A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing. I know I am totally sucking at replying to all of them, but I am replying to them as much as I can (and I am replying to some, guys). Alright… continuing on…

Disc.: Still manipulating.

Christmas the Three

With the Potters not having house elves, everything had to be done by them. Ginny cooked us dinner some nights, though Harry's food tended to taste a bit better, the dishes had to be set at the table by us. I glanced up that night as Albus and I set the table for dinner as Lily and Taryn walked in the kitchen door. Lily didn't have a jacket on, which seemed rather careless since it was so cold outside. James looked up too, though it might have had to do with the fact that he was unloading the dish washing machine thing and the cold air hit him rather hard.

Lily looked sad, almost hopeless. I tried to catch her eye, to give her a reassuring smile, but she didn't even look my way. Resolved that it would be this way, I ended up taking my seat at the table across from James. I glanced down the table where Lily sat squeezed between Taryn and her father. She kept herself focused on her food, though she seemed to just push her food around her plate aimlessly.

"What's up with you tonight?" James asked Lily in a slightly teasing way. She looked up, her eyes flickering to mine for a moment before she focused completely on James. "Usually we can't get her to shut up."

"I just don't feel well tonight," Lily said in a defeated sort of way. Ginny nudged Harry, who put his hand to Lily's forehead. It was a completely unusual way to check if she was sick. I nearly told them to take her to a healer, concern quickening my pulse. I knew it wasn't my place, so I kept my mouth shut.

"You are a bit warm," Harry agreed without missing a beat. "Maybe some aspirin and early to bed with you."

"Yeah," Lily said as she looked back down at her peas.

"And Lily, remember you gloves and hat," Ginny reminded her. I smiled thinking how motherly Ginny sounded and for a moment I longed for my own mother. I pushed the thought from my mind. "The next time you go out, you know?"

"Yeah," Lily said nodding as she moved her food around her plate a bit more, ignoring the rest of us.

"Sweetie, you need to eat," Taryn said gently. Lily looked at him for a second and nodded. He sounded so fake in his concern and sweet; it was annoying.

"I know, sorry," Lily mumbled as she took a bite of her peas.

"Nothing to be sorry about, silly Lily," Taryn said laughing. The rest of the table joined in the laughter, except for me who continued to shoot him dirty looks, and Lily had to force herself to laugh as well, though it sounded off to me. The rest of dinner was full of work talk and Quidditch, but nothing more. Lily was the last one at the table, and I looked back at her as I followed James and Albus up to the television room. Taryn and James were engrossed in a first player shooter game, so I headed back downstairs to check on Lily. She seemed off after her walk with Taryn. She was stand at the sink, staring out the small window that over looked the yard.

"Lily?" I asked quietly as I touched her arm. She jumped, blushing; obviously startled.

"Sorry, Score, didn't see you there," Lily said as she pressed a hand to her heart.

"Are you ok?" I asked her with concern. Lily hesitated as she looked at me, obviously toying with some deep seated trust issues. She sighed and nodded once.

"Yeah," Lily replied. I knew she was lying but I didn't push it, not directly. She picked up her plate and scraped the remaining bits into the trash before rinsing her plate and placed them on a shelf behind a lowered down door.

"Didn't you and Rose hand wash these last go round?" I inquired as I peered at the wire shelves curiously . Lily nodded and she looked relieved for the topic change.

"It gives us girl time to bond, but I'm not about to wash them all by myself," Lily said as she started the machine. I looked at it again still rather glad that we have house elves to do that sort of thing for us. Still, it was rather fascinating.

"Wow, and it does it all by itself?" I said as I prodded the dish washing contraption with my wand for a moment. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," Lily said. She shrugged. "I mean you still have to put them away yourself. It's not like magic or anything. Just a muggle contraption to make doing the dishes easier."

"Wow, genius," I admitted almost reluctantly as I crossed my arms. I leaned back against the counter as Lily grabbed a sponge and wiped the table down. She was much more fascinating to watch from behind than the dishwasher, but I knew she was still not ready for talking about more substantial things. I could be patient, for her.

