Chapter 4

Scorpius Xenophilius Malfoy

Scorpius watched as Lily got off the bed, her long red hair flowing behind her mesmerizingly, morning sunlight turning them golden.

Sappy!

Said a voice sounding very much like Albus Potter in his head. Scorpius rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. If the real Albus ever found out what was going on in his mind, then 'sappy' was not the word he will use, huh, he won't be using any words at all.

Scorpius was feeling giddy. Seeing Lily first thing in the morning is the experience that he would like to repeat everyday.

Then he watched as she reached for the thread holding her gown together, and that's when Scorpius knew it was time to leave if he wanted to see her brother anytime soon. Therefore before it could open, he made his escape.

When he came out from behind the curtain, Albus was standing near the bed next to Lily's. His curly black hair was a stark contrast from his sister's. He stood with his arms folded in front of his chest, as he took in Scorpius's disheveled appearance and frowned.

"Scorp? Where is Lily?" Albus asked.

"She will be out soon."

Albus tilted his and narrowed his eyes "Just woke up?"

"Yeah." Scorpius said warily.

They stood silently for a few minutes. Scorpius wondered what Albus was thinking.

They had never felt awkward with one another, Albus had never had to wonder what Albus was thinking, they have always been on the same page. They could almost always predict each other's thoughts. One of the reasons why they had been best friends all their lives.

Yet here they stood looking at one another, lost for words, and to Scorpius, now seemed like as good a time as any to start, as he had already been trying so many new things that he had been foreign to before.

"So you know?" Scorpius asked his Best friend to break the ice, who only nodded in return, with a stiff demeanor.

Just then Teddy Lupin came to stand beside Albus. Scorpius couldn't predict how he would react to their situation given that he was Lily's godbrother and scorpius's cousin, hence a permanent fixture of their family. His hair was golden today, with just a tiny of their tips blue. So he cradled a hope that he was on his side.

"You okay, Scorp?" asked Teddy.

There it was again his wandering thoughts to Lily calling him Scorpius. Telling him that he was no longer the boy Scorp from her childhood. Scorp the word all of their family called him. A hope flaring in his heart, that maybe she was starting to think of him as not her family, but just a boy. A boy who could date her. Who she could see raising a family with.

"Albus Potter! Did you hex him?" Teddy's angry voice penetrated through his trip in the fantasyland.

Scorpius shook his head and focused on the pair.

Albus was now frowning at Teddy.

"Ofcourse not. Not that you didn't think of doing the same to him."

"That's beside the point. Why does he look like that then."

So not totally on his side then.

Both of them turned to look at Scorpius. Concern evident on both of their faces.

"I ..." he started to say when the curtains behind him opened with a ripping sound, dragging both of his companions' attention behind him.

He turned around to look at her.

She looked all put together. Her straight red hair, falling over one shoulder reaching until her waist.

Usually when not in class or playing quidditch, she had her hair up on top of her head. Something she called a 'yogi's bun' which Blaise's mother had taught her about when she had visited her one summer. It supposedly had many benefits, on which she had never elaborated. Even during other times she tied her hair in one style or another he didn't understand, but thought she looked pretty anyway.

Today though she left her hair down. It made his heart flutter once again.

What's changed? Along with his place in her life, is she changing too? He wondered.

"Lily! Finally." Teddy said coming to hug her.

"I am sorry I didn't come to meet you yesterday."

She gave him a smile. "It's okay, professor, I know you must have been busy."

He saw Teddy, hold a lock of her hair in between his fingers and tucked. Even if he let go off it quickly enough, Scorpius' blood still went cold. It was Scorpius Who had woken up that morning with his fingers tangled in her hair, her scent encircling him. Now seeing another man touching her hair... he wanted to hit something.

"You will never change Lily Potter." Teddy told her.

He felt Albus's hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go." He said.

Scorpius looked at him curiously, "Don't you want to meet your sister?"

"Later. Now come on." Albus said and strode off, leaving Scorpius to follow behind.

...

Lily Luna Potter

Lily turned to see Scorpius follow Albus out.

"I thought he came to see me?" She asked Teddy.

Teddy looked at them exit the room, and turned back to her.

"I think they need to talk too."

"I thought James was the hot-tempered one, and now ..." she said, frustrated with Albus.

