AN: To all of my beautiful readers who have been following this story since 2012, I am so sorry for the hiatus. Here is the long-awaited final chapter of Animal. I hope that you all enjoy it and please review, follow and favourite. :)
Chapter Seven
The combination of screams, growls, howls and screeching could be heard from the Heads Common Room. Four figures were writhing in agony transitioning from human forms to something much more animalistic.
Scorpius changed back into his human form and reached out his hand to an animal that was writhing on the floor before changing back into Lily. Lily noticed his hand and went to grasp it, gasping and her chest heaving after their first round of animagi transformations.
Shortly after Lily transformed back into her human form Rose and Albus followed within seconds of the other. Lily, Scorpius, Rose and Albus were all laying in varied positions coated in sweat. Not a sound could be heard other than the heavy breathing of the four that was slowly turning back to normal.
Lily spoke first. "How is everybody?" Her voice hoarse and laced with exhaustion.
Not trusting his voice, Scorpius squeezed Lily's hand before turning to give her a tired smile. Lily looked down at their entwined fingers a smile forming, before turning her head to Scorpius' as her smile grew wider.
A cough turned their heads in Albus' direction to see him taking black fur out of his mouth. He brought it closer to his tired eyes. "A hairball. Fascinating."
A groan from the armchair caught everyone's attention. Rose peeked her head out and rested her collar bone on the chair. "Exhausted. Everybody's exhausted."
Lily winced. "Sorry."
Scorpius squeezed her hand again before replying, "it's okay."
Rose piqued up. "He's right. We all knew what we were getting into." Rose smiled in Lily's direction, taking note of Lily and Scorpius' entwined hands.
"What I want to know is what everyone turned into." Albus grinned before stretching and going over to sit on the other armchair.
Scorpius and Lily let go of the other's hand and followed suit and sat on the couch. Everybody looked at each other in anticipation to see who would answer first.
"Don't all answer at once." Albus joked, easing the tension in the room before becoming serious once again. "I guess I'll start." Albus paused. "I take the form of a black panther."
Lily, Scorpius and Rose all turned and looked at Albus in astonishment.
"Really?" Lily smiled. "My brother. A black panther. Who'd have thought?"
"I think it suits you, Al." Rose stated encouragingly.
Scorpius grinned. "It does explain the black hairball earlier, though."
The group of four laughed good naturedly before Albus retorted. "Oh yeah? Well then, oh clever one, what animal are you?"
Again the group quietened down in anticipation of Scorpius' answer. The one in question looked at Lily before ducking his head and bringing it up again to look at the group of friends.
"I change into a white wolf." Scorpius replied.
Just like with Albus, the group was stumped with awe before Albus broke the silence. "It works. I mean you had the whole lone wolf thing down pat what with you being a Malfoy and an only child."
Scorpius grinned at Albus. "He's right, you know." Rose affirmed to which Lily smiled and nodded towards Scorpius.
Scorpius grinned at Albus and Rose before fondly smiling at Lily and taking her hand and entwining their fingers. Rose and Albus noticed this, while Rose was smiling encouragingly to Lily, Albus shot Scorpius a warning look before relaxing.
Rose took this opportunity to speak up about her own animagi experience. "I guess I'll go next." Rose waited until all eyes were on her waiting to hear what she had to say before revealing, "I transform into a golden eagle."
"You can fly?" Albus replied first.
"I'm not sure yet. I should be able to." Rose grinned.
Lily took this as her opportunity to speak up. "Maybe we can learn to fly together?"
Rose looked at Lily with surprise written all over her face but before she could reply Scorpius beat her to it. "You're a bird?"
Lily looked at Scorpius and beamed. "Not just any bird." She looked around at the rest of the group. "I become a white swan."
"A swan." Scorpius breathed before looking at Lily in wonder to which the swan in question ducked her head in embarrassment.
"We will definitely go flying together after the next seven turns." Rose said excitedly to Lily and the two cousins shared a moment.
