Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.

Note – It's a long one guys! (So excuse any mistakes I didn't catch and fix). But with this one, I was never sure where to end it, so I kept writing until I realized how long it was. Thankfully, I think I found a good place to end the chapter. So, read and enjoy!

Rebel Malfoy

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Getting So Close

"Guys, we have to have a talk," Scorpius said firmly once Lily had left the locker room after practice. He'd told the guys in the showers to stay back. There was something that was seriously annoying him, and he was going to fix it now!

"What about?" Tanner asked curiously as he sat down.

Scorpius glared at each of them. "To put it simply, next time I catch one of you staring at Lily from the corner of your eye, I'm breaking your face across a locker, is that understood?" he snarled.

A few of the guys jumped. "You noticed that!" Tanner said with wide eyes.

"You did that too?" Will commented.

"I caught three of you!" Scorpius yelled. "And you're lucky she didn't! We talk about this every year!"

Tanner shrugged. "I figured as long as she didn't know…"

Scorpius shoved him off his seat. "I don't care! Never, and I mean never do it again!"

"Relax, Scor," Dante said gently. "Just stay calm. They won't do it again."

Scorpius brushed him off though. "I don't care if you're my teammate, or my cousin, you do it again, and being kicked off the team will be the least of your worries!"

"Your crush is taking you off the deep end, isn't it," Tanner mumbled, rubbing his now sore back.

"My feelings aren't the issue! It's called common curtesy! Now get out, and expect extra laps tomorrow!" Scorpius growled, throwing Tanner's bag at him.

Dante dragged him outside away from the others, and pulled him along. "Ok, you need time away from them."

Scorpius glared daggers at the air in front of them. "They know better!" he hissed.

"They're guys," Dante excused. "They try their best to control their urges, but they sometimes suck at it. Don't let your anger kill the team."

Dante dragged him all the way to the Great Hall for dinner, and had him sit with him and Lana. Most likely, the guys would be too afraid of Scorpius's anger to risk sitting by them too. Lana looked at them with a raised brow. "What's got his knickers in a twist?" she questioned.

"Incident at practice," Dante said vaguely.

But Scorpius felt like telling her. Because if Lana knew what Tanner, Will, and her brother Lars, had done, she'd chew them out too. And they'd deserve it. But Dante was right. He couldn't let his anger kill the team.


Scorpius sighed as he flipped through his Defense Against the Dark Arts book. He knew he should be studying, but he wasn't really in a studying mood. He was thankfully distracted by someone sitting next to him. He turned, but stopped when he saw that it was an irritated Lily.

"Hey, Lily. Something wrong?" he inquired. A fight with Scamander? Please, Merlin, let it be a fight with Scamander!

She sighed heavily. "I met Lysander's friends today. One was a nice guy . . . the others were . . . normal Ravenclaws," she mumbled.

"So, complete bigots toward Slytherins, and hated your guts?" Scorpius guessed.

"Story of my life," she muttered.

"Well did he at least defend you?" Scorpius inquired. Knowing Scamander's past, probably not. And if he did, it was probably weak.

Lily shrugged. "Yeah, sort of. I left before I could really give him a chance to."

"But he ran after you, right? He ditched them?" Scorpius prodded carefully.

"No," she replied, and Scorpius internally smirked. "His good friend did, though. Just to let me know that Lysander was probably chewing them out, and to not let them bother me."

"Well he was right. Don't let them bother you," Scorpius agreed.

Lily groaned as she stretched her arms above her head. Scorpius forced his eyes to stay on hers, and not roam up and down. "I know that. I think I was just too optimistic heading into that meeting. I should have known better and prepared for that."

"Well, then let's do something to get your mind off of it," Scorpius told her. "Take a walk with me? I'm bored."

Scorpius happily spent the rest of the day with Lily, getting her mind not just off of her incident with the Ravenclaws, but of Scamander all together! And when it was almost time for dinner, Scorpius caught sight of Scamander talking with two of the other boys on the Ravenclaw team. So he took a chance.

"There's Scamander now, if you want to talk to him about earlier," he pointed out to her, nodding toward the stairs.

But, to his secret delight, she hesitated. "No, those are two of the friends that don't like me," she said.

Scorpius shrugged. "So what. The bloke's still your boyfriend."

But she shook her head and kept walking. "I'd rather just avoid having to be around them. I'll talk to him when he's not with one of them."

Scorpius smirked and prayed that the idiot stayed by his dumb friends' sides.


"I am so pumped for this party we've got planned after our win!" Tanner boasted as they walked into the locker room. It was finally the day of the match against Gryffindor, and this year they held nothing back on their party. Everyone in Slytherin was excited for it.

"Remember, I want to brutalize Gryffindor," Scorpius reminded them as they began to change.

"Ready for your first game, Lance?" Lily asked from her locker.

They all looked to Lance curiously, who immediately looked to Lily, but then quickly looked away and blushed. Scorpius wasn't sure what scared him more, the warning they all got earlier in the month, or actually seeing Lily. The kid had it as bad as Scorpius.

"Yeah, I'm really excited," Lance mumbled, stumbling over his words.

Scorpius couldn't help but chuckle at the poor kid. His intentions were honorable enough, that Scorpius could never yell at Lance. "Don't worry, dude, you get used to seeing Lily half naked," Will joked. That made Scorpius scowl a little. None of the guys should be used to it!

But Lily didn't sound bothered at all, but was still teasing. "Sorry, Lance. I'll try to be fast about changing."

Someone knocked on the locker room door, shocking all of them. Scorpius scowled now in confusion. Who the hell could it be? No one every stopped by to visit them before a game! Dante was the one who went to open the door. "Yeah?"

A guy's voice answered, and his question made Scorpius a bit suspicious and irritated. "Can I talk to Lily for a moment?"

Dante moved back to his locker. "It's for you, Lu. You've got an admirer."

Lily didn't say anything as she went to see who it was. Scorpius tried to listen, but the two talked too quiet for him to hear more than mumbled voices. He tried to think of who that guy's voice could belong too. He didn't really recognize it.

But then, Lily spoke louder, as if catching the guy's attention again. "Hey, Clay!"

Scorpius, finished dressing completely, turned and tried to get a glimpse of who it was. And it wasn't hard, as he towered over Lily in height. Clay . . . that was Clayton . . . Cornfoot? He was in Scorpius's year, and they shared a few classes. Was this Scamander's friend?

"Well, Slytherin is having a party after dinner. Kind of a post-victory party for us. Would you like to come?"

Scorpius almost banged his head on the locker. Why? Why was Merlin doing this to him? He'd just been celebrating the fact that Lily mentioned Scamander not coming, but now fate was throwing Scamander's best friend into it all? He'd probably tell Scamander about any kind of flirting that Scorpius attempted!