"You sound like Grandpa Weasley when you say that," Lily said cracking a smile. I grinned back, grateful to have seen her first real smile since she went for her walk with Taryn. The more she spent with Taryn, the more I thought about her being with him, the more I hated him.

"You'd never guess that I was into that kind of thing, huh?" I teased as I lowered my voice, stepping closer to her. I put my finger to my lips, grinning. "Let's keep that our little secret and hope you can do a better job not blabbing it." I meant for the action to be playful, but her smile faded and she took a step back from me.

"Oh," Lily said as her face darkened a bit and she leaned away. "Taryn knows you kissed me the night of the bludger."

"He does?" I asked curiously. "You told him?"

"No, apparently Rose did," Lily said scowling. I frowned. I didn't know Rose all that well, but that didn't seem like something Rose would do. She seemed pretty loyal.

"Why would your cousin tell him about that?" I asked her frowning. Lily looked away hurriedly and shrugged.

"Taryn says that Rose came on to him and then told him that," Lily said. She looked at me uncertainly. She was biting her bottom lip and I wanted to kiss her. I forced the thought from my head.

"What do you believe?" I asked her knowing damn well that if I said anything against Taryn she would turn against me. I really doubted that Rose would come on to Taryn. Looks aside, whether I knew Rose well enough or not, I knew with all my being that she would not have come onto Lily's boyfriend. Taryn, however, was a skunk and I knew he was probably guilty. Lily opened her mouth to reply but her dad walked in from the garage. He looked at the two of us curious, we were standing there barely a foot apart from each other. I moved away from Lily quickly, as if she was repelling me. I didn't want him to think anything of us standing so close to each other.

"What are you two kids up to?" Harry asked us. I grinned shrugging.

"Dishes," Lily said pointing at the dishwasher. He grinned at us and nodded.

"My aunt used to make me hand wash all our dishes, even when we had one of those," Harry said. Lily rolled her eyes and I started heading up the stairs slowly, not wanting to hear a story of Harry Potter's muggle youth. I am sure it was fascinating, but still not something that I wanted to hear.

I was up playing in cohorts with James against Albus and Taryn when we all heard the elevated voices of Rose and Lily coming up the stairs, louder than the rocket launchers and the sounds of the tanks. They got louder and louder, angry words floating up to us. We tried to ignore it, to ignore the shouting, but when the door slammed we could ignore it no longer. James went to stand and find out what the shouting was about, but by then Lily had already stormed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door.

Part of me was curious what had happened, part of me was eager to stay out of it, and a very hidden part of me wondered what she was doing in the room. It was a sick, almost obsessive side of me that kept Lily on my mind more than she should be. I knew it, and silently I could admit it. I was hopelessly addicted to Lily. It was a sickness, I'm sure, but it was a sickness I didn't want to get over.

We gamed until Harry came home. He called us down to help with the dinner since Ginny was working late and he was supposed to go ahead and feed us without waiting for her. Harry was quite a cook, and the house began to smell delicious. Harry started giving us chores to do in preparation and he glanced at Taryn before he turned to me.

"Hey, do me a favor, Scorpius," Harry said. "Can you run upstairs and let Lily know it's dinner time?"

"Um, sure," I replied not even looking at Taryn. I walked up the stairs, wondering if Lily was still in her room or if she had left. I went to her bedroom door and knocked once, quietly. There wasn't any reply and I opened the door.

Lily's room was dim even with the curtains open and the outside light spilling in. Lily was laying on the bed, her arm across her face. I paused, waiting for her to look up to acknowledge that I was there. I looked at the way her chest seemed to rise slow and steady, and I knew she was asleep. I slowly walked over to her bed, careful not to startle her if she wasn't really asleep.

"Lily?" I whispered as I touched Lily's shoulder barely, startling her awake. She looked asked touching Lily's shoulder, startling her. She looked around disoriented before her eyes met mine again. She had creases from her arm and her tears had left her face splotchy. She was still beautiful.

"Huh? What?" Lily said with her voice thick from sleep.

"It's dinner time," I told her quietly. I frowned slightly as she sat up, turning her face from me almost immediately. "Is something wrong?"

