So another chapter… I am always so late but I have legitimate excuse this time! I have exams this week, and they got postponed from last week but I will be done with them by the end of this week! Yay! I hate exams and have been studying so much! But I got like ten reviews in the first few days that I had the story posted! I'm SO PROUD! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Because I love getting reviews! So don't hesitate to review please!

BTW IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: after this chapter, I will post a one-shot that will serve as a complementary to this story. Just a humorous little blurb I have in my head about Ron finding out about Rose's new announcement and Harry freaking out about some… important information about Lily *evil laugh* and their wives making fun of them. I hope you all read it and of course review when I post it!

Chapter 20: Accusations and Assumptions

When Lily woke up at precisely 11:56, realizing that she was well on her way to being late to her… well what was it exactly? Sweet Merlin, she prayed it wasn't a date. Weren't girls supposed to freak out about a date days before it was even set to happen and fret over what clothes to wear for hours on end? She glanced down at her rumpled school uniform that she had been too exhausted to change out of before she realized that it was now 11:58 and she was never going to be on time. Hopefully he'd take the excuse that she was 'fashionably late' and not falling in love with the snooze button on her watch.

Lily scampered past her fellow occupants of the fourth-year girls' dorm and tried to shut the door quietly behind her as she left, but the stupid door decided to be loud and squeaky, creaking at the quietest movement she used. She held her breath in suspense when Amanda Thomas groaned loudly and rolled over in her bed before she resumed snoring like a chainsaw. She stumbled her way to the stairs and had padded down about halfway, when she heard a door squeak open, much like hers had. She froze in terror, the wheels of her mind whirring as she tried to come up with an excuse as to why she was up.

She felt like she could have slapped herself when she finally remembered the Invisibility Cloak draped across her arm and she swung it over her body as she heard footsteps coming from one of the girls' dorms padding their way over to the stairs. "Lily, I know you're there. What are you doing out here so late?"

A few curses fell from Lily's lips that she wished were molesting Scorpius's face at the moment, but she took off the cloak to face Rose who was glaring at her with disapproval, almost exactly like the time Aunt Hermione had caught James cheating on one of his summer essays. "Well, nothing in particular, really," Lily evaded, "but why are you awake? I thought you would've fallen asleep by now."

"Well, I was writing my letter to Dad," Rose answered primly. "I was trying to figure out the best words so that he would have a minimal dangerous rage, and it was taking me quite a long time. But Roxy asked me at dinner to return the Marauder's Map to James, and I had it open—"

"Stalker," Lily muttered.

But rose continued as though she hadn't spoken. "And I noticed Scorpius's name disappear into the room of requirement, and you start to move around." Her glare was fierce and unforgiving. "Care to explain?"

"Umm… it was really just going to be a f-friendly chat. I-I-I mean, he saw how upset I got in d-detention and he w-wanted to cheer m-me up." But the stuttering gave Lily's half-lie away.

"Yeah, I suppose a 'friendly chat' is exactly what Zach and Katie Kane are doing up in the Astronomy Tower at this very moment." Lily could see the hurt in Rose's eyes and her mouth went completely dry, her tongue clinging to the pallet of her mouth and not allowing her to speak. "You know that's where that prat takes all of his girls and they have a nice 'talk' and really let their emotions out. Or sometimes, if he thinks a girl is special enough, he takes her into a broom closet where they have a real heart-to-heart."

The words made Lily flinch and she could clearly see how hard it was for Rosie to talk about Smith's next fling, his fifth since her. "Rosie, I think you have—"

"Have what?" she hissed. "The wrong impression?" Rose had taken the words right out of her little cousin's mouth. "Because I don't think I do, Lily." She took a step down the stairs towards Lily, who retreated carefully, her feet finding the next step before she could look back. "I see the way you look at Scorpius, and the way he looks at you when you aren't watching. You two seem to constantly be flirting, sharing these little private messages behind everyone else's back without talking. You two act like more than friends and I know that's exactly what you are."

Lily retreated a few more precarious steps as Rose continued to advance. "Now, Rose, it may look like we're… something more, but we aren't. Scorpius only wanted to cheer me up—"

"How?" Rose interrupted again, "by giving you another hickey? Both of you are horrible at hiding things! I know a secret relationship when I see one! How could you, Lily?" she implored sadly. "You betrayed us all for Malfoy!"

