Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.

Note – Wow, this took way too damn long to finish, and I'm seriously sorry about the wait! I hit a huge writer's block awhile back, making it difficult to finish the chapter. Then I was trying to decide when to end the chapter, and yeah. Sorry it took so long, and sorry about any editing mistakes I missed. So read and enjoy.

Rebel Malfoy

Chapter Forty-One: The Brewing Storm

As soon as his classes were over for the day, Scorpius separated from the others, and made his way to the headmaster's office.

Why had Headmaster Brown kept his record clean? Scorpius had been getting into fights since he'd come to Hogwarts, and he would admit that he'd even been the one to start some of them! So . . . why?

Scorpius hesitated when he stood outside the door. Should he ask? What if the headmaster suddenly decided that his record shouldn't be kept clean?

"Come in!"

Scorpius jumped, his heart missing a beat. Professor Brown's voice had sounded so calm, as if he'd been expecting someone. Slowly, he opened the door.

Professor Brown was sitting at his desk, writing something that Scorpius couldn't see. But at the sound of the door closing, he looked up and smiling at Scorpius. "Ah! Mr. Malfoy! Please, come in," he insisted, putting away whatever he was writing.

Scorpius walked over and sat in the plush chair across from the headmaster. "If you don't mind my asking . . . how did you know I was outside the door?"

Professor Brown grinned as he pointed to a small object at the corner of his desk. "This begins to glow when there's someone close by, such as standing outside my door. A little creation of my own. So, I didn't know it was you, exactly, but I knew someone was waiting."

Scorpius gave a nod, now a little amazed at the small object. It was inconspicuous. It looked like a small box, and gave off a hardly noticeable glow. Like it emitted the softest of lights.

But he shook away the thoughts, and looked toward the headmaster. "Um . . . Professor, I was wondering if I could ask you a question?"

Professor Brown nodded. "Of course, Scorpius. Ask me anything."

Scorpius sighed. "Well . . . I was talking with my aunt . . . well actually she was lecturing me about arguing in the halls, but," Scorpius paused, still a little hesitant to actually bring it up, "she mentioned that my record is clean of any fights."

The headmaster just continued to look curious. "Yes?"

Scorpius shifted in his chair. "Well, Sir, I . . . I know that I've been in fights before here at school. I know that I have started some. Not all," he said quickly, "but some. So . . . how is it possible that my record is clean?"

Professor Brown interlocked his fingers, as he seemed to think about what to say. "If it makes you feel better, your record isn't perfect. While there may be no account of fighting, there are some counts of disturbances in the corridors and during classes."

Scorpius scowled. "So . . . you put down something different?"

He grinned. "Not exactly. Fighting does cause disturbances," he pointed out. But then he sigh as he sat up straight. "Scorpius, you are an honest man. You have been in plenty of fights during your time at school, ever since your first year."

"So why not put it down?"

"Because you're young."

Scorpius stopped, confused. "What?"

"Look, Scorpius," Professor Brown addressed, looking at him seriously, but softly. "When kids first come to Hogwarts, very few are seriously thinking about their futures. Not many have already planned what they want to do with their lives. Such as you. Did you know that you wanted to be an Auror your first year?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, Sir."

"Exactly. And the number of fights you've been in would be alarming to them. Your chances could have potentially be ruined before you even chose what you wanted. What kind of teacher, what kind of educator, would I be to let that happen?" Professor Brown stated.

"But . . . isn't it your job to make note of those things?" Scorpius pressed.

"My job as headmaster is to guide students," he replied. "I'm to prepare you students for life after school. Not ruin your lives because you were once young with hormones and emotions that ran wild. All kids fight in some form or another. It's part of growing up. And Scorpius, it's been a bigger part of your life than it should ever be, and that's not your fault. You don't deserve to have your chances ruined because of something out of your control. I think your time here has already been unfair."

Scorpius scratched at the back of his neck, feeling a little uncomfortable. None of the professors had ever really talked about the problems between Slytherin and the other Houses. "It hasn't been all that bad," he lied.

Professor Brown just smiled for a moment, but then Scorpius noticed how it faltered a little. "Look, Scorpius, be assured that I want nothing more than for you to succeed, and to reach your goal of becoming an Auror. And while some may not agree, I believe that having kept your record clean of fights from your younger years was just me doing my job as your headmaster, and helping you to succeed later. But if I could give you any advice or words of caution . . . I would recommend that you do your absolute best to not let your anger get the best of you, and to keep from getting into another fight."

Scorpius scowled a little. The headmaster's words . . . they sounded so cautionary and vague. And his tone . . . it was like a warning. He'd also lowered his voice considerably. "Sir?"

"Just keep my words in the back of your head this year," Professor Brown said simply, smiling again. "And also, be sure to enjoy this year. The last few months go by fast."