"Did you tell Taryn we kissed?" Lily asked me almost aggressively. I scoffed at the idea.

"Not a chance," I reminded her simply. "I don't fancy a fight while being a guest of yours."

"My parents," Lily said me. I frowned.

"What?"

"You're a guest of my parents, more specifically of my father," Lily told me as she climbed free of the bed. I watched as Asher curled up where Lily had lain.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her uncertainly. She seemed to ooze hostility.

"I didn't invite you here, Scorpius," Lily said at him, crossing her arms. "You have Darla."

"Where is this coming from, Lily?" I looked at her with great concern. Her attitude, behavior was a complete 180 from one my Lily, the Lily I knew and loved.

"This was supposed to be my Christmas Holiday with my boyfriend," Lily said to me in a quiet voice. She sounded almost defeated. "Taryn knows we kissed, Rose told him."

"I don't know your cousin that well, but Rose doesn't seem like the type to break your confidences," I told her as I looked up from where I sat on her bed. She wheeled around on me, her hands on her hips.

"You don't know Rose well at all. No one else knew. I didn't tell him, you didn't tell him, it had to be Rose," Lily snapped at me. "I really wish you had never come."

I opened his mouth to say something but words wouldn't come out. I closed and opened my mouth a few times, surely looking like a fish out of water, but I couldn't form any words or thoughts. I was truly speechless. I settled for my mouth hanging open, feeling like I had been physically hurt by her words. I stood there and I watched as she turned her back on me and bolted from the room.

I waited a moment before I followed down the stairs. I slipped into the seat across of the table from Lily. She didn't look up or over. She kept her attention on her food and the table was bathed in uncomfortable silence as we ate. I glanced up to see James give me a look, almost as if to ask what was going on. I shrugged, not really sure why Lily was so pissed at me.

After dinner, Harry went out to the garage and James and I went upstairs. I sat and watched Albus and James battle for a few minutes before I decided to escape to the bedroom. I glanced briefly at Albus' closed bedroom door and I could hear them in there together, and it turned my stomach. I pushed the bedroom door open, ignoring the partially open bathroom door. I could hear him talking to her, pressuring her. The more he encouraged her, the angrier I became.

"I don't want to wait for this any longer, Lily," I heard Taryn say clearly as if I was in the room next to them. "If you loved me, you wouldn't make me wait any longer."

"Taryn," Lily protested a little loudly. She didn't sound like she was too thrilled with the words Taryn said. I knew I was livid. I heard the bed complain as they sat on it. I couldn't stand it anymore. I hated him, hated what he was doing to her. She may not have had the sense to tell him to stop, and it may not have been my place, but I couldn't stand by and let Taryn have her.

"Lily?" I queried as I pushed the communal bathroom door open, stepping into Albus' room. My heart slammed to a stop as I saw Lily laying on her back underneath Taryn. Her shirt was pushed up to just under her breasts, Taryn's hand was further, his leg locked over hers. Lily looked embarrassed to be caught in that position, my eyes flittered to the locked door before they returned to the couple. Taryn was glaring at me, but the glare had a malicious smile curled on his lips.

"She's busy, Malfoy," Taryn said to me winking. My blood boiled and I frowned at him.

"Lily, this isn't like you," I said as Lily struggled to a sitting position. Her hair fell away from her face and she looked genuinely embarrassed that she had been caught by anyone in that position. Lily jumped up, breaking free from Taryn. She ran to the door, fumbling with the lock before she left the room.

"I… I hear my mum calling me," Lily mumbled as she jetted out of the room. Taryn leaned back on the bed, grinning at me.

"You have to know, I hate you," Taryn said casually to me as if we were discussing a dislike of beets. "I can't wait until I am free of you."

"I didn't do anything to you," I challenged him as I crossed my arms. Taryn pulled himself free of the bed, carelessly casual as he leaned against the bed post. We were standing maybe a foot away, facing each other.

