Disclaimer: don't own anything... this is apparently my awesome beta, Lola's, favourite of the ones she beta-ed... hope you guys like it too...

Lakeside

Lily and Rose sat together by the lake as the two of them spent "cousin bonding time" together. Lily was sitting on a rock behind Rose and was playing with her cousin's long red-brown curls.

'Sooo... what about... Jason Letz?' Rose questioned her cousin. Lily snorted.

'Self absorbed. Likes to grab. Kisses like a fish.' She thought to herself for a moment. 'Tastes like one too.' Rose shuddered.

'Ewww... Gross... what about-?'

'Hey! My turn!' Rose shrugged at her younger cousin's outburst. 'Okay... hmmm... what about you... and... Scor? Have you ever...?' She left the end open for interpretation.

'No!' Rose all but shouted. 'Never!' Lily held her hands out in mock surrender.

'Okay, okay!' she laughed at Rose's reaction. 'But have you ever thought of it?' Rose blushed.

'Well yeah, actually, once or twice, but I don't like him like that. Not really.' She insisted. Lily couldn't hold back the extent of her laughter this time.

'Hehehe... I think every one has thought of him that way at least once. At least.' Rose smirked as she turned to the younger, Slytherin girl.

'Have you?' she asked, hoping to catch her off guard. Lily shrugged.

'Yeah, I kinda like him. I mean; he's nice to me, my brothers like him, my dad likes him, heck! Gran Weasley absolutely adores him! He's good looking and he doesn't care about blood status. How could I not like him?' Rose looked at Lily strangely.

'You've thought about it that much?' she asked. Lily shrugged once more.

'Only a little bit. What about you?' Rose pulled a face.

'About the same, yeah? But there are two things that stop me from actually doing anything.' Lily raised an eyebrow at her to continue. 'One, he's my best friend; if we date and then break up, I lose him, and it would be hard on Al.' Lily shrugged; something she was doing alot in this conversation.

'Then just don't break up. And Al wouldn't mind if you dated.' Rose rolled her eyes.

'Second reason. My dad. Even though he's fine with me being friends with Scorp, he would absolutely crack it if he even heard that we were having this conversation.' She sighed exasperatedly.

'So? He'd get over it.' Rose shook her head to clear her thoughts.

'But I just... I don't think I could. I really don't want to cause trouble. I wouldn't dare.' Lily laughed a quiet, cynical laugh.

'Whereas I would love the opportunity.' She whispered to herself quietly.

'What?' Rose gave her a funny look. Lily shook her head, stray wisps of red getting caught in her lip balm and eyelashes. She wiped them away and stared at Rose thoughtfully. 'Whaaat..?' Rose asked again. Lily blew out a breath.

'So you're not going to do anything about him?' she asked. Rose shook her head.

'I'll get over it.' Lily smiled and twirled a stray curl of her older cousins' hair between two pale, thin fingers.

'So, you wouldn't mind if...?' Rose stared at her in confusion for a second, wondering what she would ask.

'If...?' she encouraged Lily along.

'If I had a go at him?' she asked doubtfully. Rose stared at her a long moment. She shook her head slowly.

'I don't mind. I'm not going to, so why shouldn't you?' Lily smiled at her cousin and turned her head to look to the old beech tree where a group of boys were mucking around. A tall, blonde one noticed her gaze and waved at her. She waved back and smiled to herself. 'Just don't hurt him.' Rose warned, causing Lily to look at her again.

'I won't,' Lily promised, and the two of them gazed out at the deep, almost black, waters of the lake.