Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.
Note – So, bit of a big moment for Scorpius in this chapter. As we know, this next school year for Scorpius will be pretty important. I know a lot of you are eager for it, so I'll do my best not to take long to get it out. But for now, just read and enjoy.
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Answer
Scorpius didn't look at Lily right away when he Flooed back to the manor, her trunk in his hands. He instead placed her things with the others, and avoided looking at her for a moment. But he finally had to look at her again to keep from seeming off or acting strange. And his heart beat harder in chest when he did.
The way she was dressed today . . . he wondered how she made something so simple seem so . . . attractive. Her hair was pulled up like usual, her bangs pinned to the right. She wore a simple V-neck black shirt with a white design of a flower on it. The skirt she wore . . . well it seemed a bit short, but it was plaid and had a black studded belt across it.
He felt his nerves jumping under his skin, but he tried to seem casual and normal. "We have about half an hour or so before we leave," he said, remembering what his mother had told him. "My grandparents have already left, and the house elves will be bringing the luggage, so we have time to do whatever we please."
Lily raised a brow. "Which would be?"
Scorpius just shrugged and sat on the couch. He set his feet on the table, trying to relax and not focused on how she looked. That wasn't something friends did! "No idea. Honestly, I think we should just leave now, but my mum insists that there are still things she needs to pack. She's had months to pack, yet she's still missing something."
Lily laughed as she sat next to him, much to his delight and uncertainty. "So, where are we going?" she asked.
Scorpius cleared his throat quietly. "I guess we're going to one of the Malfoy homes in Ireland. It's been a long time since I've been there, but I do remember a beach," he replied. There was also that really cool tree circle out there. He'd loved that place when he was a kid. Maybe . . . maybe Lily would like it too?
"One of the Malfoy homes? How many do you have?" she said with surprise.
Scorpius let out a breath as he thought. The number was too big, and even he himself wasn't sure. "Pssh, I don't know. A lot," he replied simply. "Most of them are rented out, which is another way that my family makes money."
"I can see how your family is so rich then," Lily sighed.
Scorpius smirked. "Well what about your family?" he pointed out. "You're not exactly poor."
Lily laughed a little at that. "Well, my grandfather on my dad's side came from a pretty rich family, so my dad was left with a small fortune after they died," she explained. "And working as the Head of the Auror Department makes a lot of money. Then you include my mother playing for the Harpies, and then working for the Daily Prophet, it adds up to a lot of money."
"Sounds like it," Scorpius agreed. But then he decided to move on with topics. One he knew she'd enjoy. "So, how's your nephew?"
She smiled immediately, and it made him smile a little too. Her smiles were just too contagious. "He's adorable. I saw him yesterday when I went shopping with Victorie and her mum. Teddy was taking care of him while we were gone."
Scorpius grinned as her excitement. "Really cutie, is he?" he teased.
She giggled lightly. And unlike with most girls, it wasn't annoying, loud, or high pitched. It was . . . normal. "A total cutie," she replied.
Suddenly he heard his mother, and he hoped that she was done, and they could leave soon. "Scorpius! Are you back?"
Scorpius tipped his head back. "In the sitting room, Mum!" he called to her.
His mother appeared seconds later, smiling brightly. Since he'd come home, she'd been mentioning how happy she was that Lily was joining them. While he understood why he was happy about it, he couldn't figure out why she was so excited.
"Lily!" she greeted immediately. "It's so nice to see you again! I was happy to hear that Scorpius had decided to invite you."
Lily smiled back just as happy. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. It's great to see you again as well."
Astoria quickly moved to sit across from them. "It's been so long since I've seen you," she commented to Lily. "You've grown into such a pretty young lady. How have you been?"
Scorpius noticed a bit of pink to her cheeks at his mother's words. "I've been pretty good actually. My third year was a bit eventful," she mentioned offhandedly.
"Really?" she said with interest. Then she gave Scorpius a teasing look. "Scorpius here hardly ever says a thing in his letters, so I'm never properly informed."
Scorpius looked away, feeling a bit on spot now, especially when Lily laughed softly. "Well, I can't say much," she defended. "I tend to be a bit like that with my letters. I hope he at least told you about our triumph over Hufflepuff, and our keeping the Quidditch and House Cups?"
"Yes, he did mention that," Astoria assured with a happy smile. "His father and I were so proud, and his grandfather was practically beaming with pride."
Scorpius scoffed, but then faked a cough when his mother looked at him. He wasn't in the mood for a sad look. But Lily was quick to speak as well, taking her attention. "So, how have you been, Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Oh, same as always," Astoria sighed. "I had a fashion show a few months back, which was hectic to prepare." Scorpius smirked. Merlin was he happy that he had been at school for that show. It had been hard enough to avoid the fashion party over Christmas break!
But Lily looked curious and a bit confused. "Fashion show?"
Scorpius suddenly realized that he'd never actually told Lily what his mother did. It had never come up, and now . . . well he felt a little sheepish for forgetting. He cleared his throat as a bit of warmth came to his cheeks. "Mum's a major fashion designer. It's under the name Asterisk," he explained.
