Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.

Note – So here's another update for you guys. Sorry these updates are taking so long lately. But they will soon be back to Hogwarts, and Scorpius will be going through his last year. So, anyways, read and enjoy.

Rebel Malfoy

Chapter Thirty-One: A Relationship of Serious Intent

Scorpius shook his head as he looked around the ballroom. It was finally Lily's birthday, and Scorpius had gone to the manor to help his mother with setting up. But . . . well as usual, she'd gone a bit overboard.

"Don't shake your head at me, Scorpius Malfoy," Astoria quipped. "Lily deserves a grand party with all of her friends."

Scorpius smirked. "Inviting damn near everyone from Slytherin House that she knows is not a small party, though," he pointed out. "You never even went this all out for my birthdays."

"Well she deserves a night full of fun," Astoria replied as she scanned over what had to be the tenth page of a guest list. "Am I missing anyone?"

"Salazar Slytherin?" Scorpius mocked.

Astoria just gave him a sigh. "Son, why don't you go and get ready. And shave, you look much cuter that way."

Scorpius ran a hand over his cheeks, the stubble scratching his palm. "I don't see a problem with it," he argued calmly.

"Just do it," Astoria said, not even looking at him. "And change into something more suitable."

"I'd do it son," Draco mumbled so only Scorpius could hear. "Otherwise you risk having her sticking you to a chair and doing it herself."

Scorpius nodded as he left the ballroom. He returned to his flat and began to look through his clothes. He wasn't really sure what his mother considered more suitable for this party. So he thought back to the last party he went to . . . when he kissed Lily.

Scorpius quickly pushed the memory from his head, not wanting to get distracted from the task at hand. That day, Lana and her friends had picked out his clothes . . . what was it they had said? Something about dark colors . . . but he wasn't sure wearing a sleeveless workout shirt was something his mother would approve of tonight.

Scorpius searched through his clothes, finding a simple pair of grey jeans. But he wasn't sure about the shirt yet. He continued to look until he found something simple, yet something he thought would pass his mother's standards for tonight. It was just a black sweater, nothing more than that.

He went to the bathroom, and looked himself over. As much as he didn't want to shave, his father was right. And he really didn't want his own mother attacking him. So he shaved completely, not missing a single spot. Then he combed his hair, but grimaced at how it started to cover his eyes. Perhaps his mother would cut it for him.

He threw on the outfit, and looked himself over. He looked ok, casual, nothing fancy yet not too relaxed. So he deemed himself presentable, and after eating a quick and small meal, Scorpius returned to the manor. He found his mother still the ballroom, going over last minute details.

"Mother," he called. "Do you have a moment to cut my hair for me?"

Astoria whirled around to look at him immediately, smiling. "Of course! I've been wanting to cut your hair for weeks now! It is way too long!"

Scorpius chuckled at his mother's excitement. "Well, I'm ready when you are," he teased. "Just remember, not too short."

"Of course, dear," Astoria promised as they walked out of the ballroom, and she ushered him up the stairs and into her workroom.


Scorpius and Mitch walked up the lane of the Burrow. Mitch had insisted on coming with and seeing whether or not Dominique was coming to the party. People had already arrived back at the manor, and his mother had kicked him out, demanding that now was the time for the birthday girl to arrive.

"So, think all the men will glare at us?" Mitch laughed as they approached the door.

Scorpius smirked. "I think you may get a few glares, but most will probably be thrown at me," he joked.

Mitch continued to laugh. "True. You are the new boyfriend, and a longtime family rival," he agreed. "At least we have their wives on our side!"

Scorpius knocked on the door, and they waited only seconds before the door opened. A woman that Scorpius assumed to be Lily's grandmother was at the door. And to his surprise, she was smiling brightly. "You must be Scorpius! Please, come in, dear!"

Scorpius stepped inside, Mitch following after him. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Mitch greeted with a smile, before immediately walking over to Dominique. "Are you coming with?"

"No," Dominique stated simply.

Mitch grabbed at his heart. "You're killing me!" he mocked.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, and looked back to Mrs. Weasley. He held out his hand. "It's lovely to meet you," he said politely.

She shook his hand, looking very impressed. "It's lovely to meet you as well! I've been telling Lily to bring you around since I found out she was dating again!"

"How are you, Scorpius?" Mrs. Potter asked with her own smile.

Scorpius smiled as well. "I've been fine, Mrs. Potter. Busy, with my mother insisting on my helping plan a party."

