Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.
Note – So here's the next update. We're getting to a bit of drama for Scorpius, more than what we got to see in Lily's story. So I hope you enjoy, because I really enjoyed writing these background scenes that Lily had never even really known about. So read and enjoy.
Rebel Malfoy
Chapter Forty: The Struggles of Heartache and Happiness
"So, a little birdie told me about the fun you and Lily were up to in your room?" Mitch teased with a grin as the two of them stood around the Malfoy dining room, waiting for Christmas dinner to be served.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "A bird, or two little girls?" he quipped. When he'd brought Lily over, he'd wanted to spend time with her before his mother insisted they spend time with everyone else. And well . . . as per usual, Lily looked absolutely beautiful in the white dress she wore, and they'd ended up snogging. They were then promptly interrupted by his two little cousins, Lydia and Candy Zabini.
Mitch chuckled. "Welcome to the world of little siblings. You never get a moment alone with your witch."
Scorpius scoffed. "Please. With my mum, I'm already fighting to have time alone with Lil."
"At least you live alone, and can bring her there during breaks, because there is nothing more annoying than having a little brother walk in while you're having sex," Mitch commented before taking a drink from the glass in his hand.
Scorpius bit back a laugh, but not a smirk. "Which brother?" How had he not heard this story before?
"Scotty," Mitch stated. "Stormed in whining about Xavier telling him to clean his room or something stupid like that. He didn't get out until I threw a pillow at him."
Now Scorpius laughed. "I can only imagine how pissed off Dominique was."
Mitch grinned. "I think she was more annoyed with the fact that I took the pillow out from under her head."
Scorpius just laughed harder.
"Speaking of my brothers, though. I'm supposed to tell you that Brandon wants to meet Lily," Mitch mentioned.
Scorpius raised a brow, curious but unable to stop grinning with amusement. "Really? Why?"
"He didn't say, but knowing him: business. I'd guess he wants her to let him represent her," he answered.
Scorpius sighed. "You're probably right."
Suddenly, Mitch was grinning madly. "Hey, wanna see my brother Nate get shut down by another girl?"
Scorpius turned to see where Mitch was staring, and he couldn't help but chuckle to see Nate talking to Lily, obviously trying to be charming. Unlike when other guys flirted with his girlfriend, Scorpius didn't find himself furious at Nate. More amused than anything. Probably because once Nate knew that was his girlfriend, he'd take off running.
"Ah, looks like Xavier's giving him a warning before you can," Mitch joked as Xavier moved to stand by Lily.
"Still, I'd better let him know that I would rather not kill him," Scorpius joked as the two of them began to make their way toward the three of them.
Nate was rolling his eyes at Xavier. "Just because you don't know how to charm a girl," he said mockingly.
Scorpius chuckled. "Well put away the charm and back off my girl, Nate," he warned jokingly.
Nate stood from his chair immediately, looking a little hesitant. "Of course, Scorpius," he assured.
"Relax, I'm not going to hit ya," Scorpius teased. "You're not much competition, Nate. I'm much more handsome."
Nate scoffed. "You wish you had as handsome of a face as I do," he quipped.
"Hey there, Lily Lu."
Scorpius, Nate, and Mitch turned to see Aaron Goyle coming to sit by them. Scorpius hadn't seen much of Aaron this break due to his Quidditch schedule.
Lily smiled. "Hey, Aaron. Glad to see you here."
"Same," he said with a nod. "Nice Christmas spread, by the way."
Scorpius scowled a little at the mention of her latest magazine spread. His mother had gushed about it earlier, and how well the pictures had turned out. He hadn't seen them himself, but was sure that it wasn't something he wanted other boys leering at.
"Yeah, they looked really good," Adrian Flint complimented as he, Tanner, and Lars joined them at the table.
"They were really nice, Lil."
"Never would have thought you were only fifteen."
Scorpius repressed the urge to hit one of them. "Ok, can we ogle my girlfriend later?" he demanded, giving a small glare. The three of them shrank away, avoiding his eyes. He simply held out his hand for Lily.
She took it wordlessly. "Come on," he mumbled, still annoyed, "there's someone who wants to meet you." While he wasn't yet keen on the idea of letting Brandon trying to pitch the idea of her getting an agent, he'd prefer that than letting his friends admire his girlfriend.
"You see why I hate you modeling," Scorpius pointed out as he led her away. "They know that I can't hit them in front of our parents. But I'll be dammed I don't make Lars and Tanner work harder at practices."
She squeezed his hand gently. "You're fretting over nothing," she insisted.