"Yes, Draco suggested it when I started it. He thought anything related to the name Malfoy could be a bit damaging to the business." Scorpius felt his shoulders tense at the thought, but his mother only rolled her eyes. "You've probably seen a few of my things in places like Madam Malkin's and Twillfit and Tatting's and just never noticed," she continued.
Lily seemed to think about it. "I think I remember that label name. I just never knew that you made them," she mentioned.
"Yes, that's my design. I do everything from casual to formal," Astoria told her. "It fills the day. The only problem is when the time for a fashion show comes around. There's so much planning involved. Models, who wears what outfit, invitations, a location. Ugh! It takes forever."
"I can imagine. How often do you have a fashion show?" Lily inquired. Scorpius simply watched his mother and friend conversed. He liked how it was so natural for them, and that none of it was forced politeness, but actual interest in the other. He liked that they got along.
"Twice a year. One in the spring and one in the fall," Astoria replied.
Scorpius smirked. "I was very thankful when I had to go to school instead of the shows," he mentioned jokingly.
His mother rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Scorpius never seemed to like going. He constantly complained."
Lily grinned. "Sounds like something he would do," she teased.
Scorpius was ready to throw back a witty retort, but before he could, another voice was heard. "Astoria? Where are you?" His father's voice carried easily to their ears. He must just be coming down the stairs.
"In the sitting room, darling," Astoria called. Draco came in seconds later, fixing small things about his cuffs. And to Scorpius's enjoyment, his father seemed genuinely happy to see Lily as well.
"Hello again, Lily. Good year?" Draco inquired.
Lily nodded. "I thought so. And you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Hellish, which is much better than usual," his father said in a dry and mocking tone. Scorpius worried for a brief moment that Lily wouldn't understand his father's way of joking, but then she laughed, and Scorpius felt instant relief. Draco simply looked to his wife. "Anyways, we should probably get going. Father will be getting impatient, and I don't feel like listening to him when I get there."
Astoria sighed in fake and overdramatic way. "Oh, all right. Are you two ready?" she asked Lily and Scorpius.
Scorpius nodded as he stood up. "Of course, Mother," he said as he held his hand out to Lily, who took it and let him pull her up. He raised a brow at the look his mother sent him. He wasn't sure he trusted that smile and look in her eyes.
But Draco hardly seemed to notice. "Then let's go. Scorpius." His father held out his arm, and once Scorpius had placed his hand on his forearm, the air left him as the suction feeling overtook him. But then his feet hit soft grass, and he felt a warm breeze brush across his face. He looked around, waiting to hear the CRACK of apparition that would signal the arrival of his mother and Lily . . . but nothing came.
"Father . . . where are they?" Scorpius said with suspicion.
But even Draco sighed. "I knew she was planning something. She's been acting quiet all day, every time I tried to convince her that we could leave early."
Scorpius felt his skin prick with hesitation. "What's she up to?"
Draco just placed a hand on his son's shoulder, and led him toward the house. "As usual, son, I have no idea. Just relax. They'll be here eventually."
"What could she have to talk to Lily about?" Scorpius demanded as they stepped inside.
"I have no idea, son, but you'd better relax if you don't want your mother to catch on to your feelings for the girl," Draco commented.
Scorpius's eyes went wide as he pulled away from his father's hand. "What?"
Draco simply smirked. "I'm not oblivious, Scorpius, and you make it obvious. But just be warned that if your mother finds out, she will not just constantly tell you how cute it is, but she will play matchmaker. I'd be careful. Now, I'm going to find your grandparents. Just sit and relax," he instructed.
Scorpius stared after his father for a moment, still in shock. How did he know? Was he really that obvious? Scorpius groaned loudly as he moved to sit down. He ran his hands through his hair before burying his face in his hands. How did everyone know? What if Lily figured it out? He needed to do better at hiding it!
Scorpius wasn't sure how long he sat there, trying to keep from freaking out over the fact that even his father knew about his feelings for Lily, but he was shocked into sitting straight at the sound of the door opening.
Lily walked in with his mother. Everything seemed normal. Lily was mostly looking around, obviously admiring the natural beauty of the house and surroundings.
Scorpius took in a silent gulp of air as he tried to seem relaxed and calm. "You two took longer than expected. Forget something, Mum?"
Astoria just laughed as she walked away. "Something like that, sweetheart," she said vaguely.
Scorpius tried to keep from scowling, but instead just raised a brow as Lily sat next to him. "What did she want to talk to you about?" he inquired.
Lily just sighed, not seeming flustered or bothered, which was a good sign. "She just wanted to know if I could help her with a few of her designs. Nothing big," she said.
Scorpius nodded, feeling better knowing it was nothing embarrassing or something that made things awkward. He never knew with his mother. "Well, my father is talking with my grandparents, most likely trying to calm Lucius down now that he knows that you are here," he said jokingly. "Would you like a tour?"
