Lily sighed as she sat on the grass outside. It was a bit windy, and the chill in the air was a bit more prominent, but with a jacket on, Lily could hardly feel it. She sat with Lysander, waiting to meet his friends, finally. She sat with her back leaning against the wall of the castle, and Lysander sat next to her. But he wasn't touching her in the slightest. There was obvious space between them. It irritated Lily, but she ignored it.
"Ok, now Kana is the girl with black hair, and Kelly had blonde hair. Taylor and Hayden are both Chasers, but Hayden is the smaller one. And Clayton is the really tall one," Lysander explained.
Lily nodded as she took a bite from a Licorice Wand. "Got it. Kelly blonde, Hayden small, Clayton really tall," she listed. "No problem."
"And be ready for Kelly. She can be a bit rough around the edges," Lysander warned.
"Explain what 'rough around the edges' means, please?" Lily asked hesitantly.
"I just mean that she can be tough to get along with at first. She'd a bit . . . unsure when it comes to new people," Lysander told her.
Lily didn't really trust his explanation. Something seemed off about it. Like he wasn't fully explaining it. But once again, she let it drop.
"Here come the guys," Lysander said with a grin. Lily turned to look at where he was staring. A group of five was on their way over. The differences among the three boys were a bit comical. The smallest one, who was apparently Hayden, was very thin and blonde. Lily actually remembered seeing him during Quidditch matches. The one of middle height was the broadest, with chocolate hair and chestnut eyes. And then the tallest one had midnight hair that swept into his eyes, making it impossible to tell what color they were.
The girls were like polar opposites as well. The one with black hair, Kana, was tall, the height of the middle-sized boy. Her eyes were a baby blue, and she looked very lean, like an athlete. The other one, Kelly, had platinum hair that fell in waves, and snapping green eyes. Lily could tell that she wasn't very athletic, even though she was thin as well.
"Hey, guys," Lysander greeted with a smile. He jumped up and moved over to them, clapping shoulders with the other guys, and giving a hug to each girl. Then he brought them over. "Guys, this is my girlfriend, Lily. Lily, these are the guys," he introduced.
Lily smiled. "And Clayton is the tallest one?"
Lysander looked at his friends. "Oh, yeah I didn't mention that part. Yeah, Clayton's taller than Taylor." He clapped the boy with black hair on the back. Then he dropped back onto the grass, sitting next to Lily again.
The other kids all sat down as well, but they were silent, except for one. "So, Lily, how are you enjoying your fourth year?" Clayton asked. His voice was very deep, like he was older than sixteen. He sounded as if he were twenty.
Lily cleared her throat, as if she could clear away her surprise. Wasn't Clayton the quiet one? "It's not bad actually. It's been pretty eventful," she answered. "And your sixth year?"
Clayton shrugged. "It's been ok. So, when did you start modeling?"
"This past summer actually. My friend's mum is a fashion designer, so I've kind of been doing it as a favor to her," Lily told him.
"Really? Which friend?" Clayton asked.
Lily was a bit surprised at his questions. Did Lysander mix up his friends when he said Clayton kept to himself? "Scorpius Malfoy," Lily answered.
"So you are friends with Malfoy," Hayden said with a hint of malic.
Lily turned onto the defensive immediately. "Yes. He's one of my best friends," she retorted easily, and calmly.
"You know, I think I see you around him more often than Ly. Isn't that a little backwards?" Kelly snapped.
"Not really. We're in the same House. It's easier to be around him when we sit at the same table and have the same common room," Lily replied, feeling a bit of anxiety rise in her stomach. It was right alongside her bubbling anger.
"I've seen your pictures," Clayton said, interrupting the conversation. "They're very good. I particularly liked the one with you in the red and black shirt."
Lily looked at him, trying to keep a look of confusion off her face. Why was he being so nice, when all of his friends were being . . . not as nice? "Thank you. I actually like that one too, although the one in the white dress is probably my favorite."
"Really? Why is that?" he asked.
Lily shrugged. "I liked the location."
"So, if you like hanging out with Malfoy so much then why don't you date him?" Taylor questioned with a bit of a glare. Lily bit her tongue.
"Dude!" Lysander chided.
"Just a question," Taylor argued. "I mean, she's always hanging off of him. I think it's a valid question."
"Don't be a jerk, Taylor," Lysander warned.
Lily felt her inside begin to shake, so she stood up. "Actually, I promised Lola that I would help her pick out an outfit for her date. I'll just see you later." She picked up her last Chocolate Frog and walked away from the group.
"Lily!" she heard Lysander call. But she ignored it and kept walking.
She should have known better. She should have known that she'd be hated among his friends. An enemy. She was a Slytherin, she was beating them in Quidditch, and she was an enemy to Gryffindor, who most Ravenclaws seemed to be great pals with.
"Hey, wait up!" Lily stopped in surprise at the voice that was following her. She turned around to see Clayton running up to her. He stopped in front of her, his body towering over hers. "You walk fast for such a tiny girl," he commented.
Lily sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "What are you doing?"
Clayton shoved his hands into his pocket. "I thought I'd apologize for their actions while Lysander scolds them for it," he replied.
Lily shook her head and kept walking. "I should have expected it. I'm the enemy."
"Look, Lily, I'm all about cutting out the bullshit, so that statement is total crap. They're just being petty and superficial," Clayton argued. "I don't get why Lysander hangs out with them."
Lily looked at him in confusion. "Aren't you their friend too?" she asked.
"I can't stand them. I just put up with them for Lysander," he told her.
Lily scoffed. "Wish I could do that for him."
"Difference. They aren't complete dicks to me," Clayton argued.
Lily sighed. "Look, you can go back if you want."
Clayton grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking. Lily looked up at him. From his angle, she could see that his eyes were a dark color, maybe a brown. He looked at her seriously. "Don't go and blame yourself for their actions. And don't think about trying to impress them for Lysander. He obviously likes you just how you are."
Lily looked at him in confusion. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, her head spinning at the thought.
Clayton let go of her and shrugged. "Everyone deserves for someone to be nice to them, even if they think they don't deserve it."
***************
Lily sighed as she walked into the Slytherin locker room. It was time for the big match, Slytherin versus Gryffindor. It had been a few weeks since she'd met with Lysander's friends, and Lily hadn't hung out with him since. He always seemed to have a friend around, and it was always one of the ones that hated her.
"Remember, I want to brutalize Gryffindor," Scorpius told them as they all began to open their lockers.
"Ready for your first game, Lance?" Lily asked.
Lance looked over at her, but then he adverted his eyes and blushed. "Yeah, I'm really excited," he stuttered.
The other boys laughed, and Will clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, dude, you get used to seeing Lily half naked," he joked.
Lily rolled her eyes as she pulled on her game uniform. "Sorry, Lance. I'll try to be fast about changing," she teased.
There was a knock on the locker room door, surprising all of them. Dante went over to the door and opened it. "Yeah?"
