AN: So, yeah. Long time no see. With these characters, I don't know... they speak to me when they will, what they will. I was surprised to see the way Scorpius and Hugo led me this time. I hope you did not give up on me yet - they did not, so even though I can't promise any scheduling update, I will continue with the story.

That means I need ten new words :)

Thanks again to my lovely, lovely ChesyreGrin for the words for Chapter 3! Hope you like it hon!

Words:

Questioning

Confliction

Future

Chances

Embarrassment

Reflection

Consideration

Delicate

Delight

Pleasure.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.

According to some, meaning of the violet lilac is 'first emotions of love'.

Scorpius Malfoy was curious. Ever since his Father and Mrs. Weas – Hermione came to the table, something was off.

First of all, his Father was distracted. In the past hour he pinched the bridge of his nose seventeen times. Scorpius counted (it was a trait of his that couldn't not be avoided, in fact, it was somewhat obsessive). The 'nose-pinching' was a habit his Father showed only when under severe stress. Scorpius was certain that, were his Mother not immersed in a conversation with Mr. Weasley, she would notice too.

As Scorpius looked at the dessert, chocolate cake that apparently his Father had butchered and the elves patched up, he thought of the whole dinner ordeal in retrospective.

Scorpius was extremely nervous, and he had to stop himself from pacing obsessively through the foyer exactly nine times. The prospect of meeting his girlfriend's parents (and future in-laws, he was dead set on that) was terrifying because of multiple reasons.

First, they were the parents of the girl he loved. Scorpius wanted them to realize how much he was infatuated with their daughter, and that he would never let any harm come to his Rose. All he wanted was to give the world to her, and maybe get some kisses and, well, other things in return. Not necessarily, though. Scorpius knew Rose loved him and it was enough to warm his heart every time he thought about that fact.

Second, they were Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Scorpius was no fool. He knew what roles they played in the Second Wizarding War, and he knew what his Father's role was. He also knew that Hermione Granger was possibly the most powerful witch in the world currently. Scorpius knew that there weren't many wizards and witches that were willing to take their chances with angering the Golden Trio, and the foolish ones who did were either dead or in Askaban. And that was saying something. A lot, actually.

Third, he knew they were enemies with his Father during school. Scorpius hoped that they would be able to put all the differences aside, though he was extremely surprised when his Father did in such short notice.

No, he was really surprised. He even contemplated, briefly, whether his Father had been hit with an Imperius curse, but decided against it because his Father was as powerful wizard as they come, and then some more. There weren't many people who could catch him unprepared, and his borderline paranoid behaviour after the War ensured his family's safety on many occasions. The change of heart appeared to be, apparently, just a manifestation of Draco Malfoy's maturity.

Scorpius realized he was digressing in his thoughts. Something was off.

The seating was customary to formal Malfoy meals. His Mother was at one end of the table, his Father on the other. Scorpius was seated between Rose and Draco, looking straight at Mrs. – Hermione. On her right, Hugo was quieter than usual, and Scorpius knew that he must have sensed something odd too, otherwise he would probably tease him and Rose about the whole situation. On Rose's other side, his Mother was enveloped in an enthusiastic conversation with Mr. Weasley, who was apparently explaining to his Mother advantages of owning 'all four Chinese gentlemen' - whatever that entailed.

His Father, on the other hand, was pretty quiet. Occasionally he would steal a glance of their guest, but he was adamant not to talk to her. Mrs. Hermione did the same. After they came to the dining room, with a couple minutes delay, they were avoiding open glances at each other. They also both went out of their way not to touch one another.

Three strange things happened during the course of their meal, and Scorpius caught them all. He was pretty observant even when he was distracted (and sight of Rose in that dress was a huge and hard distraction), but when he put his mind into it, nothing could go below his 'radar' (another one of those funny things Rose taught him – apparently Muggle counterpart of Object Tracking Spell). Judging by the look Hugo was giving him, his friend saw something too.

The first strange thing happened when Rose's Mother spotted the flower arrangement in the center of the table. It was a beautiful piece, made of his Father's special flowers. His Mother had her gardens; her flowers were beautiful, and she insisted on taking care of them herself, not letting house-elves touch them. The flowers brought her immense joy, magical or otherwise, and she could be seen in her gardens more often than not, caring for one or other enchanting blossom. But, for as long as Scorpius could remember, his Father had this one lilac tree that he cared for, and he never let Astoria or anyone else touch it. It struck Scorpius as odd when his Father just cut the flowers and made a beautiful flower arrangement for the meal.

