Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.
Note – Sorry this took so long to get out to you guys! I kind of took a break over the holidays, but I'm back and ready to keep this going! I know everyone was excited to see Scorpius and Lily getting together finally, and I know you want more. So read and enjoy!
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Victory is the Sweetest Taste
Scorpius sat on the grass of the pitch, a towel around his shoulders. He'd decided to take one last jog around the pitch for the year. Tomorrow the seventh years would be gone and graduates, and then just a few days after, the rest of the students would be leaving on the Hogwarts Express.
Scorpius sighed as he leaned his back against the wood of the stands. Having to pretend to just be friends with Lily was killing him. They were so much more than that now, but he didn't want to rush. She wanted a break, and the least he could do was give her that. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her.
"You're a dead man, Malfoy!"
Scorpius's head snapped up at the sound of another voice. James Potter was storming toward him. Scorpius scowled but stood up. What the hell was Potter doing here? And what was his problem? Scorpius almost scoffed at himself. He was a Malfoy. That was Potter's problem with him. That was always the problem.
But Scorpius wasn't really in the mood for a petty argument. He gave Potter a dry look. "What the hell do you want, Potter? I've got better things to do."
But Potter was in his face, and Scorpius was almost a bit surprised at the amount of anger he saw in Potter's eyes. He hadn't seen Potter this furious in years. "You stay the fuck away from her," Potter snarled in a low voice.
Scorpius scowled for a moment, confused. Who the hell was he talking about? But then it dawned on Scorpius, and he couldn't help but smirk. Potter was still obsessed with keeping him away from Lily, despite all he did to her. He almost laughed!
Scorpius didn't back away, but continued to smirk. "Whoever are you talking about, Potter?"
"You stay away from Lily!" Potter hissed.
Scorpius raised a brow. "Oh. Are you mad at me? Upset because I snogged your sister, Potter? Pissed that I got her to break up with that coward you call a friend? Or . . . are you furious because your sister wants me?"
Scorpius wasn't surprised by the fact that Potter threw a punch at him. But Scorpius didn't hit back. Not yet. This was too fun! So he simply kept himself on his feet, and kept smirking and ignoring the sting. "Did I hit a soft spot again, Potter? Can't stand the fact that you've been replaced?"
"Shut your trap, Malfoy," Potter warned, his face almost turning red.
Scorpius wasn't backing down. "And you know what, Potter," he said in a low and taunting voice, "I kissed her, and she kissed me back just as hard!"
Potter tackled him, but Scorpius was ready, and flipped Potter off of him, and quickly pulled his wand from his pocket, and pointed it at Potter, who had done the same as they both stood. "I will kill you, Malfoy!" Potter roared. "Stay away from my sister!"
Scorpius glared now. "You have no right to call her that! Not after everything you've done to her!"
"You touch my sister, and I will make sure you lose every bone in your hand!" Potter exclaimed, still furious. "Stay away from her!"
"I will be around her whenever I want!" Scorpius growled. "And I'll kiss her, no matter what you want, prick! Because face facts, Potter, she wants to be with me, and she can't stand you!"
Potter was obviously tense, and Scorpius had never seen him so furious. "I swear, I will get you, Malfoy!"
Scorpius smirked though. "You know, Potter, luck just seems to be on my side. You'll be gone next year. And you know as well as I do that I baby Albus is no match for me. No one's going to stop me from being around Lily. Kissing her. Touching her. And better than that, she wants me to do it. I kissed your sister, Potter. Even though you tried so hard to stop it, I won."
Scorpius expected a hex to be thrown his way immediately. But to his shock, which he hid, Potter actually lowered his wand and just stormed passed him. Scorpius whirled around, waiting for the hex to be thrown at his back, but still nothing. Potter kept walking, his body tense, and his hands in fists. Scorpius smirked as he watched Potter leave.
Victory had one of the sweetest tastes.
"What were you thinking, Scorpius? A party in the Forbidden Forest? Do you know what kind of dangers are in there?" Astoria exclaimed.
Scorpius sighed as he sat at the dining table. He hadn't been home for two minutes and already he was being lectured. The Headmaster had said he was sending letters home to the parents of everyone who attended the party, and Scorpius knew this would happen.
"There were wards around the area for that reason. It's used for classes sometimes," Scorpius said simply.
Astoria looked to her husband. "Draco, a little help?"
But Draco just shrugged. "I see no point in scolding him like a child. He's seventeen, an adult. It's time he make his own choices and face their consequences."
Astoria looked at him with wide eyes. "Draco!"
"He's not a child, Astoria," Draco replied.
Scorpius still didn't trust his father's words. Surely this was a trap. "Really?"
"You're an adult, and you make your own choices and mistakes. This was just one of them," Draco assured with a nod.
Well Scorpius would never think the party a mistake. More like the best night of his life so far! But, if his father was going to play the grown up card, then so would Scorpius. "So, you think I should be treated like an adult, and make those choices?"
Draco nodded. "Yes, you should."
Scorpius gave a nod too. "Ok. Then, I think that I should move out on my own."
"What?" Astoria cried.