Scorpius could feel his unsaid dismissal. So he nodded as he stood up. "Yes, Headmaster. And thank you." It was then that Scorpius noticed that the little box was glowing a new color. Before, it'd been the softest yellow in color. Now it was just a bit more noticeable, and it was a pinkish-red.

Scorpius looked up at Professor Brown, who was also glancing at the box. Scorpius glanced to the door. Someone else was outside the door . . . is that what that meant? He cleared his throat. "Anyways, Professor, thank you for the advice," he said loudly, but in a casual manner. "I hope you'll come to our next Quidditch match this year."

Professor Brown gave him a smile as he picked up the box and dropped it into a drawer of his desk. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. I wouldn't miss it."

Scorpius gave a nod of understanding. Then he made his way for the door. It was then that there was a knock. He opened it, and wasn't all that surprised to see that it was some of the governors, and that they were led by that Brunt woman.

He gave them a polite nod. "Excuse me," he said before moving past them, and heading down the stairs. Scorpius couldn't help but glance back toward them. What were they wanting to meet with him about? For months now, he'd never heard to the governors wanting to meet with the headmaster and the staff. They spent most of their time observing classes, talking to students, and meeting with each other. But now . . . something was different, but Scorpius just couldn't figure out what it was.

Something was definitely happening.


"I hate the month of February!" Lars grumbled as he slumped on the couch. Scorpius and Mitch had been sitting in the common room, playing a game of cards to avoid studying.

Scorpius raised a brow. "And why would that be?"

"Valentine's day," Lars mumbled.

Mitch grinned. "Ah, the perks of having a low maintenance girlfriend."

Scorpius laughed. "Did you seriously call Dominique low maintenance?"

Mitch laughed too. "Well she is when it comes to this romantic holiday crap. I never have to bother on working hard to please her on the fourteenth. She thinks it's a stupid holiday, and that I should be spoiling her every day."

"Well Ash is already hinting at how she has high hopes for our first Valentine's Day together," Lars complained.

Scorpius looked at him with a bit of surprise, and a slight bit of worry. "Is your first Valentine's Day together actually a big deal to girls?"

"It can be," Mitch commented. "I've found that it depends on the girl." He looked at Scorpius. "I doubt it'll matter much to Lil."

"I would plan ahead just in case," Lars muttered.

Scorpius ran a hand through his hair as he thought. "Hmm. . ."

"Bright side," Mitch mentioned. "It's on a weekend this year, and as usual, the professors have set up a Hogsmeade trip for the occasion."

An idea was beginning to form in Scorpius mind. "I might just have something."


The Shrieking Shack. It obviously wasn't some romantic place, but it was peaceful, and somewhere they could be together, alone. No friends to tag along, no Gryffindors to bother them. Just the two of them. It would be perfect once he cleaned it up a little bit.

But there was one problem, albeit a minor one. Lily had received a letter about how her cousin was getting married on the twelfth, and that she could bring a date. Of course he wanted to go with her, but that didn't give him time to clean up the shack. That left him with one option.


"Wait a minute, so you want us to take a whole night to clean up the shack, just so that you can have an awesome Valentine's Day date, while the rest of us give our girls an average date?" Lars demanded. They were sitting in their dorm, away from any potential eavesdroppers.

"I would do it, but I've got that wedding!" Scorpius defended. "And I'd help you guys!"

"We'll do it!" Rex said suddenly with a smile. This surprised even Scorpius.

"We will?" Justin questioned.

"Yeah, we will. Our friend needs our help. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't help him?" Rex pointed out.

"Lars, I promise I'll ease up on practices if you help," Scorpius assured with a smirk. "Please?"

Lars rolled his eyes. "You better mean that," he muttered.

Before Scorpius could reply, their door opened suddenly, making them jump a little. Scorpius felt a little nervous when he saw Lily. Had she heard the plan?

But Lily gave no indication that she heard anything. "Do you guys have a spare blanket that's clean?"

The five of them looked at each other, curious at the strange request. "Um . . . yeah, I think so," Mitch said as he got up from his spot on the floor.

Scorpius stood up too. "May we ask why?"

Lily sighed. "Because Hugo is sleeping in the guys' room tonight, and the one spare blanket they have has a huge and wet stain on it. Monty claims it's pumpkin juice, but I remain unconvinced."

Mitch handed her a spare blanket. Scorpius leaned against the doorway. "Just out of curiosity, why isn't Hugo sleeping in his own dorm?" Something about Lily's demeanor seemed off, and it made Scorpius believe that this wasn't just some sleepover.

Lily sighed as she held the blankets in her hands. "Well, the short version is that his dad, my brother, and his sister are trying to keep him from his girlfriend, me, and Slytherins in general. They've basically been holding him hostage to keep him from hanging out with us."

Scorpius scowled in irritation. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Hugo around the common room for a few days. Was that why? "What the hell is their problem?" he muttered.

