A new chapter! I'm really sorry, but I was a bit upset after the last chapter that I only got two reviews, so that prevented me from wanting to write. But it's summer now, so hopefully I can update a bit more often. This chapter is a HUGE turning point in the story and I'm not sure how everyone will take it, but I hope you all like it :) Please remember to review!
Chapter 22: Gone All Wrong
"Mum! I can't find my shoes!"
"Just relax, Lily. Did you look in my closet?" Ginny smiled slightly at the stressed look on Lily's face. Her children had returned for Christmas Break from Hogwarts three days ago, and she loved spending every minute with them. Christmas Eve had arrived sooner than she had anticipated, and the Potter household was in a flurry as they ran around, preparing for the Malfoys' grand ball this evening. Lily seemed the most on edge for this event and had been stressing over it all day.
Lily didn't wait to answer her mother, immediately darting into her parents' room and throwing open the door of the closet. "Hey, kiddo," her dad greeted, a little startled. He was straightening his tie in the mirror as she searched for her shoes. "You in a bit of a hurry?"
"Yeah, Dad," she answered absently. With a cheer of triumph, she spotted the pair of strappy silver heels and snatched them up, hurrying back towards her room.
She set them on the bed beside her carefully laid out green evening gown. The floor-length strapless dress flowed almost like dark green waves, with silver beaded embellishments on the front. It was backless, and she and her mother had diligently picked it out, Lily insisting on finding the perfect dress. She had recently gotten a shower and her long hair was dripping wet. She sat down at her vanity that was still decorated with childish, pink princess crowns from when she was younger. She delicately applied her make-up, emphasizing her soft pale skin and the mascara making her eyes more noticeable.
Someone knocked on the door, and she let them in, only to find Albus, who was already almost completely finished. He looked at her in her fuzzy robe with surprise. "You haven't even dressed yet?"
She rolled her eyes. "I haven't even done my hair. What do you want?"
"Well, Dad wanted me to check on you and see how close you are to being done. We have forty-five minutes before we have to leave," he informed.
"Alright," she answered. "Go tell Mum that I'm ready for her to help with my hair."
"What's the magic word?" he taunted.
She kicked at him with exasperation. "Please."
"Fine, don't kill me," he grumbled, dodging her kick before she slammed the door shut.
Only a few moments later, Ginny entered, her hair already smoothed into a simple bun with a couple of curls framing her face and a lovely dark blue dress that floated to the floor. "You look amazing, Mum," Lily complimented, awed.
She smiled softly. "Thank you, but now we're going to make you look even more gorgeous."
Ginny made Lily turn around in her seat so that she couldn't see the hairstyle until it was finished, and she curled and put pins in the hair for ages, it seemed to the impatient Lily. "All done," she finally announced proudly.
Lily turned slowly, afraid that she would ruin all the hard work her mother had just done as she eagerly looked into the mirror. Her hair was half up with everything curled, and sparkling silver pins held her hair up and in place. A few curls framed her face gently, giving a sort of elegantly casual style, if that were even possible. Ginny smiled and kissed Lily's cheek. "You are so beautiful, love."
"Thank you, Mum," Lily answered and gave Ginny a tight hug.
Harry knocked on the door and entered. "Well, don't I have the two most beautiful ladies in the world?" he joked with a smile. "Are you two going to take much longer, though? We're already almost late."
Ginny dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. "Oh, who cares? Lily just needs to put her dress on and we'll be right down."
"Okay," Harry raised his hands, as though trying to avoid angering either of the ladies. "The boys and I are waiting downstairs when you two are ready."
He left, and Ginny quickly helped Lily step into the dress and zipped it for her. Lily carefully sat on the bed and lifted up the skirt of her dress to put on the heels and stood up, wobbling slightly. "How do I look?"
Ginny smiled, resisting the urge to actually tear up. It seemed that all of her kids were growing up so quickly and it seemed that only yesterday the little eleven-year-old Lily was scared to leave for Hogwarts. "You look like the most beautiful angel," she answered, sniffling quietly.
