Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.

Note – So, this took a bit longer to get out to you guys, so I made it a bit longer than I had originally planned. A lot of serious talks for Scorpius in this one. But I hope you like it, and sorry for any editing mistakes I missed. So read and enjoy.

Rebel Malfoy

Chapter Thirty-Two: To Always Be There

"Hold on!" Scorpius interrupted Lana quickly, looking at her with a scowl. They were sitting together in the backyard of the manor, relaxing, when she suddenly, but casually, stated that she agreed to go out with Justin.

Lana just raised a brow. "What?"

"Justin? You're going on a date with Justin? But . . . but what about Dante?" Scorpius demanded.

Lana turned away from him, looking out at the garden. "What about him?" she muttered.

"You love him!" Scorpius stated firmly, knowing it to be true.

Lana sighed, tilting her head back. "We're not dating anymore. We broke it off. So he doesn't matter when it comes to these decisions."

"But . . . it hasn't been that long!" Scorpius argued.

"His parents have already set up a dinner date with some girl they want him to marry," Lana quipped. Her tone was so casual that Scorpius could easily pick out her distress at her own words.

"But it's not his decision!" Scorpius pointed out. "And he loves you! Don't punish the guy just because his parents are trying to decide for him!"

"So I should pine after him all my life?" Lana hissed back, surprising Scorpius with her sudden venom. But she relaxed then, her face softening. "Sorry," she murmured. "But . . . I'm not going to live like that. Eventually, I have to move on, and I'd rather help myself move on rather than wallow in pity forever."

Scorpius ran his hands through his hair. "I still think you should tell him what you heard. That his parents are trying to marry him off . . . He has a right to know that's why you wanted to break it off."

But Lana shook her head. "No. I told you, I won't be the reason they fight. It's his decision on what to do. I want him to make it on his own, not my influence."

Scorpius shook his head this time. "You are such a girl," he grumbled. "Confusing."

Lana rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do when the time comes?" she demanded lightly.

Scorpius scowled in confusion. "What time?"

"When you graduate and have to be away from Lily for two years?" she said. "That's a long time to be apart."

Scorpius turned away from her this time. "It's also a long time away from now. Why think about it now?"

"Because being prepared makes it hurt less," Lana whispered gently, looking up at the expanse of the sky above them.


Scorpius placed his arm around Lily's shoulders as the two of them sat with their friends in a London club, waiting for Mitch and the band to step out and play. Today was the day they'd all chosen to stay over at his flat, and have one last big get-together before summer ended.

He looked over to Lily, who had been a bit quiet as she sipped from her drink. He brushed his thumb along a patch of skin the collar of her shirt bared. She looked at him curiously, but smiled brightly. Scorpius smiled back. It was obvious, looking at her eyes, that she was happy and content to be there, which was all he had wanted. He just wanted them all to have fun.

"No way," Lars said suddenly beside him.

Scorpius turned to look at him. "What?" he questioned.

Lars pointed up to the stage. "Look."

Scorpius followed to where Lars was looking, and his jaw almost dropped. The band was finally coming on stage, along with Dominique, who was standing at the microphone while the guys got ready themselves.

"Dominique is their singer?" Lana said, still shocked.

Lily looked just as surprised. "I didn't even know she could sing," she commented.

"Why her of all people?" Hunter questioned.

When the band began to play their first song, Scorpius first thought simply that Dominique was a good singer. But then he felt like . . . like she was a really good singer. Scorpius shook it off. Was that pull because she was part veela? It had to be. He looked at the others, and he smirked to himself when he saw the guys' faces. It seemed they felt that little pull too, only they didn't seem to notice why.

"Holy shit, she's good!" Jace exclaimed with wide eyes, almost transfixed.

Lars groaned, looking at the others. "Now we're going to have to put up with her even more."

Scorpius almost laughed. Even the pull of her voice didn't change the idea that Dom was a bit of a bitch in people's minds. He sighed. "I gotta give her props. She can sing. And they sound good together."

"I wonder what made her want to sing," Lily commented lightly.

"Maybe Mitch asked her to try it and she liked it. I mean, the boys were getting pretty worried about finding a new singer," Lola mentioned.

"Well they sound really good," Jace stated, still watching the band, and obviously still a little intoxicated by the bit of veela blood up on stage.

Later, after the band had finished, and they'd stuck around the club a little longer, they found themselves in Diagon Alley, wandering around and goofing off. Dominique was apparently joining them for the night, which Scorpius honestly didn't mind, as long as she and Mitch kept their own activities outside of his flat.

While waiting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Scorpius oddly found himself standing with Dominique, as some of the others went into get one last ice cream before the shop closed for the night.

"So, Malfoy," Dominique stated suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

Scorpius looked at her in surprise. They were never really alone together, and if they were, they never spoke. "What?" he questioned.

She turned to look at him, and Scorpius was shocked at the seriousness in her eyes, despite her usual snarky expression. "Just a warning. If you do something stupid to my cousin, no one will find your body."

Scorpius raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Dominique didn't shy away. "I will maim you if you hurt her in any way. Your remains will be unrecognizable. Do you understand that?"