"No, but my girl seems to have decided that you were the kind of guy she'd rather be like and if I have my way, once I am finished with her, I'd make sure she was so ruined that even you wouldn't want her," Taryn laughed. I didn't think about it. I couldn't have ever imagined doing what I did next. It was almost as if I was sitting from the side watching as my face contorted in rage. I had no control as I cocked my fist back and it stuck out, colliding with Taryn's jaw just as Lily re-entered the room, just in time to see me crack my fist into her boyfriend face, twice in quick succession. First the jaw, then his nose.

"Scorpius!" She yelled at me as she rushed to Taryn's side. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins, my hands were trembling, and there was a sting to my knuckles. It was worth it, the way the blood was rushing from his face.

"He hit me because I defended you," Taryn lied with a nasally voice as blood poured from his nose. Lily looked at him in horror, rushing past me to the bathroom to get a cold wash cloth. She glared at me as she rushed by. I hadn't confirmed or denied that I had hit Taryn, that would have been stupid. She saw me do it. Instead, I remained silent, uncertain that I would be able to cease the words once I spoke.

"How could you hit him?" Lily demanded as if I had struck a child or a saint instead of this foul, loathsome creature that didn't deserve her. She was still glaring at me as if I was the one wrong in all this.

"He's using you, Lily," I murmured as I stepped towards her. She looked at me in horror and Lily moved away from me.

"Leave me alone," Lily insisted. She glared at me, acting as though I were the wrong one in all this.

"Please, Lily, listen to me," I insisted in an almost pathetic attempt to get her to listen to me.

"I'm so sick of boys," Lily snapped as she rushed out the room mumbling something about ice.

"Told you. She's going to be putty in my hand," Taryn smirked. He stood up, stretching and ignoring the blood. He rubbed his jaw slightly, it no more stinging than my hand at the moment. "I think tonight, after everyone goes to sleep she and I will spend some grown up alone time."

"She's thirteen," I said in horror, realizing what he meant. He smirked and shrugged. Lily being only thirteen, and innocent at that, was nothing to him.

"So?" Taryn said shrugging. He headed toward the door. "I have needs and since I can't have Rose, Lily'll do." I looked up just as Lily walked into the room. Her face was blank, a little pale, and I had to wonder, hope even, that she heard Taryn's words.

"Lily'll do what?" Lily asked as Taryn stood before her. I braced for her to hit him but found myself disappointed.

"Always have my heart, love," Taryn said kissing her cheek tenderly as he took the ice from Lily. She looked at the two of us, frowning, and stalked away with a little huffiness to her step. I followed, Taryn behind me, knowing that it was probably not wise to turn my back on her boyfriend. I took a seat, glancing at Lily curled up in a chair. She ignored us, Taryn and I. I couldn't blame her. Taryn was an ass, and I am sure I wasn't exactly winning friend of the year myself. Still, I was willing to come out the bad guy if I kept her safe and innocent from someone like Taryn. She deserved more than he had to offer, and I was pretty sure that she deserved more than me, too.

I was dead asleep when I was awoken to shouting and yelling. I was running down a hallway, as a grown man, in a hospital. I could hear someone yelling for me, telling me that time was running out, that I was going to miss it, the birth of my son. I could hear Lily crying out for me and panic welled in me, she sounded like she was in so much pain. I was reaching for the door, just outside her room, and then I was jolted awake by real life yelling. I sat up, looking around disoriented as the door swung open to my room.

Lily rushed in, crying, and she scrambled into the window seat overlooking the yard. She wrapped her arms around her legs and I watched her bury her face against her arms. She stared out the window after a second, staring across the yard. I took a deep breath, steadying myself and forcing my strange dream deep in the recesses of my mind.

"Lily?" I asked softly as I climbed free of the bed. I picked my tee shirt up off the floor and pulled it on, covering up my shirtless chest. I moved closer, standing to her side slightly, and Lily looked up at me. Even in the dark, I could tell she had been crying, was still crying.

"He's been lying this whole time," she cried. I frowned and wrapped my arm around her shoulder in a friendly sort of way. I didn't want to say anything mean, though I was tempted to tell her that Rose and I had been trying to explain that the whole time. It wouldn't have done any good to say to her 'I told you so' or that 'I told you he was scum'.

