Lily Potter and the Potions Professor

AN: Okay so you've reviewed and as promised here is another chapter Thanks so much for reading by the way. This chapter's a bit longer (finally). Hope you like it and please keep the reviews coming. :)

Chapter 8: The Borrow and the Return

Potions soon became Lily's favourite lesson. She looked forward to Malfoy's classes even more than Hagrid's and stayed up late most nights reading her potions book; she wanted to impress him by being his best student. She knew it seemed stupid but he had given her a new passion for potions and she figured that it wouldn't do any harm to do well.

One day when she had potions first thing in the morning she hurried to the dungeons as early as possible. She was the first student to arrive and waited eagerly at the door to the classroom. Professor Malfoy arrived shortly after.

"You're early, Potter," he stated.

She smiled shyly at him and he smiled back as he opened the door. He hesitated for a moment with his hand resting on the door handle. Lily thought that she saw him glance in her direction.

"You can go in and wait, I forgot something, I have to go back and get it," he told her before turning around and walking back in the direction he'd came from.

Lily's shoulders drooped slightly as she made her way into the classroom and took her seat.

The rest of the class arrived over the next quarter of an hour and Professor Malfoy still hadn't come back. Lily sighed and opened her bag to get her book out; but it wasn't there. She must have left it back in her dormitory. Just as she was debating with herself about whether to go back for it , Malfoy entered the room and the class went silent.

He instructed the class to prepare their ingredients and brew a potion to cure boils. As the class began work Lily slowly approached Malfoy who had taken his seat behind the desk.

"Excuse me, professor," Lily said quietly.

"Yes?" he looked up and she felt her knees go slightly weak.

"I, er, I forgot my potions book," she said. "May I borrow one?"

He didn't answer her but pulled a drawer open in the desk and handed her a copy of the book that she needed.

"Thank you," she said smiling sheepishly and returned to her desk to get started on her potion.

XXX

Lily had been toying with the idea all day. She knew it seemed crazy but she had to try, didn't she? She'd gone over it in her head what felt like a million times; playing out the various scenarios. She knew that the odds were against her but she also knew that if she didn't go through with it she'd regret it so she picked up the borrowed potions book, wrapped her cloak around her and made her way out of her dormitory. She slipped through the common room unnoticed and exited through the portrait hole.

It was quite cold in the castle corridors and she was thankful that she'd brought her cloak. Lily clutched the book close to her and walked very slowly. Just as she made it to the ground floor her heart began to quicken. By the time she reached the dungeon corridor that lead to the potion masters office she thought her heart would be heard on the astronomy tower it was beating so loud. She stood at the door of Malfoy's office and raised her hand to knock; she hesitated and finally lowered her hand.

This is ridiculous, go back now! She told herself but remained standing still.

It's now or never, do it, you know you want to, said a small voice in the back of her mind.

Lily stood there for what felt like hours and finally without really making the decision she lifted her hand again and knocked. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth looking around wildly for a place to hide. She spotted a strange looking statue of an old wizard across the corridor and started for it.

"Potter, is that you?" came the voice of her professor as she was midstride, still half a dozen steps from her potential hiding place.

Lily stopped with her back still to him. Oh crap!

"Going somewhere?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lily gulped. "Oh, I thought you mustn't have been in."

"I know I'm a wizard Potter, but you give me too much credit, I'm not that fast," he replied.

Lily turned around to face him. He was standing in the doorway of his office leaning up against the frame, his arms crossed and a small smile on his face. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked her after a long pause. "I'm guessing you came down here for a reason."

Lily gulped again and slowly moved towards him. When she got to the door he moved aside to let her in. She looked around the corridor to make sure no one was watching them and then entered. Malfoy glanced up and down the corridor himself before closing the door behind them. He walked around behind his desk and sat down.

"Take a seat," he said as he waved his wand, conjuring a chair out of thin air.

"Thank you," replied Lily as she sat down.

"What can I do for you?" he asked watching her carefully as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Lily thought. I'm going to make an absolute fool of myself.

Having considered her options she decided to go with her Plan B.

"I just wanted to return your book really, I've found mine so I won't need it anymore, thanks for lending it to me," she said all of this very quickly and stood up holding the book out to him.

"Oh," replied Malfoy also standing up, he looked slightly disappointed as he took the book from Lily.

They held their gaze with each other just a little too long again before Lily said; "I guess I'll get going…?" It was almost a question.

She turned and headed to the door.

"Wait," said Malfoy quietly.

Lily stopped; she couldn't help herself. If he said jump, she'd ask how high. When she turned around he was around her side of the desk leaning up against the edge of it. Unable to control herself any longer Lily made her way back across the room to him. She stopped just in front of him and looked up into his eyes. His eyes that were so deep, so full of…what was it? They harboured a secret but Lily had no idea what it could be; he was so good at hiding the meaning of his expressions and this only made her more drawn to him. She was lost in his eyes when he reached out and touched her cheek. She smiled at the feeling of his fingers upon her skin and she felt as though she would float away…

Knock! Knock!

Someone was knocking on the door. Both Lily and Malfoy's eyes widened as they heard the voice of his son call out.

"Father, may I come in?" Scorpius said from the other side of the door.

"Here," Malfoy whispered as he hurried to a large cabinet and opened the door. "Get in."

Lily didn't hesitate for once but jumped straight in as he closed the door and locked it. She sank down and sat on the floor amongst an assortment of small cauldrons and other potions equipment. She waited to hear what Scorpius had to say but realised that Malfoy must have put another spell on the cabinet when he locked it; she couldn't hear anything. After about ten minutes the door opened and Lily looked up, seeing Malfoy standing over her, he held out a hand to help her. She took it and stepped out of the cabinet trying to look at his face but he avoided her eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"It's quite late, maybe you should head back to Gryffindor Tower," he said still not looking at her.

"Why? What happened?" she asked reaching out to touch him.

He grabbed her wrist before she could make contact and finally looked at her.

"I can't do this," he said, letting her go. "It's wrong, I can't..."

"It's not," said Lily raising her voice. "You can, I want you to..."

"No, Lily, we can't!" he said firmly using her given name for once.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said nothing. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, this wasn't how she wanted it to go.

"Please Lily," he said and this time she could see the pain in his eyes. "We can't do this, not to Scorpius and not to..." He trailed off and looked away.

"To my father?" Lily questioned finally realising what was going on, what was really stopping him.

He exhaled and closed his eyes but did not correct her.

"This has nothing to do with him," Lily said. "I make my own decisions."

"This has everything to do with him," replied Malfoy. "This is wrong. Not only am I your teacher but you're Harry Potter's daughter."

"Who cares?" cried Lily in exasperation, throwing her arms up in the air.

"I care!" he said raising his own voice. "And I'm pretty sure he'd care too. Not to mention the rest of your family."

"I'm not dictated to by my family," said Lily fiercely. "I thought you of all people would understand that!"

She turned and stormed out of the room, breaking into a run when she reached the door, tears streaming down her face, all the way back to Gryffindor Tower.