One of Bobby Finnigan's favorite things about Hogwarts would always be the Library.
Neither of his parents fully understood his love of reading and learning. They'd both done all right in their studies, but his mother prefered stars and tea leaves while his father had always been partial to more showy and explosive magic. For Bobby, it was all about the theories. How things actually worked.
Magic wasn't just about wishing something could happen and waving a wand and making it so. There were intricate details that went along with every spell and enchantment and curse - some more than others. It fascinated Bobby to no end, and this fascination had been one of the first things that he'd found he had in common with Lucy Weasley.
It had started very near the beginning of their time at Hogwarts. Bobby had grown up knowing the Weasleys and Potters, but he'd been around Hugo and Lily's families more than the rest. When they'd arrived at school and Lucy had been sorted right after Hugo, Bobby had recognized her as one of his friend's many cousins. It wasn't until they started regularly bumping into each other in the library that he actually got to know her.
She had always been fascinated by Transfiguration, while Bobby found joy in Charms, but they never ran out of things to talk about. The time they spent in the library together became more and more frequent, and the love he had for the place had eventually led to Bobby being one of the student library aids to the aging Madam Pince.
It was as he was fulfilling this duty on the last Friday of October that he first really started to miss Lucy.
When he'd begun to pull away from her earlier in the term, it was in spite of the fact that he cared about her. He now knew that the driving force behind his decision to create distance had been a fear of change and an uncertainty of what he truly felt and wanted, which he still hadn't fully sorted out.
While with his friends, Bobby didn't give himself much time to think about Lucy or his relationship with her, being too distracted by other things. The silence of the library was extremely conducive to mind wandering, deep thinking, and contemplation of recent events.
Bobby truly was enjoying the newer friendships he'd begun developing during his self imposed friendship hiatus with Lucy. He'd always at least been friendly with the other people in his house and year, but he'd spent so much time with Lucy over the last few years that some of those friendships had fallen by the wayside, save for Hugo and various members of the Weasley family. Getting the chance to explore friendships with Cole Sawyer and Linus Cattermole and Kane Finely was a nice change. And he couldn't help admitting that he was enjoying getting to know Kane's cousin Dara as well, even if it did mean a rather consistent presence of Anastasia Bennett, who really wasn't so bad if she wasn't mercilessly flirting with you.
Dara Finley was fun and interesting. She seemed to like him and went out of her way to show it. It hadn't really hit Bobby until he'd started to distance himself from Lucy that that was something she never did. Creating space between them to prolong any type of progression of their relationship had been easier than he'd expected, because she hadn't fought against it happening.
That had hurt a bit more than Bobby was willing to admit.
He hadn't intended to get involved with someone else when he pulled away from Lucy. Strictly speaking, he wasn't involved with Dara. Not in that way. But he could tell she wouldn't be opposed to the idea. Bobby would be lying to say he hadn't stopped to consider it a few times, but the distance he'd created had given him time to find some clarity, and letting things go any further with Dara wouldn't be fair to any of them. Not when he now knew his feelings for Lucy were much more real than he'd previously been willing to admit.
That didn't mean he was inclined to go running back into her arms. He wasn't even sure they were open to him. She didn't appear to care much at all that they were now on the periphery of each other's social lives. Maybe the two of them together wasn't as inevitable as everyone thought. It definitely couldn't be taken for granted. He'd become painfully aware of that.
So far, no one was giving Bobby a hard time for his behavior, which he was grateful for. He felt confused enough already without having to deal with questions or judgmental remarks from Lucy's many family members. Still, it made it difficult to confide in Hugo about his conflicting thoughts and emotions, when he normally wouldn't have thought twice about it. Bobby had always been the type of person that needed to verbalize his thoughts to know fully what they were, and he was growing weary of feeling like he had no one to turn to.
He'd considered writing to his older sister, but Violet was dating another one of Lucy's cousins. And he knew his sister well enough to know that she couldn't keep anything from James even if Bobby asked her to.
The sound of a hushed conversation pulled Bobby from his thoughts, pausing in his mindless shelving of books to listen. He couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like the voices were coming from the table a few shelves over. With a sigh, he resumed his task and reached the end of the shelf, leaving the now empty cart to investigate. It wasn't common for anyone to be studying on a Friday afternoon.
