Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.
Note – This one is a bit shorter than I would have liked, but I wanted to get it out to you, and it was a good place to end it. Things are about to get interesting for Scorpius, and big decision is in his immediate future. So read and enjoy.
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Twenty-Four: Is It Worth It?
At first, Scorpius had let out a cheer as Lily caught the Snitch in the game against Ravenclaw. But then his heart stopped at what happened next, and even the entire crowd grew silent. A Bludger shot through the air, and slammed into the back of Lily's head. She dropped from her broom, landing on the grass with a crash.
Scorpius immediately headed for the ground, as did the rest of the team. Once Scorpius hit the ground, he ran to where Lily laid limp on the ground. He carefully rolled her onto her back, and cringed when he saw the blood covering the side of her face and trailing down her neck.
"We need to move her to the Hospital Wing!" Madam Hooch said quickly.
Scorpius quickly, and yet carefully, slipped his arms under her, and began to lift her up. The guys were close by, Tanner holding her broom.
"Careful, careful!" Adrian said with worry as he helped Scorpius get a better hold on her. The rest of the team hovered as well as they made their way across the pitch, each wanting to hurry and get Lily some help.
"She's bleeding, bad," Tanner mumbled, eyeing the blood.
Scorpius took in a deep breath. "She'll be ok. She's tough."
The boys were soon followed by an entourage of worried Slytherins, all concerned for Lily. And when they all burst into the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey didn't even bother to throw them out once she saw Lily's state.
"Get the girl on an empty bed," she commanded immediately as she began to gather a few potions.
Scorpius hurried to set her down carefully, and then they all stepped back as Madam Pomfrey stepped in to begin working. Scorpius hesitantly looked down at his arms. One of his sleeves was stained with blood, and some was smeared on his arm and hand. Lily's blood. It almost made him tremble, seeing how much of it there was.
Lola asked the question they all had first. "Will she be ok?"
"Eventually, yes," Pomfrey told them. "She's got a nasty crack in her skull, and some serious bruising. It'll take some time for it all to heal, but she'll be ok, hopefully after a few days."
"What can we do?" Tanner asked.
"For now, just let me work, and then let her rest," Pomfrey said sternly.
Dante sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, obviously still worried. "Well, maybe we should head to the common room then? I'm sure some are still getting a party ready."
But Scorpius pulled up a chair, and sat down. "You guys go ahead. I'll stay here in case she wakes up."
Lana placed a hand on his shoulder, her worry obvious as well. "Are you sure you wanna do that?" she whispered. "There's no point in sitting here and worrying about her."
Scorpius just nodded. "I'm team captain. I should be the one to stay," he said, which was partially true, but not his real reason for staying.
But soon he was the only one still there, the others having gone. He waited quietly as Madam Pomfrey continued to work over Lily. He watched as she wrapped a bandage that covered her forehead, then began casting spells over her shoulders, and the small bleeding cuts began to seal shut.
"Can't you do that for her head?" Scorpius inquired in a quiet tone.
"I did, but the area where her skull cracked is tender. There's a risk of the skin splitting back open if she moves too roughly or haphazardly. This is simply a precaution," Pomfrey explained.
"Her head could split open again?" he asked with heavy worry.
"Not her skull, Mr. Malfoy," she corrected. "Just the skin around the area. But it should be just fine by tomorrow, and strong and good as new. This is just for tonight."
"When do you think she'll wake up?" Scorpius asked as he moved his chair closer to Lily's side, on the other side of Pomfrey.
"Hard to say. She should be well enough tomorrow, but when something traumatic happens to the body, there's no way to tell how it will react in response," Pomfrey told him as she finished. Then she gave him a look. "Now, I hope you understand that you also need rest, and will not be sleeping in here?"
Scorpius sighed, but nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I will be out by curfew," he promised.
He did leave . . . but he was back as soon as he woke up the next morning. He dressed quickly, and then was hurrying back to check on her and to see if she'd woken up yet. But she was still fast asleep when he arrived. So he sat down beside her, and waited.
