AN: Thanks people. You're doing your part, I'm doing mine. This time around, it's a bit different. I am releasing two chapters back to back. Enjoy, and R/R both. Otherwise chapter 20 will SUCK.

Disc.: Corrupting other people's characters since 2007.

The Vote

Scorpius looked at Lily sitting in the common room, laughing at something Shale had said. She had her Herbology book spread across her lap, quill in hand, and she was laughing. Scorpius could see her locket around her neck and he felt warmth spread over him, filling him with joy. She looked away from Shale long enough to look up at him. She smiled warmly at him and turned back to Shale. Scorpius stepped closer as Shale placed his hand between Lily's shirt and the locket, looking at it closer.

"Scorpius is an old friend of the family," Lily was explaining as Scorpius stepped up behind a row of chairs. Shale looked up at him, his eyebrows raised. She looked at him, a faint smirk on her face. "Isn't that right, Scorpius. We're real good friends?"

"Yeah," Scorpius confirmed. Shale snickered, his hand still on the locket.

"Well, it's nice," Shale said as he continued to look at the locket. "I don't know if I'd give just any friend a gift like this."

Lily smiled genuinely, one of her beautifully intense smiles and laughed.

"I must be a very special friend, indeed," Lily said looking at Shale. He slowly removed his hand from her, the locket dropping against Lily's shirt. She picked it up, tucking it back into her shirt.

"Did you still want to hit the library for me to help you with your Herbology?" Scorpius asked. Lily looked up from her book.

"Oh, you don't have to put yourself out like that," Lily said sweetly. She smiled and turned back to her books.

"I… I don't mind," Scorpius said. Lily grinned and shook her head.

"Thank you, though, Scorpius," Lily said. "But I already asked Flint if he'd help me with the bit about the Cone-Sprouted Spores."

"Oh," Scorpius said. Lily smiled at him quickly and turned back to her book. Scorpius hesitated a moment before he turned and walked away. He took a seat near Elena and Damon, watching Lily as she chatted with her fellow third year mates, laughing at the boys who seemed bent on cutting up to make her laugh.

"Lily, hey," Flint said as his hand touched her shoulder from behind. She turned and looked up at him, grinning and stood.

"I do appreciate this," Lily said.

"Anything for you," he breathed as the two of them exited the common room.

Lily followed Flint out the portrait hole and to the library in silence. She smiled as he looked behind him at her, his face uncertain. The two found a table out in the open in the library, taking up one side of the table with Lily's books. Flint looked at her again as she pulled out her parchment.

"So, how was your Easter?" Lily asked casually as she begun. Flint looked up from her page to her face. She was smiling at him and he melted.

"It was… ok," he said hesitantly. She looked concerned slightly.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday," Lily said genuinely. "Did you get the card I sent you?"

"Yeah," he breathed. She grinned.

"Good," she said. She turned back to her paper. She continued to write pausing here and there to check facts. She sighed.

"Maybe… it would be easier to grasp the concepts if you saw them first hand," Flint suggested. Lily looked at him curiously, a half smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"Well, the seventh year students have free access to the greenhouse," he suggested quietly. A smile spread across her face.

"You mean… like a field trip?" Lily said excitedly.

"Yeah, sure," he said shrugging. She threw her arms around him.

"This is going to help so much," Lily said as she pulled away and started shoving her stuff in her bag. Flint took it from her and carried it as if it was nothing, though it was bursting at the seams with books and papers.

"No problem," Flint said as he led her toward the green house.

"Now, you aren't going to get in trouble, are you?" Lily asked as she followed along merrily.

"Nah," he said as he grinned at her and held the door open. "I'm of age, and I'm tutoring you. I can't be held in contempt for helping out a fellow Slytherin pass Herbology. Plus I doubt that Professor Longbottom would say much against you, to be honest."

"Awe," Lily said grinning.