"Well thankfully we've rescued him," Lily said with a small and humorless laugh. "He's sleeping with us for a few nights, and I'm going to be studying with him from now on. We're trying to figure out what to do about him having Qudiditch practice tomorrow, and how to stop his sister from dragging him off."

"Our team will come with him, and make sure he gets out of there without them following," Scorpius promised immediately.

"Yeah, like hell we'll make him suffer through their crap," Lars agreed.

Lily gave him a smile. "Thanks. Oh!" A thought seemed to come to her. "By the way, I'm not bringing a date to the wedding now."

Scorpius raised a brow, curious now. Where was she going with this? "Oh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Hugo's dad has forbidden him from bringing Lola as his date, so I'm bringing my friend Lola, and I think Hugo said he was going to ask you to come along as a friend," she said with a sly grin.

Scorpius laughed, as did the other guys. "That is brilliant! I don't think I've ever been prouder to have a girlfriend with a tricky mind."

She grinned. "Well I plan to show my uncle that you can't be cleverer than a Slytherin."


"I really appreciate the help, guys," Hugo mentioned as they walked to the Quidditch pitch. The entire Slytherin team, along with Lola, were walking him to the Gryffindor Quidditch practice.

"It's not a problem, Huey," Lily assured.

"We're not going to let those kittens take away your freedom," Hank said with a laugh.

Scorpius, while he absolutely wanted to help Hugo, felt a bit nervous. This was a prime opportunity for Potter to antagonize him, and get him into another fight. And the headmaster's warning was still ringing in the back of his mind.

He felt someone squeeze his hand. Scorpius looked down at Lily, who was looking at him curiously. "Everything ok?"

Scorpius gave her a small smirk. "Yeah, of course. Just thinking about what Potter might do once we arrive."

"We'll find out soon enough," Hugo mumbled as they walked onto the pitch. They were early, as planned. He sighed as he gave them a small smile, despite the obvious tension in his body. "I'm going to hurry and change. I'll be back out in a minute." He gave Lola a chaste kiss before walking into the Gryffindor locker room.

Lily gave Lola a small nudge. "Stop looking so sad. You're still going to dance with Hugo at the wedding," she reminded teasingly.

But Lola sighed. "I know, and I'm happy that I get to go. I . . . I just really wish that I could be going as Hugo's date, not your friend. I just wish that his dad wasn't trying to get him to break up with me."

"I hate to say it, but you better get used to it," Scorpius replied.

Lily pinched him. "Not helping!"

Scorpius shrugged. "Just being honest. Look at Dominique and Mitch. They've been together for years, and her dad still hates him."

"What are you snakes doing here?"

The Slytherins all turned to see that the Gryffindor team was arriving, Albus leading the way. He was glaring at them, but Scorpius noticed that Rose Weasley seemed to be scanning the area.

Scorpius stepped forward. "We're just here to support our friend, and to make sure he gets home safe," he stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. He'd given his wand to Lily earlier, hoping it would help to stop him from fighting.

Before Potter could respond, Weasley spoke. "Hugo! Where were you all night?"

Scorpius turned to see that Hugo had already emerged from the locker room, dressed and ready to go for practice. He came to stand beside Scorpius, standing his ground. "I was enjoying a moment of freedom, and loving the fact that I spent a night without you breathing down my neck, dear sister. Now, are we practicing, or what?"

"Hugo, you can't just disappear like that!" Weasley argued. "You had Paige worried sick!"

"Well thanks to your kidnapping me, my girlfriend was worried sick! Frankly, I'm more concerned about her, than I am about your lackeys," Hugo snapped. "Now let's practice already!" He stormed away, and immediately mounted his broom, raising into the air above them.

Scorpius looked at the rival team. He glared at Potter. "We'll be sticking around, so I wouldn't try anything stupid, Potter."

"Leave, now!" Potter hissed.

The Slytherin team laughed. "Was that supposed to be intimidating?" Lily mocked.

Scorpius smirked. "No can do, kitten. Hugo and I have plans to hang out and play a game of chess," he mocked. "So, we're going to wait around for him. Plus, I think him and his girlfriend have plans later tonight. So, if I were you, I wouldn't try to interfere."

"He needs to study for his O.W.L.s!" Weasley argued.

"I'm at the top of our class," Lily stated firmly. "I'll help him study."

"Let's go!" Hugo yelled from the air.

"I'm not having these snakes spying on our practice!" Albus retorted.

"And I'm not having a bunch of kittens hold my best friend hostage!" Lily countered. "And honestly, we couldn't care less about your practice. In case you'd forgotten, we kicked your ass months ago."

Either Potter finally understood that they were going nowhere, or he understood that his team was losing practice time, because he finally gave up and stormed into the locker room to change. Truthfully, they had very little interest in the Gryffindor team's practice, although they all found it funny when Potter almost took a Bludger to the stomach while he attempted to yell at his Chasers. Hugo seemed to be on fire, maybe due to his anger. But he wasn't letting a single shot get past him, and was treating a simple practice like a real match.

