A/N: Congrats to Caity.Cullen for being reviewer #400. Thank you all of you who review. You guys are great and to get it to 400 is fantastic! You guys really are fantastic. I got a bunch of your reviews and was about to be like- Did anyone read the chapter, but then remember the chapter I was thinking was THIS one. LOL. Anyways, enjoy. You guys wanted them back together… well… you know how stubborn they've been lately. I have to get a move on this story though, otherwise you'll have all of November to wait (as I will be doing NaNo this year and will not have nearly as much time to devote).

Disc: You know the drill.

Confounded

"Scorpius Malfoy, you will get up out of that bed and take me to the ball," Lily snapped. Scorpius looked at her, shocked that she was standing there in his bedroom, her hands on her hips. She looked good, great. Her dress hugged her body most provocatively, taunting him.

"Lily, what are you doing in my room?" Scorpius asked. Lily laughed as she moved within arms reach, her face soft and sweet. His hand was already cupping her cheek, the girl now straddling him with wicked intent.

"I'm ready to go to the ball, and I'm waiting on you," Lily told him. She leaned forward, her mouth near his ear. "Unless you'd rather do something else."

"But, Lily," Scorpius protested, his resolve crumbling.

"I've missed you, Score," Lily breathed as her lips trailed along his jaw, hovering over his mouth. "Lils," Scorpius breathed in response pulling her roughly against him, her mouth surrendering to his as he took the offensive. He pinned her to the bed.

"I love you," Lily moaned quietly as he moved to take her fully.

"Scorpius!" Draco barked, pulling Scorpius out of his painfully pleasant dream.

"Go away," Scorpius growled.

"Get out of bed," Draco said angrily. Scorpius felt the covers jerked from his face.

"What?" Scorpius growled.

"Did you verbally attack Rose Meyers?" Draco demanded.

"No, not really…" Scorpius said hesitantly.

"You do realize that she could press charges against you, file a formal complaint, and/or get you suspended from the task force, right?" Draco told him.

"It's complicated," Scorpius groaned.

"Did you or did you not tell her that she could go fuck herself?" Draco shouted. Scorpius swallowed, sitting up. He nodded.

"She let Lily leave something at my desk, a malicious attempt to drive me to murder," Scorpius said quickly, heatedly.

"What could a bunch of pregnant girls do to drive you to murder, Scorpius? I swear, I wonder where you got your spine from because it wasn't your mother, and it certainly wasn't me. You have ten minutes to get up, get dressed, and look presentable. You will go with your grandmother and me to the Slytherin ball," Draco growled at him, turning abruptly and heading to the chair. He jerked the frame from where it was now half hiding and held it in his hand.

"That is what they tormented me with," Scorpius said distractedly, his mind reeling.

"You know what," Draco said coldly. "We all tried to let you be with your decision to end it with Lily, in spite of it all. We figured you'd come around and make the right choices on your own. No nagging or even idle chatter from anyone, but all you've done is run. You made the wrong choice, Scorpius."

Scorpius looked up at his father as Draco placed the frame on the dresser, proudly displaying the picture.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"You made the wrong choice, Scorpius," Draco said coolly. "Now get up, get dressed, and look presentable. You aren't hiding while the rest of the world continues to move forward. You have been taken off any assignment that will take you out of the country."

"How is that fair?" Scorpius said in outrage.

"Finally, an appropriate response!" Draco snapped at Scorpius before turning and leaving his son to wallow in his own misery. Scorpius sighed, knowing full well that in ten minutes that he would be drug from his room and to the Slytherin Ball, even if he was still naked. He had slept right through Christmas, no longer a joyful holiday for him. He thought bitterly of that as he climbed in to the shower. He had been looking forward to this Christmas. He was going to ask Lily again to marry him, there at the ball, in front of everyone. He had hoped she'd not say no, not with all those witnesses.