Lily herself was too tense to notice that her mother was about to rapidly dissolve into tears. Her hands trembled uncertainly. Her heart beat hurriedly in her chest as she examined herself critically in the mirror. She checked and double-checked that her mascara wasn't making her eyelashes clump together and that her lip-gloss hadn't smeared onto her teeth. She would have chewed her nails off, except they would have looked so trashy. Lily felt pressure, afraid that she wouldn't look special enough for Scorpius. She wanted herself to be the first thing he noticed when her family arrived. What if he didn't like the way she looked? She took a deep breath, knowing this wouldn't be easy. "I'm ready to go now, Mum."
XxXoOoXxX
Scorpius's reflection was ashen in the mirror as he struggled to tie his bowtie properly. He took a shaky breath and gave up for the umpteenth time on tying the damn thing. He was more nervous than frustrated. Lily was sure to look stunning in a dress that she had infuriatingly hinted about in her letters over the past few days, and it seemed to him that he looked gawky and slightly ridiculous in his dress robes.
"Are you ready yet, son?" Draco stood in the doorway to Scorpius's room, looking perfectly refined in his own dress robes.
"No," Scorpius grumbled. "I can't tie this. Do you think you could do it for me?"
"Of course," his father answered, crossing the room, and standing over him as he gently tied it for his son in silence. Scorpius nervously wiped his clammy palms on the material of his grey dress robes, taking another shaky breath. These actions did not go unnoticed by Draco and he asked, "Are you alright, Scorpius? You seem nervous."
"I-I am nervous," he confided, unsure if he should really be admitting this to his father, who wouldn't be afraid to murder both Scorpius and Lily if he ever found them together.
"What's bothering you?" Draco asked with softness in his voice that was rarely heard outside of his family.
"It's nothing," Scorpius answered, turning away from Draco when he had finished tying the bowtie.
"Is she very pretty?"
"What?" Scorpius looked up, startled. "How did you know?" He hadn't exactly meant to say the last part, but it slipped out and couldn't be taken back.
Draco walked over with an amused smile and sat down on the edge of his son's bed. "I know because I've acted exactly like you have, and I was so terribly nervous around your mother. She was like an angel sent to give me hell." He chuckled lightly, "I was so frustrated, yet I couldn't keep my mind off of her. So tell me, is this girl pretty?"
Scorpius sat down beside Draco. "She's…" he thought for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face just at the mere thought of his Lily. "She's beautiful, gorgeous even. She has the most beautiful smile…" He sighed, wishing that he could see Lily; the three days had been far too torturous.
Draco laughed softly, remembering feeling like that around Astoria, all the time, it seemed. "Is she smart?"
"Smart?" Scorpius repeated incredulously. "She's not smart, she's a genius. She'd be at the top of her class if she didn't have a bit of trouble with her Transfiguration class. She's wicked brilliant with pranks, too."
"Pranks?" Draco asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Scorpius smiled. "Heck, yeah. She's a little mastermind."
"Does she play Quidditch?"
"Oh, yeah," Scorpius answered readily. "She loves it, and we practice together all the time. No matter how hard I try, she always bests me."
Draco smiled brightly. "And you truly fancy this girl?"
"Of course, Father. She's everything to me."
"Then, be sure to treat her right," Draco told him. "And just between us men," he teased lightly, "Women are always right, even when they are wrong. That bit of advice will save you many times over."
Scorpius smiled, a bit more at ease. "Thanks, Father."
Draco smiled, amazed at how quickly his son had grown up while his back was turned.
OoOxXxOoO
Scorpius was starting to worry that something had happened to Lily and her family and they weren't coming. Once again, he checked his pocket for the velvet box that held Lily's Christmas present, afraid that he would check and someone would have stolen it. He desperately prayed to Merlin that she like his present, terrified that she would think it was stupid or cheesy. He should have found something more original. It was possible that he could have found something more tailored to her tastes, wasn't it? Quickly he was beginning to convince himself that it was a stupid gift and he shouldn't offer it to her.
"Where are the Potters, Mother?" he asked again, even though he knew it would irritate Astoria, who looked stunning in her golden dress that shimmered with ever move she took.
"Scorpius," she answered sharply, slightly put out with him. "I have told you a thousand times already, they must simply be running a little late. It's only been fifteen minutes!"
"What if something happened to them?" he voiced his concern uncertainly.
"Nothing happened to them, Scorpius! Now, be quiet and respectful," she chided as the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt and his wife arrived. Anyone of importance from the Ministry was coming to this ball, being one of the biggest events in a very long time. Astoria had spent months pouring over the preparations for the ball, being sure that the punch tasted exactly right and the invitations were properly written. Astoria and Draco graciously greeted all of their guests, and Scorpius stood nearby, shaking people's hands and politely answering anything they said.
