Author's Note: Here's Chapter 11. Thanks for all the reviews for last chapter (and for not killing me). You all seemed to enjoy the suspense, haha. Sorry for the long wait. I explain it at the end!
Chapter 11: Interrogation
Soft, soothing voices were speaking quietly, far, far away from Lily. She wasn't quite sure where she was, but it was comfortable and warm. Her hand was in someone else's, their thumb tracing comforting circles across the back of it. Smiling slightly, she knew she didn't even want to be disturbed from here, where it didn't hurt. She wondered with a warm feeling that flooded her stomach if it was Scorpius holding her hand.
And then, as if catalyzed by thinking of Scorpius, pain filled her entire body, and she groaned, turning her head. Opening her eyes, a bright white blinded her, and she squinted to see who was sitting next to her in the Hospital wing, for she knew now that's where she was. James was sitting at her bedside, her hand in his as he continued to absentmindedly run his thumb along the back of her hand. Her father stood above him, looking tired with dark circles under his eyes, his hand on James' shoulder, giving it an occasional squeeze. James was staring straight across her body at something else while her father was staring at something across the hall, out of Lily's sight.
She shifted to see what her father was looking at, causing everyone's attention to snap to her.
"Lily!" Her mother cried. She had been sitting on the bed across from Lily. Harry must have been looking at her. Ginny jumped up from the bed and hurried to her. James tightened his grip on her hand and her father reached out and placed a hand on her leg.
"How are you, sweetheart?" Harry asked, softly.
"How do you think?" She mumbled angrily. Albus, who was sitting on the other side of her, laughed shakily, before cutting off abruptly and gulping.
"Are you in pain?
"Yes," she nodded, her voice raspy. Harry patted her leg before rushing off to Madame Pomfrey's office. "What happened?"
"Someone jinxed your broom," Ginny said, handing her a glass of water. James gripped her hand almost painfully. "It was pretty nasty,"
"Very nasty, indeed," Madame Pomfrey sniffed, carrying a tray of potions as she returned with Harry. She handed her the smoking goblet. "Here, drink this, for the pain,"
Lily obliged as she gulped down the potion that was surprisingly cold despite its steaming exterior. The nurse continued to hand Lily potions, saving one for last, saying it was a sleeping draught, for when Lily needed it.
"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," Harry said earnestly. "You continue to save me and my family,"
The witch blushed and shook her head. "Merely doing my job, Mr. Potter. Now, if you excuse me, I told the Headmistress I would inform her when Lily woke,"
The nurse dashed away as Harry took his post over James again. He was still staring determinedly over Al's shoulder. The family sat in a comfortable silence, James still squeezing her hand, her father patting her leg absentmindedly, her mother's hand in her hair. She sighed, letting her eyes close and leaned into her mother's hand. She never wanted this moment to be disrupted.
Of course, that's usually when James opened his mouth.
"Who did it, Lily?" He asked quietly, still staring at Al.
"James," her mother scolded.
"You know who did it, don't you?" He persisted. Ginny glared at her son.
"James, you heard your mother," Harry said, quietly.
"It was a Slytherin. I know it was," he muttered to himself.
"James Sirius Potter, you shut your mouth right now!" Ginny said.
"It was Scorpius Malfoy," James stated, now staring at Lily. Lily's mouth gaped open and her eyes filled with tears. James eyes widened.
"It was—"
"ENOUGH!" Harry yelled. James closed his mouth and stared, wide-eyed and incredulous, at his feet. Lily shut her mouth and sniffed pathetically, her head pounding. The family fell into silence once more, to be broken by the sound of heels clicking far away and coming closer.
The door opened and Professor McGonagall walked in wearing her dressing gown, her back straight, surveying the room, and leaning heavily on a cane. Lily stared at it; she knew the Headmistress was old, but she had never seen her use a cane. She had always seemed to be stiff and unmovable. A cane meant she was weaker.
"Good evening, Headmistress," Al said softly, breaking the silence.
"Minerva," Her father said, striding forward to kiss the Professor on her cheek. "I suppose you never expected me back in here,"
"I expected you to come to the school for James, not Lily," She replied, nodding hello at Ginny. Harry sighed and James blushed.
"I suppose you're right,"
"Potter," All three children and Harry looked expectant. "Lily. There's something I need to ask. Do you know who did this to you?"