Scorpius blinked in surprise. "Um, yes. I . . . I guess I just never expected that from you of all people."

Dominique shrugged as she looked back to the parlour. "We may be snarky to each other, and pick at one another, but we're oddly close. She's the only cousin I can actually talk to. And . . . despite how I sometimes kind of envy her position, I know she got the short end of the stick in our family. She goes through a lot of crap already, so she doesn't need any more from you. Got it?"

Scorpius smirked. Well look at that. Dominique Weasley actually cared. "Yeah, I got it."

"Also, a side note if you will, you shouldn't be afraid to move at a faster pace. Physically, that is," she said with a smirk of her own.

Scorpius whirled around to look at her again, his own eyes wide. "What?"

"While Lily is a bit too dense to understand that those accidental brushes against her bra aren't always an accident, she isn't so oblivious as to not notice them at all. And from my understanding, she wouldn't mind if you took a step forward and went for it," Dominique told him.

Scorpius looked back to the parlour, almost wishing he could see Lily through the walls. He looked back to Dom. "You're sure?"

"You know, there is one thing about you that she likes, something that seriously set you apart from Scamander," Dominique mention. "And it obviously stands out for her."

"What is it?" Scorpius demanded.

Dominique grin. "You know what you want, and you're not afraid. You have confidence in yourself. Sure, it's obvious that you hesitate at times, but it's truly for her benefit, not because you feel incompetent. You don't think before holding her hand, you kiss her without blinking, so on and so forth. She likes that about you. Scamander . . . well he was a self-conscious prude, and that irritated her to no end."

Scorpius sighed, but smirked. "So after threatening me, you tell me to feel your cousin up?"

"Feeling her up is not hurting her, despite what fathers like to think," Dominique scoffed. "I'm just giving a bit of advice is all. Take it or leave it."

Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets as they fell silent again, looking anywhere but at each other. But then he sighed. "Mitch really is crazy about you," he stated quietly.

"No shit," he heard her mutter.

Scorpius almost smirked. "I've never seen him so committed to anyone, let alone a girl. You challenge him, and he needs that. He may be crazy and a goof at times, but there are those times where he gets down and intense. I just hope you'll be there to keep him from drowning in it." It was rare now, for Mitch to get in those moods like when they had first started school. Part of him wondered if Dominique was the reason for that.

"Of course I'll be there," she said with a small scoff. "With you having to deal with my cousin now, who else could handle that?"

"So, I take care of your cousin and make sure that she's happy. And you watch out for my best friend and brother, and make sure his darker moods never get the best of him. Deal?" Scorpius inquired with a bit of a smile.

He didn't look at her, but she had a similar smile. "Deal."


Scorpius rolled his eyes at his sister. "I'm sleeping in my own bed!" he stated firmly. Now that they were all back at his flat and starting to get tired, Lana had decided that he shouldn't be the one to sleep in his own bed, which was the dumbest thing he'd heard all day!

Lana crossed her arms over her chest. "That is so rude," she mocked dryly.

Scorpius sighed. She had to be difficult sometimes. "No. It's ladies first. Not ladies get my bed," he quipped. He may try to be a gentleman, but he wasn't going to give up his bed. "The couch pulls out. It can fit a good number of people on it." Besides, they could always just make it bigger with a simple flick of the wand.

The other guys at least didn't argue as they began to set up the bed for them all. Justin gave an approving nod. "It's not too bad," he commented.

"Exactly," Scorpius insisted with a nod of his own.

Lana just shrugged. "I still think it's rude," she remarked.

Scorpius shook his head. "The only person I'm giving my bed up to is my girlfriend. And even then I'm still sleeping on the bed," he said firmly. But as the guys whistled, he froze. That sounded different than what he'd meant for it to.

He glanced at Lily, but she was laughing. Relief flooded through him. Lars on the other hand, was grabbing a blanket for himself. "Can you just stop bitching, sis? Let's just go to sleep!"

Lana glared at her twin brother. "This is why you're sleeping on the floor, ass," she snapped. But Scorpius could easily sense their usual banter coming forth.

Lars grabbed a pillow and dropped it onto the floor. "I really don't give a rat's ass, bitch," he said with a content sigh.

"This is why you can't get a girlfriend. You're a jerk," Lana commented casually.

Lars just laid on the floor. "This is why people call you a bitch. Because you are."

"At least I have a brain. Mum's right, you really do take after Dad."

"Ok," Scorpius interrupted quickly, "I'm going to bed, before Lana murders my ears with another argument," he mocked.

Thankfully, Lana's attention turned from Lars to him. "You are such a baby," she mocked in return.

Scorpius just gave her a playful smile before walking toward his room. The last thing he needed was for one of the twins to murder the other in his flat. Especially since Lana would probably win, and he needed Lars for Quidditch this year.

As soon as he was in the privacy of his own room, he pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor. He had just reached to take off his pants when his door opened, and he looked up to see Lily.

She blushed almost immediately, and looked away from him, making him almost blush. "Um, hey," she muttered.