But then Scorpius scowled deeper. What was Cornfoot doing here anyways? Scamander didn't seem like the type to send messengers. Did . . . did this kid have a thing for her too? And why was Lily inviting him to the party in the first place?

"Wow, inviting a Ravenclaw to our party?" Tanner's joked brought Scorpius reality. The door was now shut, and Lily was finishing putting on her shoes. "That's new."

Lily shrugged casually. "Well, he's a really good guy. I thought he might like it," she replied.

"Who is he?" Scorpius demanded, still scowling. What was he to her?

She didn't seem to catch his irritation. "He's one of Lysander's best friends. He's a really good guy," she promised. That didn't make Scorpius feel any better though.

"I think I know him," Lars mentioned casually. Then he snapped his fingers as it came to him. "Yeah! He's in my Astronomy class. He's really smart. But I don't think I've ever actually heard him talk. He's really quiet."

Lily looked surprised. "Really? He's never all that quiet around me. Not that he's real chatty either," she commented.

Scorpius just picked up his broom. "Well we can discuss this later," he grumbled. "Let's go win this match." This day was not turning out like he thought it would ten minutes ago!


The game began fast, and Scorpius was glad for quick brooms and a ready team. He slammed into Rose Weasley, who was trying to guard Potter's left. He passed by her and dove for Potter. He easily popped the Quaffle out of Potter's hold, and snagged it from the air, then took off. He heard the whistle of a Bludger, and quickly dodged to his right as it whizzed past him. Then he ducked Lucy Weasley's attempted to steal the Quaffle from him. As he got closer to the goals, he never slowed, and instead sped toward Hugo Weasley, throwing the Quaffle swiftly to the right. Weasley went for it, and Scorpius let out a breath of air when the Quaffle barely swept passed his fingers and through the goal.

Scorpius doubled back and got back into formation with Will and Lance, and waited to the Quaffle to come back into play. As he always did, he took a brief moment to look toward Lily and see how she was doing. As usual at the start of a match, she hovered and moved slowly higher above the team, her eyes scanning everything.

Scorpius brought himself back to his own part in the match as Weasley passed the Quaffle to his sister. Virgin Weasley took off down the field. But they were on her tail, and Will made it to her first. He sent a quick elbow to her arm, knocking the Quaffle loose. He didn't miss a beat in catching it and throwing it to Lance. Lance caught it and immediately dodged Lucy Weasley. But Potter practically ran him over in the air, taking the Quaffle from him before speeding down the pitch.

Scorpius and Will were quick to react and raced after Potter. Lance was at least swift to recover, and was following just behind them. But the whistle of a Bludger alerted their ears again, and Scorpius and Will fanned out fast, and Bludger flew between them, and slammed into Potter's arm. Lance had tailed the Bludger, and was there to catch the Quaffle as it fell. The three of them turned around quickly. Scorpius came to flank Lance's right, and quickly shoved Lucy Weasley away as she tried to brush past him.

Lance took a quick shot to the right, but this time Hugo Weasley was faster, and he kicked the ball away, popping it high into the air. Virgin Weasley practically came out of nowhere and stole it from the air, and was flying as fast as her broom model would allow.

Scorpius laid low against his broom to increase his speed, and caught up to her easily. But just as he reached out to make a steal, she swerved to the left, almost making him fall. Scorpius quickly brought his hand back to his broom to regain his balance. She dodged both Will and Lance, and finally the Gryffindors made it to Dante. Dante was alert, but when she faked a pass to her cousin, Dante moved just a breath, and she made a goal on the left, scoring Gryffindor's first goal.

Dante's frustration at himself was obvious by the scowl on his face. But he stayed calm and passed the Quaffle over to Will. He shoved passed his defender, and quickly flew down the pitch. Scorpius and Lance followed, but Potter was hot on Will's trail. But the Slytherin brooms were faster, so Potter stayed behind, while Scorpius was able to come up to Will's right. Will tossed him the ball. Scorpius swerved past Virgin Weasley, then passed it back to Will. Will waited until Lucy Weasley attempted to slam into his right before passing it back to Scorpius. The two of them continued to pass it back and forth as they dodged the Gryffindor Chasers and Bludgers aimed at them. But as they came closer to the goals, Scorpius locked eyes with Will, who had the ball and Will gave a nod of understanding. This was play was something the three of them had been practicing with each other every time they were on the pitch.

Will tossed the Quaffle to Scorpius one more time, but instead of catching it, Scorpius kicked the Quaffle hard, and it flew past Weasley for another ten points!

Scorpius was proud of how the team was playing. They were not only aggressive, but calm. Although, calm was thrown away with once announcement by the new Quidditch commentator, Elizabeth Peakes.

"And . . . it seems like Potter has seen the Snitch!" she yelled. Scorpius let himself only take one look, but did indeed see Albus Potter streaking across the sky. Scorpius shook it off, and tried to stay in the game. He chased after Lucy Weasley, and he and Lance closed in on both sides of her. Will flew low, before shooting up in front of her, and turning. Weasley tried to quickly come to a stop, but she crashed into Will, giving Lance the perfect chance to steal the Quaffle. He quickly tossed it to Scorpius, but Potter came out of nowhere and snagged it from the air. Scorpius chased after him, but kept his ears open for new about the Snitch.

"It looks like Lily Luna has turned around. Potter has stopped as well . . ." Scorpius stopped listening after that, and spared Albus Potter a glance. What was that idiot playing at? Was he really trying to pull the same trick that Lily had done to him? He scoffed. What an idiot.

Scorpius caught up to Potter, and knocked the Quaffle from his hands. He made a quick pass back to Will, how evaded Virgin Weasley and passed it to Lance. But as Scorpius flew to catch up to them, Tanner appeared at his left.

"We may have trouble. Look high to your left," Tanner warned.

Scorpius did just that, and understood what Tanner meant. Albus Potter and Lily were glaring at each other, their words lost over the roar and chants of the crowd. But the crowd soon gasped, and Scorpius stopped and snarled. Lily had turned away, and Potter had actually punched her in the lower back. A whistle blew, and Scorpius quickly flew toward Lily, as did the rest of the team. But Potter was ready to throw another one. Lily was quicker and more alert this time, and flipped around to grab the hand on her shoulder, and knocked away his attempt.

"Foul on Gryffindor!" Hooch shouted in a fury. "A penalty shot for Slytherin! Potter, get over here!"

Scorpius stopped quickly called for a timeout, which Hooch granted before she began to scream at baby Potter. He then waved for them all to come where him and Tanner were, which was away from any Gryffindors.

Scorpius quickly looked to Lily. "Are you all right, Lily?" he asked.

She nodded, sounding hardly bothered. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries," she replied.

"What a filthy prick," Will growled, voicing all their thoughts.