Others came in and out. Some came in to fix something, and one boy even came in with a paw instead of a hand. But others came in to drop off gifts and well wishes to Lily. Each stopped to ask Scorpius how she was, but he never had much to say.
"Are you really going to sit here all day?" Lana demanded as she came in, a small thing of candy in her hands. She set it with the others. "You will eventually get hungry."
"You act like it's a crime, or stupid of me to be worried about her," Scorpius muttered. "You're the one that insisted I figure out and accept that I have a crush."
"Not to obsess about it!" Lana argued.
"I would have been here even if I still didn't know!" Scorpius retorted. He looked back to Lily. "I can't help but be concerned. And it's not about my crush . . . she's my friend. I care about her. And it was a bad hit."
Lana sighed as she brought up a chair as well. "Ok, you've got me there. But you know that she'll be ok, whether you stay in that chair twenty-four hours, or not, right?"
"Of course," Scorpius mumbled. "And I'm not going to starve myself. Don't worry about me."
"Well then come with me to the kitchens," Lana said. "We'll get something to eat, then come back here."
Scorpius stood up, but raised a brow. "Why not just go to the Great Hall?"
"Because I'm having a particular craving today," Lana said offhandedly. "Let's go."
Scorpius relented, and followed after Lana. The halls were practically empty, except for the occasional student walking about. Scorpius figured they were all in the Great Hall for lunch.
"You know, once you do finally go back to the common room, you're going to get grilled by the others on her condition," Lana said with a grin. "You're not the only one worried."
"I'll tell them when I go back tonight," Scorpius assured.
The two of them ate in silence for a while, but finally, Lana spoke. "Scorpius, if you don't mind me asking, why are you acting like having a crush on Lily is some horrible disaster or sin?"
Scorpius sighed. "She's my best friend. What if she finds out? It'll just make it awkward! And . . . I could lose her as a friend. And that's the last thing I want."
"So you'd rather keep your feelings to yourself?" Lana replied. "Despite the fact that Lily isn't the type that would stop being friends with you because of something like that?"
"I won't risk it," Scorpius said firmly.
"You know, it may be a slow process for the girl, but she's slowly figuring out how many boys have an interest in her. She's realizing how appealing and pretty she is. And despite knowing how many of the boys in her year have even the slightest crush on her, she's still friends with them. She's still friends with Rex."
"Yeah, but…"
"And if you think about it, you two would be perfect for each other. She doesn't take crap from Lucius, and you hold your own against her brothers and aren't afraid of them," Lana commented.
Scorpius ran a hand through his hair. "Lana . . ."
"You're just afraid," Lana stated. "Afraid of not knowing what will happen. But the things is, if you're too afraid to take a chance, nothing changes. Then you're stuck in limbo forever, circling your feelings. And that sounds like a terrible way to live, always wondering what if."
"Are you saying that you want me to date Lily?" Scorpius questioned with a raised brow.
"I want you to take a chance," Lana corrected. "Because I don't want you regretting it later in life. I love you too much for that, brother of mine."
Scorpius sighed. "Despite the fact she's going out with Xavier?"
Lana rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! Like they'll last. They're thirteen. I give them until the start of summer."
Scorpius returned to find Lola and Izzy by Lily's bedside. "Has she woken up?" he asked them softly as he joined them.
Lola shook her head. "Not since we've been here? How about earlier?"
Scorpius shook his head too. "No. Seems it was too much trauma on her body." He sighed as he sat down in an empty chair.
But Scorpius couldn't help but begin to lose his patience as hours went by. When he left at curfew, she was still asleep. The next morning, he checked on her before classes only to find out from Madam Pomfrey that she still had yet to wake up. When he went to breakfast, he received a letter from the post, one he'd been waiting for.