The surprising sight of Jill Boot and Caleb Wood met Bobby as he turned the corner. He stopped short as they abruptly halted their conversation, looking a bit startled by his sudden presence.
"Hey," said Bobby softly, noting the lack of textbooks at the table. "I take it you're not studying."
"No," said Jill, a guilty look on her face. A sinking feeling appeared in Bobby's stomach as he took in the same expression on Caleb.
"Wait," he said, pointing between the two of them. "You two aren't…?"
"No!" Jill nearly yelled, grimacing and dropping her voice as Bobby gestured for her to be quiet. "No, trust me, it's not like that."
Bobby sighed in relief as he approached the table. "Good. Can't imagine news like that would be anywhere close to well received."
Jill chuckled uncomfortably while Caleb squirmed in his seat. Something was definitely going on, but Bobby had never been the type to pry. He was just about to leave them to it, when a look of realization crossed Caleb's face and he sat up a little straighter in his seat.
"You still on duty?" Caleb asked. Bobby checked his watch and shook his head.
"Just finished. Why?"
Caleb pulled out the chair beside him in a clear invitation. Bobby sat, watching them skeptically.
"You fancy a Weasley too, right?" Caleb asked. Bobby's eyes widened in surprise. He took in their surroundings to make sure no one was listening.
"Maybe," he said tentatively. "I wasn't aware you did."
Caleb waved a hand dismissively. "Potters and Weasleys are practically the same thing."
Jill nodded in agreement. Bobby stifled a laugh at her serious expression. "So, what is this?" he asked. "A meeting of 'I Heart A Weasley Anonymous'?"
Jill's cheeks turned a slight pink. "Not exactly," she said. "I came over to talk to Louis, but he stormed out of here before I could utter more than a word."
"I apologized on his behalf even though I have no clue why he's been acting like a prat all week," said Caleb. "And we just started talking."
Jill nodded. "It's nice to have someone to talk to who's not related to the person you fancy. Especially when said person is being an arse."
"Oh," said Bobby, a bit thrown by hearing his own recent thoughts verbalized by someone else. "I imagine it would be, but isn't this a bit… I don't know, gossipy?"
"Oh, like they don't all have family meetings and talk about us," said Caleb, crossing his arms with an annoyed huff. "Bloody annoying because it's all 'family first.' I know there are things that both Lou and Hugo know that they aren't telling me, and it's only because she's family."
"That's also likely the only reason they know anything to begin with," Bobby pointed out. Caleb scrunched his face up in annoyed acquiescence. "You could always try talking to her."
"She doesn't want to talk to me," Caleb said automatically. "She's made that clear."
"How?" asked Jill, looking at him doubtfully. "Has she actually said that?"
Caleb was busy staring at the table and didn't say anything.
"Look, I don't know Lily as well as you do," said Bobby. "But I know she's stubborn as hell and has a good bit of pride. If you're the one who ended things, I expect she won't be quick to lower her wand first."
Caleb sighed and scratched at his chin. "I know. And normally, I would completely agree. But she basically came crawling back to everyone else and apologized. Why didn't she do the same with me?"
"Because you dumped her," Jill pointed out. And it sounded like it wasn't the first time she'd done so. "How is she to know you want her back?"
Caleb merely gave an inarticulate grumble in response. With a pleased look on her face, Jill switched her attention to Bobby.
"Any idea why Louis is acting like I've betrayed him?" she asked calmly, though Bobby could detect a bit of hurt in her voice.
"No, sorry," said Bobby. "I heard he stormed out on your date, though. That was rubbish of him."
"And I still can't figure out why," said Jill in frustration. "All I did was invite Molly and Ethan to join us, and the next thing I know, he's pulling away and then making excuses and leaving the pub."
She shook her head in dejected confusion, and Bobby couldn't help feeling bad for her. "Did he not say anything else?"
"Not much," she said with a shrug. "He was a bit bothered by a bunch of girls from my house whispering and staring at us, but I tried to make it clear they didn't bother me. I even told him that I'd made sure they knew he was going on a date with me that day. I didn't want him thinking I was uncomfortable or ashamed to be seen with him."
