A/N: I screwed up the ages for the kids, I'm very sorry, but here is a guide for how old everyone is in relation to each other.

Stephen Wood: 17

James Potter and Kira Fitzsimmons: 16

Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy: 15

Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley: 14

Sorry for the mix up, but its too late to correct the error at this point and to be honest I really don't care all that much. And another creative issue is that in my story George marries Luna. These are creative choices at this point, sorry if you don't like it, but I'm not going to change it.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES MY LIFE WORTH LIVING ANYMORE!!! (JUST KIDDING, HEHE).

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling accept it, I have.

Chapter Twelve

For Better or Worse

Scorpius slid his lips over Lily's shoulder up her neck and behind her ear. He nibbled on the tender skin there, holding on tighter to her trim waist as she giggled. She always seemed to be smiling for these last few weeks and the fact that Scorpius was no doubt the cause of that happiness made him smile. In spite of- No, he wouldn't think about that, not while Lily was murmuring happy nonsense into his throat.

He shook with silent laughter as she pushed her fingers under his knitted vest and pulled his button down shirt from his trousers. Lily seemed as eager to get him out of his cloths as he was to get her out of her cloths. Of course neither had managed to entirely accomplish the task because of their current location. They couldn't really mess around in a broom closet during lunch. But that didn't stop Lily from forcing her seeking fingers under his shirt and creating a puddle of desire where his brain used to be.

Scorpius slid his hand up from her waist until they tangled into her hair. He forced her lips from his throat and attacked them with his own. His heart dropped into his stomach. He absolutely loved the feeling of her lips moving over his. The tiny mewing sounds she made when he nipped at her kiss swollen lips. The heart tingling feel of her fingers dancing over his flesh. The tickle of her long eyelashes against his cheek. All those little things that told him she was his. Finally his.

Of course there were other things that told him she was his, but the parts he liked most were the subtle physical indicators. Like when she held his hand as they walked down the hall or the way she'd hug him after he received yet another Howler from his father or grandfather. He still wasn't sure which prat from his House had ratted him out, but that didn't matter as much as the glorious girl in his arms and the feel of her hands on his back and her lips moving against his.

Lily broke their kiss and looked dreamily up into his eyes. "Lunch is almost over," she said.

Scorpius sighed. That meant that their precious snogging time was over. If either of them wanted to get anything to eat they would have to hurry. With one last lingering kiss on her sweet lips, Scorpius began the task of fixing his clothes. Lily re-buttoned the top few buttons of her blouse, pulled her robes back on and muttered a spell to fix her hair.

"How do I look?" she asked, coyly.

"Beautiful, as always," he said.

Lily smiled, reached up on her toes and kissed him. Scorpius was about to deepen the kiss when a loud bang on the outside of the door startled them apart. Lily slowly pushed the door open to reveal the perpetually annoyed face of Filch.

"Headmistress' office," he barked, "Now!"

"Why?" Lily demanded. "We weren't doing anything wrong."

"You were snogging," he insisted.

"You can't prove that," Lily insisted right back. "Besides, even if we were wouldn't that be an infraction handled by you or a professor?"

"Don't get smart with me, young lady," Filch snapped. "The Headmistress has requested you presence. Apparently both your parents are here." Lily paled. "So are yours, Malfoy."

Lily gasped and grabbed Scorpius' arm. Filch pushed the two stunned teenagers down the hall towards the Headmistress' office.

Once Scorpius got over his initial shock he began mentally kicking himself. How had he not seen this coming? The Howlers, the letters from his mother and grandmother all of them demanding that he end not only his ungodly relationship with Lily but all associating with the Potters. In concise, polite letters Scorpius refused. He would not be bossed around by a bunch of people who don't know what it means to lose.

Scorpius wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulders and pulled her to his side, so that when his parents (and no doubt his grandparents as well) saw him, they'd know what he'd chosen. He knew he was only a teenager and making a big decision, like parting ways with his family, would be something he'd have to deal with for the rest of his life. Depending on how his mother reacted he might never speak to her again. His children would never meet their paternal grandparents.

Scorpius' heart started pounding.

It was a lot to give up for a relationship that might not even last. Even if it didn't and he got back in good with his family they'd never let him forget it. They'd push him around for the rest of his life. They'd pick his wife, his job, his house, his everything. But if he heeded his family's demands now he'd be under their collective thumb from that moment on. So it was far more logical to stand up to them now and get out while he still had the good sense to realize they didn't have his best interests at heart but their own.