Lily nodded with a smile. "Sure, why not?"
Scorpius led her around the house, showing her some of the different rooms. He understood why she was always looking around her. The place was beautiful, with so much light and natural beauty just outside the windows. The place was practically untouched.
One room her brought her to was his room. It was clean, since they rarely came to this particular house, but Lily was more interested in something else. "Is that a balcony?" she inquired.
Scorpius looked over to the large glass door. "Yeah, it is. I have a view of the beach from here," he commented.
Lily moved closer to the glass to get a better look, and Scorpius followed. The ocean was truly beautiful from this view. But Scorpius appreciated it much more at night, when the moonlight bounced off the waters.
"It's beautiful," she murmured softly.
"Yeah. It's better at night though," he mentioned, but then blushed a little at how that sounded. Having Lily in his room at night . . .
"Kids! Come down here!"
Scorpius almost jumped at the sound of his father's voice. For a moment, he was happy to be distracted from wherever his thoughts were about to go, but then he groaned. He prayed Lucius wasn't down there yet, but his luck had been failing him recently. "Get ready, princess," he warned. "I think we're about to say hello to Lucius."
Lily just smiled, not looking the least bit bothered. "Can't wait," she joked.
Scorpius chuckled at her attitude, and led her from the room and back down the stairs. Sure enough, sitting around the fireplace were not only his parents, but Lucius and his grandmother as well. But Scorpius smirked at the sight of Lucius's face. While he looked composed, the fury in his eyes was burning.
His grandmother was obviously a bit worn out, probably from having to deal with whatever kind of tantrum Lucius had thrown. But she was still polite and smiling. "Hello, Lily. How have you been?"
Lily returned the smile. "I've been well. And you?"
"Oh, same as always. My sister wrote me about Teddy and his wife having a baby. How are they?" His grandmother seemed genuinely happy and eager to hear about the baby at least.
Lily looked just as happy at the topic. "They're all doing just fine. Teddy said that the baby sleeps pretty well for a newborn," she mentioned as Scorpius led her to sit with him on the couch.
"I'm glad to hear that," Narcissa replied.
"When will you kids be ready to eat?" Draco asked suddenly. Scorpius looked at his father curiously, but then noticed that the fury in Lucius seemed to be growing with each second, waiting to blow.
While Scorpius was ready for a fight, it was obvious that his father wasn't. So he just shrugged. "Whenever. I don't care."
"I can eat whenever," Lily agreed.
Draco sighed as he stood up. "All right. Well I'll probably have the elves get started. Excuse me."
Once he left the room, Astoria was quick to speak and avoid a fight from happening. "What are your plans for the day?" she asked the two teens.
"I thought I'd take Lil on a walk around. Let her see the full estate," Scorpius replied, thinking more of the tree circle than the rest of the area.
Astoria jumped at the idea, probably because it would take them away from Lucius and a possible fight. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea! You go ahead, and we'll call when dinner's ready," she said with a smile.
Scorpius gave a nod "Ok. Come on, Lil." He led her out of the house, but once he closed the door, he smirked and let himself relax. "I love seeing Lucius Malfoy's livid face. It's amusing," he said.
Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're going to give him an early heart attack."
"No, I'm just into entertainment," he quipped. But then sighed. "But anyways, I have a place that I want to show you. Come on." With that, he took her wrist and pulled her along. He didn't want to risk her tripping over one of the tree roots, or getting lost.
But once they got closer to the cluster of trees, Lily looked a bit confused. "Where are we going?"
Scorpius gave her a smirk. "That group of trees is a lot bigger than it seems," he explained. "I used to go in there all the time as a kid. When I was ten, I found something, so I want to show it to you."
They were silent for the first part of the trip. He was mainly focused on helping Lily through the trees and over all the tripping hazards. "You made this trip there and back at ten?" Lily said in surprise after a while. "How the hell did you find your way back?"
Scorpius laughed at her surprise. "I would just keep walking until I got back," he said. "After a dozen trips out here I learned the way back."
"I would be lost every time," he heard her mumbled.
Scorpius gave her wrist a comforting squeeze. "Well you don't ever need to worry. You've got me," he promised with complete sincerity. But then he smiled as he found the small mark he'd carved into a tree years ago. "Ah! Here it is," he announced.
While unlike Lily, Scorpius wasn't looking at it for the first time, he was still unable to help himself from looking around in wonder. It was a circle of nothing but grass and flowers. There were so many types of flowers that he didn't even know the names of some of them. And there was a perfect view of the sky, which was completely blue without a single cloud.
"Amazing, isn't it," he said after seeing Lily's amazed expression. "I don't know what it is, but I love this place."
It's . . . magnificent," she whispered in agreement as she stepped further inside. Scorpius watched her for a brief moment, only thinking of how magnificent she looked standing there, flower surrounding her feet. But Scorpius quickly shook the thoughts away, and distracted himself by slipping off his shoes.