"Can I talk to Lily for a moment?" a voice asked. Lily looked over at the door in surprise.
Dante walked back to his locker. "It's for you, Lu. You've got an admirer."
Lily rolled her eyes and walked over to the door. She was surprised to see Clayton standing there, hands in his pockets, and a Slytherin flag sticking out of his jacket pocket. He was smiling a little. "Hey, there."
Lily couldn't suppress her smile. "Hey, Clayton. What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "I thought I'd wish you good luck. I'll be rooting for ya," he assured, nudging the flag in his pocket.
Lily giggled lightly. "Well, I'll make you proud."
Clayton nodded. "I know you will. See you out there." He turned his back and started to walk away.
A thought occurred to Lily. "Hey, Clay!" She caught the back of his jacket.
Clayton stopped and turned his head to look at her. "Yeah?"
Lily smiled at him. "Well, Slytherin is having a party after dinner. Kind of a post-victory party for us. Would you like to come?"
Clayton turned completely to look at her with a bit of his own surprise. "Really? Is Lysander going?"
Lily shook her head. "No, he said he was studying with Lorcan and a few other guys from the team tonight. So, would you like to go?"
Clayton scratched the back of his neck, but he smiled. "Yeah, I guess I could fill in for him. Sure."
Lily smiled, letting out a breath of relief. "Good. Meet me by the dungeons after dinner."
He nodded again. "Ok. I'll meet you there." He walked away this time, disappearing from sight. Lily closed the door and moved back to her locker, pulling out her shoes.
"Wow, inviting a Ravenclaw to our party?" Tanner joked. "That's new."
Lily shrugged. "Well, he's a really good guy. I thought he might like it," she told them.
"Who is he?" Scorpius asked curiously, the scowl on his face again.
"He's one of Lysander's best friends. He's a really good guy," Lily assured.
"I think I know him," Lars told her. He stared into space as he thought. Then he snapped his fingers. "Yeah! He's in my Astronomy class. He's really smart. But I don't think I've ever actually heard him talk. He's really quiet."
"Really? He's never all that quiet around me. Not that he's real chatty either," Lily told him.
"Well we can discuss this later. Let's go win this match," Scorpius interrupted with that same scowl. Lily looked at him oddly. He seemed genuinely annoyed, which was strange. But she just grabbed her broom and followed him out.
*********************
"Good afternoon, everybody. This is Elizabeth Peakes, your new game announcer. Today we have a thrilling match between House rivals. We have Gryffindor," cheers roared from most of the crowd, "going against Slytherin House!" A lot of boos sounded, but cheers overrode them from the green and silver.
"Slytherin has been on a four year winning streak, holding the Quidditch Cup and not letting it go. This is mostly thanks to their Seeker, Lily Luna, who has been part of the team since her first year. She's proven to be one of the best Seekers Hogwarts has ever seen, and people are waiting to see if she will ever lose a game," Elizabeth commented. "Gryffindor has been itching to beat them ever since. And I speak from being a Gryffindor myself, that they have been training long and hard simply for this match."
The Snitch was released and the Quaffle was tossed, and the game began. Lily flew high, and was slammed into quickly. Lily spun on her broom, and stopped looking at where her attacker had gone. Albus was ahead of her, flying higher. Lily glowered at him, but flew the other way, gaining height as she moved.
"Potter has the Quaffle. He shoves past Higgs, ducks Nott, . . . but he's stopped by Malfoy, who snags the Quaffle, and speeds down the field. No surprise there, Malfoy's size outshines Potter's," Elizabeth commented.
Lily glanced down at where the other players are, looking at James and then at Scorpius. Wow, Lily thought. He was bigger than James now. When had that happened? She pushed away the thought and put her focus back on the invisible Snitch.
"Malfoy makes it down the field. He takes the shot and he scores! Ten points to Slytherin!" Elizabeth cheered. Lily liked this announcer. Even though she was a Gryffindor, she seemed to actually show enthusiasm no matter who scored. "Hugo Weasley takes the Quaffle, and he passes it off to his sister. Rose Weasley zooms down the field, but she's taken out by Nott, who grabs the Quaffle, and passes it off to Higgs. Higgs swerves past Lucy Weasley, but he's slammed into by Potter, who takes the Quaffle and speeds down the pitch. But Zabini hits a Bludger, hitting Potter's arm and making him drop the Quaffle. Higgs catches it and takes off . . . He's made it down the field. He takes the shot . . . but Weasley makes the save!"
Lily couldn't help but to listen to the commentary. Peakes was making the game sound pretty intense.
"Rose Weasley with the Quaffle now. She swerves past Malfoy, and flies over Nott and Higgs. She gets to the Slytherin goals, takes the shot . . . and Dante Montague misses the save, giving ten points to Gryffindor!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Montague passes the Quaffle off to Nott, who shoves past Lucy Weasley as he makes his way down the field. Potter is hot on his trail, but with his superior broom, Nott stays ahead. Malfoy catches up, and Nott passes him the Quaffle. Malfoy passes it back, and Nott passes it back to him. They continue the child's game as they make their way to the goals. Nott sends one final pass, and Malfoy kicks the Quaffle into the goal! That brings Slytherin to the lead, twenty to ten."
Lily squinted as she looked up toward the sky, searching for the Snitch. There was no glint of gold, so she lowered her head. She circled the pitch, scanning the crowds to see if it was hovering above anybody.
"And . . . it seems like Potter has seen the Snitch!" Elizabeth yelled. Lily's head snapped around to see Albus streaking across the air to the far side of the pitch. Lily shot after him, all the while looking to see where the Snitch was. But as she gained on him, she still saw no glint of gold. Lily glanced at Albus as she started to get closer, and noticed he kept glancing back. Lily shook her head. Did he really think that he was going to pull her own trick on her? She pulled up on her broom, and turned around.
"It looks like Lily Luna has turned around. Potter has stopped as well. Looks like he hadn't seen the Snitch after all," Elizabeth announced.
Lily shook her head as she flew higher, but then she felt a shove on her back again. Before she could turn her head, Albus flew past her, and stopped right in front of her, blocking her.
Lily glared at him. "What, Potter?" she spat.
"You really think you're hot stuff just because got James in trouble? Your amazing just because you're a model?" Albus sneered.
"Well someone sounds jealous and insecure," Lily hissed. "Then again I can't blame you. I would be too if I was you. After all, it's your girlfriend that's sleeping around with your brother!" Lily shoved past him this time, planning on resuming her search. But then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and then felt a hit on her lower back, followed by a stinging pain. Gasps erupted from the crowd, and a whistle blew. Lily turned her head to see Albus's fist pulled back for another hit. Lily knocked away his hand and grabbed the wrist of the hand on her shoulder, holding it tightly.
"Foul on Gryffindor!" Madam Hooch called. "A penalty shot for Slytherin! Potter, get over here!"
Albus glowered at her intensely before flying off to where a furious Madam Hooch was hovering. Lily rolled her shoulder once, trying to ignore the bit of pain in her back. She could tell that it was going to bruise.