And when the practice ended, Hugo was the first one out of the locker room. It was obvious that he hadn't showered yet, as sweat still coated his brow and his hair. He wiped some of it away as he approached them. "Let's go," he mumbled.

"You couldn't have showered?" Lola teased, although she did looked hesitant to hold his hand.

"I'm not interested in hearing lectures from Rose or Potter at the moment," he grumbled. "I'll just shower once we get back to your common room."

"This is going to be one interesting wedding," Scorpius muttered as he wrapped his arm around Lily.

"Hugo Arthur Weasley!"

They all stopped, but Hugo quickly whirled around to glare at his sister, who was rushing out of the locker room, still in her practice uniform. "Do not middle name me! Also, leave me the hell alone!" he yelled to her.

Weasley rushed over to their group, stopping in front of her brother. "You need to come back to our common room! I waited up for you all night!"

"News flash! You're not my fucking keeper!" Hugo hissed. "So just stop! Tell Dad that you have your own fucking life, and to stay the hell out of mine!"

"Hugo!" Weasley gasp. "You can't talk about Dad like that!"

"I just did!" Hugo argued. He stepped closer to his sister, towering over her. "Now I'm only going to say this one more time," he said in a low voice. "Stay the hell out of my life! You don't like my friends, you don't like my girlfriend, then shut the fuck up! I don't give a damn about what you think. It's not your life, so stop making decisions for me!"

Hugo spun on his heel and stormed away. Lola hurried to catch up with him, and the others began to follow behind him. Scorpius glanced back at Weasley's shocked face. Then he looked at Lily. "I'm no stranger to siblings fighting, but I don't think I've ever seen Hugo blow up at his sister like that. That was almost like something between you and your brothers."

Lily was staring at her cousin's back. "I've noticed things getting worse between them too. I mean, they've always bickered with each other, they're just like their parents. But . . . lately it's gotten a bit intense."

"Well, like I said, this will be one interesting wedding," Scorpius said with a sigh.


Scorpius felt a bit weird leaving Hogwarts on a random weekend, but he was glad for the break away from school and away from studying. Their group sat far away from Potter and the other Gryffindors on the train. Lola was fidgeting nervously, worrying about if the rest of the Weasley family would accept her as Hugo's girlfriend.

Scorpius more relaxed, but inside he felt a bit uneasy too, mainly because he already knew that Lily's dad didn't like him, along with probably most of the men in her family. He'd been the enemy long before they started dating, and now they had even more fuel to hate him. He just didn't want to fight, and he didn't want Lily to get into a fight over him either. Just as he enjoyed having a break, she deserved a break from it all too.

When they arrived at King's Cross, they were the last ones off the train. Waiting was most of the Weasley-Potter family.

"I got this babe," Scorpius said as he took Lily's bag along with his own. He wrapped an arm around her and smiled. He could see the small bit of concern in her own eyes as she looked at her family, and hoped for her that this went smoothly.

As they all grabbed their things and walked toward the others, they discussed the plans for the day, which seemed to consist of helping with the wedding in whatever way their grandmother requested. Scorpius was ok with, as the matriarch of the Weasley family at least seemed to like him.

As they got closer to the others, they could easily see the looks of surprise and some of fury. But Scorpius felt his own body tense a little at the sight of Lysander Scamander. How had that little prick been invited?

"Hugo Arthur Weasley!"

Scorpius looked immediately to Ron Weasley, whose face was red with obvious fury. His wife stood beside him, looking almost uncertain, as if she didn't know what to say to stop her husband from having a fit.

"What did I tell you?" Ron Weasley demanded.

But Hugo gave his father a harsh stare, one that Scorpius would have never dared to give to his father. Then again, his father had never acted in a way that Scorpius would think to do so. "I didn't disobey you this time, Dad," Hugo hissed.

"I brought Lola along as a friend," Lily defended her cousin immediately. "I thought it would be fun."

Ron looked at Lily now, and Scorpius didn't like the angry look he was giving his girlfriend. "You were only allowed to bring one person, Lily," he stated.

"I did," Lily said with a nod.

"I brought Scorpius," Hugo added with a bit of a smug look on his face.

Ron's face barely contained his anger. "Hugo, we need to talk when we get home."

Hugo continued to grin. "Sure, but we've got to go to Grandma and Grandpa's first."

Seeing the older man wanting to explode, Scorpius quickly spoke. "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Potter," he greeted with a smile. While there was no point in attempting to try and charm Lily's father, her mother at least liked him.

Mrs. Potter smiled back at him. "Well I'm glad to see that you came along We could always use another pair of hands and another wand to help out."

Scorpius gave a nod. "Well I'd be glad to help any way I can," he promised.

"How kind of you to come, Scorpius," Mr. Potter mumbled, surprising Scorpius. He'd expected the hero to either glare, or completely ignore him.

