Chapter 7

As Rose approached the dungeons, the bad feeling in her gut deepened. Perhaps though, it just had to do with the ominous nature of the dungeons, how dark and gloomy they were. She tried to shake the feeling away as she turned a corner. But right as she did so, she immediately sprung backward, to land her back against the wall, breathing heavily as though she was doing something wrong. When she turned the corner she had seen Scorpius leaning with his back on the wall, Lily in front of him, his hand cupping her face. She did NOT want to see that, she didn't even think of that as a possibility for something she would come upon. So she backtracked so as not to have to witness more of things like that.

How funny, though. He had just finished telling her maybe two hours before that he would choose Rose over Lily, and here he was, in intimate positions with her cousin. She should have known, seeing as she denied him, that he would go back, and stay with Lily. She heard their voices, and peered sneakily around the corner to look at them. Scorpius was still leaning against the wall, now he was running his hand through his perfect hair, and Lily was looking at him with a stern expression. They were both completely oblivious to being watched. Now she could hear their conversation and her cousin's words made her want to run from the scene, but then they also confused her, so she stayed rooted to the spot.

"She was crying her eyes out! I thought it was about O.W.L.'s, but it was because of you?" Lily's face was quite red, and her tone was exasperated.

Scorpius nodded slowly. "She said it."

"Said what?"

Scorpius looked up into Lily's eyes. "She said she loved me."

Lily's eyes grew wide and round, and her mouth formed a small 'o'.

"Salazar!" Scorpius threw his hands into the air. "And I just sat there! I had no idea what to say! I just stayed there, and watched her run away! I should've ran after her. Told her I feel the same. Held her. Merlin, Lily you have no idea how much I wanted to do that, to just hold her tight and never let her go. She said she loved me!"

Lily's face had taken on a small smile, and she was almost laughing at her boyfriend.

Rose was so very confused now. Why the hell was Scorpius telling Lily this? And why was Lily not mad? What the heck was going on here? He was saying that he loved her, Rose, to his girlfriend, Lily! What the heck?

"Scorpius, you are such a fool!"

"I know!" They looked at each other for a short moment, and then promptly burst into laughter.

"How long have you waited for her to say that? HUH?" Lily asked, her eyes swimming with tears of what Rose assumed was laughter, maybe pain? She was his girlfriend after all. This situation still wasn't making sense.

"I know! I know! It's been like two months since I figured this out. And I've been waiting for this the whole time, and damnit, I finally got what I wanted and-"

"And you did nothing." Lily finished.

Scorpius nodded glumly. "I did nothing."

Suddenly Lily socked him hard in the arm. He winced, and looked completely shocked and hurt, rubbing at his arm he said "Merlin Lily. What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Why have I been helping you this whole time if the second you got what we've been trying for you didn't tell her?"

"I didn't know what to do! It's not like I planned on not saying anything. I guess I was just so shocked and happy to hear it that I didn't react right away!" he was still rubbing his arm, and his face showed all his pain.

"You're an idiot." Lily threw her hands in the air. And then began to pace back and forth in front of him. As she was walking toward Rose's direction, she ducked back behind the wall. When she looked back she saw that Lily was smiling in a secretive way. "Now, Scorpius. When you first told me you wanted to be with Rose and not me, I understood. I bloody promised to help you get her to love you. I never understood your demented theory that she would only be with you if she thought it was 'thrilling and secretive' and a 'scandal' or whatever," Lily put up air quotes around what Rose assumed had been Scorpius' own words. "Because I just don't think that's the kind of person my cousin is. But I helped you none the less. I've been playing you up around her for so long now, I've got to admit it's gotten annoying."

"I said if you didn't want to anymo-"

"A bup bup!" Lily put her hand in front of his face to keep him from interrupting any further. "That's beside the point. I was happy to help. I still am. But now that you know for sure that she loves you, you've got to tell her, you prat!"

Scorpius sighed, sagging his shoulders a bit. "I know."

Wow. Was this it? He thought that of her? He thought Rose was so low that she had only been with him out of thrill-seeking? And Lily. Lily had gone along with it. They had been playing with her the entire time? Well, Rose thought, maybe not playing, but deceiving, that was for sure. Damn Slytherins.

"How do I tell her?" Rose looked back at the two in the hall, Scorpius still sagging against the wall, looking completely lost, and Lily in front of him, smiling in an amused fashion.

"I don't think you have to worry about it too much."

The blonde looked up at her, "What do you mean? Of course I do! I-"

Lily took his face in her hand and turned it so he was looking in Rose's direction. Rose saw his eyes go wide, as she herself realized that Lily had seen her there.

Lily was laughing. "She's been there the whole time. I noticed when I started pacing." She released his face, and he stood up straight, pushing off from the wall, and straightening his tie.

He cleared his throat. "Rose."

Rose came out from behind the wall, and gave him a small smile. "Scorpius."

A/N: hehe. evil cliffie. =] but now we get a sense of what's been going on behind the scenes, yess? what do you think? anyone see that coming? i myself, am quite excited for the next chapter. hope you are too! review please!