends later in the dungeons? Go ahead. I'm used to people to talking about me behind my back." She bent over to pick up her bag and hoisted it on her shoulder.

"Contrary to what the Daily Prophet thinks, you're not that interesting, Potter."

She snorted and stopped walking. "So you're telling me that you and your friends don't spend a fair amount of time talking about me behind my back?"

His face told her they did.

"I know you do. Douglas has it in for me since I ruined his chances with my father. I can't wait for next year when he's gone."

Realizing that Malfoy had caught her in a vulnerable moment and she'd overshared, she panicked for a second. "I'm leaving now. If you tell anyone I was crying I'll make you regret it," she threatened in a cold voice.

He held up both hands in mock surrender. "I swear on Merlin's soul I will take your secret to the grave."

She snorted as if she didn't believe him. And she didn't. There was nothing she could do about it though, so she walked away toward the exit. Putting her hand on the door, she heard him say, "You know, you last year I was at a Christmas party during break. Dougie was there too. He ended up getting so drunk that he wandered through the LeFoy's mansion until he ended up in Mrs. LeFoy's bedroom and passed out. When I found him-" at this part he started snickering- "he'd pissed the bed and thrown up in her slippers."

Lily turned back around, openmouthed. "What in the-? What did she say? Did she have a fit?"

"I found him and kept the secret for him so she never found out who did it, but I heard from my mother that she was very angry. Dougie's still scared that's going to get out."

Lily cracked a smile for a moment at Douglas' embarrassment. Then it faded. "Why did you tell me that? He's your friend."

Scorpius shrugged. "You looked like you needed it more. He's my friend but he's also an asshole."

Lily regarded him silently for a few moments and then turned away to leave again. This time he didn't stop her and she didn't look back.

What a strange encounter. She'd hardly spoken to Scorpius her entire life and now she felt like they'd just shared … something.

Back in her own house, in her bed, she lay awake replaying everything he'd said and the way he'd looked. It must've been some kind of trap. Some way to play her in the future. Douglas probably had sent him.

That was it. Just because someone was nice didn't mean they could be trusted.