But Scorpius couldn't stop it from bothering him all throughout dinner. Was it wrong of him to hate other guys being able to stare at his girlfriend? Was it selfish of him? Lana always said it made him selfish, and that it made him sometimes act like a jerk. But . . . so what? It's not like he could help it. The thought of any guy looking at his girlfriend like she was some…
"Scorpius?"
Scorpius jumped from his thoughts to look at his uncle Blaise, who was sitting across from him. "Hmm? Did you say something, Uncle Blaise?"
"I was asking about your plans for after graduation. Draco said something about the Auror Department?" Blaise inquired.
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan. I think I'll get in. I'm working hard to make sure I'm prepared for my N.E.W.T.s this year, since my getting into the department will partially depend on getting good scores."
"I wish you'd instill some of that hard work into my son," Blaise said with a scoff, looking down at where Tanner sat with Lars and Aaron. "That boy's done nothing but laze about and waste time all break. I don't think I've ever seen him crack open a book."
Scorpius smirked a little. "You're probably right about that. I don't think I've ever even heard Tanner talk about what he wants to do after he graduates next year."
"I'd bet his inheritance that he has no idea," Blaise mumbled.
Scorpius laughed a little. That was always his uncle's complaint. Tanner was known to be laidback all his life. Even when they were kids and had big dreams for their futures, and he and Lars had wanted to be star Quidditch players, Tanner had always brushed it off and claimed to just want to have fun for the rest of his life. And everyone knew that it was his son's lack of ambition and hard work that drove Blaise Zabini crazy.
"Leave the boy alone, Blaise," Daphne said as she wiped little Ryan Zabini's face clean. Now three-years-old, he was still a messy eater, getting food on his face, his clothes, and even sometimes his hair.
Blaise sighed at his wife. "I'm amazed that you're ok with our son's nonchalant attitude toward his future."
Daphne rolled her eyes. "He's sixteen-years-old, of course he's not thinking about his future."
"Exactly! He's going to be a legal adult soon. He should be focusing on how he's going to support himself, because he's not living with us once he graduates," Blaise said firmly.
Daphne just grinned. "Yes, because you of all people are going to kick your son out of the house. The son you've always spoiled and doted on," she mocked.
Scorpius couldn't help but laugh a little at the back-and-forth quips between his aunt and uncle. It was always amusing to him. They never really got mad at each other, or even yelled. It was just banter, and it was funny.
"Actually, dear, before I forget, when is it that you're returning to Hogwarts this week?" Blaise inquired.
Scorpius looked at his aunt curiously. "You're returning to school, Aunt Daphne? Why so early?" Usually his aunt stayed with the family until a few days before students returned to school, sometimes she even rode the train with the students. And with Ryan still being so young, Scorpius expected her to do just that.
Daphne sighed. "Oh, we're having an important staff meeting in a few days, and then we're having a meeting with the Board of Governors."
Scorpius gave a curious look. The governors? What could they possibly have to meet with them about? They hadn't done that in a long time, at least not that he'd ever heard of. "Really? What about?"
But Daphne just shrugged. "Not really sure. The headmaster wasn't very detailed in his letter to us all. Anyways, I'll be leaving in three days."
Scorpius gave a small nod, letting it drop.
Scorpius Apparated Lily back to her grandparents' home later that evening. He began to trek up to the door.
"Wait," Lily said quickly. He turned to look at her curiously. "Come here." She turned and began to walk away from the house. Curious and a bit confused, Scorpius followed after her, discreetly checking his watch. He didn't want her father to kill him for bringing her inside too late.
She brought him to an old shed. He assumed it was the one she always talked about spending time with her grandfather in. They stepped inside, and he immediately felt warmer.
He was interested in all the little muggle knickknacks that were laying around on different shelves, but he focused his attention on his girlfriend.
"What's up, babe?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Lily took his arm and pulled him over to an old couch, pulling him down to sit beside her. "You have been pouting and brooding all night," she stated.
Scorpius scowled, looking away from her. "I have not," he grumbled. He wouldn't call it pouting. Irritated at the fact that his friends ogled his girlfriend's modeling spread. Yes, very irritated. But not pouting.
"You can't do this every time a magazine comes out with my pictures in it," she continued.
"I'm not pouting!" he insisted.
She laughed lightly. "Yes you are. It's been obvious to everyone."
Scorpius sighed and stood up. "Well I hate this!" he admitted, letting his irritation out. "Maybe it makes me a selfish jerk, but I don't like the idea of other guys staring at pictures of my girlfriend! And I know you're hot with an awesome body. I don't need a thirteen-year-old boy telling me that! I don't like the fact that a bunch of boys going through puberty are wanking off on pictures of my girl!"