Lily swallowed hard and set her jaw. Could she tell on him? What would that do to him? Would he be expelled? And as terrible as he was to her, her heart wrenched with the feelings it still held. If she told, it would break him like he broke her. James looked at her expectantly.
"James, Al," her mother said softly, but firmly. "I think it's time for you to go to bed. You have exams in the morning."
James nodded, squeezing Lily's hand once more before standing up and saying goodbye to his parents. Albus stood and stared down at his younger sister, his face so sad that Lily thought her heart would just break. He leaned down to kiss her cheek tenderly. She wondered why he was being so gentle until her face started throbbing. A thought suddenly occurred to Lily as she ran over McGonagall's words.
"Wait, exams? What day is it?" She asked nervously. Her parents exchanged looks.
"Lilybean," her father began tenderly. "It's Wednesday. It's about two in the morning,"
"My exams!" She cried.
"You will, of course, be excused from all exams due to the circumstances," McGonagall told her promptly, surveying Lily over her glasses. "I know you are a good student, just like Al,"
"Unlike my other son, who needs to get to bed and pass his exams," Ginny said loudly, giving James a look.
"If anyone asks, you were in the hospital wing to visit your sister, and I gave you permission to be out after curfew, if you go straight to your room," McGonagall turned her hawk like stare to James, who grinned sheepishly at her. Al merely nodded.
"Of course, Minnie. Wouldn't dare breaking your trust. Goodnight!" James quipped. Her brothers rushed out, James casting one last critical glance at Lily. McGonagall stepped closer to the bed.
"Professor?" Lily asked. "What happened to Emily? I could have sworn I saw her fall,"
"Miss Longbottom did indeed slip off her broom, but thankfully Miss Finnegan was quick enough to get her back on her broom before she even really fell off. Longbottom has promised both me and her father that she would not even attempt to fly again without some sort of lessons,"
"Oh, good," Lily sighed, leaning back against the pillows.
"Miss Potter, do you have anything you can tell us? Something that can help us punish the person who did this. Someone who was behaving strangely, looking at you strangely?"
"No, nothing like that," Lily murmured. She wished her mother would stop rubbing her back; she would feel a lot less guilty about this if she stopped.
"Lily, what did you see?" Ginny asked quietly, staring down at her daughter. Her daughter's blue eyes stared back at her, shining bright, terrified.
"I saw… I saw Scorpius Malfoy," she choked out. McGonagall's mouth set into a thin, grim line, her nostrils flaring. She nodded once.
"Disciplinary action will be taken at once. Miss Potter, do try and get better," She nodded farewell to the family before he and set off for her office. Harry gripped the edge of the bed tightly, his knuckles turning white, and exhaled loudly.
"Mum?" Lily whimpered.
"Yes, darling?"
"He really hurt me," she whispered and began crying in earnest. Ginny wrapped her arms around her youngest, her only daughter, and met Harry's sad eyes above Lily's head.
They both knew Lily wasn't talking about the physical pain Scorpius inflicted on her.
---
"Oh, Lily, you look awful,"
"Thanks, Em," She replied dryly. It was Friday afternoon. Emily and Olivia had come to visit after their last exam; Madame Pomfrey had only allowed family visits until then. Lily's parents had gone home Wednesday morning, after Madame Pomfrey promised that Lily would live with no major damage.
Lily knew she looked awful. The entire right side of her face was purple and there was a deep gash on forehead, right at her hairline, from when her head hit the goalpost. She had three broken ribs and a mild concussion. And apparently, her brain was inflamed, whatever that meant. All Lily knew was that she had to take a dozen different potions a day and had to stay in the Hospital Wing until the leaving feast to go home. Her mother had already gone to get the potions Lily would need to take at home and she had sworn up and down to her mother, her grandmother and the Hogwarts nurse that she would not exert herself at all for the next few weeks.
"You're so lucky that you got to miss exams," Olivia grumbled, tearing the wrapping off one of Lily's get well chocolate frogs from the mound on her nightstand; all her relatives in addition to many unknown well-wishers had sent her a ton of candy, flowers and cards.
"Yeah, real lucky," Emily scoffed. "She nearly died!"