Scorpius gulped. "Oh, sorry," he said quickly. "I thought you were staying up a little longer." He immediately felt like an idiot. Why would he think that? The others were all getting ready for bed, he should have known she would too! "Um . . . my own bathroom is over there. You can change in there, if you want."

She gave a nod, still not really looking at him. "Thanks," she said before hurrying to the bathroom.

Scorpius groaned to himself as he hurried to change into his pajama pants. Was she embarrassed now? Was she uncertain about what he'd meant earlier now that they were alone? He hadn't meant anything by it! But . . . now that he stopped to think about it, sleeping in a bed with Lily . . . he felt his own cheeks turn a little pink. He tried to shake it off, and began to do some stretches, as was his normal routine before bed.

Was she really ok with that? Maybe he should just offer to sleep out in the other room with the others. "Scorpius?"

He turned his head quickly to see Lily, still dressed, at the bathroom door. "Yeah?" he inquired. Was she going to ask him to sleep in the other room? Was she going to offer to sleep out there? But she didn't seem embarrassed or uncertain any longer. She wet her lips, staring straight at him. "Do you have a shirt I could borrow? I forgot to pack mine."

He sighed silently, the tension leaving his shoulders, just a fraction. "Yeah, no problem," he assured. He dug through his dresser, quickly grabbing a grey shirt and tossed it to her. "Does that work?"

She caught it without even blinking, and just nodded. "Yeah, it's fine," she said before reentering the bathroom, closing the door.

Scorpius went back to stretching, his mind still whirling around this development. Was . . . was he really about to sleep side-by-side with his girlfriend? Alone? And, was she really ok with it? He was ok with it but . . . well he was a guy that seemed to be filled with way too many hormones as of late.

"…isn't so oblivious as to not notice them at all."

Dominique's words circled in his head. Did Lily really notice? Did it bother her? Well . . . if something bothered her, Lily wasn't too shy to say so, and Dom had vaguely hinted that Lily not only didn't mind . . . but wouldn't mind if he moved a step forward physically in their relationship. Was that true? Even if it was . . . what did he do with such information?

"Do you always stretch before bed?"

Scorpius kept himself from jumping, but turned quickly to look where Lily had so quietly exited the bathroom. He gave a chuckle as he continued with the last bit of his routine. "Usually. I don't if I'm too tired or something," he replied.

He heard her moving around as he finished up his routine, but she didn't speak again. When he finally did finish, he stood up straight, and turned to see that she was sitting on his bed, her chin resting on her knees. He couldn't help but notice how nice she looked in his shirt. He scratched the back of his neck, trying not to notice how much of her legs were bared by her shorts, which were practically hidden by the size of his shirt.

"Um, I can sleep out there, if you're uncomfortable with this," he offered as he slowly moved to shut off the lights. While a tiny part of his mind congratulated him on being a gentleman, the large part was screaming at him for putting doubt in her mind.

But she smiled at him and shook her head. "No. no, it's ok," she replied.

He gave a small nod as he flicked off the lights, letting darkness fall around them. Still a little conflicted if he should just got out and sleep with the others or not, he was a bit slow to move over to the bed.

But she didn't say anything, not even as he climbed onto the bed with her. He could feel his heart beating harder with each second, as he laid onto his back, offering his hand to her. She took it, and laid down beside him as he pulled the blanket over them both. He easily moved to his side, and wrapped his arms gently around her.

She was warm, and soft, more so than usual it seemed. He felt her relax into him, and Scorpius felt all of the tension and stress leave his own body. He could smell that flowery scent that was always surrounding Lily. Lilacs, maybe? Whatever it was, he couldn't think of anything that smelled better.

"I like this," he admitted quietly into their silence.

He heard her sigh, and felt her warm breath brush across his neck. "So do I," she agreed.

Scorpius placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, letting his hold on her tighten. "Good night, beautiful."

"Good night, Scor," she murmured in return.

It took Scorpius a little longer to fall asleep than normal. But he wasn't bothered. In fact, all he could think about what how comfortable he felt this way. He'd never thought about actually sharing a bed with his girlfriend. But . . . it was nice. Extremely so. In fact . . .

He wouldn't mind if it happened more often.


Scorpius groaned as he felt the sunshine pierce through his slumber. He shifted, but stopped when he felt a weight in his arms. Confused, he let his eyes blink open as recognition soon flooded back to him. And he smiled at the familiar shade of dark red hair that laid before him.

Carefully, he shifted so that he could sit up slightly, his weight on his elbow. Then he let his other hand gently pushed back Lily's hair, so that he could see her still sleeping peacefully. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and it made him smile. Maybe it really was genetics, like she complained about. How else could it be that it was already such a mess?

In the distance, he could hear the sounds of the others waking up and moving around, but he was content to stay where he was. But finally, Lily seemed to stir as she turned onto her other side so that she was once again facing him. Slowly, she opened her eyes too, and seemed to register where she was, and the night before.

He smirked. "Good morning, princess," he greeted softly.

Lily smiled back, and it made his own smirk dissolve into a smile. "Morning," she greeted. "You know, you probably have the most comfortable bed," she teased.

Scorpius chuckled. "Well thanks. And as much as I don't want to leave it at the moment, we might want to go out and join the others."