Draco looked surprised, but not upset. "Live by yourself?"
Scorpius nodded firmly. "Yes. I mean, I've loved living here, but I can't stand being under the same roof as Lucius."
"Scorpius, you still have a year of school!" Astoria insisted.
"I have plenty of money in my trust fund," Scorpius pointed out. "I could pay for ten years rent, never live in it, and it wouldn't put a dent in the amount I have. Besides, if I get into Auror Training, then I'll need my own place fast before I start. I'd rather get the place now and have it secured for me before then."
"This is a big step, son," Draco said carefully.
"Well maybe this is just one of those mistakes I have to make," Scorpius said with a shrug.
"This is awesome! I wish I could move out on my own already!" Mitch exclaimed as he looked around what was now officially Scorpius's own flat.
It was pretty much empty and bare. He'd only just signed the papers, and hadn't even moved in yet. It wasn't much, but Scorpius hadn't felt he'd needed much. His father had tried to get him to pick a nicer place, but Scorpius was sold on this one for now. But his parents had insisted on paying a few month's rent. He agreed, knowing it was their way of trying to still be supportive of him.
"When do you officially move in?" Lana asked as she looked around at the muggle appliances that were in the kitchen area.
"Apparently the house elves will have everything here tomorrow," Scorpius replied as he too looked around. But he had something else on his mind. "Have any of you heard from Lily?"
"I haven't," Lars replied as he looked out the window at muggle London.
"Neither have I," Lana said sympathetically.
But Mitch grinned as he moved to sit on the counter. "Well, I haven't heard directly from her, but I did here from Dom that she got grounded pretty hard for the party. She's basically on house arrest I guess."
Scorpius still scowled. "Are they not letting her write to her friends then? Because I haven't even gotten a letter."
Mitch shrugged. "No clue."
"Maybe she's still trying to figure out what to say to you," Lana suggested. "Don't worry about it."
"I know how you feel," Mitch said suddenly. "The feeling where, all you want to do it see her, or talk about pointless things. Where you kind of miss her, even though it hasn't been that long since you last saw each other." He sighed. "I mean, I've never had something stopping me from going and seeing Dom like you have with Lily, but I'd imagine that it sucks."
And of course, he was right. But it was a fantastic feeling when he finally did hear from her. Just a few days after officially moving into his own flat, he'd received a letter from a familiar owl. Regal.
"Scorpius,
Sorry I haven't written in a while. Things have been a bit . . . busy on my end. But it's been good and bad. Some of the best news I have is that Hugo and I are finally getting along again. We talked things out, both apologized, and we're working on getting our friendship back to where it was. Well . . . we kind of have already. And honestly, I love having my best friend back. Also, James is finally moving out! I can't wait until he finally finds his place and gets out of my life!
The bad news was that I got grounded because of the party. My parents are furious about it, and I'm only allowed to leave the house for work. Which, by the way, I got a job at the Leaky Cauldron. It gets me out of the house, and it's not a bad job.
I don't know when I'll be allowed out of the house, but I'll let you know, and maybe we can all hang out around Diagon Alley sometime. I hope the start of your summer is better than mine.
Lily"
Scorpius read the letter a few times. Well, it was weird to think that a Gryffindor was actually trying to make friends with a Slytherin, but if Lily was happy and it was working, then Scorpius would give the kid a chance. But Scorpius was more interested in how she had worded her last part of the letter. How she was alluding to just more than him and herself. Why was she avoiding being alone with him?
Scorpius put down the letter, and tapped his fingers on his knees as he thought. She was working at the Leaky Cauldron now? Well then, maybe Scorpius would just have to stop by.
"You know, I asked you to join me in seeing Lily at work. How did this turn into a shopping trip?" Scorpius demanded as he, Mitch, Lars, and Dante followed behind Lana, who was leading them along Diagon Alley.
"Because you are an idiot," Lana said simply. "You can't just go in there during the lunch hour. It's a madhouse in there at that time. Better to wait for it to die down, so then she'll have a bit of time to spare for you."
"I hate when she's right," Scorpius mumbled.
"You have no idea," Lars grumbled beside him.
"Hey, she's got a point though," Mitch agreed with her. "I mean, that's what Christian did, and it worked out for him."
Scorpius looked at him with a confused scowl. "What?"
Mitch nodded. "Well, according to Xavier, Christian came to see her while she was working the other day. Once the lunch rush was over, they sat and talked and he even kissed her . . . but I don't think I should have told you that part," he finished suddenly with wide eyes.
Scorpius glared at him. "That better be a joke."
Mitch just scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, don't kill the messenger. Besides, you can't blame the guy for taking a long shot."
"Yes," Scorpius said firmly. "Yes, I can."
"Well lose the scowl, because we're about to go in," Lana mocked as they approached the Leaky Cauldron. Scorpius did his best to seem casual and not scowl as he and the guys followed Lana to a table. Scorpius discreetly caught a glance of Lily carrying a tray to another table. She looked fantastic as always. She wore a simple black skirt with a green shirt, looking casual yet nice enough for work. Her hair was pulled up like always, her pink bangs pinned to stay out of her eyes.