"You know, it's going to be ok," I murmured, trying to be comforting as I touched her hair. My fingers caressed her cheek, her skin like fire under my touch. "You're hot."

"Now's not the time," Lily groaned shoving my arm off of her shoulder and I nearly laughed at the misunderstanding, only I was too tired and the situation was too serious. I could only imagine what had been the straw that broke the camel's back. I shook my head.

"That's not what I meant," I explained as I placed my wrist against her forehead like her father had done. She felt like fire against my flesh it was nearly painful to touch her. Panic welled up in me, thinking she was sick, really sick. "I think you have a fever."

"Could be the tears," Lily murmured as she leaned against my wrist and I wondered if it was cool to her. I hated Taryn for this, certain that his having her outside without proper winter wear was the reason she was sick. I forced myself to stay calm, not wanting to upset her.

"No, I'm pretty sure you have a fever," I said as I pulled her off the window seat and back to the bed. She resisted me little, and my arm stayed around her for a moment longer than probably respectful. I stood there, waiting for her to pull away from me or for her to cling to me, I didn't know which. She didn't make a move in any direction and I sighed. "Get in the bed, Lily. I'm going to get your mum."

"She's taking Taryn home," Lily mumbled as she climbed into the bed. She wavered slightly and seemed very week to me. I felt panic again, wondering how sick she was. Was she as sick as Darla, just from being outside for a while? It would be my luck, certainly. I needed to get her to a healer, or a healer to her.

"I'll get your dad then," I told her quickly as I sprinted from the room. I was thankful that Ginny had already left with Taryn, uncertain that I could stand to see him after he had gotten her so sick. Harry was downstairs, sitting at the table with what looked like a cup of coffee. He looked up at me almost as if he was weary and for the moment I forgot about Lily being sick.

"Scorpius, son, you have no idea how angry I was upstairs," Harry said quietly as he practically strangled his cup. "I mean, I have never wanted to physically hurt anyone since… well… in a really long time. My Lily is just so… innocent."

"Yeah, oh, Lily's got a fever," I said remembering why I was downstairs in the first place. "I don't know, but she seems kind of sick and I'm worried about her. Maybe she needs a healer or something."

Harry hesitated for a moment, his eyes on me before he put his cup down and headed up the stairs. I followed behind him, uncertain if I should or not. I stood in the door way as Harry crossed her room and placed his wrist to her forehead. He paused before he looked at me and took a deep breath. He stood and crossed to the bathroom, running some water. I waited as he returned with a bowl full of water and a wash cloth. He looked at her carefully in the light, a cropping of little red spots on her arms.

"Can you sit with her a moment while I go down to the fireplace and floo for a healer to stop by?" Harry asked me as he wrung the cloth out and rested it on Lily's forehead. She was passed out cold and didn't even flinch though I imagined she should have.

"Sure," I said as I walked closer to the bed. Harry disappeared out of the room and I reached out to touch her face. Her cheeks were like touching unshielded flames. I pulled back looking at Harry in horror as he returned with a little woman.

"She's this way, Healer Jin," Harry said and I stepped back.

"And you said spots?" she asked as she looked over Lily's arms and legs. I turned my head quickly as the healer lifted Lily's shirt without warning.

"I know that Dragon Pox is going around, but this is different…" Harry murmured. It was like they were completely unaware of me.

"It's not Dragon Pox," Healer Jin said and I felt my breath leave my body in a rush for relief. Harry glanced over at me curiously but said nothing else. Healer Jin wheeled around and looked at me.

"Have you had chicken pox, dear?" She asked me. I frowned.

"I don't even know what that is," I admitted. I looked at Lily. "Is that what Lils has?"

"Lils?" Harry muttered under his breath good naturedly. Healer Jin shooed me from the room.

"It is the opinion of the healers that when able to, all children should be exposed to chicken pox," I heard her tell Harry. "It increases their immunity against dragon pox and even sphinx pox."

"Hmm… infect them on purpose?" Harry said as he looked at me. "I'm fine with my kids, but I'd better ask your dad, Scorpius. Might as well see if Rose and Hugo can come by."

"I want it," I piped up. Harry looked at me and nodded.