This was the norm for all of the balls Scorpius had ever attended, and usually he found them monotonous and uninteresting. In anticipation of Lily's arrival, nerves kept him on edge and paying attention to ever detail. Many complimented on how handsome he looked in his dress robes and he cordially accepted the admiration, although really he was only looking forward to seeing Lily.
When she finally arrived, he felt a little lightheaded at how gorgeous she looked. Her smile lit up her face as she and her family approached his parents, but he knew it was only her polite smile, her genuine being much more radiant. "Thank you very much for inviting us, Mr. Malfoy," she told Scorpius's father gratefully as she shook his hand.
"It's my pleasure, Miss Lily," he answered with slight amusement, as though he liked someone better than he had expected.
Her cheeks turned a little pink as he addressed her so respectfully, almost as though she was an intimate friend or an equal. The greeting, however between he and Harry was much less warm and more awkward, but that could only be expected from such life-long rivals. Ginny and Astoria immediately set to chatting, having become very close friends since the past summer, discussing yet another trip to Diagon Alley for a shopping trip. James and Albus spoke quietly to each other off to the side, neither of them really having much to do at a ball.
When Lily focused her striking emerald eyes on him, his breath almost stopped. She approached him with a grin on her face, one that sent shivers up his spine. Lily, who was just as nervous, if not more, took a shaky breath of her own, eager to finally speak to him and see him after what seemed like ages. He was stunning in his grey dress robes and so handsome. Her smile brightened as she thought, That's mine.
"Hi," she greeted breathlessly.
"H-hey," he stuttered, something he never did.
"Are you feeling well?" she asked, her tone colored with concern matching that of a mother. "You look pale." She raised a hand to feel his forehead for fever, but he pulled away and stopped her hand by taking it in his.
"I'm fine, Flower," he replied with a crooked smile. "Might I ask the most beautiful girl in the room for a dance?"
She blushed and smiled, her eyes refusing to meet his. "I suppose…. I'm afraid I might break your arm again, though."
He chuckled lightly as he pulled her towards the dance floor where older couples waltzed to the sound of the piano player's fingers doing their own dance across the keys. His arm wound around her waist and her other hand not already encased in his slid over to his shoulder. "I think it'd be worth it," he told her with a smile.
Their feet began moving to the music as Scorpius gently guided her across the dance floor with grace. "You look lovely tonight," he said after they had danced in silence for a few moments.
Lily looked up from concentrating on not treading on his toes. "Th-thank you."
Scorpius laughed. "I think James is enjoying himself."
She followed the general direction his grey eyes were looking only to find that her oldest brother was sticking some sort of pretzel stick up his nose as other familiar children that attended Hogwarts laughed and squealed in delight and disgust. "Oh, Merlin," Lily sighed and one of her hands moved to cover her face. "Why am I cursed with brothers?"
"Alicia seems to like that," Scorpius teased lightly. "I think she has a bit of a crush on Albus."
"I know she has a crush on Albus," Lily said, "and I think he fancies her in return."
"And yet neither of them will do anything about it?"
Lily looked away from her brothers and up into Scorpius's eyes that were like liquid silver. "How could they? A Potter with a Slytherin? It simply isn't done."
"At least it isn't a Malfoy," he decided with a smile.
Lily giggled lightly. "Oh, yes, that would be dreadful. The scandal of the century! People would be gossiping about it for hundreds of years!" She pretended to be appalled. "How could a Potter ever dare to do such a thing?"
Scorpius chuckled and was prepared to reply, except the Head of Magical Law Enforcement interrupted their dancing in order to ask Scorpius where his father was. As the man tapped Scorpius's shoulder, the couple stopped their slow circles and slid away from each other, Lily diverting her eyes to the hem of her dress quietly. When the man had left, Lily was startled to feel Scorpius's fingers intertwine with hers. "Scorp," she muttered cautiously.
He smiled and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Flower. I want to give you your Christmas present, in private preferably. There are too many gossips around here." His hand tugged at hers, and she willingly followed him out of the open double doors. In the corridors, the music faded into an incessant buzzing that died away as Scorpius led her with certainty through the seeming maze. The grandeur hallways had beautiful tapestries lining the walls and decorations that appeared more valuable than Lily's house itself. Her wide eyes tried to drink in every detail, admiring everything about it.