"It's not like we helped a lot," Mitch commented. "She just told us what to do and where to put things."

"Well Lily has been very excited about tonight," Mrs. Potter commented. "Remember, her curfew is midnight."

Scorpius nodded. "Of course. I'll be sure she's home before then."

Mrs. Weasley walked to the stairs. "Lily! Scorpius is here!" she called up.

Lily appeared almost instantly, and to Scorpius's surprise and curiosity, she was followed by Lana and Lola. As much as he wanted to ask why they were here, he pushed it away. It was probably a girl thing.

Instead he focused on Lily herself. She looked as stunning as ever. She wore a frilled black skirt and a form-fitting green shirt. Her hair was curled lightly, and she wore only a light bit of makeup, like usual.

"What are you doing here, Mitch?" Lana inquired.

"Well, I came to see if Dom was coming to the party or not," Mitch replied.

"And?" Lily asked, looking at her cousin.

"Not worth it," Dominique retorted. "I'd rather stay here."

"I already told her how offended I was," Mitch joked.

"Are you all ready?" Scorpius asked. It was then that he noticed Hugo standing with the girls too, looking somehow different than the last time Scorpius saw him. He couldn't place what it was, though.

Lily nodded. "Hugo's coming with us," she added.

Scorpius smirked. "Great to have you aboard, Hugh. Mitch, you wanna take him?" A Gryffindor at a Slytherin party was always interesting. Usually a true test to how well you fit in with the House.

Mitch sighed as he moved back toward them. "No problem," he assured.

"Be home by midnight," Mrs. Potter warned her daughter, smiling.

"Of course, Mum," Lily said as she kissed her mother's cheek. Then she did the same to her father. "Bye, Dad."

He heard her father mumble something, although he couldn't make out the words. So Scorpius just gave a polite smile. "Don't worry. I'll have them both back before curfew," he promised.

"I want her in the house at midnight," Mr. Potter said, glaring at him.

Scorpius just nodded. "Of course, Mr. Potter."

Lily seemed to ignore her father, and tugged Scorpius outside. "Come on," she muttered. The group walked out of the house, the door shutting behind them.

Scorpius looked at Lily, smirking. He'd best give her a warning about what she was walking into. "Just to warn you, my mum gave you a more lavish party than she ever did for me," he joked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fantastic," she said with a sigh.

Once they had all Apparated to the Manor, and Scorpius opened the door to let them all in, he looked back to Lily. "The party's in the ballroom. My mum had it decked out for the occasion."

"Meet ya down there!" Mitch cheered, laughing as he ran toward the hall. Lana and Lola followed him, bringing Hugo with them.

Scorpius just shook his head at his friend's antics, before looking back to Lily. "Just so you know, I cut it down as much as I could, but the party is still pretty big." And the little he did cut it down had been difficult. His mother was so stubborn about parties.

Lily looked hesitant. "How many people?"

Scorpius couldn't remember fully, so gave an estimate. "Eh, about eighty-seven or so."

She groaned. "Does your mum understand the phrase just me and friends?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Well in her defense, they're all Slytherins," he said as he led her toward the ballroom. "And I think you'll be surprised by some of the people here."

"But it's just people I know?" she insisted.

"Not a single stranger," he promised as they entered the party.

It seemed that the rest of the guests had arrived while Scorpius and Mitch were out, as the room was packed with fellow Slytherins. Scorpius recognized everyone he saw, but there were some he hadn't seen in what felt like forever.

"Happy birthday!" Astoria said cheerfully as she and Draco approached the two of them. His mother was quick to wrap Lily in a hug.

Lily smiled happily. "Thank you, Astoria. And thank you for the party. It's great."

And it was a great party. While Scorpius would have loved nothing more than to keep Lily to himself for the night, he eventually let her run off with some of the girls, and mingle with other Slytherins she hadn't seen all summer, or even in years.

"So, what did you get Lily for her birthday, Scorpius?" Astoria asked as Scorpius stood with her and his aunt Daphne.

"I'm taking her on a special date. Getting her out of the house for a day," Scorpius replied. "I know she'd appreciate that over a simple or flashy trinket."

"Well somebody knows how to make a girl happy," Daphne teased with a laugh.

Scorpius smirked. "It helps when you've been friends before you start dating."

"Scorpius!" They turned to see Mitch and Rex hurrying toward him, with a bottle of something in their hands.