"Of course, Mr. Potter," Scorpius replied, glancing at Hugo and Lily briefly. "When Hugo asked me to come and keep him company, I couldn't refuse. Besides, it would have been quite boring without Lily around. She keeps most people on their toes."

Lily rolled her eyes as others around the laughed. "Ha, ha. Shall we leave now?"


Scorpius worked by himself as he helped to place charms around the backyard of the Weasley home, or the Burrow, as it was apparently called. Scorpius was sure that most of the men outside working were purposely avoiding him.

"Scorpius."

Scorpius turned his head to see Lorcan had appeared at his left, and was kneeling down, pointing his wand at a hole in the fence. Apparently this was how the gnomes were getting in.

Scorpius gave him a polite nod. "Lorcan." Scorpius had no problem with Lorcan, because he seemed to have no problems with Scorpius. Plus, he was one of the few that hadn't cast Lily aside after being Sorted, and was a friend of her. The least he could do in return was not be hostile.

"I thought I'd come over and give you a hand, since everyone else is working on something," Lorcan commented as he shook his head, brushing flakes of snow from his hair.

Scorpius smirked humorlessly. That was one way to look at it. "Well thanks. There's a lot of cracks in this fence. No wonder they have a gnome problem."

"Last thing Freddy and his fiancée will want at their wedding, I'd bet," Lorcan said with a chuckle.

Scorpius laughed a little as well. "So how's life, Lorcan?"

Lorcan shrugged. "Pretty well. I'm scrapping by on my last year, academically. I'll graduate, at least. Quidditch team is doing well, me and my girlfriend are . . . well good, I guess. I'm doing all right."

Scorpius raised a brow as he crouched down to fix a hole at the bottom of the fence. "You sound hesitant to say good," he mentioned. Then again, he was dating Rose Weasley. Should he be surprised?

Lorcan ran a hand through his hair. "Well normally we're great. But . . . well a few times we've been rocky. She's not the biggest fan of all my friends."

Scorpius scowled as he stood back up. "Your friends?"

"Lily," he stated.

Scorpius sighed. "Ah. What a shock."

Lorcan grinned. "She's a little upset about Hugo, and she doesn't know who to blame, so it all goes towards Lil." He chuckled. "I've told her that's not fair, and I think she knows it's not fair to place all the blame on her. But logic doesn't always make an appearance when you worry about your sibling."

Scorpius wouldn't admit it, but that was true. "I have to ask. How do you put up with her?"

Lorcan laughed heartily this time. "She's not so bad. Yeah, she can be a know-it-all, and worries too much about others and following rules. And I sometimes point out that her sense of humor could use some improvements."

"Is there a good part?" Scorpius asked with a laugh.

"She's kindhearted," Lorcan mentioned. "She worries so much because she cares about others. On top of that, she has a soft side that I'm lucky enough to see."

"You're the only one," Scorpius mumbled.

Lorcan grinned. "And I'd like to keep it that way. Makes me feel special," he joked.

"Scorpius, Lorcan, you boys come inside!" The two of them turned their heads to see Mrs. Molly Weasley waving them inside. They jogged over to the older woman, who was holding a plate of rolls.

"You need us to do something, Mrs. Weasley?" Lorcan asked politely, yet in a casual manner that suggested years of knowing the woman.

She smiled at the two of them as they stepped inside. "I've noticed that you two boys haven't eaten much since you got here. Some come in, warm up, and have a few rolls to tide you over until dinner."

Scorpius gave her a polite smile as he took one, and Lorcan took three, quickly biting into one. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius said before taking a bite of his own.

"Well go ahead and take more. I've got plenty of snacks for everyone working outside. Go ahead," she urged.

Now understanding why Lorcan went ahead to take more than on, he followed his example, and took two more. As Mrs. Weasley walked away, Lorcan grinned. "Be ready, Scorpius. These rolls are just the beginning."

Lorcan hadn't been kidding. Scorpius wasn't sure if he'd ever eaten so many rolls in one sitting, but Mrs. Weasley was one hell of a cook. But after hearing Hugo mention that Lily and Lola were upstairs, he snuck off to see where his girlfriend and her best friend were. They weren't hard to find, as he could hear muted voices behind one of the doors, both voices distinctly feminine.

He opened the door, happy to see Lily smiling at him. He smirked in return. "You know, you're about to have a very fat boyfriend," he laughed as he stepped into the room.

Both girls laughed at him. "Why do you say that?" Lily inquired with a smile.

He sat next to her on the bed. "Your grandmother has stuffed at least five rolls into my stomach," he stated.

"Well," Lola said suddenly, "I'm going to go and find Hugo. Maybe help out a bit." She stood up and walked to the door. "I'll leave you two alone." Then she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Scorpius smirked as he rested his chin on Lily's shoulder. "I'll thank her for that later," he joked. Then he placed a kiss on her jaw, letting his lips trail across her cheek before kissing her firmly. She turned, their kiss never breaking, and her hands sat on his shoulders. He pulled her closer to him. She felt even warmer with how cool his skin was from being outside.