He almost pulled her out of a sort of trance as he led her into a room that reminded her of the Gryffindor common room. A couple of bookshelves lined the walls and windows let in the dim light of the moon and stars. Two couches and a fireplace with a roaring flame made the place seem cozy and warm. Lily went into the room ahead of him, eager to see the different books his family possessed. She heard the tiny snap as he shut the door behind him, and she smiled when Scorpius came and hugged her from behind, letting his chin gently rest on her shoulder. She giggled and twisted in his arms so that she was facing him. He lightly kissed her lips, as gentle as a feather. He smiled and sighed. "I missed that."
Lily tried to kiss Scorpius again, but he held her just out of reach of his lips, and he chuckled at her pouting expression. "Just wait until after I give you my present, Flower."
"Oh, alright," she said, easily giving in, rolling her eyes. "I still have to give you my present, too."
He took the velvet box out of the pocket of his robes and handed it to her. "I-I, uh, hope you like i-it…."
Lily smiled, taking the box gently from him. "Is ickle Scorpius nervous?" she teased softly. "I thought you were the one that helped me get over my stuttering problem." He smiled but said nothing in return, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd only make a fool out of himself.
She gently opened the box and gasped. Inside, embedded in silk material, lay a beautiful diamond necklace. The silver chain gracefully led into a tiny string of diamonds that met in the middle. Where the diamonds met, another string of diamonds fell lower an inch or two until, at the very end, was the largest diamond Lily had ever seen, resembling almost a crystal teardrop. "Merlin, Scorp. This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever given me," she whispered, awed at the delicate beauty. "Help me put it on."
She held the necklace out to him, and he took it carefully. She timidly moved the curls of her hair away from her neck, shivering at the touch of his soft fingers. Fumbling, it took Scorpius a little long to fix the little clasp, but when she turned around to show him, the precious jewels sparkled in the light. "Thank you so much, Scorpius."
He blushed and looked down. "It's nothing, really."
"Not to me, it isn't," she said, coming closer. Involuntarily, his arms wrapped around her and she rested her head against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he inhaled and exhaled. She felt his thumb slowly rub along her spine back and forth. Eventually, as much as she despised doing so, she pulled away from his chest. "I want to give you my gift now."
"Of course, Flower," he answered, reluctantly letting go of her.
Ginny had sewn in a small pocket on her dress that was big enough for just her wand and Scorpius's gift that was hardly noticeable. Lily pulled out a small package in wrapping paper that was blue with little snowmen and snowflakes on it. Scorpius smiled. "I-I, uh, w-wasn't really sure what t-to get you, s-sooo… I hope you like it," she finished lamely.
His smile grew. "I'm already sure I'll love it." As he took it from her, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, making her blush lightly. He tore off the wrapping and his mouth fell open with surprise. "Lily, you didn't."
"It's probably stupid," she muttered, blushing more and looking to the floor.
"Of course it's not!" he exclaimed. "I just can't believe that you'd give me your good luck charm!" He pulled out the broken snitch in amazement as it slowly fluttered to life, its broken wing feebly fluttering. "Thank you."
She bit her bottom lip, still uncertain. She sighed, brushing a curl out of her eyes and sat on the couch. "You like it?"
"I love it, Flower," he told her truthfully, sitting down beside her. She rested her head on his arm, and in response he enveloped her in his arms.
Next thing Lily was aware of was the buzz of electricity in her veins as their lips met. Her world was suddenly spinning crazily with only him in focus as her arms weaved around his neck, and her fingers tangled in his recently-cut blonde hair. His hands on her waist sent tiny twinges of electricity to her head, and, not for the first time, she felt lightheaded. She couldn't remember how to breathe before his lips moved down to her jaw and from there to her neck. She felt one of the couch's pillows beneath her head, and Scorpius as he pressed so close to her. She didn't mean to, but her breath was loud and rasping. Unable to bear the torture any longer, Lily brought his lips to hers again, and Scorpius gained eager access to her mouth and his tongue swirled around hers. They fell deep, deep down into that world where only they existed, and their hearts beat quickly in rhythm together, both breathing unevenly. His jacket was suddenly coming off, beneath the power of her fast-moving fingers, and the buttons of his shirt were the next to be undone. Her fingers ran across the silky feeling of his velvety skin under her sensitive nerves. His hands were not still, either, and moved up her leg, past the edge of her skirt, higher and higher up her leg until it was well past her knee.