Scorpius looked at their supply curiously. "What is that stuff?"

Mitch grinned. "We've got a plan to liven this party up even more. Now hold still!" Then before Scorpius could question or even protest, Mitch splashed him with the liquid in one of the bottles.

Scorpius was about to tackle his friend, before he noticed something strange. "Am . . . am I glowing?"

"Yes! This stuff glows in the dark, and lasts for hours! So, once we get everyone, we're turning the lights down, and making this party rock!" Mitch exclaimed.

"Let's go get the others!" Rex said, already exited by the idea.

Scorpius just touched his shirt as his friends ran off. "What is that stuff?" Astoria questioned, looking at the glowing spots on her son.

"I don't know. But it's strange. It's already completely dry," Scorpius commented. Then he sighed, but smiled. "My friends are so weird."


As the party continued, Scorpius found himself truly enjoying himself, even though he'd lost sight of Lily. Between catching up with old friends and laughing with those he was around every day, the party was a success.

"Did you hear about Trevor March?" Raven Bole asked curiously.

Scorpius looked at him sharply. Trevor? "What about Trevor?" Scorpius hadn't talked to Trevor since his graduation, and had only heard news about him when it came to Quidditch, as he'd gone to the Foulmouth Falcons team.

"He's moved on to a team in America," Raven mentioned. "I guess he was given a better deal, and he left a few weeks ago."

Scorpius crossed his arms as he thought about that. He was happy to hear that Trevor was so successful, and probably happy himself, as all Trevor ever wanted to do was play Quidditch. Part of him missed his old captain and mentor, and wished he'd gotten a chance to talk to him over the past few years. But, maybe that was just life.

"Hey, stud."

Scorpius blinked rapidly at the sound of Lily's voice, but smiled when he caught sight of her. "Hello, beautiful," he said as he wrapped an arm around her, kissing her softly. "Where did you disappear to?" he teased.

Lily picked up a cup from the table next to him, and Scorpius finally noticed that Raven had disappeared on him. When had that happened? "Your dad was giving me my birthday gift," Lily mentioned.

Scorpius perked up at that news. His father had announced days ago that he would be getting his own gift for Lily, but had refused to say what it would be. "What did he get you? He hasn't even given me or my mum a hint."

She took a quick sip before smiling. "He gave me a bedroom here. In case I ever wanted to get away."

Scorpius gave her a small squeeze, smiling himself. "I like that idea. It reassures me."

She rested her head against his arm, watching Mitch and the guys perform. "So, I thought Will quit singing?"

Scorpius looked at them too. "Ah, they're calling it his last performance," he answered as the song finished.

"All right, all right!" Will announced. "Now, we got one slow song, so we're gunna play it for ya. So grab your girl or guy, or a friend, and come to the dance floor. And I expect to see our birthday girl out here!"

Scorpius chuckled, but took Lily's cup from her and set it down. "Come on. Let's dance, princess," he said as he led her to the dance floor. "They're expecting us out there, and I would hate to disappoint."

She laughed, but followed along. Soon they were in the middle of the floor, and Scorpius twirled her around before they began to dance. "Scorpius, will you do something for me?" Lily whispered as she rested her head against his chest.

Scorpius smirked. "Anything, babe," he promised.

"Well, I want to take you to meet someone important," she told him.

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"Duncan," Lily answered, and Scorpius could hear the tenderness in her tone at the mention of his name. "He really wants to meet you before we go off to school."

Scorpius knew how important this little kid was to Lily. He'd seen her happy whenever she'd read his letters, but also had seen her shed tears for him. "Sure," he agreed. "I'd be honored to meet him. Maybe I'll bring him a present."

"He likes Chocolate Frogs," she commented.

Scorpius smiled. "Chocolate Frogs it is then." Then he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, as she gave his shoulders a squeeze. Maybe now was the perfect time to bring up his birthday gift idea. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing that I know of," she replied.

"Work?"

"I have the day off. A birthday gift from Aunt Hannah."

Scorpius smirked. He'd have to thank her next time he went to see Lily at work. "Well, how about going on a date with me? Another birthday present from me. Time away from your family."

"I'd like that. What have you got in mind?"

Scorpius smirked playfully. "Since it's a surprise, I cannot tell you. But I promise that you'll like it."

"I trust you," she murmured.

Scorpius felt his pride and happiness soar at her words, and he just held on to her tighter.