"Scorpius," Lily whispered. He looked down into her frantic brown eyes. "We can pretend to break up. Just don't do anything stupid."

Filch muttered the password so that neither of them would hear and shoed them up to the office, Scorpius could hear the arguing going on above. They stood outside the closed door of Headmistress McGonagall's office, simply staring at each other.

"I'm going to do what's right, Lily." Scorpius leaned down and stole a kiss while silently bidding the door to open. The arguing stopped abruptly. Scorpius looked into Lily's eyes and said, "There are only two people who decide what goes on in our relationship and we are them."

"Scorpius," his father snapped. "Get away from that chit!"

"My daughter is not a chit, you ungrateful slime bag!" Mrs. Potter growled.

"Ungrateful-"

"Mrs. Potter is right, Father," Scorpius said, cutting him off. "On several counts but first and foremost Lily is not a chit, she's my girlfriend and she deserves your respect though I doubt she'll get it."

"Plus you are ungrateful," Lily muttered.

"Lily," her father chastised.

"Well, he is."

"Now is not the time." It was a gentle reprimand that bespoke no tension or upset about the current situation.

Scorpius looked away from his father and mother, to the Potters. Harry Potter had always been a man he admired. At first from afar because he saved his father's life when there had been no real cause for him to do so. The admiration had increased one hundred fold once Scorpius met the Potter boys. They knew all about the bad blood between their fathers and hadn't let that stop them from befriending him. Which spoke volumes for how they were raised. None of the Potters or Weasleys held his last name against him as his family held Lily's last name against her. And then there was the talk they had a few months ago after his DADA class. Harry talked about courage and standing up for what you know is right. He told Scorpius exactly what happened the night Harry saved his father's life. How Draco had threatened him, how they'd fought and how Harry had risked his own life to save Draco's. Making it very clear to Scorpius who the bigger and better man was.

"McGonagall," Draco snapped drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Have a House Elf pack my son's belongings we're leaving now."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Mr. Malfoy?" The Headmistress asked. "Scorpius is sixteen as of two days ago, he's old enough to decide whether or not he wants to stay in school. I will not let you forcibly remove him for school for something as silly as who is dating. You can't do anything without his consent, I won't allow it."

"Fine," Draco turned to his son. "Unhand that- girl," he sneered the word, "and pack your things, we're leaving now."

"Didn't you hear the Headmistress? You can't make me," Scorpius said crossing his arms.

"You are my son!"

"That's enough, Draco," Harry snapped. "You have no power over him and your status as his father doesn't change that fact. If he wishes to stay you can't stop him."

"I'm his father," Draco sneered. "He'll do as I tell him."

"I'm not you, Father!" Scorpius yelled. "I'll not do as you tell me like you did and do with grandfather. I'm my own person and if you can't respect that then we have a problem."

"Scorpius," Draco's voice low and dangerous, "either you go to you dorm and pack you things or don't bother coming home when term ends in a week."

Scorpius looked past his father to the sad eyes of his mother. He knew she wanted him to just bend to his father's will. She wanted him to stay in her life and they both knew would be hard if Scorpius was at odds with Draco, but there was no helping it. He would try as hard as he could to keep her in his life, he'd already made his choice.

"I'm going to finish the term, I'm going to date Lily Potter and I'm going to graduate in two years," Scorpius said.

"Come on," Draco grabbed his mother's arm.

"But, he's our son-" she began to protest.

"We don't have a son."

The office door slammed shut behind them.

---

Lily gazed unhappily at Scorpius' noble profile. She had no idea why he hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor for the bravery he'd just shown. He was so smart she couldn't imagine him turning his back on his family just for her. He had to have another reason. Something more rational. She hoped for the sake of their relationship that he hadn't put too much pressure on them.

It was true, they had been together for four months and that was three and half months longer then most of her relationships tended to last but too much pressure could destroy a relationship between two emotionally charged teenagers, surely he knew that. Surely he had a better reason for what he'd done. But in her utterly shocked state Lily could only think of herself and what this change would do to their relationship.

She knew it was selfish but she couldn't seem to help herself. He'd been utterly abandoned by his parents and she didn't know what to do. So, she just held his hand and worried silently, hoping she was being supportive enough and tried not to cry. There was no telling what would happen now.

"Do you have any money of your own, Scorpius?" her father asked breaking the silence that had prevailed after the Malfoy's departure.