"WHAT THE [insert curse word here]!"
The words that echoed from Harry's mouth were ones that her parents used to wash her mouth out with soap for saying. Her emerald eyes flickered open immediately, and she internally groaned when she saw not only her father, but Scorpius's as well. She didn't think she had ever seen two people more livid in the whole world. Ever. Mr. Malfoy pulled Scorpius off of Lily roughly, and she stifled a scream. Harry hauled her off of the couch, and she struggled to straighten her dress which had been twisted around her legs. Her curls were mussed beyond repair, and Scorpius's hair was just as everywhere as hers was.
"How dare you!" Lily was taken aback that Mr. Malfoy wasn't bellowing at her, but at her father. "I invite you into my home, and you and your family as the audacity to desecrate it!"
"The only thing I saw being desecrated was my daughter!" Do you train your son to rape innocent girls?"
"Dad!" Lily exclaimed, shocked that he would make such an accusation.
Both men ignored her. "Rape? How could he rape her if she was seducing him?"
"Father, stop!" Scorpius had his hands on Mr. Malfoy's arm, but both grown men had pulled their wands out.
"Say one more defamatory thing about my daughter," Harry snarled. "I dare you." He used his deadly 'no nonsense' tone. She, nor her brothers, ever argued with that tone.
"Bitch."
"Dad, no!" Lily screamed, and grabbed hold of his wand, sending the curse haywire. The black streak of magic shot across the room where it obliterated a vase, shattering it into millions of pieces.
"Lily!" Scorpius let go of Mr. Malfoy and ran over to her, grabbing her and holding her tight in his arms. "Don't ever do anything that stupid again. That could have killed you."
She sobbed in to his chest, hating the yelling that she heard beyond their tiny bubble. "Don't leave me, Scorpius," she blubbered, feeling stupid, but he didn't laugh, only trying to calm her.
Hands grabbed her, and she screamed. Her fingers tried to find purchase to stay close to her not-so-secret boyfriend, but her nails only drew blood from his chest. She kicked and thrashed against the arms that easily overpowered her. Her dad dragged her out of the room as she tried to throw in as many punches as possible. "Let go of me! Stop! Stop!"
Not caring how it would destroy the reputation of the Potter family, Harry dragged Lily, who was a disheveled mess, right into the ballroom where everyone stared with huge eyes and gossiped with whispering voices. Lily broke away from harry at last when her mother was in sight and collapsed into Ginny's gentle arms.
"Harry, what's going on here?" Ginny asked him, her hand reflexively stroking Lily's hair.
"I HATE YOU!" Lily Tore herself from her mother's arms and screamed so loudly that the music that had been trying to smooth over the scene cut off abruptly, and her brothers stood nearby with their mouths gaping open.
Harry, to her disappointment, didn't retort. He only calmly said, "Ginny, take her home. I'll get the boys."
The pull constricted Lily's lungs even more than they already were. They Apparated to their home with a pop like a firecracker, and Lily tore herself away and ran inside the house, pausing only to fumble with her shoes and throw them off. She stormed up the stairs to her bedroom where she slammed the door and locked it before she collapsed on her bed, sobbing. It wasn't hard to determine the pop that signified the return of her father. Lily could barely hear him stomping up the stairs, and the noise gradually grew louder, echoing above her rasping breaths.
Harry twisted her doorknob, only to discover that it would not give, and he banged on the door with his fist. "Lily Luna Potter, open this damn door right now!"
"No!" she yelled fiercely at him, "Go away!"
"I'm not afraid to blast this door down!"
"GO AWAY!" she screamed, her voice cracking with strain, and the tears ruined her make-up.
"So help me-!"
"Harry!" Ginny intercepted, her voice muffled by the door. "You don't have to blow the house down. Alohomora."
Lily flinched as the door unlocked itself. Harry entered, his face turning a shade of red that would surprise even Uncle Ron. Ginny and the boys peered in to Lily's room, hesitating by the door with concern and curiosity. Of course the boys would want front seats if their dad was going on a killing spree for Lily.
