When Lily woke up on the morning of the sixth, she laid in her bed unmoving. She was fifteen today. She was having two parties. She had talked to her grandmum about having a party with her friends, and she had surprisingly relented, as long as Lily spent the morning and afternoon at the Burrow. So Scorpius had the party at six. And her parents, mostly her mother, had been accepting of this party. Lily had to assure them over and over again that Astoria and Draco would be there. Her only requirement was to be back at the Burrow by midnight.
A knock sounded at her door, making Lily turn her head, but still not get up. "Who is it?" she called lazily.
"It's me!"
Lily scowled with confusion at the voice. That was Dominique! She finally swung her legs off the bed and sat up with a small stretch. She walked over and unlocked her bedroom door. Dominique was standing there, hands on her hips, her vivid hair whirling around her shoulders and back.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Lily demanded, manners being the last thing in her tired and confused mind.
Dominique brushed past her and walked into the room. "So, what's this I hear about a party at Malfoy's tonight?" she asked, disregarding Lily's question.
Lily shut her door, locking it again. "It's a birthday party for me. Why?"
Dominique shrugged. "Curious. Mitch wants me to come, but I'm not sure I want to."
"Then don't," Lily muttered. She moved to open her closet. "So, what do you want? I know you didn't come over here just to ask about a party at Scorpius's house. You don't even really like him."
"I don't hate or dislike Malfoy. I'm impartial," Dominique countered.
"Quit avoiding the question," Lily told her as she pulled out a laced and frilled black skirt. She began to look for a shirt to wear to the party. She was going to stick it in her bag. No way was she wearing a party outfit to her family birthday party.
"I was bored," Dominique replied.
"Wrong answer," Lily retorted, sensing the lie. She chose a thin green and black shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows.
"Do you have to be so nosy?" Dominique hissed.
"My room, so I'm allowed," Lily said, not missing a sarcastic beat. She took the clothes over to her overnight bag. Lately, she hated having to stay night at the Burrow for every birthday. She used to love it . . . but things change.
She heard Dominique give a loud sigh, and then watched as Dominique fell back onto her bed. "My parents are getting on my nerves, and Louis is no help. Mitch is busy with Malfoy, so I have no other place to hide but here," she answered.
"What about Victoire?" Lily asked.
"Theodore," Dominique said, as if stated everything. Which, it did. Dominique wasn't fond of little kids. They were too messy for her. "And everyone else in this family is unbearable."
"When are you going to France?" Lily asked, thinking of family that Dominique liked. Dominique went to France every summer, even if her siblings didn't. She seemed to like the Delacour side of her family more than the Weasley, which she probably did.
"Change of plans. They're coming here next week instead," Dominique grumbled.
Lily almost laughed. "That sucks."
"Tell me about it. There goes getting away from annoying cousins!"
"Don't you have French cousins?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, but Belle and Nero aren't annoying. They're quiet and easy to put up with," Dominique replied. Lily thought about it. She had met Dominique's cousins once, but she didn't remember much of them. They hadn't spoken very much English. But then again, they were, what, six?
"Are they coming too?" Lily asked.
"No idea," Dominique sighed. She rolled onto her stomach as Lily began to find an outfit to wear to the Burrow. "How is it here without James?"
"Perfect!" Lily said, almost squealing with delight. James had moved out a few days ago, leaving only a bed and a few other pieces of furniture in his old room. Lily had loved it, and was the only one not upset when he left completely. She had gone to work with a smile and a great attitude. The house was much quieter, and even Albus was easier to handle. He didn't seem to start as much trouble with her without James around to back him up.
"I can imagine. I can't wait until I get to move out," Dominique muttered.
"Why don't you?" Lily asked. "You're seventeen, and you've got a job."
"My parents would lock me in my room for the thought," she brooded. "I give Malfoy credit for running while he could. I envy him for that."
Lily rolled her eyes. "He didn't run. He just wanted a bit of independence."
"Do your parents know that your boyfriend lives along?" Dominique asked.
"Nope, and they don't need to. They would never let me go out alone with him," Lily told her.
"Do you go over there?" Dominique asked with a girlish grin.
Lily tried not to smile. "Yeah, we do. But don't even start to make jokes. We don't do what you're thinking."
"What, do you play chess?" Dominique mocked.
Lily tried not to glare. Fifteen and she still hated that game. "No. We hang out. I'm not saying we don't snog at all when we're there, but not in the way you want to imply," she explained. After pulling out a modest white sundress, Lily looked at Dominique. "So, have you and Mitch?"
Dominique raised a brow. "Have we what?"
Lily rolled her eyes. She was such a bitch. "Have you two had sex yet?" Lily moved to her dresser.
"No shit," Dominique muttered. But then she lost the sarcasm. "We sealed that deal sometime after Christmas our sixth year." When Lily looked back at her, she was amused. "Just to clear this up, we aren't entering some girl talk, are we?"
Lily laughed as she pulled out a bra and underwear. "If you want to, we can."
"Well, I don't talk to anyone else in the family about it," Dominique sighed. "You can keep your mouth shut?"
"Do I talk to anyone in the family really?" Lily muttered as she grabbed a pair of white sandals.
"Good point. So, how far have you and Malfoy gone?" Dominique asked, firing off the first question.
Lily sighed as she stepped around Dominique, behind her back, and began to get dressed for the day. "Not too far, I guess," Lily told her.
"He hasn't felt you up yet?" she laughed.
Lily grinned. "Well, a couple times by accident. We haven't been dating for that long."
"You gunna give it up to him eventually?" Dominique inquired.
Lily felt her heart and stomach flutter. While the idea of being with Scorpius had always been crossing her head, sex with Scorpius was something that hadn't came to her yet. Not because she was young or anything, though that was a factor, but because she couldn't exactly say that she loved Scorpius. He still wasn't fitting one requirement for her.
"I couldn't tell you," Lily sighed.
Dominique nodded. "Yeah, that's understandable. You're only just fifteen."
Lily walked back around once she had finished dressing. "Well, it's not just that. There's more to it." She looked at her cousin. "When was your first time?"
Dominique sat up. "It was actually just before Mitch and I go together. It was with Brandon Summerby. We'd gone on a lot of dates before, but we never officially went out. Kind of a benefit thing," she explained.
"How romantic," Lily teased.
"Luckily I don't give a shit about romance," she sighed.
"Lily! Dominique! We're going to be leaving soon!" Ginny called up.
Lily groaned as she grabbed her bag. "Ready?"
"I'd rather blow up, but let's go anyways," Dominique quipped.
"I just can't believe that you're fifteen!" Grandma Molly squealed as the family all ate lunch. Lily was sitting by her, with Hugo by her side, and Dominique across from her, Louis next to his sister. Lily had been given a big piece of cake before the others at the table. She'd already opened gifts, and had thanked everyone for each gift.
It was a tense event for Lily though. Luna and her family had shown up, Lysander included. He wouldn't even look at her. So Lily had spent most of the day with Hugo and Louis.
"So, what time are you leaving to Scorpius's house?" Arthur asked her.
"About six," Lily told him.
"I'm so happy we get to meet him finally!" Molly said happily.
Lily tried not to roll her eyes. "You're lucky you get to leave," Hugo sighed. "While I am stuck here the whole night. Wasting my youth," he joked.
Lily laughed. "Why don't you come with us?" she asked.
Hugo looked at her with interest. "Really? Scorpius wouldn't mind?"
She shook her head. "No way! He likes you, and it's my birthday, so if I invite you, you're a guest of honor," she assured with a laugh.
Hugo looked to his parents. "Can I go?"
Ron was scowling, but Hermione only looked hesitant. "Well, what time will you be back?" Hermione asked.
"She's to be home at midnight," Ginny told her.