When Mrs. Hermione saw it, her eyes went wide and she appeared to have stopped breathing. For a split second her eyes softened as they flew to meet Draco's, who wore an anxious expression. After seeing Mrs. Hermione's reaction his face softened, and he even smiled. Then he sat down, and proceeded to keep quiet for the whole night.

The second bizarre thing happened when his Mother tried to engage Mrs. Hermione into a conversation.

Astoria asked a simple question about Mrs. Hermione's job, and the other witch replied gracefully. Their conversation was simple and polite, not unlike many conversations Scorpius had witnessed between acquaintances that were getting to know each other. The weird part was his Father's reaction. Draco looked like he was going to be ill and hurl his whole dinner out at any moment. His eyes kept traveling from his wife to Mrs. Hermione, and Scorpius detected slight panic behind his Father's grey irises. As soon as the two women stopped talking, the rigidness in Draco's shoulders disappeared like it was never there.

Third curious thing happened not a minute ago, and Scorpius was still trying to wrap his head around it.

Despite their attempts at not touching one another, Draco and Hermione sat too close. They danced around each other throughout the whole ordeal, their eyes flickering to the other one's movement occasionally. However, Draco was momentarily distracted when he almost spilled his Firewhiskey (that he was consuming in much larger quantities than usual), and his fingers touched Mrs. Hermione's hand.

It was as if a spell hit them both. His Father froze, and so did Mrs. Hermione. Blush appeared on her face and traveled down to her chest and the edges of her ruby coloured dress. Scorpius thought that if the saying 'like mother, like daughter' was true, he was going to be a very happy man. His tiny smirk turned to horror when he recognized the look on the faces of his Father and his girlfriend's Mother.

Lust.

He was currently staring at the desert in front of him, trying to convince himself that his eyes have deceived him. But Scorpius knew it was not just a play of lights, because he recognized the look on his Father's face, it being a reflection, a replica of his own. He knew it because every time he and Rose were alone, Scorpius was unable to control himself, and the lust mixed with love for the girl he wanted to call his wife one day rendered him speechless on occasion.

The disconcerting thing was that the same thing was apparently happening to his Father right now, and it was not in relation to his Mother. As his embarrassment became more prominent, Scorpius knew that if he did not remove himself from the equation immediately, he was going to do something extremely stupid. So he counted to ten (it was an obsessive-compulsive thing, really) and prepared to excuse himself from the dinner table.

Hugo beat him to the punch.

"Excuse me please, Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy. Scorp, you mind showing me where the washroom is?"

Hugo's eyes bore into Scorpius', and he nodded. His Mother graciously accepted their excuses as the dinner was almost over, and turned to Rose to engage her into conversation. With a final reassuring squeeze to Rose's hand, Scorpius stood up, and motioned to Hugo to follow him.

Two boys walked out of the Dining Room side by side, and Scorpius set course to the bathroom, but Hugo's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I don't need to go to the loo. I just need to talk with you."

The incredulity of his friend's voice left no questions about what the conversation was to be about. Scorpius just nodded, too stunned to speak, and turned left into a large ballroom, Hugo on his tail.

The room itself was magnificent – high ceilings with beautiful crystal chandeliers reflecting the obscure, twilight light that came from giant windows that lined a whole wall. Scorpius knew that the room was closed for a long time, and it wasn't until Scorpius was twelve that his Mother persuaded him into redecorating the whole room.

Scorpius knew the reason for it, and based upon Hugo's flinch when he entered, Scorpius did too. The mood changed in an instant, and the shadows playing about somehow had a more ominous feel.

"So," the younger boy started, his eyes flying all over the room in inquisition. "This is where-"

"Yes."

Hugo must have sensed Scorpius' obvious discomfort, because he turned and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen Scorp, nobody's blaming you. I don't. I can't. Neither does Rose, and I speak for my Mother also when I say – it's not your fault."

Scorpius shot a questioning look at his friend.

"And your Father?"

Hugo laughed, although it sounded awkward and somewhat humourless.

"My Father... He is much like Rose in the aspect of holding grudges. I think you know that better than anyone."

Scorpius smiled, remembering all the trouble he had to go through to finally convince Rose that she was, indeed, the only woman he wanted to spend his life with.

"My Father loves my Mother very much, and the things he saw... the things he heard while they were held here during the War, it just... It still bothers him."

Hugo was keeping his eyes on Scorpius the whole time, and Scorpius could feel that he was choosing his words in delicate manner. But then, Hugo always did that; he never spoke his mind freely, and was completely in control of everything he did or said. Scorpius presumed it was a treat inherited from his Mother, because the Weasley siblings were polar opposites in that account.