"How dare you go behind my back like this!"
"I went behind your back because I knew you would react like this!" She threw her arms up in the air, gesturing wildly, the flow of tears staunched in the heat of her battle.
"And with a Malfoy, no less!" He yelled like she did, throwing his arms up in the air with exasperation.
"What?" three other voices added their confusion, only to be ignored.
"Just because he's a Malfoy, it doesn't mean that he's a horrible person!"
"His family is made of Death Eaters!"
"So? There's no Voldemort anymore, and he's not a Death Eater!"
"You don't know that!"
"Yes, I do! His family is kind!"
"His own father called you a—"
"I know what he called me! And I know for a fact that you'll call Scorpius a whole lot worse! If you would put your petty, childhood fights aside for just a few minutes, you'd see that Scorpius is very kind and good!"
"'Childhood fights'?" Harry asked incredulously. "Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater and attempted to murder Headmaster Dumbledore! Your precious 'boyfriend's' grandfather almost had your Mum killed when she was eleven!"
"So his family has a past! All families do! You never judged Sirius Black by his family! No, you named your first-born son after him!"
"Hey!" James exclaimed, uncertain to whether he should take that offensively or as a compliment.
"Sirius was a good man!" Harry bellowed, pointing a finger in her face. "He was different from his family!"
"So is Scorpius!" she insisted.
"His great-aunt killed Sirius!"
"And his grandmother saved us all!" Lily retaliated instantly. "If Narcissa Malfoy hadn't lied to Voldemort about your death, we'd all be enslaved, and you would truly be cold and dead, six feet in the ground!"
"I won't allow this abomination!"
"Daddy, I love him!"
Everything in the room went still. Even as she said it, she knew with certainty that it was true and she'd only been ignoring it. Her dad's face turned a lighter shade of red, and she didn't know if she should take that as a sign of hope or not. Ginny's face was ashen, the freckles standing out on her skin, and James and Albus seemed too flabbergasted to even respond.
"No," Harry broke the silence with his deep baritone that shook Lily to the bone. "As long as you live in my house, you will obey my rules!" The volume of his voice grew until he was shouting again. "And my rule is that you are never allowed to be around Scorpius Malfoy again!"
"And what makes you think I'll just do whatever you say without the slightest fight?" Lily realized that she was standing on her bed, towering over her dad, with no recollection of when she stood up. Her nails were digging into the palms of her hands so deeply that blood from the cuts had dropped onto her bed sheets.
"You're forbidden to ever talk to Scorpius ever again!" he thundered.
She jumped agilely off of her bed, landing on the balls of her feet. "Fine!" she screamed back. "If that's the rules in your house, then I'll just leave!"
"If you leave, you sure as hell aren't coming back!"
"Harry!" Ginny cried, alarmed.
Lily stomped over to her massive trunk that was mostly packed and slammed it shut, fastening the locks on it. She heaved it up with both of her hands and dragged it towards the doorway, pushing past the rest of her family. "Good riddance!" she shrieked at her father. "I HATE YOU!"
The family was too stunned to try and stop her as she lugged the heavy thing down the stairs, wishing she could use magic to levitate it. Her resolve never wavered as she slammed the door shut to the first home she had ever known so hard that the window panes shivered at the force. She was almost halfway down the road when she heard her mother calling for her. Lily's dark red hair blew in her face from the harsh wind that had picked up, and she wondered for a moment just how disheveled she looked.
She fished her wand out of her dress's pocket, shivering as light snow began to fall from the heavens. Her toes were frozen to the point of numbness as she sluggishly realized that she had forgotten her shoes in her haste. Lily held the wand out over the road, but was still startled when the Knight Bus nearly ran her over. Her mum called her name again, louder than the last time, but Lily stared with a steely resolve as a teenage boy, hardly eighteen stepped from the bus.
"Good evenin', my name is Alfred Cattermole." He read from a stack of note cards and let the first one flutter carelessly to the ground. "I will be your conductor tonight. Please state your name, business, an' where you would like the Knight Bus to take you." He let the other one flutter to the ground as well as he straightened his faded conductor's hat and looked up, only to have to look down at Lily who wasn't quite sure that this had been such a brilliant idea after all. "Well, hello!" he said with actual enthusiasm and a toothy grin. "Ain't you a bit you to be off on your own?"