"So, anyways," Flint said quietly as he led her to one of the bigger, scarier looking plants. "Why'd you ask me for help? I thought Malfoy was helping you out."

"Eh, well," Lily said uncomfortably for a second. "You know how you like me, right?"

"Yeah," Flint said scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. He looked at her reluctantly.

"Well, I like Score, er, Malfoy like you like me," she said uncomfortably. "Only, he seems reluctant to like me back."

"The age thing," Flint said understanding. Lily grinned half heartedly.

"It's the weakest excuse I've ever heard from either of you," Lily said sighing. "I swear. When I'm one hundred, you being a hundred and five, or him being a hundred and three won't make a lick of difference."

"Then, no," Flint agreed. He looked at her. "But with you being thirteen, and barely looking old enough to pull that off, it's weird."

"Super," Lily mumbled. "I don't even look thirteen now? I've been downgraded."

"Maturity, you'd probably be ages older than even me," Flint admitted. "But, honey, you don't look thirteen. I'm sorry, but your size alone screams pre-pubescent."

"I'm growing the best I can," Lily snapped. She closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath before taking another look at him. A new, strained smile was on her face. "Look, I am content with being friends with all of you. One day, you will all look back and realize how silly this all is."

"I don't doubt that," Flint said in a quiet voice. They stared at each other uncomfortably before he took a deep breath and turned his attention to the giant plant. "Should we get started?"

"Yeah," Lily said smiling as she pulled out her diagram, the paper wrinkled and creased. Quill in hand, she turned to Flint with a disarming smile on her face. "Do your worst, Malvo."

"Uh…" Flint said at the undercurrent in her words. She looked away and poked the plant with her finger, the plant raking a set of barbed tentacles across her exposed forearm. Flint jerked her back. "You shouldn't touch the plant, Lils. It bites."

"Now you tell me," Lily complained as she looked at the ragged cuts on her arm.

"Let me see," Flint demanded as she tried to pull her arm away.

"It's just a lot of scratches," she said. He nodded.

"You'll heal fine," he said shaking his head. "Rule number one, don't touch the plants."

"Got it," Lily said grinning and she sat a little further back as Flint started to go over the diagram and prodding the plant with his wand, donning thick dragon hide gloves. He threw a smile at her while he put them on, causing her to laugh.

"Well, are you done there because I'm starved?" Flint said. Lily glanced up, her quill hovering over her page.

"Nearly," she promised. She checked his watch, her fingers on his wrist. "Oh, I didn't realize it was that late, Malvo. Go on ahead and eat. I'll be along and I promise to stay out of the plant's reach."

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm sure," Lily grinned. She stood on the chair, her hands around the back of his neck. She drug his face down to hers, kissing his cheek. "Thanks so much for the help."

"Anything for you," he choked out. Lily grinned and returned to her paper. "I'll see you in the common room, right?"

"Yeah," she said. She winked at him. "Bring me a sandwich."

"Ok, ok," he laughed as he left her sitting in the greenhouse. Lily heard him leave and she sighed, looking at the diagram. She glanced up at the benign looking plant and stuck her tongue out at it. She sighed and turned back to her papers. This was the last assignment that she would have to deal with and then she'd be completely caught up. She would pass and not ever have to tell her parents about skipping class to spend time with Malvo Flint.

Her stomach growled and she frowned. She only needed a few more paragraphs and she'd be done. Lily sighed and continued to write her paper. She cheered at the completion, gathering up the large stack of papers and headed out to find Professor Longbottom. She found him talking with the half-giant, Hagrid. They both looked down at her as she stood there with a grin on her face.

"What brings you out during meal time?" Professor Longbottom asked. Lily grinned and held out a huge, wrinkled stack of paper.

"My make up work, Professor," Lily said quietly.

"That was quicker than I expected," Professor Longbottom said in surprise.

"I'll catch you later, Neville," Hagrid said as he waved himself off and walked away. Professor Longbottom waved and looked over the papers.