He only felt a little better after getting it all off his chest. But that irritation continued to linger, making him want to pace, to move, to do something! But Lily grabbed one of his hands, and pulled him back down to his seat. She ran a finger across his clenched fist. "Open your hand," she instructed.
Scorpius looked at her with a bit of confusion at her request, but did as she set. Then she placed her hand in his. "Now look," she told him.
Scorpius looked down at their hands, mainly hers, trying to figure out what she was asking him to look at. It was then that he noticed it was her left hand . . . and that the ring he'd given her was now on her ring finger.
He looked up at her. "You've worn it like this all night?" How had he not noticed? He glanced down at it again. The sight made him feel a little better. He liked seeing his ring there, even if it was just a Slytherin House ring for now.
She nodded. "And I want to wear it there from now on," she stated. "It seems more like a . . . a sign of how important our relationship is to each of us. And it comes with a promise."
He looked back up at her, raising a brow. "What promise?" he asked.
Lily smiled softly. "A promise that as long as I keep it on that finger, you're going to be the only one that actually gets to touch me," she said, her tone slightly teasing. "And the only one that I'm going to love and want to be with."
Scorpius looked back at the ring on her finger. While the idea of them being together forever was pretty much a fact to him, he couldn't help but like hearing her say it aloud.
"You know," she said gently, "you can worry about me leaving you for someone better all you want." Scorpius looked up at her immediately. How had she known . . .? "But personally," she continued, "in my mind, there is no one better. I've yet to see a man more handsome. And I've yet to meet a man that's loved me, supported me, and made me feel as safe as you have. You're stuck with me, Scorpius Malfoy, just as I'm stuck with you."
She interlocked their fingers before kissing him softly.
A relief settled through Scorpius. He'd never thought words would ever be the way to get rid of his anger. It rarely worked when he was furious. But when their kiss ended, he felt calm as he looked at her. He didn't care what Lucius tried to insist, and he didn't care who in her family didn't like it. He was marrying this girl one day, and that was final.
"I've got a promise to add to that ring," he stated. He sighed softly. "I promise that I'll do my best not to brood with every new picture of you that comes out." No guarantee, but he could at least try. "And I promise that you'll never fear our relationship coming to an end. And, I promise that once we've both graduated, I'll replace this ring with another ring, and another promise."
Her smile brightened, and it made his mood lighten as well. "I'd like that," she whispered softly.
He smiled too as he leaned forward to kiss her again. "Good, because I mean it." He looked down at his watch again. "And while I don't really want to, I should let you go inside before your father finds me and murders me."
Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not that late," she insisted with a grumble.
"In my opinion, you're right. But I think when it comes to you, your father's idea of late is a bit different," Scorpius pointed out as they stood up. "And I can't really live up to my promise if I'm dead."
Scorpius scanned over his Herbology textbook, searching for the correct page to start his essay with. Mitch sat next to him, pretending as if he was reading his textbook to start his own essay. Scorpius sighed in a bit of annoyance. While this essay wasn't very difficult, he hated having homework over the holidays, because he always ended up procrastinating and started it on the last day of the break.
"Scor," Mitch spoke suddenly. He'd been quiet since they'd sat down to work on their holiday homework.
Scorpius looked at him curiously. "Yeah?"
Mitch looked at him, and Scorpius could tell that he was thinking hard about something. "You plan on marrying Lil after she graduates, right?"
Scorpius nodded, interested in where he was going with this. "Yes. Why?"
"Right when she graduates?" Mitch continued to question.
Scorpius thought about it for a moment. "Well, maybe. I guess it would depend on what she wants, and what's going to work for the two of us and our careers at the time. But I will propose, definitely."
Mitch set his book aside, continuing to think. "Alec asked me if I was going to marry Dominique once we graduated, and . . . I didn't have an answer, and now it's making me think."
Scorpius looked a bit surprise. Mitch and Dominique getting married? While he'd never considered the two of them breaking up, he hadn't actually considered the idea of them getting married. It had just always seemed like they'd be together in some fashion, being the only ones to tolerate each other.
"Do you want to marry her?" Scorpius inquired.
Mitch just shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "I mean . . . I wouldn't mind if I did, wouldn't mind if I didn't. I'm kind of impartial, really."
Scorpius gave a nod. "Ok. So what's to think about?"
He sighed. "I guess now I'm just wondering if she wants to get married one day. I know she doesn't want kids, and I am perfectly fine with that. Again, impartial. But . . . she's never actually said anything about marriage, and if she hates the idea, or wants to someday," Mitch explained.