"My Mother told me about that night, you know."

It came as a surprise to Scorpius, but he kept his expression neutral.

"She came to terms with it long ago. I don't think she'll ever forget it, because the scars are still there, but she said... she said your Father saved their lives that night."

The lump in his throat was too heavy, and the tension in his gut intensified.

"She said that your Father straight-out lied to Bellatrix Lestrange about their identities and therefore prevented her from outright murdering them right here."

Hugo extended his hand to the room, and Scorpius had to look away, because it was too much, hearing the story from someone else's point of view, even though it was second-handed. When his Father spoke of it, the darkness and the guilt weighed down on his shoulders and his whole face contorted in a mask of despair. Scorpius knew that every time they talked about it, he would be woken up in the middle of the night by screams coming from his parents' bedroom.

"Mom said that your Dad brought her Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder into her cell. She said that it was the one thing that helped them escape, and she did not just say it to me. She said it to the whole world on your Father's trial."

They never spoke of the nightmares in the mornings after, but he always saw the tear-rimmed eyes of his Mother and the hollowness of his Father's look while he desperately tried not to let it affect his family.

"She told me lots of things about the War. More than she told Rose, I think. I was always pretty interested in the topic, and Dad, well, he doesn't like talking about it. But Mom, she's... amazing. She knows how important it is, leaving old grudges behind and starting anew. She always tells me 'This is what we fought for. We fought for the world you live in today, and for new beginnings and for light, and I don't regret it.' And I believe her Scorp."

Hugo stopped talking for a moment, and the eerie silence was unnerving. The sun had almost completely gone down now, and the room was slowly descending into darkness.

"Do you know why I am your friend?"

Scorpius was surprised with the question. As he looked into Hugo's eyes, he could only shrug, the tightness in his throat too painful to speak. Hugo smiled a little, stepping closer to Scorpius.

"Because I am my Mother's son. She taught me not to judge people in any way, ever. She taught me to be brave and stand up for what I believe in. And I believed in you. I believed that you were perfect for Rose, and I believed that you weren't the womanizing, condescending arsehole everyone thought you to be – including Rose."

Hugo smiled a little as he paused to take a breath, and in that moment Scorpius thought he might cry.

"I saw the way people treated you, just because of your last name. I saw it, and it bothered me, because it went against everything our parents taught us, against everything they spilled their blood over, and against everything I am as a person. We may never exterminate prejudices, but I refuse to condone such behaviour when it goes after all I know and all I feel. So I fought for you, and for my parents, and your parents, and the whole Wizarding world, because I believe you are so much more than your name suggests."

In the dark, ballroom lost some of its magnificence, and as the tiny sparkles of light danced of the crystals in the chandeliers, the shadows were colourful, flickering dancers on the walls, twirling and disappearing almost too quickly to discern the patterns.

"That's why, when I realized I was gay, I first went to you, and then to Rose."

Scorpius smiled at that, remembering that night. After the unpleasantly emotional conversation that went surprisingly well, although a bit awkward, the boys got pissed drunk on Draco's twenty-years-old Firewhiskey that Scorpius smuggled to school after Christmas break. It was the first time he saw Hugo drunk, and the sight of young Gryffindor, completely unabashed and uninhibited, was hilarious. Albus Potter, Scorpius' dorm mate and friend since their first year in Hogwarts, stumbled upon them lying drunkenly by the lake. After laughing his arse off, he deducted House Points from both of them and dragged them both to their respective dormitories.

"I told you – it was you who indirectly helped me realize it."

"Because of my flawless face and my perfect, sexy body?"

Hugo outright laughed at Slytherin's sly smile and shook his head, silly comment breaking the heavy atmosphere a little.

"No, well, that too, you self-absorbed git. But no, it was the knowledge that I could as easily get mocked for my sexual preference by some stuck-up, prejudiced arseholes, as you did just because your last name was Malfoy. And it wasn't fair, it still isn't. And as I can't control who is it I like, the same way you can't control who your parents and grandparents are. And you shouldn't be held accountable for their mistakes."

Scorpius smiled at his friend, deeply touched by his consideration and kindness. Unthinkingly, he pulled Hugo in a hug, thankful that he could call the younger man a true friend. Hugo reciprocated the hug, and when they parted, his smile was positively wicked.

"You know that if Rose and you were not so perfect, I would've done my best to make you my little bitch?"