"What are you doing?" he heard Lily ask.
Scorpius gave her a smirk as he dropped his shoes into the grass. "Take yours off. It's comfortable," he assured as he pulled off his socks.
Lily didn't question him, but did as he said. The smile she gave him was soft, yet still so bright. "It feel so . . ."
Scorpius smiled a little. "I know," he replied. Sometimes, feelings were hard to put into words. So he took her wrist and pulled her out to the middle of the circle, and sat down. For some time, they were quiet. Scorpius let himself finally relax completely. There was no tension his body now, no anxiety or worry. But he looked to Lily, who was still looking around them.
"If you think this is boring, we can leave," he offered, hoping that she would want to stay.
She shook her head. "No. No, I like this place. It's relaxing."
Scorpius smiled as he laid down in the grass. "It's hard not to relax here," he agreed. "It's why I like it so much."
"This place has a magic of its own," she murmured.
"Everything has its own magic," he commented. "Some is just more noticeable than others."
Having Lily with them during the vacation was the best part for Scorpius. He actually had fun this year. They went for flies in the morning, and they went to the tree circle every day after dinner. It was nice to actually have a friend with him.
Scorpius sighed as he walked down the hallway. He'd just said goodnight to Lily, and was now heading to his own room. But he stopped at the conversation he heard behind the door to his mother's makeshift work room.
"I think the two of them would be absolutely perfect together!" his mother gushed.
Scorpius scowled in confusion as he stepped closer. What was she talking about?
His father was the next person to speak. "They do get along well together. But that's up to them, dear."
"I see no harm in a friendly push," Astoria disagreed. "Besides, Lily would be the perfect daughter-in-law one day."
Scorpius's face turned red as he caught on. And he heard his father chuckle. "The girl's only fourteen, Astoria. And our son isn't even seventeen yet. Slow down."
"Call it intuition, but I say they'll be perfect for each other," Astoria said firmly. "And I see no problem in helping them get to that point."
"They don't need help," Draco retorted.
"Oh please, I love Scorpius, but he is definitely your son. So difficult and stubborn, it'd probably take forever to figure out his feelings for her," Astoria argued.
Scorpius silently groaned as he quickly walked away. His mother was partially right. It had taken him awhile. But he didn't need help! They weren't going to date, plain and simple! It was just a crush!
But somehow . . . Scorpius didn't believe his own thoughts.
"I hope you're proud of yourself!"
Scorpius just raised a brow at Lucius. He'd just stepped out of the shower, and his hair was still dripping wet. "Get out of my room," he muttered with irritation. What did the bigot want now? He hardly let him and Lily out of his sight, which was fine with Scorpius. It just gave him more chances to rub Lily's presence in his face.
"Bringing a Potter on a Malfoy exclusive trip! Have you no shame?" Lucius roared.
Scorpius ignored him, knowing that would bother Lucius more. But his own anger was already rising.
"How dare you bring trash like that with us!"
That was it.
"Shut up!" Scorpius snapped, whirling around to glare at Lucius. "Don't you dare talk about her like that! There is only one thing of trash on this trip and that's you!"
"She's no good, boy!" Lucius seethed.
Scorpius stormed toward him. And he was proud that he was now eye-level with the man, not to mention bigger when compared to the frail-looking man. "She's better than anyone I know! She's a better person than you!"
"All you're doing is bringing shame to the Malfoy name!" Lucius hissed.
"Like you're one to talk," Scorpius growled back. "You shamed our name long ago by joining the side of a psychopath!"
"Something wrong?"
Both of them turned to see Draco entering the room, looking calm with a raised brow. Scorpius bowed his head. "No, Father. It's nothing."
Draco gave a nod. "If you say so. Come along, Scorpius. I want you to accompany me on a bit of business. Get dressed and ready."
Scorpius nodded, but glared at Lucius as he followed Draco out of the room. When they left and the door was shut, Scorpius threw his towel angrily to the floor, his rage pent up in his muscles.
He hated that man!
"I'm not naïve enough to believe that one day the two of you will get along again, but if I could suggest something; you might want to avoid fighting on the trip. One, because it could easily make Lily a bit uncomfortable, and two, because it upsets your grandmother," Draco commented as he and Scorpius walked the streets of the nearby city. It was a bit amusing to see his father dressed up like a muggle in business attire, but the seriousness of their talk kept him from chuckling.
Scorpius just scowled. "I'm not that one that started it. He came into my room with the intention of riling me up. I will not let him call Lily trash," he muttered through a tense jaw.
"I understand," Draco agreed. "Just . . . tone it down, is all I ask. Just walk away."
The trip to the city was boring for Scorpius. It was mainly just a luncheon with his father and a man discussing different things about property values and other boring aspects of business that weren't that interesting to Scorpius.
It seemed like forever before they began to head back to the house. Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets. "I probably shouldn't have left Lily alone with Lucius on the prowl," he mumbled.