"You think Dom is still up?" Mitch asked. He and Scorpius had brought Lily and Hugo back to their grandparents' house, with Lola coming along. It was obvious that she had an interest in Hugo, and Scorpius thought he saw a bit of that interest returned.

Hugo shrugged, looking at Mitch. "Maybe."

Lola stopped to pull off her shoes. "Man, these shoes are killing me," she grumbled.

Hugo moved to lean down in front of her, as he towered over her normally. "Here, hop up," he offered. Lola laughed and immediately hopped onto his back.

Scorpius smirked, but took Lily's hand, and slowed their pace so that they were behind the others. "Quite the group, aren't they?" he teased.

Lily smiled as she looked at their friends and her cousin. "Ah, but we love them," she quipped with a tiny laugh.

He moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. I guess we're stuck with them," he laughed. "But I wouldn't change it."

"Neither would I," she sighed happily.

When they reached the front door, they stopped. Scorpius didn't particularly want to leave her yet, but knew he wouldn't exactly be welcomed inside by most of her family. So he let his hands trail down to take her hands again. "So, may I assume that you had a great time tonight?"

Her smile brightened. "You may. And may I assume that no matter how much I persist, you aren't going to tell me what we're doing tomorrow?" she joked.

"You may," Scorpius teased in return. But he smiled, and let his forehead rest against hers. "I'll see you tomorrow at six?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me," she whispered softly.

"And I know there's no point to saying this, because you always do," he mocked playfully, "but look real pretty tomorrow. Ok? And don't ask why," he said just as she opened her mouth.

She sighed, but still smiled. "Ok, fine. I promise to be all dolled up, just for you."

Scorpius smirked. "Good. I'll let you get inside then. But first…"

He kissed her, meaning for it to be quick and chaste. But it never worked that way for them. Instead, as soon as she kissed him back, Scorpius felt the urge to brush his tongue across the seam of her lips. In response, they parted, and Scorpius couldn't refuse their invitation. He moved his arms to wrap around her, and felt her fingers move to dance along his shoulders. Berries. That's what she tasted like tonight, although he wasn't sure if that was lip gloss or the punch she drank at the party.

There was a sharp knock right beside them, and Scorpius quickly broke the kiss and looked only to see the door, still closed. "Tick tock, Lily!" they heard Mr. Potter call out.

Lily groaned loudly as she fell into Scorpius. He couldn't help but chuckle at her annoyed expression. "One moment, Dad!" she yelled back, her irritation lightly staining her tone. But then she sighed more softly as she looked to Scorpius. "See you tomorrow."

Scorpius smiled. "Yeah." He kissed her again, making sure this one only lasted a few seconds. "Send the other two out here for me."

Lily nodded. She opened the door, sending one last wave and look his way before stepping inside, and out of his view. Scorpius couldn't help but sigh himself, a stupid smile coming across his lips. The girl was so . . . intoxicating! It was difficult not to get caught up in what was meant to be a simple kiss. It was hard not to get addicted to whatever her lips tasted like each day. And it was hard not to get mesmerized by her laugh or her smile.

The door opened again, making him jump lightly, but it was Mitch and Lola that came out. Scorpius relaxed as he looked at them. "Are you two ready?"

They nodded, and began to walk away from the house, and down the lane again. Mitch looked toward Lola. "So, this is just a guess, but I feel like someone has a crush on a tall redheaded Gryffindor," he teased.

Lola rolled her eyes. "Shove off. This coming from the one dating the ice queen herself?"

"Never said there was anything wrong with liking a Weasley," Mitch replied. "You thinking about going for it?"

"Doesn't he have a girlfriend, though?" Scorpius pointed out.

"Didn't Lily have a boyfriend at that party?" Lola quipped casually. "If Hugo just happens to see that I'm a better choice than Wilde, then I'm not doing anything wrong, don't you think?"

Scorpius smirked. "I guess you've got me there. You do whatever it takes to show him."

"We Slytherins are always better," Mitch laughed.


Scorpius took one most look around his flat. It was dimly lit with a romantic feel to it, which was what he was wanting when he'd gotten some of the Malfoy house elves to help him. He'd been assured that food would be here when he arrived with Lily.

Then he did one last check at his own appearance. He thought he looked nice. Then he patted his pocket, and felt his Slytherin ring in the depths, hidden safely. His heart beat a little harder as he felt it. Was it too soon to give her something like that? Was he moving too fast?