Lily had just opened her mouth to speak when the bedroom door swung open, to reveal only Mitch. She sighed. "That's why," she commented.

Scorpius laughed. "That's why," he agreed.

Mitch was grinning broadly as he closed the door after entering. "Good morning," he greeted. Then he plopped himself down onto the bed next to Lily's feet. "So, I was thinking about what we could do for fun today, and I came up with the greatest idea!"

Lily sat up now, and looked at him. "Really? What would that be?"

Mitch leaned over, and oddly, poked her in the stomach. "You, our dear princess, should pierce your bellybutton."

Lily's eyes went wide, but Scorpius just shook his head at his friend. "She should what?" he said with a chuckle.

"Pierce your bellybutton. Navel, whatever you wish to call it!" Mitch exclaimed, still excited. "Let's do it!"

"Why?" Lily questioned slowly.

"Because it would be awesome," Mitch said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And you're parents would never know, unless you wanted them do. Come on! Dom's going to pierce hers."

But Lily looked hesitant, so Scorpius spoke. "How about we all get dressed and eat breakfast before we talk about piercing my girlfriend's stomach," he joked.

"We'll do this afternoon!" Mitch stated as he stood up.

"When did I agree to this?" Lily questioned with a laugh.

"When you decided to date my best friend!" Mitch joked.

"Well I was unaware that getting pierced again would be my initiation," Lily mocked.

"And now you know!" Mitch said with a laugh. "We're doing it!"

"Think what you want," Lily teased.


"You really let him talk you into it," Scorpius said as he stood next to Lily in a muggle tattoo and piercings parlour.

"He's oddly persuasive," Lily muttered as she stood before a full-length mirror. Dominique was getting hers pierced now, while Lily had her shirt pulled up a bit, looking at her stomach.

"It looks nice," Scorpius complimented. "Cute." Was that a good way to compliment a piercing?

"It is," Lily agreed. Then she sighed and let her shirt drop over her stomach. She turned to look at him.

Scorpius wrapped his arms around her. "So, what next?"

But Lily sighed. "Actually, I should probably be getting back to my house. Otherwise my parents are going to wonder what I've been doing all day, and then ask dozens of questions, to which I have to make up a lie for. Remember? I'm with Lola for a girls' night."

He nodded. "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess once Dominique's done, we can get you to the Leaky Cauldron so you can Floo home."

But she groaned and let her head rest against his chest. "Is it bad that I really don't want to go back?"

Scorpius chuckled as he let his arms tighten around her. "Considering who lives there with you? No."

"I'd rather just go the manor," she mumbled. "Lucius is better than dealing with my brothers."

Scorpius chuckled dryly. "I think you're the only one that feels like that," he mocked with a smirk.


"How can you be letting this happen?" Scorpius paused outside his father's study. That was Lucius's voice. What was he talking to his father about?

"I'm not sure what you mean, Father," Draco replied absentmindedly.

"Letting Scorpius run around with that . . . that girl!" Lucius hiss. Scorpius tensed. Lily? He grabbed the door knob, but stopped at his father's retort.

"She has a name, Father. Please use it, so I know who exactly you're referring too."

"The Potter girl, Draco. Don't be smart with me!" Lucius snapped. "What are you thinking letting Scorpius be seen with her?"

"Father, Scorpius is seventeen. He can make his own choices about who he dates, and who he is seen with," Draco stated.

"She's a Potter!"

"She's a perfectly lovely girl," Draco said quickly, and Scorpius was surprised at the steely tone in his father's voice. "I could care less who her family is, as could Scorpius. Perhaps, you should do the same."

"Draco -!"

"I told you," Draco interrupted, and his voice was even firmer, making Scorpius listen even closer, "I would have no more of it. And I meant what I said after Scorpius's first year. I never want to hear about you preaching old values to my son."

"I raised you under those values! And look at how successful you've become! You have a great home, a wife and son!" Lucius ranted.

"Not because of you," Draco said, almost so softly that Scorpius didn't hear. "I failed and floundered under those values. It wasn't until I changed that I became who I am."

Scorpius quickly back away from the door at the sound of footsteps storming his way. Lucius pulled the door open with a flourish, and stopped when he caught Scorpius standing nearby. "Have fun listening in, boy?" he grumbled, before storming off down the hall.

Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets before wandering into his father's study. Draco picked up his wand and with a simple flick, the door shut. "What are you doing here, son?" he asked as he set his wand down, and began writing something.

Scorpius moved to sit down in one of the chairs. "I was bored and I thought I'd see how the preparation for the Slytherin dinner was coming," he said casually.

Draco smirked. "Funny, how interested you seem in parties now that you're dating," he joked lightly.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, but smirked as well. But he figured now was as good a time to bring back up the serious topic of before. "Is that why you let me move out?" he questioned.

Draco raised a brow as he glanced at his son. "What do you mean?"

"Lucius. His always trying to press old beliefs on me, and criticizing who my friends are, and my girlfriend. Is that why you let me move out? To get me away from those beliefs?"