He looked to the top of his closet where the gift he had bought her had been thrown. It had been during his first trip to Argentina and he had bought her a hand woven blanket, made from the softest llama hair. It felt like melted butter against the skin and had been dyed the color of sunshine, bright yellow. He knew that she would love it. He hesitated before he dressed in his finest, knowing that he would eventually get it to her. Despite what she had done to him, he couldn't deny that he loved her wholly.

"You'd better be ready," Draco snapped as he entered Scorpius' room.

"I am," Scorpius said crossly. "You know, you don't have to treat me like a child."

"You've been acting like one, so I'll treat you as I see it," Draco said. Scorpius was tempted to stick his tongue out at his father, a slip to his youthful days of old. He contained the very childish urge and the two joined Narcissa to catch a carriage that would carry them down the lane towards Flint Manor. The snow was thick, clinging to everything in sight with desperation.

"Please, Scorpius, behave," Narcissa said quietly. "I haven't needed to tell you that in years but tonight, I just have a feeling that I need to warn you to mind your manners and behave yourself."

"I do have some self control, Gran," Scorpius said sighing as he stepped out of the carriage.

Flint Manor had been decorated in the green and silver Slytherin colors, everything polished to a reflective sheen. Scorpius had played here as a child, when their grandmothers used to visit. He knew every nook and cranny of this house, every quiet place to hide. As soon as he could ditch his dad and grandmother, he was going to hide out for a few hours and claim he was mingling. Instead he was going grab some elf-made wine and drink away his sadness, at least until the pain was a little number.

"I see Ignatius Traylor," Malfoy whispered as he placed his hand on Scorpius' shoulder before disappearing in to the crowd. Scorpius had vaguely remembered his dad saying that he needed to talk to the man. Narcissa and Scorpius continued forward chatting with friends and acquaintances that they saw every year at this party.

"I'm going off to find Flora Flint," Narcissa said quietly. "Think you can keep from verbally attacking people."

"I didn't verbally attack Rose," Scorpius said through gritted teeth. Narcissa raised her delicate eyebrow at him before she swept away. Damon was suddenly standing there beside him.

"How does it go?" Damon asked as the two surveyed the room.

"My family thinks I am unhinged," Scorpius said.

"You have to admit, your behavior has been erratic at best," Damon said as he claimed a glass of something violently green and smoking from a roving house elf.

"Not you, too," Scorpius said.

"Look, man, I've lived with you since we were eleven," Damon said quietly. "I notice more than most would. Lately though, you've been a bit unstable."

"It's Lily's fault," Scorpius said. Damon looked at him in surprise.

"How is it Lily's fault? Last you both were claiming, you broke up with her," Damon said. Scorpius grunted.

"I did," Scorpius said.

"Well, man, you never did say why you broke up with her. One day you guys were stressed but still hanging in there, the next you dumped her and were on the first plane to Argentina. You have to admit from the outside, you look like the bad guy. From the outside, it just looks like you dumped your pregnant girl friend and jumped ship," Damon said dismissively. "To everyone, you look like an ass."

"Well, shit, she wasn't pregnant anymore," Scorpius said. "I wasn't the bad guy."

"What do you mean she wasn't pregnant anymore," Damon asked as he looked at Scorpius frowning.

"I mean hell, how'd you know she was pregnant anyways?" Scorpius said as he ignored Damon's question.

"Lily being pregnant is kind of common knowledge," Damon said looking at him in disbelief.

"I guess to add salt to the wound," Scorpius said as he took a fire whiskey from the nearest elf and threw it back in a single gulp.

"I think you might have your facts wrong, Scorpius," Damon said slowly as he processed the information. "You broke up with Lily because she was pregnant or wasn't pregnant?"

"What does it matter?" Scorpius hissed at him, irate.

"Did you and Lily ever sit down and talk?" Damon asked. Scorpius gave him a scathing look. "Of course not, right. You two broke up and you left for Argentina."