Scorpius was completely content and halfway up her shirt when the sound of another voice entered his ears.

"Hey, Lily, Grandma – Woah!"

Scorpius immediately pulled away, his heart pounding immediately with slight fear. But his relief was instant when he saw that it wasn't her father or one of her uncles. It was only Louis, who was staring directly at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. But Scorpius could see his urge to laugh or even smile with amusement.

"Louis," Lily murmured a sigh of relief.

Most likely to be polite, Louis continued to look at the ceiling. "So, Grandma wants you to come down and help cook. She was hoping you'd make those cookies for the wedding." Finally, he looked at the two of them, and grinned. "I'll tell her that you'll be down in a minute."

"Wait!" Lily called as he began to leave.

Louis chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell them that Scorpius is up here," he promised before closing the door.

Scorpius let out a breath of relief. He smirked lightly. "So, I see why you would make it a habit to lock doors in this family," he joked.

She bit her lip, but he could see a smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, exactly," she said with a heavy sigh. She ran a hand through her hair as she stood up from the bed. "Scorpius, my potion box is open on the dresser over there. Can you grab my Calming Solution?"

Scorpius nodded as he got up and went over to where the box rested. He always marveled when he got to see his girlfriend's potion collection. The box, while it seemed small when closed, was actually massive. Compartment after compartment opened up, pulled out, and lifted up. A tiny box that fit in her school bag opened up to enough drawers to fill a closet it seemed.

He scanned the different compartments she had opened, looking for the potion she asked for. He was glad she labeled everything, because as much as he enjoyed potions, he actually had no idea what probably eighty-ninety percent of the potions she had were called or what they did.

He was scanning a tiny compartment when a label caught his eye. "Contraceptive." He felt his mouth go dry, and his heart beat in his ears.

"Scorpius, did you find it?" he heard Lily ask.

Scorpius picked up one of the tiny vials, his eyes glued to the pink potion inside. He turned around to face Lily, wanting to ask, but not sure what the question even was. Her back was to him, but he could see her face through the mirror she had been looking at. A light pink hue, the same as the potion, rushed to her cheeks as she looked at the potion too.

Scorpius wet his lips, his whole body feeling a bit hot. "Lily, when did you start taking this?" he asked.

She didn't turn to look at him directly, but locked eyes with him through the mirror. She cleared her throat nervously. "Um, last month. I learned how to make it from Victoire," she explained.

He moved closer to her, hoping she'd turn around and look at him directly. "But why?" he pressed. Why was she taking this potion? Did she . . .?

Lily glanced down at her hands. "Scor, I told you over Christmas that I was ready," she whispered.

"Lily, will you look at me?" he pleaded softly. His heart raced at her words. When she had said that on their date, he thought it was just the heat of the moment. He'd wondered if she really was ready . . . and now he was kind of questioning if he was really ready.

Finally, she turned around, leaning back against the vanity. "What?"

Scorpius placed the bottle on the vanity before resting his hands at her waist. "You really are ready for that? You're serious?" Part of him hoped and prayed that she wouldn't take it back. Part of him was ready to leap at the idea. But that other part, that small part . . . was uncertain.

But Lily nodded. "I've put thought into it, Scorpius," she assured. "I'd like to think I'm not rushing into this."

The certainty and confidence in her voice lifted away some of his worries, but not all of them. "I'll be honest, when you first told me, I just figured it was the heat of the moment," he admitted.

Lily shook her head. "No, I meant it. Although, I'll admit, it was stupid of me to want to then. I was in no way ready for it to happen right that moment. I mean, I didn't learn how to make a contraceptive until like a month later."

He gently rubbed her sides. "Lily, I don't want to rush into this, no matter how much the guy part of me wants to," he teased lightly, making her laugh softly. "I want that moment to be right. Perfect." What she deserved.

She smiled. "Scorpius, I'm not expecting it to be prefect," she murmured.

"Well I am," he replied. "Because I think you deserve it, so I'm going to make sure it happens that way."

She giggled softly. "You seem more hesitant about this than I am now," she joked.

Scorpius pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. He sighed. "Can I tell you something?"

He felt her nod against his chest. "Of course you can."

Scorpius gulped. "I'm kind of scared."

Lily paused for a moment before speaking. "Why are you scared?"

He scoffed lightly. "Lily, I'm just as new to this as you are. And as said before, while the guy part of me is eager for this . . . the rational part of me is a bit hesitant."

"But why?"

He hesitated. Why was he hesitating? Sure, part of it was that he was new to this idea. Dreaming and thinking about sex is completely different than actually having sex. And also, those remarks, snide ones from Dominique and Lana, about it hurting for a girl's first time . . . they swirled in his head. He never wanted to hurt his girlfriend, even accidentally.

