"You look so beautiful," Al whispered, absentmindedly playing with a lock of her hair. He knew he sounded cheesy but he didn't care.
Al knew he was in love with his girlfriend. He had always laughed at teenagers who claimed they had met the one until now. Spending the rest of his life with Mia was something he could see him doing. She understood him. Unlike most of the girls who had chased after him, he was Al with her, not Harry Potter's son. She didn't care about his family status or the inheritance he would receive in a few years. She knew the media was an inevitable part of his life and accepted it but he knew she wasn't the kind of person who sought it out.
It was refreshing.
The two of them were in his dormitory, which Al had known it would be empty due to the party the Gryffindors were holding in the common room tonight. He knew his dorm mates were expecting him to 'get some' tonight but that wasn't why he brought her here.
He had told her to dress nicely and then blindfolded her until they reached the doorway. The look of pure joy when she saw the transformation was more than worth all the hard work he had put in. During their lunch break, he and Scorpius had temporarily removed all but one of the beds from the room, exposing a large space where they had placed a small table and two chairs. One of the house elves had agreed to be a waiter, bringing them the finest food Hogwarts kitchens had to offer. He had wanted everything to be perfect and it was.
After their meal, the two had retired to the bed where they had been laid for the past hour, stealing loving kisses. Al knew Mia wanted to wait so he let her take control, moving at her pace. He didn't mind waiting. He had never told any of his friends this, not even Scorpius, knowing they wouldn't understand but for him this was enough. When they did have sex, he wanted her to be completely sure that this was what she wanted, that she could trust him.
He knew the guys would laugh at him for it so he kept his mouth shut. To them it was all about the sex. Even those who hadn't lost their virginity were obsessed with it. He wanted the connection, the intimacy and if they didn't understand that then so be it.
Al guessed that was why he was so protective of his little sister. He knew what guys could be like and wanted to save her from all that pain or maybe it was just a natural instinct. Either way, he had made sure everyone knew that if they hurt Lily Potter, there would be trouble.
He never thought to protect her from those closest to him.
He couldn't help but be grateful that they had found the empty classroom so quickly He had stayed at the party for as long as he could, using every ounce of his willpower to wait, to not act on the thoughts he had been having since he had seen how stunning she had looked in an oversized shirt and small pair of denim shirts that showed off her legs. When she had bent forward to get a drink, her shirt had gaped slightly, revealing the lace of her bra. He had lost it. Gesturing subtly for her to follow, he had left the celebrations. The two had raced to the nearest classroom, barely managing to keep their hands off each other until they were sure they were alone.
"We'll miss the party," she murmured, trying to ignore the trail of kisses he was leaving on her neck.
His voice was deep with lust when he spoke against her skin, causing her breath to hitch.
"This is much more fun."
Nodding her assent, she turned her face to Scorpius', bringing her lips against his fiercely. He pulled her closer, desperate for the touch. Rose's hands were locked in his blonde hair as the kiss deepened, passion overtaking them.
Nobody had seen Lily leave the party nor had they noticed the old piece of parchment she held tight in her hand. She couldn't help but smile at how brilliantly things were turning out. When she had seen Scorpius hurry from the party, she had known fate had just given her the perfect opportunity. Dashing upstairs, she grabbed the Marauder's Map from the bottom of her trunk and hastily applied a fresh coat of her lipgloss.
This was it.
She pictured it as she made her way through the corridors. Lily would find him upset and alone, and when she comforted him he would realize what she had known for a while now. He would apologise for ignoring her for all this time, take her hand in his and kiss her. It would be her first real kiss and in that moment, they would realize that they were meant to be together.
In her excitement, she didn't notice that the map showed he was not alone. Instead she barreled ahead, throwing open the classroom door in her haste.
She felt as if she had been hit by a curse when she saw Rose and Scorpius locked in an embrace.
Her cousin was perched on one of the desks, her best friend in front of her, pressing hot, fiery kisses against his lips. She wore only her bra on the top half, her shirt thrown to the floor beside Scorpius' own discarded top.
"No!" she cried, the sound of her devastation ripping the two apart. They looked at her in confusion for a moment before it sunk in. They had been caught.
Guiltily, Scorpius walked away, turning his back to her as Rose jumped from the desk, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Lily... I'm sor-"
She didn't hear the rest, her feet already dragging her away. Tears flowed from her face as she ran. She didn't understand. How could he be with her? They were meant to be together but that stupid cow had run in and spoilt everything.
She ignored the calls of her cousin as she followed behind her, pulling her shirt on as she ran. If only she would stop, Rose knew she could explain. She just needed to make sure she did so before they reached the party. She raced behind, the distance finally closing as Rose's long legs were pushed to their limit. Her hands caught in the fabric of Lily's dress, drawing her to a stop. Rose pulled her around, forcing Lily to look at her
"Lily will you just listen to me! What you saw...it's not what you think. Just... don't tell anyone about this please, for me."
The slap was unexpected, the surprise hurting more than anything else. A look of confusion on her face, she watched her cousin run through the portrait without trying to stop her.
She heard the feet draw beside her but did not turn. She knew it was him.
"Shit," he said, still breathless, as he watched the red hair disappear into the common room.
She nodded her head mutely.
Shit indeed.
The crowd took in the crying girl with shock. Her friends moved forward to comfort her but she shook their hands from her shoulder in disgust. She needed to find her brother, to know that at least one family member hadn't betrayed her.
He and Mia quickly jumped apart when she stormed into his dorm, thankful that these two were at least fully clothed. As soon as he saw the hurt on her face he ran to her side, coaxing the story from her sobbing chest, his anger growing as he listened.
Mia watched in horror as her boyfriends face darkened, his face twisting with a rage she had never seen before. She had never seen Al this worked up. He was only the calm one. He took everything in his stride.
Until now.