"Yeah, of which I'm now travel blocked because of Lily and Rose's little stunt back at D.A.A.; leaving shit for me to find so I'd lose my temper," Scorpius growled. "Oh, look. There's Lily now. Perhaps she and I should sit down and talk now."

"You have to calm the fuck down, Scorpius," Damon warned, looking at his friend. He grabbed Scorpius arm roughly. "You can't go running after people, shouting and screaming at them."

"Oh, because it's not polite?" Scorpius said sarcastically. Damon looked at him, bewildered.

"You honestly don't know, do you?" Damon said.

"Know what?" Scorpius growled.

"I mean I had suspected that you might not be fully aware, but this… this makes so much sense," Damon said more to himself than to Scorpius.

"What the hell are you blabbering about?" Scorpius said annoyed.

"Look, what did Lily leave for you at the office?" Damon asked. Scorpius frowned.

"A framed ultrasound picture," Scorpius said.

"Answer me this, did you look at the date on it?" Damon asked.

"The date?" Scorpius said. He felt a little of his anger dissipating and that annoyed him.

"To see when it was taken?" Damon prompted.

"I know when it was taken," Scorpius said crossly. "I took one just like it that night I broke up with her." Damon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose slightly.

"Are you sure it was from back in early October?" Damon asked. Scorpius frowned at him.

"Of course it was," Scorpius said. "When else would it have been from?"

"Dude, seriously?" Damon said as a smile crossed his face. He was laughing, which annoyed and confused Scorpius. He didn't like to feel like the butt of a joke, which he was feeling very much like at the moment.

"What?" Scorpius demanded. Damon shook his head.

"No, this isn't my place," Damon said as he grabbed Scorpius' arm. "You and Lily Potter need to have yourselves a little chat. Which way did you see her go?"

"I don't know," Scorpius said jerking his arm away from Damon. "And I can walk without assistance, thank you very much."

"Oh, I think I see her," Damon said as he ignored Scorpius. Scorpius looked to where Damon was looking and sure enough, Lily was sitting at a table near the open doors. Next to her was that Marshall Clocks, the one person Scorpius should have expected Lily to bring to ball.

"She said she wasn't bringing him," Scorpius said as he made his way over to the table. Damon and Scorpius stood on the opposite side of the table. Marshall looked a little cold there by the partially opened doors but he wasn't complaining. He was candidly listening to Lily talk. Scorpius watched her for a quick second, her face was slightly flushed and she was fanning herself despite the open door. She glanced at Scorpius. At the same time, Marshall did and he stood quickly.

"Look, Scorpius, no one wants any trouble," Marshall said quickly. Scorpius raised an eyebrow at him.

"I thought you had to work, Healer," Scorpius said with a taunting infliction on the last word.

"My father wasn't going to let me come here without a chaperone because of your stunt at the ministry," Lily said chastising. "Marshall took the night off, worked a double yesterday, so that he could accompany me here. How could you yell at poor Rose?"

"I didn't attack… er, well… I did yell," Scorpius said. He had been prepared for the 'I-did-not-attack' defense, but Lily had used 'yelled' and he had to admit, he did yell at Rose.

"Still, there's no need. If you wanted my address, you could have accept one of the packages I sent you or even look at some of the mail that comes to your apartment," Lily said dismissively as she tugged on Marshall's coat slightly. "Do you mind terribly if you can get me another drink? I'm parched."

"Uh…" Marshall said looking at Scorpius. Damon stepped forward slightly.

"I'll keep things civilly between these two while you're gone, Marshall," Damon promised. Marshall looked at Lily reluctantly but she smiled and patted his hand.

"Damon can be my knight in shining armor until you return," Lily promised. Marshall hesitated a moment longer before nodding.

"I'll get you something to eat, too," Marshall promised. "I'll be right back."

"No rush, Marsh," Lily said smiling. She watched him leave before she looked back at Scorpius. "So, why did you yell at my very pregnant cousin, Scorpius?"

"I…" Scorpius said opening his mouth to speak.