"A foul on Gryffindor, giving Slytherin a penalty shot. One more move like that and I'd bet that Albus Potter will be kicked off the pitch," Elizabeth commentated. "And it looks like Slytherin is taking a quick timeout while Madam Hooch scolds Potter."
Scorpius waved the team over, so Lily flew to where he was. Soon they had crowded around each other. Dante put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you all right, Lily?" Scorpius asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries," she assured.
"What a filthy prick," Will muttered. Lily closed her eyes as she cracked her neck lightly. It was a desperate attempt to get back at her, but Lily should have expected it. Even if Albus was supposed to be mad at James for having sex with his girlfriend, Albus would never be mad at him. Because James had been right. Albus idolized him, and would never find fault in him.
"Lars, Tanner, he needs to learn what happens when you mess with Slytherin's princess," Scorpius told them. "Take him out."
Lily rolled her eyes. "There's no need. It's a rough game."
Scorpius shook his head. "If it had been within the rules of the game, I'd be calm. But that dick fouled and was malicious. He deserves it. That was not part of the game," he argued. "So, someone take him out, or at least make sure he pays. And Lance," he addressed, "I want you to take the penalty shot."
Lance's light grey eyes went a little wide. His cheeks turned pink, clashing with his flat black hair. "Me? You want me to do it?"
Scorpius nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah. I think you can do it. Besides, it's good practice, and I want you to get more experience. You're the newest player," he told him. "You can do it, kid."
"Yeah, you got it, dude," Lars assured.
"Weasley won't see it coming," Will told him.
Lily smiled at him and patted his back. "And if you think you can't make it, just aim for Hugo Boy's face," she joked.
Lance blushed even more when she looked at him, and he ducked his head. "Ok. I'll do it!"
Scorpius smirked. "Then let's get out there and kill 'em." The team cheered as they began to fly back to the center of the pitch.
Lily sighed as she looked at Lance's back. "Why does he blush every time he looks at me?" she wondered quietly.
Scorpius laughed beside her. "Princess, that kid's got the biggest crush on you," he told her.
Lily looked at him in surprise. "What?"
Scorpius chuckled again. "I don't think you realize how many boys have a thing for you." Then before Lily could say anything back, he flew ahead, going to his position on the field. Lily stopped and watched as Madam Hooch handed Lance the Quaffle.
"Lance Higgs is taking the penalty shot. The other players line up, waiting for the shot. Hugo Weasley paces back and forth between the goals, waiting to block the shot. Higgs pulls his hand back, . . . he tosses it . . . and he makes it! Ten points to Slytherin, and the game begins again!"
Lily clapped with the rest of the Slytherins when Lance made the shot. But then she grasped her broom again and began to circle the pitch, waiting for a sign of the Snitch.
The game continued, and Slytherin kept a decent lead ahead. No one had been taken out, a record for the two teams. But Albus had taken quite a few hits from Bludgers, and Lily could tell that it was taking its toll on him. He was slower, and she noticed that one of his arms seemed limp, like deadweight. Rose had taken a bit of a nasty hit when Will had 'accidently' threw the Quaffle at her face. There was already a bruise forming that everyone could see. Hugo had taken a Quaffle to the stomach, and had promptly fell to the ground, and vomited a dozen times. Lily gave him credit for having the strength to get back on his broom and continue the game. But Slytherin had made quite a few shots while he was down.
"And Malfoy makes another shot. That brings the score to a hundred and forty for Slytherin and a hundred points for Gryffindor," Elizabeth announced. "This match-up has been a brutal one, and it seems to be taking its toll on each of the players."
Lily did feel exhausted. She really just wanted the game to end so that she could shower and change. Despite the cool wind, the sun was beating down on the players, and Lily was practically sweating through her uniform, the fabric sticking her skin. But then luck shone on her side in the form of a glint of gold. High in the air, Lily saw the Snitch fluttering about. She shot up into the sky, her hand stretched out.
"It seems like Lily Luna has seen the Snitch, and she's closing in on it fast!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
Lily stretched forward, and felt the feel of metal in her palm. She closed her fingers around the Snitch, and held it up in triumph as she lowered herself through the air.
"And Lily had caught the Snitch! Slytherin wins the game with a total of two hundred and ninety points!" Elizabeth cheered.
Lily hopped off her broom when she reached the ground, and was swept up into the air by Will, who hoisted her onto his shoulder. The rest of the team crowded around, cheering rowdily. Will carried her to the locker room, where he put her down, letting her walk in herself.
"Way to go, Lu!" Dante cheered.
"Nice catch! Potter didn't even know what was happening!" Will joked.
Lily smiled as she set down the Snitch, which was now motionless, its wings folding back in. "Thanks. That was surprisingly tough, though."
"Yeah, which means we've got to dominate the other teams," Scorpius told them all. "Who knows, Gryffindor may be able to gain enough points to take the cup if they continue to play like that."
"We've got it in the bag," Tanner assured.
Lily smiled over at Lance. "You did good for you first game," she complimented.
Lance blushed again. "Thanks. I did better than I thought I would."
"You did great kid," Scorpius assured. "I'm glad Lily suggested you." Lance's face seemed to get even redder.
Lily bit her lip to hide a giggle as she grabbed her clothes and a towel. She walked into the girls' showers and stripped off her game clothes. She turned the nozzle to hot, sighing gratefully when the warm water cascaded onto her sore muscles. She reached back to touch the small of her back. It was a little tender, no doubt from Albus's hit. She sighed again, and began to wash the sweat from her skin and hair. She finished her shower quickly, knowing that everyone was ready for a party after dinner, but that they needed the players for the party. She dried off with her towel, and then dressed in a pair of dark jeans with a black shirt that fell off her shoulder. She dried her hair lazily, and then put it up. Then she threw her game clothes and towel into the hamper, and walked back out to the locker room. Once there, she slipped on her socks and shoes. Then she put her earring back in, and re-glossed her lips.
Lance walked in, a towel around his shoulders. His hair was dripping still. He caught sight of Lily and blushed heavily. He silently moved to his locker and began to try and dry off again.
Lily bit back a laugh again. "Lance, why do you blush every time you look at me?"
She could hear him gulp. "No reason," he said, but his voice cracked and went higher. Lily swore she could see his ears turn red.
"Oh, come on! The other guys are still showering. Tell me," Lily insisted. She wasn't going to believe Scorpius's theory until it was confirmed.
Lance glanced back at her, but when she caught his eye, he quickly turned back around. "I'm not used to being around pretty girls," he mumbled. "And you're like . . . extra pretty, so . . . I guess I just get a little nervous."
Lily felt her own cheeks turn a little pink at his words. "Well, you don't need to be nervous. I won't bite you," she teased.
Lance slowly turned to finally look at her. "I know," he said quietly. "But haven't you ever been nervous around someone you liked?"