Scorpius gave a nod in agreement. He knew what needed to be done in response. "Lars, Tanner, he needs to learn what happens when you mess with Slytherin's princess. Take him out."

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "There's no need. It's a rough game," she pointed out.

But Scorpius was too furious to let it by. "If it had been within the rules of the game, I'd be calm. But that dick fouled and was malicious. He deserves it. That was not part of the game. So, someone take him out, or at least make sure he pays." Then he looked to Lance. "And Lance, I want you to take the penalty shot."

The kid's eyes went wide with surprise, and his cheeks flushed. "Me? You want me to do it?"

Scorpius nodded, and clapped him on the shoulder. The kid needed a confidence boost and to feel like a real member of the team. That meant he needed to not be so timid. Scorpius didn't care if he missed the shot or not, really. "Yeah. I think you can do it. Besides, it's good practice, and I want you to get more experience. You're the newest player. You can do it, kid," he said reassuringly.

The team nodded in agreement, each giving him words of encouragement. But it seemed that Lily's words, although joking, were what convinced the kid and made him blush the most.

"Ok, I'll do it!" he said, his eyes avoiding Lily's, his face red.

Scorpius smirked, trying not to chuckle. "Then let's get out there and kill 'em."

As they separated, Lily flew by his side, looking at where Lance was preparing for his shot. "Why does he blush every time he looks at me?" she mumbled to herself.

Scorpius laughed. Did she really not know? "Princess, that kid's got the biggest crush on you," he told her.

Lily looked at him with wide eyes. "What?"

Scorpius chuckled again. "I don't think you realize how many boys have a thing for you," he hinted playfully, before taking off to join Will.

Scorpius watched as Lance made the shot a little nervously. Their team and all the Slytherins in the stands clapped or cheered for him. But the team was soon back in action. The rest of the game was turning out to be brutal. Surprisingly, though, no one was injured enough to be taken out of the match, which was rare when you pitted the two rivals together. But Slytherin had taken the lead, and they'd made it difficult for the flying kittens!

At one point, while the Slytherins had the lead by a few goals, Will and Lance had been passing it back and forth, while Scorpius flew just above them, ready to block any interference. But when Virgin Weasley flew between them, ready to intercept a pass, Will took the chance to throw it hard and fast, smashing it into her face. Sadly, there had been no blood, but a nasty bruise had formed in minutes.

Later in the game, Scorpius had been a bit annoyed with Hugo Weasley. The kid was too good of a Keeper sometimes, and blocked at least half of the Slytherins' shots. So when Scorpius next made it up to the goals, the Quaffle in his hands, instead of going for a goal, he accidentally beamed it at Weasley's stomach. Weasley immediately fell to the ground, and the Slytherins laugh, and groaned in disgust, as he promptly began to vomit a few times.

"Looks like someone shouldn't have eaten like such pig before a match!" Dante had jeered from across the pitch. But to everyone's amazement, Weasley eventually returned to the air, although a bit slower. But it hadn't mattered, as the Slytherins had gotten a few shots in his absence.

"It seems like Lily Luna has seen the Snitch, and she's closing in on it fast!" Peakes announced. Scorpius sure hoped so. While he loved the game and the chance to eliminate Gryffindor early from the race for the cup, his body was getting tired and sore.

Hearing Lily had caught the Snitch, had been no surprise, but was great news to hear.


Scorpius looked across the common room with narrowed and suspicious eyes. He absently took a drink from the cup in his hands, ignoring the unpleasant spike that hit his throat. He didn't know what kind of alcohol was in there, but it must have been cheap but strong.

"What were you able to pick up about him?" Scorpius asked Mitch, who stood next to him. He'd sent Mitch over about ten minutes ago, but Dominique had pulled him to the dance floor, stopping Scorpius from talking to Mitch immediately.

Mitch shrugged as he looked to where Lily and Clayton Cornfoot were dancing. "He seemed like an ok guy. Didn't seem like he was flirting with her. They were like friends. He seems nice."

"And Lily's had enough of nice guys," Dominique muttered from Mitch's other side. "Stop being a girl and worrying so much, Malfoy."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Shove off, Weasley," he grumbled.

"Look, I caught her arguing with Scamander earlier," Dominique stated, which shocked Scorpius. Was . . . was she helping him? "And from what I was able to pick up in passing, she was annoyed with him treating her like she was a fragile girl. Lily can't handle boys that nice. She craves being treated normally, and nice guys rarely do that. Good guys do, but not nice ones."

Scorpius raised a brow as he looked at her. "So, I'm not nice?" he mocked.

"You're a jackass," Dominique quipped. "But you're . . ."

"A good guy," Mitch threw in, knowing that Dominique wasn't going to say it.

"Whatever," Dominique said dismissively. "And that's what my cousin goes for. You're a shoe in, Malfoy, so stop being a girl about it."

"You seem so confident in me," Scorpius muttered, ready for the usual Dominique backlash.

But she just shrugged. "I'm not confident in you. Lily's just obvious about her feelings toward you. Eventually she'll crack." Now she looked at him with a mocking look. "The real question is who will crack first. You or her?"


"That party was awesome!" Rex exclaimed, obviously still a little buzzed. The party had pretty much ended, and the guys, minus Mitch, were all in their dorm, getting ready to crawl into bed and pass out.

"Yeah, we all saw you and Lola having a fantastic time," Lars mocked with a laugh.

Rex brushed it off. "Don't be jealous that you don't have a girl to snog at parties," he joked.

The door opened then, and Mitch walked in. His blue hair was an even wilder mess than normal, his shirt was not only wrinkled but inside-out, and there was smeared gloss on his lips and chin.

"And the king of having a good night has arrived!" Scorpius laughed, making the rest of them laugh.

Mitch bowed before them. "Thank you, thank you!" He sighed. "Tonight was fantastic!"

"Anyone still down there getting wasted?" Justin inquired as he laid on his bed.

Mitch shook his head as he changed. "No. Lil's still sitting down there though. But I think she's just clearing her head or something."

Scorpius perked up at that. "Why, did something happen?"

Mitch shrugged. "I don't know. That's just what it looked like to me."

Scorpius quickly left the room, and quietly made his way down the stairs. Mitch had been telling the truth, Lily was just sitting on the floor, staring at the fireplace, which was pretty much out by now. "You're still awake?" he called to her gently.

But she didn't answer him. She didn't even turn to look at him. She just sat there. Scorpius scowled. What was bothering her? Had something happened to her tonight? Did Cornfoot do something?

Scorpius walked down the rest of the way, and moved to sit next to her on the floor. "What's wrong, Lil?" he whispered, a little concerned now.

She pulled her knees close to her, and rested her chin on them. "I'm a terrible person," she murmured.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Bullshit." Now he was more concerned. Something happened tonight. But what?