The remark was said jokingly, and Scorpius knew his friend's strange sense of humor enough to know Hugo's feelings for him were completely platonic. It never bothered him, so he just laughed out loud, little tears coming to his eyes, and soon both wizards were laughing hysterically.

The moment passed as Scorpius remembered the reason they excused themselves from dinner table. Hugo must have sensed it too, because his face turned serious and a little green. The confliction between what he saw and what he thought was clear on his face when he spoke.

"Mate, I think your Dad has the hots for my Mom."

It took him by surprise, the blunt words. He contemplated saying that he too had the hots for Mrs. Hermione, but decided against it, and instead just said "I know."

Hugo looked almost sick by now, and Scorpius couldn't help but start pacing.

"What do... do you think we should say something?"

Scorpius stopped (eighteen steps, three rows back and forth, six steps each) and turned to Hugo abruptly.

"And say what? We can't, we... we may be wrong?"

It came out as a question more than a statement, and Hugo wasn't convinced either.

"I don't think we're wrong mate. I know my Mom, and I know lust, believe me. And I just... it's disgusting. And surreal. And disgusting."

Scorpius nodded his agreement enthusiastically.

"I think we should keep quiet for now. You know, observe. And then, if it doesn't stop, I can talk to my Father and you with your Mother maybe?"

Hugo's response was cut off by the doors opening wide. Astoria Malfoy stepped inside, her posture impeccable and her smile wide.

"Boys, the dinner is over. Did you get sidetracked with sightseeing?"

Scorpius was too confounded to answer, but Hugo apparently had a quicker recovery time. He smiled charmingly and offered his hand to Astoria, leading her out of the room and leaving Scorpius behind them to catch up.

"Scorpius was just showing me what you did with the Manor. I believe it's one of the most beautiful interiors I've ever seen. The way you optimized the usage of light – amazing!"

Astoria's elated laugh could be heard throughout the Mansion for the couple of minutes it took them to go from the ballroom to the library, as Hugo worked his magic on her. Scorpius, on the other hand, was feeling more and more agitated by every second that passed and he thought of Rose in the lovely green dress was the only thing that kept him somewhat calm.

The rest of the night went about without almost any weirdness. They were all sitting in the library, enjoying some cookies House-elves made and drinking – red wine and Firewhiskey for the adults, pumpkin and apple juice for the underage.

Scorpius absorbed the scene before him.

Rose's hand was safely tucked into his as she made small talk with his Father about her plans for the future in Magical Law, her fingers squeezing his in reassurance every couple of minutes. Mr. Weasley sat on his other side, drinking Firewhiskey and occasionally pitching into conversation. Draco was listening to Rose carefully, even laughing along at some of her observations about the latest news in Wizarding politics. Every once in a while, his eyes would quickly dart to the other part of the room and back, where his Mother and Hermione Weasley were immersed into a conversation of their own.

Astoria and Mrs. Hermione were talking about former Gryffindor's job as the newly appointed Head of International Magical Office of Law, announced couple of weeks prior. Hermione seemed a bit uneasy talking to the younger witch, but Hugo had no such problem. It seemed like Astoria was quite charmed with him. The conversation then turned to Astoria's line of work in charity.

His Mother decided against working in the public sector after Scorpius was born, and used the vast Greengrass inheritance she came to possess to set up number of charities she was passionate about. It allowed her to stay home with her son, and still use her impeccable people skills in acquiring money for those who were less fortunate – and there were still many of those even years after the War.

Hugo was looking genuinely interested in Astoria's work with orphans of the War and her organisation for Squibs, two topics that were her main focus ever since her sister, Daphne, gave birth to her son Lucian, who turned out to be a Squib. Astoria decided to get out in the open with the topic of Squibs and advocate the point that they should not be treated like second-class citizens anymore. Hugo apparently agreed, and Astoria's look towards the young, eloquent Weasley was one of pure delight and astonishment. Scorpius knew his Mother was going to question him about Hugo the moment the Weasleys were out the door. The conversation was mostly lost on Scorpius due to his concentration on his Father, but it was obvious to him that Hugo was watching his Mother as closely as he was watching Draco.

Their eyes met across the room, and Scorpius got the silent message Hugo was conveying. We need to talk again, and soon. He addressed it with only a barest of nods, and turned to answer Mr. Weasley's question about his plans for the future.

"So, Scorpius, what do you plan on doing after Hogwarts?"