The idea to give her his ring had come up while helping his mother clean up after the party. She had been teasing him again on not getting her a proper gift. And when he'd admitted to not having any ideas on a gift, she had mentioned the ring, and how it was such a lovely symbol of how much you care for someone.

Scorpius did care for Lily. He cared a great deal. And, it wasn't like he was trying to bind her in their relationship with this gift. He . . . well he just wanted her to know that he cared, and that she meant something to him. But . . . would she understand that?

He brushed the fears away, knowing that if he continued to worry over it, he'd never do it. So he forced himself to Apparate to Godric's Hollow, and began the walk up the sidewalk to the Potter house.

When he reached the door, he knocked sharply a few times, and then patiently waited. But then oddly, he heard what sounded like the muted sounds of running footsteps. The door opened casually, and there was Hugo, grinning.

"I just saved you from dealing with my uncle by racing him out to the hall," he joked with a small laugh.

Scorpius chuckled, but felt a bit of appreciation. "Thanks. He probably would have slammed the door in my face."

"With the mood he's in when it comes to this date . . . he probably would have," Hugo replied as Scorpius stepped inside.

"So, is Lily almost ready?" Scorpius inquired.

"Yeah, but she's talking to her mum about something. I felt a serious talk coming on, so I left the room," Hugo explained as they walked toward the living room.

"So, what are you doing here?" Scorpius asked curiously.

Hugo shrugged. "Oh, I just needed to get out of the house," he said vaguely.

Scorpius raised a brow, recognizing that tone of avoidance. "For the same reason that Lily likes to get out?" he guessed as they walked into the living room. Scorpius immediately felt Mr. Potter's eyes boring holes into him.

But Hugo seemed to understand, and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much," he answered.

Scorpius gave a nod as they sat down, then looked to Mr. Potter. "Good evening, Mr. Potter," he greeted politely.

"Hello, Scorpius," was the terse reply he got.

Hugo sighed loudly. "So, Scorpius, ready to go back to Hogwarts?" he asked, obviously trying to lighten the air in the room.

Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I'm not all that ready to study for N.E.W.T. exams, but it'll be nice to get back into a regular routine."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about O.W.L.s," Hugo said with a chuckle. "But I think my parents would explode if I dropped out," he joked.

A swish of black caught Scorpius's eyes, and he turned his head from Hugo to see Lily and her mum at the doorway. Scorpius quickly stood up, and felt his breath leave him at the sight of his girlfriend. She wore a nice, yet form-fitting, black dress, her hair curled ever so lightly. She looked beautiful.

"Hello, Scorpius," he heard Mrs. Potter greeted.

He glanced at her quickly before his eyes moved back to Lily. "Hello, Mrs. Potter," he greeted. He walked across the room to where Lily still stood. "And hello, beautiful," he said softly.

The smile that crossed her lips was soft and graceful. "Hey," she whispered, the tiniest blush reaching her cheeks.

"So," Mrs. Potter spoke, breaking their trance, making them both look to her, "where are you taking my daughter, Scorpius?" He was happy to see that she was at least smiling. He could still feel the burning glare of Mr. Potter on him.

Scorpius smirked, and gave Lily a teasing look. "It's a surprise." Lily rolled her eyes, but continued to smile.

"Well, you know her curfew. Have her home by midnight," Mrs. Potter told him simply.

Scorpius gave her a nod. "That's not a problem at all," he promised.

But then Lily quickly took his hand. "Yup, be home then." She looked at him then, and Scorpius was almost surprised at the look in her eyes. Like she desperately wanted to leave, and quickly. "Let's go," she said quickly.

Scorpius barely had time to give a wave and wish them a good evening before Lily was tugging him out of the room. "You seem eager to be out," he commented.

Another blush spread across her cheeks, although he got the feeling it was from some kind of embarrassment. "I'll tell you when we're outside," she muttered. Scorpius waited patiently for her to speak, but she didn't until they were not only out of the house, but a fair distance away from it.

Finally she gave a little sigh, and the grip on his hand lightened. "My mum just gave me another sex talk," she mumbled.

Scorpius was initially surprised, but he chuckled. She was obviously annoyed and embarrassed about it. How could he not tease her just a little? "Really? Did you talk about me?"

"She wanted to make sure that I knew to be safe," she muttered, before scoffing. "Like looking at my family wasn't a big enough worry."

"I know," he joked. "I'm afraid to sneeze around you."