"So now what?" Dante asked with a sigh.
"We get something to drink. I'm dying of thirst," Lars exaggerated.
"Well I think we're in luck," Mitch said with a grin. "Look who's coming our way."
They all turned, and Scorpius froze in his seat. Lily. She was slowly coming their way, her eyes on him.
Dante grinned. "Look! We sat in Lil's section," he mentioned casually.
She gave a bit of a smile, but Scorpius could see a bit of nervousness in her eyes. Eyes that were still locked on him. "Hey, guys. What can I get you?" she asked.
"Just a couple of butterbeers. We just stopped in for a drink," Lars replied.
Scorpius continued to keep his eyes on her as she jotted the order down, glancing at him from under her eyelashes. "I'll get that in a second," she said before quickly leaving them and going for the counter.
Scorpius hissed as he felt a sudden kick to his shin. He glared at Lana, who was looking at him expectantly. "Go after her!" she hissed. "Merlin's sake, she couldn't take her eyes off you!"
Taking the chance, Scorpius quickly got up from his seat and followed after her. She was behind the counter now, pulling out a few bottles. "Hey," he said, trying to catch her attention as he leaned on the counter.
She whirled around quickly, and set down the drinks. "Um, hey," she greeted
"I told you I would visit you at work," he said softly.
While she smiled, she bit her bottom lip gently, grabbing his attention. He wondered if she tasted like bubblegum again, or something new. Either way, that urge to simply lean over the counter and kiss her was rising. "Yeah. You did," she said, feigning a casual tone.
"I think we need to talk," he replied, hardly able to wait any longer. He couldn't take this anymore. He was tired of pretending like nothing had happened. That they were only just friends.
She avoided his eyes for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, we do," she agreed. She finally looked back up at him, and he could see that she was nervous. "My break starts in fifteen minutes."
Fifteen minutes? Hopefully that wouldn't feel like a lifetime. So he nodded. "I'll be here," he promised before taking the drinks and walking back to the others.
The others were on him as soon as he sat down. "What'd she say?" Mitch demanded as he leaned toward him.
Scorpius handed them all their drinks. "Her break starts in fifteen minutes, so we're going to talk then."
"Are you going to ask her out?" Dante questioned.
Scorpius sighed as he opened his bottle. "I'm tired of pretending that we're just friends," he stated.
"We all are," Lana replied. "Besides, you two were cute at the party."
"You don't call a guy cute, Lana," Dante said with a sigh and shake of his head.
"I will call you what I want!" Lana quipped.
Scorpius, Lars, and Mitch looked at each other curiously. That wasn't the first time Lana had snapped at Dante today. "Are you two ok?" Lars asked hesitantly.
Dante sighed again. "Yeah, we're fine."
"Perfectly content," Lana agreed with a shrug.
"Twins shouldn't lie to each other, dear sister," Lars retorted with a raised brow.
"They also shouldn't butt into each other's business," she quipped, giving him the same look.
"Back to more important topics!" Mitch announced. "Scorpius and our own princess. What's your next move? Are you going to take her out, or is she still grounded?"
"I'm pretty sure she's still grounded, but I figure I can always come and see her here," Scorpius replied.
Scorpius had never watched a clock so closely before as he waited for fifteen minutes to pass. The others continued to talk about things they wanted to do this summer, or things they'd already done, but Scorpius was a bit lost in his thoughts. But the others let him be, until the time had passed, and Mitch nudged him knowingly.
Scorpius was way ahead of him, and was leaving his seat immediately for the bar where Lily was. He caught her eye, and he noticed that bit of nervousness in her eyes again. "So, can we talk somewhere?" he asked.
She nodded, but seemed to be thinking. Finally she grabbed a key and came around the counter. "Come on, Hannah won't mind if we use a room for a couple of minutes," she said as she took his wrist and led him up the stairs of the inn.
Scorpius felt his heart thudding in his chest as she pulled him into an empty room. She turned and locked the door. She turned, and a small gasp left her lips. Scorpius leaned forward, letting his hands rest against the door, caging her between them. "Lil . . . I can't do this anymore," he muttered.
She licked her lips, and Scorpius followed her action, wanting desperately to lean down and kiss her. But he had to be patient. They had to talk. "Do what?" she asked.
"I can't pretend to just be friends. It was hard enough to do it all year. But after the party . . . it doesn't cut it anymore. Not for me. I can't pretend when I know you are so much more," he said softly. He couldn't. And he couldn't hold back.
"Scorpius." He kissed her before she could continue. But he felt her relax and kiss him back immediately. He took a gentle hold of her hips as he pressed closer to her, leaving just a sliver of air between them. Scorpius felt bliss run through him. He wasn't letting this chance go. She would be his girlfriend, and he'd be her boyfriend. And next time he saw Vaisey, he would hex the kid for kissing his girlfriend.
But she pulled her lips from his, her breath fanning his cheeks. "Scorpius . . . where does this put us?" she inquired.
"Well, first of all, I'm going to kill Vaisey," Scorpius mumbled.