"They have been friends for a long time, Lil, they will figure things out their own way. He is not just your brother but Scorp's best friend too."

"So you think it will be okay."

"They are boys." Teddy said with a mysterious smile.

"Do you want to elaborate on that?" Her frustration increased.

"Nope."

She remembered how irritating brothers could be. This is why she had wanted it to be just Scorpius and their dads with her. Her brothers ruined everything, every time.

Then she caught herself. Since when did she stop putting Scorpius in the category of her brothers? Even Teddy, only being her father's godson, she thought of him as her brother. Not Scorpius though. She wondered when did that happen? Since when did Scorpius start being different from her family, she knew it couldn't have been during their current predicament. No. This must have started earlier, much earlier. She just hadn't noticed it, until now.

Then she noticed Teddy waving his palm in front of her eyes calling her name, dragging her out of her reverie.

"Is anyone home?" He said.

She batted his hand away. "Come on."

Teddy just smirked at her and said,

"Come, everyone's waiting for you. I will show you to your rooms first, so that you can freshen up."

"My rooms? You want to walk me to Ravenclaw Tower?" He shook his head.

He extended her arm for her to take.

"Come along. I will tell you everything as we walk."

She frowned at him but took the offered arm. Teddy didn't deserve her anger, but her good mood from the morning was now gone. What was left was a series of unanswered questions in her head.

...

Scorpius Xenophilius Malfoy

If he didn't know any better, Scorpius would have thought that Albus is just taking him on a tour around the castle, just to let him walk and mess with him. Albus might have done it once, when Scorpius and Lily had been spying on him. Today was different, so he assumed Albus had some destination and intention in mind.

Albus finally reached a secluded corner near the lake where barely anyone would venture. Scorpius's eyes widened behind Albus and he stopped walking.

Is he gonna bury me here! He thought.

Albus stopped a few feet away from him and turned to see Scorpius far away just standing.

"What?" Albus yelled at him from his place.

"I don't think I wanna go any further."

He saw Albus frown in the distance as he walked back. When he was a few feet away, he asked.

"What's your deal?"

"I want to stay here where people can still see us."

Albus rolled his eyes but still didn't let up his frown.

"I am not gonna bury you, you Dimwit. I still want my niece or nephew to have a dad."

Scorpius felt a wave of relief spread through him, yet he couldn't show that on his face, he had an image to maintain.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked.

Albus didn't answer, just stared at him. Scorpius stared back. If Albus wanted to hit him, then so be it. It wouldn't be the first time. They didn't always agree on stuff, yet they were still best friends. What actually worried him was, if his friend will still be his friend at the end of the day.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Albus asked.

"No." Even though his father had asked the same thing, he didn't expect the same thing from his friend, who knew him better than anyone in the world.

"Really?"

"What the hell Albus. Why would I?" Scorpius asked, his voice raised with anger.

"To get her attention?" Albus asked with a raised eyebrow.

My god how many people knew about his feelings for Lily. He asked himself, a little shocked. So he stayed perfectly still staring at him.

"Look Scorp, I have known you for years. Do you really think I wouldn't know that you have feelings for my sister? Until now I never said anything because you kept your hands to yourself, and Lily never seemed to notice. But now I wonder if I should have said something before this." Scorpius frowned at him. "Before you pulled something like that."

Scorpius didn't know what he was doing until his fist had already landed on Albus's jaw.

"That's for being a shitty friend." Scorpius said. The betrayal he felt on the inside could never be expressed with any words he had learned in his 18 years of existence.

Albus glared at him, and punched him back square in the jaw.

"And that's for my sister."

Scorpius didn't react. He straightened himself to stare at Albus. His feelings were more hurt than Albus's punch could ever have.

"If you think I will disgrace your sister this way on purpose. Then I don't think you and I have ever been friends."

With that Scorpius turned around and Walked off.

While walking away he thought, Before their scuffle, Scorpius had been worried if he was gonna be buried, yet he had been the one to throw the first punch. He had been worried if he would still have his friend, yet he was the one to walk away first.

...

He stopped a little farther away and sat on a rock near the lake. What was happening to his life. He thought.

He put his elbows on his knees and dropped his head in his hands.

