THORNS & VENOM | h.p.a.u

HONEYDUKES

Albus' smile grew. "Who do you think planted that seed in her head? What are you hiding from me, Scorpius? I know there's more going on. You have no reason to hide Rose unless you were doing something you didn't want anyone to see. I don't play with it comes to my family, especially Ronnie."

Shit. Albus was perceptive as ever.

Thea scowled. "Oh so now you're teaming up with Maryse Zabini? Seriously?"

Albus' upper lip curled into a snarl. "Excuse me? At least she's telling me to truth. Both of you have been on lockdown from me. None of you want to tell the truth. And it's not just Maryse confession to cheating I believe. Lorcan told me that pretty much all of Ravenclaw thinks that you cheated!"

"Truth about what?" Thea cried out. 

Scorpius got ready to hold Albus down when he rose up from his seat. 

"The truth? Alright, I'll give you your bloody truth. Both of you idiots are trying to sleep with my cousins!"

With that, he snatched up the butter beer, drank it down, and walked out.

Scorpius released a breath he didn't know he was holding and sank down. "Bloody hell."

Thea gripped the handle of her butter beer tightly. "How did he know?"

He patted her back gently. "Even I knew. She came for practice last Thursday."

"Great. Just great. No wonder he's upset. Been possessive over his cousins for years."

"Quite so. I remember when Lily first got a boyfriend, Albus and James stood guard on her throughout fourth year. Escorted her to her classes, even if she was with her boyfriend."

Thea laughed. "Merlin, I remember that! Who was it again?"

"Ian Avery." Scorpius took a sip of the butter beer. "Albus hated the guy. Lily sure knows how to pick them."

"She hasn't had a boyfriend since, right? Whoa- speaking of, look who's taking a romantic walk with Hufflpuff's Seeker!"

He followed Thea's pointed finger to Lysander Scamander and Lily Potter, strolling right into Honeydukes.

Thea grabbed his arm, yanking him hard enough that his butter beer sloshed on the bar floor as they got out of The Three Broomsticks. "Let's go!"

Scorpius tossed nine sickles to cover their drinks and followed behind Thea. 

"This is a bad idea," he muttered, ducking into the sweets shop. 

The green shelves were filled to the brim with candy, a never ending supply that seemed to magically restock itself every time a Hogwarts student snatched up the wrapped treasures.

"There! By the Peppermint Toad display!" Thea hissed.

Scorpius ducked behind an aisle as Thea parted a few boxes of Fudge Flies to peer through at Lysander and Lily.

Albus' cousin tucked a strand of pin straight red hair behind her ear. "I didn't know you liked Peppermint Toads too."

"I don't." Lysander admitted. "But I know you do. Chocolate frogs were your favorite when you were younger, weren't they?"

Lily blinked. "Why yes they were. How did you know that?"

The Hufflepuff swallowed. "Listen Lily, I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time. I just never found the right time or place. And Hogsmeade seemed best-"

"Go on already," she prompted. "Spit it out."

"I like you, Lily Potter." he blurted, his hand hovering over the Peppermint Toad display.

She paused, looked at the toads, then back at him. "You what?"

"I like you. Fancy you." he said, sucking in a breath. "And I'm hoping you can return those feelings, not now obviously. But soon. Maybe at the Yule Ball?"

Lily looked heartbroken. "Oh Lysander. I'm so sorry. I-I don't return your feelings. I've never seen you that way."

He took a step back. "But all those summers. Why do you think I visited so often? I came for you."

"Came for me?" she shook her head. "I thought we were friends. You, Lorcan, Hugo and I are all friends. Nothing more. Hanging out third year, that was all a ploy? If you didn't like me, would you have still come over? Are you even really friends with Hugo, or was getting close to him just a means of getting close to me?"

Lysander covered his mouth. "Lily. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It was like that in the beginning but I promise you it's not like that now. Hugo and you mean a lot to me."

She lifted up a Peppermint Toad. "I believe you."

The Hufflepuff blew out a breath. "So I'm guessing no Yule Ball?"

Lily laughed. "No Yule Ball, I'm afraid. I'm not even attending."

Lysander's eyes went huge. "How can you not attend?"

She shrugged. "It's not my cup of tea. I prefer being home with Mum and Da-"

Thea jerked him down by his arm when Lily turned to reach for a sweet treat right in their line of sight.

Go, go! she mouthed, pushing him to hobble out of Honeydukes rather lamely.

The frosty wind nipped at his cheeks once he stood to full height.

"Well this tosses a wrench into my plans." he tossed his head back against the display window of Honeydukes.

"Plans? For what?" Thea bent down to mold a snowball in her hands.

"My plan was for Lily to hopefully return Lysander's feelings and Rose wouldn't have a chance with him." 

She looked up at him over her shoulder. "Wait, you knew how Lysander felt about Lily? How?"

"Amortentia." he muttered. "And a little memory nugget from a while back. I always thought Lysander liked Rose all those years ago. Now I realize it was actually Lily. Those summers he was talking about? Lysander would come and visit their house because that's where all the Potters and Weasleys went to hang out. He must've known that if he befriended James or Albus and they found out he planned to date Lily, he'd never the opportunity to even spend time with her. Rose was never the target of his affection, it was always Lily."

"Drama." she shook her head. "Always seems to surround that Golden Trio family."

"Same goes for us." Scorpius sighed. "I still get nasty looks from some of children of Dumbledore's Army. Hogwarts seems like hell for a Death Eater's kid."

"It is hell." she scowled. "Hera Carrow got threatened by a Ravenclaw for her alleged 'crimes' she committed just for being a pureblood related to Alecto and Amycus Carrow."

"Threatened? With what?"

Thea hesitated. "Don't get upset?"

Scorpius eyes darkened. "I make no promises."

"A dead snake was left outside the common door with a note saying she'd be next if she ever tried to act superior." Thea laughed mirthlessly. "You know what they called her? A filthy pureblood?"

"Oh the irony." he reached down to make a snowball as well. "Gotta say, kind of makes me want to wipe the quidditch field with their hypocritical asses in February."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You've been kind of distant lately."

"I'm just focused right now."

"On Rose?" she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yes, actually. On Rose. There's so much going on that I have to tell you two."

"I'm not sure Albus will wanna hear." she muttered. "Oh well. We'll see."