Bobby was about to ask a follow up question, when Caleb let out a groan of realization.
"What?" asked Jill, watching Caleb intently as he buried his face in his hands. "What is it?"
Slowly, he looked up at her, a pained grimace on his face. "Do you know why Louis' never gone out with anyone before?" he asked. Jill shook her head. "It's because he didn't want to waste his time on someone who only cared about being seen with him and couldn't give a shit about who he actually was."
Confusion still marked Jill's features. "But I care," she said. "I don't care what those girls say or do, but I definitely care about Louis."
"I believe you," said Caleb. "But if you told Caleb that you spread the word about your date and even maybe flaunted it in front of the other girls, I wouldn't be surprised if he thought you were there with him just for the sake of being able to say you'd done it and how good it would potentially look for you."
Jill was speechless, her mouth open in shock and her brow furrowed in anger. "What?!" she eventually spluttered out. "I'd never… and he actually thinks…?"
For a few moments, they sat in silence, Jill's mind obviously replaying the previous weekend in her mind alongside this new revelation. Finally, she stood with a huff, giving Caleb a quick thanks before grabbing her bag and quickly fleeing the library.
"I hope that gets sorted quickly," said Caleb, yawning and rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "I can't handle a mopey Lou for much longer."
Bobby chuckled, joining Caleb in standing from the table. They stopped by the front desk for Bobby to grab his bag before making their way back to the Common Room. He'd strangely found comfort in listening to the woes of other people for a few moments, and even felt like they'd be willing to listen to him if he attempted to share his own. They were almost to the Fat Lady when Bobby realized that Caleb was actually the perfect person to talk to when it came to the concerns he hadn't been able to shake since the start of term.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" he said, stopping in the corridor. Caleb turned to face him and nodded. "Do you regret it? Being with Lily?"
Caleb took a deep breath, letting it out heavily as he stared up at the ceiling in thought. Eventually, he shook his head.
"But everything turned out so…," Bobby said uncertainly.
"Shitty?" Caleb provided. He gave a contemplative nod as Bobby waited expectantly. "Yeah, I suppose it would make sense if I did, but as long as I still love her…"
He gave a hopeless shrug, resigned and accepting of the situation. At least for the time being.
"Worried you'll regret it if you go for it with Lucy?" Caleb asked. Bobby grimaced.
"Am I that transparent?"
Caleb laughed and resumed slowly walking towards the entrance to the Common Room. "Not always. People have been wondering what scared you off, though."
"Really?" asked Bobby, trying not to panic at the thought of everyone talking behind his back and potentially judging his decisions.
"Mate, you fancy a Weasley," said Caleb, placing a bracing hand on Bobby's shoulder as they stopped in front of the fat lady. "Get used to the gossip. It comes with the territory."
Monday morning brought rain, immediately darkening Lily's mood. It was the last week of training before their first Quidditch match. They'd be facing Slytherin, who'd lost a few members of their team from the previous year, so they were rebuilding as well. Winning still felt like a daunting task to the new captain. Especially with a team that was failing to completely click
It wasn't just all her and Caleb Wood either. The two Beaters were struggling to work together, despite their already established friendship, and both of the new Chasers had skills, but one had difficulty focusing while the other was a bit of a Quaffle hog. Aside from their personal tension, she and Caleb were the only aspects of the game that Lily wasn't concerned about. He was focused and keeping beautifully. She wouldn't be surprised if scouts showed up throughout the course of the season to watch him play.
With a silent prayer that the weather would improve throughout the day, Lily hurried into the Great Hall just as the post was being delivered.
"Cutting it a bit close this morning," said Hugo as Lily plopped down across from him.
"I was up late finishing that essay for Simpson," she explained, slightly out of breath as she buttered some toast.
"That's due today?" said Cole Sawyer from his spot next to Hugo. He cursed under his breath as Lily nodded, scarfing down the rest of his cereal before grabbing his bag and bolting from the Great Hall. Lily and Hugo were both still snickering when Molly approached them, a concerned look on her face.