"Don't worry, son. Your mother said that she and Lily would be working on something for her fashion line," Draco assured as they walked up to the house. "They're probably still working, knowing your mother."
"Maybe it's something I could help with," Scorpius commented as they stepped through the door.
He didn't trust how his father smirked at him before walking up the stairs. "Perhaps you could."
Scorpius just shook his head, but stopped when he saw the flash of the camera from the sitting room. That must be where his mother and Lily were . . . but what were they doing? Curious, Scorpius headed toward the room.
"I was wondering- . . ." Scorpius stopped mid-sentence at what he saw. Lily, simply posed in an outfit that sent his heart racing, a skirt that would have been deemed too short, but had black tights under. She looked . . . stunning. They locked eyes, and Scorpius couldn't help but notice how whatever makeup she wore brought her eyes out. He cleared his throat, his heart pounding in his ears as he noticed the pink blush on her cheeks. Had he made her uncomfortable? "Um, sorry. Am I interrupting something?"
His mother smiled at him, and after what he overheard, he wasn't sure he trusted her intentions. But then again, Lily had said his mother had asked for help . . . he had just never thought Lily would agree to be a model!
"No, not at all," Astoria assured. "We were just doing a few pictures. Getting Lily used to it."
Scorpius gulped as he glanced at her again. "Ah. Well . . . father and I are done. Is there anything you need help with?" he offered, trying hard not to stare.
"There is actually," his mother said, surprisingly him a little. "There's an outfit I have for Lily to wear, but I wasn't sure where to do the pictures. She says that she knows the perfect place but would need you to lead her to it."
Scorpius looked at Lily, and understood. The only place she'd need help getting to was the tree circle. "Sure. I can take you two there," he agreed.
But his mother suddenly looked away from him, like she was pretending to be busy with thought. "Well, actually, could you do the pictures too? I need to talk to your father about something. You know how to work the camera," she pointed out.
Scorpius felt like glaring at his mother. He knew what she was doing. This was obvious. A ploy to push them together. His father was right. Who knew what she would do if she actually knew about his feelings.
But if he refused, it would probably tip his mother off. So he let out sigh of breath. "Sure. I'd be glad to." He'd been alone with Lily before, this would be no different.
"Great! Lily, why don't you go change quickly," his mother suggested, her eyes bright with scheming. Scorpius almost shook his head at her.
Lily nodded as she got up. "Sure. Just give me a moment," she said before leaving the room.
Astoria practically jumped at him once she was gone. "She looks so pretty, don't you think?"
Scorpius almost rolled his eyes, but decided that, if his mother was going to try and play him, then he'd have some fun right back. So he shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered vaguely. In his mind, he was screaming about how fantastic she looked.
"She's the perfect model," Astoria continued. "And it helps that she's such a sweetheart. So easy to be around."
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, she's nice. You expect me to be friends with someone who's not?" he mocked.
He could see the light annoyance gathering in his mother's eyes. "Wait until you see her in the next outfit. I think it's perfect for her."
Scorpius just smirked. "Didn't you have something to talk with Father about? Or do you have time to take the pictures?"
Astoria sighed heavily. "No, I don't. I really should talk to him now. Thank you for reminding me." Then with a slightly defeated look, his mother left the room.
Scorpius chuckled as he grabbed the camera off the table and moved to wait by the door. His mother was just too easy sometimes. Although, his game would probably come back to bite him if his mother ever did find out. Still, the fun was worth it.
Just as Scorpius began to wonder what was taking her so long, Lily was making her way down the stairs. But again, Scorpius couldn't stop himself from beings stunned at what he saw. She . . . well she wore a dress, which she rarely did except at the Slytherin dinners in the summer. But this one was white, with no straps, and it ended at about her knees. The only color on it was a crimson-colored bow that went around her waist. Her hair, which earlier had flowed around her shoulders with loose curls at the end, was now in her normal ponytail. She was . . . well she looked like an angel!
"Um, is something wrong?"
Scorpius jumped at the sound of her voice, and noticed that she was looking at him, with what was probably an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "Oh! No, nothing," he said quickly. "I've just never seen you in white, or something so . . . angelic."
Lily laughed a little. "Yeah, I thought the same," she murmured.
Scorpius opened the door, a bit worried about the dress getting dirty. His mother would kill him. "Well, let's get out there, shall we? We'd better be careful since you're wearing white," he commented as they walked.
Scorpius made sure that he went slower this time as he led her through, and kept his eye out for anything that could possibly trip her up or brush the bottom of the dress. When they reached the circle, Scorpius was a bit lost on what to do. He was no photographer, and part of him was still a little thrown off by how attractive she looked in that outfit.
Lily gave him a confused look. "What?"
Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. "Well . . . I'm a bit clueless on what to do from here," he admitted.
She smiled a bit, obviously holding in a laugh, which he appreciated. "Well, let me get ready, and then I'll tell you when to start the camera," she explained.