"Dear Scorpius,
I think it would be a lovely idea of bring Lily along with us to Ireland! I'm sure she'll love it! And she's such a sweet girl that I'd love to have her along too! Make sure you let her know when we're leaving and coming back. And if her parents feel hesitant about letting her go, simply let me know, and I'll speak with them to assure them that she'll be perfectly safe!
Also, how are classes going?"
Scorpius had rolled his eyes at the rest of the letter. His mother asked a hundred questions about school, his friends, and how he was. Then she lectured him on not writing more. He made a mental note to reply back that night.
But having his parents' approval for Lily to come along just made him more impatient to have Lily wake up so that he could tell her.
"Just relax," Lars said as he patted Scorpius's shoulder. "The team already decided that we'd go with you at lunch to see her. She's got to wake up soon. And maybe if we're loud enough, it'll happen," he joked.
Scorpius just dropped into his seat. "It can't be good to be out so long. What if it's a bad sign?"
"What if it's natural?" Lana pointed out. "Lars is right . . . for once. Just relax."
When lunch hour hit, Scorpius was the first to arrive in the Hospital Wing. He sat in what had been his usual chair the last few days, and tried to look for signs that said Lily had woken at least once, or at least stirred. But no candy was open, the blanket was still smooth over her, she was still in the position she had been this morning. Although, it was nice to see the bandages gone, and there was not even a trace of blood.
"How long has it been?" Scorpius turned to see the others coming in and toward them.
Lana sighed. "A day and a half now."
Dante looked to Madam Pomfrey. "Are you sure she's ok?" he asked.
"I promise that she's fine. She'll wake up when she's ready," Madam Pomfrey said firmly.
Scorpius tried to hide his irritation, but it slipped out. "Well she's taking her sweet ass time!" He didn't mean to make it sound like he blamed her, but he was getting worried and impatient.
"Language, Mr. Malfoy!" Madam Pomfrey scolded immediately.
"Well she needs to hurry!" Scorpius quipped.
Suddenly, there was a slight and quiet groan. "She can hear you." Scorpius quickly turned around to see Lily slowly opening her eyes, and carefully shifting where she laid.
"Lily, you're awake!" Lola cried as she moved closer to her.
Lily blinked for a moment, then spoke again, her voice sounding a bit hoarse. "How long have I been out?"
"Almost two days," Lana answered.
Lily dropped her head back to the pillow and let out a heavy sigh. "What happened?"
Dante shifted a little closer too. "A Bludger knocked your head just as you'd caught the Snitch. You were knocked out immediately," he told her, all of them wincing at the memory.
"You fell off your broom," Adrian added. "We all helped to carry you up here."
Lily scoffed at him. "You make me sound like I weigh as much as a giant," she mocked.
They all grinned a little, happy that her usual attitude was still around. Adrian even chuckled. "Sorry, not my intent."
"How do you feel?" Jace questioned.
"Bit of a headache, but nothing more," she replied as she relaxed.
Madam Pomfrey had walked away from them, and with flicks of her wand was replacing bed sheets. "Well, I'll probably let you go later tonight, once the headache goes away," she assured.
Lily closed her eyes. "Good. What time is it?"
"Lunch time," Will replied. "We all came in to check in on your."
"I don't think Scorpius has left your side since you got here," Adrian teased, nudging Scorpius with his elbow.
Scorpius ignored him as Lily finally opened her eyes to look at him. She looked a bit surprised at Adrian's words, but still like she wanted to roll her eyes too. "It's not like I was going to die. You didn't have to come," she mumbled.
Scorpius crossed his arms, and leaned forward to rest them on the bed, his chin resting on his arms. "I know," he stated. "But I wanted to tell you the good news," he said, giving an excuse he hoped she wouldn't question.
"What news?" she asked.
"I got a letter from my mum the other day," He lied about it being this morning, not wanting to give himself away, "saying how she would love nothing more than for me to bring you along on your trip this summer." He couldn't help but grin as the words came from his lips. The idea was just . . . fantastic.