She looked at him with confusion. "What? Why?"
"I know you two kissed," he grumbled. "He told Xavier, and Xavier told Mitch. And he's a dead man."
She didn't protest. "And second?"
Scorpius sighed as he rested his forehead onto hers. "And second, you're going to accept that you're my girlfriend," he stated simply.
She smiled, and looked like she wanted to laugh. "So, that's what this is, is it?"
He smirked. "Yeah. I've just been waiting for you to accept it," he teased.
She laughed. "Well, I'm all about acceptance lately. I might as well follow my own advice."
Scorpius brought his lips to brush her ear. "I'm glad to hear that. Maybe I'll spare Vaisey an ass kicking," he mentioned.
"What a nice guy," she mocked, her lips brushing his cheek.
"Just for you, beautiful. Just for you," he whispered before moving back to kiss her again. This kiss was a bit softer, but it still made his heart beat harder. His body relaxed when he felt one of her hands curled through the hair at the back of his neck, her nails lightly scratching his skin, almost making him shiver in delight.
Scorpius pulled back from the kiss slightly, letting his lips still brush hers as he spoke. "Are you still grounded to your house?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied, a bit breathlessly.
"Well, how long do you work today?" he inquired before placing a quick kiss on her lips again.
"Until closing," she replied before kissing him again, this time longer and with much more fire.
Then Scorpius would simply have to come back later tonight.
"I never thought we'd get you out of there and away from her!" Lars teased as they dragged Scorpius out of the Leaky Cauldron.
"Give the guy a break," Mitch laughed. "After all, our man has just gotten a new girlfriend!"
Scorpius smirked at his friends' teasings, but it didn't bother him. He was too far past cloud nine to be irritated. Because Mitch was right. He now had a girlfriend. The girlfriend he's wanted for almost a year. He was dating Lily Luna! The most beautiful and smartest girl he knew! And she was his girlfriend!
"Merlin, you're almost too happy," Lana muttered.
"Drop the mood, sis," Lars quipped. "Let the guy be happy! He got what we all wanted! Lily Luna away from the coward, and with a better guy!"
As happy as Scorpius still was, he was slowly becoming concerned about his sister and her recent attitude. While she didn't seem angry with anyone in particular, she was moody. So when they entered Quality Quidditch Supplies, he casually led her to another aisle away from the others.
"What's going on with you?" he demanded.
Lana just crossed her arms. "Nothing," she mumbled.
"Don't lie to me," he quipped. "Talk to me."
Lana sighed. "It's just . . . it's finally kind of dawned on Dante and I that he's not coming back next year, and . . . well things are a bit strained between us."
"So he's graduated, why does that change anything?" Scorpius replied.
". . . We're both questioning if we can handle the distance. And if we have to ask ourselves that . . . well what does it say about our faith in our relationship?" Lana murmured.
"It just means that you're scared," Scorpius assured. "And that you don't want to lose what you have."
"I wish we could think as positively as you," she retorted softly. "And when you and Lily have to be apart, I hope you still think as positively as you do now."
Scorpius didn't let Lana's words rattle him, but he did keep an eye on her for the rest of their day together, and was patient with her whenever she got a bit moody or snapped at one of them. But when the others had left, Scorpius found himself still killing time, until it finally reached the time when Lily would be going home.
Scorpius walked into the now empty inn, and saw Lily behind the counter, her back to him. "We're closed for the night," she said simply, not turning to look.
Scorpius smirked as he walked further in. "Mind if I just watch then?"
She turned just as he sat down on a stool at the bar. While she looked surprised, he could see a smile forming on her lips. "Scorpius! What are you doing here?"
"I had time, so I thought I would come and watch you work," he replied. After all, it's not like he lived at the manor where his mother would expect him home by now.
Her teeth scraped across her bottom lip momentarily. "There's no need. I'm almost done for the night," she told him.
Scorpius just shrugged. "Then I'll just apparate you home. That way you don't have to Floo," he replied casually.
A full smile took over her lips, and it made Scorpius's heart miss a beat. He couldn't help but to always notice how beautiful her smile was. "It's not necessary," she assured.
"Why learn to apparate if you never do it?" he replied. "It's no trouble."
She simply smiled and sighed as she turned away from him, going back to what she'd been doing before. Scorpius's couldn't help but let his eyes wander across her form. While she may not be the tallest girl, she made up for it in beauty. Her legs were toned, probably due to her athleticism. Her shirt hugged her upper body nicely, and her skirt simply made her ass look fantastic.
"I can feel you staring," she stated, not even turning to look at him
Scorpius smirked, but didn't move his eyes away from her. "Really now? What's that feel like?" he teased.
"It's distracting," she mumbled after a moment.
"I'm sorry," he replied, although he really wasn't. "But it's hard not to stare."
She looked back at him briefly. "What do you mean?" she inquired, before turning back to her work.
Scorpius just shrugged. "It's hard to look away when absolute perfection stands before you," he replied.
"Get real," he heard her mutter.