"Hey, there has to be some perk to all this," Lily shrugged, gesturing to Hospital Wing. "So tell me, what's been going the whole week I've been held captive in here?"
Olivia and Emily exchanged furtive looks. Lily groaned.
"I know you have news about Scorpius. Just tell me. I'm going to here it otherwise,"
"Well," Emily began, scooting to the edge of the seat. "Wednesday after he, you know, jinxed your broom, McGonagall called him up to the front table during breakfast. And everyone knew already what he did to you so it got deadly quiet. It was scary how angry McGonagall looked,"
"Like hell froze over," Olivia interjected through a mouthful of chocolate frog. Emily rolled her eyes.
"McGonagall took him away and I heard from James that he missed exams all day," Emily whispered dramatically. "He wasn't at dinner, either."
"So where is he now?" Lily asked, hating herself for wanting to know the answer so badly.
"Oh, he's still here," Emily said darkly.
"He was at breakfast the next day," Olivia said. "The Slytherins looked a mess. The whole lot of them had a mess of black eyes and cut lips and swollen cheeks. It was weird,"
"I think someone told on what he did, so he tried to beat them up for it and a whole bunch of people got detention from it," Emily said.
"Yeah, I heard that the Slytherins were lined up in the common room and interrogated for information, one by one," Olivia added.
"But," Emily sighed. "Somehow he wormed his way out of it. He took his exams and he gets to ride the train home tomorrow. My dad said the whole thing was under investigation, and the right person would be punished when they had enough evidence,"
Olivia scoffed. "As if we all didn't know he did it. A fourth year Ravenclaw saw him running from the field after you fell,"
Lily fell silent and frowned. She wasn't the only witness of him there, then.
"Lily?" Emily said softly. She looked up. "I know you really liked him,"
Lily glanced away as her ears turned red. "Not anymore,"
She just had to figure out how to stop liking him.
---
Lily left the Hospital Wing just in time for the leaving feast. James gave her a standing ovation as she crossed the hall in the midst of hundreds of whispered conversations.
"That's her, that's Lily Potter!"
"She says Malfoy attacked her,"
"As if, I say she's bitter,"
"I dunno, why would she lie about that?"
"I heard that her dad and his dad have this feud thing,"
She kept her eyes closed as she sat at table, taking a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she turned and looked at the Slytherin table.
Emily and Olivia had been right about something; many of the students bore signs of a recent fight. They were all silent and brooding, shooting dirty glances down the table at the lone blonde figure sitting at the end. He ate his food with his back ramrod straight, his head held high. He sat alone, with the exception of Newt, who ate faithfully by his side.
Lily closed her eyes again.
---
"Scorpius Malfoy,"
A hush fell over the Great Hall. Scorpius sighed. He knew this would be about Lily. Almost automatically, he glanced over at the Gryffindor table where James and Albus were missing, presumably visiting their sister in the hospital wing. The redheads, the Weasleys, looked pale and grim. The younger boy was sending him dirty looks. It was Wednesday morning. He assumed that she had finally awoke and told that he was the one who jinxed her broom.
"Scorpius Malfoy, come here, now," McGonagall repeated, pale and shaking with anger. He stood up and jauntily walked to the front table.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"My office. Now. Filch will escort you," She breathed, her nostrils flaring. Next to her, the old caretaker looked positively ecstatic at helping punish a student. Scorpius nodded and Filch reached out and gripped his left arm. Scorpius pulled his arm out of Filch's grasp.
"I can walk myself, thank you," he said, lifting his chin at the caretaker.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are in enough trouble as it is!" McGonagall hissed. He ignored her and walked off.
One thing he learned from his father is to never let anyone push him around, to keep his back straight and his head held high.
So Scorpius walked all the way to the Headmistress's office, his back straight, and head held high, ignoring all the whispers that followed him.
"Phoenix," Filch said, grinning as the statue stepped aside. "You are to go upstairs and wait for the Headmistress. She'll be up in a few moments. Behave yourself, boy,"
Scorpius rolled his eyes and started up the stairs that started moving under his feet. Despite the circumstance, he was quite curious to see what McGonagall's office. He had never seen it before. He wasn't a troublemaker like James Potter, who had been to the Headmistress's office more than most seventh years. The door opened on its own and he stepped cautiously into the office.