And Lily smiled, making him have to repress from smiling like an idiot. "Really? So they're ok with it?"
Scorpius nodded. "Yep, we just have to get your parents to agree." Then he smirked. "Perhaps I should write to your mum. Sweet talk her a bit," he joked.
Lily laugh at him. "Whatever works," she quipped.
Scorpius had been happy to see Lily out of the Hospital Wing later that day. He was also happy to hear Rex talk about how he was taking out Lola Pritchard, which Scorpius hoped meant he'd stop pursuing Lily.
But that good mood came crashing on the day of the next Hogsmeade visit. Standing in Honeydukes, next to the window, Scorpius, Lana, Dante, and Lars were picking and choosing different sweets to buy and take back with them. It was then that Scorpius caught sight of a flash of deep red hair.
On instinct, he turned to look, and saw Lily and Xavier walking side by side, smiling and laughing about something. Scorpius gritted his teeth and scowled as his chest tightened. He hated it. He hated the slight feeling of despair that ran through him. And he hated the rush of anger he felt toward Xavier, who he knew was a good kid and would never do anything to hurt her.
"Scorpius." Scorpius turned, startled a little, to see Lana giving him a small and sympathetic look. "Don't torture yourself."
Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm not tortured," he mumbled.
"Sure looks like it," Dante retorted casually.
"Still not admitting that you want to date her?" Lars inquired.
"Still refusing to try," Lana sighed.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Look, get what you want. I'm heading back. I'll see you later." He didn't acknowledge any of their attempts to get him to stay, and instead walked out of the shop.
Scorpius scowled as he walked back to Hogwarts. He wasn't wrong to not want to ruin a friendship! Besides, there were plenty of other girls out there! Plenty of girls were interested in him. That was proven by the amount of date offers he got before Slughorn's party. He could date any of them!
Scorpius looked around him at the other students standing around talking on the sidewalks, or passing him by. There was Ami Waters . . . Scorpius shook his head. She was too . . . wild for his tastes. Plus, she had one of the most obnoxious voices he'd heard around the common room. But there was also Michelle Dimitrov, who Scorpius spotted talking with Amanda and Beth down the road. She was a nice enough girl. Although, she was always giggling, and was a bit like Beth. Scorpius would rather be able to speak with her instead of her just attacking his lips. Once chance he'd never take again.
Why was this so hard? Scorpius knew he was handsome, that he was popular in his House. So why was it so hard for him to pick a witch to go out with? Well . . . Lana always said he was picky about certain things. Maybe this was one of those things. He would have to make a list of requirements.
So when Scorpius finally made it back to the castle, he headed for the common room. He went to his room and grabbed a piece of parchment, and a quill and ink. Then he went back down to sit by the fire, and began to write.
First of all, the girl would have to be smart. He couldn't handle most idiots. Also, she would have to be social. He needed to be able to hold a conversation with her. Long silences weirded him out sometimes. Not to mention loyal. And friendly! Who would want to date a spiteful witch? Not that he wanted to seem shallow, but the girl had to be pretty in some way. Also, they would need a sense of humor, and also understand his. That was key. Also someone that could get along with his friends. He'd never abandon his friends for a witch. She would have to be independent. Who wants a witch clinging to their arm all day and night? He wanted a girl who spent time with her own friends, not always tagging along with him.
Oh! And the girl would have to understand Quidditch, and that the team was important to him. He didn't know how Dante handled listening to Lana complain about it all the time. Also, she'd have to be fun and spontaneous. Nothing worse than a dull relationship.
"What are you doing?"
Scorpius jumped and whirled around to see Cody Reeser looking over the paper. Scorpius tried not to blush at being caught. "Just writing something," he mumbled.
"These qualities describe someone?" Cody guessed as he sat down. At Scorpius's silence, he gave him a little nudge. "Come on, tell me. I promise not to laugh or tell anyone, if that makes you feel better."