"I have a vault that my parents set up when I was a child, there's supposed to be several thousand gallons in it and maybe ten thousand more I was to get on my birthday," Scorpius answered. His voice sounded hollow to Lily. Not sad necessarily but empty.

"I'll talk to Bill," her mother said, "make sure it happened and that there's no way for Draco or his father or anyone to touch money."

"Good. Can she Floo through the fireplace in your office, Headmistress?" Harry asked turning to McGonagall.

"Of course." The two women shuffled off to the fireplace. Harry turned back to Scorpius.

"Do you have any other family you could stay with?" he asked.

"He's old enough to get his own place, Daddy," Lily said, meekly. Scorpius squeezed her hand.

"There's my great aunt Andromeda, but I've only ever written letters to her, we've never actually met."

"That wouldn't work anyway," Harry said. "Andromeda moved in with a friend when Teddy graduated. There's barely enough room for the two of them."

"Well, he's got the money," Ginny said, returning to the conversation. "Bill said he'd overseen the transfer himself and that as long as Scorpius has the only key his parents won't be able to touch it."

"That's good," Lily said. "You could get a flat or something."

"She's right, Scorpius. Or we could figure out someone you could stay with until you graduated," her father suggested.

"The only friends I have that I'd even consider living with are your sons, so…" Scorpius shrugged the idea off as if it bared no consideration, but Lily recognized the look on her father's face. He was thinking, he was considering.

"Ginny, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry and Ginny moved to a corner of the office.

Lily felt like she might hyperventilate. Living with her boyfriend, even for just two summers, was huge. Plus they'd be under the same roof as her parents and her brothers all of whom would be bent on keeping them as far away from each other as possible on the off chance that they decided to shag each other. Or already were shagging each other. They weren't but that wouldn't stop her family from freaking out every time they kissed.

But if they were crafty they would push their boundaries just a bit. For all her past boyfriends, Lily had very little experience being physical with a boy. The light patting she'd been doing with Scorpius was the farthest she'd ever gone and the prospect of doing more both excited and scared her. Then again if she was going to shag anyone she'd want it to be someone like Scorpius. Someone who wanted her for herself not for her looks.

And if she did decide to shag Scorpius it would be easier to do with him close by. Lily would be fifteen, if they decided that they wanted to Lily figured they were old enough. And she really cared about him, she wasn't sure if she was in love, but she was very much in like.

Lily tugged on Scorpius' hand until he looked at her. He was putting on a brave face, but Lily felt sure that his father's rejection hurt a lot more then he let on. She could see the uncertainty and sadness in his eyes. Eyes that had gazed upon her with such adoration only a half hour ago. She wanted to make that hurt go away. She wanted to let him know that she appreciated what he'd given up, but first she had to know exactly why he'd done it.

"Why?" A vague question but he understood.

"If I hadn't I would have proved to everyone that I am my father. That I'll blindly listen to whatever I'm told without thinking for myself," Scorpius said. As he spoke her parents stopped talking to listen. "If I hadn't my parents would be in charge of the rest of my life. My wife, my friends, my job, my home- they would choose all of it for me. All they'd expect me to do is follow blindly. I'd never be able to follow my dreams. I knew this would happen someday, Lily. I knew."

"That doesn't make it any easier," she whispered.

"No, no it doesn't, but it's necessary," he asserted.

So strong, so brave, Lily thought

"Mr. Malfoy," Headmistress McGonagall said, "you told your Head of House that you intended to become an Auror once you've graduated. Is that still your aspiration?"

"Yes, professor."

"Mr. Potter, is there not a summer tutorial for sixteen and seventeen year olds who dream of one day becoming Aurors?" McGonagall turned to Harry, who was eying Scorpius in a way Lily had never seen before. It was almost like her Father was measuring him.

"Yes, there is," he said finally. Harry nodded but Lily felt he wasn't nodding as an answer to the Headmistress' question. But to something else, like Scorpius had passed his mental measuring.

"Would it be too late for Mr. Malfoy to be part of this program?"

"No, I'll be sure his name is added to the list." Harry turned back to Ginny they whispered for a moment longer before returning to the conversation. "Scorpius, about this tutorial."

"Yes, Mr. Potter," Scorpius said. "I'm interested in being a part of it, if that's what you're wondering. The only reason I didn't sign up before this just stomped out of the room," he ended bitterly.

"This tutorial is a way of weeding out people who don't have it in them to be Aurors before primary training begins after you've graduated. The individuals who make it through all eight weeks are automatically eligible for primary training," her Father explained.