Draco sighed as he set down his quill, and looked fully at his son. "Partially," he admitted. "While I knew there was no chance that you would suddenly change your views, I didn't want you to be forced to listen to them. I know they make you angry. I felt it was better to let you go, than to confine you in a house that, sadly, still follows those beliefs."

"You don't follow them anymore," Scorpius argued, unable to help himself from defending his father. "And neither does mother."

Draco nodded. "That's true. But this house . . . it's full of those bad memories and tainted beliefs. To this day, I can't step into the drawing room with feeling a chill."

Scorpius knew what his father was talking about, although the story behind it was still a mystery to him. But he felt the same chill down his spine whenever he stepped into the old drawing room. You could feel that something horrible had happened there. It was a most unwelcome feeling. "Dad, I didn't leave because of the manor's history. I hope you know that."

"A house does not make a family, Scorpius," Draco said, making Scorpius a bit curious as to what he meant. But Draco continued. "I know that you are just as proud and defensive about our family as I was at your age, and still am. But you don't have to live in a family home just to show that loyalty."

Scorpius scowled as he tried to piece together what his father was trying to hint at. Then it clicked. "Are . . . are you saying that you didn't want to live in the manor after the war? When you and Mum got married and had me?"

Draco shook his head. "No. Not at all." He sighed. "After the war, it was such a dark period of time for those on the wrong side, even if you had defected like we had. And honestly, son, despite what you've seen and the unfairness of it . . . it doesn't compare to what it was like right after the war. And . . . I was caught in the most complicated middle. I was practically shunned from Diagon Alley, no normal witch or wizard wanted to even be seen around me. But at the same time, it was almost unbearable to return to this house, where I had witnessed so many terrible things, things that happened not just at the hands of Death Eaters, but at the hands of my own family."

"But then why did you stay?" Scorpius asked.

"Because it was the only place that I was accepted," Draco admitted. "My only other options were muggle-owned, and I was clueless on how to interact with muggles at the time. The idea was still so foreign to me. Or I could find a place in Knockturn Alley, which seemed like its own version of Hell. And as time moved, and I got married and we had you, I knew that it was the best option at the time. Living in Knockturn Alley would just raise suspicions of the Malfoys again, and I didn't want that for you. The same as living somewhere in Diagon Alley would have put you under their untrusting gazes and hatred more and more. I didn't want that for you. I knew that you would have a hard enough road as it is, being a Malfoy."

Scorpius ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't easy," he agreed. "But . . . it had some good outcomes. And . . . one day our name won't be something to hate. I promise."

Draco smiled at his son, who looked so serious in his statement. "I believe you," he said gently. "If anyone can do it, it's you. You have a determination and conviction that I'm not sure I ever had."

Scorpius stood from his seat, and began to move to the door, but stopped and turned around. "One more thing?"

Draco looked at him curiously. "Yes?"

Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. "Just . . . thanks for standing up for Lily."

"Another one with a hard road to walk," Draco sighed. Then he looked at Scorpius seriously. "I won't pretend to know everything that Lily is going through. But I can tell that it takes a toll on her, whether she admits it or not. And as is the usual case, she's a sweet girl that doesn't deserve it. Be prepared."

Scorpius scowled. "Prepared for what?"

"For the day when she can no longer pretend her struggles don't affect her."


Scorpius groaned at the sound of a loud and consistent tapping. He buried his head under his pillows, but the tapping just got louder.

"What in the bloody hell could it be?" he grumbled as he sat up. But then he noticed an owl at his bedroom window. He sighed as he got up and opened the window. But as soon as he took the letter, the obviously annoyed bird nipped his finger before taking off.

"Bloody bird!" he exclaimed, nursing his finger. He glared at the silhouette of the now distant bird. But then turned his attention to the letter in his hands. Hogwarts was written in the usual fancy script across the envelope.

"Looks like I'd better get ready," he mumbled to himself. His mother had decided for all of them that they would go shopping for his supplies once the letter came. He had tried to insist that he could shop for his things himself, and they need not bother or worry. But his mother had been fiercely insistent herself. And as it was his last time buying school supplies, she refused not to do it together. He'd had no choice but to agree.

So he got dressed in a simple outfit, and then Apparated to the manor. As he walked down the hall, he checked the time on the old clock. They were probably having breakfast, so he made his way for the dining room, and could hear them chatting before he even stepped into the room.

"Good morning, family," he greeted. But then he noticed a very familiar shade of red hair. "Oh!" Lily turned, grinning at him, and he could see utter happiness in her eyes. What was she doing here though?

"Hello, sweetheart!" his mother greeted ecstatically.

"Morning, son," Draco said, just as happy but a bit calmer.

"Good morning," Lily greeted before taking a bite from her plate of food.

While his father called for another plate, he moved over to sit next to Lily, placing a kiss on her cheek. "And why am I lucky enough to see you this morning?"

She laughed softly. "I got my test result from my N.E.W.T."

Scorpius raised a brow. "And?" he inquired, before thanking Pitch for bringing him a plate full of breakfast food.

"An O," Lily said with a smile. His mouth was still full from the bite of food he just took, so he instead took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She bit her lip, obviously wanting to laugh. "I got a prefect badge as well."