Ronald Weasley was an intimidating person on his best day, his fierceness and spell-skill as legendary as his temper ever since his professional Quidditch days. On the day like today, when he was in his once-enemy's house where his wife was once tortured, while son of the afore mentioned enemy was dating his only daughter, Ronald Weasley was downright frightening.

"Well, Sir, I was planning on taking a year off and going to Eastern Europe and then Japan, China, India, um, et cetera."

Mr. Weasley's eyes narrowed over the edge of the whiskey glass.

"A vacation paid by your Father's money, then?"

Rose gripped his hand tightly as she turned furiously to her Father.

"Dad, how can-"

"No, Rose. It's okay."

All eyes were on him now, and he could hear silence – the conversation between Mother, Mrs. Hermione and Hugo stopped too. Rose looked positively livid, and his Father... he had this dark look on his face, but decided not to say anything. Scorpius was grateful for his Father's self-control. His voice came off slightly shaky, and he hoped no one noticed.

"I am actually going there to study about the Magical creatures characteristic for that part of the world. I am planning to become a Magizoologist, um... Rose said she would introduce me to your brother, Charles, over the summer. I hope to get some pointers from him."

"Hmph."

Ron Weasley just nodded, but Scorpius saw the little smile he hid behind his glass. That probably meant he passed the test; at least he hoped he did.

It was really important to Scorpius for his and Rose's parents to get along. He knew how important family was to Rose, and she had lots of family. He occasionally forgot how big the Weasley – Potter clan was, but somehow there was always someone to remind him. If not anyone else, Al was always saying hello to one cousin or another. Being an only child, it made Scorpius apprehensive, but he knew that being with Rose meant being closely acquainted with her whole insane, funny, fiercely loyal family.

So he just smiled at Mr. Weasley's nod and thanked Merlin that he did not get hexed. He looked at his Father, whose face showed nothing but pride.

"Ron, I think it's time to go."

Mrs. Hermione's voice pierced the silence, and were he not looking at Draco at that moment, he would have missed the twitch of his mouth and the flash of his eyes that was the only tell of his disappointment. His Father recovered quickly, and turned to Mr. Weasley, who was nodding and expressing his gratitude over a lovely dinner they had.

Scorpius was vaguely aware of the noises in the background, reassuring words of his parents and the Weasleys as they all stood up and slowly made their way out of the room and through the corridors. He made a move to go, but Rose's hand pulled him to a stop.

He looked down at his girlfriend and he couldn't help but smile. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, biting her lip because she knew what it did to him and looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

"So, Scor... how did I do?"

Scorpius was aware she saw this as a test of sorts. She wanted his parents to like her, because Rose was as aware of the past as he was. But she couldn't comprehend that she did not have to worry – Rose was the one for him, and if it meant giving up his whole world to live with her, he would do it in a heartbeat. Because, as he learned, that was love.

"You were... you are... amazing."

She blushed slightly at that, but the mirth in his eyes propelled him to lower his head and softly graze her earlobe with his lips, eliciting a small gasp from her.

"All I could think about was getting you out of that dress, love."

He heard another gasp and then her lips were on his, and oh Merlin what sweet lips they were! He could taste apples and chocolate an Rose as he kissed her back with all the haste of young lovers stealing moments just for themselves in a grown-up world.

His arms wrapped around her waist and he fisted the material of the dress, trying to get as close to Rose as he could. She pulled at his hair, and pleasure collided with the ting of pain as he groaned into her mouth, forgetting the world around them and losing himself into a faint smell of-

He broke the kiss suddenly, and as he looked at Rose he could see confusion and arousal mixed with irritation in those deep, blue eyes.

"You smell different, Rose."

The confusion was still evident in her slowly narrowing eyes, but her pupils were dilated and she was breathing heavily.

"You always smell of roses."

Sweet blush spread down to her chest and he could feel the blood slowly leaving his brain. He knew where the blush lead and he knew what was under it, and Merlin was it- but no, this was important. He'd have time to enjoy Rose and every aspect of her soon, but he needed to know what the smell was.

"I didn't think you'd notice. I ran out of my perfume, so I borrowed Mom's."

He hugged her close and inhaled the faint scent of her neck, not trusting himself not to give out the disturbing thoughts gathering in his head. He caressed her gentle skin with his lips, making her putty in his arms.

"I like it. What is it?"

Rose's brain seemed to malfunction for a moment, and her sighs were making him uncomfortably and pleasurably distracted. He put open-mouthed kisses on her neck, but her reply made him stop in shocked realization.

"Lilacs."

AN: Your reviews make my heart swell! Don't forget, I need 10 new words!