"I still have to ask your dad," Harry said. "I'll floo over there when Ginny gets home. You might as well head off to bed. Hope you don't mind either Albus' bed or the sofa bed."

"I'll just crash on the sofa bed, if you don't mind," I said as I wandered away. I thought a few minutes and then jerked out a piece of parchment from the desk in the corner of the television room. I wrote my dad a note:

Lily's come down with chicken pox and Harry's coming to ask you how you want to handle it with me. I want it, Dad, and it'll get me immune to dragon pox. I'm just saying. -Score

I headed down to the kitchen and to the formal living room where the Potter family owl lived in a gilded cage. I tied it to his leg and opened the back door, letting the owl out as Ginny came in. She raised an eyebrow at me but still smiled. Harry met her halfway across the kitchen and explained to her what was up. Ginny glanced at me as I started back up the stairs, I climbed onto the sofa bed, the place where that bastard tried to hurt her, and I tossed and turned most of the night.

In the morning, Harry woke me. His hand was on my shoulder and he shook me gently. I blinked confused as I regained my bearings. He looked sad, horribly sad, and my heart started to pound in my chest. If anything had happened to Lily while I had lazily slept, I'd never forgive myself. I sat up immediately, ignoring my shoes, and headed towards Lily's room but Harry caught my arm and shook his head. His hand was on my shoulder while he guided me down to the formal living room. My father was there, looking warily at me.

"What?" I asked with panic. Something was wrong, I could tell. I took a seat on the chair, not caring that I looked like hell with my hair sticking up all which way and my clothes horribly wrinkled.

"It's Darla," Dad said as he looked over at me. I felt my body twitch slightly.

"What about her?" I asked almost defensively.

"She went to visit your grandfather, to beg him to let her out of the arrangement, and she contracted Dragon Pox. She didn't know and your grandfather thought he was on the mend," Dad said quietly. "She… she…"

"Darla died last night, Scorpius," Harry finished for my father. Dad threw him an appreciative glance and nodded to confirm it. I felt as if my insides had been doused in ice water, my bones replaced with cold steel. I couldn't move, my lungs burned, and I realized I was holding my breath. I will it's release, the breath escaping in trembling gasp.

"But… I thought that dragon pox wasn't supposed to be fatal," I managed with a trembling voice.

"Normally, no," Dad admitted. "Darla was very sick and it took… it… she went really quickly."

"Darla's dead?" I asked. The words sounded weird in my words and in my voice.

"I'm sorry," Dad and Harry said in unison. I felt numb.

"But… she was fine…" I lied. I closed my eyes pinching the bridge of nose for a moment. I couldn't believe it. In the matter of twenty four hours, Taryn was out of Lily's life and Darla was dead. I felt an ache in me, sad for the loss of life. I didn't love Darla like I loved Lily, but still I was sad that Darla was lost. I felt a few tears slip down my face and I forced them away angrily.

"She wasn't fine, Score," Dad said. He looked at me uneasily. I forced a few more tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.

"I want to be the one to tell Lily, when she's better," I said quietly. "I mean, I know Lily and Darla were dorm mates, but Darla was my betrothed. I think I ought to at least get to do that."

"Of course, son," Harry said patting my shoulder. "You tell her when you're ready, and if it gets too hard, or you can't, I can do it for you, or Ginny."

"No, I can handle it," I said quickly. "When I'm ready, when Lily's well, I'll tell her."

"Of course," Dad said as he looked at me. He turned to Harry. "I really do hate to give bad news and go, but my father's health is failing and I have to return home to help my mother with him. I do hope that little Miss Lily starts feeling better, and if the healers think that chicken pox is the best way to go, by all means, give them to Scorpius. There's a few hours to dawn, so I think it'll be safe to apparate from the garden."

"Take care," Harry said as he shook my father's hand. Once it was the two of us, Harry looked at me standing there next to me and did something unexpected. Out of nowhere, he hugged me tightly until I thought that I wouldn't be able to breathe. It was then that I realized that I was crying so hard. Darla, love or not, was dead. My betrothal was over and I was free, but Darla was dead.