"I-I didn't betray anyone," Lily answered quietly, realizing that if Rose got much louder, she'd wake up every Weasley who'd love to have her blood on their hands. "I—really, we—it's just—but Rose—we," she hung her head in shame, giving up. "Just kill me before I have to face James and Albus."

But there was no response. Lily jerked her head up in surprise. Rose half-heartedly smiled. "Maybe I'll just wait to kill you in the morning. Besides, the only thing I found tonight was an empty common room." The younger cousin was shocked by the turn of events and gaped at Rose. "Go," She urged again, physically pushing Lily towards the portrait doorway, "before I change my mind and scream at you until your brothers wake up."

"Thanks, Rosie," Lily squealed, hugging her cousin so hard that the breath whooshed out of Rose. Then she ran out the door, simultaneously throwing the cloak over her shoulders, plunging her into nothing. Lily would have run if she wasn't afraid of someone hearing her shoes slap against the stone floor. She cautiously went as fast as she dared through the corridors, heading to the Room of Requirement. Lucky for her, she was almost twenty minutes late, and Scorpius was waiting for her outside. Before she took off the cloak, she whispered in his ear, "Someone looks a little lonely."

"Well, my date stood me up. It's not a surprise I'm lonely." She could see the hurt behind his teasing ways and sighed loud enough for him to hear. He groped blindly for her hand until she gave it to him, making it look like Scorpius was holding a dismembered hand in the middle of the corridor. He led her inside, behind the plain door that seemed just like every other one in Hogwarts before she shed the cloak and hung it on the little hook right beside the door.

She turned to face him. "Scorp, I'm so sorry—"

"What happened? Did you get in trouble?" Lily could see the concern in his eyes, his hands resting gently on the tops of her arms, but behind the concern was the hurt that she hadn't been on time. She knew that he was giving her the benefit of the doubt, but a part of him suspected that she had done it on purpose.

"Well—no," she answered, unsure if he would be angry with her for Rose finding out. "I—uh—was detained."

Scorpius rolled his eyes before centering them on her face to glare at her. He knew she was beating around the bush and trying to avoid answering the question as a light blush pooled in her cheeks, so faint it was hardly noticeable. "Flower, what did you do?"

"Why do you suddenly assume that everything is my fault?" she asked, only slightly offended. He knew her too well.

His glare was the only answer.

"Rosie knows." The words flew from her lips before she could decide whether or not she even wanted to tell him. Lily's emerald eyes widened as though she had cursed in front of her dad and knew she would be in trouble for it. She shrank away from Scorpius a little, but her hands still rested on his chest.

"Knows about what?" His grey eyes burned like fire with slight mistrust.

She swallowed nervously and shook her head. "Us," she whispered, refusing to look him in the eye, her eyes falling to her trainers, one of which she had forgotten to tie the shoelaces.

His grip tightened on her arms and she winced but not from pain. With a deep breath, his grip relaxed. She looked up, startled, only to find his happy crooked smile on his face. He suddenly laughed, pulling her into his chest and a little uncertain smile of her own spread across her lips. "Is that why you were so frightened? You thought I'd be mad?" his words were cut off by another round of laughter. "Flower, she's been glaring at me for weeks. She knows things. I thought she might find out sooner or later. What tipped her off?"

"Er, she caught me sneaking out tonight. That's why I was late." Lily's heartbeat slowed as she felt relief rush through her. "I swear I didn't mean to."

"Merlin," Scorpius breathed, and his hot breath made a few stray strands of hair blow slightly away from the frame of her face. His face was so close to hers that their noses brushed together lightly, sending a little shiver down her arms. "How could I ever be mad with an angel?"

"I'm far from being angelic, Scorpius." Her insides fluttered and twisted and her knees began to feel very wobbly as he began to overpower her, his smell of cinnamon and vanilla making her eyes flutter closed of their own accord as she let herself be immersed in the moment. She leaned forward and their lips connected, sending electricity jolting through her veins The sudden shock that wasn't totally unexpected gave her the sudden urge to twist her fingers in his hair. Lily pressed herself up against him to gain better access to his lips, and Scorpius almost roughly cradled her face in his hands, pulling her closer at every moment.