Scorpius crossed his arms on the counter, and rested his chin on his arms. "I mean it. I sometimes laugh at Scamander for never fully appreciating the beauty you have. But me, I have the ability to appreciate the body and the personality within it," he stated. She finally put down what she was doing and turned around fully to look at him. Scorpius let his eyes travel up, only to find his eyes stopping just a little lower than her eyes. "You know, I kinda like this angle," he said, still smirking.
She rolled her eyes at him. "When did you become such a perv?"
Scorpius laughed as he sat up. "I've been wanting to say things like that to you for about a year now," he admitted. "I just never could with you being with Scamander. And now that I can, I plan to take advantage of it."
She just raised a challenging brow. "I didn't know Lysander was stopping you."
Scorpius sat back. "I'd never steal another guy's girl," he replied. Well, he wouldn't openly and obviously flirt with her, that is. This last year he was just trying to prove that she was better off with him.
But Lily didn't look like she bought it. "We snogged at the party, and I was still dating him," she pointed out.
Scorpius scowled. "It's not like I'm proud of that. At least not about the whole you dating him part." He hadn't meant for that to happen, truly. "But I'm not going to regret what I did."
She started to work again, but continued to talk. "And why is that?"
"You finally understood how I felt," he answered. "I've been trying to get you to figure that out ever since the middle of our vacation last summer."
She turned around again. "Why didn't you just say something? I wasn't with Lysander then." She almost looked a bit annoyed.
Scorpius tapped his fingers on the counter, a bit sheepish. "It was still a little weird for me. You were thirteen, and I was sixteen. And I wasn't really sure what you'd think."
She moved closer to the counter and rested her elbows. "I would have leapt at the chance," she admitted softly.
Scorpius just shrugged, trying to not kick himself. "I didn't know that. I didn't know how you felt until months after that."
The small blush that came across her cheeks almost made him smile. "What tipped you off?"
Scorpius smirked. "It was when we all went swimming at night. Something about that moment we had kinda let me know. I can't really remember what it was," he said, kind of laughing. That seemed so far away now, yet it was such a pivotal moment for him and his plan of trying to get Lily to notice him.
She seemed to be thinking back to that moment as well. "All I remember is you throwing me over your shoulder," she joked.
Scorpius's smirk grew sly. "Well that's because you threw your shirt at me," he defended.
She rolled her eyes. "Well you were being an ass," she quipped.
Scorpius laughed. "Are you surprised?"
She giggled. "No. I guess not." But then she sighed as she looked around. "I should probably get home. I'm almost done with being grounded. I don't want to push it."
Even though leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment, Scorpius did want her to be allowed out of the house more. So he stood up from his seat. "Come on then. I'll take you home."
"You don't have to," she reminded him as she came around the counter.
Scorpius just threw his arm around her shoulder. "Don't care."
The one place Scorpius really remembered in Godric's Hollow was the cemetery where Lily had taken him years ago. So that was where he apparated them. Once his feet had touched the ground once more, Scorpius quickly looked her over to make sure she hadn't been splintched. "You all right?" he asked.
She laughed at his worry. "I'm fine," she whispered. She took his hand, and began to pull him along. "Come on. Muggles in this village gossip, and I don't want my parents hearing about people seeing me in the graveyard with some older guy," she joked.
Scorpius laughed too as he walked with her. "But wouldn't it be true?" he pointed out.
"Not the way they would put it," she said, continuing to laugh as they exited the graveyard. Scorpius wrapped his arm around her as they walked through Godric's Hollow. It was quiet, with only a few lights on in some homes. But the Potter house was obviously awake, with quite a few lights still on. When they reached her front door, Lily stopped and turned to look at him.
"Thank you, for taking me home," she said softly.
Scorpius smirked as he brushed a bit of her hair from her eyes. "It was no problem, beautiful. I'm glad to. Any time," he promised. Glancing at the house briefly, he looked back to her and smiled. "I'll see ya later."
He leaned down to kiss her, and had intended it to just be a quick and innocent kiss. But when her arms wrapped around his neck, Scorpius couldn't help but deepen it just a little, and let it linger as she kissed him back. But even when the kiss ended, Scorpius only pulled her closer, letting his cheek rest on her hair.
"Bye," he heard her whisper into his shirt.
Scorpius smirked as he placed a kiss into her hair. "Bye," he replied just as softly. Then he pulled away, and slowly began to back away from her. He didn't want to leave. In fact, that was the very last thing he wanted to do right now. So he stayed at the sidewalk. "I'm not leaving until you go inside," he teased.
She giggled lightly. "That makes it tempting not to go in," she replied. That intense look of desire was in her eyes, and it made Scorpius simply want to run back to her and kiss her again. But he forced his feet to stay put, and just smirked a bit more and waved for her to go into the house. She sighed, but did just that.
Once the door was shut behind her, Scorpius couldn't help but look to the sky and almost jump for joy. His girlfriend. Lily Luna was his girlfriend! He felt like an idiot with how giddy and excited he was, but he just couldn't help it. He could finally kiss her whenever he wanted. He could hold her if he wanted, put his arm around her shoulder, run his fingers through her hair. And she would do the same to him! And he had to admit, knowing that rejection was off the table, it made him more relieved than ever in his life!