"You're a really smart girl, Lily," Professor Longbottom said. "I know your parents would be disappointed to know you chose a boy over your studies, especially when you didn't need to."

"I am sorry, sir," Lily said in what she hoped was a very remorseful voice. He looked at her and nodded.

"I know you are, and I expect that you've learned your lesson," Professor Longbottom said.

"Yes, sir," Lily nodded emphatically. He smiled at her.

"Good, and I'll see you in class tomorrow again, will I not," Professor Longbottom said.

"Yes, of course, sir. Why wouldn't you?" Lily asked surprised. He looked at her, his eye brow raised.

"It's just, I saw you with that Flint boy again, and I thought that…"

"We are together? No, we're just friends," Lily assured him. She forced a smile. "I've learned my lesson."

"Good, good," he said as Lily headed toward the castle.

"See you, Professor," she said waving and breaking into a run to the castle. She glanced back to see she was alone, tripping over a root and nearly falling on her face. She laughed at herself, and regained her footing. She slipped soundless into the front door, and dashed to the Great Hall, slipping into the noisy room. No one looked up as she strolled quickly from the door to her table. She sat down across from Kate. She didn't look up as she started to eat.

"Hungry much?" Kate teased. Lily grinned, her cheeks slightly puffy from the food. Lily chewed a little slower and swallowed.

"I finally finished the last of my paperwork," Lily said. "I'm going to see if I can coax Flint into letting me back on the team."

"Ooh, you think he'd go for it?" Kate asked lowering her voice and throwing a look sideways at the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"I don't know but I hope so," Lily said. Kate snickered.

"You could always start dating him again," Kate suggested. Lily threw a roll at her, the roll bouncing off her forehead. The girls laughed hysterically, unable to continue the conversation. A few other classmates looked at the two having missed the roll incident. Kate gasped for breath from the laughter as Lily grabbed a new roll and took an insanely large bite from it. Lily grinned, her cheek puffed out again, and Kate lost it, roaring with laughter until she was breathless. Quite a few people looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Are you ok?" Shale asked Kate concerned. Kate continued to laugh, shaking her head and forcing the tears from her eyes. Shale looked over at Lily concerned.

"Don't mind her," Lily smirked. "She's on a roll."

"MERLIN," Kate gasped as she started laughing as Lily shook with her own laughter.

"Girls are so weird!" Shale whispered to Zane loudly. Zane looked over at the two and nodded emphatically.

"Only as weird as boys are," Kate gasped as she started to calm down. Lily snickered and continued to eat.

"Lily, you still going to need that sandwich?" Flint asked as he stood across from her. She looked up and shook her head, waving her hand over her plate.

"I think I've got it covered, thanks," Lily said. She held her hand up to stop him as he turned to leave. "I do want to talk to you though, later."

"About?" Flint asked hesitantly. Kate was making faces at Lily to make her laugh, which caused a smirk to cross Lily's face.

"I just want to talk, that's all," Lily promised. She grinned at him.

"Um, ok," he said uncomfortably. She laughed.

"You act like I'm going to talk to you about something awful or uncomfortable," Lily said as she stood up.

"No, go ahead and finish eating," Flint said alarmed that she was cutting her already short meal shorter. She grinned.

"I want to stay light on my broom," she hinted as she nodded a quick good-bye to a giggling Kate. Flint looked at her a bit confused as the two of them exited the table area, Lily glancing at Scorpius, who was watching her carefully. She smiled at him before turning her attention back to Flint.

Scorpius came across Lily sitting in the common room some time after he had performed his prefect duties. She was sitting in her school uniform, her ankles crossed. Her fingers were toying with the locket and she was deeply engrossed in a book. A slight smile tugged the corner of her mouth for a second before she shifted forward, the smile disappearing and an anxious look crossed her face. Her hand froze and Scorpius realized she was now holding her breath as she read. He watched her curiously until he began to feel anxious himself that she was never going to take another breath. It felt like minutes, but not that much time had passed.