"I know, I know," said Hugo with a roll of his eyes. "I've got rounds with Lucy tonight. I only forgot once, you know."
Molly chewed on her lower lip, glancing down at the paper clutched tightly in her hands before looking at Hugo. "It's not that. Have you seen the Prophet today?"
Hugo set down his spoon with a resigned sigh, holding out his hand for the paper. "What rubbish have they come up with now?"
Molly didn't answer as she handed it to him. Lily felt a growing sense of dread. If Molly couldn't even say what they'd printed, how bad was it?
It only took a few seconds for the color to drain from Hugo's face. His mouth parted in shock as his eyes feverishly flew across the page, the paper gripped tightly in his hands.
"What's wrong?" asked Lily, now seriously concerned. Especially since she never expected to learn any news about their family through the paper. If that's what this was, like she assumed. Hugo wasn't answering, so Lily turned to Molly.
"It's about Rose," she whispered, taking the empty seat next to Lily, whose eyes widened immediately.
"Hugo?" she asked, turning back to her cousin. He was now resting his chin in his palm, his fingers stretched up to cover half of his face as he continued to process whatever was in front of him. It was then that Lily noticed she wasn't the only one watching Hugo. More than half of their table was whispering and glancing their way, if not openly staring.
"Apparently, she's getting married," Hugo finally said, handing the paper to Lily. She took it, her jaw nearly hitting collar bone. Hugo buried his face in his hands, ignoring the looks and whispers around them. Lily's eyes went to the paper, soaking in the pictures of not just Rose and Scorpius, but of their parents as well. And then she read the headline.
FAMILY FEUD? MINISTER'S DAUGHTER TO WED SON OF CHILDHOOD ENEMY
This wasn't an engagement announcement. It was an expose on two families that had made peace with old grievances. Or so Lily thought.
As she read the article, it was hard not to wonder how much of it was actually true. One thing she'd learned over the years of the Prophet writing stories about her family, was that they at least never outright claimed anything if they didn't have a source. It wasn't always a reliable one, but there tended to be some truth camouflaged by fiction.
There was no way her aunt and uncle had a problem with Scorpius. Surely they'd have said something before now if they did. Uncle Ron was too much of an open book to hide that kind of disapproval. Lily couldn't help wondering if the only truth in the article was that Rose and Scorpius had gotten engaged, which was still hard to swallow. Especially since this was the way she was finding out.
"Wait, you didn't even know?" asked Molly, who was thankfully speaking softly so they wouldn't be overheard. Hugo shook his head.
"Nope," he said, going back to his cereal but just poking at it rather than eating. "Hadn't heard a word about it."
They sat there uncomfortably silent, still attracting the attention of other people.
"Maybe it's not true, then," said Molly, likely finding it as hard to believe as Lily that any of them would be blindsided by news like this, and especially Hugo.
"Why would they print an outright lie?" Hugo asked, growing a bit angry.
"They've done it before," Lily argued. Hugo shook his head, standing and grabbing his bag. Lily and Molly were quick to follow him out and were soon joined by Lucy and Louis. It took Lily by surprise to realize that they were the only members of their family left at Hogwarts.
"Maybe she hasn't had time," said Molly, still looking for an explanation as they followed a fast paced Hugo. "It could've happened over the weekend."
Hugo slowed, turning to face his concerned cousins. He gestured to the paper still clutched in Lily's hands. "The fact that there was enough time for a source to find out and then spill their guts to the press means she had enough time to send an owl to her own brother."
"Wait, you didn't know?" Louis asked in surprise.
"Maybe she wanted to tell you in person," Lucy reasoned while Hugo scowled at Louis. "She might've thought the news wouldn't get out before she could."
Hugo gave a defeated sigh as the bell rang and more people began to fill the entrance hall. "I suppose," he said, turning to head towards Defense class. Lily fell in step beside him, everyone else following. "And she's probably dealing with enough right now without me being petty about the whole thing."
Lily gave him a small smile in understanding, linking her arm through his. "Knowing Rose, she's likely to beat herself up a bit for it too."