"Not outside, not just getting here. Inside the house at midnight," Harry assured. Lily took a bite of her cake to keep her mouth quiet.
"And it's at Malfoy Manor?" Hermione questioned.
"Yes. And both of his parents will be there, along with a few others I think Lily said?" Ginny asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Lana's parents will be there, Mitch's dad, Will's dad, and the Zabini's," she listed the amount of adults. She'd met them all before, and liked them well enough.
"I don't know," Ron muttered.
"Oh come on, Dad!" Hugo pleaded. "Please? They're cool people!"
"And I can promise that we won't break curfew," Lily told them. "I think Scorpius is planning to bring me back at some time after eleven, just to be sure."
Hermione sighed. "Well, I don't see a problem with it. It's supervised, we know where it's at, and they got a curfew. You can go."
"Yes!" Hugo said with a fist pump.
Later, after lunch and cake, Lily found herself playing chess with Hugo. She was still curious as to how he talked her into playing. He was slaughtering her already, and she'd only made two moves.
The other members in the family were around them, all talking about different subjects. The cousins had probably been forced to sit downstairs with them.
A tiny hand grabbed the shoulder of her sleeve. Lily turned her head to see Theo gripping her, a big smile on his face, showing two cute little dimples. His hair was red, and his eyes pink. A giggle, which sounded more like a squeal, left his lips. Lily smiled and picked him up, and set him in her lap. When he began to reach for one of the chess pieces, Hugo quickly handed him one of his discarded toys. Theo immediately began to play with it.
"Such a cutie!" Lily said as she kissed the side of his forehead.
"Your move, Lily," Hugo said as he made a funny face at Theo.
Luckily, Lily didn't have to make that move, because everyone became distracted at the sound of knocking on the door.
"Who could that be?" Grandma Molly murmured. She stepped over to the door, and pulled it opened. Lily was shocked to see Lana and Lola standing in the doorway.
Lily moved Theo off her lap and stood up. "What are you two doing here?"
The two girls smiled as Molly let them inside. "Happy birthday!" they squealed, both enveloping her into a hug.
Lana looked at her with a grin as she pulled from the hug. "We thought we'd come over and help you get ready for your party."
"We didn't intrude on anything, did we?" Lola asked hesitantly.
Lily shook her head. "No, it's fine. Come on." She took Lola's wrist, expecting Lana to follow. She glanced at Hugo. Come on, Hugh. You're coming with."
Hugo looked surprised at the invitation, but he still stood up and followed them up the stairs. Lana looked at Lily with questions, but Lily grinned. "Hugo's coming to the party. I didn't want to condemn him to a night alone with the family."
"You're so kind," Lana laughed.
Lily brought them into her mum's old room, where she had placed her overnight bag earlier. She looked at the girls, and finally noticed that they had small bags of their own. "Am I to suspect that you have something important in those bags?" she asked.
Lola grinned. "Our clothes, as well as a few other things."
Lily looked at Hugo. "Go and get your bag while we change, ok?"
Hugo nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He left, closing the door behind him.
"Your cousin's kinda cute," Lola commented as she pulled her clothes out of her bag.
Lily rolled her eyes. "I guess." She began to undress, as did the other two girls.
"So, I have a bit of news," Lana said as she began to pull on a pair of tight jeans.
"What's up?" Lily asked as she pulled on her skirt.
"Dante and I are breaking up after tonight," Lana told them casually.
Both girls gasped. "No!" Lola said with sadness.
Lana nodded. "Yeah, we are. It's mutual though."
"What for?" Lily asked. Those two had been going out for about two years now, and everyone had expected them to last.
"Well he graduated last year, and we'll be separated for a long time. We just think that it'll be best this way. This way, neither of us will be tied down to someone we can't be with," Lana explained.
"But don't you love each other?" Lola questioned.
"We do. That's why we agreed that we would get back together after I graduated, permitting that neither of us was attached to someone else," Lana told them.
"Is this what you want?" Lily asked.
She heard Lana sigh. "I really do love him. But I do think that it would be best if we split. It won't complicate things. I guess I have enough faith to believe that everything will work out."
Lily nodded as she pulled on her top. "If you're sure."
"I am," Lana assured.
There was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" Hugo called.
Lily looked at the other girls to see that they too were dressed. "Yeah, come in, Hugo!"
Hugo came in hesitantly, but after seeing that they were decent, he stepped in fully and closed the door. He dropped his bag onto the floor. "Well, my other set of clothes doesn't really look fit for a party like yours," he admitted.
"Let's see 'em," Lana told him.
He dug through his bag, pulling out a set of clothes. The girls took them and placed them out on the bed. It was a pair of denim shorts, and a maroon colored shirt. "They aren't bad," Lola muttered as she began to bite her lip.
"But we could so make them better," Lana replied.
Lily gave him the clothes back. "Go put them on," she told him.
Once Hugo left the room, Lana looked at Lily. "So, I get the feeling that Hugo has been sheltered?"
Lily nodded. "That's my guess. His dad is really . . . well, while he accepts Slytherins now, it's only because of me. His daughter will be a virgin until she dies, and Hugo has been raised to be a 'man' while at the same time not being rebellious. Like me," she told them.
"Do we need to change that?" Lola asked as she pulled out a bit of makeup from her bag.
"I think he wants to," Lily admitted.
Hugo walked back, wearing the clothes. He didn't look bad for a family occasion. But for a party with Slytherins, he would stick out.
"Oh, wow," Lola mumbled.
"The shorts have got to change," Lily said off the bat.
Lana pulled out her wand, and pointed it at the shorts. With a whispered spell, the legs of the shorts began to grow. When they looked like a normal pair of jeans, she stopped. "The shirt's fine," she said, "but the color doesn't fit you."
"We need something that doesn't clash with your hair," Lola commented.
"Like . . . blue!" Lily suggested.
With a flick of Lana's wand, the shirt turned a deep shade of blue. It surprisingly matched him very well. "That looks really good," Lola complimented.
Hugo looked down on his clothes. "I like it," he told them. Then he tugged at his sleeves. "But, can you make these a little longer? I'm a big fan of short sleeves."
"No problem," Lana told him, and easily made the sleeves longer. She stopped at a little past his elbows. "That good?"
"Perfect!" Hugo said with a grin.
Lola grabbed his wrist and sat him on the bed. "Ok, now we just gotta fix your hair. The whole 'I don't use a brush' look isn't good."
Lily tried not to laugh at her cousin's surprised look. She moved to the vanity mirror and began to apply a bit of makeup, and pick out her accessories. She already had her pendant and Slytherin ring, and she adding a better pair of earrings. Lana was next to her, fixing her makeup and hair. Lily planned to lightly curl her hair again.
"Done!" Lola squealed after a while. Lily turned to see Hugo's curls smoothed down with layers. It was a nice look for him.
"You, sometimes, we should dye some of those layers you just did," Lana commented.
"I can't believe you let her cut your hair," Lily commented as she looked at the hair on the bed. Lana vanished it away.
"Why fight it?" Hugo asked with a chuckle.
"Are we all ready now?" Lola asked as she got up from the bed.
"Lily! Scorpius is here!" Grandma Molly yelled.
"And there's your answer," Lily replied. She slipped on her shoes, and the four left the room, and descended the stairs. When she was in the sight of her family, she could feel the unapproving stares being thrown at her. But she ignored them, keeping her eyes on the proud figure in front of her.
Scorpius stood by the door, Mitch surprisingly by his side. He seemed like an imposing force in the crowded room. He was obviously one of the bigger men in the room. Perhaps her uncle Charlie would be a good comparison, but he was in Romania. His hair had obviously been cut so that it now longer covered his eyes. And Lily guessed that Astoria had made him shave completely, for his cheeks and chin looked as smooth and clean as ever. He wore grey jeans and a black sweater that contrasted greatly with his light hair.
