Unmasked (A Scorily/Scorlily Fanfic)[post-cursed child]

Chapter Twenty-Three: Scorpius is a Freaking Fool

A/N: I hope you lot appreciate my sudden return to Wattpad! I certainly have loved reading all your supportive comments :)

Love you all, 

Lily

It was two more months before a tall, slim, athletically-built young man stepped off a muggle train and made his way through the station. Scorpius Malfoy was not stern and solemn anymore; he was capable of smiling and laughing. 

He did both these things as he saw Albus Potter's scruffy black hair above the crowd around him. In a couple of brief strides, he was standing before his friend. Albus had his arm about his fiancee. Seth Wood was so much shorter than Albus that it was adorably ridiculous- Scorpius only fully saw the pair once he was within three feet of them. 

Albus embraced him enthusiastically. "Scor! I'll admit, mate, I wasn't sure I'd see you in the land of the living again. And now that I have-" Suddenly, he was looking closer at his best friend. "Scorpius, you're tanned! And-" he felt Scorpius's arms in awe. "You're muscular! I'm going to have to bodybind my female cousins to keep them off your arse."

Seth grinned awkwardly until Albus turned to him once more. "Seth, this is Scorpius Malfoy. Best mate from Hogwarts." He looked over at Scorpius, smiling. "Scorpius, my fiancee."

Scorpius waved. "Al's a lucky man, Wood." 

It felt wonderful to be at home. In fact, he no longer dreaded seeing Lily anymore. Albus's shock at his sudden change in appearance- the sight of friendly faces- the lack of worry for sudden and fiery death- it had all combined to give him confidence. Scorpius felt comfortable with who he was. He felt that perhaps this would show Lily that he had changed- that he was ready. 

It was with this in mind that, once safely installed in the backseat of Seth's magically modified Bentley, he asked Al, "Whatever's been going on with your sister? She stopped sending letters a couple of weeks ago."

Al, who was in the passenger seat, turned to look back at Scorpius and raised an eyebrow. His face, for the first time, registered some annoyance. "Well, she'd hardly keep wasting parchment on you when you never replied, would she? But Lily is fine. I thought you knew- I thought that was why you were staying on another two weeks after Seth's and my wedding."

"Knew what?" Scorpius's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't honestly effed himself over with Lily again. 

"That Teddy proposed- months ago. Lily's getting married a week and a half after I am- don't know why Mum didn't murder her on the spot when she broke the news. Poor woman's gone half mad with preparations."

"Wait, wait- Lily." Scorpius struggled to speak. "Lily's getting married? To Lupin?"

"Right on," Seth said in his deep, steady voice. "He proposed two months after you left."

"But- but my Dad told me when you two got engaged. Why wouldn't he have told me about Lily?"

Al snorted. "Your Dad's not exactly close with our family, is he? Hates our slimy, stinking guts, rather. I sent him an invitation to my wedding, but Lily doesn't know him. She didn't invite him to hers."

"But- the tabloids, the paper-"

"Your Dad doesn't read them, you know that."

"Why didn't YOU tell me?" Scorpius was desperate at this point. 

"Because Lily told you herself, in one of her letters." Al's gaze was penetrating. "You never replied." He shook his head. "Do not ruin this for her, Scorpius. You don't deserve to ruin it for her. I love you- you're my best mate apart from Seth- but I don't love what you did to my sister."

"What I did-"

"She was very cut up about your complete silence." Seth shook his head, imitating Albus. "Why wouldn't she be?" 

Scorpius sat in a dizzy haze, staring at the little pom-pom hanging from Seth's dash. He resolved to open those letters when he arrived at his hotel room. 

Only Lily herself could explain this to him. 

He was a fool.