"Well . . . I guess I'm afraid I'll hurt you." It sounded stupid out loud, but he knew she wouldn't let him get away without telling the truth.

He felt her breath sway across his shirt. "It's not really your fault that it's going to hurt," she pointed out "That's just life, I guess."

"I know. It's still a bit . . . well, scary." If Scorpius learned anything with love, fears weren't always the most rational. And the idea of Lily hurting in any way . . . it hurt him. But at the same time, he couldn't deny that he wanted her. More than anything, he wanted to take that next step with his girlfriend, the love of his life. But how in the bloody hell was he supposed to balance the two?

"I'll be ok," Lily promised. "After all the Quidditch injuries I've lived through, I'm sure nothing could be as bad."

Scorpius chuckled a little. "Yeah, maybe," he said with a sigh. He gave her a gentle squeeze in their embrace. "Well, why don't you go down and help your grandmother. I'll sneak back outside and start helping again."

She slowly pulled away again. The smile she gave him was reassuring. "You go ahead. I need to do something quick first."

Scorpius nodded. "Ok. I'll see you around." He kissed her softly before he left the room. He crept down the stairs, thankful and yet surprised, to see that no one was in the living room. He quickly grabbed his coat, and made his way outside.

Scorpius's mind was obviously distracted as he continued to help with the wedding preparations. Lily . . . she was ready to have sex . . . with him! Just the thought made hormones rush through his body, and it made him want to act. But that one intelligent part of his brain held himself back. He couldn't just rush it. Even if it was something they both wanted, she deserved better than to have a boyfriend who rushed into having sex immediately after they talked about it. Again, how did a guy reach a balance with this type of thing?


"It's so nice to be out of Hogwarts, and to not be stuck at home!" Mitch cheered as he and Scorpius walked into Scorpius's flat.

Scorpius had to agree. It was nice being able to be out of school and not be stuck with Lucius, who would do nothing but complain about him helping with a wedding for the Weasley family.

"How the hell is this place so pristine when you haven't been here since Christmas?" Mitch mocked.

Scorpius grinned. "House elves. My dad told me he has them keep it clean while I'm at school. I hadn't thought much of it then, but I have to say that I'm grateful he does it."

Mitch dropped down onto an armchair. "Man, I never thought I'd be tired when all I did was help set up for a wedding."

Scorpius gave a nod in agreement as he laid across the couch.

Mitch chuckled. "And I never thought I'd go to a Weasley house and not receive a million glares my way. Apparently glaring and hating you was much more important," he joked.

Scorpius smirked. "Well I'm the newest Slytherin boyfriend to enter that house. You're old news now," he mocked.

"Time goes by so fast," Mitch said with an overly dramatic sigh. But then he looked over to his friend. "So, what are you going to do about Scamander being at the wedding?"

Scorpius scowled immediately. "Sadly, there's not much I can do. Starting a fight at her cousin's wedding is a sure way to make her furious with me. And it probably wouldn't win me any points with her family."

"How the hell did that kid even get invited?" Mitch wondered curiously.

"It doesn't matter," Scorpius sighed. "As long as he doesn't do anything stupid, I can manage to be civil with him around her family. It's only a wedding."

"Yeah, I doubt he'd do something stupid here," Mitch agreed. "You're probably in the clear. We can mess with him once we're back at school."

Scorpius groaned as he ran his hands over face. "I was really hoping that once Lil was my girlfriend, I wouldn't have to worry about other guys trying to get in-between us."

"And of all the guys, Scamander's the one," Mitch mumbled. "I wonder where he got the spine. It seems so unlike the kid."

"I hope he knows that I'm not afraid to pull that spine out from his throat," Scorpius grumbled. "Not afraid at all."


Scorpius ran a comb through his hair. It'd become unruly in his sleep, and was proving a little difficult to keep down. Once pleased with his hair, he looked over his clothes. A smart black sweater with some grey slacks. He'd chosen to wear a belt to make sure his pants didn't slip or sag even a millimeter. He looked good, presentable. Ready to look like a respectable boyfriend to a girl from the Weasley family.

Scorpius stepped out of his room and walked down the hall. He found Mitch still asleep on his couch, snoring lightly with a pillow resting gently over his face. Scorpius rolled his eyes, but smirked at his friend. He'd let his friend sleep instead of waking him up to endure the glares of his girlfriend's father and uncles.

He quietly left his flat, and hurried out of the building and to the closest Apparation point. He was at the door to the Burrow within minutes, and knocked. He waited patiently, but could hear muted voices on the other side.

The door opened, and Scorpius felt a bit relieved to see Lily's grandfather, Arthur Weasley, instead of one of the men that hated him. Scorpius gave the older man a polite look. "Um, hi. I thought I'd come over and see if you still needed help setting things up." But Scorpius paused when he saw probably the whole Weasley family sitting in the living room, staring his way. "But, if I'm interrupting something, I can just go back home."

