Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.
Note - I'm sorry this is so late, and a bit short. I've been really busy, and also a bit stuck on a few parts of other chapters. Hopefully the next update won't take as long. Also, sorry for any mistakes I missed in this one. But as always, read, enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Sixteen: Lingering Family Histories
"Wait, you're what?" Scorpius demanded. It was Saturday, and Mitch had come over, wanting to get away from his siblings for just a little bit. But he had also come over with news that startled and surprised Scorpius.
Mitch shrugged. "Miley and I are dating."
Scorpius blinked as he took in this information. "Since when? Why?"
"Not that long. I mean, we hung out on the last Hogsmeade trip, and kind of split from the others. And . . . she's cool, pretty, laid-back. Good qualities," Mitch listed casually.
Scorpius rubbed the back of his neck. "Have you . . ., have you kissed her?" Scorpius had honestly never thought about his best friends dating girls, or anything like that. This was so new.
Mitch nodded. "Yeah. Like . . . twice. It's no big deal." Then he scoffed. "My mum thinks I'm too young, but she's just crazy."
"Huh. Well, uh . . . congratulations, I guess," Scorpius said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you bringing her with us on Tuesday?"
"Hadn't planned on it. I figured Tuesday was just a day for friends," Mitch retorted. "I don't see a reason to be like other whipped boyfriends that bring their girlfriend everywhere with them."
Scorpius smirked. That was just like Mitch. "You're never going to change, are you?"
"Well, they say everyone changes, but I'm too stubborn to follow what people say," Mitch laughed.
"That looks good on you," Lily complimented as Scorpius looked at himself in the mirror while he tried on a set of robes. It was finally Tuesday, and the gang was all at Twillfit and Tattings.
Scorpius nodded as he looked over himself. They were nice robes, and his mother was always telling him to get a new set "just incase." He wasn't a fan of them, but he would wear them, for his mother that is. "Yes, I think so too. I like the feel of silk, and the color of it is perfect."
"You do look good in black," Lily agreed.
Scorpius smirked a little as he took the robes off. "I think I'll buy it. I'll have to thank my dad for the money he gave me." Scorpius looked at her. "Is there something here you want?" After all, Scorpius had plenty of money with him. His heritage as a Malfoy made sure of that.
But she shook her head. "Nah. I've got enough clothes."
Scorpius chuckled. At least she wasn't a girl that obsessed over clothes. "I don't think Lola and Lana are having the same thoughts," he joked as he saw his sister picking through clothes.
"I'm surprised Lana is like that," Lily commented.
Scorpius understood what she meant. After all, Lana hadn't always been like that. "She hides it well, but at times like these, she's just as girly as anyone."
"And we all know about Lola," Lily said with a laugh.
"She's your best friend," Scorpius pointed out with a smirk.
Lily smiled happily. "Yeah, she is. Despite the girly part of her, you have to love her."
"Like how even despite your smartass attitude she still loves you," Scorpius teased.
Lily hit his shoulder playfully. "Shut up."
Scorpius laughed, as they walked over to the rest of their friends. He had been happy to see Lily. And he was really happy to see that she seemed happy as well. There wasn't any look of conflicted emotions in her eyes, or anger, or even sadness. Her summer, while just starting, was obviously going well. And later, he would actually get to step into the Potter house! Maybe he'd get the chance to rub it into her brothers' faces even.
The group left the shop after awhile, and began wandering around for something else fun to do. But it didn't take long for Mitch to come up with an idea, but it was of course one that made most of them hesitate.
"Hey, guys, how about we take a little walk around Knockturn Alley?" Mitch suggested, pointing at the dark, sinister looking opening to the alley.
Scorpius stared at where Mitch had motioned. His father had only told him brief stories about his times there, and his mother had simply said to stay away.
"Are you crazy? Can you imagine the media feeding frenzy if we're caught down there?" Lana argued. "Imagine! Death Eater children lurking in the alleyway of evil," she said mockingly.
"Who bloody cares what people think?" Mitch retorted. "Let's just have some fun! Either way, I'm going, so are you going with me?"
"I'm in," Scorpius agreed with a sigh. "That way it's not just you."