The first thing he noticed was how impeccably clean it was. There were lines still in the rug covering the hardwood floors. Against the wall next to the window stood a large wooden perch for a bird, although there was no bird in sight from what Scorpius could see. There were cabinets neatly filled many sparkling, whirling silver instruments. Her desk was neatly ordered and the wall behind it was covered with sleeping portraits of previous headmasters, with the exception of two men, wide-awake in their portraits, who were both watching him eagerly.
"Mr. Malfoy, I must say it is a pleasure to finally meet you," the gentleman said, his blue eyes twinkling beneath his spectacles.
"Likewise," drawled the darker man. Scorpius couldn't help but stare.
"Excuse me, but are you..?"
"Albus Dumbledore? Indeed, I am. And this is my dear friend and colleague, Severus Snape," He smiled over his spectacles at Scorpius.
"I was your father's mentor during his school days," Snape added. Scorpius frowned.
"So you are the guys Potter is named after?" Dumbledore beamed.
"Right you are!"
"Potter named a child after me?" Snape said, his eyebrows disappearing up into his greasy hair. Dumbledore feigned surprise.
"Oh, did I forget to tell you that?"
"That's enough, Albus," Scorpius jumped, unaware that McGonagall had arrived. "Malfoy, sit."
Hurriedly, Scorpius sat in the chair opposite of McGonagall's desk. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest, as much as he tried to deny it. McGonagall leaned forward and surveyed Malfoy over her spectacles, forcibly reminding Scorpius of the Dumbledore he just met.
"Malfoy, there are two reports of you at the Quidditch field when Lily Potter's broom was jinxed," She began.
"So?" He said harshly. "Plenty of people were there. It was a nice day,"
"You admit you were there?"
"No," he said glumly, annoyed that the Headmistress' managed to have him inadvertently admit he was there already. He could see Snape behind McGonagall roll his eyes at Scorpius. He suddenly had an urge to throw one of McGonagall's books straight into the man's rather large and hooked nose. McGonagall stared at Scorpius.
"Okay, so what if I was? I didn't do it," He crossed his arms.
"Mr. Malfoy, a student reported seeing you running away from the scene while everyone else was running to help Miss Potter,"
He didn't respond. He wasn't quite sure how to disprove that.
"Lily Potter woke this morning and said she saw you. Is that true?"
"Yes," Scorpius sighed. McGonagall inhaled sharply.
"Well, I am afraid that swift disciplinary action must be taken. Suspension, at the least. The Board of Governors must be called. If the Potters decided to press charges, the Ministry will be involved. We should also call your parents in for a meeting," She began, shifting through papers on her desk, her hands trembling.
"Wait a minute," Scorpius sat up, protesting loudly. "Just because I was there doesn't mean anything. I said I didn't do it," McGonagall froze in place and stared at him.
"Perhaps we should call your parents now, anyway," she breathed. Standing up, she started to a door on the far side of the room, where Scorpius assumed her private quarters were. "Excuse me,"
Scorpius sat there, staring blindly across the desk. He was beginning to really get scared now; she wasn't going to believe him. But his parents, they had to believe him, right? For the first time, but certainly not the last, Scorpius cursed being a Malfoy and the reputation his name carried. Perhaps if his father hadn't been a bully, too, McGonagall would have believed him. Perhaps if his grandfather hadn't been a terrifying Death Eater, part of the inner circle of Voldemort's, she would have believed him. Against the wall, Dumbledore was surveying him, his fingertips pressed together.
"I didn't do it," Scorpius said to him. Dumbledore sighed. "Really,"
"I know," Dumbledore said somberly. His heart ached to see such a young boy under such terrible accusations.
"Then why doesn't anyone believe me?" Scorpius said through clenched teeth, balling up his hands into first and pounding them into his thighs.
Dumbledore didn't answer. Scorpius sat in silence that stretched into forever with the two portraits, waiting for McGonagall's door to open. When it did, she walked in followed by his parents. His mother rushed over to him and hurriedly took a seat. His father took the last seat, across from the portrait of Snape. The two men stared at each other, Snape's dark eyes meeting Draco's grey.
"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I'm afraid your son has been witnessed at the scene of Miss Potter's accident, and he has admitted to being there," McGonagall began. His mother turned sharply to look at him, her dark blonde hair whipping around.
"Is this true?" She asked, her voice low.