Scorpius swallowed his bite to finally speak. "I'm not surprised. Slughorn loves you, as does the headmaster."

But she looked surprised at the thought. "Really? I figured with how much trouble I tend to get into, it would have gone to someone like Izzy or Shannon," she replied honestly.

Scorpius smirked. "Well I had faith," he teased. "We have so much fun in the prefect compartment."

She rolled her eyes, but then almost grimaced. "Oh, bad news by the way. Albus got Head Boy."

"Fuck," Scorpius whispered to himself. That would never be good. It was miserable with James Potter strutting around with that dammed badge. While Scorpius couldn't see baby Potter being worse than his brother, it still wouldn't be good.

"Yeah," Lily agreed. But then she laughed a little. "But on a bright note, he's Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain."

Scorpius laughed too. Potter as captain? "Awesome. So the cup's in the bag." Potter could never be a better Seeker than Lily, let alone an entire team that was better than theirs.

Lily nodded. "Pretty much." She knew better than anyone how Potter wasn't a leader. And she knew better than any of them how easy he was to beat.

Scorpius smirked, but began to notice how his parents were finishing with their plates, signaling that as soon as he finished, they would be leaving for Diagon Alley. "So, when are you going to get your supplies?" he asked quickly.

Lily just shrugged. "No idea. I'm thinking about going by myself, that way I don't have to put up with listening to Albus go on and on about being Head Boy. Because I know he will," she mumbled the last part with annoyance.

"Wanna go with us?" he offered. "We planned on getting it done whenever the letters came."

"So, you're going today?" Lily asked.

"Yes. You're welcome to join us, Lily," Draco mentioned.

"Oh! That would be even better!" Astoria agreed. "You should come with!"

Lily smiled brightly. "Ok. Sure! Sounds fun."

"Great! We'll leave after breakfast," Draco stated.

Scorpius smirked. Having parents that loved his girlfriend seemed to always work to his advantage.


"So, where do we need to head to first?" Draco inquired as they walked through Diagon Alley.

Scorpius ran a hand through his hair, his other happily intertwined with Lily's. "I say we go and get our books first. Get the brunt of supplies out of the way," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Lily agreed with a small shrug.

"Flourish & Blott's it is," Astoria said with a smile, no doubt still thinking of what to get Lily for such a high mark on her N.E.W.T. score.

As soon as they entered the crowded store, Draco took their books lists from them, and told them to go ahead and look around while they picked up their school-required books. Scorpius didn't have to be told twice, and when they gave him their lists, pulled his girlfriend a bit closer as they walked away.

Lily smiled at him. "I like how I'm automatically included as one of the family," she commented.

Scorpius smirked and kissed the top of her head. "So do I," he murmured. "Now, since I have no interest in any books at the moment, you lead the way," he offered.

Her smile brightened a little, and she immediately began to pull him along. And Scorpius wasn't surprised when they stopped at the potions section of the store. He watched, slightly amused at the eagerness in her eyes, as she seemed to scan every title on the shelf.

"So, what do you want me to get you in honor of your perfect score on your N.E.W.T.?" he inquired teasingly.

But Lily didn't even look away from the book she'd pulled from the shelf. "Nothing," she stated. "You can just put your name on whatever your parents get me."

Scorpius chuckled. "Oh, that's no fun," he said as he moved to wrap his arms around her from behind. "At least let me buy you a book."

She relaxed into him, leaning against his chest, still looking through the book in her hands. "Fine, fine. One book. No more," she insisted.

He bit back a chuckle. "All right. So, is this the one I'm buying?" he asked.

She seemed to hesitate though. "Hmm, I'm not sure. It's got a few interesting potions, but nothing that seems to be a challenge."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, but smirked. "I don't think anything is going to be a challenge for someone who gets a perfect score on a N.E.W.T. at fourteen," he pointed out.

"Ha, ha," she retorted as she put the book back onto the shelf. But instead of grabbing another one, she relaxed into his embrace, and they stood there in their own comfortable little bubble.

"Are there any potions that you would like to make and add to your collection?" he inquired, glancing at the titles in front of him.

She just shrugged. "I don't know. I have most of the more advanced potions in my collection." And as she listed off some of those advanced potions, Scorpius looked at her in a bit of shock. He knew that she was a genius in the subject, but he would probably never understand how she did it. "I can't think of anything important I want in my collection," she concluded with a sigh.

Scorpius just shook his head, still a bit amazed. "Then how about I pick out a book?"

"Be my guest," she replied.

Playfully, he covered her eyes as he looked over the books again. She laughed, but didn't push his hand away. Finally, he picked one that's title seemed interesting enough. He removed his hand, and held the book out in front of her. "How about this one?"

She took it into her hands, and started to flip through it. Scorpius looked too. There were a few potions he knew of, some that he'd made in class too. But there were a lot that he'd not only never heard of, but had no clue as to what they could possibly do.

But Lily nodded after a moment. "Yeah. This one isn't too bad."

He took it from her with a smirk. "Then I'm buying it for you."