"What are you doing here, Mitch?" Lana demanded with curiosity.
"Well, I came to see if Dom was coming to the party or not," Mitch answered.
"And?" Lily asked.
"Not worth it," Dominique sighed. "I'd rather stay here."
"I already told her how offended I was," Mitch joked.
"Are you all ready?" Scorpius asked, his voice a deeper rumble compared to Mitch's.
"Hugo's coming with us," Lily told him.
"Great to have you aboard, Hugh," Scorpius said with a smirk. "Mitch, you wanna take him?"
"No problem," Mitch sighed.
"Be home by midnight," Ginny warned with a bit of a smile.
"Of course, Mum," Lily said as she kissed her cheek. Then she moved to her father. "Bye, Dad."
"Put on a jacket," Harry muttered. Lily knew that it wasn't because of the weather that he suggested it.
"Don't worry. I'll have them both back before curfew," Scorpius assured.
"I want her in the house at midnight," Harry told him with a bit of a glare. Lily glared at him.
But Scorpius wasn't fazed. "Of course, Mr. Potter."
Lily grabbed his arm and began to tug him outside. "Come on," she mumbled. Once they were all out of the house, Hugo closed the door.
Scorpius was still smirking. "Just to warn you, my mum gave you a more lavish party than she ever did for me."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fantastic," she sighed.
Scorpius wrapped his arms around her and kissed her once before she felt them Apparating. With a 'POP', their feet landed just outside the door of Malfoy Manor. Soon, three more 'POP's sounded, and the others were surrounding them. It was the first time Lily had ever gone to the Malfoys' home through the front door. From the outside, the place was huge, and the door was large. But Lily was sure that it didn't really show how big it was.
"Time to party!" Mitch cheered with a laugh.
Scorpius rolled his eyes, and Lily giggled. But Scorpius opened the door and let everyone into the hall. "The party's in the ballroom. My mum had it decked out for the occasion."
"Meet ya down there!" Mitch laughed as he practically pranced up the hall. Lana and Lola followed, taking Hugo with. It just left Scorpius and Lily in the hall.
Scorpius smirked down at her. "Just so you know, I cut it down as much as I could, but the party is still pretty big."
"How many people?" Lily asked.
"Eh, about eighty-seven or so," Scorpius sighed.
Lily groaned. "Does you mum understand the phrase 'just me and friends'?"
"Well in her defense, they're all Slytherins. And I think you'll be surprised by some of the people here," Scorpius insisted as he wrapped an arm around her. He led her down the hall toward the ballroom.
"But it's just people I know?" Lily asked.
"Not a single stranger," Scorpius promised.
When they entered the room, and Lily saw the amount of people, she almost dropped her jaw. But luckily, she was able to keep her mouth shut, and smile when Astoria ran up to hug her.
"Happy birthday!" Astoria squealed.
Lily pulled away from the hug. "Thank you, Astoria. And thank you for the party. It's great."
Draco smirked down at her. "Happy birthday, Lily," he said, giving her a small and short hug.
"Thank you, Draco," Lily said with a smile.
"Lily Luna!" a booming voice practically yelled.
Lily jumped, and was shocked to see Raven Bole coming toward her. He was bigger than Lily had last seen him, and his black hair was longer than it used to be. There were a couple of scars on his bare arms, but he still looked handsome.
"Raven!" Lily hugged him once he got closer. She was so tiny compared to him.
He pulled away. "Man, look at you! You gotten taller, and you look like a woman!" he joked.
Lily laughed. "Same to you!" she joked.
"Ooh. Ouch," Raven laughed. "So I hear that you are dating our own Slytherin prince." He clapped Scorpius on the shoulder. "I'm surprised that he got bigger than me."
Scorpius smirked. "Yeah, what happened? Aren't you four years older than me?"
"You make me sound old!" Raven laughed.
"So, how have you been?" Lily asked.
He shrugged. "Pretty good. Stacy and I got married a little over a year ago."
"Really? That's great!" Lily replied.
"Yeah. We figured it was about time," Raven told her.
"Hey, Lil?"
Lily turned to see Hugo walking toward her, looking a little tense. "Hugo! Come here!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him over. "Hugo, this is Raven Bole. Raven, this is my cousin Hugo."
Raven looked amused. "A Gryffindor at a Slytherin party. Never seen that before," he laughed. But he held out his hand. "Good to meet ya, Hugo."
Hugo shook his hand. "You too, man."
"So, enjoying yourself?" Scorpius asked Hugo.
He gave a small shrug. "I'm getting a few looks, but otherwise it's pretty cool."
"Well, we've never seen a Gryffindor at our parties. They'll get used to it," Scorpius assured. He took Lily's wrist. "Come on, dance with me."
Lily patted Hugo's arm with her other hand as she pulled past him. "Just relax," she suggested. And when we she and Scorpius were near the middle of the room, Lily stopped by Lola. "Hey, Lola?"
Lola turned away from Shannon to look at her. "What?"
Lily nodded toward Hugo. "Get Hugo to dance, will ya? Get him to loosen up a little?"
Lola looked over at him, and then grinned at her. "No problem. I'm on it."
Scorpius smirked as he pulled Lily out to the dance floor. "You're sneaky, you know that?"
Lily laughed as he pulled her against him. "Of course. What kind of Slytherin would I be if I wasn't?"
In the middle of the song, Lily noticed that Lola had recruited Shannon, leaving Hugo to dance with both girls. His surprised face made Lily laugh, but she noticed that he was slowly starting to relax.
Lily was greeted by many friends, some that had already graduated, such as Aaron Goyle and Adrian Flint. She finally got to talk with Stacy West, or actually, Stacy Bole now. Some had brought presents, which Lily was forced to open with a camera pointed at her by Astoria. But Lily found herself dancing a lot with many different friends, although mostly with Scorpius.
"Hey, Lily!"
Lily turned her head while standing and talking with Megan when suddenly something glowing was shot at her. It splattered against both girls, some of it on their skin, hair, or clothes. It didn't hurt, but it glowed bright. Mitch and Lars were standing there, laughing.
"Got 'em!" They gave each other a high-five.
"What is this?" Megan demanded.
"Watch," Mitch told her. Then he yelled. "Shut off the lights!"
The room dimmed majorly, but everyone was glowing brightly with splotches of the glowing liquid on them, which had already dried. "It's from your uncle," Lars told Lily. "We thought it would be fun!"
"It's awesome!" Lily giggled.
Mitch cupped his hands around his mouth. "Mosh pit!" he screamed, prompting everyone to run to the dance floor.
Lily laughed as she stayed behind. She walked over to where she saw Lana standing with Lola around a stool. And on that stool sat Hugo.
"What are you guys doing?" Lily asked.
Lana held up a pin and a stud. "We're piercing Hugo's ear."
Lily looked surprised. "Really? You want to do this?"
Hugo nodded, although he looked a little shaky. "Yeah, I wanna do it."
"I've numbed his ear," Lana whispered to her.
"I'm thinking about streaking my hair too," Hugo admitted. "But I should probably wait until we go to school. Then my dad can't argue."
Lily grinned. "Not bad, Hugo. What color?"
"I think black would be good," Lana told him.
Hugo shrugged. "Then we can do black."
Lola practically squealed. "I love your cousin, Lily! He's like a big doll!"
Lily laughed, but covered it up by taking a drink from the cup in her hand. "Yeah. It runs in the family."
"Ready?" Lana asked, bringing the pin close to his ear.
"One minute. Lil, give me that," Hugo said, pointing to her drink. Lily gave it to him, and he took a big swig from her cup, and handed it back. "Ok, now go!"