Scorpius sighed. "I'm writing down things that I should look for in a witch. That way I don't end up with a girl like . . . Beth, again."
"Or my sister," Cody said, catching what Scorpius meant. "Ok, well let me help. Maybe I know someone like this."
"Really, because I feel like I'm coming up blank," Scorpius muttered. Maybe his standards were too high, or something.
"What about Lily?"
Scorpius looked at Cody immediately. "What?"
"Well, I was trying to think of people you talk to a lot, and Lily fits those qualities. To a tee, actually. Although, she is on a date now," Cody mentioned. "But who knows, that might not last. I'd keep her in mind."
Scorpius almost scowled. "You know, don't you?"
Cody grinned. "About your huge crush on Lily? Yeah. Practically every Slytherin in fourth year and above knows."
Scorpius took the list from him. "Then why even pretend to help?"
"You make it sound so bad!" Cody argued, still grinning. "What's wrong with Lily?"
"She's my friend!" Scorpius quipped.
"Friends are the best people to date!" Cody retorted. "They already know each other, they're little quirks, and humor, and attitude! There's not really an awkward stage, because you already know each other. It makes it so much easier."
Scorpius stopped to consider that. True . . . but, "How is it not awkward to go from friends to dating? First you were throwing around a Quaffle together, next you're snogging each other. There's no awkward transition stage?" he pointed out.
Cody shrugged. "Depends on the couple. Yeah, that happens sometimes. But look at Lana and Dante. They transitioned easily. I think it depends on the amount of feelings you have for each other beforehand. But that's just me."
Scorpius just shook his head.
Cody placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, there may be an awkward transition. There's a chance. But you have to decide if it would be worth it. Would it be worth it to go through an awkward transition, and make the relationship work?"
"I don't know," Scorpius murmured. "And I don't know how to be sure of that."
Cody gave him another grin. "Well, here's an easier question, one that I ask myself often, and then follow the answer."
Scorpius raised a brow. "What's that?"
"What do you want to do? It may sound selfish, but answer that question, and then go after the answer."
For once, Scorpius was happy that the weather was still cool. It helped cool him down as he jogged around the pitch in the early morning each Sunday. Sure it was still early in the morning, but it was something he loved doing.
But he suddenly heard footsteps coming up behind him. He turned his head to see Mitch jogging to catch up with him. Scorpius smirked at his friend. Unlike himself, Mitch was not dressed for jogging. He had on jeans and a thick jacket to fend off the cold. But Scorpius slowed himself down a little to let his friend catch up.
"Morning!" Mitch gasped as he finally caught up. "How long have you been out here?"
Scorpius shrugged. "No clue. What's up?"
"Just checking on you," Mitch admitted. "I wanted to make sure you weren't still brooding over the fact that Lil and my brother are officially dating now."
Scorpius looked back ahead of him. Lily had told him yesterday that after their date, she and Xavier were officially girlfriend and boyfriend. And . . . "I'm ok," he told Mitch. "I mean, I can't be upset if I'm not sure if I even want to take a chance and date her. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be pissed off if Xavier upsets her or does something stupid, but that's because she's one of my best friends."
Mitch nodded, but then stopped moving and leaned over and began to pant. Scorpius relented and stopped too, waiting for his friend. "That's good," Mitch panted. "Just thought… I'd be a good… friend… and be there for you."
Scorpius smirked. "Well thanks. Now, how about I be the good friend and get you inside to breakfast?"
"Thank Merlin!" Mitch exclaimed, still catching his breath, and holding the stitch in his side.
"One last Quidditch game for the year," Lars sighed as he and Scorpius walked to the abandoned classroom that Mitch and the others practiced in. "We have to kill Hufflepuff."
"We will," Scorpius said with certainty. Although he was a bit worried. Lily was coming off an injury, and Hufflepuff had knocked out the Seeker of both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor in their other matches. Lily would definitely be a target.