"Yes, mother," he began. "I was there, but I didn't do it,"
"Miss Potter identified him as the perpetrator," McGonagall told Astoria.
"She only said she saw me there!" Scorpius protested, pointing a finger at his professor angrily. "You can't use that as definite evidence to my guilt!"
"Scorpius Hyperion, you watch the attitude. She is your Headmistress!" Astoria scolded. "Professor McGonagall, when did this happen?"
"Saturday Afternoon," She replied. "It was a nice day outside, so many students ventured out to enjoy the weather,"
"Well, wait just a minute. If there were other students outside, how can you have pinpointed it done to my son?"
"There were two witnesses—"
"Who only saw him there! Did any report him having his wand drawn or hear him say a spell?"
"No, but Miss Potter made it quite clear that—"
"Did she say specifically that he was the one who jinxed her broom?" Astoria sat straight up, leaning forward to her old Transfiguration professor. She had always respected her teacher during her school years, but now she was attacking her son, and Astoria would not stand for that. McGonagall puffed up.
"Mrs. Malfoy—"
"His wand,"
All three occupants turned to Draco. He was still staring at Snape, but when he realized everyone was staring at him, he broke the contact to look at McGonagall. "Check his wand. You will be able to see the last spells he performed." McGonagall surveyed him with a critical glance.
"You wand, Scorpius," Draco held out his hand to his son, who jumped and hurriedly plunged his hand into his robes and pulled out the oak wand and handed it over to his father, who passed it to Professor McGonagall.
"This is your wand?" She asked, her eyebrows rising into her hairline.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered. "12 and ¾ inches, oak, dragon heartstring,"
McGonagall nodded. "Prior Incantato,"
The four watched silent as Scorpius' wand regurgitated its most recent spellwork. They waited patiently as common school spellwork was relived. Finally, there was a quick succession of spells at the end.
"Locomotor, Ascendio, Aresto Momentum, Spongify," McGonagall said softly.
"Professor McGonagall," Draco said, clearing his throat. "Spells powerful enough to jinx a broom are far too powerful for a third year,"
McGonagall looked thoughtfully at Scorpius' wand. The Malfoys sat in silence, waiting for McGonagall's decision.
"In the end, the use of a slowing charm and a cushioning charm certainly lessons Scorpius' guilt. However, the other spells cast were indeed spells that could harm Lily on her broom, perhaps in conjunction with another student. Scorpius, you will be unpunished for now. You will take your exams in my office, and when you are done, return to your room and stay their until after dinner; an elf will deliver your food," McGonagall said.
"You will, of course, be conducting a thorough investigation?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, Mr. Malfoy. I will go and speak with Lily more thoroughly and go from there. If after the investigation, Scorpius remains the most likely culprit, we will all meet again and go from there. Do we all agree?"
"I think that is very fair. Thank you, Professor," Astoria said, standing up. She leaned over and kissed her son on his head. Draco stood as well and put a hand on Scorpius' shoulders.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine," He said as they left.
And Scorpius believed him because he trusted his father more than anyone else; his father had always been able to solve everything and save them. If his dad knew he was innocent, then everyone else would too in due time.
"Mr. Malfoy, do you have any other information that could help us in the investigation?" McGonagall asked. Scorpius stared at her, impassive.
"No, ma'am," he lied. McGonagall nodded and Malfoy left.
"Minerva?" She turned and stared at the portrait behind her desk.
"Yes, Albus?"
"Please don't get caught in the prejudice of the boy everyone else has," He said somberly, frowning. Minerva nodded.
---
"I'm sure you all know why you're here," McGonagall began. It was after dinner and the entire Slytherin house was lined up across the wall in their common room facing McGonagall, Slughorn and Filch. McGonagall looked serious, while Slughorn looked uncomfortable and Filch was grinning manically.
All the students stared back at her solemnly.
"It's been reported that the perpetrator of Miss Potter's broom incident belongs to this House. Can anyone explain to me why?"
Again, all the students stared back at her. A few students wrinkled their noses or rolled their eyes at her comment.
"Ma'am, wouldn't it be faster to check their wands?" Filch asked eagerly, grinning.