"Lils please take a breath or something," Scorpius breathed. Lily's eyes shot up to him, startled as if he had yelled it instead of barely whispering it, and she took a shaky breath, a half smile gracing her face.

"You scared me," she said.

"I didn't mean to," he promised. "You just stopped breathing."

"I did?" she asked surprised as a faint flush made her cheeks turn pink.

"Yeah," he said. She glanced down at the page, bending the corner over and closing the book.

"It's just intense," Lily said biting her lip. Scorpius glanced at the title and groaned.

"You know my Gran is reading them," Scorpius said. A huge smile spread across Lily's face, her eyes twinkling.

"I bet she loves them," Lily gushed.

"I guess," Scorpius said. He checked his watch. "What are you doing up this late? I thought that you'd be in bed by now."

"I wanted to talk to you," Lily said as she patted the small couch next to her. He looked at her with surprise.

"About?" he asked cautiously. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Why does every one of my friends assume I have bad things to talk to them about?" Lily grumbled half heartedly. She smiled at him and patted the seat next to him. Still, he didn't move. Sighing, Lily placed her book on the table and crossed to Scorpius, taking his hand in hers and pulling him over to the sofa. She gently pushed him to a sitting position and sat down, twisting to look at him.

"Um," he said as Lily gripped his hand in hers looking at him.

"Look, I promise I'm not going to get all weird or anything. I thought about what you said, and you're probably right," Lily smirked. "Maybe three years is too much."

"Lily," Scorpius said. She covered his mouth with her free hand, halting his words.

"Anyways, I am content being your friend, too. Who knows, maybe when I have boy troubles, you can bail me out," Lily teased. Scorpius looked at her darkly and pulled her hand off his mouth. She laughed.

"If that's what you want to talk about, I…"

"Shush, Score, it's not," Lily laughed as she replaced her hand over his mouth. "Look, tomorrow, Malvo is going to ask your vote on something, and I want your support."

"Vote?" Scorpius said through her fingers. She nodded, removing her hand and taking his in her hands. His were so much bigger and stronger looking than hers. She glanced down at them for a minute, realizing that his skin was smooth and perfect.

"Malvo is going to put it up to the team to see if Griffon should be replaced," Lily said looking up at him. She stared at him for a long second before she casually pulled her hands from his. "Professor Longbottom has agreed to take me off of academic expulsion from the Quidditch team."

"Off?" Scorpius said, not really understanding. Lily grinned, placing her hands on Scorpius' shoulders. She moved it close to him, and for a second Scorpius' heart started racing in anticipation. He saw her moisten her lips with her tongue and he realized how much he wanted to kiss her.

"Score," Lily breathed quietly. She applauded herself for this technique, knowing a whispered voice was more likely to be focused on then a yelled one.

"Yeah?" Scorpius barely got out.

"If you vote for me to, I can play in the upcoming Ravenclaw game," Lily told him. "We need to win to still be in the running for the game."

"Quidditch?" Scorpius asked confused. Lily patted his cheek and pulled back.

"You really must be tired," she murmured. She stood and yawn, as she looked at his watch. "And no wonder, it's nearly midnight. Just think about it, will you?"

"Yeah," Scorpius promised.

"It'd really be great to be out there with you guys, flying again," Lily told him. She kissed him, chastely, on his cheek, very close to his mouth. "Good night."

"Good night," he said as he watched her walk away. He looked down, seeing she had left her book on the table. A sly smile crossed his face and he scooped it up thinking he could use it as a way to talk to her some more. He figured it wouldn't hurt to read it, and he was thankful that she was reading the first book again.

After Easter break, the professors seemed pretty hell bent on murdering their students with work, especially the fifth and seventh year students who had O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, respectively. Lily, Kate, and Shale walked around, giving wide berth to the older students who were increasingly short with everyone, tense and terse in their responses. Every once in a while, one of the older kids would have some sort of fit or emotional breakdown and would snap the heads off of one of the younger kids.