Before Scorpius could worry more, they arrived at the door they were looking for. Lars ignored the sign that said Hazard, Don't Enter, and walked right in. The sign was just a way to keep others out and from being interrupted. But Mitch had insisted they come and relax the night before the match.
"Hey, you made it!" Mitch said with a grin.
But Scorpius almost groaned. Dominique was, of course, present. But surprisingly, she said no sarcastic remark. Instead, she was flipping through a magazine, simply ignoring them.
Rex was twirling a pair of drumsticks. "Sit down and relax, guys. We were just getting ready to run through a song."
"Where's Will?" Lars asked as he hopped up to sit on a nearby desk.
"He had a detention to serve, so he'll be here later," Mitch answered. "Apparently he got caught snogging Candice Sheen in the library, then mouthed off when Madam Pince was scolding them."
"Sounds like Will," Scorpius said with a chuckle.
"I didn't know Will and Candice were dating," Lars mentioned.
"That's because they're not," Justin laughed as he brushed his bangs from his eyes. "They're just friends that snog each other at random moments."
"Again, sounds like Will," Mitch joked.
Scorpius sighed as he stood around while the guys prepared their instruments. But then, with a sigh, he sat next to Dominique. This was one of his best friend's girlfriend, he could at least try and be civil and polite. "Hello, Dominique. How are you?"
"I'm not one for fake polite conversations," she retorted dryly. "Don't try it."
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Sorry for having manners."
Dominique scoffed as she closed the magazine. "Spare me, because I couldn't care less. Unlike my cousin, your wit isn't cute to me."
Scorpius scowled. "Excuse me? What's that mean?"
"Basically, that my cousin is oblivious," she retorted. "Although, I'll be nice and say that you have probably about a year before she figures out that you like her. So you have time to hide."
Scorpius's jaw tensed. "It's none of your business."
"She's my cousin, my family," Dominique replied. "Not that I care if she decides to date you or not. But . . . I just warn you not to be stupid."
Scorpius's body lost his tension as a bit of surprise ran through him, and he raised a brow. "Dominique Weasley, are you actually showing concern for her?"
"I don't feel like listening to her complain about how stupid you are if you screw up," Dominique said, not batting an eye. But she was almost . . . less confrontational than normal, and it showed that she was hiding from his guess.
Scorpius just smirked. "Like you'd be the one she'd complain too," he retorted, but he left it at that, and relaxed in his seat as the guys got ready to play.
Normally, Scorpius could relax a little once Quidditch season was over. Especially since they not only came back to beat Hufflepuff, but also kept hold of the Quidditch Cup again. But not this year.
Instead of reveling in their win and continued streak of victories, Scorpius found himself living in the library, pouring over book after book in preparation for one thing.
"These O.W.L exams are going to kill me," Lars grumbled as he brought back a third book from the shelves.
"I have the biggest headache," Mitch grumbled, holding his head.
"My brain is going to explode at this rate," Rex complained as he rested his head on a thick book about Herbology.
"How have the others been able to continue doing this all year?" Lars wondered in amazement.
"How are they not dead?" Scorpius muttered, his own head overflowing with information, which felt like it was leaving just as quickly as it came.
"Hello, boys," Lana greeted in a whisper as she and Tamara came to stand by their table. "Regretting holding off on revising all year?"
"I regret ever starting," Mitch quipped.
"You boys do look exhausted," Tamara mentioned. "How long have you been here?"
"Since the library open this morning," Scorpius mumbled. And it showed. All four boys were sloppily dressed, ties crooked and shoes untied. Mitch's hair wasn't even spiked, but fell to his forehead in a wave of blue. Lars had dark circles under his own eyes, and yawned every few minutes. Rex had been laying on the book for a sold twenty minutes, and had been falling asleep every so often.
"It's almost time for dinner! You've been here that long?" Tamara whispered in surprise.
They all nodded.
Lana shook her head. "They've been doing this every weekend since that last Quidditch match. They're slowly turning into Virgin Weasley over there," she mocked, motioning to where Rose Weasley sat across the room.