"Fine, then I'm a terrible girlfriend," she retorted.

Scorpius chuckled dryly. Why was she so quick to beat herself up this year? "Why do you say that?"

She quietly bit her lip for a moment, before finally answering. "I kissed Clayton tonight."

Two things ran through Scorpius's mind. Part of him found that to be a good sign. That had to mean that she was losing interest in Scamander, and a breakup could be in the near future. On the other hand, anger ran through him. Not toward her, but more toward fate. Why Cornfoot? He was at that party too, and there was an obvious attraction between her and Scorpius! Why . . . why couldn't it have been him?

But Scorpius ignored all that, and played dumb. "You mean that guy you brought to the party?" She just nodded. "Oh. Well, Lily, shit happens. It doesn't make you a terrible girlfriend or person. It was a one-time thing," he assured. Again, while he was conflicted about it, he hated seeing her like this.

She sighed. "There are times when it's so easy to forget that I have a boyfriend. When it's tempting to . . ."

Scorpius desperately wanted her to finish that sentence, but he couldn't push it. He couldn't seem desperate or come on too strong yet. Instead he put a friendly arm around her, and kept his tone casual. "Lily, have you ever thought that maybe Lysander isn't the one you want to be with?"

Scorpius listened to her answer with eager ears. "Yeah, I have." Scorpius smirked. "But, I really care about him." Scorpius tried not to groan aloud. "Aside from a minor problem, it's great with me and him."

"But you admit that there's a problem," he pointed out.

She looked to her feet. "A small one," she mumbled.

Scorpius raised a brow. It was obvious that something about the problem embarrassed her, which confused Scorpius. If Dominique had heard correctly, then the problem was that Scamander was too nice. So what about that was embarrassing?

"I don't think that you'd want to hear it," she dismissed.

But Scorpius wanted to hear her say it. "Lil, tell me," he insisted gently.

She ran a hand through her hair. "The physical side of our relationship is on a downhill," she admitted.

Scorpius almost groaned, but hid it with a cough. "Oh," he mumbled. That was the issue? She . . . she wanted him to be more . . . physical with her? Scorpius tried to ignore how this seemed to make his stomach turn and his heart wrench.

But Lily continued, apparently happy to get it out in the open and off her chest. "Yeah. I mean, not that we've ever been really physical." Scorpius let out a breath of relief at that. "Nothing more than a couple of kisses. But now . . . I mean we kissed more when we weren't dating. And he always says that it's because I should be treated like a princess. I told him that I don't want to be treated like a princess. That all of Slytherin House treats me like one. I don't need my boyfriend to treat me like that. I mean, I know I'm not a saint. A little kiss won't kill me."

Well, he was happy to hear that Scamander hardly kissed her. And at this rate . . . he would get closer to his goal than first expected. Plus, he was getting a bit of an advantage by learning what she wanted from a boyfriend before he even made a real move. He chuckled. "So what you're saying is that you want him to manhandle you?" he teased.

She laughed, making Scorpius smirk. She was beginning to feel better. Although being allowed to rant probably helped a lot. "Not how I would have worded it, but I guess. I mean, is it wrong for me to feel like that? I don't think I'm the bad guy here," she whispered.

Scorpius sighed. He had to word this delicately. "You're not the bad guy, and neither is he. It's just a difference of opinions." One he hoped would kill their relationship in the end. "And it's not wrong to feel like that. I mean it's normal for girls your age to have . . . urges," he mumbled before clearing his throat.

He felt her rest her head on his shoulder, and Scorpius felt himself relax instantly. "You make it sound as if I want him to jump me," she joked.

Scorpius chuckled. "Sorry. Wait . . . do you want him to?" Because he would kill Scamander before that happened, the original plan be dammed!

But she smacked him on the arm. "No! That's not what I meant! Nothing like that is happening for a long time."

Scorpius smiled, and gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "Well, I'll admit that I'm glad to hear that."

He felt her shift a little, and looked to see her looking up at him. "And why is that? What's it matter to you?"

Scorpius cleared his throat as now he shifted a little. He couldn't tell her about his feelings just yet, so what did he say? "You're important to me," he said, keeping it honest. "And that's . . . well it's quite a choice." Unable to help himself, he gently stroked a bit of her hair that kept brushing against his hand. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You're probably my best friend, Lily."

"You're my best friend too, Scorpius."


Scorpius stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. The prefect meeting had ended, and he was sitting with Lana, Lars, Mitch, and Dominique. And . . . well he had a question he wanted to ask one of them . . . but part of him was, not that he'd admit it, terrified to do so. Because . . .

. . . it was Dominique!

"What are you so quiet for, Scor?" Lars inquired as he bit into a licorice wand.

"Thinking," Scorpius mumbled.

"Don't hurt yourself," Dominique scoffed.

Scorpius groaned. He couldn't believe he was about to do this! "Hey, Dominique . . ."

Dominique looked up from her magazine, and gave him a critical look. "What?" she muttered.

Scorpius ignored how uncomfortable her glaring look made him. "Um . . . well . . . how long do you think it'll take for Lily to dump Scamander?" He hated asking her for help on this!

She didn't seem surprised by his question, but more like she wanted to roll her eyes. "What?"

"You heard me," Scorpius grumbled.

She did roll her eyes then. "Why the hell would I know? The girl's weird. Sometimes she's impatient and gets tired of things quickly, other times she hangs on and continues to try and give it her all."

Scorpius was afraid of that happening. "Then what do you think I should do to speed it along?"

"Have you thought about just snogging her and getting it over with?" she retorted dryly.

Scorpius rolled his eyes this time. "I may not like the guy, but I'm not so low that I'd purposely kiss a bloke's girlfriend."

"Fine. Wait and combust. Then it'll happen no matter what your morals," she quipped.

"Thanks for the help," Scorpius muttered.

Mitch nudged her shoulder, making Dominique groan. "Oh, Merlin, fine!" She closed her magazine and looked at Scorpius fully. "Look, while Lily is usually pretty smart and perceptive, she misses things that are right in front of her face screaming at her. Your feelings for her being an example. Now, since you've been playing subtle prince charming for a few months, you've brought her feelings for you to the forefront of her mind. Now, you need to stop being subtle, otherwise she'll never know how you feel. It won't matter how she feels. She won't do anything if she isn't sure about your feelings," she explained.

Scorpius thought about that for a moment. "How do make my feelings known without just shouting them at her, though?"

Dominique shrugged. "A lot of ways, idiot. Create situations where the two of you are alone, make them intense moments, be more than just playfully flirty. Be honest, and all that crap," she replied as she flipped open the magazine again. "Lily doesn't like beating around the bush, so doing that will get you nowhere with her."

Scorpius nodded, but then smirked. "So, you think she likes me too? It's not just in my head?"