"Sure, Mr. Filch. Hold out your wands, everyone," She replied, stepping forward. Slughorn started on one side while McGonagall started on the other. Filch paced up and down eagerly, giving menacing looks to the students. The two professors continued, waiting for a few minutes to watch mundane spells being relived. McGonagall stopped, however, in front of one specific girl.
"Carys, what is the meaning of this?" McGonagall asked. The entire room fell silent. Scorpius looked at the girl in question, trying to remember why he knew her. She was a tiny thing, draped in old, patched robes with long, dirty hair. Suddenly it hit him.
Carys was a first year. She was the only Muggle-born of her class in Slytherin (possibly even the only one in the whole house). She was also incredibly poor. She contrasted sharply with the majority of her House, with her lack of knowledge of common Wizarding ways and her very grubby hand-me-down robes.
"I-I don't know," she replied, her bottom lip trembling. She looked up at McGonagall threw mousy brown bangs.
"Ms. Leachko, this is very serious, you realize," Slughorn said, jogging over to her. "Those spells can incriminate you as the perpretrator of the crime,"
"I d-didn't do it! I lost my wand over the weekend, and just found it Monday morning!" She cried, fat tears welling up in the girl's eyes. Scorpius' stomach churned.
"Do you know Lily Potter?" Slughorn asked.
"Perhaps we should talk in private, dear," McGonagall said kindly, reaching out for Carys. As the girl stepped forward, one of the other first year girls spoke up through heavy lidded eyes.
"Don't you have a crush on Potter's boyfriend? One of those ugly twins," She scoffed, crossing her arms.
Carys went wide-eyed and shook her head vigorously, her pigtails flying about her head.
"Yeah, and you're at the library an awful lot. Probably where you learned all those spells," another boy said, glaring at her.
"You are bringing down the name of the Slytherin house," a Seventh year said angrily.
"Yeah!" A bunch of cries rang out. Carys trembled where she stood, tears running down her face. McGonagall placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"Enough!" The protesting Slytherins fell silent. "Come, dear, you're not in trouble. We're just going to have a chat,"
The Headmistress led the crying girl out the door, followed by Slughorn and Filch. The remaining students exchanged smirks and two second years even had the audacity to high five. Scorpius' stomach finally bubbled over.
"You all disgust me," He snarled. The students quieted and a seventh year, Avery, stepped forward. "She's a first year! You all know she couldn't have done it,"
"We are disgusting?" He asked softly, stepping even closer to Malfoy. He stuck his face in Scorpius'. "You're the one who was befriending blood traitors, Malfoy,"
Malfoy swelled in anger. "You told me that there would be something I would like to see at the field that day. You set me up. You made it seem like I cursed Potter!"
Avery smirked. "You have no proof of anything,"
Scorpius scowled. "I have my word,"
"That means nothing. It's fact that you hate James Potter. Everyone knows how you dueled with the brat the first day of school. You have a reputation that did all the work for me,"
Scorpius wasn't sure why he did it. Perhaps it was because he had no retort to Avery. Perhaps it was because just earlier that day, he had been thinking of how his reputation was putting the guilt on him. Perhaps he was just so bloody pissed that everyone assumed he attacked Lily.
But he punched Avery square in the jaw. He didn't care that Avery was a very large seventh year and that he was a skinny third year. He didn't care that he was already in a lot of trouble. All he could think of was Lily's face as she fell and Carys as she was led away in tears, all blame on her because someone stole her wand to protect themselves.
Avery stumbled, shock crossing his face. He narrowed his eyes and pulled back his own fist and swung at Malfoy, hitting him in the nose. Another seventh year stepped forward to help Avery but Newt jumped on his back.
And that's how the brawl involving the entire Slytherin house was started.
---
Lily's accident meant that the boys were talking to the girls again.
"Hugo, pass me a chocolate frog," Olivia demanded. Hugo rolled his eyes and threw the frog, successfully hitting Olivia in the forehead. She scowled and responded with a rude hand gesture.
Lily was currently curled up in the corner seat of their compartment on the train ride home, leaning her forehead against the window as she watched the scenery rush by. Olivia and Emily were on her side while the twins and Hugo sat on the other side; Lorcan sat across from her.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" He asked her.
"Nothing," she responded with a small smile.
It was not nothing. It was something. A big something. She had had a lot of time to think about things in the Hospital wing. She thought most about Scorpius, but during that time, an idea began to formulate in her mind, something she wasn't so sure if she wanted to go through with.