Lily didn't smile, unsure if she even could. "I'm sure you've had younger before."
Alfred seemed a little startled by her chilling demeanor, but he fixed his hat again and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, well, er, I'ma need your name and stuff."
"Lily Isabella Evans," she answered without hesitation.
"Oooh," he mocked quietly to himself, "she's got a middle name!" He scribbled it down on his clipboard and muttered, "Occupation?"
"Students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Alfred muttered to himself about overachievers. "Destination?"
"Uh—um…" she hesitated, not really having thought past this part in her plan. "How about I give you five galleons, and I'll tell you where I want to go by the end of the night."
"Oooh, not just an overachiever, but a rich overachiever! Merlin, lady, what're you tryin' to get away from?"
"Parents," she muttered and fished out the galleons from her trunk. She had saved most of her money from the past three years for emergencies, such as if none of her cousins would lend her money… or apparently if she needed to run away.
Alfred looked at the coins carefully, double-checking that they weren't counterfeit. "Alright, then," he conceded. He picked up her trunk and staggered to bring it on board the Knight Bus. Lily sat near the back, a little terrified of the bus driver that looked more dead than alive. "'Kay, Ernie!" Alfred shouted to the driver. "Let 'er rip!" The bus shot away, sending everything lurching.
The bed that Lily sat on slid across the bus, bumping into the other beds, and she marveled at how anyone could sleep during this nauseating ruckus. She clung to the bars of the bed for dear life as the Knight Bus rocketed past unaware cars and buses on the road. Alfred Cattermole walked casually through the rocking chaos and stumbled occasionally. He stumbled and collapsed on an empty bed next to hers, and handed her something. "I forgot to give you this. Ya might need it."
She took the brown paper bag from his hand and felt very grateful. "Thanks," she muttered.
"I gotta say, Miss Evans, ya look like you've been through quite the horrible night," he commented.
She blushed, grasping just how out of place she looked in a wrinkled ball gown and tangles of curls, along with her blotchy and red face and ruined make-up. "Yeah, I've had one hell of a night."
"Did your boyfriend break up with ya or somethin'?"
Lily didn't appreciate the question, and she wasn't quite certain whether he was being genuinely concerned, or just looking for a pretty date. His face, although he appeared not to have shaved in a while, gave the impression of innocence, as open as a child's. She sighed, tear threatening to crash over her and drown her. "No, my father's furious because I was dating his enemy's son behind his back. It spiraled totally out of control, and I just left." She struggled to hold back fresh tears.
"Ah," he sighed.
"Um," Lily shifted uncomfortably, disliking the tone this conversation had taken. "Wh-what brought you here—to the Knight Bus?"
"Well, my parents died a few years back," he said with a slight frown. "I dropped outta Hogwarts when I was hardly thirteen, and Ernie took me in ever since. My sister, Maisie, was furious."
"I'm terribly sorry," she said, stunned at the information.
He looked at her incredulously, with wide hazel eyes. "Are you kidding me? This was the best thing I ever did! It was like I was made to be the Knight Bus conductor." He chuckled a little.
Lily smiled slightly, her muscles resisting the happy motion. Suddenly the bus lurched to a stop and Lily flew forward off her bed, thudding on the floor. Fortunately, her Quidditch reflexes kicked in, and she rolled to one side before a bed with an obese, sleeping man skidded to a halt, right where she had been moments before. "Ow," she groaned, picking herself up off the floor.
"Edinborough, Scotland!" Alfred shouted from his seat in the back. "Mrs. Leroy, this is your destination!"
Alfred weaved through the clogging of beds and pulled down the appropriate trunk and heaved it out for the elderly woman. Lily pulled herself up from the floor and settled onto her bed, pain rippling through her body. She was going to be sore tomorrow.
The Knight Bus shot off again, and she clung to the bars with a death grip, almost as tightly as she had clutched Scorpius at Malfoy Manor. The thought stung the fresh wound that had so recently blasted her open, and her eyes burned with the sensation of fresh tears. She couldn't help it as she suddenly began to sob, gasping for air, and Alfred had the good sense to let her cry in peace.