She scoffed. "I'm not going to inflate your ego, Malfoy," she muttered. Then she caught Mitch's hand in a quick and sudden movement. "And I will rip your hand off if you pinch me!"

Mitch rolled his eyes, but didn't pull his hand away. "Then help us here. Getting Scor and Lil together is a top priority for some of us Slytherins. We can't have her with some wuss like Scamander."

She glared at Mitch before throwing his wrist away. "You are so lucky there are witnesses," she mumbled. But then she glared at Scorpius. "Her feelings for you are so obvious that I think you're an idiot for not noticing sooner. Lily doesn't blush for just anyone, nor does she giggle and flirt heavily with just anyone."

"She makes jokes with the guys on the team all the time," Scorpius pointed out.

"Not like she does with you," Dominique argued. "There's a difference between a vague little joke to a group of guys, to an intense and suggestive comment thrown only at you!"

"I guess that makes sense," Scorpius mumbled to himself.

"Also," Dominique said firmly, "stop calling her your best friend!"

Scorpius looked at her in surprise. "What? Why? She is one of my best friends!"

"Because friend has a certain meaning to most girls. You call her a friend, she assumes that's all you want in your relationship. Friendship! You knock back your progress by a day every time you do that!" Dominique exclaimed, obviously irritated.

Scorpius scowled. "Lily's not like most girls," he argued.

"I see her deflate every time you call her a friend," Dominique quipped. "It's not hard to miss. Just pay attention to something besides her chest when you two talk!"

Scorpius crossed his arms as he thought about that. Had he really missed something like that? He'd have to pay closer attention next time. And he carefully made note of everything else that Dominique had said. Despite how the two bickered and threw sarcastic retorts back and forth, it was obvious that it made the two of them close . . . somehow.

Mitch was grinning though. "Babe, why don't you just admit it. You want her to date Scorpius over Scamander, just like the rest of us," he teased.

Dominique gave him a dry look. "While Malfoy is the lesser of two annoyances, I'll still pity her."

Mitch still grinned. "Yeah. You're on our side."


"Scorpius!" Scorpius looked away from his textbook to catch his mother walking into the parlor. Scorpius was trying to get his last bit of homework done now instead of rushing before it was due after break, and thought it'd be nice to get out of his room while Lucius spent the day at the ministry.

Scorpius gave his mother smile. "Yes, Mum? What is it?"

"I'm having a party soon. It'll be full of different fashion designers, models, some very important fashion-conscious people, reporters, and everything else! Will you attend?" Astoria asked sweetly.

Scorpius didn't trust her tone or question. His mother knew he hated those parties. They were boring, and he wasn't that interested in fashion so it wasn't like he had anything in common to talk about with others there. So . . . why was she even bothering to ask? "What's your game?" he demanded instantly.

Astoria smiled. "I just thought it'd be nice of you to keep Lily company. After all, the party is basically to celebrate her rising popularity in the fashion world," she said simply.

Ah. So that was it. Lily would be there, and the perfect chance for his mother to play matchmaker. "Mother, she has a boyfriend. She started dating Lysander Scamander over the summer," he muttered, the words putting a bad taste in his mouth.

"I still don't see why you shouldn't attend," Astoria insisted. Then to prove her point, she walked forward, and pulled a magazine out from under his books. Scorpius didn't look at her. How did she know? "After all, you seem impressed with her work as well."

Scorpius groaned. "If I go, you have to behave. No matchmaking," he demanded.

"Of course, dear," Astoria promised, dropping the magazine back onto the table. "You making an appearance will be enough for me. But if you don't, then how will you be able to make sure I don't say anything," she pointed out as she began to leave.

"With your blackmailing abilities, it's no wonder you were a Slytherin," Scorpius called.

"I do what I must, dear!" Then he heard her laugh in amusement.


Scorpius was a bit confused at the sight in front of him. He was just sitting, reading a book, when suddenly Pitch was leading in a woman and a man with a camera. Immediately, he felt apprehension. What the hell did these people want?

Pitch hurried to Scorpius's side as he stood up. "Young Master, these the people from Witch Weekly. They're here to interview Miss Lily."

Scorpius looked at Pitch in surprise. Lily was here? How did he miss that? He scowled, he had just sat down about ten minutes ago, so she must have come in before then. Why hadn't she seeked him out? Unless, of course, his mother had rushed her into the workroom to get ready, which was very possible.

"Ah. Well, I'll go and let them know. Excuse me," Scorpius said as he politely brushed past the two. He hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. He slowed when he came to his mother's workroom though. He didn't want to see too eager, or anything. So he gave a small knock before opening the door.

"Mother, a woman is . . ." Scorpius not only trailed off in his sentence, but stopped breathing for a split moment. Lily . . . well she just looked completely stunning! She wore an outfit that was casual, but looked very elegant. Her top had simple straps, and was a true Slytherin green color. She wore a black skirt with green lace at the bottom, and black tights under it. Her hair, it was curled in those loose curls that Scorpius would admit he loved to see. And he also loved to see that blush that surfaced on her cheeks as they locked eyes.

Scorpius carefully cleared his throat, but didn't look away from Lily. "Um, a woman is here with a camera man?"

"Oh! That must be them!" Astoria exclaimed. "Thankfully we're done prepping you. I'm going to greet our guests. Come on down when you're ready, Lily dear."

Scorpius didn't bother looking his mother's way, but could practically feel one of her smug "I knew it" smiles being thrown his way. He just waited until she left the room before moving closer to where Lily stood. She was so . . . beautiful it almost made him tongue-tied! He ran a hand through his hair. "You look stunning," he murmured.

She smiled at him gently, and it made Scorpius's heart miss a beat. She reached up and smoothed down his hair. Scorpius repressed the urge to close his eyes at the feeling. "And now you look absolutely mussed up," she teased.

Scorpius gave her a small smirk. "Sorry. A bit of a habit. But, you really do look stunning."

She dropped her hand from him slowly, still smiling. "Thanks."

"So, are you excited about the big party that's basically for you?" Scorpius inquired. He'd been thinking about it since his mother brought it up. And honestly, he'd thought of about a hundred ways to get Lily way from Scamander for at least a few minutes at a time.

Lily nodded. "I am actually, even if it will be only the two of us that we know," she joked, her voice soft.

Scorpius perked up at the meaning hidden in her words. "You're not bringing Lysander?" he asked, moving just a tad bit closer to her. He couldn't help himself. That urge to kiss her was there again, and he so desperately want to act on it. Plus, she smelled so nice. It was a gentle scent, a little flowery, but also something tropical mixed in.

He watched as her eyes seemed to gather that intense look again, and Scorpius couldn't help but lean just a little closer. "No, I'm not," she said. "He's busy, and I didn't want him to be exhausted all night. So, it's just me and you."