"I'll come too," Lily stated. "It should be interesting."
Jace and Lars were the only other two to agree to come, so the group left into the alley. Scorpius immediately felt a little uncomfortable. It was dank and almost misty down the alley. Figures in hoods lurked about, some standing behind stands of curious and questionable goods. What must it have been like for his father to be down here at such a young age? To watch his father handle dirty and questionable business with shady people?
"Could I interest you young kids in anything here?" a man with a gruff and scratchy voice inquired.
"No thanks, dude," Mitch said as he brushed past the man.
"Hey, look," Lars said as he pointed to a dark and musty building. "Borgin and Burkes. My dad talked about this place."
"So did mine," Scorpius agreed quietly. He stepped up to the dusty window of the shop. He could barely see inside with all the dusty and lack of light. His father had indeed mentioned this shop, but they had been short stories, and his father had always been tense when he told them to Scorpius. And Scorpius would always remember when his father showed him his left arm. The faint scar, almost shaped like a bolt of lightening. Scorpius was finally able to understand why his father always wore sleeves.
Scorpius turned away only to see Lily standing next to him, looking into the window as well. Did she know this place? Was her father familiar with it? Had he told her stories about it? Surely, they were much better than the ones he'd been told.
"You ever hear stories about this place?" Scorpius asked quietly.
Lily shrugged. "Not really. My dad just told me that he'd screwed up when he first used the Floo Network and accidently ended up here. Nothing more than that though." She looked at him now. "What about you?"
Scorpius nodded. "Short ones. I always felt like I shouldn't ask more about it though."
Lily's smile was small, but soft. "Then don't feel like you have to talk about it if you don't want to," she assured him. "I have those stories too."
Scorpius smirked as he stepped away from the window, feeling a bit bashful now. "Don't we all."
Scorpius was oddly a little hesitant and worried about bringing Lily in to meet his family. He'd gotten to see her house, and for a family so famous and wealthy, it was normal and modest. But Scorpius's home showed no modesty, and practically boasted about how rich and noble the family was. It practically screamed snob!
"Your house is huge," Lily said quietly as she looked around with interest in her eyes.
Scorpius chuckled, feeling a little better to see that she was as casual as always. "Yeah, I'm told that a lot," he replied. "It's been in the family for generations. So, even though my dad is called the 'master of the house' my grandfather still owns it. And when they both pass on, it'll be mine." He glanced over at her, curious now if she had such a family history. "Any house like that in your family?"
But Lily shook her head. "Not really. I mean, my dad inherited a house from his godfather, Sirius Black." Scorpius recognized the name. He was in some way related to the man, but Scorpius hardly heard anything about him, as his grandfather didn't seem to like him, and his grandmother seemed a little too sad to talk about it.
"Apparently that house had been in their family for beyond generations," Lily continued. "We don't live there, but my dad still keeps it clean and sturdy. Apparently, he and my mum lived there when they were out of school. But once they started a family they decided to move to Godric's Hollow."
The two of them stopped walking, as Scorpius wanted to prolong the moment before he took her into a room with Lucius. He was excited, although still a bit concerned on what he would say to her. "Why Godric's Hollow?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I mean, my dad said that his parents lived there during the war, but it's not there anymore. I mean, it's just a mess of rubble now. I'm not sure if that's why he chose to live there, just to be where his parents were."
The hero chose to live near the death site of his parents? "So, do you think it was a good idea?" Scorpius asked curiously. Surely that affected the great Chosen One in some way, right? He couldn't be that perfect.
She sighed lightly. "Well, I like it there. Why ever my dad chose to live there is personal, so I've never really asked. But every year on James's birthday, he, my mum, my aunt Hermione, and my uncle Ron always go to the cemetery. That's where they were buried."
Scorpius scowled lightly. What a strange tradition. "Why on your brother's birthday? Shouldn't they be celebrating the dark event of your brother's birth?"
Her smile wasn't as bright, but humorless. "They do. But it's not just his birthday. It's also the anniversary of their deaths."
Scorpius stopped scowling, and now felt like he probably shouldn't have continued his questions. "I'm sorry."
But she shrugged, and didn't look too bothered. "I never knew them, so it doesn't really bother me."