Scorpius woke up easily the next morning, and with a smile on his face. He didn't waste any time getting out of bed. He checked his clock, and saw that he would be just in time for breakfast at the manor, and he was in too good of a mood to just sit around by himself.
And his mood was elevated to even greater heights when he saw that only his parents sat at the dining room table. "Good morning, Mother, Father," he greeted cheerfully as he entered.
Astoria smiled immediately, and stood up to tightly hug him. "Scorpius! It's so good to see you, dear!"
"You'd think you'd been gone for months," Draco mocked casually, and with a bit of a smirk.
Astoria ignored his playful jab as she brought Scorpius to join them at the table. "Sit down and eat! You must be starving."
Scorpius smirked as well. "Hungry, yes, but not exactly starving. Anyways, I thought I'd stop in for a visit."
"Well we're glad you did," Astoria insisted. "You caught me on a day where I don't plan on being busy."
Scorpius raised a brow as a house elf brought him a plate of food. "What do you mean?"
"I've been swamped with different meetings lately, and having to put together a new line. Which reminds me, Draco, have you sent the owl out yet this morning?" Astoria inquired.
Draco shook his head. "No, but I do have a letter to send today. Why?"
"Because I have a letter for Lily that I need to send to her. Editors have been dying to have her on the cover of their magazines again, so I thought I'd put together another shoot for her to do," Astoria said simply.
But Scorpius perked up at the news. "I can take a letter to her, if you need," he offered casually. A chance to see Lily? He'd never pass that up.
Astoria smiled at him. "There's no need, dear. It's not urgent."
Scorpius tried to seem casual, and not too eager. "Really, Mum, I'm not doing anything today either. Delivering the letter will give me something to do."
Astoria gave him a knowing look. "Ok. If you're sure it's not a bother."
Scorpius nodded. "Not a problem at all," he assured.
Scorpius had apparated to Godric's Hollow, and walked all the way to the Potter house with an eager smirk. It stayed on his face when he knocked on the door. But it dropped when it was Harry Potter that opened the door, and Scorpius suddenly realized that he was face-to-face with his girlfriend's father… assuming he knew about Scorpius and Lily dating now. It had only been official since yesterday, and it didn't seem like something Lily would tell her father.
So why was he giving him a slightly mistrustful look under narrowed eyes? Was it the flower? Scorpius had simply picked it from the garden as he'd left the manor, not really thinking of the implications, but just that Lily would like it…
Scorpius tried to not show the slight nerves he felt. "Hello, Mr. Potter. Is Lily here? I have something for her. It's from my mother," he explained lightly and casually.
Mr. Potter still looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Hello, Scorpius. Yes, she's here. She's spending time with her cousins."
Scorpius repressed the urge to shift and fidget under the scrutinizing gaze. "Oh. Well, it'll be quick. As I said, I just need to give her something," Scorpius assured.
Mr. Potter hesitated for a short moment, but then sighed. "Lily! You have a visitor!" he called out.
Scorpius didn't break the intense eye contact Mr. Potter had locked him into. He knew that if he tried to look away it would just make him look nervous or guilty. Then again, not only was Harry Potter a hero to their world, but Head Auror. For all Scorpius knew, this man had already practically read his mind and new everything…
"Scorpius!" Scorpius did look away just in time to see Lily before she hugged him tightly. Scorpius couldn't stop the smirk from coming to his lips before hugging her back. But she pulled away completely, glancing at her father for a briefest moment. But she still smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, my mum had a letter for you, so I offered to bring it to you," he said as he handed her the letter and the flower. "The flower is from me, though."
Her smile brightened as she unfolded the paper, and stepped aside. "Come in," she insisted.
Scorpius did so, shutting the door. But he could feel Mr. Potter's eyes still on him. "How have you been, Mr. Potter?" he said, trying to simply be polite.
But Mr. Potter still sounded a bit terse. "Fine. Been awhile since I've seen you."
Scorpius gave a nod, and looked back to Lily, but she was reading the letter. So Scorpius let his eyes discreetly look her over. It was obvious she was dressed for comfort. She wore black sweatpants that looked nice on her, and a simple black shirt. Her hair was pulled up, her bangs away from her face and pinned just by her ear. She looked beautiful. But he quickly looked away, and looked at the few photos on the walls. They hadn't changed, and no new ones had been added.
"Thank you for bringing the letter," Lily said suddenly, grabbing his attention again.
Scorpius just shrugged casually. "It was nothing." Scorpius looked to Mr. Potter once more, his eyes still boring holes into him. "Well, I believe you are still grounded, so I guess I'll go," he commented.
"Actually," Lily spoke quickly, "I'm allowed people here. We just can't leave the house. So if you aren't doing anything, you're welcome to stay. Right, Daddy?" She looked at her father, and Scorpius almost smirked at the serious and expecting look she was giving the famous Harry Potter.
Mr. Potter sighed with a defeated look. "Yeah, that's right. You're welcome to stay, Scorpius," he mumbled, obviously not too keen on the idea.