Scorpius looked her over, taking in her outfit once more. What would she wear at the party? Because if Scamander wasn't there to remind him that she was momentarily taken . . . he wondered how well he could behave himself. "How . . . delightful," he whispered as his eyes came back to lock with hers.

"Yeah," she agreed just as softly. He watched her lips move when she spoke, and with that light shade of pink and glossy look . . .

Scorpius sighed. "I should let you get downstairs to your interview," he mentioned.

But she didn't look away from him, nor did she look like she really wanted to leave yet. "Yeah, I probably should go," she agreed.

Scorpius stepped away from her, moving to the side to let her go by. He watched her take in a couple of deep breaths, before walking past him. Scorpius didn't turn around to watch her go. That urge to kiss her was getting harder to ignore. The urge to simple brush his fingers across her cheek, or take her hand, was getting hard to ignore.

He wasn't sure he could do this much longer.


"She's right in your line of sight, Scor! You can't screw this up!" Mitch insisted as he sat on Scorpius's bed. The two of them and the Goyle twins were sitting in Scorpius's room. Lana was preparing to pierce Scorpius's ear three more times near the top, which was something Scorpius let Mitch talk him into.

"If you screw this up, it could be disastrous," Lana agreed. "Don't rush it."

"I still think that if something happened at the party, she would dump Scamander for me," Scorpius said with confidence. After all, Scamander wasn't even coming to the party! And Scorpius had planned to take full advantage, but make subtle reminders that Lily's supposed boyfriend didn't even try to attend.

"Yes, but the result itself could be bad," Lana told him as she pointed her want at his ear. They were in the manor, so underage rules be dammed.

Scorpius rolled his eyes as she whispered the spell to numb his ear. "Like what?"

"Well, if she breaks up with Scamander, then gets with you, it will be obvious that something happened between the two of you. Now, I don't care about scandals normally, but you have to be delicate with Lily's situation. Not only will Ravenclaws come at her, but so will her brothers and cousins," Lana pointed out.

Scorpius scowled, at her words, and the weird and painless feeling of something piercing through his ear. "I guess."

"It'll be more fodder for the kittens to pick at," Mitch threw in. "And I don't think you want that to scar the start of your future immortal relationship."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at his friend. "Immortal?"

"Face it, Scor, your guys' relationship is in the stars," Mitch exaggerated with a grin. "You were meant to be, so you will be."

"You make sound like we'll get married a month after dating," Scorpius joked. He watched as Lana put down the pin, and began picking up one of the rings for his ear.

"Maybe you will," Mitch laughed. "Do I get to be best man?"

"If he's best man than what am I?" Lars demanded. "Can I be the second best man? You can have two right?"

Scorpius laughed. "I think Lily and I should try dating before marriage."

Mitch crossed his arms. "All right. But I expect you to have made your proposal within four months' time, mister!" he laughed.

"Well what about you and Dominique?" Lars mocked.

"Oh! That reminds me! I've got awesome news!" Mitch exclaimed ignoring Lars's mocking tone.

"You knocked her up?" Lars guessed.

"How would that be good news?" Lana quipped with a roll of her eyes.

"You never know with this guy," Lars pointed out.

"What's your news, Mitch," Scorpius said, chuckling at the twins.

"I have officially been invited to the Weasley family gathering on Christmas Eve," Mitch announced with a grin.

Scorpius raised a brow. "Who invited you?"

"Dom," Mitch said simply.

Scorpius laughed. "I don't think it's official until one of the older women in that family invite you," he joked.

"It still counts!" Mitch defended, still grinning. "You wanna go with me?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No. From what Lily's told me, Scamander will be there. So I'd rather not."

"Then it looks like you'll just have to take advantage of having her all to yourself at the party," Mitch said with a firm nod.

Scorpius couldn't agree more.


Scorpius buttoned up his shirt, and took one last look in the mirror. When he'd come into his room earlier this afternoon, he'd found a set of new dress robes, with a note saying they were a gift from Lucius. So Scorpius had chosen a more . . . muggle approach. He had one a deep green button-up shirt and black dress pants. His mother had forced him to cut his hair a little, and he's combed it nicely to stay flat, although he didn't bother hiding the green streaks.

"Scorpius, are you ready yet?"

Scorpius turned to see his mother standing in his doorway. She looked as elegant as she ever did for these parties. But she surprisingly was looking at him impatiently. "I thought you were all about fashionably late entrances?" he teased.

Astoria rolled her eyes lightly. "Yes, but I would like to have the guest of honor here soon, and the party is already beginning. So, will you please go pick her up?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Of course, Mother. I just finished getting ready anyhow." He walked down with his mother, but instead of going into the ballroom, he continued to the parlor. He Flooed to the Potter house, only to find it empty. He shrugged and made his way out of the room and to the stairs. He could hear the muffled sounds of voices coming from what he remembered to be the kitchen. But he continued up the stairs, to where he remembered Lily's room to be.

Scorpius knocked on her bedroom door, and waited patiently. But he heard a small "Come in," from the inside, so he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hey, princess. Are you ready?" he asked.

"Just a minute," she told him, as he looked her over the best he could with her back to him. She wore a strapless green dress, the same color as his own shirt. But there were also bands of silver on the dress, around the top, crisscrossed her sides, and circled around the middle. It fell to her knees, and Scorpius was surprised to see her in small heels. Her hair was curled perfectly at the ends.

Scorpius walked closer, and picked up the Slytherin pendant that was resting on the vanity she stood in front of. Then he placed the chain around her neck, as she moved her hair aside for him. Scorpius connected the clasps, and Lily dropped her hair. But Scorpius couldn't help but let his fingers brush across the skin of her neck, and trail down her shoulders, letting his hands rest there. She was so soft and warm, despite the dress leaving the skin exposed. "You look wonderful, princess. Truly a vision," he complimented honestly.

He caught the sight of her blush in the mirror, but she was smiling. "Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself, even if your hair is green," she teased.

Scorpius chuckled. "Wait until you next seem me. Mitch got me to pierce my ear three times," he told her.

"I can't wait to see that," she said with a small laugh. Such a simple laugh sent vibrations through his hands, making his heart speed up just a little.

So he cleared his throat and dropped his hands from her shoulders. "Well, shall we go?"

Lily stood up from her seat and nodded. "Yeah, let's."

When they made their way down the stairs, Lily didn't stop at the kitchen, but kept going. "Mum, Dad! I'm leaving!" she called quickly.

But her mother was quicker, and Scorpius held himself from laughing and just smirked. "Wait a minute, Lily! Come in here a moment."

Lily looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but Scorpius followed her to the kitchen, ready to put on all the charm he could. But he was surprised to see that it wasn't just her parents, but some of her aunts and uncles too. He was sure that two of them were Dominique's parents. That blonde woman had to be her mother, simply because not many of the Weasleys were blonde, except Dominique's siblings.