Lily felt her own body twitch when she saw the pin pierce Hugo's ear, but he didn't wince at all. In fact, he looked expectant. Lana's face was serious as she worked, getting the small bit of bleeding to quit. When she led out her hand, Lola handed her the stud, which Lana promptly put in. Then she stepped back.
"You're all done, Hugo!" she told him.
Hugo felt the stud in his earlobe. "Really? Wow, that didn't even hurt." He looked at Lily with a grin. "Maybe some time we could put a couple of hoops in like Lily, huh?"
Lana smiled. "Sure. At school?"
"Sounds like a plan," Hugo agreed.
"You know," Lily commented as she looked at Hugo's ear, "I didn't know that you knew how to pierce an ear."
"Well, I learned how not too long ago. But that's all I can pierce. I can't to eyebrows, or bellybuttons or anything like that. I could probably do a lip, but I'm not sure," Lana admitted.
"You should be a beautician," Lily told her. "The way you get into hair and all this other stuff. You'd be good at it."
Lana bit her lip. "Actually, I've thought about working with Mrs. Malfoy after school. But I haven't talk to her about it yet."
"You should," Lily insisted. "I'm sure she'd love to have you aboard."
"And you're really good at it," Lola added. "I mean, look at how well Lily's hair turned out."
"And Astoria loved it," Lily said.
Lana blew out a sigh. "I don't know. Maybe I'll talk to her sometime this week. I'm a bit preoccupied tonight." She looked out past the girls, and when they followed her gaze, they saw Dante sitting with Will Nott and Wade Macnair.
Lily rubbed her shoulder. "Take your time."
Lola nodded, then she grabbed Hugo's wrist. "Come, we're gunna dance again."
Hugo laughed as he got off the stool. "Ain't your boyfriend gonna get mad?"
Lola giggled as they began to walk to the dance floor. "I don't have one."
Lily couldn't hear Hugo's response, but she shook her head. Lana looked ready to laugh. "Looks like someone has a crush."
Lily let out a laugh of her own. "Well, I'd rather he date her than that cow Wilde."
"Can't blame you. Who'd want that brought into the family?" Lana muttered. She was staring ahead at Dante again.
"Why don't you go dance with him?" Lily suggested.
"He's talking with his friends," she replied.
"Yeah, but they can see him any time. You're going back to school soon, and breaking up after tonight. You deserve this time with him more than they do," Lily replied.
Lana sighed again as she looked over at him. "I guess you're right." She put the pin into her pocket. "I'll see ya around."
Lily nodded as she took a drink and watched Lana walked toward the group of boys. In a way, she felt sorry for Lana. She could only imagine how hard it was for her to keep a straight face. But part of it scared her. Soon, she and Scorpius could be in that situation. Lily shook her head at the thought. Too soon, too soon.
"Having fun, Lily?"
Lily turned to see Draco coming to stand next to her. "Of course, how could I not get someone throws some glowing liquid at me?" she joked.
Draco chuckled. "Yes, as you can see, I got caught as well." It was true. The front of his clothes was spotted with big patches of glowing spots.
Lily laughed lightly. "So, are you having fun?"
"Well, it's nice to see you kids all having fun. Does make me feel a little younger," Draco replied. He looked at her, his face no longer amused. More hesitant. "I've got a present for you."
Lily looked at him with a bit of surprise. "Um, your wife already gave me new Wood model broom. It's a really great gift."
Draco nodded once. "I know, but that was from her. I have my own gift to give you. And I'm proud to say that I didn't need Scorpius's help with picking it out."
Lily felt a bit abashed. "You didn't have to," she told him.
"I wanted to. But you'll have to leave the party for a couple moments. I can't move it, and it's upstairs," he told her.
This had Lily both confused and curious. So she nodded. "Ok. Let's go."
Draco led her out of the ballroom, and then up the large staircase. On the second floor, he brought her to a door on the far left, then stopped. "Ok, first, I want to give you this." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Hold out your hand."
Lily did as he said, and held her hand out, palm up. Then he placed something on it. It was cool, with a small jagged edge, but his fist obscured her view. He looked as if he was going to say something, but then he was silent and pulled away his hand. Lily looked at her palm. On it laid a shining, silver key. She looked up at him. "Draco, what is this?"
But he ignored her question. "Now, this is only part of it. The other part is in this room." He tapped his knuckles on the door. "Open," he urged.
Lily wrapped her fingers around the key, and then with her other hand, twisted the doorknob. She pushed the door open to see what looked like a normal bedroom. It had a queen-sized bed, with a green comforter and black pillows. There were two doors, one on the right and one on the left. Lily guessed that they led to a closet and a bathroom. A dresser was next to one door. Against the wall next to the door was a writing desk, a thing of quills was next to two bottles of ink. On the right side of the bed was a vanity with a large mirror. It was lined with different bottles and other things. And on the left side of the bed was a large bookcase, with only two shelves partially filled. A medium-sized window was above the bed.
She looked over at Draco. "No offense, but I'm not sure I get it. What's the gift?"
Draco gave a small smile as he stepped into the room. He moved to the writing desk, and pulled something out of one of the drawers. Then he set it down for her to see. "Perhaps, this will elaborate better."
It was a long silver plate, and on it, Lily Luna, was engraved. It suddenly clicked in Lily's mind, and she felt her heart stutter in beat. "You mean, this room?"
Draco pulled out the chair to sit down. "I didn't put up the plate, because I didn't want to be presumptuous. I thought I'd wait to see if you would accept the gift."
Lily gulped. "This is a really big gift, Draco."
He sighed. "Well, Lily, after our conversation the other day, I kept thinking about it. Read between lines, rethought things we said. And suddenly I thought, 'This girl feels like my own child.'. And as I thought about it, I realized that this might be the feeling of having a daughter. And I don't feel this way just because you are dating Scorpius. So, I thought that, I could give you your own room. You know, just incase you ever need somewhere to stay or go," Draco told her. "The key is to the house, incase if you need to come in the middle of the night."
Lily picked up the thin silver plate. It was a bit heavier than she expected, but it was easy to pick up. She walked over and held it against the door. She looked back to Draco. "Will you put it up now?"
Draco walked over and pulled out his wand. With a whispered spell, Lily felt the plate begin to stick to the wood of the door. She pulled away, and the plate stayed in place. It hung proudly, stating who belong in the room. And Lily knew that she didbelong in this house. She belonged in this family. She turned around and hugged Draco around the middle.
"Thank you so much, Draco. I feel the same way," she mumbled. It was all she could get out. Because she just couldn't get herself to say it out loud. She couldn't say that he felt more like her dad than her own father did.
But Draco only hugged her back. "Anytime, Lily. Anytime."
When Lily and Draco returned to the party, the dj had moved aside to let Mitch, Rex, Justin, and Will put on a performance. Lily had never heard them before, but they were amazing! Lily sought out Scorpius in the crowd, and found him standing alone next to a drink table.
"Hey, stud," she greeted with a smile.
He smiled back when he caught sight of her. "Hello, beautiful." He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her shortly. "Where did you disappear to?"
Lily picked up one of the cups from the table. "Your dad was giving me my birthday gift," she told him.
"What did he get you? He hasn't even given me or my mum a hint," Scorpius asked.
Lily took a quick drink. "He gave me a bedroom here. Incase I ever wanted to get away."
Scorpius squeezed her side tenderly. "I like that idea. It reassures me."
Lily rested her head against his arm, and looked up at the band. "So, I thought Will quit singing?"
"Ah, they're calling it his last performance," Scorpius replied.
"Alright, alright!" Will said after they finished the song. "Now, we got one slow song, so we're gunna play it for ya. So grab your girl or guy, or a friend, and come to the dance floor. And I expect to see our birthday girl out here!" he said with a laugh.