Scorpius nodded, but was confused by what she meant? Get ready? For what? He watched as she moved further in, and stopped where there was a large circle of flowers. She moved to lie in them, one knee bent, and one arm stretched above her head, her fingers brushing the stem of a pink flower. Scorpius gulped harshly, and felt his body heat up at the sight before him.
"Start it," she told him.
While he was still a little stunned by what was laid out in front of him, Scorpius wanted to add one more touch, so he moved closer, grabbing a white flower. He leaned down to place it behind her ear. "Ok, now turn your head to look at the flower," he whispered, his heart beating louder than his voice.
She did as he said, and he stood back and got the camera ready. Just as he got it ready, she smiled softly, making his blood rush in his veins. Immediately, he took the first picture.
"Scorpius?"
Scorpius turned to see his father standing in his doorway, with a box in his hands. "Yeah?" He had just dug out his swimming trunks, and was about to go see if Lily wanted to swim with him. It was something they had yet to do so far on the trip.
Draco held the box out to him. "An owl dropped this off for you. I think it was the Averys' owl, so my guess is that it's from Mitchell."
Scorpius took the box with a smirk. "Ah. Thanks, Dad." Scorpius set the box down as his father left his room. He'd open it later tonight. Right now, he was eager to go for a swim. He liked swimming, and it was a comfortable and fun way to exercise, really.
So he quickly made his way to Lily's room, and knocked on her door. "Hey, Lil! You wanna go for a swim?" When he got no response, he knocked again. Had she taken a nap? He started to open her door, but stopped when he heard her. But not from the other side of the door.
"Sure," she said from the side.
He quickly turned to her, and easily figured out where she'd been. His mother's workroom's door was open. What had his mother wanted? But he shook off his suspicions and smirked. "Good. Go change then. I'll meet you outside," he told her.
He quickly went back to his room to change into his trunks. They had been tailor made for him, and had the Slytherin crest embroidered on one leg. His father had given them to him before the trip, and Scorpius really liked them.
He quickly grabbed a towel, and made his way down the stairs and outside to the beach. It was a beautiful day out, perfect for a swim. And thankfully, the water was always warm. Apparently, his father had a spell placed on the water to a certain radius, all because the first time Scorpius's mother had dragged Draco out there, he'd shivered and complained the entire time.
When he heard the front door open and close, Scorpius turned to see Lily hurrying to the shore. To his surprise, she was actually wearing a two-piece. It almost made him blush, seeing that much skin, but he did his best to ignore it. So he teased her, like a friend would. "Nice suit," he said playfully with a smirk.
She blushed, and Scorpius got the feeling that she hadn't been the one to pick it out. "Ha, ha. Nice shorts," she mocked back.
Scorpius looked down at them, still smirking. "I think they're pretty nice," he defended.
She dropped her towel onto the sand. "Well so is my bathing suit. If you can tease me about mine, I can tease you back," she retorted with a smile.
Scorpius laughed. "Touché." Then with a small sigh he began pulling his shirt over his head, wanting to get into the water. But to his surprise, when he'd taken it off, he noticed a deep red color of Lily's cheeks. Was she embarrassed? "Embarrassed?" he mocked. "It's not like you've never seen me without a shirt on before!"
Although it was obvious that she wasn't really angry, she turned and glared at him. "I know that! But a warning would have been nice!"
Scorpius just shrugged. "I'll yell next time I strip," he said jokingly.
Her glare dropped, and she actually laughed a little. "Thank you," she said teasingly.
Still smirking, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the water. "Come on. Water's warm," he told her. He continued to pull her deeper into the water, but she soon seemed to hesitate.
"Scorpius, I'm not the best swimmer," she mentioned with uncertainty.
But he shrugged. "Don't worry. I am. I've got ya," he promised, meaning every word. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.
But she still seemed unsure the deeper they got. "Scorpius," she said hesitantly.
So Scorpius leaned down a little and knocked her legs out from under her, and held her in his arms as he slowly moved farther out. "I told you, I've got ya," he stated.
He felt her hold onto his shoulders as he moved. And now he felt like blushing a little himself . . . if he wasn't already. His whole body was feeling warm again, and all his brain would think about was how nice she felt against him. How nice it was to hold her like that. Scorpius tried to push those thoughts away. They were friends, and it would always be that way. They would never go past the point of friendship, and that was that.
He was thrown from his thoughts at the sound of her voice. "Getting a bit scruffy there, aren't you?"
Scorpius chuckled. If she noticed, then his mother would, and she would definitely be on him about it. But he kind of hated having to shave, ever since he first started doing it months ago. It was a waste of time and a bother. "Yeah, I didn't shave this morning. I was lazy. It gets to be troublesome to do after just waking up."
"I didn't know that you needed to shave," she teased.
Scorpius smirked. "Since the middle of this last year. Kind of sucks," he told her. But then he noticed that they were both practically submerged now, so he looked at her. "All right, we're going under. Ready?"
Her eyes got almost comically wide with panic. "What? No! Don't you dare!" she exclaimed.