"Oh, Lily, you look so beautiful," Ginny said happily.

"That dress is gorgeous," the blond woman said, her accent hinting at being French, leading Scorpius to believe he'd been right.

Scorpius stayed silent as the adults seemed to debate about Lily's dress, the men not being fans of how short or how much skin it showed, the women finding it beautiful. Scorpius found that he agreed with the women, but he was a bit biased.

"Can I go now? I don't want to be late," Lily grumbled, obviously annoyed.

But her mother looked at Scorpius, and Scorpius stood up straight. "When will you have her home?" she asked him.

Scorpius smirked. "Well, I'm sure she'll be home by midnight, but if you'd like to have her home earlier, I could easily make that happen for you." He was obviously trying to be polite and charming, after all, he would definitely need Mrs. Potter on his side if he planned to date Lily one day. It would give him and advantage of her brothers, who would want him out.

"Midnight is just fine," Ginny assured.

"Ten-thirty is better," Harry grumbled.

Scorpius wanted to chuckle, but Lily was fast. "Midnight it is. Let's go." She took Scorpius's arm and dragged him from the room, making him want to laugh even more. "Merlin, they're annoying," he heard her mutter.

Scorpius gave her a smirk as they stopped in front of the fireplace. "Aren't all parents?" he pointed out before they Flooed to the manor. Scorpius made sure to be ready to catch her when she came through, as Lily often stumbled.

"The party is in the ballroom," he said as he led her through the halls. He took a gentle hold of her wrist, using his leading her around as an excuse to do so.

But she didn't pull away or look confused. She just looked at him curiously. "Have I been in there?" she asked, obviously trying to remember.

Scorpius shrugged. "Maybe in passing. It's a gigantic room that my mother had built for parties such as this," he told her. When they reached the large doors leading to the ballroom, he could already hear the sound of music. The doors opened on their own, and the music got louder, and Scorpius could see what his mother meant. There were already hundreds of people there.

He looked at Lily when she sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah. Best of luck to us both," he agreed. And keeping a gentle hold on her wrist, he led her further into the room.

"Lily! You're here!" Scorpius stopped walking when he noticed his parents coming their way. His mother looked very excited, and that worried Scorpius. She wasn't planning something, was she?

Lily smiled though. "Of course I am. It's nice to see you again, Mr. Malfoy."

His father smirked. "I think Draco would be a bit more fitting for you to call me." He gave Scorpius a discreet look that made Scorpius fidget a little. He was never going to get anything past his father, was he?

But Lily laughed. "Ok then. How have you been, Draco? Your wife seems to be writing me letters constantly, but I never receive one from you," she teased.

Draco chuckled. "Well I've been doing just fine actually. I've mainly been working from home, which is a nice change. But that also means that I've been forced to listen to my wife's rambling of fashion and parties," he joked.

Astoria smacked his shoulder playfully. "You always say that you want to know about my days at home," she argued with a smile.

Draco gave her a gentle kiss to the forehead. Unlike most, it never bothered Scorpius when his parents would be affectionate if he was around. Perhaps because it was so rare and . . . well sweet, that Scorpius never felt bothered or disgusted. "I know I do." His father looked back to Lily. "But, how have you been, Lily? I've noticed that you haven't written me a letter either."

Lily grinned as he threw her words back to her. "I've been good. When you cut out how much homework us fourth years have been given, it's been a very enjoyable year."

"Ah, yes. You'll be in your O.W.L. year next. Just as Scorpius here will be taking his N.E.W.T.s," Draco commented.

Scorpius wanted to sigh when his mother immediately began to fix his collar at his father's words. "My baby boy is getting so big," she murmured.

Scorpius felt his cheeks get hot. "Mum," he muttered, a bit embarrassed, especially at hearing Lily lightly laughing.

"I too often notice how much taller he's getting. I'm starting to get very tired of being the shortest of my friends," she teased.

"Well, my son's growth is a bit surprising. I was never that big at his age." Scorpius looked at his father curiously, and finally noticed that . . . well he was a tad bit taller than his own father. When had that happened? "But, he takes Quidditch much more seriously than I did. He's been exercising every morning since he got home for break," Draco commented.

Scorpius noticed Lily looking at him, so he gave a little shrug. "I like being in shape," he replied. She still stared at him for a moment, but Scorpius' heart raced a little when he saw that small bit of intensity. Was . . . was she actually looking him over like . . . well like he sometimes did to her?

But they both quickly looked away from each other when Draco spoke. "So, Lily, how is being a celebrity?"

Lily laughed a little, and Scorpius could tell that she was a little more used to it than she had been a first. "A little odd at first. I never expected other girls at school to come and ask for an autograph. Nor did I expect that many boys to start buying fashion magazines."

Scorpius tried to stay relaxed and not scowl. He had the feeling that Lily still didn't really get why boys bought them.

His father laughed a little, clearly thinking the same thing Scorpius was. "Well, you are a beautiful young girl. I can't say I'm surprise," he said politely.

But Scorpius wasn't afraid to comment on it. "Little boys will be little boys," he muttered. "I don't know how many boys I've seen with those magazines." And Lana always stopped him from doing something about it.

Astoria rolled their eyes. "You have no room to talk. I know firsthand that you have a couple of her magazines in your room," she mocked.

Scorpius froze, although his cheeks got hot. How . . . how did she know? He gulped as he spoke quickly. "I know. I'm supporting her career as a model." True . . . that was true at least.

"Then don't be quick to judge. Maybe those boys are supporting her too," Astoria pointed out.

But Scorpius scoffed. "I doubt a bunch of fourteen-year-old Ravenclaw boys are buying them to be friends and support her," he muttered.

"Scorpius," his mother chided with surprise. Apparently she finally got what he and his father had been hinting at.

Draco smirked. "Boys will be boys, darling."

Astoria just rolled her eyes. "You two are always assuming the worst of young boys."

"No, honey. We've been young boys. We know what they do," Draco teased.

Lily sighed. "Well, that's comforting. I'll so be able to look the fourth year Slytherin boys in the eye now."

Draco laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be able to ignore it. They will."

Lily grinned. "Yeah, you've got a point. Besides, I guess I already knew. They talk about it enough," she mocked.

"Draco," Astoria said suddenly. "I think I ought to go and greet a few more of our guests. Accompany me?" Scorpius almost scowled at the knowing look his mother gave him.

Scorpius was sure his father knew what she was doing, but he still gave her a smile. "Of course. We'll find you later, and perhaps pick up this conversation," he told Scorpius and Lily.

"Of course, Draco," Lily replied. As they walked off, Lily looked at him, smiling. "I really like talking with your parents. Especially your dad. He's funny," she mentioned.