The images and images of better times passed through his mind. The time when he had everything, his family's trust, his best friend and open career prospects. When all he desired was Lily and only Lily. Now when things have flipped on their head, now that He and Lily are starting to have something together; is when all the other things have gone uncertain. The panic he had been keeping at bay since yesterday finally caught up to him.

He's gonna be a father. A father. He was going to have two kids in 9 months. How is he gonna cope and do a good job? How is he gonna be a good father? He didn't even know if he and Lily were solid together. What if she breaks his heart, then he will have to look at their kids for the rest of his life thinking about their mother, of what could have been.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't know how to reach back to it though. He felt so far gone down a spiral that he didn't know how to come back. His eyes were watering, his wet palms rubbing his eyes and forehead. He felt a giant weight on his neck. He felt like he was chocking.

A flash of red crossed before his eyes. Lily.

His breath stopped. 9 year old Lily flipping her hair back, refusing to shake his hand.

10 year old Lily hugging him tight, because what if he likes Hogwarts better that Potter manor and he doesn't come back.

11 year old Lily holding her hand out to him from the train because he was late, and she couldn't find a seat without him.

12 year old Lily competes against him, and memorizes a potions book of 3rd year class, over the Christmas, just to show him up.

One by one all the images of her over the years flashed before his eyes. He knows her. He knows her better than anyone. She is his best friend. She is the love of his life. She won't leave him. She will help him be a better man, because she already does that regularly. She pushes him to be better, to try harder, aim higher. She will help him be a good father.

"Scor! Scor! Please Scor!"

He finally heard Albus's voice penetrate through his haze. Now Albus joined Lily in the images. The only memory he focused on was Albus rolling his eyes and saying he wasn't gonna bury Scorpius. He wanted his niece or nephew to have a father. He kept that memory repeating and repeating, he didn't know why.

The haze was clearing up more and more as he focused on his best friend's words.

"Scorpius!" He heard the desperation in Albus's voice.

He finally found himself looking up through tear filled eyes at Albus. He was on his knees in front of him. One hand gripping his shoulder while another moving soothingly over his back. When his best friend finally saw him look up, Albus slung his arm around his neck and pushed Scorpius's face in his shoulder. It was a hug of relief.

"Oh Merlin. Thank you. Thank you. I thought I was wanna go crazy! Crazy! seeing you like that."

Albus looked like he was in hysterics.

"I need to breathe, Al." He told him with a muffled voice.

Albus quickly let him go and sat back on his knees.

They remained silent for a few minutes. Albus then sat beside him on the rock.

Scorpius just looked out at the running water and tried to get his breathing normal. He was glad it wasn't someone other than Albus who saw him like that. He knew Albus was mad at him but he would always keep Scorpius's secrets.

"You said you wanted me alive to be a father to your niece or nephew." He said.

"I did."

"So you accept your sister and her kids but not your best friend?" Scorpius looked at his best friend.

"It might be the fact that your panic attack scared the hell out of me just now, otherwise I wouldn't ever admit this to you."

"Admit what?"

"That I would choose you no matter what." Scorpius looked away. He knew that. In his heart he did. He would do the same. Yet hearing it soothed this unstable mind. Albus was a constant in his life, their friendship had held him through everything, and he didn't know what to do if he lost him.

"Well a man doesn't tell such feelings to another man, Al." He joked.

Albus punched him lightly on his arm. "Men also don't cry by the river, hoping a prince will come by and dry their tears."

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

Then Albus spoke up, "I am sorry. It was uncalled for, me accusing you. I don't really think you could do something like this on purpose."

"Then why say it?"

"Because I was there to see my little sister in the hospital room who had been knocked up by my best friend. Then I see my best friend who has always had a crush on her walking out of the curtains looking like he spent the night with my sister."

"Al...

"No. It was the fact that one minute I see you being just friends and next thing I see you all chummy with her, seeming okay to raise a family together. I didn't know what to think."

Scorpius didn't interrupt again. Years of experience told him his friend wasn't done.

"Then I punch you, and you walk away like a lost puppy. Then the next thing I know is you are having a panic attack, shaking there like a leaf."

"Not a leaf."

"Like a fucking leaf, Scor. You crying and saying over and over Lily and children and family. I realized how much the last couple days have taken a toll on you. And I felt like a prick, that instead of being your friend I chose to be a dick. And the worse thing was, you would never do that to me. You would never react the way I did."