Lily tried to not look surprised. Scorpius was right! Lily sighed, but she still smiled. "Yeah, I guess I have. But you know how you get over it?"
Lance shook his head. "No, how?"
"You remember that you don't want to lose that person as a friend," Lily told him, thinking of her and Scorpius.
Lance nodded as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Yeah, I guess. I just . . . ," he scowled lightly, "I don't know."
Lily bit her lip, remembering about how this wasn't the first time this had happened to her. "Well, I do know of another method. It helped a friend of mine. All he had to do was to get it out of his system," she told him.
Lance looked at her with a bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"
Lily got up and walked closer to him. She was actually a little taller than him. So she leaned down and kissed him shortly and lightly. Then she pulled away and smiled. "That's what I mean," she teased. She ruffled his hair. "Tell the boys I left already."
Lily grabbed her broom and left the locker room. It was cool outside, but to Lily if felt nice against her overheated skin. She trekked up the path to the castle. It was getting a bit dim outside, and Lily wondered what time it was. The game had started shortly after lunch, so it probably was time for dinner. Once Lily was in the castle, she headed to the common room and dropped her broom off. Then she headed toward the Great Hall, her stomach demanding a bit of food before the party.
"Hey, Lil! Good game!" Jace congratulated when she sat down next to the others.
"Thanks," Lily said with a smile. "Ready for the party?"
"Some of the older students are in the common room, getting it all ready," Lola told her. "Apparently Slughorn has allowed the party. Something about how he thought it was well deserved."
Lily grinned. "It is. We work hard to win," she replied.
"That Lance kid played really good for a new player," Shannon commented.
"Yeah, he didn't suck," Monty agreed.
Lily rolled his eyes. "Make sure you tell him that," she mocked.
"How is he adapting to seeing the famous model change?" Lola teased. The girls laughed, and Lily shook her head.
"I think he should feel damn lucky. You know how many of us guys would kill to be in his place?" Christian pointed out. Lily raised a brow at him, making Christian turn a bit pink. "What? I'm just stating the obvious. All the guys on the team are lucky."
"The others have gotten a bit used to it by now," Lily retorted.
"That's not what I hear," Megan murmured in a singsong tone.
Lily looked over at her. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Megan grinned at her. "Well, this is coming from Lana, but apparently she overheard Lars saying that all the guys on the team have a hard time trying not to stare at you when you change."
Lily looked at her in surprise. "What?"
Megan nodded. "Yup. Apparently Scorpius barked at all of them to keep their eyes off though. Something about them needing to respect the one girl on the team. Not that they mean to stare, but they can't help it," she explained.
Lily looked at her plate as she thought about that. She hadn't noticed any of the guys staring at her. It always seemed like it used to. They turned away, trying to give her a bit of space and privacy to change. Well, as much space and privacy you could get in a locker room.
"You hadn't noticed?" Izzy asked.
"Lily doesn't notice half the guys that stare at her," Jace teased.
Lily rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "Sod off," she muttered.
After dinner, they all hurried to make their way to the common room, but a hand on her wrist stopped Lily in her tracks. She turned her head to see Lysander. She smiled, waving at the others to go.
"Hey," she greeted with a smile.
"Hey. Nice job out there," Lysander complimented. He leaned forward, and Lily waited for his kiss, but instead of her lips, he kissed her cheek.
Lily sighed. "Lysander, there aren't many kids around anymore. You can kiss me," Lily assured.
Lysander shrugged. "There are teachers," he replied.
She rolled her eyes. "They won't freak out over a simple kiss, Ly."
Lysander ran a hand through his hair. "Why risk it? Besides, I'm just not one for kissing in public."
"A two second kiss bugs you?" Lily said skeptically.
"It's not as special with a bunch of people watching," he argued.
"Not every kiss needs to be 'special'. It's like a freaking goodbye kiss," Lily retorted with a bit of annoyance.
"I don't see why this is bugging you."
"I don't see why you treat me like some saint! I kissed my last boyfriend in public, and we lasted for months. We had a nice relationship," Lily pointed out. "I mean, what is it? Are you embarrassed to kiss me in public?"
Lysander rolled his eyes. "That's ridiculous. Of course not."
"Really, because that's what it seems like. If that's not it, then what?" Lily demanded.
Lysander let out an exasperated sigh. "I just . . . ," he trailed off.
"I thought so," Lily muttered. She stepped away from him and walked away. Her stomach lurched a bit, and hurt resounded in her chest. But she swallowed it and walked down the stairs to the dungeons. Waiting there was Clayton, who was sitting on the steps. She'd forgotten about him. How was she supposed to hang out with the best friend of her guy she just had a fight with?
Clayton smiled a little when he saw coming. "Good job out there," he congratulated.
Lily smiled weakly. "Thanks," she muttered.
Clayton raised a brow. "Problem?" he asked.
Lily motioned for him to follow her, and they continued walking. "Your friend's kind of a jerk," she muttered.
"A problem with Lysander?" he asked.
"He's so paranoid about kissing me in public. I mean, would a two-second kiss kill him?" she grumbled.
Clayton laughed quietly. "It might. Lysander has always talked about how you should be treated like a princess. Since your family kind of doesn't," he explained.
"People call me Slytherin's princess," Lily argued. "The Slytherins treat me like a princess all the time. He makes it seem like I have no one but my family. I have a whole House behind me."
Clayton shrugged. "Look, I can't read Lysander's mind. You'll have to tell him that. Remind him."
"I've told him that he doesn't need to treat me like a princess," Lily replied. "But he still won't." She ran a hand through her bangs, pushing them out of her face. "Basilisk," she stated. The common room opened up into sight, and music blared out into the hall. "Party's already started," Lily said, sort of as a warning.
Lily pulled Clayton inside, the wall sliding closed behind them. Music was blaring, people were talking loudly, cheering, and laughing. It was definitely a party mood.
"Wow, dance floor and all," Clayton commented as he looked at the crowd of dancing bodies.
Lily laughed. "Yeah. They push the furniture out of the way. We go all out," Lily told him.
Clayton cleared his throat. "Um, Lily, I'm . . . I'm not really used to this. I usually hide up in my room during Ravenclaw parties. And those parties aren't really like this."
Lily giggled. "Don't worry. I'll guide you through it. And if you want to leave early, then I'll let you," she teased. "Now come on. I have to and be congratulated by everyone."
Clayton chuckled. "Well, I'd hate to keep you from your fans."
Clayton stayed by Lily's side the entire time she was being patted on the shoulders and back by other Slytherins. She was handed a couple of magazines to sign, which was no surprise to her. She was slowly becoming used to be a sort of celebrity. Clayton was even able to joke with some of the guys that came up to her.
"I thought you were dating Scamander, Lil?" Mitch asked as he took a drink from his cup. Lily could see Dominique not far away.
Lily grinned. "I am. This is just his replacement for the night," she joked.
The two boys laughed. Mitch nudged Clayton's shoulder. "Maybe you'll be lucky enough to replace all he does," he laughed.