The only thing she was certain about, though, was that she would never, ever talk to Malfoy again.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom," She announced, standing up and carefully picking her way through the tangle of legs.
"Want me to come with?" Emily asked. Lily smiled. Em had been awfully protective of her ever since the accident. It was kind of cute.
"Thanks, but no, thanks," She grinned. "I think I can do this part on my own,"
As she walked down the corridor, faces pressed themselves against the glass to see her. Her right side of her face was still a brilliant purple, but was slowly healing with a mix of green and yellow. The gash had been healed but left a nasty scar that Madame Pomfey had promised would fade into nothing within the week. She kept her stare straight ahead of her and her head held high. It's what her father would have done, she thought proudly. She refused to let any of this affect her anymore.
As she reached the bathroom, she slowed, scowling. There, as if he was waiting for like at Christmas, was Newt. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed against his chest. He looked strange without a big, loopy smile that Lily was so accustomed to. There was a faded bruise under his right eye, as well. She stopped, wondering if she should just turn back and try another loo, but Newt looked up before she could move.
"Lily," he said. His voice was the same but it was missing that joyful quality.
"Newt," she replied cautiously, walking up to him. "Excuse me, I need to use the loo,"
"Not yet," he said, shifting to block the door. "I have to talk to you,"
"I don't want to hear it, Newt," she sighed. "Let me in the bathroom,"
"No,"
"Fine," she cried irritably, turning around and stalking off. "I'll go find another one,"
"He didn't do it, you know," Newt called after her. She stopped for a brief moment.
"Then why can't he tell me that?" She said sadly before turning and running off down the corridor, Newt's next words incomprehensible behind her back.
---
The rest of the train was spent playing Exploding Snap. After a twenty minute trip to the loo that Lily spent crying, she composed herself and steadied her resolve to not let this effect her, and to move on from Scorpius. She stalked back into the compartment determined but unsure of how to go about her current plan.
She didn't see Newt or Scorpius unloading the train. She saw Scorpius' mother and father, both looking a little grim, but she turned her back to them and walked up to her own set of parents.
"Ready, Lilybean?" Her dad asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. She looked around the platform. She had already said goodbye to Emily and Olivia, with promises to write and visit, but she couldn't find Lorcan.
"Mum, where's the Scamanders?" Ginny looked a little surprised.
"Oh. They were somewhere over there, last time I saw them," She answered, pointing to her right. Lily leaned around her mother, and searched, until she could see the dark brown hair she knew to belong to Mr. Scamander. The family of four was walking away, heading towards the parking lot. It was almost too late.
"Lorcan!" She cried, dodging out from under her father's arm and running through the crowd of people. People were giving her dirty looks as she pushed past them. It was now or never. "Lorcan!"
"What is she doing?" James asked Harry.
"I have no idea," he responded, watching his youngest run.
"Lorcan!" He turned finally at the sound of his name and looked surprised to see Lily chasing and shouting his name. She stopped and smiled at him when he looked up. Glancing at his mother, who nodded, Lorcan jogged forward to meet Lily halfway. He stopped and responded with his own smile.
"Yeah?"
"Lorcan, would you be my boyfriend?" She asked. His eyebrows shot up on his forehead.
"Really?"
"Really. I'd give you some roses, but I didn't think you were a flower guy," She shrugged, grinning shyly, amazed at the fluttering feeling in her stomach. Lorcan grinned and stepped closer to her.
"Good," he said quietly. "Because I'm not,"
And there, in the middle of the crowd of people and in front of their families, with a boldness Lily hadn't expected, Lorcan kissed her.
To her amazement, butterflies erupted in her stomach and she blushed as she pulled away.
"I think I know what's she's doing," James said to Harry with a grin, as Harry paled.
Author's Note: And that's the end of first year! The next chapter should be Lily's summer and maybe even some of second year, I'm not sure yet. For all you Lily/Lorcan fans, you have your wish. For a bit… Remember, this does end up Lily/Scorpius. Sorry for the wait, but I couldn't get this chapter to turn out on paper as it was in my mind. I still don't like the scenes with Scorpius that much but I decided to post it instead of spend another week pointless editing. I hope you guys still enjoyed it. As always, please review!