Scorpius chuckled. People rarely said that about his father. "I guess." He felt his throat get a bit dry, so he looked back at her with a smirk. "Thirsty?" He definitely was.

Lily grinned. "Yes."

Scorpius smirked as he led her to get something to drink. After all, if his parents were going to give him some time with Lily away from them, then he wasn't going to let their efforts go to waste.


"Enjoying yourself, princess?" Scorpius whispered gently into Lily's ear. It was hours into the party, and Scorpius had managed to get Lily onto the dance floor after meeting and greet what felt like a thousand people.

Lily nodded before letting her head rest against his chest. Scorpius prayed that she couldn't hear his heartbeat, because it sped up a little at her actions. "Yeah, I am actually," she admitted. "Besides the constant questions from reporters, and the pictures they keep taking, it's not bad."

Scorpius smiled. "Well I'm glad to hear that, princess," he whispered.

She looked up at him. "Scorpius, why do you call me princess?"

Scorpius gave a shrug as he thought about it a little. "I don't know. I just feel like the name fits you. You are Slytherin's princess after all," he mentioned.

"I'm no princess. I'm not a saint," she mumbled, although Scorpius heard her clearly.

"I'm not saying you're a saint," he replied softly. "In reality, no Slytherin is really a saint. Nobody is really a saint. But we all still see you as a very important girl to us." It was funny to think that it would ever happen, but it did. The Potter Princess was now their princess. And Scorpius wouldn't let that change any time soon.

"Really?" Lily whispered, as if she was thinking about it.

Scorpius gave her a bit of a smile. "Really. You're important to us. So, I think princess fits you well."

She giggled lightly as she let her cheek rest against him now. "Wow. So I've gone from a Potter princess to a Slytherin princess," she teased.

Scorpius smiled a bit brighter as he rested his cheek against her hair, holding her just a bit tighter. "But there's a difference. No matter what, you'll always be our princess."

He even felt her hands holding a bit firmer to him. "I love being Slytherin's princess more than I do being a Potter princess," she told him.

That urge to simply tilt her head up and kiss her came roaring to life. And Scorpius, who was a bit tired of repressing that urge, knew that whatever he did, it'd be best to do it away from reporter eyes. "Lily . . . do you want to get out of here?"

Lily looked up to him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you wanna get out of the party? Sneak out to my room and maybe get away from all the noise and reporters?" he inquired.

Lily smiled brightly, obviously sold on the idea. "Right now, that sounds heavenly."

Scorpius smirked at her eagerness. "Cool. Let's go."

Being careful to not be noticed, Scorpius led her out of the small door that led to a hall connected to the kitchen. This was mainly used for the house elves, but Scorpius used it all the time to escape from the parties his mother would drag him to.

"Where are we?" Lily asked.

"It's a connection to the kitchen. I know how to get to my room from the kitchens," Scorpius replied.

"Your house is like a maze," he heard her mumble.

He laughed as he opened the door to the kitchen. "You get used to it after living in it for almost seventeen years," he pointed out as he led her through the kitchen around the frantically working house elves, and out to another hall.

"I guess I can relate to that," Lily agreed with a sigh as they walked. "I've only been at Hogwarts for four years and I know my way around easily."

"Exactly," he said with a nod.

When they entered his room, Scorpius sighed with relief. He wasn't a fan of those parties, there were too many people that he didn't even know trying to talk to him. Not to mention too many reporters.

"Nice couch," Lily teased.

Scorpius looked at the couch in his room and chuckled. He sat down on it as well. "I know right. I bought it last Christmas break with some of the Christmas money my aunt and uncle gave me," he told her. He had thought it was a great purchase. This way when the others came over, they were sitting on the floor.

Lily sat down next to him. "Your aunt and uncle give you money for Christmas?" she questioned, almost surprised.

"Well, once I got a bit older, they told me they'd just give me the money so that I could pick my own Christmas present," Scorpius mentioned. "A good idea I guess. They were a bit terrible at picking gifts for me. One year they got me a dreadful-looking coat. A Kenmare Kestrels coat! Ugh," he joked.

Lily laughed. "You're so mean. They aren't that bad a team."

But he shrugged. "They haven't won enough games to win my respect," he replied.

"So picky," she laughed. "So, what will you buy this year?"

He threw an arm around her shoulders as he shrugged again. "I don't know. I might just save it until I think of something important I need. Well . . ." A thought struck Scorpius, although it didn't really have to do with him. ". . . actually, I think I might buy Lance a Wood model broom. He's the slowest on our team without one, and I want all of us at the same speed, which is faster than all the other teams."

She nodded. "That's a good idea. He is a bit slow at practices."

"You know, magazines have shown pictures of a new model coming out in a couple of months. The Wood '22. It's supposed to be amazing with speed," he commented with a smirk.

"I might just have to buy it when it comes out," Lily thought aloud.

"I would get you one," Scorpius teased, "but I already got you a Christmas gift."

Lily gave him a playful grin. "Really? What did you get me?"

Scorpius chuckled. Well, he would like to see her face when she opened it, rather than received a letter on how she liked it. "Well, since I won't see you for a couple of days, I guess it'd be ok to give it to you know." He walked to where he'd hid it in his desk during the summer. He brought it over to her, hiding it in his hand. "I thought that you'd like to have one. A lot of us have them, so it's not original, but I wanted to be the one to buy it for you," he admitted.

He opened his hand to show the small velvet box. Lily took it from him and looked at it. "You got me a ring?"

He nodded. "Open it," he told her.

She clicked open the box, and let out a tiny gasp of surprise. Scorpius sat down and watched as she admired it. But then she turned and hugged him tightly. "Scorpius, I love it!" she exclaimed.

Scorpius laughed, but inside he felt like he was flying. "I thought you would." He pulled away, and took the ring from the box. Then he gently took her hand and placed the ring on her right ring finger, where everyone else had theirs, himself included. As it was designed, it shrunk to fit her perfectly.

"It's perfect," she whispered, obviously still in awe and thrilled with the gift. Scorpius himself was just happy that he was able to get her something she loved so much. But then she surprised him. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his cheek, lingering near him a moment after. "Thank you," she whispered, her warm breath brushing across his ear.

Scorpius couldn't stop his cheek from getting hot as she finally moved away from him. He coughed, clearing throat a little, which had suddenly gone dry. "I was no problem, really," he dismissed. But then he smiled at her. "Besides, I couldn't let Scamander show me up by getting you a better gift." He didn't lie or pretend this time. He was honest, not subtle. He wanted to know what she would do or say.

And she gave that soft laugh, still smiling. "Don't worry," she told him. "He may be my boyfriend, but you're still my number one guy."

Scorpius smiled. Scamander didn't stand a chance!