Finally she laughed and smiled, although playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "Ha, ha." But then she sobered a little, although didn't look annoyed any more. "I guess my dad was wanting to talk to me about it. My mum saved my ass by doing it for him. I can't imagine how horrifying it would be to have that talk with my dad."

Scorpius continued to smirk as they walked in silence. But he started to think . . . was that really something that Lily thought about? He almost blushed a little. Was she thinking about sex? Was she worried? It's obvious that her parents were worried . . . so was she?

Scorpius stopped walking and turned to look at Lily. "Lily, you know that I'm going to take care of you, right? If that ever happens," he was sure his face was a little pink now, "I'm not going to take a chance that could hurt your future."

She smiled at him, and he felt reassured and relaxed a little. "Yeah. I do know that," she confirmed gently.

"And you know that I'm never going to try and get you to do something you don't want to. Not that I would probably ever succeed," he joked lamely. Too many people would kill him, "but you do know that I would never try, right?"

She sighed, but took both of his hands. Scorpius felt his skin tingle under her touch. "Scorpius, I know. I know you," she said with certainty. "I've never had to question your intentions with me."

Scorpius gave a nod, relaxing even further. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew," he replied. He sighed lightly, then looked at her with a more casual expression, hoping to lighten the serious mood that had settled around them. "Well, are you ready?"

She took a deep breath as she nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."

"Then here we go," he said quietly.

Scorpius was happy that he was getting used to the feeling of Apparating each time he did it, and didn't feel the slightest bit queasy when his feet hit the floor of the hallway of his building.

Lily looked around, obviously confused as to where they were. "Where are we?" she questioned.

Scorpius smirked at her curiosity, and turned her around so that her back was to him. Then he covered her eyes with his hands. "It's still a surprise," he teased.

He could feel her tense a little. "If something jumps out at me, I will kill you," she warned firmly.

But Scorpius laughed. "Trust me. Just take three steps forward," he instructed. She did as he said, and Scorpius turned her once more so that she was facing the door to his flat. "Now, keep your eyes shut," he insisted as he pulled his hands away. He opened his door, and quickly put his hands back over her eyes. He led her forward into his flat, then carefully closed the door with his foot.

"Ok, are you ready?" he asked playfully.

"Yes, yes!" she exclaimed with amusement. "What is it?"

Scorpius pulled his hands away from her. "Open your eyes."

Scorpius moved to stand beside her as she looked around. At first she was completely surprised, as if she didn't recognize where they were. But after a few moments, she was still silent, and it made him a little nervous.

"The house elves from home decorated the place, and made the food. I thought that I could give you a birthday dinner, just me and you." He gulped a little nervously. "It's not too much, is it?"

Thankfully, she shook her head. "No, no it's great. Really," she assured.

Scorpius smiled, relief setting in. "Good. I'm glad to hear that." Then he motioned toward where the food sat at the table. It smelled delicious, reminding him of how hungry he was. "Shall we?"

As they sat down and began to eat, Scorpius made a note to thank the house elves next time he went to the manor. The food was delicious, and he rarely got food this good in his flat. He wasn't the best cook, that he would admit.

"So, has your potion N.E.W.T. come in yet?" Scorpius inquired as they ate.

She shook her head. "No. I expect it to come at the same time as James's. That's how it was with my O.W.L. result. It came as soon as Albus got his," Lily explained.

"Ah," he said with a nod. But then he smirked. "So, what am I to expect on my potion N.E.W.T.?"

She laughed softly. "Nothing that you can't handle," she assured. "And the things you don't know yet, you'll learn this year. It should be easy enough for you."

Scorpius chuckled. Only Lily would call a potion N.E.W.T. easy. "I should hope so. I need good marks on my N.E.W.T.s," he remarked.

"If I may ask," Lily spoke, "what are you going to do after school?"

Scorpius hesitated, now a little curious as to what she would think. His mother didn't like the idea of him being an Auror because it was dangerous. Would she feel the same way? "Well, actually, I was planning on being an Auror."

She looked surprised, but not upset. "Really?"

He shrugged, feeling his cheeks heat up a little. "Yeah. It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while now. I mean, what better way to put the Malfoy name into a better light? And the thought of having a career that saves people, I like it," he explained.

"So you do like playing the knight in shining armor," she teased, smiling.

Scorpius chuckled. "I guess that's one way of looking at it," he agreed playfully.