"In your defense, I attacked you first."

"I deserved it."

"Totally."

...

Lily Luna Potter

Lily still held Teddy's arm as they walked through the castle. They didn't seem to climb any of the staircases they passed by. He still hadn't told her where they were going or any of the other questions she had been asking him since they left the Hospital wing.

Now she was silent and just walked wherever Teddy led her. She had a lot on her mind too. Most of the lot consisted of Scorpius, the little gray eyed boy that she had seen in her vision and the blonde haired girl he told Lily about. Rest of the lot was about the potion that had been messed with. That potion still baffled her. How did they see those visions of their children so much later than expected and why was it just one image? To be honest she was glad she only saw a glimpse and not their overall life. Now that both children were in her, she wanted to experience all of their lives, and she definitely didn't want to see the end. Maybe that's how the augmented potion worked. Seeing the end of a child you already are carrying would thoroughly shake up the sanity of any parent. Yet there has to be more to it than just that, just addition of one ingredient and a life is created? The creation of life couldn't be that simple without the usual method of conceiving. She felt like they had missed something really important and she made a note to research that insistently when they got out of the school for the summer.

Summer when Scorpius would be graduated and out of school. And she... she won't be able to come back to school with the babies. What will she do? What will Scorpius do? Will she have to sit at home with the babies while Scorpius goes out making the best of his totally intact career prospects. A wave of resentment washed over her.

Before she could brood some more Teddy's odd coloured hair of the day caught her attention, which threw her into the vision of the little gray eyed boy with his father's platinum blonde hair, holding on to his father's hand and looking so happy to see her. She paid attention to Scorpius. He was holding the little boy's hand securely, yet his attention was fully towards her. The look that he had on his face was of a content man bordering on adoration. She recognised that look because she had seen that look on her Father's face whenever he would be looking at Draco, who himself did the same when her father wasn't looking. Same as Blaise, as he looked at her mother.

She smiled to herself. Scorpius will always be there. She knew that. What she had been worried about was whether he would resent her and their children for getting him stuck with an unwanted family. However she knew the vision was a glimpse of the future and hence true. So Scorpius would be happy, she assumed.

She remembered their morning together, he didn't seem opposed to the idea of having kids at 17 so appalling. They will be fine, she decided. They had known one another for a long time. They have partnered up in so many activities, they could predict each other's next moves as well as one another's thought processes. They will be good together. They could build a life and future together for their kids. She didn't have to sit at home if she didn't want to. She and Scorpius will come up with a plan to have it all. As he had said, most things that people found difficult were easy for them. When they had done the potion that had landed them in the current situation, they were looking for something extraordinary, because they themselves were. She believed that they both will make it through this alive and thriving, while making it look oh so easy. Just like they Always have.

"You are suddenly too quiet." Teddy said to her. They were walking through a part of the castle she has never been to before.

"You wouldn't answer any of my questions, so I decided to save my breath."

"That's wise." Teddy said to her with a charming smile.

"Hufflepuff is too good for you Teddy Lupin. Makes people think you are reliable."

"Specifically the reason I chose the house. However, you are not fooled by it."

"I said people think of the reliability. I am not one of the ordinary people."

"No you are not. You are extraordinary. Even more extraordinary is your love for yourself."

"Exactly. It's boundless." She said, tipping her nose up in the air. Teddy laughed at her as they walked on.

A whole summer at the Meditation retreat at Grandma Synthia's and ten whole days in silence with nothing but your thoughts; and you learn the importance of love. Love which is a boundless source of power. To wield it, one has to love oneself first. Concentration of love in oneself, can be used as the source to love the world and protect those close to one's heart.

"And here I thought Ravenclaws were all about books."

"What kinda professor are you, if you haven't figured out one quarter of your students. Ravenclaws are wise. Wise by definition means, looking through and beyond. They know because they observe, look beyond the veil, step into a person's shoes to know their mind. It's what makes them extraordinary."

"It must really be something atop that high tower of Ravenclaw, for you to look at us mere mortals like your test subjects."

Lily smirked at him.

"You are the one to talk. I am quite sure you wouldn't need Parseltongue to charm a snake."