Once they'd paid for the book, they left the store, choosing to wait outside for Scorpius's parents, as it was getting pretty crowded inside. Scorpius sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. "Back to school soon," he commented, letting his forehead rest against hers. Although the idea of N.E.W.T.s didn't excite him, he was going to be happy being back at Hogwarts. It meant he was going to not just be around his friends every day again, but Lily too.

"I will be so glad to be back under the roof of Hogwarts," she mentioned, probably with similar thoughts.

He smirked. It was going to be nice. Late nights sneaking off into the kitchens, lazing around the common room during breaks . . . finding the occasional secret hideaways to be alone in. "I guess there will be one upside to going back," he teased. "It will be much easier to get you into my bed again."

He'd meant it as a harmless commented, a teasing one. But she blushed, and spoke softly with a smile. "That's a definite upside."

Scorpius gave a small, but shocked chuckle. He hadn't actually expected her to agree . . . but if she truly didn't mind, he'd have to bring the idea up again once they were back. "Glad to know that you agree," he said, before tilting his head to kiss her.

She kissed him back immediately, and this time she was the one that nipped his bottom lip, her teeth scraping teasingly. Scorpius moaned roughly before returning the favor, and biting her bottom lip gently. Her lips parted beneath his, and he swept his tongue past them. He brought one hand to her side, and gave a gentle squeeze. He felt her fingers tighten their grip on his shoulders.

"Lily Luna Potter, what are you doing?"

Scorpius pulled away from her quickly, turning around to see not just Mr. Potter, but the entire Potter family, minus Lily who was standing beside him, looking flushed and unsure of what to say.

Scorpius was unable to stop himself from staring as her tongue swiped across her lips, but snapped from his daze once Lily spoke. "Um, what are you guys doing here?"

"Well," Mrs. Potter spoke quickly, "we were taking your brother out to get his supplies. Since you left, we thought we'd just take you another day. But if you're here, then we can just do it all at once."

But Lily sighed, and Scorpius could tell how uncomfortable she was. "Actually, I'm shopping with Scorpius and his family. So, really there's no need to go another day," she replied.

Mrs. Potter looked surprised, which worried Scorpius a little. "Oh," she murmured.

"Yes, my parents are inside getting our books," Scorpius explained, concerned by the now unreadable expression on Mrs. Potter's face. "We were just getting a bit of fresh air."

"Really, because it looked as if my daughter couldn't breathe when we showed up?" Mr. Potter mumbled.

Scorpius ran a hand through hair, not sure on what to say in response to that. But Lily spoke instead. "Well, we don't want to keep you from shopping," she stated, obviously trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, can we go?" baby Potter whined. "I want to stop and grab some Quidditch supplies while we're here." Scorpius almost snorted with laughter at the thought. As if any supplies would help them beat Slytherin.

"Be patient, Albus," Mrs. Potter scolded, before looking to Scorpius. "So, Scorpius, will you be buying Quidditch supplies as well? You're Slytherin's captain, right?"

Scorpius nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yep. I might stop in to get some. But I've got confidence that we'll keep the cup again this year. It's in the bag, so to speak," he said, looking mockingly at Albus, who glared back.

"How long have you had the cup now?" Mrs. Potter inquired.

"Four years," he answered. "And I have confidence that this will be year five. After all, we have the best Seeker in school." He gave Lily a smirk as he took her hand. He was mainly trying to ignore the burning gaze of her father.

"There you kids are!" he heard his mother exclaim. "We thought we might find you out here!" But even his mother could sense the mounting tension once they saw the rest of the Potter family.

Draco sighed quietly. "Potter," he greeted.

"Malfoy," Mr. Potter replied.

Draco cleared his throat, obviously wanting to diffuse the situation. "Well, as awkward as this is, we should let you continue with your shopping. Kids, where to next?"

Lily was quick to speak up. "Well, I'm getting a bit too big for my robes."

"As am I," Scorpius mentioned.

Draco nodded. "To Madam Malkin's then. See you around, Potters."

Lily gave them a tentative smile. "I'll be home later."

Scorpius watched Lily as they parted from her family. The relief on her face was obvious as the tension around them disappeared. And by the time they'd finished having their robes refitted, she seemed just as relaxed and normal as she had inside the bookstore. They soon found themselves in Quality Quidditch Supplies, looking and talking about new brooms.

But Lily soon sighed. "Hard to believe it's your last year," she murmured.

"Tell me about," Scorpius sighed. "It's going to be strange. I mean, this is the last time I'll have to buy school supplies. The last time I'll have to ride the train. Brings about a bit of nostalgia." He scowled a little at the thoughts that flowed into his mind. The first time he'd ever come to buy school supplies, he'd been so excited. He'd practically begged to go and get his wand first.

"Malfoys don't beg, Scorpius. It's unsightly."

Scorpius scowled deeper and pushed away the thought of Lucius's words. But Lily's thoughts, while deep, had a lighter tone than his. "Are you going to miss it, you think?" she inquired.

"How could I not?" he pointed out. "Hogwarts is a big part of our lives. We spend seven years there, and we go through some of the biggest events and changes of our lives. Holds a lot of memories." He couldn't count the amount of significant events that had occurred at Hogwarts, and all the changes.