"So ask her," Scorpius stated.
"But how? I mean, we've never really . . . talked about our future together, outside of the band that is. It just . . . feels like it'd be weird to talk about it," Mitch replied.
Scorpius smirked. "You mean it feels real?"
Mitch looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Scorpius looked at his best friend and brother. "Despite you and Dom being in a serious and long-term relationship, the two of you hate the idea of being tied down. You like freedom. So if you avoid talking about your future, either one of you could bail out at any moment, and change your mind. But if you talk about it, it ties you two to that future together. It makes it real, and it makes it difficult if one of you tries to break away from it."
"So . . . not talking about it gives us the chance to be flighty and flake out?" Mitch questioned.
Scorpius nodded. "Basically, yes. You have more freedom. There's nothing wrong with that."
"So you don't think I should talk to her about it and try to plan out my future?"
"I think you should do what makes you happy."
Mitch paused for a moment, but then grinned. "But what if I end up flaking out and breaking your girlfriend's cousin's heart? You don't think you'd hear all about it, being my best friend?" he teased.
Scorpius just smirked. "You think Dominique won't kill you before she told Lily?"
That made both of them laugh.
"You have to eat it!"
Lars scowled and his nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked at the Bertie Bott bean in Rex's palm. "I know that's a snot-flavored one!"
Scorpius, Lars, Rex, and Mitch were all sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. They had five large boxes of Bertie Botts beans. Lars and Rex had gotten a box each for Christmas, and Mitch swiped the other three from some of his little brothers. They were all picking random beans, and handing them to one another, daring any of them to back out from eating it.
"Are you afraid?" Mitch mocked with a grin. "Eat it!"
Lars hesitantly picked up the bean, and after a moment, stuck it in his mouth. His face twisted as he chewed.
"Snot?" Scorpius guessed.
Lars shook his head. "Ear wax," he said around the bean in his mouth.
They laughed at their friend's disgust, but stopped when the door to their compartment opened. To a bit of surprise, Hugo stepped into their compartment, looking a bit sheepish. "Uh, hey," the tall boy greeted. "Mind if I join you guys? I just finished patrolling and . . . well I didn't feel like sitting in a compartment full of girls and trying to understand what they're talking about."
Scorpius waved him in. "Yeah, of course! Have a seat."
"But first!" Mitch said quickly. He picked a random bean out of one of the boxes, then held it out to Hugo. "You must be initiated. Eat the bean."
Hugo stared at in confusion, but with an appropriate amount of hesitation. But without a word, he took the bean, which was an orange-red color, and popped it into his mouth. He immediately began to cough.
"Easy there," Rex said with a laugh.
Hugo swallowed the bean as he sat beside Scorpius. He cleared his throat. "Chili pepper," he said, coughing once more.
Scorpius patted him on the back. "Well, welcome to the club. And don't feel bad. Mitch had to swallow down two soap beans."
"In a row!" Mitch complained. "What are the odds?"
Rex and Lars began to laugh. Scorpius smirked, but it dropped a little when he noticed the fake, halfhearted smile on Hugo's face. He stood up. "Hey, since we've got another victim to our game, we should get another box. Hugh, wanna go find the trolley with me?"
Hugo nodded as he began to stand up. "Sure. I think I saw it a few minutes ago."
They stepped out of the compartment just as Rex began to complain about eating a bean that he was sure was dirt-flavored. As they began to walk, Scorpius looked at Hugo, who was quiet, and looked to be thinking.
"Something wrong?" Scorpius asked carefully. He knew it wasn't his business, and he wasn't sure if Hugo would appreciate his cousin's boyfriend prying into his personal life.
Hugo gave him a curious look. "You think something's wrong?" he said vaguely.
"Well I know a fake smile when I see one," Scorpius said with a shrug. "Hard to get that past a Slytherin."
Hugo sighed. "Ah. Well maybe it's good that I didn't go to sit with the girls then."
"So something is wrong," Scorpius commented. "And you don't want Lola to know?"
"I don't want Lily to worry," Hugo corrected. "I mean, I don't want Lola to worry either, but in this case, especially Lily. She would just blame herself or start to feel guilty."
"So it's about your family," he stated. That wasn't hard to figure out. Lily often worried that she was turning Hugo into an outcast by being his friend.
"My dad is just . . ." Hugo sighed again, clutching at the back of his hat. "He's just really getting on my case lately. It seems like all we ever do anymore is fight. It just . . ."