They tangled together blissfully until Lily pulled away with the intent of not suffocating. Scorpius quietly groaned before he could stop himself and sighed, using his hand to run through his blonde hair. "Merlin, you're right," he told her breathlessly. "You can't be an angel; you're a devil intent on leading me to hell."

She giggled breathlessly. "You caught me. Maybe I'll have to reveal my true form now."

"Merlin, you're probably so sexy underneath."

"Scorp!" she exclaimed, blushing, but his lips captured hers again, his teeth nibbling on her lower lip, which effectively cut off her protests as she moaned quietly into his mouth. His fingers slowly traced their way up and down her spine, sending tingling shivers to her very fingertips.

He pulled back suddenly checking his watch, and Lily did her best to stay quiet although it seemed impossible to have to be complacent while he tortured her. He cursed when he saw that the watch proclaimed that it was a quarter till one. "I have to be back in my dorm at one."

"So soon?" Lily asked with quiet disappointment.

He kissed her cheek lightly. "Well, it would've been longer if someone hadn't been late." She was about to protest but he said, "It doesn't matter Lily, I'm not mad, I just had something I needed to show you."

She took a step forward, "And what would that be?"

"Well, my dad wrote me today, telling me fantastic news."

"Scorpius Malfoy, you're wasting time!" she exclaimed impatiently.

His grey eyes danced with amusement, and he chuckled. "He told me that your family will be coming to our annual Christmas Ball that we hold for important figures in the Ministry. We simply must keep up our relations." He smiled at her knowingly. "And, as you probably know, a ball requires ballroom dancing."

"Scorpius, what are you going on about?" Then she suddenly realized what was so different about this room; he had changed it into a ballroom with shining hardwood floors and even dance shoes on a shelf in the corner, every size and every color. "You're going to teach me how to dance?"

He nodded and led her over to the shoes and selected a pair of gold high heels. She stared at them incredulously as he held them out, waiting for her to take them. "You've got to be kidding me. I can't walk in heels, much less dance in them!"

"Which is exactly why we are doing this," he answered. "So that you may show off your superior skills to your brothers when you show them up."

She struggled into the deathtraps and wobbled around in them when she stood up. "If you expect me to dance with you, you're going to have awfully bloody feet by the time we're through."

He laughed, turning on the magic record player that the room had provided for them. A lovely orchestra began to fill the room with the music. Scorpius placed one of her hands on his shoulder and took the other in his hand, his remaining hand resting on her waist. He waited for the proper beat before he slowly led Lily into the music steps, showing her slowly and counting with each step. She did well for two steps, then she stumbled and stepped on his foot. He grunted in pain and she stopped moving. "Oh, Merlin, Scorp, I told you I'd be rotten at this!"

He smiled weakly. "It's alright, Flower. I'm not a complete wimp of a man. Let's try it again." They started at the right beat again and he started counting. Soon, Lily's voice joined his although he suspected by the intent way that she was focusing on her feet that she wasn't even realizing she was doing it.

"Gah," he shut his mouth quickly, trying not to let her see how much pain she had inflicted this time when she stepped on him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said, stepping out of the reach of his arms.

He smiled lightly to make her feel better. "Flower, it's not like I'm going to die. Just relax, and we can try it again." But he glanced at his clock and cursed, throwing off his dancing shoes, and trying to find his trainers. "I told Julian I'd be back at one! How on earth is it one forty?" He found his shoes but didn't even bother to put them on, grabbing them and rushing over to her. He kissed her chastely on the mouth. "I've gotta run, doll. I have no idea what I'm going to tell him!"

"Tell him you found a couple snogging in a broom closet while you were out and it detained you because it's part of your prefect duties," she suggested as she struggled out of her own shoes while trying to maintain her balance. "Do you need the cloak? You should take it with you so you won't get caught. I don't need it anyways."

"You're a lifesaver, doll." He raced to the door and grabbed the cloak off of the hook. "See you in the morning, and I'm sorry for so rudely leaving you here on your own."

"I'll consider it as payback for causing serious damage to your feet."

