What If? [Scorpius Malfoy x Lily Luna] Short story: ✔

What if: It Hurts

Weeks later, and Lily still wasn't sure what to do with herself. She knew what she wanted. She had come to terms with that thanks to Hugo's help. But she wasn't sure if it was a good idea . . . or if she was brave enough to do it.

And she couldn't stop watching Scorpius Malfoy whenever he was in sight. She glanced at him when he passed by in the halls. She watched him at meals in the Great Hall. And he always seemed so . . . so unbothered. It was as if their time apart didn't faze him. As if he couldn't care less that they no longer saw each other.

It made her chest hurt, and her stomach sick.

Lily sighed as she sat alone in the library. She hated studying, and she didn't give a damn about O.W.L. exams. It's not like she was going to fail any of them, so why did Rose insist on making her study for them?

The chair at her table scraped along the floor. Lily looked up, expecting Hugo to have finally arrived, but was shocked at who she saw.

Mitch Avery, Dominique's boyfriend, and Scorpius Malfoy's classmate and best friend. His hair was bright blue, and was normally spiked up. Today the front few bangs fell to his eyes. He was smiling, which was odd.

Lily glared at him hesitantly. "What do you want?" she muttered, not trusting him. Dominique dating an Avery had raised an uproar in the family, and he wasn't well-liked among many in the family.

Mitch simply shrugged, still smiling. "What, I can't come see my soon to be in-law?" he mocked cheekily. Lily glared harder at him. She hated that joke, and his tone.

But then Mitch sighed, and for the first time ever for Lily, she saw his smile disappear into a bit of a serious expression. "Look," he said quietly, "we've gotta talk."

Lily scoffed. "I'm not helping you get in good with my family," she retorted in a whisper.

"I know about you and Scor."

Lily froze, her quill slipping from her fingers. She thought her heart might have even stopped a little as she looked at the honest look in Mitch's eyes. "What?" she mumbled. "How?"

Mitch grinned a little again. "He told me. After all, we are like brothers," he answered. But then he paused. "That and I caught sight of you two sneaking around one night after I was coming back to the common room after being with Dom."

Lily groaned as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What do you want?" she muttered.

Now Mitch scoffed. "Please, I'm above blackmail, Lily. I'm just here to help my best friend."

Lily raised a brow as she looked at him hesitantly. "What are you talking about?"

"From what I understand, Dom says you've been acting weird and less . . . bitchy than normal. And Scor has been pouting when alone, and pissed off around everyone else. So I gather that you're both miserable without one another," Mitch stated simply.

Lily sighed. Just what she needed in her life. Another Hugo. But unlike Hugo, Mitch knew little about her. "You're wrong," she replied. "I've just been focusing on exams, and have less time to be as bitchy as Dom thinks I am."

Mitch sighed this time. "Look, Lil, I won't lie to you if you don't lie to me. I think we're both past that in life, right?"

Lily bit the inside of her cheek. What was this guy getting at?

Mitch ran a hand through hair, trying to get his bangs to spike up a bit more. "Look, Scorpius really misses you. It's obvious. Hell, it's obvious that he loves ya."

Again, Lily froze. This time, she was sure her heart wasn't really beating at all.

Mitch looked at her with surprise. "You didn't know?" Then he rolled his eyes and look like he would start ranting. "For Merlin's sake, woman! You couldn't tell? The way he stares at you, or how he's willing to risk his whole future for you? And you didn't figure it out? I thought you were supposed to be smart!"