Scorpius moved to lean against the wall behind him. "My ancestors are buried here," he admitted. He tried to block his most recent memory of the area. "It's where my grandfather plans to be buried, and he thinks that every Malfoy should follow the tradition."
Lily looked at him now with curiosity, but not as if she were prying. "Do you want to?"
"No," Scorpius said with certainty. "Frankly, I think it's a little creepy, having dead people buried in the backyard. I mean, the backyard's huge, but still. But I shouldn't complain. I don't even plan to live here when I'm older. Once I turn seventeen, I'm out." Scorpius hadn't changed his mind on that. He didn't want to live in this manor, especially with all the horrible memories that resided in it.
"Is that wise?" Lily inquired.
Scorpius shrugged. "I've got enough money now to support myself. I am a Malfoy. I'm insanely spoiled rich," he said with a little chuckle. "I think I can handle it." Scorpius sighed as he looked at the door next to him. He had procrastinated enough. "Well, shall we enter the snake pit?"
Lily laughed lightly. "We shall."
Scorpius moved away from the wall and knocked once on the door. Then he waited. "Come in, Scorpius," his father called out to him. Scorpius look back to Lily, and when he saw not a bit of nerves in her eyes, he smirked. He opened the door and moved to allow her in first. Lily walked in, looking a bit curious and hesitant as she looked around.
"Mother, Father, grandfather, grandmother, this is Lily Luna," Scorpius introduced. He smirked when he saw how furious Lucius looked. "These are my parents and grandparents. I'm sure you can tell which is which."
Lily gave a small laugh. "You look so much like your father," she teased.
Astoria laughed as Scorpius tried to keep from letting his face get warm with color, especially when his mother got up to hug him. But then she smiled at Lily. "Hello, Lily. I'm Scorpius's mother, Astoria."
Lily smiled with her usual confidence, which Scorpius was happy to see. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm very happy to meet you."
"Likewise. Ever since my son came home from Christmas saying he had a new friend, I've been anxious to meet you. Come and sit down," Astoria said as she ushered them both to sit on one of the couches.
Draco stood up, and Scorpius felt a little hesitant on how his father would actually do once a Potter was in the house. But his father held out his hand to Lily. "Hello, Lily. I'm Draco, Scorpius's father. And thank you fro the reminder of our similarities."
Scorpius felt relief run through him at his father's relaxed attitude and nature as Lily shook Draco's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy. Don't worry. If you ever see me and my mum together, you'll most likely comment as well."
Draco smirked. "I don't have to see you side by side to see the large amount of similarities."
Even Narcissa gave Lily a smile. "Hello, Lily. I'm Narcissa." Scorpius hadn't been worried about his grandmother. After all, she'd changed a bit from the war as well.
"Teddy's grandma's sister," Lily commented.
His grandmother's smile grew. "That's right. We've all been very anxious to meet you," she said politely.
"Please, speak for yourself, Narcissa." Scorpius tensed at the sound of Lucius's voice. And he glared at the older man.
"Father," Draco groaned, probably expecting this.
"Calm yourself, Draco," Lucius said mildly, his tone betraying the cold rage in his eyes.
Scorpius let out a hissing sigh through clenched teeth and a tight jaw. "Lily, this is my grandfather, Lucius Malfoy. The one who just loved the jacket you sent me," he mocked, unable to help himself.
"Yes, I must say I was quite surprised to hear of a Potter being in Slytherin," Lucius sneered.
Lily didn't seem bothered by his tone, but instead simply raised a brow. "Yes, I'm a very rare case. But I've found that I enjoy being in the Slytherin House more than I enjoy just being around Gryffindors."
Scorpius smirked. He was happy to see that Lily was apparently going to be as fierce and strong-willed as always.
Lucius raised a brow now. "Is that so? I find it hard to wrap my head around the idea of a Potter being in Slytherin. It's no right really."
Lily still didn't look upset or angry. "Well if it wasn't right, then I don't think the Sorting Hat would have put me in Slytherin. That hat's been around for years, I think I'll trust it."
Scorpius snickered. He glanced at his parents, who looked hesitant at the exchange going on. His father looked exhausted already.