"Merlin, they're mean," Kate whispered after she had been hushed for the second time in two minutes.

"Maybe we should just head outside?" Lily whispered back.

"I really wish you would!" a fifth year shouted across the common room. Lily glared at Celeste, who was frantically rubbing her temples while surrounded by thick books.

"At least it's beautiful out, not that you can tell from this dungeon," Lily quipped loudly, her voice sounding like a shout though it was no louder than normal conversation. She scooped her bag up and stalked out of the common room, followed by Kate and Shale.

"Its' so pretty out here," Kate said as the three headed into the middle of the big grounds. There were large, white clouds in the sky.

"Shale, let us use you as a pillow," Lily begged, her hands clasped in front of her. "That way we won't get grass in our hair."

"I don't know, Kate?" Shale asked hesitantly.

"We broke up ages ago," Kate laughed. "It's not weird for me to be around you, it shouldn't weird for us to lay on you. It's not like our whole bodies will be on you."

"Sure, why not," Shale said. He lay in the grass, his hands behind his head. The two girls giggled and rested their heads on him, Lily on his chest, Kate next to her on his stomach, making a giant people T-shape.

"You must be really excited," Lily teased. "Your heart is running a million miles an hour."

"You tease," Kate said as she rolled on to her side. "Lemme hear."

"Stop it, you two," Shale said blushing. "Otherwise I'll leave you both lying in the grass alone."

"Party pooper," Lily said reaching up and patting his cheek.

"Some friend he's turning out to be," Kate laughed. "Ooh, look! A turtle!"

"That's not a turtle," Lily countered. "That's an alligator."

"Hogwash," Shale mumbled. "Obviously it's a tree."

"How do you figure it's a tree?" Kate and Lily asked.

"The shape, it's too long there and puffy there," Shale said as he point at the shapes. He let his arm fall across the girls, as if he was holding them down like a safety bar on a roller coaster.

"I think," Kate started as she started giggling. "I think it looks like a guy."

"A guy?" Shale and Lily both replied confused. Kate giggled harder, her face red. She whispered what she meant into Lily's ear. Lily turned bright red.

"Nasty!" Lily teased. "You are such a gutter mind!"

"What? What'd she say?" Shale asked.

"Don't tell him!" Kate said laughing as she jumped up and ran off. "Lily, don't tell him!"

"Really want to know?" Lily asked as pushed herself up to look at him.

"Yeah," he said. Lily grinned and moved in position next to him, her mouth by his ear and his arm around her shoulders.

"She thinks," Lily whispered in his ear. "She thinks it looks like a male body part."

"A… member?" Shale said. Lily grinned and nodded. The two of them rested back against the grass and looked at it. "Yeah, I can see where she'd say that."

"I wouldn't know," Lily laughed.

"You want me to share with you?" teased Shale. Lily shook her head.

"No, not particularly," she said. "When did you get so bold?"

"Eh, it came with puberty, I suppose," Shale said. Lily laughed. "You'll see if you ever hit puberty."

"Jerk," Lily said punching him lightly in the shoulder. He laughed. "You know, for one of my best friends, you are unkind sometimes."

"Chalk that up to being a fourteen year old boy, I guess," he said shrugging. The two were quiet for a few moments. He pointed at a blob. "That one looks like a boob."

"As if you'd know what a boob looked like," Lily snorted. Shale's face went serious for a second his fingers to her buttons.

"You could show me," Shale said. Lily looked at him in surprise and he laughed. "Come on, haven't you ever played 'Show me yours, I'll show you mine'?"

"No," Lily said as she started to draw away from him.

"I wasn't serious, Lils," Shale promised as he pulled his hands away from her. She still moved and sat up next to him.

"I just want to make sure I'm not blurring any lines between us," Lily said. "We are friends, right?"