OoOxXxOoO

It quickly became regular for their meetings to be brief and short. Neither one of them had much time to start with, and it was made more difficult by snooping brothers and nosy friends. Rose tried to cover for Lily most of the time, but it only succeeded for an hour or so. Between the opposing Quidditch practices, loads of homework, and sneaking out and avoiding being caught, they had hardly any time to themselves. Over the next two weeks, they were lucky if they had an hour of time to spend with each other. Both carried dark circles under their eyes from meetings late at night, and Scorpius was found with many bruises on his feet although he refused to give up teaching her how to dance. She slowly began to improve but it was impossible to do so if they had no time to practice. Lily noticed her grades beginning to drop slowly, and more than one teacher asked her about it. Her regular detentions only made things worse, but she tried to pass off her dropping grades as a result from them.

On a Monday morning, Lily sat down beside Rose at the Gryffindor table and begged her to help with the Goblin Wars because she had fallen asleep in Professor Binns's class and couldn't remember anything. Rose rolled her eyes. "You're doing this to yourself."

"What am I supposed to do, Rose?" she countered. "We have no other time but at night. Are we just supposed to not see each other?"

"There's no need to be snappy with me," Rose admonished, and Lily realized that the lack of sleep was making her meaner, too. "I'm only trying to help, and I'm not suggesting that you don't see him at all, just not every night. Take one or two nights out of the week to rest and relax, and maybe try to spend more time together on the weekends when you haven't got your studies to worry about as much."

"That's a good—"

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream echoed through the Great Hall, plunging it into utter silence as a girl stood up from the Gryffindor table, a fourth year. Lily quickly realized that she wasn't screaming because she was hurt, but because of something in the Daily Prophet that she clutched in her hands, with a smile playing at her lips. "Oh my GAWD!" she exclaimed. Even the teachers seemed to be wondering if she was mentally healthy. "'Lily Luna Potter Gets Caught Dating Scorpius Malfoy'!"

Lily's heart stopped for a moment. Her eyes darted to the table where Scorpius had dropped his fork and it landed with a loud clatter that echoed through the hall on his plate. "What?" Lily looked up uncertainly to see that both Albus and James were standing up, towering over her. "YOU'RE DATING MALFOY?" James's face was completely red and Albus was almost there.

Lily stood up, her hands resting on the table for support because black spots were dancing in her vision and the room seemed to be rocking back and forth. "Merlin's dirty underpants, of course I'm not!" The words came out with enough conviction that they wouldn't suspect her of lying straightaway. "We're friends! You both know that! Why would we ever be anything more?"

"Why would I stoop so low as to date a Potter?" Scorpius yelled from across the Hall. "I could have my pick of girls and I'd want a Potter? Someone I know whose family would beat me up? You honestly think that I'm that dumb?"

"I don't know what to think!" Albus yelled.

But all of them were suddenly distracted by girls begging for the first one to read the paper aloud. If there was ever a time for the teachers to intervene, Lily begged silently, it would be now. "'Miss Lily Luna Potter,'" the girl began to read, to almost everyone's tangible excitement, "'has rebelled against her father, the one and only Harry Potter who defeated Voldemort himself, and, knowing how furious her father would be, has been having a secret affair with none other than Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, the son of Harry Potter's vile school enemy, Draco Malfoy. Lily Potter seduced Scorpius into falling in love with her, just to spite her father, and gain revenge on him. Secretly, Dear Readers, it is rather obvious that she does this out of a psychological need to be greater than her own father.

"' I, Rita Skeeter, found myself delving right into the information to get the dirty facts about this dirty story and reveal a truth that has long been hidden. Sources have told me that Miss Potter and the young Malfoy were only "friends," a term used much too loosely by my standards. Readers, I saw them hanging all over each other with my own eyes and listened in on their own hidden conversations. This relationship at first started as a way for Lily to secretly rebel against her father, although she would reveal her secret dealings later, but it quickly morphed into an almost Romeo and Juliet standard where they developed true feelings for each other and kept it hidden for fear of being caught by their rivaling fathers. The two have been secretly dating for months, and were obviously much too close to be "just friends."