"Really? I heard your brothers are Gryffindor Golden boys. Not normal for a Slytherin," Lucius mocked dryly.
Scorpius now hesitated. He hadn't thought Lucius would bring up her brothers, and now Scorpius feared that Lily might finally snap, or would now feel a sting of hurt.
But Lily's face was expressionless. "I heard you tried to kill my mother when she was twelve. Not normal for a man with morals."
Scorpius looked at Lily with surprise at her blunt and honest words, and at her casual expression. But then he grinned, especially when Lucius seemed to have nothing to say to that, and stormed out of the room. Lily looked at Scorpius, apologetic. "Sorry."
But Scorpius had to keep himself from laughing. "Don't be! That was awesome!"
"Scorpius," his mother chided lightly, more apologetic herself, than angry. "I'm sorry about him," she said to Lily. "He's a bit old fashioned."
Lily sighed. "Don't worry. My uncle Ron is similar, but Scorpius just wasn't exposed to him today," she said humorlessly.
Scorpius snapped his fingers jokingly. "Damn."
"Language, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," his mother scolded.
Scorpius felt his cheeks heat up, and then felt them get hotter when Lily looked ready to laugh.
"So this is my room," Scorpius said, a little embarrassed that he hadn't cleaned it up a bit more before she came. "It's not the greatest, I mean the posters and stuff are pretty old."
Lily seemed to dismiss it. "I like it. It's very . . . comfortable. It's got a nice lived-in feeling to it," she said honestly.
He felt his cheeks grow warm again. "I did my best to make a comfortable bed for you. Just say something if you can't sleep on it. I'll switch ya," he told her, meaning every word.
But Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not stealing your bed."
Scorpius smirked and gave a bit of a laugh. "I figured you'd say something like that. But my mum thinks your sleeping on my bed, so don't say anything to her," he joked. "She expects me to be a gentleman, even if you won't let me."
She laughed with him. "Ok. I'll keep your secret."
Lily went into his bathroom to change, so Scorpius quickly pulled out a comfy pair of black sweat pants and a grey shirt. Normally, he might not sleep with a shirt on during the summer, but tonight was different, after all.
He was combing hair when he heard her speak with an amused tone. "What are you doing?"
Scorpius glanced at her in his mirror. "Getting my hair to smooth out. If I don't it sticks up everywhere and never combs nicely in the morning," he replied.
She just rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever you say, Scorp."
Scorpius gave her a mock glare. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, Lily Lu. I'll come after ya."
She rolled her eyes again. "I'm not afraid of you," she stated.
He put down his comb and turned slowly to face her. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that," he said slyly as he began to walk toward her.
Lily seemed to sense what he was doing. "Scorpius, back up," she said as he closed in. "I'm serious." She tried to dodge him, but Scorpius was a little quicker, and got his arms around her to lift her from her feet. She kicked at him, and Scorpius ignored how hard one particular kick was. "Scorpius Malfoy, put me down!" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Are you scared of me yet?" he demanded with a laugh.
"Yes, I'm mortally terrified of you," she said with no actual fear. "Now put me down!"
Scorpius began to set her down, still smirking. "You better be. I'm a very scary person."
She smacked him on the shoulder, but she was still smiling. "Goodnight, Scorpius."
"Goodnight, Lily Lu."
Scorpius wasn't sure what woke him up first. The rough way he was jostled, or the loud "Wake up, Scorpius!" being yelled near him.
Scorpius shot up in surprise and quickly looked around. He only saw Lily, standing on his bed with a smile and a laugh on her lips. Groaned as his heart pounded and he fell back to his bed. "You are insane," he said with a laugh of his own.
She continued to laugh a little. "I know," she said, completely un-bothered. "But your clock says that it's almost noon. We've slept through the morning."
Scorpius glanced to the clock on his wall. "Well, I'll be dammed," he mumbled. But then he sighed as he slowly sat up. "All right, I'm up. Just give me a few minutes." He really wanted to shower quick. "Feel free to explore." After grabbing some clothes, he left to his bathroom, and quickly started up the shower.