Hugo gave a huff of agreement as they parted ways with Louis and Molly. Lucy moved to his other side, serving as a barrier from those who were tempted to ask questions or make comments. They settled into class the same way, receiving concerned and caring looks from Bobby and Charlotte across the aisle. It took all of Lily's self restraint not to reach out and slap Anastasia Bennett when she turned around before class started and asked Hugo if he'd need a date for the wedding.
By the time classes ended for the day and Lily was headed towards the Quidditch pitch, most of the stares had subsided, even though she knew people were still gossiping. The rain had calmed a bit too, though it was still a drizzly. Not ideal conditions but not the worst she'd had to deal with either.
The two new Chasers - Amira Bundy and Nico Almeida - were already in the locker room and changing into their kits when Lily walked in. It was impossible not to notice the way their conversation immediately stopped when she did so.
"Start on laps once you're ready," she said, tossing her bag beside her locker and beginning to pull what she could of her short hair back. They only grumbled a bit before leaving, passing by Louis and Caleb as they entered.
"Hey," said Louis, sitting on the bench in front of their lockers. "How's Hugo?"
"He's fine," said Lily, sending an uncertain glance towards Caleb. It used to be that she wouldn't think twice before discussing family matters in front of him, but he didn't appear to be paying attention as he dug around in his locker. "He said he was planning on doing some homework in the library before prefect rounds tonight. I think Lucy was going to join him."
Louis gave an approving nod as he slipped his boots on. "Can't believe they still print shit like that," he grumbled. "No way even half of it's true."
"I know," said Lily, sitting to pull on her own boots. "And they shouldn't have brought up all that stuff about the Malfoys."
"Right?" said Louis, dropping his voice as Cole Sawyer and Linus Cattermole entered the locker room. "I mean, that's all in the past. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione have been to Scorp's house! They should check their sources next time."
Lily nodded in agreement. She was about to respond when someone sat down, straddling the bench and facing her. Wide eyed and her heart in her throat, she looked up at Caleb Wood, who was watching her intently.
"Yes?" she asked uncertainly. He didn't say anything and simply sat there staring at her, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Lily heard Louis awkwardly clear his throat and stand from the bench, giving them a bit of space as he headed out to the pitch.
"What?" Lily asked, growing a bit impatient. Caleb closed his eyes and sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. Lily let out an annoyed huff. "I've got a practice to run, Wood, so either spit it out or save it for later."
She stood from the bench, grabbing her gloves out of her locker and shoving them in the back pocket of her trousers. "Laps, boys!" she hollered over to her Beaters. They immediately picked up their leisurely pace and were out the door by the time Lily had the equipment closet unlocked. Feeling Caleb's eyes still on her, she levitated the crate out and let it drop by the door. Steeling herself, she turned to face the Gryffindor Keeper, who still sat straddling the bench, watching her intently and gripping his gloves.
"Well?" she asked impatiently, crossing her arms and hoping her nerves weren't showing. He stared at her hard for a few seconds, the tension in the air palpable. And then he was rising from the bench and moving towards her.
For a moment, Lily thought he was about to embrace her, but he simply strode right past, his arm briefly brushing against hers as he squeezed by. A shaky breath escaped Lily as the door swung shut behind him, her eyes falling closed as she worked to regain her composure.
She hadn't been prepared for him to so much as look at her, let alone with that much intention and purpose. Even if whatever that purpose had been remained a mystery to her.
For a moment, so much of Lily had wanted him to just forget everything and take her into his arms as if nothing had happened. To put it all behind them and start again, no mention of the past needed. But it wasn't that simple. She knew that. And no matter what she might like to happen, there was still the issue of Caleb wanting it too. She was working on putting other people first, and she supposed she could manage to do that for Caleb as well.
Louis had told her that Caleb loved her, but as far as she knew, he didn't want to be with her. He'd ended things. Until he told her otherwise, that's what she had to believe he wanted.
Besides, she couldn't risk anything based only on the hope that he might love her. Her heart was not something she was willing to put on the line. Especially for someone who'd already managed to break it once before.
A/N: Oh, the tension. I love it. I hope you do too. Let me know in the form of a comment, 'k?
Seriously, though, love you guys and thanks for sticking with these stories. It means a lot!