"Sucks?" Scorpius finished. He nodded silently. "Yeah, I'd imagine. I mean, I'm lucky enough that I've never had that issue with my own father. But Lucius Malfoy . . . constantly."
"I guess I just always believed him when he said that he just wanted me to be happy," Hugo mumbled. "I never thought he'd turn his back on me when I'm just trying to figure out what I want and who I am."
Scorpius wasn't exactly sure what to say to comfort or encourage him. But he took a chance. "It's probably just a bit of a shock to him. Plus, all he's heard is whatever your sister told him in letters. He doesn't know your side."
"He won't listen to my side," Hugo countered. They caught up to the trolley, and Scorpius bought another box along with some licorice wands. They turned and began their walk back to the others. "He used to say all the time that I was the little boy he always wanted. I was going to do amazing things, and he was so proud of me. Suddenly I change my wardrobe, my hair, put on a hat, and make new friends . . . suddenly none of what he used to think matters anymore. Now . . . I'm just some big disappointment."
Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets. Now he really wasn't sure what to say. He'd been through that with Lucius, and that had hurt, of course. But he couldn't imagine the pain of having your father thinking you a disappointment. "So . . . you haven't talked to Lily about this?"
"I do my best to downplay it when we talk about it," Hugo admitted. "I mean, I can't hide it all from her when it's so obvious there are problems. But, I also know that she sometimes thinks it's her fault. That if we hadn't started to be friends again, then my dad wouldn't yell at me all the time. And it's not her fault, so . . . I try to make it seem like it doesn't bother me."
Scorpius raised a brow. "You realize she'll figure it out eventually, right?"
"She's picking up on it more after the last few weeks being back around the family. It was too hard to try and hide everything, so . . . Well like I said, she's probably aware that I'm downplaying it. And she has enough problems with our family to deal with. She doesn't need the burden of mine with all of that."
Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. Part of him was happy that Hugo was that thoughtful. Because he agreed. Lily had enough problems that plagued her mind, and Scorpius didn't want her to worry anymore either. But at the same time, he felt bad for Hugo. Sometimes you just want to confide everything to your best friend, like Scorpius often did with Lars and Mitch.
He clapped Hugo on the shoulder. "If you need to vent, and I mean vent about all of the issues you're having," Scorpius stated, "I'm happy to listen. Just let me know."
Hugo looked at him with a bit of surprise. "You're willing to listen to me bitch about all my problems?" he said skeptically.
Scorpius smirked. "I know how much of a relief ranting can be. I also know that it helps to have someone listen and talk you through it. So if you don't want to worry Lily, then I'll step in for her, and you can talk to me."
Hugo stopped walking, so Scorpius did the same, waiting patiently. But Hugo looked curious, and also hesitant. "Scorpius . . . you once asked me about how I suddenly didn't hate Slytherins anymore, and how I changed. But I've never asked you . . . why is it that you accepted me so easily? I mean, I may not have fought with you, but I fought with the others in my year, especially Lily. But you didn't even blink when Lily and I became friends again. Why?"
Scorpius tapped his finger on the Bertie Botts box in his hand. "Because you're important to Lily, and she's important to me. And then after being around you a few times, I understood you better. You were sincere in trying to be friends with us. Us Slytherins always return the favor," he said with a grin.
But Hugo raised a challenging brow. "And that's it?"
Scorpius sighed. "Well . . . we can also see your struggle, and all of us relate to that, not just me. But at the same time, you're also struggling with your family, and that I can relate to. You just want to be the person you are, and the person you want to be. And you have someone important to you that can't accept that. I recognize that, and I know the feeling."
"I can't imagine your dad not accept you," Hugo retorted.
"It was Lucius," Scorpius corrected. "After coming here, I changed, and he couldn't accept who I was, and what I wanted. It hurt, and I was angry. I still am angry."
"And now you hate him," Hugo mumbled, looking a bit downcast.
Scorpius gave his best reassuring grin as he placed a hand on Hugo's shoulder. "There was no saving my and Lucius's relationship. We are just way too different, and he's way too stubborn to change his ways. But, you've got a much better chance at fixing things with your dad."
"But how?" Hugo wondered aloud. "I refuse to go back to the way I was. Some pushover that was a bigot for no real reason."
For that, Scorpius didn't have a solid answer.
Scorpius felt his eyes grow heavy, and the desire to fall asleep was strong. They'd only been back at school for a few weeks now. And while those days had gone by fast, it just meant that it was getting closer and closer to their exams. Which was why Lana had dragged Scorpius and Lars to the library to study.
"Scorpius Malfoy!"