How could she have let this happen? Everything had been so perfect, she loved being around Scorpius, but now everything was ruined. Her fingers brushed the diamond necklace hanging from around her neck, and she sobbed again. Her entire world had been shattered to pieces in the time span of only a few minutes. When the secret had come to the surface, their families literally went to blows. Her own father had forced her to choose between her family and her love, but no matter how many times she was forced to choose, she would never regret her decision. A thousand times over she would always choose Scorpius. That didn't mean that a thousand times over she would never feel the renewed pain of losing her family, her brothers and her mum. Her dad had once told her that sometimes the only decisions to make were between bad and worse and that she should always choose what was best for her. He was probably regretting ever telling her that now.
Lily cried until she had no more tears left to cry. The pillow beneath her head was soaked with the salty taste of her own tears. Slowly, her sobs began to subside and her dry, irritated eyes couldn't stay open. She let them close, blotting out the world and regulated her breathing, trying to still her hiccups. Her breathing slowed, and her muscles relaxed.
In her dream, Lily and Scorpius were in the ballroom at Malfoy Manor, spinning and twirling in circles. Scorpius said something that she couldn't quite remember, but it made her laugh, feeling more carefree than she had, it seemed, in forever.
"This is for you," he said although she couldn't quite hear his voice. He opened his hand, and in his palm was the diamond necklace. The glittering teardrop diamond sparkled in the lights from the chandelier.
But the necklace morphed into a snake, the teardrop forming the head and the silver chain forming a scaly skin. Lily screamed, having been reaching out for it. The snake tried to attack her hand and she snapped it back towards her body. Scorpius seemed to be growing in fast-forward, skipping nearly twenty-five years in the span of a few minutes and turned into Draco Malfoy. They were still dancing somehow, and as they spun, Mr. Malfoy leaned over and whispered vile things in her ear, things she hadn't even known that she'd heard before. His breath had the horrid, distinct smell of chocolate, and Lily gagged, stepping out of reach of the man. A horrible sneer twisted his once-handsome features, and he dived for her.
Lily knew immediately that he would try to hurt her, and she ran into the corridors, knowing that if she could find the room where she and Scorpius had escaped to, she would find Scorpius. But the entire manor was a gigantic maze, and she was so desperately lost. Tears streamed down her face, and she called for Scorpius several times. Eventually she came to a crossroads and didn't know which way to turn. Mr. Malfoy, she could hear, was not very far behind her. A figure appeared to her right.
Bright emerald eyes behind glasses and a lightning bolt scar made her back away a step. "Lily, I know what's best for you."
"No, you don't." Fighting tears, she raced down the empty hallway, in the opposite direction of Harry. She called for Scorpius, but he wouldn't answer her as panic began to settle in. Mr. Malfoy caught up with her, then, pinning her up against the wall. "Please, please, no!" she begged, knowing he would hurt her.
"Poor Lily," he said, except his voice sounded exactly like Mortellea's.
"Miss, miss, Miss Evans."
The voice startled her out of her troubled nightmare so suddenly that she sat up, only to crack her head on something or someone who stumbled backwards, yelping and holding his forehead. "Ow!" Lily exclaimed as nausea from the sudden headache made her sway back onto her pillow.
Alfred seemed put up with this hormonal girl. "We were wonderin' if you knew where you wanna go."
"Umm…" Who would take her in? "Grimmauld Place, please." Alfred nodded, stumbling away to tell Ernie, leaving her to wonder if they would accept her or ship her home.
It was so hard to lug her trunk down the street in a tattered ball gown and her sneakers. She tried to avoid the freezing puddles and went as fast as she could, although with the dead weight behind her, it wasn't much faster than normal.
When Lily reached the top of the steps and faced the door with the number twelve painted on, panic set in and she began hyperventilating. What if they wouldn't take her in? Before she could lose all of her courage, she knocked on the door.
Behind the door was a man and a woman in robes with sleepy but cautious expressions. The man held his wand in his hand, and even with bed-head, the woman had looks to die for. Lily shivered in the cold, wishing she had though to get a coat out of the trunk as well as her sneakers. Her voice was timid, scared, and worst of all vulnerable.
"Teddy?"
And this is where you attempt to strangle me for the cliff-hanger. Sorry for any typos, it's really late when I'm finishing this. Anyways, More reviews=happy writer. Happy writer=sooner chapters! PLEASE REVIEW! I wish I could give all my readers a cookie for waiting this long for an update. Also, I would LOVE your opinion on this chapter! PLEASE?HoHjjdhjfhrh0weifjeiofrceh