Clayton shook his head. "Whatever," he chuckled.
Mitch held out his hand. "I'm Mitch. You?"
Clayton shook his hand. "Clayton. Nice to meet ya."
"Same here," Mitch said with a grin.
Dominique approached them then. She grabbed Mitch's arm. "Come on. I wanna dance."
Mitch nodded. He downed his drink quickly and tossed it in the trash. "All right. Let's go, babe. Later, Lily. See ya 'round, Clay."
Lily sighed as she watched them saunter off to the dance floor. She took a drink from her own cup. There was a bit of an after burn to it, making Lily believe that someone had added something to the drinks.
Clayton tapped Lily on the shoulder, and the pointed toward the dance floor. "You wanna dance?" he asked quietly over the music.
Lily smiled at him and set her drink down. "Sure. Come on."
Clayton looked at her sheepishly as they approached the dancing crowd. "Be ready. I've never danced before," he warned.
Lily giggled. "Can you ride a broom?" He nodded silently. "Then you can dance. Trust me."
A new song started, and Lily helped Clayton move to the beat. He was a bit awkward at first, but Lily helped him adapt to it. Soon they were both laughing, and Clayton would take her hand and twirl her around. Lily laughed every time, but didn't stop him.
Clayton finally stopped, panting a little as he looked at her. "Can we take a break? From the whole party?" he asked.
Lily laughed a little, but she nodded. "Yeah. Come on." She took his wrist and pulled him toward the boys' staircase. He wouldn't be allowed up the girls'. The music seemed to dull in sound once they were up the stairs, and there was no one else there. It was a bit surprising. There was at least one couple snogging up here.
Clayton sat on the floor, his back against the wall. "I always thought my first time dancing would be a disaster," he joked.
Lily smiled as she sat next to him. "But it wasn't?"
Clayton shook his head. "No, it wasn't. It was actually really fun."
Lily laughed lightly. "Good." She paused, but she couldn't help it. "Clay, can I ask you something?"
He nodded. "Of course. What is it?"
"Well, Lysander told me that you were always really quiet. But you don't seem that quiet to me. Not like he made it sound," Lily told him.
Clayton chuckled. "Well, have my moments. I guess with Lysander . . . I just don't ever have much to say. I don't do much, so I don't have much to talk about. He on the other hand has more to talk about. And I like listening to people. That's where you learn the most interesting things," he explained.
"But with me?" Lily inquired.
He shrugged. "Well, you don't know much about me. And . . . when you and I talk, there's more joking. It's not all about how our days were. It's more . . . random," he said with a laugh. "I like it. I like talking and joking with you."
Lily smiled at him. "I like it too. You're like the first person outside of my family and Slytherin House that I actually enjoy talking to."
Clayton grinned when he turned his head to look at her. "I'm glad to hear that." A moment of silence passed between them, but it was nothing that needed to be filled. And Lily didn't know how it happened, but suddenly, her and Clayton's lips were touching. Not really touching, more like pressed against each other. The kiss was passionate. More so than any kiss she'd had with Lysander. She felt his tongue trace her lips lightly, so she opened her lips invitingly. His tongue slowly passed by her lips, softly rubbing against her own. But before Lily could really enjoy the kiss, Clayton pulled away. He looked a little panicked, and now that it was over, Lily felt panicked.
"I'm so sorry, Lily," he whispered. "I . . . I didn't mean to."
Lily gulped. "It's ok. It was an accident. It just happened. It didn't mean anything," she assured. But Lily felt like it did. This was the second time that she'd completely forgotten about her boyfriend. Why was she always doing that? When you took out her minor annoyance at his lack of physical affection, Lily really liked him. Yet . . . she was always quick to forget about him. One time was nothing, . . . but twice? And especially when the second time resulted in a kiss? And a great one at that?
"Um . . . I don't think that Lysander should know about this," Clayton said to her. "I mean, it would hurt him. So if keeping this a secret would keep him from getting hurt, then I can live with that on my conscious."
Lily nodded. "I think you're right. It would be best. It was a one time accident. A weird moment," she agreed.
Clayton nodded as well. Then he coughed. "Well, um . . . I think we should probably head back down."
Lily sighed. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
*******************
Hours later, it was dark in the common room. The party had ended, and everyone had trailed up to bed. But Lily couldn't sleep. Her mind was still whirling around that kiss. How would her short relationship with Clayton change? How would she react around Lysander now? She had said that she'd be able to keep it from him, but would she really be able to?
"You're still awake?"
Lily didn't turn at the sound of Scorpius's voice. In fact, she didn't even make a sound at all. She just sat on the floor, staring at the empty fireplace. She heard him walk closer, and then could feel him sitting beside her.
"What's wrong, Lil?" Scorpius whispered.
Lily pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head on them. "I'm a terrible person," she mumbled.
"Bullshit," Scorpius retorted.
"Fine, then I'm a terrible girlfriend," she argued.
Scorpius chuckled humorlessly. "Why do you say that?"
She bit her lip. "I kissed Clayton tonight," she admitted.
"You mean that guy you brought to the party?" Scorpius asked. Lily nodded. "Oh. Well, Lily, shit happens. It doesn't make you a terrible girlfriend or person. It was a one time thing."
Lily sighed. "There are times when it's so easy to forget that I have a boyfriend. When it's tempting to . . ."
Scorpius placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. And she knew that he probably didn't mean to create on of those tempting moments . . . but he had. "Lily, have you ever thought that maybe Lysander isn't the one you want to be with?"
Lily sighed again. "Yeah, I have. But I really care about him. Aside from a minor problem, it's great with me and him."
"But you admit that there's a problem," Scorpius pointed out.
Lily blushed. "A small problem."
"What is it?" he asked.
Lily blushed a little more, and was thankful that it was dark. "I don't think you'd want to hear it."
"Lil," he said lowly, "tell me."
She ran a hand through her hair. "The physical side of our relationship is on a downhill," she muttered.
She heard Scorpius cough. "Oh," he muttered.
"Yeah. I mean, not that we've ever been really physical. Nothing more than a couple of kisses. But now . . . I mean we kissed more when we weren't dating. And he always says that it's because I should be treated like a princess. I told him that I didn't want to be treated like a princess. That all of Slytherin House treats me like one. I don't need my boyfriend to treat me like that," Lily ranted. "I mean, I know I'm not a saint. A little kiss won't kill me."
Scorpius chuckled. "So what you're saying is that you want him to manhandle you?"
Lily rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. "Not how I would have worded it, but I guess. I mean, is it wrong for me to feel like that? I don't think I'm the bad guy here," she whispered.
"You're not the bad guy, and neither is he. It's just a difference of opinions. And it's not wrong to feel like that. I mean it's normal for girls your age to have . . . urges," he muttered, clearing his throat afterwards. Lily tried not to laugh at how uncomfortable he sounded.