Scorpius sighed happily as the warm water ran over him. For the first night in awhile, he had a nice sleep. No dreams, no embarrassing mornings, just a deep slumber. Perhaps it was because of how tired he was last night, after running around all day, and spending the night with Lily and his parents? Either way, it felt fantastic. And he also had the rest of the day to spend with Lily, and possibly irritate his grandfather.
But what would they do today, Scorpius thought as he washed his hair? Perhaps he could show her around the large backyard that she'd seemed a little curious about the previous night? They could even go fly maybe. He was sure she'd love that. But as he got out of the shower, his stomach growled quietly.
So they would eat first.
When Scorpius stepped out of his room, he found Lily deep into a book, her eyes moving along the page with curiosity, but also seemed alight with sincere interest. "What are you reading?"
Scorpius smirked as she jumped, obviously startled. She must have really been into that book. "What?" she asked, her voice a bit high from her shock.
He could no longer bite back a laugh. "I asked, what are you reading?" he repeated.
A light pink color came over her cheeks as she closed the book. "Oh. Just one of your potion books," she answered. Scorpius gave a hum of acknowledgment as he moved to start combing his hair. "Tell me, why do you have such an advanced book?"
Scorpius shrugged, not wanting to seem like he was boasting. "I like Potions class. It's a very easy and fascinating subject. So every now and then, I'll buy a book and read a little more on more advanced things."
Scorpius glanced at her briefly as she put the book away. She seemed so interested. He'd heard Slughorn bragging about her before, and he remembered her friends constantly asking her for help in the class. Perhaps she was just as interested in it as he was? Maybe . . . maybe she'd like the book too?
"So, is there a plan for today?" he heard her ask behind him.
Scorpius looked at her from his mirror. "Of course. I thought I'd give you a small tour around the outside. There are a million things to do out there. There's even a space where we can fly."
She smiled at him. "Sounds great."
Scorpius set down his comb and turned to look at her. "Yes, it does. But first, I'm starved, so we're going to eat."
Now she laughed. "That sounds even better."
Scorpius stood by the fireplace, unsure of what to do now. Lily had just disappeared into the fire, and he was now alone. Spending the day flying with Lily had been a blast, and more fun in this manor than Scorpius was used to in the last few years.
He smirked lightly. While she'd gone to the loo, he'd hurried to write a small note, and stick that potions book into her bag. He'd already read it, and thought that she might need something to occupy her time as she tried to dodge those idiot brothers of hers.
"Quite a different girl, Lily is." Scorpius whirled around to see that his father had come into the room. "A nice girl though. I hope she comes to the dinner."
Scorpius nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, she's a great friend."
Draco moved to sit down. "So, want to tell me why she didn't want to go home? And why you didn't want her to go home?"
Scorpius felt his cheeks flush as he stared at his shoes. "I worry about her," he admitted quietly.
Draco raised a brow. "Really? For what reason?"
Scorpius looked at his father. "Her family. Just about every one of them is a Gryffindor, and her brothers are constantly trying to make her life hell."
"They don't accept her?" Draco guessed.
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah. They hate all Slytherins, and now that includes her . . . And I know she's tough and can handle herself . . . but I know that they sometimes get to her."
Draco gave a small nod before sighing, and standing back up. "Well, she's welcome here any time you want to invite her. And I'll make sure we get a day picked so that she can make sure she's free for the dinner," he assured.
"Thanks, Dad," Scorpius said sincerely.
"So, what do you think my chances are of making the Quidditch team?" Will Nott asked curiously as he laid back on Scorpius's bed. "I mean, now that the Chaser position is open?"
Scorpius leaned back in his desk chair. "Pretty fair. I mean, this time you're actually trying out for a position you're good at," he teased lightly
"True," Will agreed. The Nott family had come to visit, since Theodore Nott and Scorpius's father were such good friends. Tamara and Jo had disappeared as soon as they'd appeared, so Scorpius and Will had come up to his room.
"It's good to hear that Raven made Quidditch Captain," Scorpius commented. He'd heard of the news from his mother, who'd had tea with Mrs. Bole a few days ago. "This year should be just as good as the last."
"I wonder who are new prefects are this year," Will inquired with mild curiosity.