Scorpius did smirk now. "Thank you. I'll stay for a while," he stated.
When Lily pulled him into the living room, he wasn't surprised to see that Virgin Weasley and Hugo were there. He wasn't surprised that all eyes were on him, and most were hostile. But he was pleasantly surprised when Hugo Weasley held out his hand and grinned.
"Hey, Scorpius. I'm Hugo," he said.
Scorpius shook his hand. He'd never had a personal problem with the kid, nor a real fight with him. And from what he'd seen, Hugo had really calmed around Slytherins, and Scorpius hadn't seen any Slytherins getting into fights with him all year.
"Hey, Hugo. Nice to finally meet ya. How's life?" he asked politely. If this was Lily's best friend, and important to her, then Scorpius would do his best to at least get to know the kid. Looking him over now, Scorpius had to admit that he seemed relaxed, unlike his sister and cousins. The kid was obviously tall, probably taller than Scorpius had last seen him at Hogwarts. He wore a simple pair shorts and a white shirt. A nice and normal kid was what he looked like.
Hugo just shrugged. "Can't really complain, I guess," he replied.
Scorpius gave a nod. The guy sounded genuinely relaxed and friendly. "Ya gotta point. I'm just mainly straightening my new place up."
Hugo looked curious. "Your family move?" he guessed.
"Nah. I moved out, got a place of my own," Scorpius told him. "I figured I was seventeen, a man. Time to move out on my own."
Hugo laughed. "I would kill to be you."
"Is there a reason you're here, Malfoy?" Albus Potter hissed. Scorpius raised a brow. He had been waiting for something to be said, but he had honestly expected it to be James Potter. Albus was rarely the brother to step up first. Although, James seemed almost too furious to even speak.
Lily was quick to glare. "Shut your mouth. I'm sure that Mum would hate to hear you being rude," she mocked.
Scorpius just stared at him. "I was welcomed by Lily and your father," he replied.
"Majority rule says that you aren't welcome," Albus quipped.
"And the majority thinks you're an idiot," Lily argued.
Albus stood up in his irritation. "You know what-"
"Kids!" Even Scorpius was startled by the loud and stern call of Mr. Potter. Both Potter boys, especially Albus looked hesitant and embarrassed.
Lily just shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Fuck the whole we're family thing. Come on. Let's go outside," she muttered as she took Scorpius's wrist and looked to Hugo. Scorpius allowed her to pull him along into the hallway, and then into the kitchen. There sat Lily's parents, along with who Scorpius assumed were Hugo's parents.
At least Lily's mother greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Scorpius."
Scorpius returned the smile. "Hello, Mrs. Potter," he greeted.
But Lily was still pulling him along to the back door. "We're going outside. Get a bit of fresh air," she said quickly as she opened the door.
"Stay in the yard," they heard Mr. Potter call to them as they stepped outside.
But Lily and Hugo hardly seemed to be paying attention, as Hugo nudged Lily. "Let's go to the tree house."
Scorpius looked at where they were looking. It looked like a small and unstable box. It looked like something that would fit a couple of six-year-olds, not a couple of teenagers. "Will it fit us?" he questioned.
But they didn't seemed worried or concerned. "It's expanded a bit on the inside," Hugo assured.
"And it used to be able to fit all of us when we were kids. We'll be fine," Lily agreed as Hugo started up the ladder. Lily moved forward to follow after him, and Scorpius was again greeted to the sight of her dressed for comfort and still looking stunning.
So he leaned forward, whispering in her ear to keep from Hugo hearing. "By the way, I really like this outfit. Very comfy-looking," he complimented.
He noticed the blush on her cheeks as she refused to look back at him. "Shut up," she mumbled as she started up the ladder.
Scorpius smirked. "I'm serious, though," he assured as he watched her climb. Then he started after her, and had to admit that, even if the inside of the tree house was cramped, getting to look at his girlfriend's bum as he climbed up made it worth any discomfort.
When Scorpius finally reached the top, and pushed back the blanket that was used for a door, he had to admit that he was impressed. It was pretty roomy, and there was even an old couch. But as he got in fully, he had to bend a little, as he was too tall. So he quickly moved to sit next to Lily on the couch. But if Hugo hadn't been laying along the floor, Scorpius probably would have even been able to stretch his legs out fully.
"Not too bad," he admitted as he wrapped an arm around Lily.
"This was the ultimate hangout at the age of six," Hugo laughed.
Lily laughed with him as she looked at Scorpius. Her eyes were now alight with happiness and amusement, and it made Scorpius smile himself. "We used to camp out practically every night," she commented.
Scorpius gave a chuckle, happy to see her finally smiling now that they were away from the idiot Potter brothers. She looked even more beautiful when she smiled. "And since we are out of parental sight," he said before leaning forward for a kiss, which Lily responded to.
It ended sooner than he would have liked, but he didn't complain as she giggled lightly. "Thank god for blankets over the windows," she whispered back. Then it was her that leaned forward to kiss him.