Lily rested her head on his shoulder. "You make it sound as if I want him to jump me," she teased lightly.
She could feel Scorpius chuckled as well as hear him. "Sorry. Wait, . . . do you want him to?"
Lily smacked his arm. "No! That's not what I meant. Nothing like that is happening for a long time."
Scorpius squeezed her shoulder. "Well, I'll admit that I'm glad to hear that."
Lily tilted her head a little to look him in the eye. "And why is that? What's it matter to you?"
Scorpius cleared his throat, and shifted his position. Lily's head now rested in the crook of his neck, and she could smell a faint aroma that was soothing. It was like a mix of cinnamon, amberwood, rain, leather, and . . . a scent that was something Lily couldn't place. It was an odd combination, and she silently wondered how he managed it. "You're important to me," he told her. "And that's . . . Well it's quiet a choice." She felt a hand stroke the side of her hair. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You're probably my best friend, Lily."
Lily felt a bit of her heart fall, but she wasn't surprised. They would never cross that line, and it was for the better. "You're my best friend too, Scorpius," she whispered.
*********************
"Dear Lily,
I'm so happy to hear that you're willing to do the interview! I told the magazine, and they are just as excited. I don't know exactly who they are sending. We've decided to do the interview on the twentieth of December. If there's a problem with that date, then just let me know. Also, I have another announcement for you, and also a favor. On the twenty-third of December, I am throwing a sort of . . . well it's basically a formal party for fashion designers, models, and magazine and newspaper reporters. I'm hoping that you'll go. You can take the time until we meet on the twentieth to decide. Don't let Scorpius fill your head with thoughts either. I love that boy, but he can be so stubborn. He is too much like his father. Hope your year is going good.
Love,
Astoria"
Lily smiled as she read the letter. She was going to have to go. It seemed so hard to say no to Astoria, who was such a sweet woman. The idea of reporters swarming that party sounded a bit irritating, but she'd deal. And Lily had the distinct feeling that Astoria would be playing dress up with her when it came to Lily's outfit.
"I don't see why we're getting so much homework," Jace muttered as he rushed through his Charms paper.
"Because we have O.W.L.s next year," Lola retorted.
"That's a year away!" Jace complained. "I mean, it's not like I'll remember any of this next year!"
"He's got a point," Lily commented as she placed her letter next to her breakfast plate.
"Some students are able to contain more thoughts in their brain than what's for lunch," Lola mocked.
"Hey! I also think about what's for dinner," Jace joked.
Lily rolled her eyes as she continued to listen to their banter. She stayed out of it and continued to eat her food. But she soon felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head, and was a bit surprised to see Lysander standing behind her. A bit thickly, Lily swallowed her bite. "Hey," she greeted.
"Hey," he muttered. He was looking at the floor, but then he looked at her. "Um, can we talk for a moment? I'll walk you to your first class," he offered.
Lily nodded, and pushed away her plate. "Yeah. That's fine." She picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder, then she looked at the other two. "I'll see you guys in class."
"See you then," Lola replied.
"Yeah, later, Lil," Jace said, his eyes not leaving his paper.
Lily sighed as she looked at Lysander. She almost waited for him to take her hand, but then she just started walking. Lysander followed her, his hands in his pockets. He said nothing as they left the Great Hall. She led the way up the stairs to the Charms corridor, but she got tired of the silence. "What did you want to talk about, Ly?" she asked with a sigh.
He glanced at her, but then he looked away. "I just wanted to apologize for whatever I did to make you angry," he said quietly.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Despite that not meaning much, you're forgiven. I didn't mean to freak out on you," she mumbled.
"It's ok," Lysander assured.
Lily sighed. "I just wish that you would understand that I don't need you to treat me like a princess. I have a lot of people that treat me like one, I don't need my boyfriend to," she told him.
Lysander stopped walking, so Lily did as well. She watched him as he leaned against the wall, his shoulders shrugging in a sigh. "I know . . . but I like treating you like a princess."
"And that's fine, but you don't have to act like I'll break," Lily replied. "I mean, I won't shatter if you kiss me in front of people. I promise."
She watched as Lysander's cheeks turned a little pink. "Ok," he whispered.
Lily smiled a little. "Good. Because this whole 'not kissing my boyfriend' thing is a bit annoying."
Lysander chuckled, leaning his head back. "Yeah, I can agree with that." He sighed. "So, Clayton said he had a good time at that party."
Lily tensed at the mention of Clayton and the party. "Yeah. It was really fun. I'm glad I invited him. I just wish you could have gone."
Lysander smiled as he reached out and took her hand. "I wish so too. But I'm glad he had fun. He rarely gets out and has fun."
"Yeah, I kind of got that impression," Lily joked as she moved to lean against the wall next to him. "But we both had fun. I even got him to dance."
"Yeah, he told me that. He said you danced really well," Lysander told her.
Lily blushed a little. "Really? He said that?"
He nodded. "Yeah. He said you were one of the best there."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I kind of doubt that. But I'm glad he thinks highly of me."
Lysander tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm just glad that my best friend gets along with my girlfriend." Lily tried to not let her thoughts wonder back to that kiss. Yeah, they got along all right.
Lily pushed the thought away from her mind. "What class do you have first?"
"I have Herbology in the greenhouses," he told her.
She sighed. "Well, I should probably let you head down then. I'd hate for you to be late."
Lysander nodded. "Yeah. You sure?"
"Yeah. It's not that far of a walk to my class," she teased.
"If you're sure," Lysander said with a grin. "I'll see you later."
Lily leaned forward and kissed him. She was happy that he kissed back, even if it was a little shy. She pulled away with a smile. "Bye."
********************
Lily sighed as she flipped through an edition of Witch Weekly. It had come out a few weeks ago, showing her winter photo shoot. Astoria had sent her a letter, claiming that there were a dozen magazines showing her on the cover, resulting in a large pay for Lily.
It was the middle of December. The rest of November flew by, and now they were all back on the train, ready to go home for the holidays. Lily was sitting in a compartment with Lola, Jace, and Xavier. They were all a little surprised that Xavier was sitting with them. He'd begun dating another fourth year girl from Hufflepuff, and he'd barely left her side.
"So, I figured Lysander would be here," Xavier mentioned.
Lily glanced at him before looking back at the spread of her in the magazine. "He's in a prefect meeting. He'll be here when it'd over."
"Won't he have to monitor the train?" Lola asked.
Lily shrugged. "No clue. If he does then he'll be here after that. Either way, he'll be here eventually."
"Glad to see that you two are getting along better," Jace told her. Lily glanced at him. Had it been noticeable? Lysander had gotten a bit more relaxed about being affectionate in public since their talk a month ago. Lily would admit that she was quite a bit happier with their development. And she was very happy that the memory of her and Clayton's kiss rarely popped into her thoughts at all anymore.
"Yeah. We sorted it all out," Lily said with a sigh.
"Where's Rex?" Xavier asked.
Lola looked out the window. "Where's Manny?" she snapped.