Lily shook her head, but Scorpius chuckled too. And when the song started, he took her cup and set it down. "Come on. Let's dance, princess. They're expecting us out there, and I would hate to disappoint."
Lily giggled, but let him take her out to the dance floor, where other couples were beginning to dance. She caught sight of a bunch of her friends. Lana and Dante, Megan and Monty, Shannon and Hunter, Lars and Lindsey Bletchley, Jace and Izzy, and Lola and Hugo.
"Scorpius," Lily said as they began to dance. She rested her head on his chest, "will you do something for me?"
"Anything, babe," Scorpius assured.
"Well, I want to take you to meet someone important," Lily told him quietly over the music.
"Who?"
"Duncan. He really wants to meet you before we go off to school," she whispered.
"Sure. I'd be honored to meet him," Scorpius replied. "Maybe I'll bring him a present."
"He likes Chocolate Frogs," Lily hinted.
"Chocolate Frogs it is then," he said with a kiss on her hair. Lily squeezed his shoulders in a way of thanks. "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked softly.
"Nothing that I know of," Lily answered.
"Work?"
"I have the day off. A birthday gift from Aunt Hannah," Lily replied.
"Well, how about going on a date with me?" Scorpius asked. "Another birthday present from me. Time away from your family."
Lily smiled. "I'd like that. What have you got in mind?"
"Since it's a surprise, I cannot tell you," he teased. "But I promise that you'll like it."
"I trust you," Lily told him.
It was a whirlwind of fun. The party had been a blast, and Lily couldn't remember having a better time. It was better than the party last spring! And when it came time to come home, it was Scorpius and Mitch that brought Lily and Hugo back to the Burrow, with Lola tagging along. The five were all still glowing in the dark as they laughed in the yard.
"That was such an awesome night!" Hugo cheered.
"Totally!" Lola agreed.
"You think Dom is still up?" Mitch asked.
"Maybe," Hugo answered.
"Man, these shoes are killing me," Lola complained as she pulled off her sandals.
"Here, hop up!" Hugo leaned down. Lola giggled and jumped on his back. Hugo then began walking toward the house, a giggling Lola on his back, and Mitch following. Lily and Scorpius stayed back, holding hands as they slowly walked toward the house.
"Quite the group, aren't they?" Scorpius chuckled.
"Ah, but we love them," Lily retorted with a smile.
"Yeah. I guess we're stuck with them," he joked. He let go of his hand to wrap it around her shoulder. "But I wouldn't change it."
"Neither would I," she admitted. They stopped just steps from the door. Scorpius slid his hands down to take hold of her hands again.
"So, may I assume that you had a great time tonight?" Scorpius asked.
Lily felt her smile get a little bit bigger. "You may. And may I assume that not matter how much I persist, you aren't going to tell me what we're doing tomorrow?"
"You may," Scorpius teased in kind. He leaned to place his forehead against hers. "I'll see you tomorrow at six?"
"Sounds good to me," Lily murmured.
"And I know there's no point to saying this, because you always do, but look real pretty tomorrow. Ok? And don't ask why," he caught her before she could start.
Lily sighed. "Ok, fine. I promise to be all dolled up, just for you."
Scorpius smirked. "Good. I'll let you get inside then. But first." He leaned forward and kissed her. Lily kissed his back eagerly, her fingers tightening their grip on his. When his tongue brushed against her lips, Lily opened her mouth eagerly for him, letting his sweep into her mouth. His hands let go of hers and wrapped around her waist. Lily moved her to his shoulders. With their lips and tongues meshed together, Lily forgot about needing to be in the house by midnight. She pretty much forgot everything but Scorpius and his lips.
There was a knock on the door next to them, making them both jump. "Tick Tok, Lily!" she heard her father call.
Lily groaned and leaned her head on Scorpius's chest, which was vibrating with every chuckle he emitted. "One moment, Dad!" she yelled back, trying not to sound aggravated. She looked up at her boyfriend. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah." He kissed her again, only shorter this time. "Send the other two out here for me."
Lily nodded. She moved to the door, giving one last wave and look goodbye, before opening the door and stepping inside. Surprisingly enough, it seemed like most of the family was still up, as if waiting for them. Lily ignored them. "Mitch, Lola, Scorpius is waiting," she told them.
Lola sighed. "Ok, we should probably go." She looked at Hugo. "Do I get a hug?"
Hugo grinned. "Of course!" He opened his arms, and Lola almost jumped into them. Lily rolled her eyes. Mitch kissed Dominique quickly. Lola pulled away from the hug, and then she hugged Lily.
"Again, happy birthday!" she said with a smile. "I'll see you later!"
"You bet," Lily assured.
Mitch gave her a quick, and brotherly hug. "See ya around, Lils."
"Bye, Mitch," Lily sighed.
"Later, dude," Hugo said with a bit of a wave.
Mitch grinned. "Back at ya, man." And with that, the two walked out the door.
"So, how was the party?" Ginny asked.
"Awesome!" Hugo answered.
"Yeah, you're still glowing," Dominique commented dryly. Both Hugo and Lily looked at the glowing spots on their skin and outfits.
"Still the most epic party," Hugo sighed, dropping into a chair.
Lily stretched her arms. "We should probably shower before bed," she joked.
Hugo leaned his head back. "You go first then. I'm lazy."
"So, what did you get from your friends?" Hermione asked curiously.
Lily sighed as she dropped onto the floor next to Hugo's chair. "A new broomstick, a couple outfits, accessories, books, potion and broom kits," she listed. She kept Draco's gift out of the list, yet the key in a hidden pocket in her skirt.
"I notice you didn't bring them home with you," Harry mentioned.
"Nah, it was too much to take," Lily said with a bit of a laugh. "Either Scorpius is going to help me take it all home one day, or he's just going to bring them to school." Then Lily sighed again and stood up. "Actually, I'm just going to take a shower now."
"Alright, dear," Ginny said.
Lily trekked up the stairs, her limbs a bit tired. A hot shower would do her good. Get the glowing splotches off of her, and then just dropped and fall asleep. Yes. That was a great plan.
"How about this white one?" Lily asked Hugo. After everyone in the Burrow woke up and had a family breakfast, they slowly began to leave to their own homes. Lily had told her parents early that she would be going on a date with Scorpius, and much to her father's displeasure, she was allowed to go. Hugo came over, and was now helping her pick an outfit. Well, helping the best he could.
"Sure, it looks good," he told her.
Lily rolled her eyes. He wasn't even looking at her. That was another thing she'd noticed. Hugo's been moody ever since this morning. But now it seemed worse than when she'd see him at the Burrow hours ago. "Really? How would you know? You're staring at the wall?"
Hugo sighed, rubbing his face. "Sorry, sorry. My dad's being a prick today. It's kinda why I came over," he told her.
Lily nodded in understanding. "Well, you can hang out in here after I leave if you want. That way you won't have to go home so soon."
"I might do that," Hugo muttered. Then he looked at her. "Go with something black," he suggested. "You're going on a birthday date, not meeting his parents for dinner."
Lily rolled her eyes again, but now she was laughing. "Ok, thanks."
"What are you doing with your hair?" Hugo asked as she went into her cramped closet again.
"Lightly curling it. I know he likes it," Lily told him. She pulled out a nice, black dress, but one that wasn't too formal.
"What else are you wearing with it?" Hugo questioned as he turned his back so Lily could change.
Lily sighed as she began to change. "My Slytherin pendant, my ring, a couple earrings."
"Good choice," Hugo complimented.
Once she had the dress on and tied, she moved to the vanity, where Hugo sat. "I'm decent," she assured as she began to grab her earrings.
Hugo turned back around in the chair. "So, I like that friend of yours. Lola."