Scorpius jumped at the quiet hiss. He looked around to see Lana glaring at him. He shifted in his chair. "What?" he mumbled.
"You almost fell asleep!" she complained.
"This is so boring, though!" Lars muttered. "The library just makes me tired! And I don't even get what this book is trying to tell me!"
Lana shook her head. "You two are hopeless."
"I'm with Lars. I'd rather quiz each other and be able to talk through the topics, instead of trying to read these books that make little sense to us," Scorpius pointed out.
Lana sighed heavily, but closed her book. "Ok, fine. But first time Lars tries to get out of studying, we're coming back," she warned.
The three of them stood from their seats, and Lana dropped the books into her twin's hands, grumbling about something they couldn't make out. Probably about her being annoyed with the two of them.
Lars shook his head. "Must be someone's time of the month," he whispered to Scorpius as they walked out of the library.
"Malfoy! Wait!"
They stopped, and Scorpius turned around. He scowled when he saw Lysander Scamander rushing toward him. What the hell did this kid want?
"What do you want, Scamander?" Scorpius demanded.
Scamander stopped with a bit of distance between the two of them. And to Scorpius's surprise, the kid actually looked a bit determined for once. Nothing like the coward he was used to seeing. "I want to talk to you," he stated.
Scorpius scoffed. "No shit. What do you want?"
"I think Lily dating you is a big mistake."
Scorpius froze as an icy fury ran through his body. His hands clenched to fists, and his jaw tightened. He hardly felt the hand on his shoulder, obviously trying to keep him from doing something stupid.
"Excuse me?" Scorpius hissed.
Scamander stood straight. "I miss her, and I still love her. So I'm not giving up on her. I can make her happy again."
Scorpius instinctively reached for his wand. But Lana stepped forward. "Are you implying that my brother doesn't make her happy? Are you that stupid?"
"You bring about heartache." Scorpius grit his teeth at Scamander's words, and wanted nothing more than to pull away from Lars's hand, and make sure that Scamander never spoke again.
But Scamander didn't seem scared for once. "Thanks to you, all she does is fight with her family. You being with her causes problems. And whether you admit it or not, fighting with her family hurts her. I'm a better match for her. I could make those problems disappear."
Scorpius felt the tension taking over his entire body. "Where the hell were you when her brothers were attacking her?" he demanded. "Where was your spine when she needed support?"
"I can be there for her!" Scamander insisted.
Scorpius scoffed. "Yeah. And by the way, in case you forgot: she cheated on you with me," he sneered. "If she really wanted you, she wouldn't have snogged me at that party, over and over again."
Scorpius turned and quickly stormed away before he cursed Scamander, or hit him. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do more, he just knew he wanted to make sure that the kid never said another word.
"I'm not going to stop fighting for her!"
Scorpius almost turned back around, but Lana weakly pushed him forward. "Keep walking, Scorpius," she instructed. "He's not worth it."
"Don't let him get to you," Lars agreed. "Potter probably put him up to this."
But Scorpius shook his head. "No, baby Potter doesn't give a damn about Lily. Even she admits they've never been close, even before she was Sorted. No, this is all Scamander, and if he thinks I won't break that new spine he suddenly found, then he's sorely mistaken."
"Let's just get back to the common room," Lana stated.
But studying was now the last thing on his mind. Scorpius knew he'd never be able to study now, not with Scamander's words ringing through his ears. He wouldn't stop fighting for her? What the hell did he mean by that? What was that idiot planning?
When the three of them finally reached the common room, Scorpius in no way felt better. He was still pissed and his body was still tense. But as he stood in the doorway, a flash of dark red hair caught his eye.
Lily. She sat at a table where Lola and Shannon had books opened and spread around. They were laughing about something.
Scorpius felt an uncertain pang strike him in the middle of all his anger. Why the hell did Scamander assume that he didn't make her happy? Lily often told him that he was one of the few things that did make her happy as of late. He didn't cause problems. He did his best to help her, and to fix what he could!
"Lily?" he called out as he hurried toward her.
When she turned to look at him, she looked curious. Scorpius scowled. He made her happy, he know he did. Scamander was full of it. He'd do anything for her! She knew that . . . right?
Perhaps she sensed his mental turmoil, because she stood up from her seat, and looked almost concerned. "What's up?"
He wasn't sure exactly what to tell her. Where did he start? So he kissed her instead, pulling her to him tightly, trying to express every ounce of love he had for her. Having her against him, and her lips kissing him back was an immediately relief, but it didn't stop his mind from spinning, nor did his anger fade away completely.