"Not funny," Scorpius groaned. "I think I'm dying."
"Just wait until June when the tests start," Lana teased.
"No offense, sis, but I'm about to hit you," Lars grumbled. "Don't remind us!"
"Two weeks full of tests," Lana continued.
Now each of them dropped their heads to the table, and groaned.
Scorpius ran a hand through his hair as his test flew from his desk to the examiner's hands. They'd just finished the written portion of their Herbology exam, and Scorpius was sure his brain was about to implode within his skull.
Like everyone else, he was slow to get up and make his way from the room. But he somehow found himself with the others, who looked just as beaten as he felt. "I think that paper was a Dementor, and it sucked out my soul," Rex sighed as they walked.
"I think I actually failed," Lars added. "Halfway through it all became a blur."
"Better than me. I think I fell asleep for at least ten minutes in the middle of it," Mitch replied as he stretched his arms. "But who cares? It's just Herbology."
"What about Herbolgoy, Mr. Avery?" The others all bit their lips to keep from laughing as Mitch jumped and whipped around to see Professor Longbottom, looking at him with a raised brow and a grin.
Mitch scratched the back of his head. "I was saying how that test was so easy that I was able to take a nap in there! Must be because of great teaching skills, professor," he said quickly, with his own grin.
Professor Longbottom just chuckled as he walked by them. "Good luck on the practical portion. Hopefully you can finish that nap, Mr. Avery."
"It's possible, professor!" Mitch called after him. Then he elbowed Lars. "Someone could have said he was right behind me!"
"But where's the fun in that?" Lana mocked.
"Scorpius? Scorpius!"
Scorpius shot up in his seat, blinking rapidly as he looked around. When had he fallen asleep? He'd been reading about uses of dragon's blood seconds ago! He turned to see that Lily was sitting next to him, biting her lip as if she was trying not to laugh.
Scorpius rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. Just been studying all day," he mumbled.
"Must be nice to have a break from tests for the moment," Lily commented.
Scorpius smirked. "The best." Then he yawned. "So, what are you doing?"
Lily shrugged. "Nothing. The others are studying for third year exams, and I didn't really feel like it, then I found you asleep."
Scorpius chuckled. "Thanks for waking me." He sighed as he closed his book. "So, I never asked, how did your family react to your change in clothes?" Lily and all the Potter and Weasleys in Hogwarts had been taken out of school for about a day to witness Teddy and Victoire's first child being born. And Lily, not thinking about her plans to reveal her new style over summer, hadn't brought her older clothes to change into.
Lily sighed this time. "Most had a fit. But I don't care. The point was to see my godson, and that's all that matters."
"So what's his name? Theodore, was it?" Scorpius inquired.
She nodded as she slipped a picture from a small pocket of her bag. She handed it to him. "Yeah. That's him."
Scorpius couldn't help but smile. "He's cute. Looks a lot like his dad in the face." He handed it back to her. "So, excited for the trip?"
"Am I excited to be out of the house and away from my brothers? But of course," Lily quipped with a smile. "You?"
"Me? Oh I love spending time around Lucius," he quipped with a roll of his eyes. "But at least I won't suffer alone."
Lily laughed. "I would never let you suffer alone," she said playfully.
Scorpius smiled a bit, and couldn't help but ask one more question. "So, how's the single life treating you?" Apparently, Lily and Xavier had a mutual break up during the last Hogsmeade trip. Scorpius had repressed his elation at the news when he'd heard.
"Same way it's probably treating you," Lily mocked with a smile. "Honestly, our friendship is no different, which is nice. I'm happy that we were able to avoid having awkward moments or losing our friendship."
"That is good," Scorpius said with a nod. "That would be my biggest worry. Not being able to be friends if something bad happened." It was his biggest fear now.
"It was something that I never really thought of when I knew we were going to break up. It just seemed normal that we'd still be friends," Lily commented. "Maybe we're just weird though."