"Of course," he said.

"And you'd be ok with that remaining nothing more, right?" Lily asked.

"Not everyone wants to date you, Lily," Shale teased. Lily smirked.

"Good to know," she laughed.

"Now, tuck your hot little body up against me, and let's continue to get rumors started," Shale laughed.

"No, dude," Lily said shaking her head. "It's lunch time and I'm starved. Plus we have like two weeks left of school. I don't want to waste it on my back, looking at the clouds."

"Great," Shale muttered. "Lying out with me is a waste?"

"Awe, you know I didn't mean that," Lily laughed as she stood. She reached out her hand. Shale sat up and pouted.

"You're so mean. I swear," Shale said crossing his arms.

"Awe, I'm not mean," Lily taunted. She laughed and wrestled one of his hands free. "Come eat lunch with me."

"I really shouldn't," Shale said.

"Awe, don't make me beg, Shay," Lily teased as she pulled on his hand.

"I don't know, begging would be fun to see," Shale laughed as he stood. He rolled his eyes. "You think your boyfriend, Scorpius would mind?"

"Scorpius and I are just friends," Lily laughed as she continued to pull him to the castle by his hand.

"They've decided yet?" Shale asked suddenly.

"I find out tonight if they voted for me to reclaim my position and play the two final games," Lily said suddenly nervous.

"How do you think it'll go?" Shale asked as he squeezed her hand.

"I… I'm not sure," Lily said hesitantly. "I really screwed up big time and I can't blame them if they decide to keep Griffon."

"For what it's worth, you a hell of a better player than he is," Shale said. Lily looked up at him.

"Thanks, Shale," Lily said as she let his hand drop from hers and headed into the Great Hall for dinner.

Lily looked at Scorpius as he called to her across the hall. He was on his way to his exams, looking rather tired and withdrawn. They had passed on giving her an answer the previous night, for which she understood, and she was surprised to find him chasing her down on her way to class. She smiled slightly, looking at him worried.

"Have you been sleeping, Score?" Lily asked concerned.

"Yeah," he mumbled. He stifled a yawn and she looked at him skeptically. "Well, as best as I can, y'know?"

"I hope that you'll get some serious rest this summer," she said. He looked at her warily.

"Are you backing out of staying with me?" He asked suddenly anxious. A smile spread across her face.

"Are you kidding? Lily said as she stepped closer. "I am so thrilled I don't have to hang around my brothers at home all summer."

"That's good," he said in a quick sigh of relief.

"Did you need something?" Lily asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, sorry," he said. "The team has made the decision to allow you back for one of the two games."

"It's only fair," Lily said smiling. He looked at her uncertainly.

"You're taking this well," he said. Lily grinned.

"Would you rather my cry and throw myself into your arms for comfort?" Lily laughed. Scorpius didn't reply and Lily stopped laughing. A smile crossed her face slyly. She stepped closer, her body quite near his. "Sometimes, it sucks being just friends, doesn't it? Makes you embrace the times when physicality is a probability."

"Yeah," Scorpius said swallowing nervously.

"Thanks for the news," Lily said brightly as she stepped away. "Good luck with your exams. I don't want to keep you."

And he watched her skip away, and he felt a pull like he had never experienced before in his life. Damon, looking as stressed and tired as he did, walked up beside him. He placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder, startling Scorpius from his trance like gaze, Lily long since disappeared from sight.

"How's being friends going?" Damon teased.

"Shut up," Scorpius scowled as they pushed their way into the Great Hall for exams.

"Dude, don't get pissy with me because you're too stupid to face the facts that you LOVE her," Damon laughed as he ducked from Scorpius' swing and ran to find his desk.

"Stupid git doesn't know what he's talking about," Scorpius grumbled. He closed his eyes for a second, her smiling face flashed in his mind and he smiled, warm and secure. He jerked open his eyes and scowled at the grinning Damon. "Damn him."