Lily bit back a laugh. "Yeah? Well I reckon she likes you too."
"She's a cool girl," Hugo continued. "Pretty."
"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Lily teased,
Hugo held up his hands in defense. "I'm just commenting. I thought I was still allowed to look."
"Your girl doesn't seem like the type that likes not having total control of her toy," Lily sighed.
"Ha, ha," Hugo muttered. "She's not so bad, once you get to know her."
"I do know her. I've beaten her face in many times. She's a bitch," Lily stated. "But, I'm not going to tell you who to date. It's your decision and life."
"Thank you. At least someone thinks so," he mumbled.
"Your dad?" Lily asked.
"Total ass lately," he replied.
"They all get that way. My dad's been an ass for a couple of years now," Lily told him. She avoided Hugo's eyes as she began to put on lip gloss. "Actually, lately, I've felt like Draco is more like a dad to me than my own."
"Scorpius's dad?"
"The very one."
"Well, I guess that's not a bad thing. I mean, you do hang out with him more than your dad," Hugo told her.
"Yeah, but it's more than that. He's more accepting of things I do. Mistakes, good things. Anything. And I talk to him so much easier than I do with my dad. About serious things, too," Lily admitted. She gulped. "Last night, he told me that he feels like I'm more like his daughter. And I agreed with him. He even gave me a key to the house, and a room. That way if I needed somewhere to go, I had somewhere. I just . . . ," Lily sighed as she broke off, then picked back up. "I just feel like I belong there more than I do in this house."
Now it was a long moment before Hugo spoke. Lily had almost finished all of her makeup and accessories before he talked. "There's nothing I can really do to help ya there. You can't change how you feel. But I can see how you feel like that. I mean, you're a real black sheep in this family, no offense. And I don't think any of us in the family are going to really understand how you feel. I mean, your brothers, and most of your cousins, have turned their backs on you. I can understand how you would feel out of place, and then feel more at home with a family that accepts everything about you."
"I just don't get it," Lily told him. "They seem to accept everything but me. I just don't see how me becoming a Slytherin changed everything about me in their eyes."
"Well, think about it. James had four years of a festering hate for all Slytherins. And then his sister becomes one," Hugo replied.
"Yeah, but if the tables were turned, I would still love him. I wouldn't make threats, or try to get him beat up," Lily argued.
"Yeah, time has really morphed James," Hugo agreed. "As years have gone by, he's gotten worse. He's been milking the Potter name for all it's worth. Climbing the social ladder, sleeping with girls, controlling the team, making people do things for him. Having Albus as his bitch," he muttered the last part.
"Obviously," Lily mumbled. She sighed as she finished curling her hair. "What time is it, Hugo?"
Hugo checked the watch on his wrist. "Less then ten minutes to six. Scorp should be here soon."
Lily smoothed out her dress as she tried to get her heart to stop fluttering. She couldn't figure out what it was about this date that had her nervous. Maybe it was because it was her and Scorpius's first real date. Not him hanging around work with her, taking her home afterwards, sitting around his flat, him sticking around while she did pictures for his mum, or hanging out with their friends. It was an actual date, and Lily didn't really know what to expect.
"Calm down, Lil," Hugo chuckled.
Lily glanced over at him. "What?"
"Don't be nervous. Relax," he told her.
Now Lily looked at him fully. "How did you know that I'm nervous?"
Hugo grinned. "Because, it's no different from when we were kids. You get that blank face and scared eyes. We may have grown up, but you haven't changed all that much."
Lily felt her jittery nerves and flutter heart begin to slow, and she smiled at her cousin. Of all the things anyone could have told her, that was one thing she was really happy to hear. "Thanks, Hugo," she said softly.
He shrugged. "Just speakin' the truth," he said, sounding a little abashed.
A knock sounded at the door, and it seemed to snap around the air of the room. Hugo sat up in the chair, and Lily straightened up where she stood. "Who is it?" Lily asked.
"Your mother. May I come in?" Ginny asked from the other side of the door.
Lily sighed. "Yeah, just a second."
Lily walked over and unlocked the door, opening it to let her mum in. Ginny stepped in, looking around as she did. "I haven't been in here for a while. When did you move things around?"
Lily looked around as well. She'd rearranged her room during the boredom of her grounded period. "Back in June," she answered. She moved back to her mirror, where Hugo was still sitting on the chair.
"Hey, Aunt Ginny," he greeted.
"Hello, Hugo. When did you get here?" she asked as she moved to look at some of the pictures on the wall.
"An hour or so ago. Sorry for not saying hi," he told her. He picked up a small Muggle ball that grandpa had given Lily, and began to toss it between his hands.
"Oh, you're always welcome," Ginny assured. "Lily, when was this took?" she asked, pointing at one of the pictures.
Lily moved closer to look at it. It was a picture of the five girls in their dorm room. It was an obvious girls' night. They were in pajamas, Lola was doing Shannon's hair, Megan was looking in a magazine, Lily was painting Izzy's nails. Lily remembered Lana and Tamara Nott coming in, and Lana taking the picture. They ended up joining them that night. It had been fun.
"It was taken this last year," Lily answered. She really wanted to ask what her mother wanted, but she held her tongue.
"It's cute," Ginny told her. Then she turned to look at her daughter. "You look beautiful, sweetheart."
Lily gave a bit of a smile. "Thanks," she said.
Ginny moved to push her bangs aside a little. "Awfully dressed up though for a simple date though, aren't you?"
Lily shrugged. "I don't know. Scorpius told me dress up for it."
"What's the occasion?" Ginny asked.
"My birthday," Lily replied.
"Where's he taking you?"
Lily looked back at her mother. "Did Dad send you up here?"
Ginny looked a bit sheepish. "He wanted to interrogate you, but I thought there would be less of a fight if I talked to you."
Lily sighed, ignoring te anger at her dad. "I have no idea where Scorpius and I are going. The point of a present is that it's a surprise. No matter how much I want to know now," she muttered.
Ginny moved to sit on her bed. "Honey, your father worries about you. He will always worry about you. You are his only daughter. He means well."
Lily was reminded of her talk with Draco. "Yeah. I know," she admitted.
"Come here." Ginny motioned for the spot next to her on the bed.
Hugo put down the ball and got up from his seat. "I'm going to use the bathroom." He quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Lily moved to the bed, and sat next to her mother. "What is it?"
Ginny brushed a bit of Lily's hair from her shoulder. "There's something else that your father wanted to talk about, and I knew that you did not want to hear it from him. And I knew that he really didn't want to talk about it with you."
Lily looked at her, a bit confused. "What is it?"
Ginny sighed. "I know we've talked about this before, years ago. But now that you're older and have a boyfriend, I think we need to talk about sex."
"Oh, Mum!" Lily protested, standing from her seat. This wasn't a talk she wanted to have with either of her parents! Once when she was nine was enough!
Ginny laughed shortly. "Yes, Lily, I think we need to talk again."
"Look, Mum, unless the process has changed since I was nine, I think I've got the gist!" Lily assured as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Look, Lily, I don't want to talk about the 'process'," Ginny replied. "I just want to make sure that if it happens, you're doing it for the right reasons."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Mum, I've never done something I didn't want to do."
"I know. And that really helps to reassure me. And I don't think Scorpius would be the type of boy to try push or force you."
"He's not," Lily replied.
"And you know that-,"
"Sex without love is meaningless," Lily repeated, remembering their talk from years ago.
Ginny laughed. "I'm glad you remembered one of the more important parts of that talk. But there's one other thing."
Lily sighed as she dropped down onto the bed again. "Mum, Scorpius is going to be here soon," she said, wanting to drop the topic.
"He can wait," Ginny quipped. "Besides, this one is important. I want to be sure that you're smart enough to be safe about it."