Teddy didn't reply, just made them come to a stop in front of a modest set of doors. Finally, she thought.

The doors opened a crack and out popped a mustache clad face. "What?"

That's when she realized it wasn't doors but a huge portrait. She should have known given the golden frame around.

"Genesius." Teddy gave him the password. The portrait slid to one side giving them a view of the sitting room inside. When they entered she took in the room, it was large enough to fit a huge party inside. Yet all the corners of the room had a little area seeming to have a personality of its own. Like the large table at one corner could hold about 15 people. Whereas there were 3 fireplaces, each with separate seating and away from one another so that 3 separate groups can enjoy conversation. There were 5 doors, 2 on either side, the 5th was straight on the opposite side of the room. By the looks of the windows on either side of it, the door will lead into a balcony space.

"You like?" Teddy asked.

"Did you get new living quarters?"

"No this isn't mine." He then led her towards one of the fireplaces. It had only two green coloured cushiony seats on one side of the fireplace, facing one another.

"Come sit." She took a seat.

"Look Lily, I have to tell you something now, but I want you to remember not to interrupt me. You cannot react without hearing the whole thing. You can ask all the questions you like and if I can't give the answers then the headmistress will. Yesterday there was a meeting of the Hogwarts committee. They appointed Draco as the new potions professor and head of the House Slytherin. These are his Living Quarters."

That will answer the various familiar order of things. Draco was an obsessive organizer.

"So when the topic came to you two and your situation, various concerns had been raised, by the parents."

Lily frowned at that. She and Scorpius weren't part of that conversation.

"I know you are wondering why weren't you two included. I don't have an answer for that, but the headmistress had already told the parents that you both are, according to the law, adults; hence no further decisions could be made without you. That is if both of you decide to continue with school."

Teddy stopped for her to say something. She just nodded at him to proceed.

"Ginny had concerns that if you stayed then dealing with the continuously changing stairs and climbing the high tower of Ravenclaw could be harmful for the baby. So they wanted to give you both your own chambers, but that would have led to many questions from the students. So Draco asked if you could live here."

Lily looked around the rooms. "Wouldn't living here still warrant various questions?"

"Yes. That is the next part you have to decide on. The Hogwarts committee was adamant that your condition should be concealed for as long as possible. So it was suggested that with your excellent study record, they have offered for you to complete your NEWTs this year itself, if you can manage that. That way you can graduate a year early and before the babies are here."

Lily's heartbeats fastened. "They want me to finish NEWTs in four months?"

"Well they wanted you to give you the remaining OWLS and NEWTS in four months."

Lily just stared at him baffled. Could she? Maybe. Wasn't she just now thinking about how extraordinary she and Scorpius were. She can. Definitely can. She was already familiar with the NEWT curriculum. And Scorpius and Albus would be there. Her earlier worry about her not having any career prospects was solved. She would be able to finish her studies before their kids would be here.

Four months! But four months!

"Eh..." she didn't know how to respond. "Is there more?"

"A couple of things but they all depend on if you agree to this arrangement."

"Four months is too small of a time frame. But..."

"But?" Teddy watched her intently.

"I think I can do it." She said, letting out a sigh.

Teddy had a proud smile on his face. "I knew it. I told them you will accept this challenge like a boss."

"You know me too well, Ted." Lily said, humoring her Godbrother's enthusiasm.

"Well you Ravenclaws might be wise but we Hufflepuffs have our charms too. We know stuff too."

"Which is why I am guessing they decided for you to let me know of all this."

"Well yeah. They were worried about your Weasley temper, for not including you in the discussion. And"

He paused and he gave her one of his charming smiles, which made her wonder of headmistress's sanity for hiring such a good looking guy as a professor to teach teenage witches and wizards.

"they knew I have a way with Weasley women." He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Your charm doesn't work on me Teddy. I can see through you."

"Yeah? And what do you think so far."

"That's for me to know." She gave him a sly smile. "Now tell me these other things.

So he told her the rest. About hers and Scorpius's living situation, their changed class schedules, the lies to be told to the students and about the regular visits to the healers. All of it made her feel overwhelmed. She felt like days have gone by since they had left the hospital wing.

Teddy must have noticed her tiredness, as he helped her to her feet and led her into hers and Scorpius's room.