"Lily," Damon cut him off. "Scorpius doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" Lily asked. "Why he yelled at my cousin? That's a hell of a defense."

"I don't need a defense," Scorpius snapped. "You know what you did."

"Gee, you two are both dense," Damon said. He looked at Lily, crossing to her side of the table. He commanded her. "Lily, stand up."

"Why?" Lily said. "My feet hurt."

"Just do it," Damon directed. She looked at him sourly.

"Dude, she doesn't have to stand to talk to me," Scorpius huffed.

"Stand up," Damon demanded sharply though his voice wasn't very loud.

"Fine," Lily snapped at him. She struggled to her feet and stood there. "Happy? I'm standing and uncomfortable."

"Notice anything about Lily?" Damon asked Scorpius. "Perhaps about the way she looks?"

"You… look nice tonight," Scorpius said confused. He looked at Lily. He had to admit. She did look good. Her hair was up in a simple knot with a few wisps of her auburn hair having escaped and decidedly framing her face; she was wearing simple jewelry, nothing he'd have ever gotten her but it did look good on her. He did feel a little dejected that she wasn't wearing his locket anymore though it was kind of expected. It would have been creepier if she was still wearing the locket, he decided.

"Does Lily look like she's put on a bit of weight?" Damon asked Scorpius.

"Hey!" Lily protested as she put her hands on her hip. That motion drew his eyes away from her face to her midsection. He felt his insides turn to ice. His heart seized and stuttered to a halt. His eyes fired signal after signal at his now dead brain as the evidence of a pregnant Lily stood before him. She wasn't huge, not like Rose, and the dress was slightly deceiving he decided, but the evidence was there, staring at him in the face.

"You're pregnant," Scorpius said as suddenly his whole body caught up with his eyes. His heart took off running, the iced sunk to the pit of his stomach. All kinds of signals fired left and right in his brain. Lily looked at him, surprise unmasked on his face, echoing in his wide eyes.

"Yes," Lily said as she looked at him. Her own mind was reeling. Suddenly, that look of sheer surprise and shock on his face had each once random puzzle pieces fell into place. Her hand went to her mouth, tears sprung to her eyes. "You… you didn't know?"

"No," Scorpius breathed.

"How could you not?" Lily asked shaking her head. "Surely someone would have mentioned something. I sent you the ultrasound from a few weeks ago."

"I… I don't know," Scorpius said in the same quiet shock.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Damon said excusing his self quickly, catching Marshall on his way back to the table to explain.

"No, that doesn't make any sense," Scorpius said shaking his head. "I saw the ultrasound picture, saw the date and notes for the appointment at that clinic. I saw it."

"You thought I had terminated because you saw some notes on a piece of paper?" Lily asked. Scorpius couldn't pull his eyes away from her stomach, almost certain that it was some sort of joke.

"What was I supposed to think?" Scorpius asked.

"You could have tried talking to me," Lily said as her voice shook for a moment. He tore his eyes from her stomach and met her eyes.

"You… you think I broke up with you because you were pregnant!" Scorpius said in quiet realization as the words answered the question themselves. She didn't need to reply, he already knew the answer.
"You were pretty convincing that you wanted nothing more with me," Lily breathed. Her voice was shaky.

"Is this some sort of trick?" Scorpius asked suddenly. "Am I still asleep?"

"No," Lily said sadly. She was crying. She hated that she was crying, he could tell. She looked almost angry about the tears.

"Don't cry, please," Scorpius begged.

"I have done this all on my own for all these weeks because you didn't talk to me," Lily cried. "I tried to talk to you and you slammed the door of communication in my face."

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said as he handed her a tissue. They were standing side by side, almost hidden from the rest of the room.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" Lily said as her voice raised an octave. "I have our child growing in me and for the past eleven weeks, I have thought that you didn't want anything to do with me because of Bean."

"Bean?" Scorpius asked laughingly. Lily glared at him.