When he'd started school, he'd been a short and skinny kid, who was un-athletic and worried about the way people viewed him and his name. Now he was the captain of the Quidditch team, and never one to let anyone get away with saying something bad about the Malfoy name.

"It's sad," Lily said softly, interrupting his thoughts, "to think that they'll all just be memories. It makes them seem much easier to forget."

Scorpius looked at her, and was unable to keep from smiling. She was probably the biggest change in his life. He'd hated anyone with the name Potter, and had sworn that the Potter princess would be just as bad as her brothers. And most girls annoyed him, and he had been sure that a girlfriend would never interest him. But here they were. Not only was she his best friend, but he'd fought to be her boyfriend, and would fight to stay that way.

"We may not remember everything," he admitted. "But we'll always remember the things that mattered most. That's what makes them so important."

Lily smiled, and he could see her urge to laugh. "Well look who got all poetic suddenly."

Scorpius chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her. "But you're the only one lucky enough to hear my rare poetic speeches," he teased.

She finally laughed as she moved to place her hands on his shoulders. "Well I feel honored. I hope you keep it that way."

Scorpius smiled softly. "I wouldn't have it any other way, princess."


Scorpius sighed as he walked into the Leaky Cauldron, hoping to kill a little time. He and Lily had planned to meet here before she took him to meet Duncan. Part of him hoped that she would show up a little early too.

He sat at the bar and simply looked around. But it didn't last long. "Scorpius? What are you doing here?"

Scorpius looked to see that Hugo was now standing behind the bar. "Hey, Hugo. How's it going?" He hadn't seen Hugo since Lily's birthday, but Scorpius had to admit that he was a good guy. He'd changed a lot from what Scorpius remembered, but according to Lily, even she'd noticed that he'd been changing since last year. Maybe he'd just been too preoccupied with trying to catch Lily's attention to notice.

Hugo leaned on the bar. "I just got off work, actually. Now I'm trying to decide what to do for the rest of the day. You?"

"Oh, Lily and I are meeting up, but I thought I'd come a little early, see if she'd do the same," Scorpius admitted.

Hugo gave a nod. "Actually, I think she got asked to babysit Theodore at kind of the last minute earlier today. She's probably still at Teddy and Victoire's place."

Scorpius sighed, his shoulders dropping. "Oh," he muttered.

"I can take you there, though," Hugo offered suddenly.

Scorpius looked at him with a bit of surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I've got nothing planned, and it'll give me something to do. You want to?"

Scorpius nodded and stood up quickly. "Definitely."

Hugo came around the bar. "They're not connected to the Floo, so we'll have to take the Knight Bus."

Once they had called and boarded the Knight Bus, Hugo gave the address, and they took seats near the middle of the bus. Scorpius looked over to Hugo, who looked relaxed as he pulled a Chocolate Frog from his pocket. He ate the candy, but looked to be more interested in the card.

"Ah, damn," he muttered. "I got my dad again. Do you collect?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, not really." Hugo shrugged and shoved into his pocket. Unable to stop himself, Scorpius spoke. "Hugo, mind if I ask you a serious question?"

Hugo just shrugged again. "Sure, feel free."

"Well, I guess I can't help but wonder what made you change your mind about Slytherins," Scorpius commented.

Hugo sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. "Well . . . I don't think I ever really hated Slytherins. It was more like I was expected to hate them. And . . . well when Lily got Sorted, and we had that fight . . . I was more scared that what James had said about her was right. I got defensive, and I was mainly just angry at Slytherin House for taking her away from me. We were best friends all our lives," he explained.

"Ok, so you were angry. But . . . what changed?" Scorpius insisted.

"I started noticing the truth behind things over the last few years," Hugo replied. "James . . . he walks all over people, myself included. Albus, the guy has no respect, and has seriously screwed up priorities. And I wasn't really angry anymore. I just really missed my best friend. I had no one I could really talk to. And . . . I wasn't happy." He sighed heavily, tilting his head back against the seat, his eyes closing.

"She missed you," Scorpius said quietly.

Hugo opened his eyes, and looked at Scorpius with surprise, and maybe hope. "What?"

"It was rare for her to open up and talk about you . . . but it was obvious that she missed you. And if she could have taken back the fight . . . I think she would have," Scorpius told him.

Hugo stared at him for a moment, seeming to process Scorpius's words. But then he looked down to his lap. He rubbed at his eyes and temple, and looked almost distressed. "I don't know what to do. How do you make it up to someone after abandoning them like I did?"

Scorpius sighed. "Just be there for her. It may sound weak, but it's really what she needs. Someone to be there at those family events. Someone she can be honest with, and who will help defend her. Because I'm not sure if she actually has anyone in your family that actually speaks up and defends her. They may be on her side, but there's a difference between that and actually speaking up."

"You're right," Hugo admitted. "I'm not sure if there is anyone that actually speaks in her defense."

"You can't blame them. It's hard, and can be awkward," Scorpius mentioned. "Especially when it's family that you love and love you. It takes true courage and bravery to stand up to family."