"'I assure you, Dearest Readers, that I dug as deep as I could and found all of their dirty little secrets. For weeks they have stolen off to hidden broom closets and perhaps the Astronomy Tower once or twice to have a good snog and perhaps more. Almost every night, both were found sneaking out of bed to have just a few moments of peace in their own lust-filled world where passion reigned and experiments, more often than not, turned "fun." I personally heard them as they filled their desolate lives with their love for each other, and filled the darkness with comforting words of love and revelations. As much as I know you would enjoy it, Beloved Readers, I cannot go into all the inappropriate details of what was said behind those closed doors, but only that their love is like a burning flame that has quickly consumed their lives. But now I have revealed to you the reason why Lily has been sporting a hickey on her neck for the past few weeks, and why they snuggle up much too close together in public. Now, you know the darkest secret of Lily Luna Potter and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.'"

Lily felt like she would retch up her breakfast. The lies were twisted so deviously and so untruthfully that there could be no way that anyone could believe her. But when she looked into the eyes of those staring straight at her, she knew that they had lapped up the gossip and rumor like a dog needing water in a hot August. She started panicking and hyperventilating.

"Care to explain?" James asked in his deadly quiet voice that sounded like their dad's when he got furious. Harry never yelled; he used this creepy voice that terrified her.

"You honestly believe something that Rita Skeeter says? We're talking about the woman who said that Dad and Aunt Hermione were in love and she was cheating on Dad with that Viktor Krum bloke." She folded her arms across her chest. "You're going to believe that liar over me, you're sister that you've known for fourteen years?"

"There's always a grain of truth in a good lie." Lily was a little surprised that Albus would be the one who provided this information on lying, seeing as he used it less often than James.

"Yeah," Lily agreed in exasperation, "and the grain of truth would be that we're close friends but nothing more." She saw their stony expression and threw her arms in the air. "How can you believe that? She made it out like I'd had SEX with him or something! I would never do anything so—so effing stupid!"

"Like I would do that either," Scorpius added. He had come over to the table to stand behind Lily. When she met his eyes, he raised an eyebrow. "You 'have psychological need to be greater than your father' so you used me?"

"Merlin, Scorpius, don't tell me you believe any of that!"

"I'm just not entirely sure that you didn't give her a reason to write this article."

"You think—I – but you—but—" she stumbled over the words because she was so angry although she knew Scorpius was pulling an act to provoke her. Suddenly, everything bubbled up in her and she let out a stream of heavy curses, calling Rita Skeeter and her article every dirty name that her brothers and Scorpius had used in front of her. The language was so foul that even James, the master of all things having to do with curse words, seemed taken aback by her fluent vocabulary.

"I'd say that this ordeal has gone on quite long enough." Madame Wilkinson stood over the group. Her lips were a thin line, forming a terrifying scowl. "Miss Potter, you will come to my office for detention tonight, and we will see how long it takes for you to get those words out of your mouth. Now, all of you run along before I tell the professors that they are welcome to hand out detentions for being late." Everyone stared at her for a moment before she snapped, "Get moving!"

Every student scrambled to gather their things and rushed off to class which was apparently starting early today. Lily grabbed her bag, sending a weak glare to Scorpius before she walked out of the Great Hall all alone. But the corridors were crowded with people, many familiar faces, and all of them stopped walking to stare at her and whisper to their neighbor.

"I wonder if she's pregnant."

"I bet her dad's gonna kill her."

"He could do so much better."

"I always knew she was more of a slut than her cousin."

"She's probably done this with half of the male population already."

Her cheeks burned and she sluggishly made her way down to Potions class, intent at looking at nothing but the stone stairs beneath her feet. But it didn't stop her from hearing all of the crude things said about her. Tears threatened to overflow from her emerald eyes, but she blinked them away, her throat aching from the effort of not sobbing. The gossip mill of Hogwarts had found its newest victim. She had never hated being Harry Potter's daughter as much as she did then.

REALLY IMPORTANT: I don't know whether or not I should make another chapter between this and their Christmas break after I write the one-shot, so I NEED your opinion desperately! The Christmas chapter will be extremely important, so I don't know if you'll want to wait longer for it or not! Please tell me in a review!

Also from now on, I'm going to ask that if you add this story to your favorites list or have already that you PLEASE review!