The other three looked at each other with a bit of surprise at her snappy attitude. "Um, she's with her friends, which is why I'm not sitting with her."
Jace chuckled. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"
Lola glared at him. "Shut it!"
"Woah! Easy tiger," Lily said carefully. Lola turned her head to look back out the window. "Problems?"
"You know, Lily, you've had relationship problems! Is it so bad that I have one?" Lola hissed.
Lily looked at her with a raised brow. "No. That's why I asked. You see, as a friend, I though I might be able to help. But it's up to you whether or not you want me to."
Lola glanced over at her. Then she glared at the two boys. Xavier cleared his throat and stood up. "Hey, Jace, wanna get something from the trolley with me?"
Jace quickly stood up. "No, but I don't want to get my head ripped open. So let's go," he replied. The two boys quickly walked out of the compartment, shutting the door behind them.
Lola sighed as she placed her feet on the seat, pulling them to her chest. "Sorry," she muttered.
"It's fine. What's up?" Lily inquired carefully.
"I don't know. Rex just . . . he's always wanting to spend time with his band. I get that it's his dream to be in a band, but . . . I'd like to at least see him every so often. At least see him without freaking drumsticks in his hands," Lola grumbled.
Lily bit her lip. Then she grinned. "Maybe you should talk to Dominique. She might have a suggestion," she teased.
Lola laughed lightly. "How about I blow off my hand first. That sounds just as painful as talking to Dominique."
Lily smiled. "Good point, good point. But seriously, why don't talk to him about it?"
Lola rested her cheek on her knee. "What would I say? 'I want you to quit your dream because I don't see you enough?' How selfish is that?"
"Well you don't have to say that," Lily replied with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe you two can work out an agreement of sorts."
"I don't know. Maybe," Lola mumbled.
"Well, going by experience, it's worked for me," Lily told her. "But it's up to you if you want to listen to me or not."
The door slid open and Lysander stepped in. But he wasn't alone. Louis had come in with him. Lily smiled at the sight of her boyfriend and cousin, but she looked directly at her cousin when she jumped up and hugged him. "Louis! Merlin, I haven't seen you all year! Hell since last term!"
Louis hugged her back, but Lily noticed that it wasn't tightly, which was something that Weasleys were famous for. Although, none of them compared to their grandmum. He pulled away and gave a half smile. "Sorry. I've been a bit preoccupied," he told her. Lily took in his appearance. His hair was getting longer, very shaggy in appearance, and not as silvery. His eyes weren't as bright as usual, almost a dull blue. And his smile wasn't a real smile. Not the ones that Lily was used to seeing from him.
Lily smiled anyways. "Well, come on. You're going to get something from the trolley with me."
"Wow, as soon as I get here, my girlfriend ditches me," Lysander joked.
Lily turned toward him. She giggled. "It'll give Lola time to interrogate you."
Lola laughed. "I'll go easy on you, I promise," she teased.
Lysander bowed his head. "Why thank you, Miss."
Lily laughed. She reached up to kiss him quickly. "We'll be back in a few minutes. Promise." She took Louis's hand and began to pull him out of the compartment. But she went the opposite way of the trolley, and began to pull him in the direction of the bathrooms.
"You know, I may be gay, but that doesn't mean they let me in the girls' bathroom," Louis joked quietly.
Lily stilled pulled him into the girls' bathroom, and locked the door. She turned and looked at him. "All right. What's up?"
Louis sighed as he leaned back against the door. "Paul won't talk to me anymore."
"What happened?" Lily asked.
Louis ran a hand through his messy hair. "Well, he said that something was up with me, and he blamed it on me having a crush on someone. I tried to get him to drop it, but he wouldn't. He told me that I should just act on instinct, and I just . . . kissed him," he whispered.
Lily looked at him in surprise. "You kissed Paul?"
He nodded, his head low. "Yeah. He looked all freaked out and just walked away. He didn't tell anyone, but he won't even look at me now."
"Oh, Louis," Lily whispered. "When did it happen?"
He blew out a breath. "Oh back in May."
"I'm sorry, Louis," she told him.
Louis scoffed. "I'm not upset that he rejected me. I'm upset that I just messed up my friendship with Paul. I mean, he was still my best friend." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have kissed him."
"You can't change what happened. But maybe you should just give him a bit of time. Let him breathe, and then approach him with a white flag and say that you just want to be friends," Lily suggested.
Louis looked at her with a bit of fear evident in his eyes. "But what if it's not because I kissed him? What if it's because he can't accept who I am?"
Lily licked her lips. "Well, . . . then all you can try to do is to convince him that you haven't changed."
******************
Lily listened as her shoes clicked against the tiled floor of St. Mungo's Hospital. She walked along the hall of the second floor, looking for Duncan's door. Her hands were full with pictures, and a thing of Spello-Tape was poking her in her jean pocket. She was bringing all those pictures to him finally, and she was excited to see his face when she gave him his gift. She'd worked hard on the pictures. She'd gotten Lysander to take pictures of Ravenclaw Tower, and he'd passed it to a friend from Gryffindor and a friend from Hufflepuff, both who took pictures of their own common rooms. She had pictures of Hogsmeade and of the Shrieking Shack. She'd gotten every corner of Hogwarts in these pictures.
Lily knocked on the door to Duncan's room before opening it and stepping inside. Duncan was sitting on his bed, looking over at the door. He smiled when she stepped in. "Lily! You came!"
Lily smiled as she walked in. "Of course! How could I not? I mean, I had to give you your Christmas gift in person," she told him.
Duncan's eyes lit up, looking at her hands. "You really got something for me?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah. I got you a bunch of new windows, and a bunch of new friends," she told him. She held out the pictures.
Duncan took them, and gasped as he caught sight of the first picture. "Is . . ., is this Hogwarts?"
Lily nodded. "Yep. There isn't a place that wasn't captured by the camera," Lily told him. And most of them have people in them, people who loved the idea of smiling and waving to you each morning and night. I hope you like them.
Duncan looked as if there were tears in his eyes, but he didn't cry. "Will you put them up?" he whispered.
Lily took the pictures. "Of course. And I'll introduce you to all the people." So Lily spent the next couple of hours placing the hundreds of pictures on the walls around the room, telling him about the different places and the people in them. And lastly, Lily had put one picture in a frame. It was a picture that one of the older students had snapped of her and her friends in the common room. Lily was sitting on the couch between Scorpius and Shannon. Scorpius had his arm thrown around her shoulders, and Shannon had placed her feet across Lily's legs. Rex was sitting in one of the armchairs with Lola on his lap, and Jace and Christian had squeezed into the other chair. Lana was sitting on the floor, and Dante was laying with his head in her lap. Megan and Izzy were laying along the floor, both looking at a magazine. Lars was leaning against the chair Rex sat in. Mitch and Justin were sitting on the arms of the couch, both with guitars in their laps. Mitch was strumming his. They were all smiling or laughing in the picture. It made Lily smile to look at it. She placed it on the table by Duncan's bed.