"Scorpius, can I ask you something?" she said suddenly.

Scorpius swallowed the bite of food he'd just taken, before nodding. "Of course. Ask me anything."

Now she hesitated, looking thoughtful for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, or assuming anything, but when you say put the Malfoy name into a better light, does that mean that you think that Malfoy name is still in a bad light?" she asked.

Scorpius thought about that. It was a loaded question with a slightly complicated answer. It felt like it was hard to explain properly, as he didn't want her to misunderstand him. After a few moments of trying to think of how to word it, Scorpius finally spoke. "It's not that I think it's in a bad light. I think that my father and mother have worked hard to bring our name into a good light, publically. But . . . it's obvious that some still see us as Death Eaters or maniacal purebloods. I just feel like it's going to take more than donations or public parties to fully get people to really accept our name again." He stopped. Was he making sense? Probably not. He smirked, ready to laugh at himself. "Perhaps I look too much into it," he sighed.

But surprisingly, to him, she shook her head. "No, I think that makes sense," she replied. "A public image is much different from a person's real thoughts on something. It's dumb, but a lot of people fake acceptance of something in the media. But in their own homes, their actual thoughts can be completely different."

He was a bit surprised to hear his own thoughts echoed, and that he wasn't the only one that had such a . . . well a harsh view on such things. He laughed. "Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only cynic when it comes to people," he joked.

But she gave a lighthearted shrug. "I don't see myself as being cynical. Just honest," she countered.

He smirked at her wit. "Well, they say honesty is the best quality a person can have."

Now she laughed. "Not always true. Brutal honesty can easily make a person a bitch."

Scorpius laughed with her. "True, true," he agreed. He took a quick drink from his glass before letting out a small sigh. "So, even though you have time to decide, do you have any idea on what you want to do after Hogwarts?"

She sighed as she seemed to think about it. "I guess I haven't thought about it much. But when I do, nothing really pops into my mind. At the moment, I can't think of anything that I know I want to do. I could easily go the easy route, do something involved with potions, since that's my area of expertise. But then I think, 'where's the fun in that?' It would take the fun out of a career, and the fun out of a hobby."

He gave a nod of understanding. "So, not even an idea? Not that it's a bad thing," he assured her.

She gave a small but humorless smile. "When you have a family as big as mine, it's hard to find a career that a relative doesn't already have. And some are ok with working with a cousin or other relative, but I find that . . . lazy. I'd rather do something different, work with people that I maybe don't know yet," she said almost wistfully.

"It makes sense to me," he replied. "Working with a relative could be annoying. Especially in your case," he pointed out.

She grinned. "Exactly. But even the ones I like, I'd rather do something different."

"Have you thought about sticking with modeling? Or are you planning to keep that a part-time thing?" he inquired. A secret part of him hoped that she'd eventually just stop doing it all together. It was nice when he got to come and see her at a shoot, but he knew too many guys that bought Witch Weekly now, just because she was occasionally on the cover.

"I've considered making it a career," she said in an offhand manner. "At the moment, I guess I'm just keeping my options open on the work front."

"Nothing wrong with that," he commented. "You've got time. But, if you don't know by the time you take your O.W.L.s, how are you going to choose your classes for sixth year?"

She shrugged again. "No clue. I'll probably go by what I like, what interests me, which ones I get the better marks on," she listed off.

He smirked. That was so like her. "So, am I going to lose my girlfriend to textbooks and the library this year?" he joked. Truth be told, he didn't like the sound of that. They only got the one year together in school, and the idea of hardly spending time together during that one year . . . well it kind of sucked.

She laughed lightly. "I doubt it," she retorted. "I only study when necessary, or when a friend asks me to help them with something. I hate studying. It's so boring, reading over things that I already know."

"Spoken like a true prodigy," he laughed.

She smiled at him. "I wouldn't say prodigy. Just . . . unusual," she quipped. "So, am I going to lose you to books and the library?"

Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. He already felt the weight of N.E.W.T.s pressing on him just at the thought. "Well, when it came to my O.W.L.s, I took a day each week to study, and I thought that I would do the same this year, maybe make it two."

"So, can we hope for fewer brutal Quidditch practices?" she teased.

Scorpius laughed. "Sadly, no," he mocked. "Remember, Will and Dante have both graduated, so that means we gotta break in two new teammates."

She sighed. "Oh yeah. Gunna hold tryouts early this year?"