This time the kiss was interrupted, instead of stopped. "Ok, I'm getting something to drink," Hugo stated as he began to climb out. But he gave them an amused grin of his own. "Try to be done by the time I get back, for my sake."
Scorpius laughed a bit, but wasn't going to let the chance Hugo gave him go to waste. So he kissed her again. Lily seemed to have the same idea, because she kissed him back fiercely. He brushed his tongue against her lips, and instead of tasting bubblegum, this time it was fruity. Peaches maybe.
Her lips parted under his, a moan escaping them as they did. It sent a fire through his veins, like adrenaline flowing through his blood. He kissed her harder, more urgently, even. He could feel her fingers threading through her hair, tugging gently at times. Scorpius suppressed the urge to moan himself. It felt so good when she did that!
"Lil-,"
Surprised, and slightly terrified of the possibility that Lily's father had caught them, Scorpius pulled away from the kiss, as did Lily. But she seemed worried, not scared or nervous. Scorpius turned his head to see who had interrupted them this time, and now he stopped. But this time it was annoyance, and just a tad bit of anger that he felt.
Scamander. He was at the door, just staring at them. Scorpius scowled. What the hell had this kid been thinking he was going to come up here and do? But then the kid was gone, and Lily dropped her head onto the couch and groaned. "Dammit!"
Scorpius felt like groaning too. But he knew that Lily had always hated hurting Scamander's feelings. It was apparently why she hadn't dumped him earlier than she did. "You wanna go after him?" he guessed.
But she actually shook her head. "There's no point. What would I say, anyways," she mumbled, obviously a bit annoyed herself.
Scorpius felt like going and talking to the guy himself. Although, it wouldn't really be in a constructive manner. More like throwing a hex or a punch at him, whichever worked best. He absentmindedly stroked his finger through Lily's hair. "Maybe I should say something to him," he suggested casually.
But she just shook her head again. "No. Just leave him alone," she sighed. "I doubt he's going to want to see either of us."
Scorpius personally didn't care less if Scamander wanted to see him or not. If he was going to try and talk to Lily alone, then Scorpius felt like he was allowed to make sure Scamander understood a few things. Number one being to keep away from his girlfriend.
"So, Scorpius, out of curiosity, how is it that you are as . . . built, as you are? I mean, I've seen your dad, and no offense, but he's kind of small compared to you," Hugo commented as the three of them climbed down from the tree house. Scorpius had been with them for hours, but he figured he'd better leave. His mother had practically demanded he join them for dinner that night, and he didn't want to be interrogated on where he'd been and what he'd done all day.
Scorpius shrugged as he stood next to the tree as Lily climbed down. "I work out every day, I guess would be the reason. I mean, I jog every morning. I do stretches, different things to work out my arms and legs," he listed off, thinking of a few of the things he did to work out every morning.
Hugo seemed impressed as they walked back into the house. "I might have to join you sometime," he replied.
Scorpius smirked. "Sure. On your next day off, I'll come by in the morning, and we can start with a run," he joked.
"You kids have fun out there?" Mr. Potter questioned once they were all inside. Scorpius noticed that he was looking sternly at him, which made Scorpius a little nervous now. Had Scamander opened his mouth about him and Lily?
Lily just sighed. "A blast," she replied, no longer sounding as carefree as she had outside the house.
Scorpius sighed as well. He was honestly a bit hesitant to leave now that Scamander was here. Now Lily wouldn't just be dealing with her brothers and cousin, but with him as well. But he knew he couldn't hover and worry all the time. Besides, Hugo was here, and Scorpius was beginning to trust him not to turn back into a stereotypical Gryffindor.
"But I sadly have to go," Scorpius announced. "A dinner to attend."
"Well you'll have to come by again soon, Scorpius," Mrs. Potter said, and Scorpius got the feeling that she knew about him dating her daughter. Especially by the look she gave Lily.
Lily took his wrist, and avoided her mother's eyes. "I'll walk you out," she said quickly, and pulled him out of the kitchen. Scorpius couldn't help but smirk as he followed behind her, letting her pull him outside the front door. "So, I guess I should probably let my parents know about us," she mumbled as she leaned against the door.
Scorpius just shrugged. "Do what makes you comfortable. I only plan on telling my parents if they ask," he joked. It was true though. He wasn't ready for all the gushing his mother would throw at him. "But," he added, "I'm sure I'll slip up and kiss you when you come over for that photo shoot," he said with a sly grin.
But she smiled again. "Luckily that's about a month away," she teased.
Scorpius groaned. "Too far away," he muttered as he took her wrists this time. But she moved her hands to interlock their fingers. "I'll just have to start stalking you at work," he replied.
She laughed softly. "I actually like the sound of that," she murmured.
"Good, because I was going to do it anyways," he replied before leaning down to kiss her quickly, then kissing her on the cheek. "Good luck with the other lions in the den," he whispered near her ear.
She laughed though. "Bye," she whispered back. Scorpius let her go, and began to walk away, but kept looking back at her. It still amazed him how beautiful she could look, even in clothes meant for a lazy day.
But finally, she walked back into the house, leaving Scorpius to go back to the manor, and face the questions from his mother.