Lily nodded. "Mum, the size of our family shows me how safe I need to be."
Ginny laughed. "Yes, yes. But what about when it comes to the means of being safe? Brewing that potion can be a bit difficult. I know you're good with potions, but I think it might be safer if we went to St. Mungo's for it."
Lily let that thought rush through her mind. She'd never really considered it, but she guessed that she'd just make it. She had faith in herself that she could do it. Plus, if she did go with her mum to St. Mungo's, Lily had the gut feeling that it would some how get to her father. That was the last thing she needed him to know about.
"Mum, I really don't know," Lily told her. "I honestly hadn't thought about sex until you brought it up. But when I know, then I'll think about what I wanna do."
Ginny stared at her for what seemed like a long and quiet moment before finally looking toward the door. "I can accept that. And I think that Scorpius is here." Ginny got up and moved to open the door.
Lily looked at her mother with surprise. "Why do you say that?"
Ginny grinned. "Because I've been up here for five minutes, and your father hasn't tried to interrupt this talk. My guess is that he's glaring or trying to interrogate your boyfriend."
Lily stood up, smoothed out her dress, and then followed her mother out of the room. When they got downstairs and went into the living room, Lily saw that her mother was right. Scorpius and Hugo were sitting on the couch and talking, while her father glared holes into Scorpius. Lily's eyes were locked onto Scorpius. He wore black pants, with a black button-up shirt. The tie he wore was a light silver, as was the buckle to his belt. He looked so formal, yet so relaxed in them.
When they seemed to notice the girls' entrance, the men all stood up. Scorpius's eyes were now locked on Lily in turn.
"Hello, Scorpius," Ginny greeted.
Scorpius glanced at her quickly, before looking back at Lily. "Hello, Mrs. Potter." He moved across the room to stand next to Lily. "And hello, beautiful," he said quietly so that only she heard.
"Hey," Lily said just as softly.
"So, where are you taking my daughter, Scorpius?" Ginny asked with a smile.
Scorpius smirked. "It's a surprise," he told her, glancing again at Lily.
"Well, you know her curfew. Have her home by midnight," Ginny told him.
"That's not a problem at all," Scorpius assured.
Lily took his hand. "Yup, be home then." She looked at Scorpius. "Let's go," she told him.
Scorpius gave a small wave with his other hand. "Have a goodnight, you guys," he told them. Before they could reply, Lily had pulled him into the hall and toward the door. "You seem eager to be out," he commented.
"I'll tell you when we're outside," she told him. But once they left the house, Lily waited until they were a distance from the house before speaking. Scorpius let her, and kept walking toward the park and the Apparation point.
"My mum just gave me another sex talk," Lily told him.
She had expected him to fully laugh, but he only chuckled. "Really? Did you talk about me?" he teased.
"She wanted to make sure that I knew to be safe. Like looking at my family wasn't a big enough warning," Lily muttered.
"I know. I'm afraid to sneeze around you," Scorpius joked.
Lily laughed, and playfully smacked his shoulder. "Ha, ha. I guess my dad was wanting to talk to me about it. My mum saved my ass by doing it for him. I can't imagine how horrifying it would be to have that talk with my dad" Lily almost shuddered at the thought.
They had reached the park, away from sight. Scorpius stopped, and looked at Lily with a bit of a serious face. "Lily, you know that I'm going to take care of you, right? If that ever happens, I'm not going to take a chance that could hurt your future."
Lily felt her insides shiver at his words. She smiled up at him. "Yeah. I do know that," she whispered. After all, Scorpius was always doing his best to protect her.
"And you know that I'm never going to try and get you to do something you don't want to. Not that I would probably ever succeed, but you do know that I would never try, right?" Scorpius questioned gently.
Lily sighed as she took both of his hands. "Scorpius, I know. I know you. I've never had to question your intentions with me."
Scorpius nodded. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew." He sighed. "Well, are you ready?"
Lily took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."
Scorpius took hold of her waist. "Then here we go," he whispered.
After the sick feeling, which Lily was slowly becoming used to, her feet hit the ground, and Lily was surprised to see a hallway. "Where are we?" she asked.
Scorpius smirked. He turned her around, and then covered her eyes with his hands. "It's still a surprise," he told her.
"If something jumps out at me, I will kill you," Lily warned.
Scorpius laughed. "Trust me. Just take three steps forward." Lily did as he said, and then he turned her. "Now, keep your eyes shut," he told her. She did as he said, and could feel one of his hands leave her face. She heard a door open, and then felt his hand over her eyes again. He nudged her to walk forward, and then she heard the door being shut. "Ok, are you ready?"
"Yes, yes! What is it?" Lily demanded eagerly.
Scorpius dropped his hands. "Open your eyes," he told her.
Lily opened her eyes, and was surprised at what she saw. It was his flat, although it looked much different from the last time she saw it. It was very clean, the cleanest she'd seen it. The room was dimly lit by candles that were placed around the living room and kitchen. The table was set with two full plates, a couple flowers, and two candles.
Scorpius cleared his throat. "The house elves from home decorated the place, and made the food. I thought that I could give you a birthday dinner, just me and you. It's not too much, is it?" Lily was surprised to hear how nervous he sounded.
Lily shook her head. "No, no it's great. Really."
Scorpius showed a smile full of relief. "Good. I'm glad to hear that." He held out his hand toward the table. "Shall we?"
Lily smiled. "Yeah. We shall."
As the two began to eat, the conversation between them flowed easily, with a few comfortable silences in-between.
"So, had your potion N.E.W.T. come in yet?" Scorpius asked.
"No. I expect it to come in the same time as James's," Lily told him. "That's how it was with my O.W.L.. It came as soon as Albus got his."
"Ah. So, what am I to expect on my potion N.E.W.T.?" Scorpius asked with a teasing smirk.
Lily laughed lightly. "Nothing that you can't handle. And the things that you don't know yet, you'll learn this year. It should be easy enough for you."
"I should hope so. I need good marks on my N.E.W.T.s," Scorpius told her with a chuckle of his own.
"If I may ask, what are you going to do after school?" Lily asked. She had never asked before, and Scorpius had never spoken about it. Lily didn't even have the slightest idea.
Scorpius pushed around his food a little before answering. "Well, actually, I was planning on being an Auror."
Lily looked at him with surprise. "Really?"
Scorpius shrugged, a bit of pink on his cheeks. "Yeah. It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while now. I mean, what better way to put the Malfoy name into a better light? And the thought of having a career that saves people, I like it."
"So you do like playing the knight in shining armor," Lily teased lightly.
Scorpius chuckled. "I guess that's one way of looking at it."
Lily smiled, but then bit her lip as a thought occurred to her. "Scorpius, can I ask you something?"
Scorpius chewed his bite carefully before swallowing, and giving a nod. "Of course. Ask me anything."
Lily fiddled with her fork, wondering how to word what she wanted to say. Finally she asked, "I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, or assuming anything, but when you say 'put the Malfoy name into a better light', does that mean that you think the Malfoy name is still in a bad light?"
A thoughtful scowl took place on Scorpius's face. He pushed around the food on his plate, and took a drink from his glass. Lily didn't know if he was thinking about his answer, or if he was just stalling. When he finally swallowed his drink, he sighed. "It's not that I think it's in a bad light. I think that my father and mother have worked hard to bring our name into a good light, publically. But . . . it's obvious that some still see us as Death Eaters or maniacal purebloods. I just feel like it's going to take more than donations or public parties to fully get people to really accept our name again," he explained. He smirked, and looked as if he were going to laugh. "Perhaps I look to much into it."
Lily shook her head. "No, I think that makes sense. A public image is much different from a person's real thoughts on something. It's dumb, but a lot of people fake acceptance of something in the media. But in their own homes, their actual thoughts can be completely different."
"Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only cynic when it comes to people," Scorpius chuckled.
Lily shrugged. "I don't see myself as be cynical. Just honest."
He smirked. "Well, they say honesty is the best quality a person can have."
Lily laughed. "Not always true. Brunt honesty can easily make a person a bitch."
Scorpius laughed too. "True, true." He took another drink before speaking again. "So, even though you have time to decide, do you have any idea on what you want to do after Hogwarts?"
Lily ran her tongue over her teeth as she thought about the question. "I guess I haven't thought about it much. But when I do, nothing really pops into my mind. At the moment, I can't think of anything that I know I want to do. I could go the easy route, do something involved with potions, since that's my area of expertise. But then I think 'where's the fun in that?' It would take the fun out a career, and the fun out of a hobby."
Scorpius nodded, still smirking. "So, not even an idea? Not that it's a bad thing," he told her.
"When you have a family as big as mine, it's hard to find a career that a relative doesn't already have. And some are ok with working with a cousin or other relative, but I find that . . . lazy. I'd rather do something different, work with people that I maybe don't know yet," Lily replied.
"It makes sense to me," Scorpius agreed. "Working with a relative could be annoying. Especially in your case."
Lily grinned. "Exactly. But even the ones I like, I'd rather do something different."
"Have you thought about sticking with modeling? Or are you planning to keep that a part-time thing?" Scorpius asked.
"I've considered making it a career. At the moment, I guess I'm just keeping my options open on the work front," Lily told him.
"Nothing wrong with that. You've got time. But, if you don't know by the time you take your O.W.L.s, how are you going to choose your classes for sixth year?" Scorpius inquired.
Lily shrugged. "No clue. I'll probably go by what I like, what interests me, which ones I get the better marks on."
"So, am I going to lose my girlfriend to textbooks and the library this year?" Scorpius teased.
Lily giggled. "I doubt it. I only study when necessary, or when a friend asks me to help them with something. I hate studying. It's so boring, reading over things I already know."
"Spoken like a true prodigy," Scorpius chuckled.
Lily smiled. "I wouldn't say prodigy. Just . . . unusual. So, am I going to lose you to books and the library?"
Scorpius sighed. "Well, when it came to my O.W.L.s, I took a day each week to study, and I thought that I would do the same this year, maybe make it two."
"So, can we hope for fewer brutal Quidditch practices?" Lily joked.
Scorpius laughed. "Sadly, no. Remember, Will and Dante have both graduated, so that means we gotta break in two new teammates."
"Oh yeah," Lily sighed. "Gunna hold tryouts early this year?"
"Nah. I thought I'd have around the normal time. Let people get adjusted, maybe practice a little before trying out," Scorpius replied.
"Probably a good idea," Lily agreed. She put down her fork and lightly pushed away her plate.
Scorpius put down his fork as well, and grabbed both of their plates. "Here, let me get these."
As he got up and moved to the sink, Lily stood up from her chair and moved to wonder around the living room. Since moving in, Lily had noticed that Scorpius had begun to put up pictures on the walls. There was one of his parents at what must have been their wedding. Lily was surprised at how much Draco looked like Scorpius's back then. There were a few differences. Draco wasn't as broad shouldered as Scorpius, his face more pointed, and his skin paler. Another picture was of Scorpius, Lana, Lars, and Aaron. Aaron looked as if he was maybe twelve or thirteen, while the others looked too young to be at Hogwarts. Another picture was of Scorpius and his parents. Scorpius couldn't have been even seven in this picture. He was smiling, and Lily could see that a tooth was missing. It made her giggle a little.
A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. "Something funny?" Scorpius murmured.
Lily sighed at the warmth that wrapped around her. "You're adorable in this picture," she told him.
Scorpius chuckled lowly. "I think this was sometime before my sixth birthday. Lost my first tooth."
Lily leaned back, resting against his chest. "It's cute."
Scorpius's lips touched Lily's neck, making her repress an instinctive jolt of surprise. "You're cute," he mumbled against her skin.
Lily sucked in a breath. She turned in his arms, moving her hands to his cheeks, feeling the stubble under her fingers. Scorpius placed his lips on hers in a hard kiss, and wasted no time by swiping his tongue along her bottom lip, and nipping it softly. Lily gasped against his lips, giving him the opening to slide his tongue past her lips. She rubbed his tongue against his, starting something that was a mix between a dance and fight in her mouth. Scorpius was the obvious winner, and Lily didn't mind. His tongue probed the inside of her mouth, making Lily's heart beat faster against her chest. She felt one of Scorpius's hands trail up her back, and then burying itself in her hair.
Lily pulled her lips away from his, although not far. Her breath came in small pants. Scorpius's did as well, the warmth of his breath fanning across her face. The hand in her hair loosened, but remained. Scorpius's lips brushed across her cheek, and slowly began to trail down to her neck. Lily let her own hands glide down to his shoulders, her fingers gripping him a little harshly when he bit lightly at the skin of her collarbone. He began to lap at the skin where he'd marked, kissing it softly. Lily pulled in a deep breath, inhaling the smell that seemed to be pure Scorpius. That musky smell, with maybe a hint of cinnamon even. It made Lily's head spin.
Scorpius brought his lips back to hers in a kiss that Lily was sure would set her on fire. But it ended quickly much to her disappointment. And this time, Scorpius's didn't keep his lips on her, but stood straight, moving his lips far from her.
Lily brought in a quick gulp of air. "What is it?" she asked softly.
"I want to do something, before I forget," he said gently. He let go of her, but then took her hand, and pulled her to the couch. When he sat down, Lily did the same. "I got you a gift," he told her.
Lily looked at him with mild surprise. "A gift? I thought that a night from my family was a gift."
"Well, consider this a second gift," he retorted. He dug into his pocket, but whatever it was that he pulled out, he kept hidden in his fist. "Lily, you understand that I am serious about you and our relationship, even if it has only been a couple months."
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I know. Same here," she said with a breathy laugh. Her nerves were jumping with uncertainty. Why was he telling her this?
"That's why I thought I would give you this." He opened his hand, and then held out his Slytherin ring between two fingers. "If it's too . . . big or binding of a gift, then it's cool if you don't take it. I just thought you should have it."
Lily felt her heart trying to break out of her chest. She understood what he meant. A ring could seem binding. But Lily felt that the ring was a sign of how important she really was to him. She knew how the guys in Scorpius's year found their rings important. Lily knew for a fact that Mitch hadn't even given his to Dominique, and they'd been dating for years now.
Lily smiled at him. "I think it's probably the greatest gift you've ever given me," she admitted.
Scorpius's face was full of relief. "That's good," he said with a sigh. "Um, I wasn't sure which finger you'd want to put it on. So, you pick, and it'll fit any of them."
Lily looked at both of her hands. Her own ring was on the ring finger of her right hand. As if on instinct, her mind considered the ring finger on her other hand. But then she thought of the assumptions that would be made, mainly the assumptions of her father. So she took the ring, and delicately placed it on the middle finger of her left hand instead. At first it was big, but then it instantly shrunk to fit nicely around her finger. "How about, here?" she murmured.
Scorpius took the hand, and kissed the ring, and then the back of her hand. "I think that it looks much better on you, than it does on me," he whispered. He kissed her softly and shortly, but Lily didn't complain. Her mind and heart were still amazed at the gift. Scorpius nudged her cheek with his nose, then pressed a kiss there. "You're quiet, beautiful. What's on your mind?" he asked.
Lily took in a breath, surprised at how little breath she had at the moment. Finally looking away from the ring to look at Scorpius, she smiled happily. "I'm thinking that this is the best birthday I've ever had."