Scorpius just laughed. "I promise that I've got you," he reassured. "No worries, ok?" It took a moment, but Lily finally nodded. "Ok. Here we go."
He pulled her under the surface with him. At first he was afraid that she'd panic and flail, but instead she was still. So easily swam to the other side of her, and grabbed both her arms, and dragged her not only up, but closer to the shore, so that she might stand on her own.
As soon as she broke through the surface, she was taking deep gasps of air, her eyes still a bit panicked. Scorpius just smirked and tried to keep from laughing. She just looked at him with disbelief. "How are you so tall?" she demanded.
Now Scorpius laughed. "I pulled us closer to the shore. Move over a little and you'll probably be able to stand.
She did move, hesitantly, but then blushed a little. "Oh," he heard her mumbled.
Scorpius held back his urge to laugh. "Feel better now?"
She rolled her eyes, and playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "Shut it."
It took some time, but Scorpius was finally able to get Lily to actually enjoy going out deeper into the water. But he still kept close to her, just in case.
Later that night, when dinner was way past done and everyone was getting ready for bed, Scorpius finally remembered the box that Mitch had sent him. After he slipped on his pajama pants, he picked up the box and sat on his bed. He opened it, curious, only to find a bottle inside, along with a note. A bit perplexed, he read the note first.
"Scor,
I got Lana to put this together for you. The instructions are at the bottom of this paper. When I next see you, you better be showing some House pride in your hair!
Mitch"
Scorpius scowled as he read it, still uncertain of what Mitch was talking about? House pride? His hair? But as Scorpius read the instructions on the bottom, he quickly began to understand what it was.
Hair dye! He almost wanted to laugh at his friend's gift, mostly out of delight. But at the thought of his parents' reactions at seeing his hair green, he stopped. He got the feeling it wouldn't go over well. Hmm . . . what if he just streaked it? Surely that wouldn't be so bad, and Lucius would still throw a fit!
Loving his own idea, Scorpius quickly began to read the instructions. But the more he read, the more he scowled. Could he do this by himself without screwing it up? It sounded like it would be easier having someone else doing it, but Lana obviously wasn't here. Could Lily do it? The instructions were easy enough, she probably could.
So Scorpius quickly placed the bottle on the counter in his bathroom, then quickly hurried to Lily's room, making sure to be quiet, just in case anyone was still up. Quietly, he opened her door, only to be greeted with moonlight from her window. He moved over to her bed, where she laid sleeping. Part of him felt a bit guilty for waking her, but he was sure she would be just as into the idea as he was. So he softly shook her shoulder.
"Princess!" She groaned. "Princess, wake up," he whispered.
She didn't even bother opening her eyes. "What?" she muttered.
He smirked, unable to help himself. She was cute when she refused to wake up. "I need your help with something. Something awesome," Scorpius promised. "Wake up."
Finally, she began to slowly open her eyes. She squinted for a moment, before turning to look at him fully. She sat up a bit slowly. "Scorpius? What is it?" she mumbled.
"I want your help with something," he repeated.
She yawned tiredly. "With what?"
"I want you to help me streak my hair green," he stated.
She blinked a few times before raising a brow. "What?"
"Streak my hair," he said simply.
"At this time of night?"
"No one to stop us. What do you say?"
She sighed. "Ok, fine. Let's do this," she said as she kicked off her covers and got up from the bed. Scorpius felt his throat go dry at the sight of her in just an oversized shirt and short shorts.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her from the room, forcing himself to look away. "Come on, we'll use my bathroom." They were silent as they made their way to his room, then into the bathroom. Scorpius handed her the bottle, and instructed her on what to do.
Scorpius closed his eyes and relaxed at the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. It felt oddly . . . well nice. With her so close to him, he could smell something . . . flowery. It was calming. He let his body relax and just enjoyed himself for once. He would admit that he used to be tense when thoughts of Lily and his own crush came to mind, but it was getting easier to relax about that lately.
It felt like it was over all too soon, but he didn't mention it as he opened his eyes, and moved to the mirror while she washed her hands. It was a bit different at first glance. The green contrasted with his usual honey-blonde hair, but the streaks looked nice. It looked good, and Lily had done a good job for her first time doing it.
He smirked as he smoothed his hair down. "I look good," he commented.
She smiled at him. "It does suit you," she agreed.
Scorpius turned from the mirror to look directly at her. "Thanks for your help, princess."
She just shrugged as she finished drying her hands. "No problem. It really does look good," she replied.
Scorpius looked at her hair. "Maybe we ought to streak your hair sometime," he told her.
She laughed softly. "Maybe. I would mind a little green."
He moved to stand closer to her, looking more at her bangs. "Actually, I was thinking pink bangs. I think that's look really nice on you," he said softly.
He hadn't noticed how close they were at first, but at the sight of the pink blush that spread across her cheeks, he finally realized that they were just a breath away. "Yeah, maybe," she whispered. Her breath was warm and ran across his skin. It almost sent shivers down his spine.