"I won't have to take the test?" Scorpius asked.

"If you make it through the tutorial that is the test."

"That's awesome."

"I think you have it in you to be an incredible Auror, and I'm rarely wrong about this kind of thing. So, along with adding you to the list I'd like to offer my services as your personal tutor."

"It would be an honor, Mr. Potter."

"The only problem is that my primary duties are as a father, a husband and Department Head. It will be difficult to manage tutoring you as well if you're not close by."

"Close by?" Scorpius asked. Lily rolled her eyes. Her boyfriend could be so smart sometimes and so dense other times. She realized what her father's plan was as soon as he mentioned private tutoring lessons. Harry never would have offered that to anyone else. It was mildly unethical, but a very clever way to get Scorpius to do what he needed to.

"The tutorial is Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm with an hour lunch. I get home around the same time. We could work in the evenings and on weekends, but the only way I'll be able to manage everything that needs doing is if you can be entirely flexible."

"If I'm close at hand."

"Exactly."

"How close?"

"We have an apartment over our garage," Ginny said. They didn't really but Lily would bet anyone a million gallons there would be an apartment over the garage come summer. "It's fully furnished, stove, fridge, toilet, a bed, everything you'll need. And, of course, we'd never turn you away from our table."

"I'll be paying rent?" Scorpius asked.

"A gallon a month during the summer," Harry said.

"What about bills?"

"We'll take care of that," Ginny said.

"But-"

"I'm not doing you any favors, Scorpius. You're doing me a favor. If you're going to pay for your own food, dishes, silverware, towels, clothes, books, bed sheets, blankets and all those other things necessary for living on your own plus rent without a paying job, then I'm paying your bills until you get a paying job. I need you close by and this is the only way I can think to do it."

Scorpius was quiet for a few minutes. "All right," he agreed.

"Very good," Harry stood up, "I have to get back to work."

"My father pulled you out of work?" Scorpius' eyes were wide and obviously embarrassed.

"Your father has been sending me scathing letters for three months now. Why I thought I could have a peaceful lunch with my wife and the Minister of Magic I'll never know."

Scorpius groaned.

"Don't worry," Lily said soothingly. "Dad sees Kingsley all the time. He'll probably be around the house this summer."

"Brilliant, I'll get to look the Minister of Magic in the face as the son of a known Death Eater who pulled the Head of the Auror Department to complain about his son's girlfriend." At his sarcasm Lily snatched her hand out of his.

"Lily, if you could tell your brothers about the new arrangements?" Ginny asked her suddenly stricken daughter. "And Kira while you're at it."

"Sure, Mum."

The Potters left the Headmistress' office with much more dignity then the Malfoy's had.

"I've sent notes to your professors explaining you absences. And I've informed Mr. Filch that you'll be on your ways to your classes. No detours." The Headmistress dismissed them.

Lily got up and left the office without waiting for Scorpius. She was sure he'd only snapped at her because he was stressed, but that did little to comfort her. Lily had never managed to keep a boyfriend long enough to get into an actual argument with him. Where he hurt her feelings, so she wasn't entirely sure how she should react.

Scorpius was usually so sweet, so doting, anything but a pushover though. If he disagreed with her or didn't want to do something she wanted to do he had no problem telling her. But he'd never lashed out at her, made her feel foolish. And that is just what he'd done in McGonagall's office. She didn't know what to do about how she felt and she knew that if she over thought what had happened. She'd make a stupid decision. Like the one Rose had made.

And then they'd both be miserable.

Lily stopped in her tracks half way to her class. What had Rose done that made her situation with Stephen so… problematic? Lily knew that if she'd just thought for a second before opening her trap Rose never would have gotten it in her head that Stephen would drop her, but Lily couldn't be held accountable for the way Rose had acted after that. Rose should have talked to Stephen so they could work out the problem before it became so huge the only way out was to break up.

Lily whorled around and walked straight into Scorpius, who had been following her evidently. She would not bottle up her hurt. She'd be honest and hope that her honesty was rewarded.

"Lily," he said. "Are you all right?"

"No." He looked instantly worried.

"Wha-"

"You hurt my feelings snapping at me. I know you're under a lot of stress so I'm prepared to forgive you if you apologize," she said.

Scorpius gaped at her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, about your parents. I know this is hard for you, but I only wanted to make you feel better and you made me feel foolish. I accept your apology and we can talk about it more tonight but we should probably get to class."

He nodded and they went their separate ways.