"Or maybe you're lucky," Scorpius remarked. "Although I wouldn't rule out the weird part."
Lily giggled a little, but elbowed him. "If I'm weird than I don't even know how to describe you," she quipped.
Scorpius wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulder. "How about as the best guy in the world?" he teased.
"Well who else would deserve that title?"
"It's over!" Rex cheered as he dropped onto the couch in the common room. "O.W.L. exams are finally over!"
"And next year we get a break from mind numbing exams!" Lars agreed happily.
"Then we take N.E.W.T.s," Lana reminded as she sat down.
"Shut up!" Rex said quickly covering his ears. "I want to hear no bad news today!" He then stood up. "Actually, I'm going to go see what my girlfriend's doing. Later, single people . . . and Lana."
Scorpius rolled his eyes at his friend's antics. But . . . "I have to say, thank Merlin those are done! I thought they'd never end."
"It's like a huge weight is off our shoulders," Justin agreed with a grin, his hair falling into his eyes. "Now, we just wait until the end of the year."
That day came fast, and Scorpius soon found himself on the train, sitting in a compartment with the other prefects as they had one last short meeting, at the insistence of the Head Girl. Adrian even seemed to be pouting and bored.
But once it was over, Scorpius walked out with Lana and Dante, happy for the end of the year. And the reason was simple. "Soon, I go on vacation with Lily and my family, and get to irritate the hell out of Lucius. Perfect," he commented.
"I think you're more excited about the idea of spending a lot of alone time with our resident princess," Dante mocked with a grin.
"No one asked what you thought," Scorpius quipped casually.
"Well I know who I'm excited to spend time alone with," Dante said slyly.
Scorpius grimaced with disgust as Dante kissed Lana, then quickly turned away as it got deeper. "That's it! I'm gone!" He walked away quickly, only to run into Lars a few cars down.
"Prefect meeting done?" Lars asked.
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, and now Lana and Dante are snogging, so I thought I'd find you guys."
Lars grimaced now. "Gross. Well, I left the others to avoid dealing with Dominique for a few minutes. So what do we do?"
It didn't take Scorpius long to think of an idea. "Let's see what Lil and the other third years are up to."
Ok, so he was a little eager to spend time alone with Lily. Just a little!
"So, Lily is the friend you chose?" Draco commented as he stepped into Scorpius's room.
Scorpius, who had been packing for the trip, turned to look at his father. "Hm? Yeah, why?"
Draco simply walked in further, and moved to sit in Scorpius's desk chair. "I just thought you'd pick Mitchell, or one of the Goyle twins."
Scorpius, now curious and hesitant as to what his father was getting at, casually shrugged. "I thought Lily would appreciate the time out of her house. Plus, Mitch's got a new girlfriend that he'll be spending a lot of his summer with, and never take one twin somewhere without the other, because you'll never hear the end of it."
Draco just raised a brow. "You know, your grandparents are still unaware of which friend is joining us."
Scorpius couldn't help but smirk. "Really?"
"Am I right to assume that your grandfather is the reason for your choice?" Draco guessed.
Scorpius looked away from him to begin packing again. "Not the only reason."
"But the main one?"
Scorpius sighed. "No," he disagreed. "I really did think that she would enjoy it. Lucius's anger was just an afterthought bonus."
Draco rubbed his temples. "Son, when will this feud end?"
Scorpius threw a couple of shirts into his trunk. "Father, I'm sorry, but I'm never going to accept what that man stands for, and what he tried, and still attempts, to make me into."
Draco stood up and walked toward Scorpius, taking the shirt from his hand. "Son," he placed his hands on Scorpius's shoulders. And to Scorpius's surprise, he was about his father's height now. How had he never noticed that? "I know my father is . . . old-fashioned in his ways. But, I'm proud of the man you are becoming. So don't let anger cloud your reasons for doing something. In the end, it would lead you nowhere."