He could hear a wolf-whistle, and then some joking comment from Rex across the room. But Scorpius wasn't in the mood for a joke. He pulled his lips from hers, but continued to let his forehead rest gently against hers. "Want to go upstairs?" he asked, wanting to be alone instead of a full room. Besides, she was going to want to know what was wrong, and he'd rather not rant and rave in front of everyone.
"Sure," she said softly.
Gently, he took her wrist and led her upstairs to his dorm. It was empty, thankfully. He pushed the door shut before kissing her again. He felt her hands resting on his biceps, and felt her nails dig gently into his skin. He brought one of his own hands to her hair. He pulled it from the ponytail she had it in, and then ran his fingers through the silky waves of deep red.
He would break Scamander for this. For putting his mind in a spin. And if that prick thought Scorpius would trust him anywhere around Lily, he was dumber than Scorpius thought. If he laid one finger on her . . . well Lorcan Scamander would go from a twin to an only child.
Scorpius broke their kiss, but continued to hold her close. It was a comfort. "You know that I love you, right?"
She nodded. "Of course I do," she assured.
"You know that I'd do anything for you?" he mumbled. He thought she knew all this, but he wanted to remind her. He wanted to know that she knew. Because if she didn't, he spend the rest of his life trying to do better at reassuring her of that.
"Yes," she whispered, her lips brushing his own. "Scorpius, what's wrong?"
He moved his hand from her hair to pull her even closer to him. "Nothing," he mumbled. If he told her, she'd just try to convince him that Scamander was harmless, and that he was angry over nothing. But Scorpius had a nagging feeling that Scamander had meant his words this time, and that put him on edge. He wasn't ready to be calm yet.
He held her in a tight embrace. If Scamander wasn't going to stop fighting for her, then he'd better be ready for the fight of his life. Because Scorpius wasn't going to let this slip away from him.
Not a chance.
"Hey, Scorpius."
Scorpius groaned under his breath. Mitch snickered beside him on the couch, and Justin was holding back a smile from his seat on the armchair.
"What do you want, Ami?" Scorpius asked, not hiding his exasperation. Ami Waters was notorious in Slytherin House . . . Notorious for being a gold digger that slept with a different boy each week. She was also terrible for aiming for guys on the Quidditch team, which irked Scorpius, because the last thing he needed was one of his players getting a disease.
She also annoyed him as of late because her sights seemed to set on him.
Ami was grinning as she came to sit on the arm of the couch. He wasn't sure if she was trying to be alluring or not, but he found it plain annoying. "Who said I wanted anything?" she said teasingly.
Scorpius rolled his eyes and refocused on his Transfiguration essay. "If you don't need anything, then can you leave? This essay is due tomorrow."
She giggled, and it was a shrill sound, not at all cute. "You act as if you struggle with your classes. You're too smart for that."
Now Mitch chuckled a bit louder.
Scorpius just sighed. "I'm no genius, I work as hard as everyone else for the marks I get."
"Hey, Lily! How's it going?" Justin said suddenly.
Scorpius immediately looked around, and saw that Lily was looking at Justin curiously. She'd probably just gotten out from her last class, as there were a few books in her hands. "I'm fine, thanks. And you?"
Justin pointed at Scorpius and Mitch. "We're working on an essay for tomorrow."
Lily's eyes glanced to Ami, who was trying to look innocent as she sat too close for Scorpius's liking. Then she looked to Scorpius, who gave her a pleading look. He was mentally begging her to save him, to get him out of the situation he was forced into.
But she just smiled. "Oh. Well good luck with that. I've got a potion to work on." Then sending a wink to Scorpius, she flitted away, heading for the stairs to the girls' dorms.
Scorpius groaned loudly at Mitch and Justin laughed. "I've said it before and I'll say it again," Mitch spoke as he laughed. "Girls can be so cruel."
Scorpius glared at the back of Scamander's head as they listened to Professor Bell's Transfiguration lecture. So far, he hadn't seen the coward anywhere around his girlfriend, but Scorpius still didn't trust him. Just the sight of the idiot made his blood boil.
"You know, if you glare harder at him, you might make his head explode," Lana whispered softly from her seat beside him.
"Good," he quipped, just as quiet. If Professor Bell caught anyone not paying attention to her lecture, she often went into a rant about how important these lessons were with N.E.W.T. tests getting closer and closer. Scorpius preferred to listen to her lecture than that have her raving about test results again.
"Ok, class, time is almost up. I'm feeling generous today, so please place your essays on my desk, and then you may leave," Professor Bell said with a smile.