"Oh, no!" Molly Weasley spoke quickly from her seat. She waved him in. "We're just going over the last few wedding plans. We could use the help."

Scorpius gave a nod as he stepped in. He slipped off his jacket and shoes before walking in further.

"Actually, Scorpius," Angelina Weasley, who Scorpius had learned was Freddy Weasley's mother, spoke with a smile, "once this is all done, I'm assigning some of the men to start putting things up for the wedding. And you're a strong lad, so I'm sure you could be a big help."

Scorpius nodded. "I'd be delighted to help." He glanced around, wondering where to sit. While he wanted nothing more than to sit next to Lily on the floor, he could feel the burning gaze of her father. So instead, he took an empty seat by the two uncles that liked him, Charlie and George.

Angelina continued to give out different tasks. "Lily, Lorcan, would you two be willing to take pictures during the ceremony for me? And afterwards?"

Lily nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

Lorcan looked a bit sheepish as he cleared his throat. "Um, I can, but I suck with cameras," he admitted.

"I'll do it," Scamander jumped in quickly. Scorpius tensed, then glared at the kid. He sounded way too eager. But he looked away, not wanting to show obvious disdain and hatred toward the kid. Looking a Scamander just made Scorpius want to throw something at him, and there were too many people around for him to do that. He sighed silently. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn't let Scamander spend that much time with his girlfriend! What if he chose to make a move then? Scorpius would be left with two unsavory choices. He could beat the prick to near death, but then he'd be in even hotter water with all of Lily's family. Or he could do nothing, which was never going to happen. So he had to stop the kid from even having the chance to do something.

When they were all sent off to finish the last minute wedding decorations, Scorpius stepped over to where Lily was talking with Dominique. "Hey, Lily," he said in a low voice, "can I talk with you for a minute?"

Lily quickly turned around to look at him. She nodded, but looked hesitant. "Yeah, sure." She paused, but then took his hand. "Come on."

He let her guide him up the stairs. He didn't care where they went, as long as they could talk. She brought him into an empty room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Scorpius shoved his hands into his pockets, wondering how the hell he could make his request without seeming like an ass.

"What is it, Scorpius?" Lily asked.

Scorpius scowled as he looked around the room, still trying to figure out how to put his thoughts to words without being an ass. "Um, do you want me to take the pictures for the wedding?" Not the best way, but maybe trying to sound helpful would be better than just blurting out the truth. "That way you can, uh . . . actually way and enjoy it?" Nope that sounded just as stupid…

And Lily seemed like she agreed as she looked at him, confused. "What?"

He shrugged, hoping to play it off. "I just thought I'd offer." Well this wasn't going like he'd hoped.

"Um, no it's ok. I'll do it," she replied. "Personally, I'm not a fan of weddings anyways. There ceremonies are kind of boring, so I'd rather be doing something."

"Are you sure? Because I can do it. I don't mind," he assured, hoping he sounded normal.

But she wasn't buying it. "Scorpius, what is this about?" Lily demanded.

"Nothing," he said quickly, "just wanted to be nice."

"Don't lie to me."

Scorpius sighed quietly. "Well I can't say anything without sounding like an ass," he admitted with a mumble.

Lily looked ready to roll her eyes. "Say it anyways."

Scorpius sighed as he closed his eyes. He could feel the argument building, but it wasn't looking like he could get away from this. He never should have asked to talk. "Fine. I would just feel better if you didn't hang around Scamander too much."

"What?" she groaned with irritation.

"You wanted to know!" Scorpius argued.

"Well I didn't know it was something that dumb!" she quipped, finally rolling her eyes.

Scorpius huffed. "Well excuse me for not trusting Scamander. Excuse me for not trusting him after what he's done!" he hissed.

"He apologized for how he acted and what he said!"

"He's made it clear to me that I can't trust him!"

"What has he done?" Lily exclaimed. "I've hardly talked to him since he apologized over Christmas!"

"Well he hasn't been hiding from me!" Scorpius snapped. "In fact, he's made it very clear that being your friend is the last thing on his mind!" Just the thought of that kid made him furious.

"Ok, first of all, I have no idea what you're talking about," Lily argued. "Lysander has done nothing to prove that!"

"To you!"

"And second," she interrupted quickly, "it's not like it would matter! What would Lysander ever do? Nothing! Because Lysander's not like that! He knows I'm with you, and he's not going to try anything!"

Scorpius scoffed. "Then you really don't know much about Scamander now. I don't trust that kid not to try something."

"Maybe you don't know him then!"

Scorpius almost screamed. Why did she always have to argue! Why was she taking that . . . that prick's side? "Yeah, well when he proves you wrong, don't get pissy at me when I kick his ass," he growled as he stormed to the door.

"Oh, you are such a child!" she mocked.

"At least I'm not ignorant!" he snapped back before slamming the door behind him.