"I guess that leaves Scorpius and I to the land. Imagine what we could do as a panther and a wolf!" Albus said with equal excitement to Rose.
"Can't wait." Scorpius grinned at Albus before a yawning Rose cut off their excitement. The four new animagi having reality set in the form of how exhausted they all are.
"I'm sorry to end this early but I'm going to bed." Rose looked apologetically at everyone before continuing. "I don't know about you but I've had a rollercoaster of a day with my amazing first date with Lorcan to the excruciating pain of our first transformation to finding out what all of our animals are. I'll see you all in the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow."
Rose got up from her armchair and stretched before bidding everyone goodnight. Before she entered her room she shared a meaningful look with Scorpius while gesturing with her eyes to Lily. Albus, understanding the look between Rose and Scorpius, got up and stretched as Rose shut the door to her room.
"I'm going to head off too." Albus said before smiling at Lily and giving her free hand a quick squeeze that she squeezed back. "I know I speak for both Rose and myself when I say, thanks Lils." The siblings shared a tender moment before Albus looked at Scorpius with the same meaningful look that Rose gave him. "It really has brought us all closer together."
"Aw! You're welcome, Al." Lily smiled up at her brother.
Looking at Scorpius one last time, Albus said "I'll you both at breakfast." Before leaving the Heads Common Room to go back to the Slytherin dungeons.
A comfortable silence fell around Scorpius and Lily. Lily looked down at their hands for the umpteenth time before addressing Scorpius. "Scorpius, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for going along with the crazy idea and getting Rose and Al involved." Lily squeezed Scorpius' hand before letting go and hugging Scorpius. "You have no idea how much this all means to me." She whispered.
Her last words spurred Scorpius' heart but what spurred him into action was Lily releasing Scorpius of her hug. Before Lily withdrew more than two inches from Scorpius, he closed the gap between their lips. He did what he was waiting to do for years. Scorpius kissed Lily.
Their mouths fit each other perfectly as Lily was kissing Scorpius back. Lily's hands found their way into his hair and on his neck while Scorpius' hands settled on the nape of her neck and waist, bring her closer to him.
Lily broke the kiss needing air. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to that," Scorpius breathed.
Lily breathily giggled. "I think I might."
Scorpius and Lily smiled at one another before Scorpius spoke up again. "It should be obvious by now but I like you Lily. I like you more than just Albus' sister. More than a best friend. More than I should considering our families." Scorpius paused and looked at Lily in the eyes. "I fancy you and want you. I have wanted you for years. I need you, Lily."
Lily gasped before replying to Scorpius. "I fancy you too, Scorpius. I have for awhile now." Lily admitted before looking down bashfully.
Scorpius picked up Lily's head with his thumb and forefinger. "Will you be mine?"
Lily could barely nod before Scorpius' lips came crashing down on hers again, more passionately than last time. Lily was just beginning to respond to his kiss before it was broken off by her needing air.
"I should go." Lily stated breathlessly, drawing away from Scorpius.
Scorpius' eyes widened. "What? No." Scorpius drew her close getting a giggle from Lily.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to go back to my dorm room." Lily stated and Scorpius, understanding, released her and they walked to the entrance of the Heads Common Room.
"See you tomorrow for breakfast at the Great Hall?" Scorpius asked.
"It's a date." Lily replied before pecking Scorpius on the lips and leaving the Heads Common Room.
Scorpius stood where he was grinning like an idiot for awhile before turning around and seeing Rose who was also grinning like an idiot.
"I thought you went to bed?" Scorpius questioned, trying to sound annoyed but failed as he couldn't get the smile off of his face.
"My favourite cousin and best friend are finally together and you think I'd miss out on it by sleeping?" Rose laughed. Scorpius blanched and before he could retort Rose beat him to it. "I knew it!"
Defeated but still insurmountably happy, Scorpius replied, "you know everything" before heading into his own room.
"That's right, I do!" Rose grinned, hearing the door to his room close. Then under her breath she pondered, "I wonder if he'll finally admit it and call me a genius after he proposes to Lily?"