"I like this one," he said, looking at the picture. "I like all of them. This is the best gift ever, Lily. Thank you."
Lily smiled at him as she sat in the chair. His room was much more lively. There were people everywhere, smiling and waving, laughing and talking silent words. And the pictures of Hogwarts really gave the room a more relaxed atmosphere. "It's no problem, Duncan. I remembered you said that you were lonely. And I know that they can't talk, but I thought that maybe these pictures would give you some comfort," she told him.
Duncan smiled at her. "They do. Even if they can't talk, it's like having a hundred friends sitting here with me." Suddenly his eyes got wide. "Oh! I almost forgot the present I got for you!"
Lily laughed lightly. "You really didn't have to, Duncan."
He shook his head. "No, I wanted to. Open that drawer. It's in there," he insisted.
Lily looked over at the table and opened the drawer. She gasped when she looked inside. A tiny, palm-sized dragon was quietly sleeping inside. A bit of smoke emitted from his nose when he breathed out. He was black, and his wingspan looked to be an average size. He was . . . he was adorable.
"Duncan, how did you get this?" Lily asked.
He smiled. "My grandpa used to be a dragon keeper, and he still has a lot of friends that still are. This dragon won't get any bigger obviously. And he's harmless," Duncan assured. "I just remembered that you said your uncle was a dragon keeper, and that you kind of liked dragons because of it. I thought you might like one that you could keep."
Lily smiled as she gently picked the little dragon up and kept him in her palm. He snorted once in his sleep, but he didn't awake. "I love it Duncan," she told him with a smile. "What's his name?"
Duncan shrugged. "I don't know. He doesn't have one yet."
"Well, I'm terrible with names. Mind giving him one for me?" Lily asked.
Duncan smiled. "Sure! Um . . . ," His face contorted cutely as he thought. Then his eyes lit up. "How about Salazar?"
Lily smiled. Duncan really had been reading the book on Hogwarts she'd gotten him. And he even remembered her House. "I think that it's perfect."
************************
"So, why the hell did you choose to go shopping with us two?" Dominique demanded of Victoire. Before Lily had left St. Mungo's a few days ago, Victoire had caught her in the hall, and had asked her to go Christmas shopping with her and Dominique. Lily had agreed, seeing no reason not to.
"Because who better to go with than my sister and my husband's 'sister'?" Victoire replied.
"She's more your cousin," Dominique muttered.
Victoire rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to go if you had plans."
Dominique just shook her head. "No, it's ok. I just don't see the planning for you combination."
"Don't bitch, Dom," Lily retorted.
"Bite me, Lil," Dominique replied back.
"Girls," Victoire said with another roll of her eyes. "Are there any gifts you need to get?"
"I guess I still have to get one for Mitch." As Dominique said Mitch's name, Lily noticed that her usual sarcasm left her voice, and was replaced with genuine happiness. What happened to them just fooling around? Had Dominique really become serious with someone?
"What do you want to get him?" Victoire asked.
Dominique shrugged. "No clue. But I do want to go inside and get something warm to drink," she muttered.
"I agree," Lily said. "It's freezing. Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron."
So the three girls walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. It was warm when they stepped in, so they slid off their coats, and took a seat at the counter.
"Hey, girls," Hannah greeted with a smile. "What can I get you?"
"Three butterbeers," Victoire told her.
"Comin' up," Hannah told her.
"Hey, I got table three's order," the cook said from the kitchen's window.
Hannah looked at the cook, to the girls, and then to the table. "Ok. Damn we're busy," she muttered.
"I'll take it to them," Lily offered.
Hannah glanced at her. "You don't have to do that," she said as she picked up the tray.
But Lily leaned forward and took it from her. "It's no trouble. Besides, I'd rather have you getting our drinks," Lily joked. She got off her seat and walked over to table three. After coming here so many times with her family and her friends, she had most of the table's numbers memorized. She walked over to a table with five middle-aged men, and smiled. She put their food down on the table. "I have fries, two burgers, and four butterbeers. Is that all?"
One of the men smiled kindly at her. "No, that's all, young lady. Thank you. Here." He held out his hand, and placed four Sickles in her hand. "A way of thanks," he told her.
Lily looked at him in surprise. "Oh, thank you." She walked back over to the counter and handed Hannah the tray. "Um, here," she held out the money.
Hannah smiled at her. "No, you keep it. It's your tip," she told her.
Lily gave an unsure look, but she placed the money in her pocket. "Well, thanks, I guess." She grabbed her butterbeer and took a drink.
"You know, Lily, I could use a waitress during the summer weekdays. How about it? Want a job?" Hannah asked.
Lily looked at her in surprise. "You want to give me a job?"
Hannah laughed. "Yes, I'm offering you a job. I know you model now, but it's not like you're taking pictures every day. So how about it?"
Lily bit her lips. She still had lessons with Slughorn. Then again, she could always move those to the weekends. He was always telling her that he was running out of things to teach her, so she could always cut down on the amount of lessons. "Well, I guess I could do that. Sure!"
Hannah smiled. "I'm glad. It gets pretty crowded here during the summer."
"Sounds like a blast," Lily joked.
Later, the girls were walking around a store, which was filled with clothes, makeup, and any other girlie thing that Lily could imagine. Only Dominique would drag her here.
"So, Lily, what do you want for Christmas?" Victoire asked as she searched through a rack of clothes.
Lily shrugged. "I don't really know. Anything I guess. One requirement. If you buy me clothes, keep it in my style," Lily told her.
"That's what Teddy suggested, but I think we could get something more original than clothes," Victoire replied.
Lily laughed. "Well what do you want for Christmas?" she asked.
"You don't have to get me anything, Lily," Victoire assured.
"I want to," Lily told her. "I mean, I have a ton of money from modeling, and there's not much I can really do with it. Besides, I'd rather buy you a gift myself than to just stick my name on whatever my parents get you."
"Who have you gotten gifts for?" Victoire asked.
"For most of my friends, grandmum and grandpa, most of our uncles and aunts," Lily listed. "And I got Teddy's."
"Who do you have left to shop for?" Victoire inquired.
"You, Dominique, Lysander, Henry, and Scorpius," Lily told her.
Victoire laughed. "You don't have to get Henry anything."
"I am so getting my godson a gift," Lily argued with a smile.
"I just can't believe that this is our first Christmas with him," Victoire said with an elated smile.
"I can't believe how big he's gotten. I mean, he's standing on his own now," Lily said with a sigh.
"He'll be walking soon," Victoire said with excitement. "I can't wait!"
"I wish I could come see him before Christmas. I'm just so busy this whole break," Lily said with bit of a groan. "I have an interview tomorrow, and then a photo shoot. Then Astoria is picking out what I'm wearing at her party which is three days later."
Victoire laughed lightly. "Merlin, you are busy. How do you manage it all?"
Lily shrugged. "One day at a time."