Scorpius shook his head. "Nah. I thought I'd have them around the normal time. Let people get adjusted, maybe practice a little before trying out," he explained.

She nodded in agreement. "Probably a good idea," she said as she nudged her now empty plate away.

Scorpius stood up and grabbed both of their plates. "Here, let me get these."

He heard her get up from the table as well, and when he glanced over he saw her looking around his flat, mostly the new pictures he'd hung on the walls. His mother had told him the room looked so lifeless, and had insisted he put up some photos. So he'd relented, and picked some of his favorites.

He placed the plates in the sink, and walked over to where she was standing. She was giggling quietly at something. Scorpius wrapped his arms around her. "Something funny?" he said softly.

She relaxed into him, and Scorpius rested his chin on her hair. "You're adorable in this picture," she commented.

Scorpius looked at the picture she was talking about, and saw that it was the picture of him and his parents. He was sure that she was giggling at the fact that his front tooth was missing. "I think this was sometime before my sixth birthday," he told her. "Lost my first tooth."

She rested her head on his chest, and he could see a smile on her lips. "It's cute," she replied. Scorpius looked down at her again. She looked so breathtaking in the soft glow of all the candles the house elves had placed in the room.

Scorpius moved to place his lips at her neck. "You're cute," he murmured into her skin, before placing a soft kiss there.

Before he could do it again, she turned in his arms, and placed her hands on his cheeks. He felt his skin warm under her touch again, his nerves sparking under his own skin. He leaned forward to kiss her, unable to help himself from sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, before biting it gently to keep from breaking skin.

Her lips parted in a gasp, but she soon responded to the kiss with just as much passion and heat. He let his hands trail up her side, but this time let it slide around her back and tangle in her hair. It was soft in his hands. This girl, she made his heart beat faster with everything she did. And when she pulled back from the kiss to breathe, he couldn't help but let his lips move to her cheek instead, before trailing back down to her neck, leaving kiss after kiss. He could feel her fingers moving to his shoulders, gripping him tightly when he bit gently at the spot between her neck and shoulder. He quickly placed a kiss there, soothing the now gentle red mark he'd left.

Scorpius moved his lips back up to hers, feeling more intoxicated every second. He was now positive that a night alone was the best birthday idea he could have had! . . . Birthday! The ring!

Scorpius quickly broke the kiss, and stood up straight. While Lily was panting just as much as he was, he couldn't help but notice the look of disappointment in her eyes. "What is it?" she inquired.

Scorpius took in a big gulp of air. "I want to do something, before I forget," he replied. He took her hand, and pulled her to the couch, so they could sit down. "I got you a gift," he stated.

Lily looked a bit surprised. "A gift? I thought that a night away from my family was a gift."

Scorpius almost smirked. "Well, consider this a second gift." He dug his hands into his pockets, ignoring the nerves he felt rising in his stomach. He kept the ring in his fist as he looked at her. "Lily, you understand that I am serious about you and our relationship, even if it has only been a couple months?"

She nodded, and his nerves relaxed just a little. "Yeah, I know. Same here," she said with a small laugh.

He gulped lightly. "That's why I thought I would give you this," he said as he opened his hand, and held the ring out to her. "If it's too . . . big or binding of a gift, then it's cool if you don't take it. I just thought you should have it," he said quickly.

Scorpius grew more nervous with each second she looked at the ring, but it melted as soon as she smiled brightly. "I think it's probably the greatest gift you've ever given me," she said softly.

Scorpius was finally able to smile a little himself. "That's good." But then he paused. "Um, I wasn't sure which finger you'd want to put it on. So, you pick, and it'll fit any of them."

Scorpius now watched with interest as she looked down at the hands on her lap. But after a moment, she took the ring from him, and placed it on the middle finger of her left hand. It immediately shrunk to fit her perfectly. "How about here?" she whispered.

Scorpius took her hand, and placed a kiss on the ring, then the back of her hand. "I think that it looks much better on you than it does me," he replied before leaning forward to kiss her gently. But she was silent still, so he moved to place a kiss on her cheek. "You're quiet, beautiful. What's on your mind?"

She brought her eyes from the ring, and Scorpius was happy to see her happiness shining in her eyes. And she smiled again, and it set his heart racing. "I'm thinking that this is the best birthday I've ever had," she admitted.

Scorpius smiled back at her, not caring if he looked like an idiot doing so. "I'm glad I could be part of it," he replied.