He reached up to gently take hold of her bangs between his fingers, and absently began to twirl her hair around his fingers. But then he pushed it away to look at her more clearly. While her hair was a bit wild from moving in her sleep, it was still vibrant. Her eyes seemed intense in the dim lighting. When he let go of her hair, he let the back of his hand brush against her skin. Without realizing he was doing it, his eyes trailed down to her lips. They were so close to each other. He could easily lean down and kiss her. He wanted nothing more than to lean down and do just that. To feel if her lips were as soft as they looked.
"And I also think that you look very good with the ends of your hair curled," he complimented gently as he moved just a millimeter closer. The urge to kiss her grew in him, and he wasn't sure if there was anything he'd ever wanted so desperately.
"I'll remember that," she murmured. He watched her lips move when she spoke, and let his thumb brush along the skin of her jaw. "Scorpius," she whispered.
Scorpius leaned forward just a little, not just because of her soft voice, but because the urge was getting stronger, and that flowery scent was just so intoxicating this close. "Yeah?"
He watched as she drew in a breath before speaking. "I should probably get to bed. Your mum needs me up early in the morning."
Scorpius immediately pulled his hand away from her, and cleared his throat. While the moment had been interrupted by logic, that urge to kiss her was still present and a bit demanding. "Ok. I'll see you in the morning then," he replied.
She moved back a little. "Good night, Scorpius."
But before she could leave, Scorpius took a gentle hold of her wrist to stop her. She stopped and turned to look at him. The look in her eyes . . . it gave Scorpius a small ounce of hope, but it wasn't enough. "Sweet dream, princess." He let her leave the room then, and he watched her walk out.
He leaned against the counter, but then immediately moved to the basin to splash some water on his face. His body was still hot, his blood rushing, his heart pounding, and he could still smell the flowery smell.
"When did it happen?" he whispered to himself. He wasn't sure when, but it had. He finally had that answer to the question Cody gave him long ago. It was worth it. He wanted to kiss her. He . . . he wanted to date his best friend. He wanted it . . . and bad.
Scorpius groaned and ran a hand over his face. What did he do from here? He couldn't just spit out his feelings and risk rejection. But it's not like he could just ask her if she liked him. So what did he do? He didn't think he could ignore his feelings any more or ignore the desire. It was there, and after that it was there stronger than ever.
What should he do?
When Scorpius took Lily home after their trip, he was still a bit lost on what he was supposed to do. So when he returned to the manor and saw Lana sitting and waiting for him, he was thankful.
Lana just looked curious. "I got your letter. What's the big emergency you have? Nice hair by the way."
Scorpius hurried to sit next to her, hoping that talking with her would shed some light on what his next move should be. "I have . . . probably the biggest crush on Lily."
"No duh," she scoffed.
"And," he continued, "I also have . . . this really big desire to date her, and I almost kissed her on the trip."
Now Lana's eyes went wide, and she shoved his shoulder. "No you did not! Are you serious?"
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah. It was after she helped me do my hair. There was this . . . moment, and it was really intense, and . . . I wanted to kiss her, more than anything, and I almost did."
"What stopped you?"
"She said she should probably get to bed. Do . . . do you think I made her uncomfortable?" Scorpius worried.
"Did she look uncomfortable?" Lana inquired.
"I guess not. She looked more . . . uncertain, but yet her eyes were intense, too," Scorpius told her.
"So . . . so you seriously want to go out with her now? You're sure?" Lana asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. More than anything . . . So what do I do now?"
"You tell her! Ask her out!" Lana insisted. "Get your butt back to her place and do it now!"
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "And what if she doesn't like me in that way? And she rejects me? I'm not a fan of rejection, and even so, it would make it awkward between us."
"You don't know that she doesn't feel the same," Lana pointed out.
"It seems like it," Scorpius retorted. "I mean, she didn't mention what happened, she didn't seem fazed the next day, or anything. I've been feeling weird since it happened! All I can think about is . . ."
Lana grinned slyly. "You really do want to kiss her, huh?"
Scorpius didn't bother blushing. "If that . . . moment didn't faze her, then how can I say for sure she has feelings for me?"
"Well you know me, I'm not one to shy around. When it came to me and Dante, we were up front with each other, and we still are. But, if you don't want to just ask her . . . then you look for the signs."
Scorpius scowled as he looked at her. "Signs?"
"There are always signs when you like someone. You practically screamed that you like Lily over the last year," Lana commented. "So, if she likes you, there will be signs."
"Like what?" Scorpius asked, eager to figure it out.
"Like how much eye contact you make, if she's always smiling at you, if you notice her looking directly at you more even if you're across the room from each other. Flirty comments and jokes are usually a good sign. How much contact she has with you," Lana listed.
"Contact?" he asked with confusion.
"Yeah. Like if she brushes her hand across yours, or smiles when you do it to her. If she relaxes when you throw your arm around her shoulders. They may just be small things, but her reaction to each means something," Lana assured.
"Always?"
"We girls never do something without reason."