"How could you do this to me, Scorpius?" Lily asked. "You said that you loved me, and then you left me when I needed you most."

"Lils, please," Scorpius begged. "Let me make it up to you."

"It's too late, Scorpius," Lily cried as she touched her stomach. "There's no going back to where we were before. I loved you with everything I was and you threw that all away. You wouldn't even hear me out."

"Please," Scorpius said as he stepped forward.

"No, Malfoy, no," Lily said as she raised her hand, halting him. She shook her head. "I can't do this. No."

"Lily, please be reasonable," Scorpius begged again. She slapped him hard.

"Be reasonable, you say? Where was your reason when you tore out my heart and stomped it into the ground? That's what I thought, Malfoy," Lily spat at him. She caught Marshall coming up quickly to her left. She turned to him. "I'm ready to go now. I've finally had destroyed what little happiness that I had left about this whole situation."

Lily undressed faster than she had ever been able to, tearing the dress from her body in shreds. Her finger nails bit into her skin, raking marks left behind as she tore the black fabric. The scraps fluttered down around her feet. She roughly pulled the jewelry off and threw it onto her dresser, ignoring the delicate carved boxes it crashed into. She wouldn't think of him, not now. She was so angry and so hurt. All these weeks, he had thought the worst of her. If he had only taken a moment to listen to her, all of this pain could have been avoided.

Lily wanted nothing more than to throw herself onto the ground kicking and screaming, but she couldn't. She was afraid that she might squish Bean in the process and anything that would hurt her baby wasn't worth it; even it made her feel better. Instead, Lily pulled on one of her softer night gowns and climbed into bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin and willed sleep to come. Sleep was elusive; Lily spent the better part of the night tossing and turning. Sometime well before dawn, she finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

She wasn't alone when she awoke, even though it was darker than sin in the room and she hadn't opened her eyes yet, she could hear the rhythmic breathing beside her. For a moment she reveled in the warmth of the body next to her. She sighed then suddenly tensed. She had gone to bed alone. She screamed shoving the person away as hard as she could while she scrambled out of bed. The bedside lamp flipped on, filling the small room with a pale light. Marshall looked at her in sleepy shock.

"Wha?" He said sleepily.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Lily demanded. He looked slightly affronted and confused.

"You called me last night and begged me to come back," Marshall said slowly. "I tried to go to sleep on the couch, but your crying was… distracting." Lily closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. She did vaguely remember making a call to him. She had been upset. She blushed slightly.

"I… I'm sorry," Lily said shaking her head. She hesitated.

"You've had a rough night," Marshall said yawning. "I called out for you."

"No, I really can't afford to," Lily protested.

"I used one of my sick days, Lily," Marshall yawned again. "You're covered."

"Marshall, you really didn't have to," Lily said. Marshall grinned.

"I know," he said shrugging. "I just wanted to. You really need to take it easier on yourself."

"I'll try," Lily murmured. Marshall moved to get up. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the futon," Marshall said. Lily bit her lip.

"Do you have to?" Lily asked. Marshall looked at her as he stood on the other side of her bed. He was wearing sweat pants and a tee shirt. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea about us, Lils. We both made it clear that you and I are only friends," Marshall said. Lily nodded.

"Of course, I'm sorry," Lily said as she looked away. Marshall sighed.

"Ok, fine," Marshall said as he climbed back into bed. He flipped back the covers in invitation to Lily. "It's not like I mind anyways. It's nice to share some body heat with a friend."

"Thanks Marshall," Lily said quietly as she climbed back in bed next to him. He grinned slightly before flicking off the light.

"You know, though, if you and I ever decide to stop being friends, it'd probably kill me," Marshall said. He added, "Unless, of course if it was to become more."

"Good night Marshall," Lily laughed. She yawned and snuggled against him. His hand instinctively went to her stomach. She felt a pang of sadness, thinking that the person she should be snuggled up with should be Scorpius. His hand should be on their baby. Bean kicked hard in agreement.