"I'm sure we'll find out at the dinner," Scorpius assured.
"Any idea when that will be?"
"No clue yet," Scorpius sighed.
"You don't have a clue? Surprise," Tamara mocked lightly as she entered the room. "What about this time?"
Scorpius ignored her teasing. "The date of the dinner this summer."
"Merlin, the last thing I want to do is go to that dumb adult dinner!" Tamara complained as she sat next to her brother. "I'm tired of the dumb tradition of walking in together! And tired of dressing up! And . . . "
"And we're tired of listening to you complain about it!" Will groaned as he rolled onto his stomach.
Tamara rolled her eyes. "I just can't wait until I'm old enough to finally choose not to go."
"Well, you're fourteen now, so you've got about four years," Will muttered. He looked at Scorpius. "Be happy you don't have sisters to deal with."
Scorpius smirked. "Oh, but you make siblings look so much fun!" he mocked with a roll of his eyes.
Will simply shook his head. "So, where's Jojo at?"
"How should I know? I'm not her babysitter," Tamara retorted casually. "She's probably playing outside."
"You are such a great big sister," Will mumbled.
"I never asked to be one," Tamara said with a shrug. "Don't get me wrong. I love the girl, but I don't see why I have to keep watch as Dad keeps saying."
"Is it just me, or do you get more whiney as it gets close to going back to school?" Will grumbled.
"Well why would I be in a good mood?" Tamara pointed out. "More bad is happening than good! Sure, Amanda and Dante became prefects, but from what I understand, so did Potter and one of the Weasleys!"
Scorpius sat up straighter, and Will now looked interested. "What?" Will demanded.
Tamara nodded. "Yeah. I heard a few airheaded girls whispering about Potter being a prefect while I was in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes yesterday. And that annoying Weasley girl is one as well!"
"Not Molly Weasley!" Will groaned. "Just when I thought dealing with Gryffindor prefects was bad enough!"
Scorpius scowled at the thought. "Well, we'll just have to make sure Potter stays in line. Can't have him losing control, now can we?"
Tamara grinned slyly. "And lucky for us, we have the ultimate weapon."
Will grinned too. "Lily Luna."
Scorpius gave a bit of a smirk, but inside he cringed a little. Could they ask her to do that? Sure, he fought against her brothers and Gryffindors, but when she did it . . . Scorpius knew there was a light bit of pain that she felt, but ignored and denied.
No, he couldn't ask that of her. But . . . would the others?
"Of course others will try to get her to fight with her brothers more," Lana stated as she and Scorpius walked around Madam Malkin's. Their mothers had brought them to refit their robes for school. Lars had escaped, since he claimed to not have grown enough to need new ones. But sadly, their mothers were talking with Madam Malkin about new fashions, and they hadn't even started on fitting their robes!
Scorpius scowled as he stared at the mirror that Lana was looking in. "I just feel like it would be asking too much," he mumbled.
"Well of course it is!" Lana said with a roll of her eyes. "It would be asking her to do something that causes her heartache and emotional pain. But she's tough, like we were. She'll be fine, whatever she chooses."
"What are you talking about?" Scorpius demanded.
"You don't remember how we were basically asked the same thing?" Lana said with a scoff. "How it was expected of you to fight, and do things that caused you not only mental and emotional pain, but physical as well?"
"That was different. I had my own reasons," Scorpius argued calmly.
"We all have our own reasons for agreeing to it," Lana retorted. "Most of us never do it because it's expected, but because we begin to see how Gryffindors really are, or because of something personal incident with them. We all have our own reasons for fighting back."
Scorpius thought silently as he took a seat in a nearby chair. Why did he fight? Because he hated the Potter boys, Gryffindors were constantly picking on Slytherins, just for being Slytherins. James Potter personally attacked Scorpius for no more than his last name.
What would be Lily's reasons for fighting? Her anger and the fight with her brothers? Would that last? Also . . . how long would the protection of being a Potter last her? When would she finally be subject to the physical torment? Sure, she and her cousin shot hexes at each other, but that was nothing like being physically attacked. Who would be the first to attack the youngest Potter, the only girl? Surely it wouldn't be . . . but it could be . . .
James Potter?