A happy chatter rose in the classroom, all of them eager to get out a little early, even if it was only a few minutes. Scorpius pulled out his essay as he got to the professor's desk. He set it down, and spun on his heel, only to stop when he saw who was directly behind him.
Scamander.
Scorpius narrowed his eyes, his jaw tensing a little. But he walked away, shoving Scamander out of his way as he did. He stepped out of the classroom to find Lana and Mitch waiting for him.
"I'm proud of you," Lana stated. "I had expected you to be much more violent when being that close to him again."
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Where's Lars?" he mumbled.
"Went to catch up with his girlfriend," Mitch replied as they began to walk.
"Hey, Malfoy!"
Scorpius stopped walking, and groaned through his teeth. Potter . . . He really was not in the mood! "Potter, unless you want to be cursed, you'll walk away," he stated firmly.
He finally turned around to see Potter and Creevey, and surprisingly there was no sight of Weasley. But Potter looked way too smug for Scorpius's liking. "Word is that your little relationship isn't going to last much longer," Potter mentioned casually.
Scorpius set down his bag. "Really? News to me. But I did hear about how one of your friends has little time left to live. Do you plan on joining him?"
Potter sauntered forward a little, but kept an obvious distance. "No need to be so angry, Malfoy. Is that normal when you feel threatened?"
Scorpius smirked dryly. "Tell me, Potter, how does it feel to have the most popular girl in your House reject you for a Slytherin?" he asked, thinking of Ashley Anderson and Lars. Lars had told them all the story of how Potter had tried to ask her out, and she'd humiliated him.
Now Potter glared, as a light red color came to his cheeks. "Better that I find out she's delusional now than later," he said through gritted teeth.
Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets, running a finger over his wand, ready just in case. "Must be hard for you. First your father and brother prefer your sister over you, and now the girl you like would rather be with a Slytherin. Can't blame her though," he said with a mocking sigh. He continued to smirk. "After all, I think most girls would prefer a man over a baby kitten."
Potter was about to lunge forward, but Creevey grabbed his shoulders, and whispered something that Scorpius couldn't hear.
Lana stepped forward, obviously ready to stop Scorpius from doing something as well. "Did you need something, Potter? Was there a point to all this?"
"The point is that you'd all better hurry along before you're late."
They all jumped, and Scorpius whirled around to see his aunt walking toward them. She raised a brow as she looked at them, as if challenging them. "Well? Are you going stand around, or go to class?"
"Yes, Professor Zabini," Potter said before he and Creevey turned tail and hurried off.
But before Scorpius could leave too, his aunt placed a hand on his shoulder. "You stick around for a moment, Scorpius. Lana, Mitchell, go to class."
"Yes, Mrs. Zabini," they both said before walking away.
Scorpius looked at his aunt, who was looking up at him. It almost surprised him. He'd never really noticed before that he was so much taller than her. But height didn't matter, as she gave him a firm look. One that said she wasn't afraid to write to her sister. "Care to explain?"
Scorpius scratched the back of his neck. "Potter was the one starting trouble. And I didn't do anything," he insisted.
"I could see your hand gripping your wand in your pocket," Daphne argued.
Scorpius sighed. "Still, I didn't do it. I restrained myself."
Daphne shook her head. "Scorpius, now more than ever, you need keep your anger in check, and you have to stay away from fighting."
"I know, I know," he insisted. "Mum would be very disappointed in me."
"I'm not talking about my sister, although you're right about that," Daphne stated. "I'm talking about your future. Scorpius, you want to be an Auror. Well before they accept you, the department looks at everything! How will it look if you have a number of detentions due to fighting on your school records?"
Scorpius stiffed at her words. He'd never thought about that. . . How bad did his record already look? His stomach churned. Was his chance already ruined?
"Don't panic," Daphne said, her voice gaining a soothing tone.
"Don't panic?" Scorpius questioned. "I could have ruined my chances of getting into the department before I even knew I wanted to be an Auror!"
"Your record of fighting is clean."
Scorpius stopped. Confusion took over his worry. "It . . . it's clean? How is that possible?" After all the fights he'd gotten into over the years? How could it be clean?
"Because Headmaster Brown never put any of it on record," Daphne stated. "Haven't you ever noticed how few detentions you served for fighting?"
Scorpius scowled. "But . . . why? Why would he do that?"
She shrugged. "That I don't know. You'll have to ask him yourself. Now, you'd better hurry to class."
Scorpius nodded, and walked away from his aunt. But his mind was elsewhere. The headmaster hadn't recorded his fighting . . . ever? Why? What sense did that make?
Why would the headmaster do that for him?
